Much Ado About Murder

Double Barrel Mysteries #2

by Barbara Ellen Brink

Blake and Shelby Gunner's plans to renovate the old boathouse go awry when murder comes calling. Autumn in Port Scuttlebutt usually means a stormy Lake Superior, crisp temperatures, vibrant fall colors, and an invasion of deer hunters. This year, there's also a shallow grave. Someone killed Pete Dugan's ex-wife and planted her under his woodpile. The police consider him the obvious suspect, but the Gunner's have other ideas. What does the murder of a pet squirrel, the sighting of a mysterious car, a break-in at the bed & breakfast, and the reappearance of three ex-cons into the community have to do with the murder of a middle-aged legal assistant? No detective worth a grain of salt believes in coincidence. So when things start piling up that seem too quirky to be happenstance, Blake and Shelby have to decipher the clues and come up with the truth before a killer gets away with murder.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Ebooks, Mystery Thriller

260 pages, Paperback

Published May 22, 2016

About the author

Barbara is a multi-published author of mystery, suspense, and young adult. Her Fredrickson Winery Novels have been on the best-seller lists multiple times, and her Christian thriller, Split Sense, won the Grace Award in 2012. Again in 2016, she won the Grace Award with the 2nd book of her Double Barrel Mysteries, Much Ado About Murder.
Barbara grew up on a small farm in Washington State, but now lives in the mean "burbs" of Minnesota with her husband and their pups. With their adult kids now pushed out of the nest and encouraged to fly, she spends much time reading, writing, collecting books, riding motorcycles, and keeping one step ahead of AARP. She also really likes black licorice.

Reviews

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blake and Shelby Gunner work out a deal with Alice & Oliver Booth, they share the ownership of the Inn. If Alice has a child to pass the Inn to they will work it out.
Having the boathouse renovated to become their office, private investigations and a place for Jack to sleep;
Pete Dugan found his ex-wife's body underneath his wood pile;
Tucker, friend and owner of Ben Franklin, likes Alice;
Jerri Roper - librarian, brother George in the FBI, Special Agent Roper;
Dalton Guthrie letters from prison to Sadie Dugan, who was MURDERED;
Cynthia pushed Sadie and then Bart STRANGLED her and put her under the wood pile, he also murdered Fanny's squirrel,
FBI investigating the trafficking of women;
Travis O'Brien - Nonesuch shop where desk came from, Heath "old friend of Blake's", Cynthia, old friend;
Luanne - restaurant;
Linder "Rocky" Quentin, Ashley Rockford, ex-wife, both Attorneys, Rocky in charge of trafficking women, Sadie worked for Ashley;
Bart Linden and Heath working for Rocky, Bart put Alice in the holding cave,;
Evelyn Jones is going to allow them to use the Jones Savings & Trust as a Community Theatre.
The Gunners got a new puppy, German Shepherd, Agatha

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first I have read by this author. The plot was reasonable and well-paced,with the mystery sustained and unravelling evenly. The characters didn’t live up o their promise. Only the two PIs were well-developed. I found their language and somewhat soppy romance annoying. By the end it felt like stereotyped gender roles and underlying gun-toting’ cowboy culture was winning.
It held my interest enough to finish, but I won’t be following the series.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read

Barbara Brink has a way of holding your attention with clues to uncover the mystery, but adding a few sparks to intertwine the characters in the story. Blake and Shelby tackle another murder in their small town.

[Dianna Britting · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much Ado Abouy Murder

This book is great. Great story line and it will keep you guessing and keep you interested until the end.

[Patty Ostrem · Rating 5 out of 5]

This clean mystery story is as encouraging to the spirit as it is challenging to the brain. Characters and scene situations are perfectly balanced, motivating constant page turning. Every time I was sure I knew “who dunnit” the author put another puzzle piece in front of me. Some characters were introduced in the first book of the series, but this story easily stands alone and the town politics understood. What a great holiday or hostess gift.