Lethal In Old Lace by Duffy Brown is the fifth book in the “Consignment Shop” mystery series. Publisher: Crooked Lane Books, coming March 13, 2018

There are two social functions in Savannah guaranteed to get people talking: weddings and funerals. And just as consignment shop owner Reagan Summerside agrees to marry the hunky Walker Boone, her neighbors, sisters Annie Fritz and Elsie Abbot, step up their business as professional mourners. They are so successful that the Sleepy Pines Retirement Center has hired them as a part of their retirement package. But the celebration over good business is cut short when the residents at Pines suddenly begin dying at an alarming rate. And the sisters are the first suspects.

Reagan has her doubts, however, and begins to look into the strange phenomenon. But then something even stranger happens: a body winds up in the sisters’ pink Caddy. The evidence begins to pile up and the suspicious case of Willie Fishbine, who swindled the sisters out of a fortune and coincidentally died prior to the Pines case, is reopened.

Not wanting Willie to be buried until they can find the killer responsible for the murders, Reagan must catch the culprit in time to walk down the aisle. Witty, fabulous, and full of charm, Lethal in Old Lace is perfect for fans of Ellery Adams and Jenn McKinlay.

Buy Link

I love this series. I love Reagan and I especially adore her Auntie Kiki. In their latest adventures, mayhem has been added to the phrase “love and marriage” as Reagan and Aunt Kiki try to clear the name of their neighbor when first a body was there, then it wasn’t, then it was found again. Hilarity ensures with this duo as they search for a killer in all that they do. I’m laughing now as I write my musing.

I can always count on Duffy to have me laughing immediately in this fast-paced read that I could not put down until the last page was read. Well-written with a comfortable tone, it is easy to follow the antics in this humorous mystery that kept me engrossed in all that was happening from the proposal, to finding the body, to losing the body, to someone else finding the body, to helping the sisters, to a surprise willing accomplice, to infiltrating the den of iniquity to everything Walker that defines how well this story was being told. The author did a great job in providing plenty of suspects and planting clues with some key twists and turns that enhanced the telling of this tale. The narrative was visually descriptive letting me see and feel all that was facing the various characters while enjoying this novel. When I thought I had a handle on who the likely killer was, the author changed directions and wow, never saw that one coming. The main characters, including BW, all played pivotal roles that led to the capture of the killer. All in all, this was one of the best book in the series and I can’t wait to see where we go next with Reagan, Walker, Aunt Kiki and the rest of the gang in this delightfully entertaining series.

**********
FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.