Death by Arts and Crafts

by Alexis Morgan

Although Abby and Tripp, the protagonists of Death by Arts and Crafts, are good main characters, my favorite character in this series is Zeke, Abby’s faithful mastiff-mix, with a huge drool factor and a sweetly manipulative personality. Abby doesn’t need to work, at least temporarily, and spends a lot of time volunteering on civic events. As the title indicates, in this cozy mystery, she is the liaison between the town council and the committee for Snowberry Creek’s first arts and crafts fair. Tripp is a twenty year veteran for the Special Forces and rents the mother-in-law house on Abby’s property while he attends college. He and Abby have grown close, and his protective instinct clicks in quickly when she is in danger—which happens a lot in this mystery.

Abby and two of her friends enjoy a girls’ weekend visiting neighboring fairs and are surprised to discover when they return home that a murder occurred under their noses. They are interviewed by Ben, a homicide detective, and Gage, the local police chief. From that point, things get more complicated and dangerous for Abby and her friend Dayna. Dayna is a potter who discovers her art partner Wendy has been less than honest in her business dealings. This mystery has lots of threads, several murders, some attacks, and a kidnapping. There is resolution in the end along with the revelation of surprising motivations. I enjoyed coming along for the ride, watching the mystery play out, and observing the growing friendship of Tripp and Abby.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 4/5

Category: Mystery

Notes: 1. #6 in the Abby McCree Mystery Series, but sufficient background is supplied for it to be a standalone.

    2. Although there is a character who reads palms and  tarot cards at the fair, her booth is considered an amusement by the other characters with no real involvement of the occult in the book.

    3. There is a little too much emphasis on food—who eats what—for my “taste.”

Publication:  December 27, 2022—Kensington

Memorable Lines:

“So, gentlemen, how many treats has Zeke conned you into giving him?” No one made eye contact, but Gage did his best to look innocent. “Let’s just say not as many as he wishes we had, but more than we probably should have. That dog has turned mooching into an art form.”

“I’ve found a home and a renewed purpose in knowing that I can help people in so many ways.”…”But that doesn’t mean it’s always easy or that bad things don’t happen to make me question some of the choices I’ve made. I think that’s true for all of us. It’s just part of life.”

“I’m not the only one who can’t resist him when he looks at you with those puppy dog eyes.” Tripp didn’t bother denying it. They both knew who held all the power in their little threesome, and it wasn’t either of the two humans.