Title: A Poisonous Page (Sweet Fiction Bookshop #2)
Author: Kitt Crowe
Published on: 12 July 2022
Genre: Cozy Mystery
It’s summer festival in Confection, Oregon, and Sweet Fiction Bookshop’s cash register is ringing non-stop. After Lexi’s previous sleuthing adventure, the footfall at the bookshop has increased by a considerable amount.
Detective Chad Berg (Lexi’s ‘enemy’) is at the store, purchasing a book when he receives a call from his fellow officer. A dead body is found. Where? Who is it? Lexi must know. Thankfully, Lexi’s best friend Cat (who also works at the bookshop) is dating Roger, a police officer at Confection so finding information is easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy.
News spreads like wildfire in Confection. Marilyn, a real-estate agent and member of the Chamber of Commerce has died of a heart attack. A couple of days later, another old woman passes away. And then, there was another!
When Dash Hagen, Teri’s brother is accused of murder (the third ‘victim’), Lexi must prove his innocence and catch the real killer before it is too late.
A Poisonous Page is the second book in Kitt Crowe’s Sweet Fiction Bookshop Mystery series.
The series features protagonist Lexi who runs her parents’ bookshop named Sweet Fiction in Confection, Oregon. She also hosts a book club named Macaroons in the bookshop. The book club members include Teri and Cat – Lexi’s best friends, Uncle Jimmy and Uncle Elvis – Lexi’s uncles (and a couple) – and some more residents of Confection. The book club is just for show – well, they do discuss books unless there’s a murder in town…
When one of the real estate agents dies of a heart attack, local police and residents believe she died of natural causes, after all, there was a family history of heart ailments. But when another real estate agent dies – this time, she’s killed and left in Dash’s backyard, things get a little murky. Dash is arrested for her murder when a bloody towel and the victim’s personal item is found in his home.
Dash had a connection with both the victims. He had dated them long ago and was looking forward to a date night with Rachel before she was killed and dumped in his backyard. Lexi and Detective Chad Berg are arch-enemies. Chad is always on the lookout, ready to write receipts for every ‘oopsie’ Cookie commits.
Cookie is Lexi’s dog. She was given a commendation for helping the local police catch Gil’s murderer (book #1). Well, things seems to have changed a tad because Chad is all smiles at Cookie and Lexi. He acts rude at times but as the story proceeds, Lexi gets to see his other side. And no, I am not taking about the time she sees him wearing only shorts. *wink wink*
Cookie is, as her name suggests, one smart cookie. The furry cutie pie has her way with ‘stealing’ food from the table. Everybody pampers her – from Lexi’s uncles to friends and book club members. Once again, the book club members (Scooby gang) join hands and gather clues that ultimately leads Lexi straight into the killer’s hands. oh oh!
We have a dash of romance here – concerning Lexi and a handsome somebody. Just to give you a hint, there are two prospective matches for Lexi – Detective Chad and Teri’s brother Dash. I am curious to know how this romance angle proceeds in the next book.
The mystery behind the murders kept me guessing till the end. Was it an act of revenge? Marilyn was quite famous for sleeping around with men – married ones, too. Did a disgruntled wife kill her in a fit of rage? What about Rachel? She wasn’t as bad as Marilyn so why was she killed?
Red herrings are plenty so readers must give their detective hat a break. The storytelling is excellent and the characters are quite quirky – including Cookie. I love quirky mysteries and I absolutely enjoyed reading this book.
If you are looking for a quirky, engrossing and completely entertaining cozy mystery, you might want to give A Poisonous Page by Kitt Crowe a try.
Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the ARC.
The Book Decoder 
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