A Suspicion of Strawberries

I met Lynette Sowell at the Meet the Christian Authors Night in The Woodland's Texas a week ago. Her book, A Suspicion of Strawberries, begged me to buy it. The cover was so appealing! So I bought it, had her sign it and forced her to have her picture taken with me. I finished it last night and I have to say, I love it! To me, her writing was familiar and comforting and I found it very easy to crawl into that book at night and just enjoy myself. When soon-to-be bride, Charla Thacker, dies in Andi's soap shop,no one suspects that it could be murder. Except Andi. It is, after all, her shop that is now being passed by for "safer" shopping experiences. So she takes matters into her own hands to find out who is to blame for Charla's death. Along the way she makes a few discoveries about her own life. There were many times while I was reading that I laughed so hard I was sure I would wake the house. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

Andi Clark built her business, Tennessee River Soaps, from scratch. She sells her fancy soaps and scrubs on the Internet, as well in her shop. Even so, she's barely staying afloat, until Chandra Rae Thacker brings her bridesmaids to the shop for a "spa day." It's going great, and Andi is congratulating herself for pulling it off, when Chandra goes into anaphylactic shock and dies from using the Cherries Jubilee Facial Scrub Andie had mixed for her. Some one broke into the shop recently, and Andi suspects the intruder added strawberries to the scrub, knowing Chandra was allergic to them. In order to save her business, Andi is determined to find the killer and restore her reputation. A tangled puzzle full of twists and turns that will keep the reader guessing. A first rate cozy with a very satisfying ending.

Wasn't sure what to expect with the new Heartsong Mystery line...but when I received and read Lynette Sowell's "A Suspicion of Strawberries" I knew they had some quality in store for us readers. Sowell's plot is above average -- unique setting, believable, sympathetic characters, and a dandy of a plot. I suspected everybody. The romance thread is also out of the ordinary...fresh, not hackneyed, and evokes sympathy and empathy with both heroine and hero. The ending satisfies on both the mystery and the personal levels. I'd recommend this one for anyone who is tired of the 'same old, same old.' You won't be disappointed. This author just keeps getting better and better, and her new cozy mystery line is among the best I've seen. Great job! and please keep them coing! (I understand "The Wiles of Watermelon" is due out in the fall?)