Your Killin’ Heart by Peggy O’Neal Peden is the first book in the NEW “Nashville” mystery series. Publisher: Minotaur Books, May 2017

Contrary to popular belief, not everyone in Nashville is an aspiring country music star. Campbell Hale, for one, just wants to get her travel agency off the ground and move on from a break-up. But when she gets the opportunity to visit the mansion of mysterious country icon Jake Miller, she jumps at the chance. After all, who knows what clues are lurking around the long-dead star’s last home?

But as Campbell pokes around, she discovers more than a few sequined suits and priceless memorabilia. She finds Hazel Miller, Jake’s widow, quietly resting in a bedroom on the main floor. But Hazel might just be dead quiet. And Campbell might just be the last person to have seen her alive.

Juggling the twisty plots of high-profile country stars with her blossoming business―not to mention the tattered remains of her love life―Campbell thinks she’s got everything figured out. But when the danger becomes personal, she must uncover a killer who will stop at nothing to get what they want―or face the music.

With Your Killin’ Heart, award-winning author Peggy O’Neal Peden has given us a witty debut full of Nashville charm and generous heart.

We are introduced to Campbell Hale who had the misfortune of being slightly inquisitive and found herself involved in a murder investigation, one of which she was not suited to perform. This was a fast-paced and action-packed whodunit that pulled me in immediately and I couldn’t put this book down until it was all said and done. The author did a great job in staging this production with Nashville serving as the backdrop as insider information was spouted during the course of this story. Who killed Hazel? That’s the story and I liked how the author presented the suspects where some were easy to spot, others not so much, and that’s is what kept me engrossed in what was happening on the pages. The narrative was visually descriptive putting me in the middle of all the action as I gasped here and there at the various mishaps that plagued Campbell as she sought a killer’s identity, coming a bit too close to losing her own. Boasting a likable cast of characters that includes Campbell, Sam and MaryNell and engaging dialogue, this was an enjoyable read and I can’t wait for the next book in this pleasant appealing series.