Another fun adventure with the husband and wife team of Liz and Nate. I enjoyed the journey as the mystery revealed itself of who was the killer, and the ghost was minimal this time, and was less of a distraction, which I liked. I just wish there would have been more interaction with the romance and such. I do need page after page of passion, but a little more would have been nice. Otherwise, a good mystery and series, and look forward to the next to come.

Lowcountry Bonfire is the sixth book in Susan Boyer’s Liz Talbot Mystery series. Ms. Boyer provided enough character background that this book can be read as a standalone. There was no gratuitous sex or violence but there was a little more adult language than one usually finds in a cozy. This is an easy read and moves along at a relaxed but steady pace, providing readers with a well-crafted mystery, well-developed characters, lots of Southern charm, and just a touch of paranormal. There are plenty of twists and turns and no lack of suspects. The final reveal was quite surprising to me.

Liz Talbot and her husband, Nate Andrews, are private investigators and live in Stella Maris, South Carolina. Liz’s friend, Colleen has been a ghost and Liz and Nate are the only ones who can see and communicate with her. Colleen is the island’s guardian angel and her assignment is to prevent the population from growing but she also looks out for Liz and Nate. Tammy Sue Lyerly hired Liz and Nate to find out if her husband, Zeke, was being unfaithful to her and after she learned he was cheating with Crystal Chapman, she piled Zeke’s clothes into his classic 1969 Mustang convertible and set them on fire. When authorities popped the trunk to make sure the entire car was cooled down they found his body. No flames had reached him and an autopsy determined he had been poisoned. Liz’s mom and dad, Frank and Carolyn, live across the street from the Lyerlys and insist that Tammy Sue stay with them so they can provide the moral support she needs. Blake Talbot, Liz’s brother and police chief of Stella Maris, hires them to help with the investigation. Liz and Nate are well organized and methodical in their investigations and leave no stone unturned as they question potential suspects and discover small town scandals and secrets regarding Zeke’s past.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.