Valentine's Day is Murder by Carolyn Arnold – Review + Excerpt

Valentine's Day is Murder by Carolyn Arnold - Review + Excerpt

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Valentine's Day is Murder by Carolyn Arnold – Review + ExcerptValentine's Day is Murder on January 15, 2015
Pages: 134
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four-stars

From bestselling author Carolyn Arnold...

Strap in for an adventure that will take you to the beautiful island of Jamaica and have you wanting a piña colada.

Jimmy finally takes a vacation–and a chance on love–only to be abducted. His female companion originally thinks he had cold feet about their relationship, but Sean and Sara know there’s more to it. Jimmy isn’t the type to just up and disappear, let alone leave a lady stranded.

Setting out on their private jet, Sean and Sara reach the tropical paradise of Ocho Rios, Jamaica with sightseeing as the last thing on their minds.

With a gold coin being their initial tie to Jimmy’s kidnapper, Sean and Sara even speculate about the involvement of pirates. Yet as the hours pass, and there’s no word from Jimmy’s captors, Sean and Sara will need to figure out the real motive before it’s too late.

With help from their friend, Adam, back in Albany, the pieces come together and not a moment too soon.

bookreview
Valentine’s Day is Murder by Carolyn Arnold is the eighth book in the McKinley Mystery Series. This is the first I have read in the series. Jimmy and Meredith are on a tropical vacation in Jamaica. When Jimmy disappears from dinner, Meredith calls his friends, Sean and Sara. Sean and Sara are private investigators and they rush to Jamaica to find their friend.

I liked the setting and the characters in this story. The story was very fast-paced and the mystery kept you guessing until the end. Tiny tidbits of clues were fed throughout the book that gave the reader a little more information at a time, but did not give away the answer to who-dun-it. I was able to read this story without any difficulty, even though I hadn’t read the earlier books. I felt the author provided enough information to let you read the story without feeling as if you have missed out on something. I wasn’t a fan of the dialogue. It felt choppy at times and the endearments between Sean and Sara seemed a little overdone. Other than that, I did enjoy the story and would happily read others in this series. Valentine’s Day is Murder by Carolyn Arnold is a satisfying cozy mystery that reads quickly and is perfect for curling up for an afternoon and losing yourself in.

Excerpt 3:

Chapter 4

Pineapples & Alibis

“There was no answer in her room. She may be out by the pool.” The front desk clerk lowered the phone’s receiver and gestured toward a wall of windows that faced a pool, and, beyond that, the sea.

“Thank you,” Sean said.

“No worries.” The clerk smiled and flipped some papers over that she had been working on when they had approached her to call up to Meredith’s room.

Tourists, clad in bathing suits in a spectrum of colors, dotted both the poolside and the beach. It had Sara wishing all she and Sean had to do was enjoy the scenery.

The sun was beating down, the warmth all-encompassing, but thankfully, the humidity wasn’t extreme.
Sara still wished to slip out of her dress to reveal the bikini she wore underneath. The thought of the rays kissing her skin was almost too much to dismiss from her mind.

She scanned the horde of vacationers and spotted Meredith lying out on a lounge chair. She sat up as if she sensed Sara watching.

“There she is, Sean.” Sara nudged her head toward Meredith.

“She doesn’t look too upset, does she?”

Sara put a hand on Sean’s shoulder. “We’re not going to assume she’s behind this.”

He stayed put. “She’s not behind this and yet she’s new to his life and he’s never gone missing before.”

“We promised on the flight we would give her the benefit of the doubt, unless something came up to convince us of her involvement.”

“I’m starting to rethink that decision.”

“If Jimmy trusted her—”

“Yes, then we should too.”

“That’s right.” Sara pressed her lips, hoping she conveyed more conviction than she felt at times—this being one of those times.

Rating Report
Plot
four-half-stars
Characters
three-half-stars
Writing
three-stars
Pacing
three-half-stars
Cover
five-stars
Overall: four-stars

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