Peachy Scream by Anna Gerard

Title: peachy Scream (A Georgia B&B Mystery #2)

Author: Anna Gerard

Published on: 11th August 2020

Genre: Cozy Mystery

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Nina Fleet is back! Last time she found a six-foot-penguin dead in an alley. Well, it was a man in a penguin suit… This time, she finds Hamlet dead in her garden! Oh my!

Nina (pronounced as Nine-ah) is more than eager to welcome a group of guests into her B&B. The actor group who call themselves GASP (Georgia Amateur Shakespeare Players) make Nina gasp in horror. The actors are way too dramatic at times (especially when they are not rehearsing) – sneers, sniggers and smirks. Hum!

Len Marsh is a nasty ol’ guy. He is supposed to play the role of Hamlet in the act. Well, I say ‘supposed to’ coz the poor chap dies two days after the group arrives at the B&B. Nina is not convinced Len Marsh’s death is accidental. Also, she has to save her B&B’s reputation – she can’t have guests dying after drinking her peach-flavored mimosas!

Any guesses as to who is the director of the play in question? Our very own Harry Wescott. Nina and Harry have a history after all – Harry claims to be the rightful owner of the Queen Anne Home – the same Queen Anne Home which is now Nina’s B&B. Harry’s great-aunt owned the house and the forgetful lady forgot to make changes in the will. Nina saw the beautiful Queen Anne styled house and bought it – Legally! But Harry wants whats his. Oh hum!

I absolutely loved Peachy Scream. I guess the 5-starred rating is a proof of how much I enjoyed reading this book. I really loved Anna’s writing style – informal with a tinge of quirky. A dash or two of humor certainly ups the enjoyable factor. 😀 How can I forget to mention the charm factor of the series – Mattie – an Australian Shepherd. I might not be a dog-person (Miss Puddykins made me type this) but I certainly loved the bond Nina and Mattie share.

Red herrings are plenty. Everyone in the group had an axe to grind with Len Marsh. One of them crossed the lines this time – from petty pranks to murder, well’s there’s a first for everything I suppose. The twist in the story is when Nina discovers something in one of the guests’ rooms – a harmless ‘accident’ that takes the story to a whole new level of GASP. 😀 (All right, I need to tone down the drama a tad… or not.)

The denouement was a surprise. I think Harry and Nina make quite a good pair – sleuthing and ahem, as a couple. Speaking of couples, we see Nina crushing a little on Harry. I am curious to see how the romance angle will be explored in the future books of this series.

Excellent storytelling, a murder mystery that keeps one guessing till the end and a dash of humor, Peachy Scream is an entertaining and engrossing cozy mystery by Anna Gerard.

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There’s a giveaway for this tour.You can win a signed copy of Peachy Scream (US only). Details are here.

Many thanks to Lori for the blog tour invite.