Picture Perfect Frame by Lynn Cahoon is a Tourist Trap Mystery. Meredith Cole is the owner of Coffee, Books and More and as the name suggests, it is a coffee and bookshop with pastries and trinkets available to purchase as well. Meredith lives with local police chief Greg, who in turn has a receptionist named Esmeralda who lives across the street from them, and has just quit her job, stating it will be easier for him (Greg). There was a murder, of course. Meredith can't help but investigate. The relationships are so intertwined and complicated, and of course, Esmeralda came up. There also appeared to be some spousal abuse and certainly some cheating. Did that make a murderer?

The plot was good and the characters are likeable and accessible but the writing was bad enough to make me notice, primarily the sentence structure. I can overlook a bit but Cahoon either needs to slow down or get a new editor, or both. So many sentences with clumsy or had the modifiers misplaced. I have not noticed this before in her books. Other than that, it was an engaging and entertaining read, worth your while. An enjoyable cozy mystery with characters we are in tune with.

I was invited to read a free ARC of Picture Perfect Frame by Netgalley. All opinions and thoughts are my own. #netgalley #pictureperfectframe

Wow!

Jill, owner of Coffee, Books & More is busy! This book takes place around St. Patrick’s. We open to our favorite South Cove committee prepping for the upcoming holidays and welcoming a new art store. As most know Amy, Jill’s best friend is engaged. Y’all she’s finally getting married!! Well as long as Jill can stay a live, help with the wedding, help fix Greg’s office issue and solve a murder! Yep, I told y’all Jill was busy. Now if everything works out Greg might just have a surprise in store for her?!

I loved this book. It can be read as a stand-alone. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great cozy filled with friends.


Thank you to both the author and NetGalley for the arc.

A Tourist Trap Mystery #12

Always a treat to pop over to South Cove and visit with Jill at Coffee, Books, and More. Jill and other businesses on Main Street celebrate any and every event. This time it’s a new business in town hosting a paint-and sip-event. Jill has never claimed to be an artist. But spending time with her guy and her friends sipping and chatting in between slapping paint on her canvas makes her happy. Our detective isn’t the only one wondering about the couple drinking and fighting in front of God and everyone.

They are drunk and one of the other participants offers to take them back to their B and B. Problem solved.

Until the next morning when the woman is found dead in the painting studio. She isn’t from here and neither is her husband, so why kill her? And why the art studio? And at the same time, Esmerelda is acting odd. Even for her.

What is up with her neighbor? Also, Jill is working on her BFF’s wedding and working at her busy store. Thinking Esmerelda must know something, Jill goes to work to figure out who killed the victim and why so she can get Esmerelda back to work at the police station and finish the wedding details.

Some of these business friends are beginning to look sketchy. And they are!

Always a fun time in South Cove. Ms. Cahoon knows what she is doing.

NetGalley/ March 16th, 2021 by Lyrical Press

Picture Perfect Frame
Tourist Trap Mystery, Book #12
Lynn Calhoon
5 Stars

Synopsis:

As the owner of Coffee, Books, and More, Jill Gardner likes to support other Main Street businesses, so she attends a paint-and-sip event where, sadly, her brushstrokes look more like blobs. It’s still fun, though—aside from some disruption by a couple doing more sipping than painting. Jill’s police-detective boyfriend is on alert, but a designated driver volunteers to take the drunken pair back to their bed and breakfast, and everything seems resolved. Until the wife’s body turns up the next morning back in the studio.

The victim, Nan, is from out of town, so it’s hard to imagine who’d have a motive aside from her spouse. Now, in between puzzling over her fortuneteller neighbor’s strange behavior, preparing for her best friend’s wedding, and pouring cups of java at the bookstore, Jill must uncover the secrets of Nan’s life and find out who wanted her out of the picture . . . (Goodreads)

Review:

The characters are well developed and well rounded. It is finally the big day for Jill’s best friend, Amy, and her fiance, Justin. All Jill wants to do is celebrate the day with the newlyweds, but life has other plans. When a body turns up dead, Jill feels she must figure out the murderer. She will need the help of her friends and her police detective, Greg, if she wants to find out the real story and killer. It takes a community to catch a villian.

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning and took me on an intriguing thrilling ride. The mystery was well plotted and not easily solved, which is the way I like my mysteries. You will be guessing along with Jill in figuring out the culprit.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. Grab a copy, get comfortable and enjoy the read.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.

Another favorite by a great author. The plot of the story was very well written. The author really draws the reader in as you read. I felt like I was an unnamed character in the story. When can I read another book.

This is a series that always seems so 'comfortable' to read. I love the setting and the 'realness' of Jill that she would rather be reading. It is a well-written mystery with characters that seem like old friends and just enough twists and turns.

The story flowed well and I really didn't want to put it down. I'm already looking forward to the next one!

I've read a few of the Tourist Trap Mystery series books in the past and was excited to see one as an available review copy.

I have missed the last several books and will have to go back to them because I feel like I was missing several pertinent events - mostly on the character's relationship storylines.

But, for anyone who likes cozy mysteries and reading about small towns and the characters who inhabit them - Picture Perfect Frame does not disappoint.

This series has more down to earth characters - it could be because of the setting of a Central California artsy town. It seems to be missing the more eccentric characters that are usually peppered throughout cozies.

The story was very level - there weren't any pinnacle "scenes." But, if you like cozies - Lynn Cahoon's Tourist Trap Mystery Series books are right up your alley - I'd suggest a marathon since there are 13, plus 5 novellas.

I liked this book a lot. I have only read one or two in the series before this but I like the way Lynn Cahoon crafts a story and that while small town living is quaint, there is a healthy dose of reality mixed in.

Jill Gardner is running her bookstore: Coffee, Books and More (affectionately known as CBM), juggling staffing and now a murder investigation. This is not her first rodeo but one of her good friends is accused and she knows there is no way this person is the guilty party.

The story was filled with enough red herrings to keep the reader guessing but entwined with enough hints that the whodunit made a lot of sense. I love the atmosphere of the bookstore, Jill's dog Emma and the other colorful characters sprinkled throughout the town.

This was an enjoyable mystery. I look forward to reading more of the series.

This twelfth addition to the Tourist Trap series is another fun read by Lynn Cahoon. I enjoyed traveling back to South Cove on the California coast to visit with Jill Gardner, her hunky guy, Detective Greg King, and the Coffee, Books, and More crew and friends. We meet a new CBM member, Evie, a cousin of former crew member, Sasha. She has moved from NYC after a bad marriage.
A night of painting and refreshments at a new art studio is going along well until a tourist woman makes a scene and later is found dead in the studio in the early hours of the next morning. Jill tries to stay low key but when a friend is suspected of the crime, she sets out to do some sleuthing to find out not only about the dead woman and her husband but also the new owners of the art studio or any other possible suspects. The suspect pool is fairly small but there is not an obvious answer. I really like the characters in this series as they are all likable, realistic, and fun to read about. The coastal setting is lovely and the bookstore/coffee shop is a fun premise for a business, especially with all the treats that they sell. It is St. Patrick's Day time and a festival is in the air. And love is definitely in the air with Amy's wedding and more. Another great story.
I received a complimentary ARC from Kensington Books through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed for mine only.

Not my first book by this author but it was my first from this particular series. Coming in at book 12 was probably not the best thing to do but I enjoyed it anyway.

The main character, Jill, runs Coffee, Books and More, a cafe and bookstore which I wish I could visit. She is a fairly level headed young woman which I liked because so many female MCs in cosies are ditzy and annoying. It took me a couple of chapters to get to know the other regular characters and then I just sat back and enjoyed the story.

The mystery was interesting and I actually failed to spot the murderer at all. I think I was enjoying the characters too much and allowed myself to be led astray by the many red herrings.

This was a very enjoyable read and as soon as I have time I will go back and start at book one.

Starting a new Tourist Trap Mystery is like going back to visit friends and this one was no different. There are a few changes in South Cove these days - a few new businesses, a new barista in the Coffee, Books and More family and a St. Patrick's Day Street Festival to get ready for. One of those new businesses is one of those drink wine and paint places which leads Jill and friends into an uncomfortable encounter with a tourist who has done far more of the first and not nearly enough of the second. Still it's a bit shocking when that tourist ends up murdered in the very place they had had their class. Jill's complete and total lack of artistic talent had me laughing and I could relate to her all the more.

There's a lot going on in this mystery with regular business at the bookstore, town business, current relationship issues, past relationship issues, and general snooping. While this did make the book busy it wasn't chaotic - instead it was like just hanging out with Jill and tagging along while she gets involved in the investigation and tries to sort through all the information she's picking up. I really enjoy the dynamics between all the characters (though I won't be sorry to see the end of the Bridezilla version of Amy) and am really growing to like Deek and Evie - the two newer members of the series.

The mystery is a good one with lots of digging into the past and uncovering secrets. I do wish the ending was a little more developed which is my standard complaint with this series. I was satisfied with the ending but just wish it started to unravel a little earlier in the book then it did. This is probably a series best read from the beginning as it is so character driven but it is such a consistent and enjoyable series that I don't think any cozy reader will be disappointed!

Love the Tourist Trap mysteries! Every time I read one it's like catching up with old friends. In this one, it's up to Jill to help defend her friend and resident fortune-teller Esmerelda when she is accused of murder. Jill briefly met the murdered woman at a painting class the night before, and she knows Esmerelda would have never murdered anyone. As with most cozies, there are some side plots happening at the same time that Jill is working to prove her friend innocent and plenty of familiar faces as well as some red herrings along the way. This is a great series for cozy fans and whether you are starting here or from the beginning you are in for a treat.

This is the 12th installment of the Tourist Trap Mystery series. I really enjoyed this book even though I hadn’t read the first 11...I would love to see how the characters have developed and can’t wait to read them all!

In the Business to Business meeting at Coffee, Books, and More, Meredith Cole, a newcomer to South Cove presents a talk on Why Art Matters. That evening she is giving an art class with wine and munchies. Jill and Greg and several of her staff are attending. Also attending the class are Nan and Steve, a couple from out of town staying at the Bed and Breakfast. Nan and Steve become quite inebriated, and as Gregg is beginning to worry about them driving, Neal, Meredith's husband says he will drive them back to the Bed and Breakfast.

The next morning, Meredith finds Nan dead in the studio. Steve thinks Nan's death is because Esmerelda told Nan she was dying and needed to see a doctor. The pathalogist actually confirmed that Nan was riddled with cancer and would not have lived much longer. Meanwhile, Esmerelda quits her job as dispatcher in the police department, and Greg would like her to stay. Jill is very busy trying to convince Esmerelda to go back to work, making her new employee, feel at home, helping her best friend Amy prepare for her upcoming wedding, and trying to figure out who could have killed Nan. Because Nan is an out of towner, Jill spends some time checking her and Steve's presence on the web. Greg is now living with Jill, but he is very busy with a murder to solve. As we near the end of the book, Esmerelda tells Jill "I saw a vision of you and a pair of red shoes. It felt violent." She was right!

Picture Perfect Frame is the 12th book in the Tourist Trap Mystery series. This is a fast-paced and well-written cozy mystery. I enjoy how Lynn Cahoon unravels the story and the mystery and keeps me turning the pages to find out what happens next. I enjoy the characters and the small-town atmosphere.

These are great books to escape and enjoy some fun and mystery.

#PicturePerfectFrame #NetGalley

This is the twelfth book in the Tourist Trap Mystery series by Lynn Cahoon. I enjoy my trips to South Cove, California. I always root for Jill and her friends.

The book/coffee shop is family oriented. The employees for Greg & Jill are so down to earth. I always want things to go well for them. I could not like Nan, her husband or the newest business owners in town.

I did enjoy the mystery and seeing Toby trying to move on from his dead relationship. I look forward to more stories in this series. Looking forward to Amy calming down in the next book.

I was given an advanced reader’s copy and am not required to give a positive review. Thank-you to Netgalley, the publisher, Lyrical Press for allowing me to read this early version.

Picture Perfect Frame by Lynn Cahoon is the 12th book in A Tourist Trap Mystery series, and another great addition. Jill Gardner is the owner of Coffee, Books, and More and lives with her police detective boyfriend, Greg. Amy, Jill's best friend is getting married, and as the maid-of-honor she is keeping busy trying to calm down bridezilla. On top of that, a women named Nan is found dead the night after Jill and Greg take a painting class with her. I love this series, and was not disappointed by this book. I highly recommend this book/series to all cozy mystery lovers.  I also recommend that you read them in order to get the most out of the books.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Summary:
South Cove has a new business in town, a little paint and sip store. And what better welcome can South Cove give this new venture than to have it be the site of the latest murder?! This time around, the prime suspect is none other than resident fortune teller/police secretary/Jill's neighbor. But, did she do it? If not her, than who?

The 12th installment of this beloved cozy mystery series finds South Cove a whirl of activity. Not only is the town gearing up for St. Patrick's Day, but Amy's wedding is right around the corner. So, a new murder isn't really on anyone's agenda. A night of fun & friendship definitely is. Everyone gathers at the town's newest paint and sip store. Some bring their painting talent, some don't. One attendee, Nan, stands out, though. Mostly because she's drunk. Of course, the locals don't take long on getting whatever info they can about Nan and her husband. As it turns out, they're regular visitors to the town- mainly for the guidance of the local fortune teller/psychic.

Nan makes the conversations change when she's found dead in the paint and sip the following morning. The hunt is on for the who, what, why. All fingers, clues, start pointing to Jill's neighbor, the fortune teller/police secretary. Knowing her friend didn't do it, Jill refuses to sit back and let her get railroaded. So, off she goes looking for clues. It isn't long before you uncover the reason behind the couple's frequent trips to South Cove.

As if trying to solve a mystery isn't enough, Jill's best friend, Amy, is the bridezilla turned emotional wreck bride. Due to walk down the aisle in mere weeks, Amy is anything but calm. She's one hysterical mess after another. It only makes matters worse when her fiancé goes missing on her. Unable to get in contact with him, and having very little coming in from his end, Amy wastes no time jumping from one conclusion to another, leaving Jill to deal with the fall out.

I love this series. I've been with this series from book 1 to now. I always love visiting South Cove and seeing what Lynn has all the residents up to. This book didn't disappoint. It was a fun read that I devoured, as I've done with each installment of this series. Some books have the mystery aspects more front and center than others, but I always get pulled into the plot right away. While Picture Perfect Frame wasn't as action packed as some of the previous books, you still loved finding out Nan's story. I enjoyed learning the back story and how it connected to the present happenings. The ending was anti-climatic for the mystery- there was no fighting confrontation between the killer and anyone, but there didn't need to be.

I'm looking forward to the next installment. There may be another wedding in the not too distant future for South Cove. Lynn always has me coming back for more!!

Jill might not be good at painting but she is good at solving murders and that's what she does in this latest installment in a long running cozy series that's perfectly enjoyable as a standalone. From running her coffee/bookshop to helping her friend Amy (who has gone brideszilla) with her wedding, she's a busy woman working hard in a small tourist town (great atmospherics, btw). That doesn't mean that she won't jump in when her friend Esmerelda is a suspect in the murder of Nan, who was a visitor. Unlike most cozy detectives, Greg, who happens to be Jill's boyfriend, wants her help. She's got insight into some things that he just doesn't. Cozy fans know that neither Nan's husband or Esmerelda was the villain and that there was more to her than met the eye. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is fun as much for Jill's interactions with her friends and family as for the mystery.

Picture Perfect Frame is the twelfth book in the Tourist Trap cozy mystery series. I can honestly say that I have loved every one, including this one. Jill, the owner of Coffee, Books and More, is always trying to help her boyfriend Greg with his police work, whether he wants the help or not. LOL The only thing lacking is that I wish we heard more from Esmerelda since she was a suspect. Every book in this series feels like being around family and friends. South Cove and its people seem so real. Looking forward to the next book in the series.