Cozy Review: A Lethal Lake Effect

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Another review via Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours. Thanks to Lori at GEVBT, the author, and the publisher for the chance to read this new release.


 A Lethal Lake Effect (A Victoria Square Mystery)
by

 Lorraine Bartlett

About A Lethal Lake Effect


A Lethal Lake Effect (A Victoria Square Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
9th in Series
Setting – Victoria Square, McKinlay Mill, NY
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Polaris Press (June 6, 2024)
Number of Pages: 306
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CYYDN1GH

Things go awry for Katie Bonner when her former mother-in-law, Margo, throws a housewarming party at her lakeside rental and one of her guests ends up dead in the water. Maxwell Preston was a devoted husband–and a not-so-great dad. He was a beloved pharmacist who didn’t take care of his ramshackle property, which is destined to be a hot commodity on Victoria Square when his heir puts it up for sale. But most of all, Preston was a stranger to the others who attended the party.

Meanwhile, Nona Fiske takes charge of Victoria Square big summer extravaganza—a disaster in the making as what little power she’s seized has gone straight to her head. The Davenport sisters have their own agenda, and they’ve not only been poking around to find out more about the dead man, but what other mischief has been going on around the Square.

So, who killed Maxwell Preston and why? That’s what Katie wants to know—and she’s willing to risk everything to find out.

 

My Review:

A Lethal Lake Effect shapes up to be an enjoyable summer read. Full of interesting characters, and fully readable even without having read the previous books in the series, it pulls the reader into Katie's world quickly.
 
With a wide selection of possible culprits (maybe the more so for those of us who haven't read the other books, and therefore have no favorites among the denizens of Victoria Square!), the author keeps you guessing until the end. There are several engaging sub-plots as well, romantic, political, and business-related, and the author does a good job of conveying the state of Katie's mind and emotions.
 
Despite the repetition of a few scene-setting moments, which help to emphasize Katie's frustration with the rut her life feels stuck in, the story moves along well to a somewhat surprising denouement. There are a lot of characters to juggle, but a list of characters provided at the beginning of the book helped me out a time or two when I lost track.
 

My Recommendation:

Pairs well with a glass of wine on the dock by the lake on a summer day! Or a cup of tea by the fire if your weather's been like ours here in Seattle.

About Lorraine Bartlett 

The immensely popular Booktown Mystery series is what first put Lorraine Bartlett’s pen name Lorna Barrett on the New York Times Bestseller list, but it’s her talent — whether writing as Lorna, or L.L. Bartlett, or Lorraine Bartlett—that keeps her in her readers’ hearts. This multi-published, Agatha-nominated author also pens the exciting Jeff Resnick Mysteries as well as the acclaimed Victoria Square and Lotus Bay Mystery series, and the Tales of Blythe Cove Manor, and has many short stories and novellas to her name(s).

Author Links

Newsletter List: http://oi.vresp.com?fid=aee11a8d64

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lorraine-bartlett

Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/lorraine.bartlett

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/LorraineBartlett.author/

Facebook group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/LorraineBartlettmysteries/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bartlett_lorraine/

Website: http://www.lorrainebartlett.com

Amazon: https://amzn.to/44njWmo

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4017727.Lorraine_Bartlett

 

Purchase Links 
Kindle    Kobo    Nook    Google Play    Smashwords

 

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

June 6 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

June 7 – Rebecca M. Douglass, Author – REVIEW

June 7 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

June 8 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – REVIEW

June 9 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT

June 10 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

June 11 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST

June 12 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

June 12 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST

June 13 – Boys’ Mom Raads! – CHARACTER GUEST POST

June 14 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

June 15 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 16 – StoreyBook Reviews – AUTHOR GUEST POST

June 17 – Sneaky the Library Cat’s Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

June 18 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

June 18 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

June 19 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

 

FTC Disclosure: I received an ARC of A Lethal Lake Effect from Great Escapes Free Book Tours, and received nothing further from the writer or publisher in exchange for my honest review.  The opinions expressed are my own and those of no one else.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."  

©Rebecca M. Douglass, 2024
 As always, please ask permission to use any photos or text. Link-backs appreciated.


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Comments

  1. Carol BaldwinJune 7, 2024 at 11:04 AM

    Nice review. Thanks for sharing this intriguing title--sounds like the whole series is good!

    ReplyDelete

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