Killer Run

I have been enjoying this series, however this wasn't my favorite. The mystery and plot were thin, the ending too abrupt and routine. However, the characters were still as enjoyable as always.

Killer Run by Lynn Cahoon is the fifth book in A Tourist Trap Mystery series. Jill Gardner is the owner of Coffee, Books, and More (CBM). She is also the liaison between South Cove City Council and the business community. Jill is working with Darla Taylor to host their first annual South Cove Mission Walk. After the meeting about the walk Sandra and Michael Ashford arrive (she was busy changing clothes to make sure she had the right outfit to arrive on time as well as arguing with her husband). They are the owners of Promote Your Event and were hired by the California Mission Society (no one bothered to call Darla or Jill during their months of planning for the event). Jill is hoping the South Cove Mission Walk will help her application for getting the wall in her backyard declared an historic landmark. Everything goes well during the walk until Jill is called away to help her Aunt Jackie. Jackie’s boyfriend, Josh Thomas collapsed during the walk. Nearby they found the dead body of Sandra Ashford. Jill’s boyfriend, Greg King is the town’s detective. Jill and Greg were going to be leaving in a few days on an Alaskan cruise. Greg does not feel he can leave until the case is solved (he is dedicated—to his job). Jill has to call their travel agent, Rachel Fleur (who previously dated Greg—talk about awkward) to see about a refund. Harrold owns The Train Station in town. Most of his business is actually done online, but there are some people who come to town just to go to Harrold’s shop. He has started experiencing some vandalism issues. Someone puts paints on his windows, then breaks in and destroys a beautiful model town. Harrold asks Jill to investigate the crimes and find the culprit. Since Greg did not want Jill getting involved in Sandra Ashford murder case, Jill takes the case. However, since Jill did not go on the cruise, she has a little too much time on her hands (she decided to go ahead and take the days off since it was already scheduled). Jill is working on renovating one of her guest bedrooms, but she still has time to sleuth. Will Jill solve the cases? Can she keep ahead of the killer and not get into trouble with Greg? You will have to read Killer Run to find out! I enjoyed reading Killer Run. It was a cute story. I give Killer Run 4 out of 5 stars. While Killer Run could be read without reading the previous books in the story, it really helps to have read them (there will be references you will not understand). I liked how the writer tied the cases together in the end and use the misdirection. Despite the writer’s attempts at pointing the reader in the wrong direction, the mystery was easy to solve. I had it solved before they even found the body (it was obvious). I like the characters and the town. The writer has a nice writing style that makes the story easy to read. I look forward to Lynn Cahoon’s next novel. I received a complimentary copy of Killer Run from Kensington Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The review and opinions expressed are my own and are not influenced by receiving a free book.

Too twee and rambling for me, but a nice enough sense of place and an attractive setting. But characters seem all surface, and even the nasty grumpy petty folk, are not irritating enough. I found the right word for it now - just a bit smug for my taste.