BEARLY EVIDENT
by Lois Schmitt
September 9 - October 4, 2024 Virtual Book Tour
Synopsis:
A Kristy Farrell Mystery
When a body is found in the Happy Place Animal Sanctuary, wildlife reporter Kristy Farrell is on the case. She soon discovers this was no accident. It was MURDER!
Five people were present at the sanctuary when the death occurred. As Kristy digs deeply into the victim's past, she uncovers dark secrets affecting each of these five suspects--powerful motives for murder.
Meanwhile, life is anything but calm on the home front. The best friend of Kristy's widowed mother is a victim of a pyramid scam. Kristy, assisted by her veterinarian daughter, is determined to expose the fraud although it may be at great personal risk.
Back at the sanctuary, things are spiraling downhill. Wolves escape and another body is found. With the bad publicity, the sanctuary may be forced to close. And a killer is still on the loose!
Despite being thwarted at every move by her nemesis, the blustery Detective Wolfe, Kristy uncovers a major hole in the alibi of a key suspect. But as she gets nearer to closing in on this killer, it looks a if she might become the third victim.
Book Details:
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Published by: Encircle Publications
Publication Date: September 4, 2024
Number of Pages: 280
ISBN: 9781645995609 (ISBN10: 1645995607)
Series: A Kristy Farrell Cozy Mystery, 4
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | Encircle Publications
BEARLY EVIDENT
I started back for my appointment with the sanctuary’s business manager when I heard voices coming from behind a desk. I recognized one of the vices. I snuck behind to look and listen.
“I know you want her job, and to tell the truth, I’d much prefer you,” Nick Lamonica said.
“Why can’t you fire her?” asked the other man. I couldn’t see his face, but he wore orange leather boots.
“Be patient,” Nick answered, “She may be gone sooner than you realize.”
A woman’s scream pierced the air.
Nick and the man in orange boots sped off in the direction of the scream. I raced after them.
The screams had come from Gina Garone, the sanctuary director. She pointed to one of the animal habitats. Spread across the grass was a body.
Hovering over the body was a mountain of fur with fangs.
Bella the bear.
***
Excerpt from Bearly Evident by Lois Schmitt. Copyright 2024 by Lois Schmitt. Reproduced with permission from Lois Schmitt. All rights reserved.
Review:
Bearly Evident, the fourth book in author Lois Schmitt’s Kristy Farrell Mystery series, is fun and cozy, and perfect for animal lovers! This is the first book in the series I’ve read, and I had no trouble jumping right in. The author seamlessly worked in just enough backstory to make me feel up-to-date and to understand and enjoy what followed.
I really liked the main character, Kristy Farrell, who is a journalist for Animal Advocate Magazine. I enjoyed meeting her nice family, including her opinionated mother, who is visiting from Florida ahead of her granddaughter Abby’s wedding, and watching their dynamic operate. The grandmother is not exactly overbearing but more of a strong personality, and her family’s attempts to curb her wedding suggestions and circumvent her desire for them to become involved in her friend’s hinky new business deal had me smiling.
A murder happens early on in the story, so Kristy’s investigation gets underway almost immediately. There are several good suspects, all with plausible motives, for armchair detectives to rule out; however, surprising plot twists soon help narrow the field. The secondary storyline regarding Marcia Silver’s unfortunate business teams Kristy and daughter Abby together to expose the crooks behind the pyramid scheme. To top of the good mystery, there are pets and wild animals featured throughout the book.
With its fast-moving plot, engaging characters, and surprise twists, this fun story flew by! I recommend BEARLY EVIDENT to cozy mystery readers who enjoy stories with an animal theme and fans of the previous books in the series.
Author Bio:
A mystery fan since she read her first Nancy Drew novel, Lois Schmitt combines a love of mysteries with a love of animals in her series featuring wildlife reporter Kristy Farrell which includes Monkey Business, the first in the series, Something Fishy, 2nd runner-up for the Killer Claymore Award, and Playing Possum, Silver Falchion Award Finalist. Bearly Evident is the fourth in the series, but each book can be read as a stand alone.
She is a member of several wildlife and humane organizations as well as Mystery Writers of America and the Long Island Author's Guild. Lois worked for many years as a freelance writer and is the author of Smart Spending, a consumer education book for young adults. She previously served as media spokesperson for a local consumer affairs agency and often incorporates consumer scams into her books. She also taught at Nassau Community College.
Lois lives in Massapequa, New York with her family which includes a 120 pound Bernese Mountain dog. This dog bears a striking resemblance to Archie, a huge dog of many breeds, featured in her mystery series.
For latest news on Lois visit :
LoisSchmitt.com
Goodreads
Instagram - @LoisSchmittMysteries
Facebook - @LoisSchmittAuthor
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Nice review! This does sound like a fun series!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the great review!
ReplyDelete