4 Stars

This is the third book in the Abby McCree mystery series by Alexis Morgan.

Basic premise: Abby sets up a Bachelor Auction at the request of her friend, Tripp. The master of ceremonies is not such s nice guy and he ends up dead in the parking lot right after the event and Abby finds his body.

Abby McCree is a complex character. She has taken over a large house after the death of her Aunt Sybil who was pretty notorious in her day. Her Aunt had a tenant named Tripp and a large Mastiff named Zeke. These two were pretty much forced upon her in the beginning (book one). Now Abby is starting to have feelings for Tripp and wants to bid for him at the Bachelor Auction. But Tripp’s ex-wife, Val, shows up and offers a whopping $5,000 bid for the luxury of dancing with him at the event. When Abby is looking later to give Brandon, the master of ceremonies, his check, she sees Valerie and the MC have heated words and go outside to talk. Not long later Brandon is found dead by Abby still in his car from a fast acting poison.

This book is easy to follow and the mystery whodunit part was well done. But I don’t completely understand the dynamic between Abby and Tripp. I can’t decide if they like each other or just tolerate each other. It would be nice to have a second male love interest available in town to shake things up a bit. I wonder how old Chief Gage is Tripp is still in college and taking classes but that does not necessarily mean he is young. So it is difficult to ferret out an age here. Maybe a secondary character romance would be nice. Abby seems like a singular person who doesn’t really have a lot of interaction with people. Even though she organized this bachelor event, the sense of real community is missing. I wonder why Abby’s quilt guild isn’t mentioned more. I think they were more of a presence in book one.

The ex wife was brought in as a foil to Abby and her true intention and details about her were left till the bitter end and it made it harder to guess who was and wasn’t a suspect. I wish Abby had been a bit more nosey. I think we need something added to shake up this series. It is a good read. I enjoyed it but it felt a little on the bland side. I do, however, look forward to reading the other books in this series.

If you are looking for a good cozy mystery, definitely check this one out.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

This book was absolute perfection! I love Abby McCree and her character is entirely believable. Once I started, I couldn't put it down. We learn so much more about Tripp as his ex-wife shows up in town and becomes the main suspect in a murder. Determining loyalty becomes a challenge, and is a central point in the story. I didn't want this one to end, but I was entirely satisfied when it did. I really look forward to more as there is so much more to learn about Abbie's world.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Death by Auction by Alexis Morgan is the third Abby McCree Mystery book. One of the unique factors of this series is Abby’s relationship with Tripp Blackston. She is his landlord with Tripp often volunteering or recruiting Abby for community projects. This time Abby turns the table on him. However, that does not end as Abby had planned either.

This is my favorite of the series so far. More of Tripp’s past comes to light so that while he is still a paradox, a better understanding of him comes to be. Along with that is Abby’s recognizing of the conflicting feelings that she has concerning Tripp. Seeing how their relationship continues to evolve is a highlight for me.

It is not necessary to read this series in order or to have read the previous books. Because I have, I have enjoyed seeing how the relationship between renter and landlord has progressed. Unaware that inheriting the home where Abby came to live also came with Tripp, it has been interesting to say the least. For that reason, new readers will enjoy the entire series in order but again it is not necessary.

An ARC of the book was given to me by the publisher through Net Galley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love this series.
Divorcee Abby Cree helps organizations raise money, quilts and generally keeps busy. She's inherited property from an aunt that includes a rental, so with the buyout from her ex-husband, she's doing okay...well...except for finding a body or two.
Her tenant, Tripp Blackston is a good friend, and she is helping with a fundraiser to aid veterans like him and his friends.
When she finds her DJ for the event dead in the parking lot, she's shocked and dismayed. She calls the police and tells them all she knows, but when Tripp's ex-wife comes under suspicion, she feels obligated to help him investigate, he swears she couldn't kill anyone.
The pair find out plenty to bring to the police and get into more than a few humorous situations. We can see their budding romance...so can his ex, who does not like it.
Abby's innocent questions puts the killer's cross hairs on her and barely evades getting murdered herself with Tripp's help.
I requested and received a NetGalley ARC, much to my delight and enjoyed every word. I recommend it to anyone who loves a cozy with bit of romance along with their intrigue and humor.

I love these cozy mysteries by Alexis Morgan. In this third book, Abby and Tripp find themselves once again in the middle of a murder investigation. This time Abby discovers the body, and Tripp’s ex-wife is the prime suspect. Entertaining characters and a captivating mystery make this a story that was difficult to put down. I highly recommend it!

I really read this series out of order. 2, 1, 3. I was still able to follow what was going on. It would have been easier if had read book first though just because of backstory.
In this one we revisit Abbie and Tripp, and the quilting ladies👵👵
Abbie has yet again come across a dead body. This time though Tripp's ex is the last one to see him alive.
The sheriff ask many times for her to stay out of the investigation, but....😀

Such a fun series to read and this installment doesn't disappoint with it's fast pace, complications for Abby, lots of secrets and plenty of intrigue. Well written and thoroughly enjoyed.

Death by Auction is the third book in the Abby McCee mystery series and is another winner! I absolutely love this series and have been buying the paperbacks as they become available because I know I'll be reading them more than once. If you're a cozy mystery lover like myself then you won't want to miss this one!

4 stars
Death by Auction by Alexis Morgan
I adore this series! Ms. Morgan has done it again. She has come up with a fast paced and brilliant tale of revenge, secrets and old loves. I love the exchanges between Tripp, Gage and Abby and I absolutely adore Zeke. I did figure out who the killer was but it is still a very well written book. This is probably my favorite book in the series thus far. One of the nice things about the Abby McCree book is the fact they all may be read independently of one another. You may miss a little back story but not enough to stop someone from picking up any of these books and reading them out of order. I cannot wait for the next book in this series.
I highly recommend this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. The views given are my own.

Abby McCree lives in Snowberry Creek, Oregon, after having inherited her late aunt's home and carriage house tenant, Tripp Blackston. Over the course of time she and Tripp have become closer, even though he keeps his past a secret. But he's enlisted her (without her consent) to be part of the veteran's group, and Abby has retaliated by enlisting him as one of the people who are being "auctioned off" for a date night in order to raise money for the group. What she hasn't said, though, is that she plans on making a sniper bid herself and 'winning' him. But just as she's ready to make her bid, a voice in the back of the room yells out a lot more cash than anyone expects -- and Tripp is now being paired with his ex-wife, Valerie. The ex-wife he never told her about...

When Abby sees Valerie arguing with the emcee Bryce, a local boy made good who left town, she notices it because she needs to pay him the rest of his fee. But shortly after, she hunts him down in the parking lot, and finds him dead, hanging half out of his car. Calling Sheriff Gage Logan, who's also attending the event, he tells Abby not to leave while the police figure things out. But it's not long before Valerie becomes the main suspect, and Tripp asks Abby if Valerie can stay with her - because the only other option is Tripp's small one-bedroom home. While Abby's not pleased, she'd rather host the woman she privately refers to as 'the barnacle' than have her in Tripp's home. Now Tripp has asked for Abby's help in proving Valerie innocent, and Gage has warned them both not to investigate or they'll wind up in jail. So what's the worst evil between the two - letting Gage take his time in finding the right person, or having Tripp's ex in her home - making her life miserable and a play for him...

This is the third book in the series and I am glad to say that it's just as good as the first two. I actually like Abby quite a bit, since she's not one of those women who go around blatantly accusing people of being a murderer and at least tries to couch her questions nicely. Her relationship with Tripp is growing every day, and it's nice to see that they're taking their time while they dance around each other, in more ways than one.

Naturally, I couldn't stand Valerie (and I question anyone who liked her) and couldn't wait for her to leave. It was hilarious with Abby calling her 'the barnacle' and was the main indication that Abby was jealous of the woman (although she did have other private thoughts from time to time about it); Tripp, for his part, was completely oblivious to it for the first part of the book, but while he felt sympathetic to Valerie and wanted to protect her, you could tell he was more protective of Abby, which is how it should be.

We had a few red herrings as to murder suspects - and those that were, other than Valerie, seemed to surprise us with their responses to the questions. With the ones that were out there, it seemed obvious who the murderer would wind up to be, but even still, there were surprises yet to come and although there was a hint earlier that made it easy to figure out who the killer would be, the journey getting there made all the difference.

The plot was drawn nicely with Bryce's past eventually coming out and reasons why people would have motives to murder the man; although we knew that this must be the cast all along, it was still interesting to hear the stories why. Even Valerie's reasons seemed plausible, but like Tripp, I couldn't see her doing the deed; as awful as she was, I just couldn't see her killing anyone.

While I'm becoming fond of all the main characters in this series, it's nice to keep getting glimpses of their pasts and who they are now. I really enjoying learning about them and the mystery itself is believable enough to keep you reading in one sitting. While I was sorry for the book to end, it gives me something to look forward to as I wait for the next one to make its appearance. Highly recommended.

Death by Auction is the third installment in the An Abby McCree Mystery series set in Snowberry Creek, Washington and featuring Abby McCree and her veteran tenant Tripp Blackston. Tripp has talked Abby into organizing an auction for the local Veteran's group where eligible batchelors will be on display in addition to gift baskets. The winning bidders will then be escorted by the batchelors to a World War II themed dance the following weekend.

Abby has managed to snag hometown football hero, Bryce Cadigan to emcee the event and it will be the first time he's been back to town in years. The auction is going great and Abby is ready to bid on Tripp when the time comes, unfortunately a mysterious woman swoops in bids $5,000 and walks away with Tripp. Abby is devastated to learn that the woman is none other than Tripp's ex wife Valerie.

It quickly becomes apparent that not every one is happy to see Bryce back in town. Abby sees him arguing with a former teammate, a former teacher and even Valerie. As the night winds down Abby follows Bryce out to the parking lot in order to pay him for his services, only to discover him dead in his car. When Abby tells Gage, the Chief of Police that Valerie was the last person seen with Bryce, she quickly becomes the prime murder suspect. Things continue to go downhill when Valerie is released on bail but must move in with Abby while the investigation unfolds.

I fast paced plot with the return of many series regulars, a delightful dog and just the right touch of romance. I will be looking forward to my next visit to Snowberry Creek.

I received an advanced copy of Death by Auction from NetGalley via Kensington Publishing. While not required to write a review I am happy to offer my honest opinion.

One of my favorite series now. Abby event to help veterans after war. When a murder happens. Abby with the help of Tripp sets out to investigate the murder before the killer kills again. I highly recommend this book

Death by Auction is my first read from Alexis Morgan and first read in Abby mystery series (this is actually book 3 in the series). The starts off with Abby moving to Snowberry Creek, developing a crush on her tenant, Tripp and the story goes on to find a man murdered in an auction judged by Abby and organised by Abby’s crush Tripp. The plot gets really interesting when Abby invites Valerie (Tripp’s ex-wife and the last person to see the victim) to stay with her! The story is simple, but I had a lot of “predictions” and was surprised around every turn. Its a good cozy mystery, without cutenesses and coziness overloaded. Very fast read and understandable flow. Gonna check out other books from Alexis and in this series. Not a disappointment!
Thank you NetGalley, Alexis Morgan, Kensington press for the ARC. This review is my own and is not influenced in any way!

This book brings all kinds of complications into Abbey’s life that make for an interesting new mystery. I really like this series.


I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not paid for this review.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of DEATH BY AUCTION (Book 3 of the Abby McCree Mysteries) by Alexis Morgan in exchange for an honest review. We return to Snowberry Creek, Washington in time for the veterans' fundraiser that Tripp Blackston previously talked Abby into co-organizing. Of course, Tripp promptly found other obligations that prevented him from aiding Abby in the planning and organization of the event. Now, it's time for payback! Tripp finds himself fodder for a bachelor auction with the requirement that he escort his winning bidder to a themed dance the following week. Tripp's worried that he'll end up escorting one of his elderly admirers, but he and everyone in town are shocked when a dazzling beauty wins him with an astoundingly large bid. However, when that beauty, who turns out to be a surprise from Tripp 's history, becomes the prime suspect in a murder before the end of the evening, both Tripp and Abby find more trouble than anyone bid for.

I really like this series and am eager for the next book. The author, so far, has created varied and imaginative plots while maintaining a steady personal story arc for Abby. I recommend this book to fans of the series, to fans of Alexis Morgan, and to fans of cozy mysteries featuring murder, friendly small towns, community involvement, charities, veterans, quirky but lovable characters, and silly canines.

#DeathbyAuction #NetGalley

I liked this installment of the series. The twist at the beginning was shocking, I'm glad it got worked out quickly. The mystery kept me guessing. I do like the characters without any over the top quirkiness.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you Kensington Press, as always, and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in return for an honest opinion. This is the 3rd book in this series and while I have not read the first two, as of yet, the book can easily be a stand alone read, since there are only a very few times that prior stories or background is necessary to enjoy this book. Let me saw that I found this book extremely well written and does not have all the cutesy cozy trappings that ruin so many other books. The only really coziness is that the town is named Snowberry Creek, oh well. The plot is good, as are the characters. It is fast paced and even though I was able to figure out the killer way in advance there certainly are enough red herrings to keep us guessing. The plot is simple. A celebrity returns to town to MC an auction and ends up being killed. We have HS friends, HS enemies, angry women and whole host more. What makes this book even better is that our narrator/heroine Abby calls her friends ex-wife "the barnacle" and that is just a hoot. And she refers to her throughout most of the book as "the barnacle." I really enjoyed this book and have Book 2 of the series on my Kindle and will be reading shortly. And if you want a treat, I highly recommend this author and series.

Abby's friend and tenant, Tripp, persuaded her to co-chair a committee to raise money for his veterans group. In addition to bidding on baskets of various donated items, attendees participate in a "bachelor auction" as part of the fundraising effort. Abby secretly plans to bid for Tripp so that they'll be each other's dates to the upcoming veterans group dance. Before Abby can even place a bid, a gorgeous stranger wins the date with Tripp with an astronomical $5,000 bid. The stranger is Tripps ex-wife Valerie, who he has never mentioned.

Abby's romantic plans are wrecked but the show must go on. She has to pay the auction's emcee, a popular radio personality who grew up in the area, before she can leave and as the social butterfly bounces from conversation to conversation he's not making it easy to track him down. She finally finds him in his car, dead. Valerie appears to have been the last to see the emcee alive - and she was furious with him from what Abby saw - making her a top murder suspect. Tripp wants to protect Valerie and enlists Abby to investigate, and convinces Abby to let Valerie move into her house.

The mystery is well-written and interesting. I liked the book and plan to go back and read the earlier ones in the series. I would, however, recommend that you read them in order; although this book works perfectly fine as a standalone, I didn't connect with or like Tripp once Valerie showed up. He consistently placed his e-wife's happiness and safety over Abby's, and believed his ex-wife's statements about her interaction with the emcee over Abby's eye witness account, making him seem like a poor possible partner match for her. But it is clear Abby and Tripps friendship has progressed through the series and I think anyone who reads in order will be attached to Tripp and willing to cut him more slack than I was.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own.

Love Alexis Morgan's series, and this one did not disappoint.
Abby has been volunteered to organize and run a bachelor auction and dance to raise money for the local veterans. The auction is a huge success, until Abby finds her emcee, a local man who went on to become famous, dead in his car. All clues seem to point to Tripp's ex-wife, who showed up out of the blue and who Abby didn't even know existed. Torn between her feelings for Tripp, her obligation to tell about the argument she saw at the auction between the emcee and Tripp's ex-wife, and her need to investigate things on her own (even when warned not too), Abby finds herself right in the center of the murderers path. Can the police find the real killer before Abby unwittingly becomes the next victim? And will Tripp get back with his ex or will Abby have a real chance with him?
Love the characters, the banter between them, and the flow of the mystery. Looking forward to the next book!

This is the 3rd installment in the Abby McCree Mystery series. Abby is the chair of a veterans fundraising event and the first event is a bachelor auction. Tripp, the tenant she inherited from her Aunt is not too happy about being put up for auction and begs Abby to stop him from being “bought” from her senior quilting ladies. Bryce Cadigan is radio personality who is from Snowberry and comes back to emcee the auction. The event is packed and just as Abby is about to save Tripp from Jean (the casserole lady) winning him when a woman comes into the auction and bids $5,000 for him. Imagine Abby and everyone’s surprise when she jumps on stage and gives Tripp a big smooch and she is his ex-wife Valerie. Abby is shell shocked by this and continues to go about her business as the chair of the festivities. The last official thing she has to do is pay the emcee his final payment and then she can go home and put the night behind her. This turns out to more challenging than she thought as Bryce is working the crowd and when finally sees a shot to catch him Valerie grabs him, and their heated exchange takes them outside. Abby waits for them to return and when just Valerie comes back by herself, she waits for Bryce to return and when he doesn’t, she tries to catch him outside before he leaves. She cannot see him in the parking lot but hears a door dinging and unfortunately, she finds Bryce dead in his car. She calls Gage Logan, the Sheriff who is inside and once again Abby is involved in an investigation. Abby does very well in trying to stay out of this murder investigation. She was able to give Gage a good idea who Bryce talked to as she was following him around attempting to give him his check. Valerie must stay in town and Tripp is pretty clueless that his ex-wife is more than interested in just clearing her name. He even asks Abby to put Valerie up at her house. I have to give Abby credit she kept her composure more than most would. This was once again a great mystery and Abby did not actively get too involved this time but she still ends up in the killers sight. This is a quick and engaging read and I really enjoy this series. Automatic buy now. Love this series.