Friday, August 31, 2018

Deal Gone Dead: A Lily Sprayberry Realtor Book 1 by Carolyn Ridder Aspension

written by Carolyn Ridder Aspension
reviewed from Kindle

Round and round the suspects do go, when they will stop no one will know 
Is there a sale on cast-iron skillets in town? They seem to appear with a bit of regularity in this book. Unfortunately, no one is cooking with them. What's a realtor to do when she finds her client dead from a blow to the head, a death by cast-iron skillet! Myrtle Mae Redbecker may be difficult, but who would do anything remotely like this to an elderly woman, the elderly woman you have an appointment for morning coffee with?

Lily, stuck with a childhood nickname of Lillibit, finds the news gets around faster than she could possibly guess, being that all she did was look out in front of the house only to see a large group of Myrtle Mae's neighbors gathered already! Who sounded the alert? or, being a small town, who rounded up citizens in siren vehicles. I'm from a small town but the only time we would hear that is to announce lunch hour at noon. Then again, Myrtle wasn't the favorite of the block but curiosity will win out every time no matter the draw. Yes, there is something about small towns or counties that seem to be able to pass news faster than the telegraph, and in this case one of the fastest is Lily's old beau from college, her ex-boyfriend, now County Sheriff Dylan. With the arrival at Myrtle's home of her great-nephew Jesse, craziness is compounded. Sheriff Dylan is checking the house and body out, Lily is trying to keep Jesse out of the house until given the all-clear.

In the meantime, what will happen with the sale of Myrtle Mae's property, the reason why Lily had come to the house, other than coffee, in the first place. Finding her dead is certainly going to complicate things, since there are three bidders, one to be accepted this morning. The reason for getting together with Myrtle that morning was that she had made a decision on which buyer she wanted.


I love these Southern cozy mysteries! Well crafted, yet a veritable verbal pile-up. You never know what direction they're going to go. As it happens, the sale is for the property, and Jesse has no claim on the property which Myrtle had put in a trust. Are big developers going to be changing property in the area into condos, tearing down history? But wait!! Who is putting holes in the walls and floor of the attic? Why? When? How? So much to look into, but what I love about this book is the mysteries, who is doing what where and why? Surprisingly, the answers are not all that forthcoming, there are more mysteries yet to add to this story, some long-standing.  Carolyn Ridder Aspension, for a small town this story has plenty to say--I really enjoyed reading it, suspense, mystery, and all the knotted threads to unravel. Questionable property lines may throw a shovel in the mix ending the sale, since there seems to be an extra shovel by the window most days. There seem to be several thoughts on who has a right to the property, what property is being questioned, many secrets and as many secret missions to solve them. And then there's the long history of the "hidden money" story. This book was funny, sad, different and enjoyable. I leave the final outcomes, discovery and enjoyment for other readers to visit unspoiled and enjoy.

No comments: