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.
This is the fourth book in the April May Mystery series and it does well as a stand-alone. April May is a former fashion journalist from Chicago who has settled into the small-town life of Laurel Lake. Check out the series starter, The Secret Inheritance, to learn about her relocation because of a mysterious inheritance from an unknown family member. Laurel Lake is not a fashion forward location––the number one accessory for most residents is a good pair of rubber boots. So April is now a freelance investigative journalist for the local paper thanks to her ability to solve mysteries. April still cares about fashion, so much so that she has named her furry side-kick, Ralph, after her favorite designer, Ralph Lauren. Ralph has a penchant for finding things, like dead bodies. This time it is Laurel Lake’s local horror author Damien Hemlock who was about to showcase his latest release at the local books store.
I like that April has a decent “working” relationship with Officer Kate Greensley, no animosity, unlike the new junior officer, Shaun Tanner, who resembles a weasel in looks and actions and is antagonistic for no apparent reason. Tanner even suggests that April called in the body discovery to create news. The last thing April wanted to do while hiking with boyfriend, Wesley, was to find a dead body. Incidentally, April does end up getting assigned to cover the story and everyone figures that she will be investigating and asking all those “nosy” questions. How else is she going to get to the bottom of this mystery?
April is a fun character who has a running fashion commentary going through her mind as she interacts with both friends and not so friendly folks. Not even April’s friends are excluded from an outfit evaluation, but they are left off of the suspect list. There are plenty of suspects, including the writer’s nephew who inherited everything, the underappreciated editor, and even Isaac the local grump. Chances are I would be grumpy too if an author used me in their story to do horrific things that were completely against my nature.
This was an entertaining story with some well-placed clues and great red herrings. The story development is paced and the character interactions keep you snickering. One of my favorite things about the Hazel Smith’s books is that she shares recipes such as the Maple Bacon Cupcake recipe located at the end which looks easy enough to make. The only thing that I think is missing from this book is Jo’s recipe for fig cake.
To enter to win an ebook copy of Buried in Books, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line "buried in books,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen January 18, 2025. 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.
You can click here to purchase this book.
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.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.
I'm not much of a fashionista myself, but the book sounds interesting.
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