Burden of Poof by Julie Anne Lindsey
Series Name: Bonnie & Clyde Mystery #1
Genre: Cozy
Release: September 15, 2021
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An amateur sleuth named Bonnie and her kitty companion Clyde, with names like those, what could possibly go wrong?

Life hasn’t sparkled too brightly for Bonnie Balfour over the past few years, but a heart-breaking divorce has brought her back to her small rural hometown of Bliss, Georgia, and things are starting to shape up.

The proud new owner of Bless Her Heart—a second chance dress shop and boutique on the town square—Bonnie thinks thirty-eight might not be too late for a fresh start in life after all.

Until a grouchy old widow turns up dead in a pile of donations meant for Bonnie’s shop, and the town’s new detective pins her to the top of his suspect list!

To save her shop, dream and reputation, Bonnie must coordinate clues and stitch together the truth about her innocence, but the unreasonably handsome detective and prying eyes of the local gossip mill are fast fraying her nerves.

When a series of anonymous attacks begin to hem her in, Bonnie fears the real killer is fixing to make her his next victim. Can this amateur sleuth measure up?

Dru’s Short Musing:
This was such a fun book that I could not put down quickly becoming a page turner. We are introduced to Bonnie Balfour who becomes the primary suspect in the death of her customer. The only way to clear her name and reputation is to find a killer hiding in plain sight.

This well-written and fast paced whodunit has everything I love in a cozy mystery – an eclectic cast of characters, engaging dialogue (especially those between Bonnie and Detective Wright), furry friends, a solid plot, a small-town atmosphere, humor here and there, and a good mystery with plenty of suspects and a few red herrings thrown in that kept me immersed in all aspects where each chapter bought me closer to the killer’s identity. The author is adept at telling a story that kept me enthralled and when I thought I had a handle on who was doing what to whom, she changed direction all to enhance my reading pleasure. Overall, a delightfully entertaining read and I look forward to the next book in the series.

FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC of this book from the author.