by: Jody Holford
Series: A Wannabe Sleuth
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release Date: May 23, 2023
Publisher: Tule Publishing
What happens on spring break stays on spring break…except murder.
It’s spring break in Rainbow Falls and true crime aficionado Annie Abbott is hoping to cater to the hoards of college kids descending on her coastal town by hosting a Gatsby-themed murder mystery party. She’s hoping her twenties era whodunnit at a local historic mansion will increase tourist revenue and build her business’s brand.
The party is the talk of the town when a despised social media influencer is attacked and left for dead on the estate’s grounds. With the help of her online friends, Annie searches for clues. The list of suspects reads like the town’s social directory—but who benefits most from the victim’s silence?
Annie’s parents are due home from their year-long adventure, so her time in Rainbow Falls is winding down. With a growing suspect list and tension among her friends, Annie worries about her own future. Should she settle in Rainbow Falls? Do she and Ben, her boyfriend and the town vet, have a future? Will she live long enough to find out?
Spring Break Slaying finds the small coastal town of Rainbow Falls being inundated with college students on Spring Break. Since the town is a tourist town, Annie Abbott and her friend Claire put together one of their online mystery events for the first time in real life. A Night of Murder Mystery Fun is slated to be a fun night, with various members of Annie’s gated complex, friends, and the community dressing up to be characters for the event. In a surprise twist, local real estate agent Sylvia Buxton offers them the use of an off-market heritage house that will work perfectly with the roaring twenties theme of the event. There’s talk around town that Sylvia isn’t helping out just to be nice and charitable, but that she’s hoping to use this as a way to win favor for her college-aged daughter who has been deemed persona no grata due to some of the things she’s done.
The event does in fact turn out to be a fun time until Sylvia’s daughter Kimberly is discovered injured and dies. When Kimberly’s death is determined to be a murder, Kimberly’s wrongdoings come to light and the list of people who could have it out for her becomes longer by the minute.
While Annie is asked to help unofficially with the investigation, she also has to deal with the fact that she can’t get ahold of her parents who are sailing around the world. One thing is for sure, Annie is going to need to lean on her friends like never before.
Spring Break Slaying was a nice mystery that had me guessing up until the big reveal. I loved that we get to see the progression of Annie and Ben’s romance, as well as the start of a new romance. I’m happy that more time is also focused on Annie’s parents, who haven’t really been mentioned a lot in the previous books. With all of the new reveals, I’m hoping this series continues.
~ Favorite Quotes ~
“You don’t get where you want to be without some bumps in the road.”
“It’s not always easy to walk away when you know things aren’t how they should be.”
**Received a copy of the book from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed it.**
Rating: 4
Purchase Spring Break Slaying from:
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Jody introduces us to some of the main characters of Home Is Where the Body Is here.
The A Wannabe Slueth Series:
Home Is Where the Body Is ~ Review
Homecoming and Homicide ~ Review
Places to find Jody Holford:
Website | Facebook | Reader Group | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Instagram | Amazon Author Page
I enjoy her books.
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