Former New York darling turned amateur sleuth Madeline Vaughn-Alwin is once again thrown into a colourful yet deadly web of secrets, lies and soirees to die for!
It’s the week of Fiesta in Santa Fe and Maddie is looking forward to enjoying the celebrations. But as ‘Old Man Gloom’ Zozobra goes up in flames, so too do Maddie’s hopes for a carefree life . . .
Human remains are found in the dying embers of Zozobra, and then Maddie and her dashing beau Dr David
Cole find a body washed up in the arroyo at the edge of town.
Soon identified as Ricardo Montoya, a wealthy businessman and head of one of the most affluent families in Santa Fe . . . the plot starts to thicken. While his beautiful wife Catalina and her complicated children seem less than heartbroken at his untimely demise, and with many disgruntled locals crawling out of the woodwork, Maddie is surrounded by suspects.
With the celebrations of Fiesta continuing around them, Maddie and her ‘Detection Posse’ get busy infiltrating the best parties and hobnobbing with old and new faces – but can they bring the murderer to justice before they strike again?
Amazon US Amazon UK
Amanda wrote her first romance at the age of sixteen–a vast historical epic starring all her friends as the characters, written secretly during algebra class (and her parents wondered why math was not her strongest subject…)
She’s never since used algebra, but her books have been nominated for many awards, including the RITA Award, the Romantic Times BOOKReviews Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Booksellers Best, the
National Readers Choice Award, and the Holt Medallion.
She lives in Santa Fe with two rescue dogs, a wonderful husband, and a very and far too many books and royal memorabilia collections.
When not writing or reading, she loves taking dance classes, collecting cheesy travel souvenirs, and watching the Food Network–even though she doesn’t cook.
Website Instagram Facebook TikTok
My thoughts: set in the 1920s in Santa Fe, New Mexico, among the artistic set that flocked there, this is a fun and somewhat gory murder mystery. When local businessman (and cruel husband) Ricardo Montoya is found murdered, and bits of him are found inside the huge effigy Maddie’s artist pals burnt on their bonfire (think Guy Fawkes), she and her friends investigate.
She doesn’t believe it could be anyone she knows well, her friends are eccentric but they’re not killers. But does the answer lie with his family, who don’t seem too upset, or in his past?
Maddie is a lot of fun, and has a quick mind, able to sort through clues and facts easily, narrowing down her suspect pool, and ruling people out. But she does put herself in some danger, although in the end she gets her killer and is free to party again, with the lovely English doctor.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in the blog tour but all opinions remain my own.
ramblingmads 