Lowcountry Bonfire

Liz Talbot Mystery #6

by Susan M. Boyer

Private Investigators Liz Talbot and Nate Andrews have worked their share of domestic cases. So when Tammy Sue Lyerly hires them to find out what her husband is hiding, they expect to find something looney but harmless. After all, this is the guy who claims to have been a DEA agent, a champion bull rider, and a NASCAR driver. But when he turns up dead the morning after Liz and Nate deliver the incriminating photos, Tammy is the prime suspect.

Questioning the truth of Zeke Lyerly’s tall-tales, Liz and Nate race to uncover small town scandals, long buried secrets, and the victim’s tumultuous past to keep Tammy Sue out of jail and the case from going up in flames.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Paranormal, Southern, Cozy

264 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 27, 2017

About the author

Susan M. Boyer is the USA Today bestselling author of thirteen novels. Her debut novel, Lowcountry Boil, won the 2012 Agatha Award for Best First Novel, the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense, and garnered several other award nominations. Subsequent books have been nominated for various honors, including Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance Okra Picks, the 2016 Pat Conroy Beach Music Mystery Prize, and the 2017 Southern Book Prize in Mystery & Detective Fiction.

Susan loves beaches, Southern food, and small towns where everyone knows everyone, and everyone has crazy relatives. You’ll find all of the above in her novels. She and her husband call Greenville, SC, home and visit the Carolina coast as often as possible.

Susan loves to hear from readers. You can reach her through her website: http://www.susanmboyer.com/

Sign up for her newsletter to get recipes from her books and to be among the first to hear the news when the next book is scheduled for release.

Reviews

[Obsidian · Rating 3 out of 5]

It definitely pains me to say this but the Liz Talbot cozy mystery series that I've enjoyed for the past couple of years is getting pretty meh.

I don't know what else to say besides the fact that I think once Liz chose her now-husband Nate and they started investigating together the book just lost I guess that drive that the first couple of books really had.

I mean I love cozy mysteries. I can read them all day any day if the series is done right. So I don't know what happened with this one I don't know if the romance ended up impacting the story or if the whole thing with Liz being connected to her dead friend (Colleen) who now is a ghost that comes back to help her solve cases just started to get really ridiculous in the last two books.

"Lowcountry Bonfire" we have Liz and Nate dealing with their client who after finding out that her husband cheated on her proceeds to set his beloved car on fire. Only problem is the husband's found dead in the trunk of the car. I liked the mystery aspect of this book but once again I felt like the author went a little bit too far with trying to tie the case to things that just didn't make any sense. It just got so absurd I started to roll my eyes after a while.

I did like the additional characters that we got some looks into but the book kept coming back to Liz needing to make sure that nothing could be developed on Stella Maris because if something did get built it could mean that years in the future everybody from the island would die if a hurricane came through.

Based on reviews from other readers of the series it makes absolutely no sense. Liz has several options that she just keeps ignoring. She could demand that there be more boats brought in for people as the island grows and gets developed. She could try to stop the island from being developed by trying to have restrictions on it. Something tells me that's a thing in certain parts of the country. Or she could just I don't know move.

The writing was okay, but the flow was terrible.

There's still subtle shaming of Liz's brother for dating a woman who was a former mistress tied up in one of Liz's last cases. Her sister is absent in this one and so are Nate's awful parents. Liz's father ups the ante in being her kooky relative. Colleen is missing for most of the story, and sorry she's become a hindrance to this series. Either have her gone gone, or being in another specter. Or just get rid of that whole aspect, I don't think it matters when you see how she wasn't around for the majority of this book.

I honestly think the series should have ended when Liz and Nate got married. Now with this dream thing, Boyer is going to keep this a main focus in future books it seems.

I think I'll give it one more book to see if the series picks back up, but if not, I think I'm just going to pass on future books following Liz and her husband as they investigate crimes.

[Judy Lesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Henery Press. Thank you.

I've read all of the Liz Talbot mystery novels and this is the one I like the least. I kept picking up on too many things that just seemed wrong. Granted, author Susan M. Boyer still writes Southern the way it really is - maybe with just a tiny bit of exaggeration for emphasis purposes. I must confess to liking the books more when the ghostly presence was kept as more of a background note and the way Liz and her husband Nate walked all over correct police procedure in this book was too egregious to overlook. So was this just me being too picky? I don't know for sure, but I didn't have to dither around to decide on a 3 star rating - smack in the middle of really/kinda bad and really/kinda good.

This story begins with a woman pitching a purely hissy fit when she gets the investigative report from Liz and Nate (private detectives) that her husband is having an affair. So she gathers up his clothes, piles them in the 1969 Mustang convertible he loves so much and sets the clothes on fire. Naturally Tammy Sue is going to be a suspect when her lying, cheating husband turns up dead. Except that's also when everybody on the tiny island South Carolina community of Stella Maris finds out just how little they knew about Zeke Lyerly.

As I have said, this one didn't work well for me. If you live in a very small community, and everyone is supposed to know the complete history of everyone there, then why was nobody ever curious about Zeke's background? You really can't have it both ways. Plus, Colleen (the ghost) has turned into a pest instead of a charming point of interest of the series. At least for me.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tammy Sue Lyerly is angry as she had learned that her husband, Zeke was having an affair with Crystal Chapman. Tammy, She has gathered all his clothes placed them in his favorite car and set it afire. The fire department has put out the fire. The plan is to move the car to the sheriff's department and in order to do the trunk must be open. Everyone stared in horror as Zeke's body is stuff in the trunk. Tammy Sue collapsed.
Liz Talbot and Nate Andrews have their work cut out for them when they begin to explore the death. There were many questions they need to find answers. Who were Zeke enemies? Was the killer from his twenty years as a CIA agent? Who is Alice, his first wife? Who on the island has access to the POISON? What happened at the bonfire picnic? Answers must be found to keep Tammy Sue from being convicted of Zeke's murder. The ending will surprise you as it did me. I highly recommend this book and series.

Disclosure: I received a free copy from Henery Press through NetGalley for an honest review. I would like to thank them for this opportunity to read and review the book. The opinions expressed are my own.

[Patricia Bergman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this cozy from goodreads giveaway. It has been awhile since I've read a cozy. This happens to be the 6th in the Liz Talbot series and works well as a standalone. I like good mysteries with surprise endings. This one meets that criteria and additionally adds some well-developed likable characters. I am going to read more in this series.

[RO G'ma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lowcountry Bonfire is the sixth book in Susan Boyer’s Liz Talbot Mystery series. Ms. Boyer provided enough character background that this book can be read as a standalone. There was no gratuitous sex or violence but there was a little more adult language than one usually finds in a cozy. This is an easy read and moves along at a relaxed but steady pace, providing readers with a well-crafted mystery, well-developed characters, lots of Southern charm, and just a touch of paranormal. There are plenty of twists and turns and no lack of suspects. The final reveal was quite surprising to me.

Liz Talbot and her husband, Nate Andrews, are private investigators and live in Stella Maris, South Carolina. Liz’s friend, Colleen has been a ghost and Liz and Nate are the only ones who can see and communicate with her. Colleen is the island’s guardian angel and her assignment is to prevent the population from growing but she also looks out for Liz and Nate. Tammy Sue Lyerly hired Liz and Nate to find out if her husband, Zeke, was being unfaithful to her and after she learned he was cheating with Crystal Chapman, she piled Zeke’s clothes into his classic 1969 Mustang convertible and set them on fire. When authorities popped the trunk to make sure the entire car was cooled down they found his body. No flames had reached him and an autopsy determined he had been poisoned. Liz’s mom and dad, Frank and Carolyn, live across the street from the Lyerlys and insist that Tammy Sue stay with them so they can provide the moral support she needs. Blake Talbot, Liz’s brother and police chief of Stella Maris, hires them to help with the investigation. Liz and Nate are well organized and methodical in their investigations and leave no stone unturned as they question potential suspects and discover small town scandals and secrets regarding Zeke’s past.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so happy to see this Liz Talbot story get back on track. Most of the other books have had crimes or mysteries off island, this one returns to Stella Maris where Nate and Liz are living. They are hired by the woman across the street from her parents to find out if her husband Zeke is having an affair. When they give her the evidence, she goes a little crazy. After filling his prize mustang with his clothes, she sets it on fire. When the fire department pop the trunk to fill it with water, they are all in for a surprise. Zeke is dead in the trunk.

Susan Boyer captured my interest quickly with this story. It was great to see the investigation proceed on Stella Maris. Liz is a strong, smart woman, who knows just how to question and follow the clues. I was kept guessing in this story as there were so many twists and suspects, yet no suspects. Coming up with the evidence needed was like putting a puzzle together. Of course Colleen is still around but not as much as in previous books. In this story, she materializes often and is a sassy 17 year old that looks wonderful. It is great to see that Nate and Liz are settling in as a married couple, yet this did not consume as much of the story as the last book. Once again, we spend a lot of time with the Talbot family and their down home hospitality and humour. When Liz's mama puts on a spread of food for the first responders that are investigating the car fire, you just have to chuckle. I love the town of Stella Maris and I can't wait to visit it again. Once again, a great cozy that has me ready for the next book.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Private Investigators Liz Talbot and Nate Andrews are hired to find out if Zeke has been cheating on his wife Tammy Sue. When Tammy Sue fills her husband's vintage Mustang with his clothes and lights it on fire, Liz and Nate are shocked to find Zeke's body in the trunk.

What follows is a whirlwind investigation for Zeke's killer and a search for the reason why.

This is one of those series that people have told me about for a long time, and I always said I wanted to read, but I never did. But when the publisher offered it on NetGalley, I decided to take a chance.

I'm sorry it took me so long to get to this series. Ms. Boyer packs a real punch with this story, that has great characters and a mystery that kept me guessing. I love the town of Stella Maris and I can't wait to visit it again. Who doesn't love a town were a neighbor puts on a great spread of food for the first responders who are investigating the fire.

Liz is a strong independent woman who takes on the case full blast and doesn't stop until she finds out the truth. I loved learning about her relationship with Nate. The best part about waiting is that I have five more books to read in this entertaining group of books.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Lisa G. Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

FANTASTIC FROM START TO FINISH!!

Lowcountry Bonfire (A Liz Talbot Mystery Book 6) is the best book in this series to date!! I've enjoyed this series since the first book, Lowcountry Boil, was published in 2012. While Boyer uses many of her beloved characters in each book, she always manages to introduce interesting new characters that make the story so much more interesting and intriguing. By the time I had finished the first two paragraphs of Lowcountry Bonfire, I knew this book was going to keep me busy because I was "hooked" & didn't want to stop reading until I was finished! The opening scene will leave you speechless! This book has a fantastic plot, superb characters, family love, friendships old & new and some very deep, dark secrets that cause someone to seek revenge. Can Liz and Nate solve the case before the death toll rises? What other secrets will they uncover? I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and NetGalley but this opinion is strictly my own and without Influence.

[Maria Logan-Montgomery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read from Susan M. Boyer, Lowcountry Bonfire, is a cozy mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end. Bonfire is #6 in the Agatha Award-winning Liz Talbot Mystery Series, and was sent to me for review by Boyer's PR agent.
 
The murdered man is native son, Zeke Lyerly, teller of tall tales that keep his friends entertained, but that everyone takes with a grain of salt. When Zeke is found in the trunk of his beloved collectible Mustang, Liz and husband and business partner, Nate Andrews, are hired to investigate.
 
It quickly becomes apparent that some of Zeke's tall tales weren't quite so tall after all. Turns out, he is a West Point Graduate and former CIA agent. After twenty years of that, he wanted to go home. Of course, Zeke's wife, Tammy Sue, is suspect number one, but soon many of his friends and even Liz's cousin are suspects.
 
As the series progresses, Boyer's characters change and grow. All the characters are well-developed and seem true-to-life. Liz's mom is perfectly portrayed, but she sounds more like she should be the young Liz's grandmother based on her cooking and her attitudes. Liz herself is a germaphobe who washes her hands, then "slathers on" hand sanitizer. Boyer should find a way for Liz to learn that hand sanitizer is for when we don't have access to soap and water.
 
One fun aspect of the series is the comical Colleen, Liz and Nate's high school friend who died at 17. Stuck forever at age 17, Colleen continues to materialize and often helps the two private investigators with their cases. It's a bit of a stretch of the imagination, but certainly adds a layer of humor to the series.
 
I will definitely continue to follow Liz and Nate as long as Boyer finds cases for them to investigate. Cozy mystery lovers will be enchanted with the Liz Talbot Mystery Series. Look for me online as The Grumpy Book Reviewer.

[Lghiggins · Rating 4 out of 5]

When is a paranormal not a paranormal? When it is part of the Liz Talbot Mystery Series. When it deals with ghosts who are not angels of any type, but are guardian spirits. When the guardian spirits have a mission assigned by the Almighty, not the devil. When the town psychic doesn’t tell fortunes, but does share gut feelings about people.

Lowcountry Bonfire takes place in a small South Carolina town where everybody knows everybody else, iced tea and fried foods reign, and houses are built a story above ground level to avoid water damage. Liz Talbot and her husband Nate are private investigators working on contract for the local police department headed by Liz’s brother Blake. When Tammy Sue learns her husband Zeke has been cheating on her, she sets his classic car on fire. With the neighborhood watching, a corpse is found, and in the course of the investigation Liz discovers she does not know her neighbors as well as she thought.

Author Susan M. Boyer has developed a good plot with interesting characters. Many are suspected of murder with a surprise ending ahead. The semi-paranormal aspect was initially puzzling. As this is the sixth book in the series, I assume the guardian spirit’s presence was explained thoroughly in an earlier book. Not normally a paranormal reader, I did not find that aspect bothersome in a demonic sense; it’s a fictional tool whose purpose is to add a comedic touch. I would compare it to Shakespeare’s use of Falstaff.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Henery Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come later.

Quick thoughts:

Liz is a great character. Southern. Charming. Funny. Liz and Nate are hired by a friend of Liz's to find out if her husband is cheating on her, but that is only the tip of the iceberg of this story.

Liz and Nate have a great chemistry and their quick witted banter as they try to find out who decided to silence the cheating husband forever is priceless.

[Cristie Tredeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saved the last book in this series til I couldn't stand waiting another second! Another excellent installment- I will be waiting impatiently for more!

[Elizabeth Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where do I beginning where do I beginning?? 1st ... let me say I love Susan M. Boyer's writing style .. she is so awesome. I love Liz ... I feel I know Liz Talbot & her husband Nate Andrews, Colleen her best friend who is, yes a ghost but such a helper to Liz, save her butt over and over ... or at least some of the time, lol!! ... I feel like Liz & I are best buddies ... okay???! .. I know, I know you think I am just drinking too much, but the way Susan writes ... you feel a part of the read, like you walking through it all right while Liz is going through it all. I love the setting, beach life, I am not really a beach-ie person, but I love it in the fall and winter ...just not in the summer hot-ness. I am dreaming but I just feel I know her so & so wish that I could hang out with her & solve a mystery, I love her family. To me if you think you know where Liz is going, who she thinks did, or dunnit??! You better think again. LOL!! I can sort of tell you how I found Susan .. Amazon was so kind to recommend her mysteries to me and I have never regretting the time and long hours I stay up to read her books, but then I feel sad when they are over ... these reads are like precious gold!! Such a great read, I LOVED IT!! I have loved all of these books in this series ...but after this one I will say if you wish to know ... my fave is book #2 ... if you missed it please don't forget it. If I get asked where to start ... what author is one of my favorite? I will always name Susan ... I pray one day I will get the chance to see her ... meet her ... she is a gem worth check it out .... please do so very very soon. ( ;

[Jennifer Ritter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lowcountry Bonfire is the sixth installment of Susan M. Boyer's Liz Talbot Mystery series. The day after Liz and Nate meet with Tammy Sue Lyerly to give her the information they have gathered on the indiscretions of her husband Zeke, they are called by Liz's father on an early Tuesday morning. Liz and Nate, among many other Stella Maris residents, watch as Tammy Sue lights her husband's vintage Mustang on fire, feeding the flames with his clothing after he does not come home the night before. When the tow truck driver is asked to open the trunk, no one standing by expects the contents--Zeke's body.

This is just the beginning of a week of confusing leads followed by Liz and Nate as they have been retained by the Stella Maris town council for just such an occasion. Their suspect board has become a who's who of the island with items regularly changing, but leads all pointing back to a bonfire party several months prior. It seems that an unfortunate choice of party games may have led to Zeke's death, but why?

Just what was it in Zeke's past that has caught up with him. Were all the tall tales he told about spies and missions true? As Liz and Nate follow the leads to far off events, the path leads right back home and almost adds Liz and Nate to the list of fatalities.

This book, as with the prior books in the series, is well written with a twisting plot. The characters are genuine, you probably know someone like them. Although this book would stand alone, why ever would one want to miss the rest of the series? I wholeheartedly recommend this book!

[Marilyn Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy this series. Susan Boyer has the dialect of the South down just fine with her newest addition. Her Liz Talbot series is a fine and dandy Mystery. I defy anyone to stop reading in the opening Chapter when Tammy Sue sets fire to her Husband's Mustang, over his cheating, and a body is discovered. Half of the island is there to witness it.

Liz and her Husband Nate are hired to help find the Murderer in their home area. They are watched over by Colleen, who is a former deceased friend of Liz's, and guards the Island. She seems to have a stronger, human- element than the earlier Boyer books, because now she takes solid form on occasion and likes ham biscuits.This among a diet by the locals which has rich gravy, cheese eggs, and all kinds of goodies to eat. You will definitely appreciate the food.

There were quite a few characters in this story and all of them have a history with each other. Zeke, on the other hand, was a huge story- teller, but no one knew the real person. That was a page turner... to find out what happened in those twenty years- before he married, and ended up dead, in the back-end of a Mustang. The first Chapter sets a fast pace and builds to a few surprising twists.

I really liked the Characters built into Stella Maris- the island. Their warmth and family loyalties... even tempers, make it interesting. Low Country Bonfire has lots of brooding feuds, and secrets sure to keep you reading. The food, the characters, all come across as appealing. Susan Boyer writes a fun, entertaining mystery.

Thanks to Netgalley and Henery Press

[Karyn Niedert · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Lowcountry Bonfire" is Susan M. Boyer's best Liz Talbot mystery to date. Liz and husband Nate delve into the mysterious murder of Zeke Lyerly, a local Stella Maris mechanic and neighbor of Liz's parents. Readers who enjoy cozy Southern mysteries should not hesitate to grab this book up as a top summer read.

Zeke Lyerly has been catting around on his beautiful wife, Tammy Sue. After am epic hissy fit which includes setting Zeke's Mustang on fire, Zeke's body is discovered in the trunk. Zeke has been a Stella Maris enigma for years, favorite son turned teller of tall tales. His stories of being a mysterious spy, NASCAR racer, and other crazy tales which happened during his time away border on insanity. As Liz and Nate delve deeper into Zeke's past, his time away from Stella Maris before meeting and marrying Tammy Sue may hold the key to his death.

I love stories set the in South, and Stella Maris has developed into a dream location for my (years from now) retirement, Liz and Nate are a wonderful couple, and other than some sexy scenes, there wasn't needless gratuitous sex. I am concerned about Colleen's future

[Jeanie Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was already a fan of the series so I was not surprised that I loved Lowcountry Bonfire. These books are female private investigator procedurals with personality plus. First of all the series regulars are great characters and caring people that it a requirement for any series I read. I love that Liz and Nate are dynamic characters and their lives develop and move forward too; as a matter of fact, many of the characters have dynamic lives. And finally I love that the plots are complex and unpredictable.

This one starts out with a bang with a neighbor of Liz's parents burning her husband's clothes in a VINTAGE MUSTANG. Horrors. Much to their surprise, Liz and Nate had presented her with evidence that her husband has been cheating on her the day before so they understood her anger but were shocked at the level of her reaction. They are even more shocked when the fire department opens the trunk of the car to find the body of the unfaithful husband inside.

I requested and received an advanced readers copy of Lowcountry Bonfire from Henery Press via NetGalley. I always review books that I enjoy and I truly enjoyed this one. I can't wait for the next book to come out!!!

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite series, and I highly recommend them, as often as possible.
This latest installment is really good. I've seen some reviews that comment on the fact that Nate and Liz don't follow "procedure". I was not bothered by that at all...I guess I assume that most P. I.s know and take advantage of the gray areas of the law.
This can be read as a standalone, but it really is best to read the whole series, to get the history of Liz, Nate and other recurring characters.
In this book, Zeke is discovered dead, and Nate and Liz have to determine which of the many people with motive and opportunity committed the crime.
While investigating, they realize how little they knew about Zeke, the victim, and how little they can trust their neighbors, after being shot at on a morning run.
I love the character Colleen, and wish she had been more prominent in this book, but it certainly had plenty of action.
The ending was a surprise, but one that made sense when explained.
Very well-written, fast-paced, with rich characters, a great plot and the perfect setting. What more do you need?

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
My mom and cousins will be happy to hear about Susan M. Boyer's Lowcountry Bonfire (Henery Press, digital galley), the sixth in the lighthearted series featuring P.I. Liz Talbot, who tied the knot with her partner Nate Andrews in Lowcountry Bordello. Their client Tammy Sue Lyerly, after receiving proof that her mechanic husband Zeke was cheating on her, sets fire to his favorite possessions in his favorite car. She claims she had no idea Zeke's body was in the trunk. Liz and Nate are about the only ones on the little South Carolina island of Stella Maris who believe her. Determined to prove Tammy's innocence, they start digging into Zeke's colorful and mysterious past, which supposedly included stints as a DEA agent and a NASCAR driver. Seems trouble may have started at a bonfire on the beach back in the spring, although the mystery is almost overshadowed by all the lowcountry talk, atmosphere and food. Fine with me. I want to move in with Liz, Nate and their golden retriever Rhett.
from On a Clear Day I Can Read Forever

[Jerri Cachero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liz and Nate have their hands full trying to figure out who killed the local ?"hunk". Was it his wife who lit up his prized mustang and watched the car burn? How about the mistress? The weekend nudist? The angry young mechanic who hated his job? The mysterious first wife who meets people in the cemetry? Or how about the ghost that is working to limit the number of people on the island?

This book kept me guessing - I had three possibles before I finished and the murderer wasn't one of the three!

As always there's humor, the presence of Liz's ghost friend with more secrets than Liz knows; Nate, her handsome and devoted partner in life and business; her parents who are hilarious and her siblings - especially Blake who is the local Sheriff add humor, romance and very human outlooks on life & murder to the book.

I wouldn't be southern if I didn't mention the wonderful food that Liz's mom prepares and the drink of the south - Cheerwine pop !

This book shows that even small, tight knit communities can have killer secrets! Waiting for the next adventure!

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pleasant entry in the series. I liked the mystery and how Liz and Nate went about solving it for the most part although I continue to be somewhat put off by the ghost aspect. I love stories that include ghosts but for some reason this one just doesn't do much for me. Maybe it's because her interference is a bit too convenient and the way she flits around in her quest to "save" the island isn't convincing for me. For some reason it just has a hollow ring to it. I also find the way Liz and Nate ignore proper police procedure totally unrealistic. Do they really think multiple acts of breaking and entering would go unnoticed by the legal system? The means justifying the ends does not hold and I encourage the author to eliminate this plot device in the future as it suspends credibility. I did enjoy the sites Liz visited in Charleston as I'm familiar with the city and love everything about it.

[Critterbee❇ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thoroughly drenched in the modern southern voice, Lowcounty Bonfire is sixth in the Liz Talbot mystery series. I was happy to go adventuring again with Liz and her crazy friends, acquaintances and relatives. The dialogue and character interactions are hilarious and had me laughing throughout the story.

For such a small area, there sure are a lot of murders! This time it is one of her parent's neighbors, Zeke, and Zeke's widow Tammy Sue is the first to be blamed for his death. Liz and partner / partner Nate are on the case to clear Tammy Sue and find the real culprit. Most of the suspects are from Stella Maris, although a few new people are introduced. Mother is still the same perfect southern hostess. Father is busy upping his crazy. Colleen is bray-snorting and jesting.

Overall a great, fun read in a lovely, comforting (for a cozy!) series. Not to be missed.

**eARC Netgalley**

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lowcountry Bonfire by author Susan M. Boyer will keep you guessing and pondering about just who the killer could be! This sixth book of the Liz Talbot mystery series is an easy to read mystery with great characters. The story is wonderfully filled with wit and southern exclamations, which I remember my grandma using. The partnership of Liz and Nate as a husband and wife investigation team is great.
As they help Blake with an investigation into the death of Zeke Lyerly, they learn a whole different side of Zeke’s life than they knew existed.
Colleen is a delightful member of the Liz Talbot stories. You may just laugh out loud. I enjoyed Lowcountry Bonfire very much.
Well hell fire…. Did Nate Really get shot???
Read the book, you will love it!

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this Liz Talbot mystery series. This is book 6 and each one is unique and a great mystery. Liz and Nate are Private Investigators that are frequently hired by their small town to aid the police investigating crime. With Liz's brother the police chief there is a small sibling rivalry. Liz an Nate are also aided by their ghost friend Colleen. The series keeps getting better and better. The southern humor and small town residents have you smiling the whole book. Liz Talbot is a great character and I always look forward to seeing her next book.

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lowcountry Bonfire was a fast paced read that kept me glued to the pages from the beginning to the end. I love Liz, Nate, and the entertaining cast of characters. This book had me laughing out loud at some of the antics that went on. I highly recommend this book!

[Robin Hillyer-Miles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great tale

I have this five starts because the series is consistent and the characters and location are well developed. I would recommend this book to those who live cozy mysteries.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series does not disappoint!

I love this book! It kept me guessing right to the end! I am so looking forward to book 7!

[Minette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent book in this series! I loved every page of it and can't wait for the next book.

[JoAnne McMaster (Any Good Book) · Rating 5 out of 5]

PIs extraordinaire Liz Talbot and Nate Andrews have been hired by Tammy Sue Lyerly to find out if her husband Zeke is having an affair, even they're surprised when they tell Tammy Sue that Zeke has indeed been doing the horizontal mambo with a local bimbo. Not so much surprised by that, but the fact that Tammy Sue is standing outside in her yard - across the street from Liz' parents home - setting fire to Zeke's prized Mustang and screaming wildly. Also in attendance is Liz' brother Blake, the island of Stella Maris police chief, the volunteer fire department, and what seems like half the town itself.

But what no one expects is when Blake orders Pete Carter to open the trunk in order to prevent an explosion - and finds the body of Tammy Sue's wayward husband. How he got there and why is a mystery, and with Tammy Sue seeing him and fainting dead away, the mystery only deepens. Liz and Nate are now employed by the town to investigate, and with Tammy Sue as the only suspect, Liz knows better. While the woman may have torched her husband's car, she knows there's no way she would have murdered the man she loved.

When Liz and Nate start digging deeper, they come up with not only more suspects, but start finding out that Zeke, a notorious teller of tall tales, may actually have been telling the truth. But is that what got him killed? Or was it something closer to home and someone he trusted who decided to end his life? Since it appears the killer is now aiming for them, it will take all their sleuthing skills to find a killer before one of them find their own life extinguished...

This is the sixth book in the Liz Talbot series, and as such, the author does not disappoint. She dives right into the action from the beginning with Zeke's body discovered almost immediately. Now this could be a detriment, since we don't get to know the man; and oftentimes when this happens we don't care one way or another about the dead person. Do we like or hate him? Is he a jerk who regularly cheats? Is he a nice guy who was in the wrong place at the wrong time? But have no fear - as the story progresses, so does the life of Zeke. We learn all about him, his history, his relationship with his wife; and this is the meat of the story.

Yes, we're out to find a killer, the same as Liz; but we also discover things about Zeke that bring him to life after death. And this, my friends, makes all the difference. We learn who he was, what he felt and thought; and because of this, there is a sorrow to his death that makes us as determined as Liz to find a murderer.

The mystery is raw, driven, and well thought out; secrets are discovered and even the nicest seeming people become suspects. In between all of this, we are treated to southern hospitality on Stella Maris; with people who are concerned about manners and the fact that you must eat - a lot - to maintain your strength and sanity; and any breach of etiquette is considered a sin. It is a delightful addition and with just enough levity to keep the story from being too dark.

And, of course, we have Colleen, the ghost of Liz' best friend whose mission is to protect Stella Maris from interlopers and also to help Liz - when she can. Though not as prominent in this book as in others, the few scenes she does appear in are memorable.

When all is said and done, the killer finally caught and truths discovered, we learn that all actions have an equal reaction. And what might seem like harmless fun may cause more than pain. Cruelty comes in many forms, and mindless cruelty is the worst of all. Highly recommended, and I eagerly await the next in the series.

[Chaitra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't like Colleen. I don't care for the whole aspect of there's this guardian ghost for this one special snowflake of a place.

Riddle me this Colleen. She vaguely claims that she stopped some rando Italian developer who wanted to buy up land in Stella Maris because his girlfriend loved the place. Which other part of the world got sacrificed in the process?

Liz's recurring dream is beyond annoying as well. First of all, maybe pick your butt up and do something about hurricane readiness and evacuation procedures if nothing else. Second, all she really cares about is that her precious Nate will be swept away, which means that she won't do anything about Stella Maris as a whole other than whine about this crap for books on end until the hurricane stops this nonsense.

This is extremely annoying because I really don't mind the small-time murder mysteries they end up solving. They mostly don't tie into anything important, it's just petty people doing stupid things, and I like reading that. It's the special snowflake chosen one thing I really don't care for.