There’s nothing like a bit of southern charm, the beach life, and a murder to get this girl in a good mood.
With Live and Let Chai by Bree Baker, I was able to find all three of those things wrapped up in a single novel!
Let me drop a little-known fact on you, sweet reader. I was introduced to cozy mysteries a few months ago by a librarian friend. I was intrigued by the premise (who didn’t love Murder, She Wrote?) and I delved right into the genre.
Unfortunately, I do not finish the majority of the titles that I pick up due to either underdeveloped characters, continuity issues with the writing, or just poor plot/editing.
Live and Let Chai is the very first cozy that held my interest and made me feel something for the characters. I wanted the heroine, Everly Swan, to transform her return back home to Charm, North Carolina into a glorious rebirth. I was right there next to her each time she stumbled, bumbled, or got hit with a large kitchen tool.
The secondary characters are likeable and I was thrilled to learn a bit about their backstories as well. Bree Baker fleshed out believable characters who you cheer for (or hiss at) and it was a treat to follow along with their arcs throughout the page-turning read. (368 pages per Kirkus Reviews)
Since this title was released in 2018, I’m pleased to see that the Seaside Cafe Mystery Series is still going strong, turning out the latest book in a few months from now. Currently there are five of the books in print with the sixth, Partners in Lime, releasing in August of 2021. Pre-orders are open on Amazon and I am getting in line for mine. (After I read books 2-5.)
I’m not going to provide a synopsis on Live and Let Chai, as that can be found on a myriad of sites. What I do want to make known is that this series opener is engaging, spirited, and, YOU GUYS, all of the plot points come together! (Except for the end, of course. Bree leaves us with a tantalizing tidbit of what’s to come in the second installment of the series.)
If you enjoy teatime at the shore, animals that have that certain… je ne sais quoi — and a tidy story, check out Bree Baker. She’s got what it takes to keep me on the hook for her next read and you won’t be disappointed if you love the cozy genre.
Charlene Singletary 