Another perennial inclusion in my Gift Guide. I love mystery books. movies and television and I came across the Grey Whale Inn series a few years ago. Whenever I see another one is being published I put it on hold at the LA Public Library so I get it right away. It is good to know that someone in the library system (it looks like someone from the Central Library downtown) also appreciates the books and makes sure to order them quickly.
Brush with Death is the fifth in the series and takes us back to Cranberry Island, Maine where Natalie Barnes runs The Grey Whale Inn and also finds herself involved in mysteries, mayhem and murder.
Karen MacInerney’s writing is top notch, friendly and suspenseful, like any good mystery novel should be. She wonderfully describes the joys of living on a small island and populates the island with a cast of quirky characters which help Natalie in both life and dangerous situations, or in the case of this book, rope her into judging the island bake-off.
Of course, every good inn owner has some extra special recipes hidden away, so at the end of each book, you get the recipes to make some of the dishes served to the inn’s visitors. This is a nice touch and I usually end up making one or two out of each book.
The Grey Whale Inn mysteries are typically a 1-2 day read for me. I am pulled through them, like any good mystery, and sometimes read late into the night to get to the end and solve the crime. After reading so many business books for my life and my work, it is nice to have a good book that I can turn to for a little escape.
Previous books in The Grey Whale Inn series include: Murder on the Rocks, Dead and Berried, Murder Most Maine and Berried to the Hilt
More 2013 Gift Guide Items: