Title: Vexed by Vodka (Bohemia Bartenders Mystery #3)
Author: Lucy Lakestone
Published on: 10 November 2020
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Vexed by Vodka is the 3rd book in Lucy Lakestone’s Bohemia Bartenders Mystery Series.
When a book starts with a killer line as above, the story is no doubt a smashing hit and a new favorite.
“Three men walk into a bar, and the joke’s on me. Because it’s my bar, and one of the guys is an annoying ex, one is the embodiment of sex, and the third is like an X on a map – a treasure I may never claim.”
My favourite author Lucy Lakestone is back with the third installment of Bohemia Bartender Mystery series. The first in this series was out in August and we are already at book #3! Lucy, you are the best!
The Bohemia Bartender Mystery series is a cocktail of quirky, naughty, nice and nerdy. A completely intoxicating mix! 😀 This series is way different from the ones I have read so far. Apart from the delicious cocktails mentioned in the story, the main attractions of this series include Lucy’s excellent storytelling and a dash of romance (the tease-flirt kind).
The main character in the series is called Pepper aka Kayanne Revelle. She runs a bar called Nola in Bohemia. She’s attracted to Neil, the hunka-hunka who runs a famous bar called The Junction Box. Then we have Mark Fairman, a yummy brit-accent guy who has his hands in many pies(read businesses). The Bohemia Bartender gang which includes Melody, Luke , Barclay and of course, Neil(the boss) and Pepper.
No story is complete without a pain-in-the-backside character or two. We have Mr Mixy (Pepper’s ex) and Alastair(Neil’s frenemy).
In the first two books, we readers were told of Neil’s grandfather Reginald Rockaway. Reggie is a treasure hunter and also owns a huge collection of knick-knacks in his house (Ahem, ancient dildo collection to name one…) So, Reggie’s been missing for the past four months. A body washes up on the Bohemia Beach and Neil is called in to identify. Pepper joins him (for moral support) and the body is identified.
Thankfully, it is not Reginald. But sadly, it’s a friend of Reggie. With the help of Millie (event co-ord), Neil and pepper realize Reggie’s treasure hunter friends are dead. Is this the reason Reggie’s gone hiding? Or, has he already encountered his worse fate?
The pain-in-the-backside ex Mixy is convinced someone’s out to kill him. He wants to sleep with Pepper, oops, I mean sleep at Pepper’s place. 😉 Pepper isn’t initially convinced someone’s out to kill Mixy. She can certainly think of a lot of people who would have loved to but nobody’s heartless enough to really kill him. Hmm! But after an ‘attempt’ or two on Mixy’s ‘life’, Pepper is curious. Well, not curious enough to put her superhero cape on…
I liked the first two books – Risky Whiskey and Wrecked by Rum – and Vexed by Vodka is no different. In fact, Vexed by Vodka is the best-est in the series so far. We have a twist or two halfway through the story. The finale is nothing short of an action-movie-like-sequence – go Pepper! Mark, the guy with a yummy brit-accent (Pepper’s words, not mine), is now a pro when it comes to double entrendes. Woohoo!
Movie premier nights, bling-bling lights and a boom-boom fight. Okay, I need to work on my rap.
Movie premier nights brings Hollywood stars to Bohemia Beach. We see Melody and pepper befriend a movie star. 😀 Astra played a role in one of the movies so we have Astra stealing the limelight. *bling bling* A prank or two gone wrong and fireworks complete the show.
The mystery behind the disappearances of Reggie and friends and the sunken treasure kept me guessing until the end. Someone’s out there to grab hold of the treasure and they would kill for it. When it comes to Mixy’s ‘drama’, the shocking twist lies in the identity of the ‘perp’ who wanted to ‘harm’ the annoying bugger.
It goes without saying I recommend you to read Vexed by Vodka. Though third in a series, it can be read as a standalone. But if you ask me, I would say start from book #1. You do not want to miss the fun, do you?
Quirky, naughty, nerdy, intoxicating and unique, Vexed by Vodka by Lucy Lakestone is a smashing cocktail. 😀
By the way, a little birdie told me Pepper, Neil and the Bohemia Bartenders gang are off to London. I cannot wait to see what’s next for our nerdy and naughty Pepper. 😀
Many thanks to the lovely Lucy Lakestone for sending me a copy of the book. This is my honest and unbiased opinion.
The Book Decoder 
This series sounds deliciously naughty😁❤ Thanks for sharing!
😀
That title😂😂😂
😉 😉