Seasoned with Murder

The Donovan-Muccio-Sullivan families are setting sail on Seas the Moment, but it isn’t quite the trip of a lifetime; it’s a “working vacation.” Sally’s dad is a guest speaker at a mortuary exposition on board and Sally and Josie are signed up to help with the desserts. The executive director of the ship’s kitchens Sarah Leigh Walker is excited to work with Sally and Josie, but she’s a little too friendly with Mike and a bit too snarky with the kitchen staff. She loves the “cookie with a conscience” and orders a few hundred as a treat for the passengers. Her friendliness gets her in trouble when she fawns over Nicoletta’s boyfriend, Ronald, leading to a verbal, then physical, “cat fight” between Sarah Leigh and Mrs. Gavelli. So when her body is found in the freezer, Nicoletta is suspect number one!

Catherine Bruns takes the group on the road [ocean] in this twelfth book. It has a fun soap opera-ish feel with various familial dynamics and quirky personalities, but it’s fast to channel Agatha Christie when the body is discovered. Implicating Nicoletta Gavelli is a delightful plus since she’s needed a bit of karma sent her way for her antagonistic manner. Secrets and connections are exposed along with jealousies, revenge, and greed in this “locked room” style murder with a killer that couldn’t get on or off the ship. Sally and the family are plagued with some entertaining, nail-biting moments, and of course, last minute revelations at gun point and a final wrap up left me thoroughly pleased.

The murder mystery, investigation, high seas setting, and danger prefacing an arrest is pure Catherine Bruns’ fun, but so is her writing style. Descriptive language paints the nuances of the ship, the cruise, and characters and dialogue illustrates the various multi-generational personalities and emotions. This series is a favorite! I’ve enjoyed following the changes in Sally from bruised divorcée to loving wife and mother. Her BFF is more a sister and her sister is also a good friend. For comic relief, Sal’s parents are the definition of quirky from her “hot stuff” mother’s youthful attitude and fashion to her Mr. Death dad’s fascination, now his business, with all things funerals, and Grandma Rosa offers insightful words of wisdom. With a clever story, realistic snooping, good trouble, wonderful characters, and several cookie recipes, this series is a Top Ten favorite!

Disclosure: I received an ARC from Gemma Halliday Publishing. My review is voluntary with honest insights and comments.

Love this series & its characters. There are many laugh out loud moments in this fantastic book. Sally, her family & friends finally get a well deserved cruise vacation. Of course it’s Sally so she gets involved in a murder. Pick up a copy to see how it all plays out. Highly recommend.