Title: Lethal Bayou Beauty
Author: Jana Deleon
Series: A Miss Fortune Mystery
No spoilers in this review.
This is what a book series should be.
The book stands alone, and there is very little rehashing from the first novel in the series. There’s a tiny bit of forward progression with the main character and her issues with her family, but not a lot. I didn’t expect a lot as this is a series.
The characters we fell in love with in the first book are back in the second, with a few more thrown in. While some of the characters were really archetypes, I didn’t care because they were so much like people I have known in my life. The author really did live in a small Southern town.
Again, this is a series, so while there is a love interest, things are moving along slowly. As I would expect.
The story revolved around our heroine, Fortune, getting embroiled in a small-town murder and singled out as the prime suspect. She knows she didn’t commit the murder, and so does the local deputy, but it’s not enough to stop the local gossips or lynch mobs.
The book has the usual hi-jinks of the Geritol Mafia and is a fun read. You’re not going to get Game of Thrones level intrigue here, and that’s okay. I can read it, enjoy it, and not get nightmares. I will say it has a happy ending, so need to worry on that account.
I love the strength and foibles of the characters, and I love the fact that there are numerous strong female characters in the story.
The characters all stay true to themselves. There is never a point where I feel like they’re being forced along by the author.
The plot resolves itself well, and it feels natural. No dues ex machina or author god to force things along.
A good story, and a fun way to spend an afternoon.