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Murder on West Main (A South Shore Mystery) by I.M. Foster – Review by Christie Mitchum

Murder on West Main: A South Shore MysteryMurder on West Main: A South Shore Mystery by I.M. Foster
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Murder on West Main is the second South Shore Mystery series book. While I enjoyed the first book, I enjoyed this one even more.

In this book, Kathleen’s brother, Colin, finds himself the prime suspect in his boss’s murder. His boss had threatened to fire him mere days before. Colin is certainly not perfect, but Kathleen knows he is no murderer. Daniel, the assistant coroner tasked to investigate, doesn’t believe Colin could do it either. He is determined to find the killer, but his feelings for Kathleen complicate matters, especially when she wants to investigate independently. As they try to solve the mystery, they discover that almost no one likes the victim, Brice. In fact, Brice may be the true villain in this book.

The author did a wonderful job of revealing even more about the characters, and each is still growing throughout the pages of this novel. In addition, the book is well-written. Her town descriptions made me feel like a part of the book myself. She kept me guessing. I had a suspect in mind, but I kept second-guessing myself.

Her secondary characters were some of the most developed I have seen before. I liked getting to know Daniel’s sister, Isabell, and Kathleen’s brother, Colin. I’m hoping these two are on the cusp of their own romance.

Foster created a perfect little historical mystery. She combined twists and turns, a little romance sprinkled in, and some historical facts (the beginning of fingerprinting and a new toy, a teddy bear), giving her readers a book that was hard to put down. I look forward to the next mystery these unforgettable characters have to solve.

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Finding Cheer (Magical Emerald Hollow Series) by Heather Schneider – Review by Christie Mitchum

Finding Cheer (Magical Emerald Hollow #2)Finding Cheer by Heather Schneider
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Finding Cheer was a sweet, magical, and uplifting read. It is the second book in the Magical Emerald Hollow series. I did not read the first book and felt this could be a standalone. However, I will go back to read the first book as it would give me more background on Ash and Holly, even though this book focuses on the romance between Sofia and Isaiah.

Sofia is still dealing with the grief of losing her mother and the end of a relationship with a man she thought she could trust. While hiking, she finds a man with no memory of his past. Because of everything that she has endured, she is rather skeptical of him. As she spends more time with Isaiah, trying to help him uncover her past, she finds herself drawn to him as he is to her.

The story is told from Sofia and Isaiah’s perspectives, and Holly and Ash are also narrators. At first, I wasn’t sure what the significance of including Holly and Ash was, but it all comes to light at the end of the book. It all connects brilliantly.

I thought the book was well-written, and I could feel the pull between Sofia and Isaiah. I’m glad the author took her time with their relationship, and I enjoyed watching their friendship grow and how they came to support one another. The setting was described well, and I wanted to visit Emerald Hollow. Heather Schneider is a new writer for me, and I am so glad I ran across her. I’m hoping this series will continue. If you like the following tropes, you will love this series: small-town setting, clean romance, strong female leads, irresistible male main characters, and some magic mixed in.

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