2nd in Series
Setting: A fictional town in upstate New York called Crucible
Independently Published (October 13, 2022)
Number of Pages: 249
Digital ASIN: B0B1QT8XL8
What’s worse is that Iggy becomes the prime suspect in the man’s disappearance, and Detective Holden Whitfield’s thorny, new partner is certain Iggy is guilty. To clear Iggy from suspicion and dispel the darkness penetrating their beloved town, Hazel and her Aunt Poppy team up again to find a killer before their friend gets burned.
Return to Crucible in Too Much to Candle, Book Two in the award-winning Glenmyre Whim Mysteries.
The disappearance of a disagreeable professor places another of Hazel and Poppy’s good friends under suspicion of murder!
Too Much to Candle is a fabulous follow-up to author Sarah E. Burr’s You Can’t Candle the Truth, the debut novel in the Glenmyre Whim Mystery series. Readers are returned to the quaint and cozy town of Crucible, New York, and get to catch up with their favorite residents and meet some interesting new ones.
The core characters, Hazel, Poppy, Holden, Ezra, Constance, and Iggy, are a delightfully fun group of friends, people anyone would like to hang with. Hazel and Polly, once again, make for a very effective investigative team. I liked that the two women have come to an understanding with the cousin, Holden, the real detective, and seem to respect each other’s roles and abilities and collaborate on the case.
The book’s action starts early with the confrontation at the Cold Cauldron, and the victim goes missing soon after. Mayhan is a nasty piece of work, and readers will have no qualms about seeing him exit the story early on. Hazel and Poppy’s investigation reveals other possible suspects, all with good motives for wanting Mayhan out of the way, so the story has several plausible red herrings to keep readers guessing.
The concept of the Glenmyre’s whims (supernatural abilities) continues to intrigue me. However, Hazel’s gift of seeing a person’s “lifeclock” truly seems a curse. I can understand her feelings over not wanting to know the exact amount of time her loved ones have left on this plane, as she puts it.
With its comfortable and homey setting, engaging characters, unique paranormal elements, and intriguing mystery, I recommend TOO MUCH TO CANDLE to cozy mystery readers who enjoy a touch of the supernatural in their stories and those who would like the cozy and warm small-town New York setting during the Halloween season.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Sarah E. Burr lives near New York City. Hailing from the small town of Appleton, Maine, she has been dreaming of being Nancy Drew since she was a little girl. After not finding any mysteries in corporate America, Sarah began writing some of her own. She is the author of the Trending Topic Mysteries and the Court of Mystery series. Sarah is also the author of the award-winning Glenmyre Whim Mysteries. You Can’t Candle the Truth was a 2022 NGIBA Best Mystery Finalist and a 2022 Silver Falchion Best Supernatural Mystery Finalist.
Sarah is a member of Sisters in Crime, currently serving as the social media guru for the NY-TriState Chapter. She is also the creative mind behind BookstaBundles, a content creation service for authors. Sarah is the co-host of The Bookish Hour, a livestreamed YouTube series featuring author interviews and book discussions. She writes as a member of the Writers Who Kill blogging team. When she’s not spinning up stories, Sarah is singing Broadway show tunes, video gaming, and enjoying walks with her dog, Eevee.
Looking forward to book 3 now!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous review to read on a rainy Monday morning. Thank you for bringing a smile to my face. I am so, so happy you enjoyed your visit to Crucible with Hazel & Poppy. I'm having a lot of fun with Book 3 as we speak!
ReplyDeleteThis was definitely a deLIGHTful read and I'm very glad I've joined the blog tour!
ReplyDeleteElza Reads