Book Review: Murder at the PTA (Maya and Sandra Mystery, #1) by Lee Hollis

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Murder at the PTA (Maya and Sandra Mystery, #1) by Lee Hollis is the first installment in the Maya and Sandra Mystery series, a cozy mystery series centered on private investigators. The story follows Sandra Wallage , the wife of a U.S. senator and the newly elected president of Portland High School’s PTA, who becomes the latest target of a vicious gossip website called Dirty Laundry . After a heated PTA meeting, Sandra crosses paths with Maya Kendrick , a private investigator who has uncovered the identity of the person behind the gossip site. When the two women attempt to confront the culprit, they instead discover a dead body. Was it really a suicide, or did someone have a motive for murder? I’m a longtime fan of books by Lee Hollis , which is actually the pen name for sibling writing duo Rick Copp and Holly Simason . They’ve written several cozy mystery series, and what I appreciate most about their books is that they aren’t overly kitschy, unlike some other cozy mysteries I’ve ...
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Book Review: Killman Creek (Stillhouse Lake, #2) by Rachel Caine

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Killman Creek (Stillhouse Lake, #2) by Rachel Caine
After escaping prison in Missouri, serial killer Melvin Royal is playing a cat and mouse game with his ex-wife Gwen Proctor and their kids.  With Lanny and Connor in the protection of friends, Gwen and Sam Cade are hunting Melvin so they can end the game once and for all.

Rachel Caine proved that sequels are not inferior to the original with Killman Creek (Stillhouse Lake, #2). Where do I begin? The book picks up almost immediately where Stillhouse Lake left off, so it's probably in your best interest to read the books in order.

 When I saw that it was being told from the perspective of several characters instead of just Gwen's perspective, I wasn't sure I'd like the book as well as the first one. However, it worked well, and it gave me better insight into what made all of the characters tick. The only downside was that I was in such a hurry to finish Killman Creek that I often didn't pay close enough attention to when it switched perspectives, and it left me confused for the briefest moment. I kept wondering if Caine would include any chapters from Melvin's perspective, but she didn't. There is a third installment coming, so I wonder if she will include his perspective in it . . . time will tell.

Killman Creek is action packed and pulls out all the stops . . . making you second guess yourself on the motives of some of the characters, namely Gwen. If it weren't so dark, it could almost be called a beach read. The book does a great job of wrapping everything up, and I can't wait to see what Wolfhunter River (Stillhouse Lake, #3) brings us. My guess is it will focus on another trial for Melvin.

Overall, I enjoyed this book quite a bit and definitely recommend the series to anyone who loves mysteries, thrillers, and/or horror books. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

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