Dead and Berried

When Natalie Barnes' laundress doesn't show up for work, the island innkeeper goes to Polly's house to investigate ... and finds the woman lying in the nearby cranberry bog. And that's just the beginning of a busy time for Natalie, who spends the next few days trying to prove that Polly's death was murder, not suicide. When the new Episcopalian priest is killed as well, Natalie not only tries to figure out the connection but also winds up being a prime suspect. A series of follow-up mishaps have Natalie believing the local rumors about her home being haunted by the ghost of a previously-murdered woman. And in the midst of it all, her ex-fiance from Texas shows up with a new marriage proposal, even as he outwardly flirts with a blonde and buxom bed-and-breakfast guest. How will it all end? Who knew life on a small island off the coast of Maine could be so hectic and fraught with danger? Ms. MacInerney has given us an excellent sequel to the first Gray Whale Inn mystery. We hope for many more!

Great characters and setting. I wouldn't mind living on this little island, without the murders, of course. I'm ready for the next one.

Natalie Barnes is trying to make ends meet in her first year running the Gray Whale Inn bed and breakfast on Cranberry Island in Maine. When things start going bump in the night, she isn't sure what is going on. Candy is staying at the Inn and driving Natalie crazy following her around to learn all she can about running a bed and breakfast so she can start one on the mainland. Then her former fiancé shows up and makes like very confusing. Add to that murders and developers that seem to stop at nothing, and you have Natalie's life on Cranberry Island. Then when her best friend becomes a murder suspect, Natalie knows she has to do something. She has no faith in the local police. Can she solve the murders, keep her best friend out of jail, and save the island without putting herself in harm's way? I love this series. I wish I could go stay at the Gray Whale Inn. The descriptions of the island and the Inn are so wonderful. It sounds like a place you could go to get away from everything. Natalie is a great character as well. She's well-rounded and naturally inquisitive. The recipes and food descriptions will make you hungry! The author has created plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. I highly recommend this book and Murder On The Rocks, the first in this series.

I read the first book in this series and couldn't wait for the second. I was not disappointed at all. I love the setting and all the vivid descriptions, and the recipes are also great. In this book, we learn a little bit more about Natalie's past. This only "flaw" would have to be the mystery. It was great throughout the book, and the suspense kept building well. However, when I finally found out who the culprit was, I was a little disappointed. It was a character that was rarely mentioned in the book, so I didn't care. I was wishing it was a character that we all knew and loved, so it would be a huge shock. All in all, I really didn't care who did it because the book was so enjoyable to read along the way. The author also keeps you guessing about some side plots, particularly the return of Natalie's ex-fiance. I really didn't know until the end how it all panned out.