Members of a certain book club are dying in the small town of Mercer Island. One woman drives off a cliff. Another one drops dead in her peach cobbler at the St. Claire Inn making Julia Applegate, the inn's owner, the prime suspect. Never one to flinch from a challenge, Jula recruits her “sixty-something” group of older women friends to launch their own investigation. Together, this group of loyal friends track down a group of sex traffickers to save the life of a young mother and her baby.Do you like dog heroes? We have those. Do you like older women who are fearless? We have those. How about helpful but humorous ghosts? We have those, too. Add a talking parrot who likes to quote old movies, a book club member who drives like she's in the Indy 500, and a very handsome detective (or two), and sixty-something won't seem so old anymore!Join Lynn Bohart's thousands of satisfied readers with this popular cozy mystery.WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT THE 'OLD MAIDS'"This book had me riveted for hours.""I couldn't put my Kindle down until I finished the entire book.""Wonderful read. The characters soon become your neighbors.""I am not usually into paranormal books. But this one made me laugh out loud, often!"
Lynn Bohart holds a master’s degree in theater and has taught writing through Green River College for 10+ years. She has self-published ten popular paranormal mystery novels, two short story books, and two nonfiction books on Amazon.com, including the Detective Giorgio Salvatori mystery series and the Old Maids of Mercer Island mystery series. She is currently working on her first YA book following Julia and her brother Ben from the Old Maids books when they were teens. She is also the founder of Lil Dog Communications, a freelance writing and consulting company.
If you like true crime, visit her website at www.lynnbohart-author.com and sign up to receive her newsletter "Let's Talk About Murder" for free where she interviews authors, law enforcement, journalists and forensic technicians to talk about the ultimate crime. She also writes The Murder Brief Blog to explore topics like The Body Farm, The Serial Killer Gene, and more.
Lynn will be a presenter for the Crime/Thriller Summit in October.
A semi-cozy, easy-to-read mystery that features some darker elements.
Inn Keeping with Murder features Julia Applegate, the 63 year old owner of the 'haunted' St. Claire Inn on Mercer Island in Washington. After one of their friends commits suicide and another has a shocking and mysterious death, Julia and her friends think something's up and decide to start investigating things themselves.
To be honest, this was a perfectly serviceable murder mystery, but not one I'd rush to recommend. I wish the setting of Mercer Island and the inn were a bit more utilized. I felt like our main character Julia made a few blunders that you could see coming from a mile away, which for some may be amusing but for me I sort of wanted to bang my head against the wall with her stupidity. You'd think with how in danger she is she'd be a bit smarter, but alas. For the moments of lighthearted entertainment, aspects of the book were pretty dark- multiple people die and there are definitely some heavier scenes in the book. Nothing crazy but it's not 100% light-hearted. I suppose no murder mystery is completely light-hearted because, well, murder, but this one did not give me super comforting/cozy vibes.
The mystery itself was quite convoluted and wrapped up too quickly. I wish there were a few more hints so we could get a bit closer to what was going on before the big reveal. The reveal was about a 6/10 on the satisfying scale- interesting but nothing particularly cathartic.
Still, I did like the older women's friendship/dynamic and there were some amusing aspects to the story. I really enjoyed the paranormal aspects and how they were more just there and not major parts of the plot. I also liked how the whole haunted inn trope was flipped on it's side. I love me some helpful ghosts! There were also plenty of loose threads so I really wanted to know what the heck is going on.
Overall an entertaining way to pass the time, but nothing groundbreaking.
I have a thing for big old Victorian houses,(yes, I live in one) so the cover of this book drew me in immediately. The characters drew me in further. An good start to what is evidently going to be a new cozy series.
Julia Applegate owns the St. Claire Inn on Mercer Island which has been converted into a high end B&B. She and the close friends in her book club have formed a tight bond that is almost family. When a good friend of theirs apparently commits suicide and then one of their own members drops dead in the Inn right in front of them, they are determined to find the culprit. The St. Claire Inn is haunted and even the ghosts get in on the action of helping to solve the murders. A Great Dane and two dachshunds round out the cast of pretty interesting characters.
I felt the answer to the mystery was telegraphed pretty early in the book. I'm not usually good at figuring out whodunit so it was unusual for me to have nailed it so early. I did enjoy the characters and the setting. I'm enjoying books where the characters are a bit older and yet are still fully drawn individuals. I love this trend of older characters in mysteries.
If there are more books forthcoming, I'll be back for them. I think the potential in the characters is enormous and the setting of an Inn with strangers coming and going could be a great platform for mysteries. I'll watch and see where this goes.
This book started out a bit of a downer and I didn't think I was going to like it. It took a big turn a few chapters in. I totally enjoyed this book. All the characters were likable. Even the ghosts. The end of the book was a real thrill ride. I highly recommend this book. I hope there are other books. There is no way I could choose a favorite character I liked them all.
I enjoy murder mysteries, and very much like to read local authors, so I requested this book from the King County Library System, after coming across it. It was a very entertaining story. I had a little trepidation when I read on the back cover that it was a paranormal mystery, but the paranormal part was fairly minimal, even though it was impactful. The characters were interesting, the story had good plot twists, and I found this to be a very entertaining book. I will recommend this book to others, and look forward to reading more by Lynn Bohart.
I read this on my Kindle. A group of older ladies meet for a book club at the Inn in Seattle. One of their members commits suicide, and while they are still mourning her, another lady dies after eating poisoned fudge. Not happy with the direction the police are going, the rest of the group decides to investigate.
This delightful cozy mystery had all the elements I look for in the genre--quirky characters, lots of humour, an interesting setting, and, best of all, dogs! And, to add to the fun, there was even a touch of the paranormal with a few ghosts haunting the elegant inn and playing a part in solving the mystery.
Julia and the other ladies were feisty, intelligent and still quite active for their ages. After their friend's suicide, they became determined to live their lives to the fullest and thus was born the Old Maids Club, an idea I totally loved. One tiny issue I did have was Julia's propensity to become emotional and weepy at the slightest provocation. It made her seem a little weak at times.
Now, to the dogs! :) Mickey and Minnie were two sweet, adorable dachshunds who stole the show every time they appeared, and Lucy was a lovely Great Dane who, despite her good nature, proved to be a wonderful protector. She became my hero as much as she did Julia's.
The "cozy" part of this book was tainted by the very serious issue that was the crux of the mystery. And, you might be surprised by who was involved in the ruthless, deadly gang of criminals who perpetrated the atrocities.
Overall, this was a satisfying read, and I will definitely be continuing on with the further adventures of these old maids.
This was a pleasant read. I love a mystery. It started out nice with Julia whom owned a B&B in the state of Washington. I have never been there, but sounds like a place I may want to visit. There are seven ladies in a book club and there are best friends. Unfortunetly, a member died at the B & B. They were all confused as to why. A year later, another one died. It was poison. OK, now we had a murder. The girls decided to find out what was happening. The police were on it, but could not solve it. Put a group of ladies together, that were motivated, and 'stuff' happens. Julia Applegate, Blair Wentworth, Doe Kovinsky, April Jackson and Rudy Smith started investigating. Another death, close calls on several of them, mostly Julia. What was going on? I won't say anything more because the last 1/4th of the book went by so quickly that I don't believe all of what happened. I was sitting on the edge of my seat. It's a good thing that I had nothing pressing to do today, because I didn't leave my chair for four hours! Just had to finish the book. I know that you will love the book and especially the ending. Sit back and enjoy the ride.
I loved this cozy mystery, the characters were so funny, and some not so nice, but fit the storyline and built the suspense even more. If you like mysteries, with a dash of humor, alot of suspense, ghosts a lovable dog named Lucy, two mini Dachshunds and a talking parrot, you have to read this book. I can't wait for the next book!
From Amazon: When seventy-three year old, Martha Denton drops dead into her peach cobbler at the St. Claire Inn, no one is surprised. After all, Martha had a heart condition. But when her death is ruled a murder, the inn’s owner, Julia Applegate, becomes the prime suspect. Julia recruits her “sixty-something” group of friends to launch their own investigation. Together with the inn’s resident ghosts, including Julia’s recently deceased mother who has learned to use a cell phone, they go after the truth. Add to that a talking parrot who likes to quote old movies, a Harlequin Great Dane, two miniature Dachshunds, a very handsome detective (or two), and get ready for a romp down mystery lane!
I liked this book. I didn't think I would because it is a paranormal mystery, but the inn setting was delightful and the characters were interesting. Who would think a ghost would use a telephone? Who knows?
The mystery kept me guessing and I liked the fantasy of ghosts. One of the things I liked best about this book was the friendship of the characters. I found myself wishing I had a group of friends like this. They supported one another, got crazy together and cared about one another.
I wanted to visit the inn, murders or not. The plot had twists and turns that made you think that maybe you had it figured out and then it would take you in another direction. Don't let the fantasy of the ghosts keep you from reading this book. Sit back, put your feet up and enjoy the story.
Inn Keeping with Murder is a humorous paranormal (ghosts) mystery. The ghosts in question are friendly but frequently help Julia (the innkeeper) by getting her rude nosy neighbor to go back to her own home. When one of Julia's group of friends dies after a car wreck, the friends decide to remember her by honoring her last words by doing things that they have always meant to do. When less than a year later, another friend dies unexpectedly after also having behaved strangely for several days, the ladies are very shaken up, especially when it turns out that she had been poisoned. So they decide to solve the mystery, which Julia and friends do with a little ghostly help that comes just in the nick of time.
This was an excellent read! The Old Maids of Mercer Island are a hardy bunch of older women who refuse to let life just pass them by. When 2 of their friends die in strange circumstances, Julia, the owner of a Bed and Breakfast, leads her remaining friends on a quest to find the killers before too many others are murdered as well. It's a bit darker than I usually go for, and some of the scenes are a tad gruesome, but it does keep one on the edge of her seat, and the pages turning to see just what will happen next. A really good first new book in a series, and one series I'm sure I will be adding to my reading list...
Inn Keeping with Murder is a great read! Julia and her friends all live on Mercer Island. Julia runs the St. Claire Inn, which is believed to be haunted. When two of Julia's friends are killed and she is suspected of killing one of them, her whole world is turned upside down. Not only does she have to find out who killed them, but why. What ensues is a ruthless tale of murder and deceit. In the end, you will be drawn into a ring of criminals and not believe who it is!!! This one left me saying Oh my goodness!!! I really hope there will be a sequel and that Elizabeth and Rosa will be back.
This book started out slow, but then took off like a rocket!! Several murders, poisoned fudge, subliminal messages in a MP 3 player, and a lot of characters who weren't who you thought they were. Along with illegal baby trafficking-- for a cozy mystery, this book had it all and then some.
Inn keeper Julia Applegate and her other 60-something year old friends stepped up to the plate after two of their friends died under mysterious circumstances. They had plenty of suspects and lots of helpful ghosts.
Interesting cast of characters. Loved the idea of the Inn, the antique business and most especially the bakery! Can't remember the name of the gal who's the wannabe race car driver but I love her! She is my kind of people! Plus she saved their lives, can't ask for more than that. A fun read although I did figure out what was going on although I didn't have all the people pegged. WOuld read another one in the series.
Lynn Bohart writes about women of a certain age. They are independent, intelligent women who have grown in many ways. They have a close bond , have formed a book club and a support system that all women need! When members of the book club are leaving the mortal plane the rest become involved in finding out why and remaining supportive of each other and facing danger! Julia was my favorite character because she had such a positive attitude and strong faith in others. A GoodRead!
i had so much fun reading this book. I have 2 doxies myself, so the two long-haired dogs at the B&B were my favorite characters... I am also a big fan of fudge, The Wizard of Oz, and Ghosts - all of whom play a vital part in this first-in-the-series cozy mystery. Highly recommended for mystery fans.
Wow! This was an excellent book. The author took her time, developed the characters and laid out the mystery perfectly. Think Murder She Wrote, meets Steel Magnolias, set in an elegant Victorian Inn on Mercer Island near Seattle. Throw into the mix all the action of 5-O and some Martha Stewart. Great book. I cannot wait for the next.
The friendships of the elderly ladies in this Book was awesome and.
I have read many mystery thriller books and I think this is probably one of the best even by seasoned writers. This kept my interest the whole book and I had no idea who the killer was until close to the end. It was a book hard to put down and would highly recommend.
I had no idea what this book was about. Wow was I suprised. It had just enough humor to make you chuckle but it also had its share if ghosts! The main theme was very serious but you don't realize the nature of it until the end. Overall it was very entertaining and I cannot wait to read the second book.
This is an edge-of-your-seat mystery filled with friendship, danger, intrigue, twists, and turns. I loved it and couldn't wait to figure out the pieces of this mystery. I liked trying to put together the puzzle, and I solved a bit of it, but there was no way to put it all together. I highly recommend it. If you love a good mystery, you'll love this novel.
I started on this book before finishing the one I was reading, and stayed with this one, as it was much better. now I guess I'll finish that other one. ho hum
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the characters antics, and fully engrossed in the solution to the mystery. I recommend this book to all who enjoy a light hearted mystery.
Ms. Bohart has a story that could have been so much better. The problem is that even though it is fairly well written, even for a paranormal story this one was so unbelievable it was borderline stupid. As far as having a mystery solved, without the ghost "helpful hints." the amazing ability to survive accidents that no one could realistically survive, Getting kidnapped from ICU, managing to escape. It's too much to be even a little realistic. She should have classified the story as a fantasy instead of a mystery. With the extreme critical reviews LB writes about other authors books, she really needs to reread her own books with the same critical eyes. It is written in an entertaining way, although there are a number of mistakes. Typos. Missed words, etc. I am glad I borrowed this book from a friend, I will not be reading any more of her books. It was so bad I ended up skimming through parts in hopes it would get better. I find it an extreme cheap shot to promote your own books in the comments section of reviews you have made (this was how I first learned of this book) while being extremely critical of an others book.
At first, Martha Denton's death at the St. Claire Inn didn't cause much disruption. After all, she was elderly, and suffered from a heart condition. But when the death is ruled a murder, everything changes. Julia Applegate, owner of the inn, as well as all her friends, are suspects, since they were together with the victim at the time of the murder. So it stands to reason that they would get involved in finding answers. They quickly find they are out of their depth when the danger becomes very real--to each and every one of them. I liked that the protagonist and her friends are older women. I didn't like that a great deal of what happens in the story is a bit far-fetched and unbelievable, and that discoveries that they made aren't immediately shared with the police (although there were excuses). This was the first in a (so far) three book series, and perhaps the adventures of these ladies gets better in the subsequent books. I won't go out of my way to find any of them, but I might read another.
I really enjoyed this new series. It took on a difficult topic, but did so without making it overwhelming or maudlin. Not quite what I expected from a "cozy" mystery! Ms. Bohart's writing flows well and kept me interested, although there were slow periods. I enjoyed reading a fun, quirky mystery with no grammatical errors or typos. It was a relief, since sadly, many writers don't come up to Lynn Bohart's standards! And, how can you go wrong when an author writes a column in The Renton Reporter? (I knew it well, after living in the area and working for the City for almost ten years in the 90's!) So, on to the next book in Old Maids of Mercer Island! Thanks, Lynn, for a great new series!
A mystery I mostly liked and I did finish, but this was a busy book and it will be a while before I go looking for more of the series to read. The story is all over the place and skittery. I like some of the characters but few of them are really fleshed out. It might be that there are so many of them that there's no time to do so. The mystery also drags along, actually several are going on at the same time. Then the ending rushes to tie it all up. I'm not sure I will recommend this one, but I will look for more in the series and see if they are better. There is promise here, just not completely realized.
This book was outstanding. I love cosy mysteries, but some are entertaining but don't make you use your brain much. This was well written with great characters and a real mystery to solve. I loved most of the characters, but Ahab was my favourite. I love trying to solve the mysteries before the end of the book, but this was more difficult than most to solve. A book well worth reading.
This book made me homesick for Seattle. I loved all the local references to the area. There is a lot going on here: a haunted B&B, human trafficking, female empowerment, and more. The author has created some memorable scenes and characters and a mystery that keeps everything moving along quickly. If you are mystery fan, check out all of Lynn Bohart's mystery titles. She knows her craft and has a lot of fun with the genre in the meantime.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was very well written and all of the characters had a life of their own! I think liked April the best. I've always wanted to have my own bakery that people would fall in love with. Also she health with her husband's Alzheimer's. My mother died from that. All the characters were great!