Avis sur le produitSucker Punch by Sammi Carter (2009, Mass Market)

A Candy Shop Mystery

This is the newest in Ms. Carter's Candy Shop Mystery, with Abby Shaw of Paradise, Colorado, owner of the candy shop, Divinity.

The story is set a few weeks before Valentine's Day, a day that Abby would like to forget about, but her employees, Liberty, and cousin Karen have decorated the shop to the hilt and have made plans with their honey's to celebrate the day. To add insult to injury, Abby's boyfriend, Detective Pine Jawarski will be away, visiting his two kids at his ex-wife's home in Montana. Feeling a little sorry for herself, Abby gets involved in the musical at the local Playhouse run by her friend, Vonetta Cummings. This year they snagged a big musical star, Laurence Nichols, who also happens to be originally from Paradise. Things do not fare well for Abby when she pokes her head in one night. She finds Vonetta over the dead body of Nichols on the Playhouse stage. At first the death was ruled an accident due to one of the lights falling and hitting him on the head, but further results show he was poisoned first. Abby's good friend and co-owner of the Silver River Inn, with his significant other, Dylan, has been listed as a "person of interest" by the acting dectective, Nate Syboda, one of the town's 'good ole boys' who has made it clear he doesn't like Ritchie and Dylan's lifestyle. He isn't even looking for other suspects, although Abby finds that several people wanted Nichols dead and had oportunity to do the deed. When Abby and her friend, Colleen, are leaving the Playhouse late one night, the are both attacked and badly beaten. Abby's brother, Wyatt, thinks Nate isn't looking for any suspects because he still has Ritchie as his supect, as doing everything. Abby believes that Nichol's long time manager,Geoffrey Manwaring, who stands to inherit his fortune, may be behind everything or his friend, Alexander Pastorelli, both men have short, explosive tempers. Then there is Vonetta, who is holding a hate grudge against Nichols for something in the past.

This book covered many social issues, starting with Vonetta, the only Black American in this small town, and Ritchie and Dylan, the only homosexuals. Other issues of out of wed pregnancy, abortion and suicide were covered. They were not dwelled on, but Ms. Carter was getting her two cents worth on these. The story line with Abby as the protangonist was great. Abby has had relationship issues since her divorce so in this book she wraps it up some with detective J., because his being away made her realize how much she really cares about him. They mend their fences, so to speak, at the end of this book and may take the relationship further in the next book. Karen tends to get on my nerves a bit. She has from book one, but each book she is settling in more to the fact that Abby inherited the store, not her, and they do care for each other very much. She still like to have the upper hand and Abby, out of guilt, more or less lets her have it. I wish that would change. You'll get the feel of this small Colorado town in February. COLD! The other characters are on-going in this series and very likeable and colorful. There are some candy recipes at the end of the book. You may need them after reading the parts on Abby's candy making in the store and some of the candies they sell. Yum!Lire l'avis complet...