The Deeds of the Deceitful

by Ellery Adams and Tina Radcliffe

Richmond, Virginia, is the setting for this delightful cozy mystery The Deeds of the Deceitful by a team of two authors, Ellery Adams and Tina Radcliffe. I could tell at once that I had jumped into the middle of a series, but the authors did a great job of identifying the main characters. Cooper Lee is a manager at Make It Work! where she is in charge of office machine repairs. She is also part of her church’s Sunshine Bible Study, a group who gathers to study the Bible but somehow finds itself in the middle of crime investigations. Currently, the diverse group is studying the book of Proverbs and are amazed at how often they can apply Biblical wisdom to solving crimes and in their personal lives.

The Sunshine Bible Study is invited to a soft opening of the Atwood Inn. There are issues between the two owners, and one has a car accident under suspicious circumstances during this special weekend. Another crime occurs there that same night. Are they related? There are several major suspects, and the Sunshine Bible Study group feels compelled to investigate as friends come under scrutiny.

Meanwhile, Cooper is trying to help with her boss’ marriage vows renewal, and she meets an attractive chef at the inn. She is thirty-five, single having broken off two engagements, and can only afford to live above her parents’ garage as she pays off her cancelled wedding reservations. Her mother’s emerging pastry business may be ruined, especially if the Atwood Inn can not recover from all of the bad publicity.

Cooper is one busy lady and a very likable main character. I’m looking forward to reading more in this series. It’s clean, has interesting characters, and moves forward at a fast pace. The interaction with the police is believable as the police do not overshare and the Sunshine Study Group keeps the authorities in the loop with their discoveries.

I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and to Beyond the Page Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Mystery

Notes: 1. #6 in the Hope Street Church Mystery Series, but worked great for me as a standalone.
2. Includes 3 recipes at the end.

Publication: November 10, 2020— Beyond the Page Publishing

Memorable Lines:

“Hiring staff and dealing with Chef Mayberry has been like juggling meatballs with one hand tied behind my back.”

Perhaps it was divine appointment, because each time they were able to support someone who desperately needed their help and didn’t have anyone else to advocate for them.

“Any big plans for the holiday?” “If dead-heading marigolds is big plans, I’ll be knee-deep in the fun,” she said.