Title: Burden of Poof
Author: Julie Anne Lindsey
Series: Bonnie & Clyde Mysteries #1
Publisher: Cozy Queen Publishing LLC
Release Date: September 15, 2021
Pages: 268
Book Source: ARC
“Life hasn’t sparkled too brightly for Bonnie Balfour over the past few years, but a heart-breaking divorce has brought her back to her small rural hometown of Bliss, Georgia, and things are starting to shape up.
The proud new owner of Bless Her Heart—a second chance dress shop and boutique on the town square—Bonnie thinks thirty-eight might not be too late for a fresh start in life after all.
Until a grouchy old widow turns up dead in a pile of donations meant for Bonnie’s shop, and the town’s new detective pins her to the top of his suspect list!
To save her shop, dream and reputation, Bonnie must coordinate clues and stitch together the truth about her innocence, but the unreasonably handsome detective and prying eyes of the local gossip mill are fast fraying her nerves.
When a series of anonymous attacks begin to hem her in, Bonnie fears the real killer is fixing to make her his next victim. Can this amateur sleuth measure up?” – Amazon
Kim’s Review
A new cozy mystery series by Julie Anne Lindsey, yes, please! Burden of Poof is a fabulous start to the new Bonnie and Clyde Mysteries. Lindsey shows us once again why she is the Queen of Cozies with her wide range of highly developed characters, fantastic descriptions of the town and upcycled clothing boutique, and the strong sense of community she has strongly established in the very first book.
Let’s take a look at some of the characters; Bonnie, a woman who tried to please her husband for years until her chance encounter with Clyde when he made her realize that the town of Bliss, Georgia was where she belonged. Clyde is a black cat that seems to know what Bonnie is saying and actually helps out… when he’s not stealing shiny trinkets… I’m sure that’ll come into play in future books.
Then there’s Cami, Bonnie’s best friend, who is the head of a large campaign to revitalize the downtown. Because of what Cami is doing, the reader gets an extra dose of Lindsey’s wonderful descriptions of the town and all the cute stores, including a store full of gnomes and a haunted library.
And we mustn’t forget the big city detective on loan to Bliss. While there are sparks, what I really enjoyed is the dialogue between the characters which felt natural and not forced. Some author’s strengths are not in romantic banter, but that is not the case for Lindsey… what can she not do!?!
Along with some more fun and quirky characters we also get a mystery filled with red herrings. And the way the attacks on Bonnie increase throughout the book, Lindsey also gives the read a bit of a suspenseful thrill. I did not figure out the whodunnit, but after it was revealed, all the clues had been there.
Already looking forward to book two in the series, Seven Deadly Sequins, which comes out on 10/15/21 and can be preordered now.
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