Dru’s Short Musing:
When Aubrey learns that her sister’s death was no accident and her brother is a prime suspect, Aubrey starts an investigation to clear her brother and find the person responsible.
This was a fast-paced and well-written whodunit that quicky becoming a page-turner as I had to know who was doing what to whom. The author did a great job in presenting this mystery with a multi-plot storyline, a short list of suspects, and a few red herrings that had me immersed in all that was happening from the discovery that her sister was murdered to her brother being questioned to her uncovering clues left by her sister to prove something was amiss in the company she worked at which led to her death. With visually descriptive narrative, the story came alive and the usage of the scenery and engaging dialogue kept me in suspense as each step Aubrey took brought her closer to the truth. When I thought I had a handle on what was going on, the slight change in direction enhanced my reading pleasure and all was revealed as to the motive and the person responsible. Overall, this was an excellent read, and I look forward to the next adventures with Aubrey and her friends and I’m team Spencer.
Series: A Murder By The Book Mystery, Book 2
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: November 17, 2026
Format: Print, Digital
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Kobo | Gemma Halliday Publishing
Book Synopsis:
From USA Today bestselling author Beth Prentice comes the next unputdownable novel featuring a mystery author turned investigator…turned possible victim?
A cold case. A grieving family. A killer who’s been walking free for eighteen months.
Cozy mystery author Aubrey Jackson thought the hardest part of her week would be trying to turn a blank page into the hopefully-bestselling follow-up to her debut novella. Then Detective Jacob Tate shows up with news that shatters what’s left of her family—her sister Emily’s fatal car accident wasn’t an accident at all. It was murder. And before Aubrey can catch her breath, the police pull her brother, Corey, in for questioning.
Certain Corey is innocent, Aubrey starts digging through her sister’s old planner, half-forgotten emails, and a tangle of secrets that Emily had been keeping from everyone, including Aubrey. With her best friend (and secret crush) Spencer by her side, Aubrey uncovers a trail of stolen money, buried affairs, and a mysterious stranger with a spider tattoo who might hold all the answers.
Only problem? Detective Tate—brooding, infuriating, and entirely too easy to fall for—keeps getting in her way. Or is it that Aubrey can’t stop thinking about him?
Can Aubrey catch her sister’s killer…before they decide to write Aubrey’s final chapter? Or will digging up the past cost her everything she has left?