Room for Murder (Lighthouse Inn Mysteries, No. 4)

4th in the Lighthouse series featuring Alex Winston and his family owned Hatteras West Inn, a lighthouse in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Alex loves his lighthouse and inn more than anything else in the world, and so when he is able to re-open the Dual Keeper's quarters after they had burned down, it was a celebration. Elkton Falls being the small town it is, the re-opening was also the opportunity for the local mayoral candidates to schmooze, but to top it all off, Alex's best friend, Mor, announces his engagement at the party. But when the party's over and the parking lot empties, Mor finds the body of his fiancée's ex-husband in his truck. Alex decides that he needs to get to the bottom of this in order to insure his best friend's future happiness. When one of the mayoral candidates also dies, Alex is determined to connect them and get to the bottom of the mysteries. A definite cozy series and fairly uninvolved cast of characters, but an easy and enjoyable read. I actually prefer Myers' other two series - the candle-making series and the soap-making series, but his original series is pleasant, as well.

Alex Winston runs The Hatteras West Inn and Lighthouse. After renovations, the Dual Keeper's quarters are finally ready for occupancy. As part of the opening festivities, they hold a debate between two locals running for mayor. Mor, Alex's best friend, and Emma are finally going to be married. When Mor goes out to his truck after the festivities, he finds a dead man in the driver's seat. Once it is determined the dead man is Emma's abusive ex-husband, Mor and Emma become the prime suspects. Then when one of the mayoral candidates is found dead, Emma is no longer suspected. Alex is trying to convince his co-worker Elise that they should be a couple. Things aren't looking too good in that department. He is also trying to figure out who killed these people. He believes the murders are linked. Can he find the killer without putting himself in danger? I love this series. I would love to vacation at The Hatteras West Inn and Lighthouse if I could. Alex is a fabulous character. His love of the Inn and lighthouse really comes through. Being a lighthouse lover myself, I feel a real connection. I also really enjoy Elise. The tension between these two characters is good, but I really hope they are able to come together some day. The other characters in town really add to the story. The author has caught the feeling of a small town. I always feel as if I'm there while reading these books. I highly recommend this book.

The Hatteras West Inn, nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains has on the property a near duplicate lighthouse as the one found on Cape Hatteras. Alex Winston, who has lived in Elkton Falls all his life is justifiably proud of his establishment and is positively thrilled that the Dual Keeper's quarters of the inn is finally ready for occupancy. The opening festivities include a debate between two locals who are running for mayor since longtime mayor Grady Hatch is calling it quits and plans to see the country in his new motor home.After the speech making, Alex learns his best friend Mor Pendleton is finally going to marry Emma and he couldn't be happier for the couple. When Mor goes to his car, he finds a dead body in it and learns the victim is Emma's abusive ex-husband. Both Emma and Mor are prime suspects in the murder but nobody suspects her of killing one of the candidates for mayor. Alex thinks the two murders are linked and decides to do a little snooping when he isn't busy running the inn and persuading his co-worker Elise that they should be a couple.ROOM FOR MURDER is a quaint small town cozy mystery that gives the audience a glimpse into the small town Southern lifestyle. The protagonist of the novel is a likable and endearing character who likes to get involved in the local homicides. Tim Mysers is a talented storyteller who knows how to write an interesting amateur sleuth tale. Readers will have a hard time figuring out who the perpetrator is but once he is revealed, it makes sense and is totally believable.Harriet Klausner