Brush with Death

March 4, 2013
Multiple problems plague innkeeper Natalie Barnes of Cranberry Island, Maine, in MacInerney’s engaging third Gray Whale Inn mystery (after 2010’s Berried to the Hilt). A lawyer disappears with the money slated for Natalie’s mortgage, mutilated dolls turn up on her property, and an allergic reaction to her heirloom engagement ring bodes ill for her dealings with her fiancé and her future mother-in-law. Fernand LaChaise, the gay mentor of her artist niece Gwen, is found with his wrists slit; but it seems unlikely that he committed suicide, given the happy, albeit secret, relationship with his partner and the more turbulent conflict with his sister. The arrival of a strangely reclusive New York artist and an attack on Gwen complicate matters. While the author struggles at times to balance serious issues with cozy concerns such as cooking, Natalie’s loyalty to her family and friends will resonate with the reader. Agent: Jessica Faust, BookEnds.

March 1, 2013
An innkeeper's efforts to help her artistic niece prove almost the death of her. The worst problems Natalie Barnes thinks she's facing are the way her engagement ring is irritating her finger and the impending visit of her mother-in-law-to-be. But then disaster strikes Maine's Cranberry Island. Natalie gets notice that the mortgage on her Gray Whale Inn is in arrears, even though she'd provided a local lawyer with the payments. Worse, she finds her niece Gwen's gay mentor, Fernand, with his wrist slashed after a big party at his house. The party had been notable for its undercurrents, especially those triggered by the arrival of a hot new artist and an overbearing agent who barely allows her to speak a word. Both Fernand's partner and his sister turn up at the inn soon after his death. Although the police write it off as a suicide, both Gwen and Natalie suspect murder. After Natalie talks to her police officer fiance, John, who was off-island at the time of the death, he persuades his colleagues to take another look. Meantime, John's mother, Catherine, arrives for her expected visit, making life even more stressful for Natalie as she struggles to support Gwen, who's put aside her beautiful watercolors in favor of large oils that the sponsor of her show insists will sell better. Despite these distractions, Natalie, who's had her share of experience tracking down killers (Berried to the Hilt, 2010, etc.), continues to hunt for the very clues that will put her in the greatest danger. The fifth Gray Whale adventure provides complex characters, stunning scenery and many recipes. There's also an easily solved mystery.

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April 1, 2013

A welcome return to Maine's Cranberry Island and its sleuthing innkeeper, Natalie Barnes (after Berried to the Hilt). In her fifth cozy installment, Natalie ponders the suspicious death of a local artist. Recipes included.

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2013
Natalie Barnes, owner of the Grey Whale Inn on Maine's scenic Cranberry Island, is looking forward to a big art show on the island at which her niece, Gwen, will exhibit her work. Gwen is stressed, however, because the show's organizer wants oils rather than Gwen's signature watercolors, and Natalie is distracted when a foreclosure notice on the inn arrives; her lawyer has disappeared, and she may owe $15,000. In addition, Natalie's fianc''s mother is coming to stay at the inn, adding to Natalie's challenges. When Gwen's art mentor is found dead in his home, Natalie and Gwen, convinced it wasn't suicide, begin to investigate. Art provides most of the ambience this time, but recipes are included, as always, and there is plenty of vivid Maine scenery, too, helping to support the engaging, multifaceted cast.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)