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lynguy1's review
4.0
A Time to Swill by Sherry Harris is the second book in the Chloe Jackson, Sea Glass Saloon cozy mystery series. The author brings humor, mystery, and beach atmosphere to this novel. The story is largely set in the fictional small town of Emerald Cove on the Florida Panhandle between Panama City and Pensacola.
Chloe Jackson had promised her late friend, Boone, that she would help his grandmother, Vivi, if something happened to him. After spending the summer working with Vivi at the Sea Glass Saloon, Chloe has now moved from Chicago to Emerald Cove. Her first morning back, she decides to run on the beach when she sees a sailboat washed up on a sandbar. After hearing a cry she boards the boat and finds a cat and a skeleton. Who is it and how long have they been adrift at sea? Were they murdered or did they die of natural causes? Chloe is determined to find answers.
Chloe is a protagonist that you can root for and she shows some character growth and added depth as she deals with trust issues and friendships. There is an array of characters, both friendly and antagonists, to keep Chloe and the reader on their toes. Some are eccentric, some are more mundane, but personable small town business owners, and others are secondary and tertiary characters to round out the story. Who has secrets and who is telling lies? Who can be trusted?
The book is well-plotted and intriguing. With mystery, suspense, and the occasional laugh-out-loud moments, this book kept me engaged. There was enough at stake to keep me turning the pages. The pacing allowed for the scenes to progress and flow with effective transitions. As always, this author did a great job of world-building. I got a clear sense of the town and the area around it as well as the people. While the reveal of the antagonist was not a complete surprise, there were plenty of twists and turns to get there. While the main plot is fully resolved, there is also a sub-plot that starts but doesn’t get completely resolved. Hopefully, book three in the series will conclude this thread.
Overall, this was a well-done mystery that was engaging, entertaining and a great second book in this new series. I am looking forward to the next book. I am also a fan of this author’s Sara Winston Garage Sale cozy mystery series. If you enjoy well-done cozy mysteries, then this is an author that I recommend.
Kensington Books and Sherry Harris provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently expected to be July 27, 2021. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
Chloe Jackson had promised her late friend, Boone, that she would help his grandmother, Vivi, if something happened to him. After spending the summer working with Vivi at the Sea Glass Saloon, Chloe has now moved from Chicago to Emerald Cove. Her first morning back, she decides to run on the beach when she sees a sailboat washed up on a sandbar. After hearing a cry she boards the boat and finds a cat and a skeleton. Who is it and how long have they been adrift at sea? Were they murdered or did they die of natural causes? Chloe is determined to find answers.
Chloe is a protagonist that you can root for and she shows some character growth and added depth as she deals with trust issues and friendships. There is an array of characters, both friendly and antagonists, to keep Chloe and the reader on their toes. Some are eccentric, some are more mundane, but personable small town business owners, and others are secondary and tertiary characters to round out the story. Who has secrets and who is telling lies? Who can be trusted?
The book is well-plotted and intriguing. With mystery, suspense, and the occasional laugh-out-loud moments, this book kept me engaged. There was enough at stake to keep me turning the pages. The pacing allowed for the scenes to progress and flow with effective transitions. As always, this author did a great job of world-building. I got a clear sense of the town and the area around it as well as the people. While the reveal of the antagonist was not a complete surprise, there were plenty of twists and turns to get there. While the main plot is fully resolved, there is also a sub-plot that starts but doesn’t get completely resolved. Hopefully, book three in the series will conclude this thread.
Overall, this was a well-done mystery that was engaging, entertaining and a great second book in this new series. I am looking forward to the next book. I am also a fan of this author’s Sara Winston Garage Sale cozy mystery series. If you enjoy well-done cozy mysteries, then this is an author that I recommend.
Kensington Books and Sherry Harris provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently expected to be July 27, 2021. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
suzydemric's review
4.0
This is the 2nd in this series, and I enjoyed it. It developed some of the other characters nicely, and tied up a mystery mentioned in the first book.
This is a cozy series I will probably stick with. Looks like there are 2 more, which seems doable for me to read, as well as plausible for a cozy series.
This is a cozy series I will probably stick with. Looks like there are 2 more, which seems doable for me to read, as well as plausible for a cozy series.
thisandthatwithkaren's review
5.0
A Time to Swill by Sherry Harris the 2nd instalment in the "Chloe Jackson, Sea Glass Saloon Mystery" series. What can I say other than I loved it even more than the first book! I read it in one day, couldn’t put it down.
Saloon owner Chloe Jackson is after a murderer with skeletons in the closet--and one on a boat.
I found myself engrossed in the story and I loved the setting of Emerald Cove, Florida panhandle. The way the author described it really makes me want to visit Florida, I could picture myself on the beach deck outside the Seaglass with a drink and good book.
The protagonist Chloe is a very likeable, and I like that she has insecurities like most of us woman of certain size or build, but at the same time she’s confident except when she likes someone. The characters are well-developed and we are starting to see new layers to them.
The mystery had just enough suspects, red herrings, and twists and turns to keep you guessing till the end. I found it to be a fun fast read. I am looking forward to seeing what is next for her, especially in her relationships with Vivi and Rhett aka Rip.
I highly recommend this series to all my cozy loving friends.
I requested and received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Kensington Books and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN
Saloon owner Chloe Jackson is after a murderer with skeletons in the closet--and one on a boat.
I found myself engrossed in the story and I loved the setting of Emerald Cove, Florida panhandle. The way the author described it really makes me want to visit Florida, I could picture myself on the beach deck outside the Seaglass with a drink and good book.
The protagonist Chloe is a very likeable, and I like that she has insecurities like most of us woman of certain size or build, but at the same time she’s confident except when she likes someone. The characters are well-developed and we are starting to see new layers to them.
The mystery had just enough suspects, red herrings, and twists and turns to keep you guessing till the end. I found it to be a fun fast read. I am looking forward to seeing what is next for her, especially in her relationships with Vivi and Rhett aka Rip.
I highly recommend this series to all my cozy loving friends.
I requested and received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Kensington Books and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN
the_sassy_bookworm's review
4.0
⭐⭐⭐⭐ -- Super enjoyable cozy mystery!
I enjoyed this one quite a bit. It stood up well as a standalone. It was well written and well paced. The plot (at times) was a little all over the place, but was still engaging. The setting was fun, and I found all the characters likable. That said, the ending was a bit of a letdown. The solving of the mystery lacked any genuine excitement and we are also left hanging with no real resolution to the secondary storyline concerning Boone's will. Perhaps the author will give us a resolution in the next book.
I enjoyed this one quite a bit. It stood up well as a standalone. It was well written and well paced. The plot (at times) was a little all over the place, but was still engaging. The setting was fun, and I found all the characters likable. That said, the ending was a bit of a letdown. The solving of the mystery lacked any genuine excitement and we are also left hanging with no real resolution to the secondary storyline concerning Boone's will. Perhaps the author will give us a resolution in the next book.
peggyemi's review
4.0
This was a 4.5-star review.
A Time to Swill, the second book in the Chloe Jackson, Sea Glass Saloon Mystery series. It is one of my favorite books so far in 2021. This was a fast-paced read for me. The mystery grabs the reader's attention from the very first pages and doesn't let it go until the end. Chloe has returned after packing up her home in Chicago. While on a morning run she discovers a ghost ship run aground on the beach near her home. She boards the boat to rescue a kitten and then is swept out to sea. The mystery deepens when it is discovered that the ghost ship disappeared over a decade ago and has a skeleton aboard. Against the backdrop of this mystery, Boone's father shows up in Emerald Cover claiming that he has a new will in which Boone left his home and his share of the Sea Glass saloon to him.
The characters in this book are growing and maturing at a good pace. We get to see relationships blossom and some secrets revealed. Chloe is a very likable protagonist and I enjoy reading about her adventures. She has a good circle of new friends around her as she settles into her new life. Her relationship with Boone's grandmother Vivi is still in the early stages but heading in the right direction. The author provides plenty of clues, but the mystery has many levels and is complex. It takes the reader on a great adventure and I was surprised at how the mystery surrounding the ghost ship was resolved. I would have given the book a 5-star review if the mystery surrounding Boone's father had been resolved at the end of this book, but I think that will pour over to the next book.
This is a great book and I love this author. She provides me as a reader everything I look for in a cozy mystery and when I pick up a book by her I know I'll be in for a good adventure.
I voluntarily read a digital advanced reader copy provided to me by the publisher, Kensington, through NetGalley. The thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
A Time to Swill, the second book in the Chloe Jackson, Sea Glass Saloon Mystery series. It is one of my favorite books so far in 2021. This was a fast-paced read for me. The mystery grabs the reader's attention from the very first pages and doesn't let it go until the end. Chloe has returned after packing up her home in Chicago. While on a morning run she discovers a ghost ship run aground on the beach near her home. She boards the boat to rescue a kitten and then is swept out to sea. The mystery deepens when it is discovered that the ghost ship disappeared over a decade ago and has a skeleton aboard. Against the backdrop of this mystery, Boone's father shows up in Emerald Cover claiming that he has a new will in which Boone left his home and his share of the Sea Glass saloon to him.
The characters in this book are growing and maturing at a good pace. We get to see relationships blossom and some secrets revealed. Chloe is a very likable protagonist and I enjoy reading about her adventures. She has a good circle of new friends around her as she settles into her new life. Her relationship with Boone's grandmother Vivi is still in the early stages but heading in the right direction. The author provides plenty of clues, but the mystery has many levels and is complex. It takes the reader on a great adventure and I was surprised at how the mystery surrounding the ghost ship was resolved. I would have given the book a 5-star review if the mystery surrounding Boone's father had been resolved at the end of this book, but I think that will pour over to the next book.
This is a great book and I love this author. She provides me as a reader everything I look for in a cozy mystery and when I pick up a book by her I know I'll be in for a good adventure.
I voluntarily read a digital advanced reader copy provided to me by the publisher, Kensington, through NetGalley. The thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
caitkom's review
5.0
Chloe Jackson is loving her life in Emerald Cove, living in the house that her best friend, Boone left her and working at the bar she co-owns with his grandmother. Every morning before work she gets up and goes for a run, partly to relax, partly so she can partake in eating whatever she wants! This particular morning, Chloe sees a boat floating right near shore, and hears what she thinks is a baby's cry. She boards the boat to see if the noise is in fact an infant, and instead finds a cat and a skeleton!! Chloe attempts to get herself and the cat off the boat, but learns the small boat has been swept out to sea. She is able to rig the radio and calls for help. As she investigates the identity of the skeleton, she learns that Emerald Cove and it's inhabitants hold many many secrets.
This book is even better than the first! I love the characters, the twists and turns. The only thing about the book that bothered me was that her love interest Rhett was given the nickname "Rip" after an embarrassing incident that occurred while at work. Everyone seemed to adopt this name right away, which just seemed odd to me. Otherwise, I love seeing the progression of the relationship between Chloe and Rhett/Rip and the building of the relationship between Chloe and Vivi.
This book is even better than the first! I love the characters, the twists and turns. The only thing about the book that bothered me was that her love interest Rhett was given the nickname "Rip" after an embarrassing incident that occurred while at work. Everyone seemed to adopt this name right away, which just seemed odd to me. Otherwise, I love seeing the progression of the relationship between Chloe and Rhett/Rip and the building of the relationship between Chloe and Vivi.
amandajeanne's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
julieb's review
4.0
Oh my, that was satisfying!
"Even after living here for three months, I always felt as if I should look over my shoulder to see who was behind me when someone said, y’all. But down here y’all was often singular and all y’all was the plural, though sometimes y’all meant more than one person, so it was very confusing to a Northerner like me."
"Even after living here for three months, I always felt as if I should look over my shoulder to see who was behind me when someone said, y’all. But down here y’all was often singular and all y’all was the plural, though sometimes y’all meant more than one person, so it was very confusing to a Northerner like me."
belovedbrat's review
3.0
full review here: https://belovedgraceful-carissasbookshelf.blogspot.com/2021/08/blog-post.html
I did like this one as much as the first book in the series but it was still an enjoyable read.
I did like this one as much as the first book in the series but it was still an enjoyable read.
thesassybookworm's review
4.0
⭐⭐⭐⭐ -- Super enjoyable cozy mystery!
I enjoyed this one quite a bit. It stood up well as a standalone. It was well written and well paced. The plot (at times) was a little all over the place, but was still engaging. The setting was fun, and I found all the characters likable. That said, the ending was a bit of a letdown. The solving of the mystery lacked any genuine excitement and we are also left hanging with no real resolution to the secondary storyline concerning Boone's will. Perhaps the author will give us a resolution in the next book.
I enjoyed this one quite a bit. It stood up well as a standalone. It was well written and well paced. The plot (at times) was a little all over the place, but was still engaging. The setting was fun, and I found all the characters likable. That said, the ending was a bit of a letdown. The solving of the mystery lacked any genuine excitement and we are also left hanging with no real resolution to the secondary storyline concerning Boone's will. Perhaps the author will give us a resolution in the next book.