Murder Hooks a Mermaid by Christy Fifield is the second book in the “Haunted Souvenir Shop” mystery series. Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime, December 2012

Nestled in Keyhole Bay, Florida, Glory Martine’s souvenir shop, Southern Treasures, is supposed to trap tourists—not ghosts. But a possessed parrot may be just what Glory needs to solve a murder.

Inheriting her great-uncle Louis’s bayside souvenir shop should have been a breeze for Glory. Instead it’s been one headache after another—with a lot of them generated by Bluebeard, a parrot with a mouth like a sailor and a personality a lot like her late great-uncle. But Glory’s troubles pale in comparison to those of her best friend Karen, whose ex may still have the personalized key chain to her heart, but whose brother-in-law is about to get locked up.

A diver has been found with a gaff hook in his chest, and Karen turns to Glory to help get her brother-in-law off the hook for his murder. But casting the net for the real killer won’t be easy. Glory and Bluebeard are about to find out that the secrets in Keyhole Bay run deeper than anyone ever imagined.

Glory and Karen dived into their role as amateur sleuths when Karen’s ex-brother-in-law becomes the prime suspect in murder. With help from their feathered friend, Glory will have to dig deeper to find a killer before he finds them.

This was an enjoyable read that kept me turning the pages and the more I read, the more I had to know what happens next. The mystery was good and every time I thought I had it figured out, the author changed the direction which made me hastened my desire to solve this puzzling case. The interactions that Glory has with her friends are great and I welcome the blossoming relationship between Glory and Jake. With a lovable cast of characters, good conversations and a great setting, this well-written book is a terrific read. Bonus recipes are included.