Sabotage at Cedar Creek by Janice Thompson ~ a book review

 

 

This is the second book in the Little Red Truck Mysteries series. RaeLyn Hadley’s family owns an antique shop in Cedar Creek. Her grandfather’s little red truck shows up in each book of the series.  Her best friend, Tasha, buys a building and plans to renovate it to use as a vacation rental.  While the renovations are taking place there are a series of break ins, thefts and vandalism.  Tasha is also being sued by Belinda Keller who thinks she is the legal owner of the property. RaeLyn helps Tasha with the renovations while also trying to find out who is responsible for all the trouble. In addition, Tasha’s neighbor, Bob Reeves, starts a petition to prevent Tasha from opening.  Is Belinda responsible for the trouble or is Bob Reeves the culprit?  In the midst of all the turmoil RaeLyn’s relationship with her boyfriend is strengthened. RaeLyn’s brother, Dallas, has been interested in Tasha for years but never told her. Will this bring them closer together?

Who is trying to sabotage the opening of the rental property in Cedar Creek? And why?

This is from the publisher’s website:

“Who Would Sabotage the New B&B?
 
Breathe in the nostalgia of everything old red truck in book two of a new cozy mystery series.
 
It’s summertime in Mabank, Texas, and the Hadley family’s new antique business is open and running well with Tilly, the red antique truck, as its mascot. Raelynn Hadley enjoys driving Grandpa’s truck around as she seeks out antiques for her family’s store.
 
Raelynn is excited that her best friend, Tasha, will soon open a new vacation rental to accommodate the area’s growing tourism, but an unexpected act of sabotage threatens to spoil all that Tasha has worked for.
 
Raelynn immediately gets to work sleuthing out who could be behind the crime. Could it be the bitter neighbor, intent on spoiling Tasha’s plans? Perhaps it’s a nearby resort owner, worried about the potential loss of revenue. Maybe it’s the former owner’s daughter who was left out of the will and believes the home should be hers. Or maybe it’s the squatter who had taken up residence in the home before renovations. Raelynn is determined to solve the mystery for her friend in time for opening day. “

Click HERE to read an excerpt

There is a strong faith element throughout this book. Engaging interactions between the characters, small town dynamics, and witty dialog make this an enjoyable and intriguing story.

 

I received a complimentary ARC** of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed  are my own.

 

**A word about ARC books.   Advanced Reading Copies (ARCs) are a preview copy and are not a finished product. They may differ from the final published work and may include additional editing. My reviews may include some things that vary from the final published book.

 

 

A Christmas Duet by Debbie Macomber

 

A happy, heartfelt holiday romance with all the small town Christmas trimmings!  This is a clean enjoyable story with believable characters. It’s characterized as Christian but it doesn’t have enough Christian content for me to call it that. However, there was nothing objectionable in it either.  I really liked this one! It’s exactly what we would expect in a holiday tale from this author.

Hailey Morgan is a music teacher whose real passion is writing songs, but she doesn’t have a lot of time to do it and doesn’t get any support from her family or her former boyfriend.  Her best friend and fellow teacher, Katherine Stockton, gives her the opportunity to spend the holidays in a rustic, secluded cabin so she can concentrate on her song writing.  Over her family’s protests, Hailey decides to go to the cabin without telling them where it is.  Upon arriving at the cabin she is greeted by an intruder, a very scarey racoon.  The local handyman, Jethro or Jay as he prefers to be called, comes to the rescue. He also happens to be a former member of a rock band and they bond over their interest in music.

Hailey’s solitude is disrupted when her flighty sister, Daisy, shows up and crashes her vacation.  Eventually her family finds out where she is and shows up. Strained family dynamics, and an overbearing and manipulative mother  are combined with all the small town festivities of tree lighting, parade and caroling.

I was given a digital ARC of this book but as soon as I’m able, I’m going to find a hard copy to keep on my bookshelf for future Christmases.

This is from the publisher’s website:

“Hailey Morgan’s life has always revolved around music. She once had big dreams of becoming a professional songwriter, but the reality of life has led her to working as an assistant high school band teacher in Portland. As the holidays approach, Hailey dreads the annual tradition of spending Christmas with her family and dodging her mother’s meddling questions about her love life.

When Hailey’s close friend offers her the use of her family’s empty cabin for a rejuvenating solo holiday retreat, Hailey finally decides to do something to make herself happy. However, her arrival in the small town of Podunk, Oregon, is anything but peaceful when she discovers the cabin has been invaded by several wild animals. Luckily, Jay, the son of the town’s main store proprietor—and an incredibly handsome and charming former musician to boot—is more than willing to help.

Soon Hailey and Jay are nearly inseparable, chopping down and decorating a Christmas tree, sipping hot cocoa in front of a cozy fire, and best of all, playing music together. Jay’s positive feedback and encouragement inspire Hailey to believe she might succeed as a songwriter after all. But even in her snow-dusted oasis, family holiday drama still finds Hailey, interrupting and threatening her newfound peace and confidence. Meanwhile revelations from Jay present complications of their own. Suddenly her Christmas paradise has become a winter storm and Hailey must weather through the challenges to stand up for herself and embrace the holiday spirit.”

I don’t very often give a 5 star rating but this one deserves it! 

Go HERE to read an excerpt 

Go HERE to learn more about Debbie Macomber and her books 

 

 

 

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed  are my own.