Dru’s Short Musing:
When her father becomes a suspect in the death of his brother-in law, Liz and Nate are on the case to find the person responsible before the Christmas holiday starts.

Like fine wine, the stories presented to us by Susan M. Boyer gets better and better and this one is perfectly blended with what I love in her writing: a well-written drama, a comfortable tone, a tightly woven and solidly wicked storyline, a bonafide thrilling mystery and a great cast of beloved characters that is a joy to be around, especially when it comes to solving a case involving one of their own.

From the first page to the finale, the author kept me both intrigued and in suspense with visually descriptive narrative and engaging dialogue that set the stage for each chapter. BTW, love that each chapter was a holiday song. The mystery was nicely executed with a small pool of suspects, a few red herrings that kept me glued to the pages, but it was the dogged pursuit and the questions asked that gave us insight into who, what, where, and why the long-ago murder happened. When I thought I had a handle on who did what to whom, a strategically placed twist turned it all around and wow, I enjoyed watching it all play out as it became clear. Yes, I did shed a tear or two. Overall, this is one of the best books written by Susan, and I look forward to more adventures with Liz, Nate and their friends and family.

Series: A Talbot & Andrews Investigation Mystery, Book 1
Genre: Southern Fiction, Private Investigator Mystery
Release: October 27, 2026
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Stella Maris Books | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Book Synopsis:
Welcome back to Stella Maris…

Carolers are singing. The Talbots are gathering. And TikTokers in a Scooby-Doo van just unearthed a thirty-five-year-old secret buried by a fourteen-foot alligator.

Ten days before Christmas, the whole Talbot clan turns out at Charleston International to send Blake, Poppy, and the kids off to Italy. Then SLED agent Sonny Ravenel walks in with news that stops the merriment cold: Frank Talbot stands accused of murder. The shock sends Frank to the ICU.

Liz Talbot’s days as a P.I. were mostly behind her. Until now. With the family reeling, Liz and her husband, Nate Andrews, will do whatever it takes to clear her father’s name.

From the moss-draped lanes of Stella Maris to the wild edges of the Outer Banks to the sultry backstreets of the Florida Keys, Liz and Nate chase a truth someone needs to stay buried.

This Christmas, that someone’s about to find out just how far the Talbots will go to protect their own.

Liz Talbot is back. Hard Candy Christmas is the first Talbot & Andrews Investigation, picking up where the Liz Talbot Mysteries left off.

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