Overkilt
-
-
4.8 • 10 Ratings
-
-
- $5.99
-
- $5.99
Publisher Description
Thanksgiving finds a small-town Maine shop owner juggling her mother and a murder case in this cozy mystery by the author of X Marks the Scot.
While Liss MacCrimmon preps the Scottish Emporium for November's inevitable shopping rush, other local businesses in Moosetookalook, Maine, aren't half as lucky. Year after year, her father-in-law's rustic hotel can barely turn a profit during the stretch between autumn's peak and ski season. Except this time, Mr. Ruskin realizes that the recipe for success lies in enticing an untapped niche clientele—childless couples desperate for a holiday away from family . . .
The unusual marketing tactic has everyone in Moosetookalook talking. Unfortunately, it also inspires a scathing social media campaign aimed at persuading tourists to boycott the hotel for affronting family values. Liss dismisses the bad publicity as being totally “overkilt” —until angry mobs fill the streets, the troublemaker who started it all turns up dead, and her loved ones are suspected of murder . . .
With so much at stake, Liss can't possibly follow police orders to stay out of the investigation. There's just one wee problem: saving her own clan could mean sending a friend or two behind bars. Now—partly helped, partly hindered by her difficult mother—Liss must digest a slew of unsettling clues and catch the real killer . . . or else everything she's ever been thankful for may vanish before her eyes.
Praise for Overkilt
“Dunnett provides small-town charm and a determined sleuth who does a great job uncovering clues in a tale that rings all too true.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Winning . . . . Dunnett successfully keeps the mystery cozy while not shying away from thought-provoking cultural issues.” —Publishers Weekly
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
November in Moosetookalook, Maine, can be a slow time for tourists, as shown by Dunnett's winning 12th Liss MacCrimmon Scottish mystery (after 2017's X Marks the Scot). To drum up business, the Spruces, a Victorian-era hotel owned by Liss's father-in-law, advertises a kids-free Thanksgiving special for parents, which immediately creates a social media storm. The conservative New Age Pilgrims, who regard this decision as an affront to family values, plan to march in protest. When someone fatally stabs one of the pilgrims during a large demonstration, too many clues point to Liss's aunt, who has a secret past with the group, as the prime suspect. Cautious Liss, the proprietor of the scenic town's Scottish Emporium, joins her spunky mom, Vi, in trying to identify the real culprit. Against her better judgment, she confronts the pilgrims multiple times on their own turf. En route to the surprising solution, Dunnett successfully keeps the mystery cozy while not shying away from thought-provoking cultural issues.)
