Scarlett Gardner thought she was going to live her dream of owning a bookstore in California with the love of her life. Then things go south when her boyfriend and business partner abandons her for another job. Needing to get some air, Scarlett walks to the pier before opening her store, and finds the dead body of a woman who had shopped in the bookstore the day before.
Then she gets a phone call from a lawyer saying that she inherits a small fortune from a woman named Lorelai Knight, and by the way she’s also the dead body under the pier. Now the police have brought her in for further questioning and it looks bad. Scarlett must discover exactly who Lorelai is to her, and who murdered her, before the cops lock her up for good.
Starting this novel was rough, as I initially disliked Scarlett and Detective Maxwell so much. She started to sound “woe-is-me”, but then as the investigation commenced, she seemed to grow stronger and more determined. I really liked reading her character progression. However, Detective Maxwell! Who arrests, I’m sorry “detains”, someone based on trash?! I’m afraid I never got the chance to like this man, and I actually felt bad for his wife and Scarlett’s employee/friend Evelyn. When Scarlett is “detained”, Maxwell says she is their only suspect, but after she leaves the cells, it's like Maxwell disappears. When he does reappear, which is only when another crime is committed, then he is very accusatory and antagonistic towards her. I felt Scarlett’s pain at his betrayal to their friendship, and kind of want to see what happens in the next novel.
As for the mystery, I did not suspect the killer at all. I followed all the other suspects and really hoped it was one more than others (hello, justice in the world!), but alas it was someone who didn’t even blip on my radar. The mystery of who Lorelai Knight was and its solution also made sense, and again I would like to see what Scarlett does with that information.
Overall, I rate this novel 4 out of 5 stars.
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