"Cornered at the Corral" By Jamie L. Adams: Review/Giveaway

Review by Tracy Condie

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win an ebook copy of the book and a link to purchase it.

Book 4 of the Ghost Town Mystery series starts out with the annual Homesteader’s Day Celebration for the town of Grady. The day ends with a murder down by the old corral. The protagonist, Lily Cranston, has the most unique day job I have come across yet. She is the manager of the Calico Rock Mine and Ghost Town, also known as The Park. Lily does office work, like approving time-off requests, expense reports, answering questions posed on the Park’s social media pages, and even dressing in period costume to conduct tours like a docent. Tours that include ghost-hunting groups make her cringe because she has been involved with finding a few dead bodies since she came back to town. In addition to finding those bodies, she has also found a love connection with Deputy Cody West.

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Image Source Gemma Halliday

Yes, Lily finds yet another dead body, one who was engaged in fisticuffs with his third cousin earlier in the day. Lily doesn’t have a reason to get involved until the friend of her deceased mother, one Irene Fletcher, descendent of the town founder, asks Lily to maybe look into things because she is worried for her grandson Chase, the cousin involved in the fight. It didn’t seem like many people were particularly fond of the victim, Jeremy Byrde, including his wife Helen.

Lily is a smart one; she doesn’t go looking for trouble, at least not alone, and she gets help from her sisters. Older sister Pat is married to the county sheriff and sometimes manages to get useful information from Jack her husband, and younger sister Ava is willing to go with Lily to seedy places like The Oasis Lounge. Even Cody is willing to share a little information now and again. Of course, he also warns Lily that her job does not involve investigation in any way, shape, or form.

This is a well written cozy with all the good cozy parts and subplots that keep you guessing as to possible connections. I did not figure out who the murderer was, nor did I get confused as to the players thanks to a good amount of backstory. There are plenty of suspects, half-truths, and serious lack of mourning for the victim. This is an engaging story that keeps you turning pages with each new discovery. I am wondering if more is going to come of the mysterious journal.

There is also an engaging backstory as to the history of the town and the family feud that makes one think that the sins of the fathers were visited upon the following generation. I was tickled to see the towns of both Temecula and Lake Elsinore included even if it was just briefly as I live right down the road and have frequented both. All in all, this was an entertaining cozy, and I will need to check out the earlier books to see what it was that brought Lily back to her hometown of Grady.

To enter to win an ebook copy of Cornered at the Corral, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line "corral,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen May 25, 2024. US residents only and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via comment please include your email address so we can contact you. You can read our privacy statement here if you like. 

 Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section in Kings River Life and in our mystery category here on KRL News & Reviews. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. And check out our new mystery podcast which features mystery short stories and first chapters read by local actors! 

You can click here to purchase this book.

Tracy Condie is a paralegal by day and cozy armchair sleuth by night. When she is not working or reading, she enjoys preparing the recipes found in culinary cozies or researching recipes of meal items described therein and sharing reviews of both books and food on Instagram and on KRL. She lives in Corona, California with her husband and dog Zoolie, and looks forward to visiting with their grown sons when their time permits.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.