Reviews

Fatality by Firelight by Lynn Cahoon

meezcarrie's review against another edition

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5.0

Fatality by Firelight is the second book in the Cat Latimer mystery series by Lynn Cahoon, and I enjoyed it even more than I did the first one. My fave characters all returned (Cat, Shauna, Seth, Uncle Pete) and a whole new batch of retreaters show up for the week. Poor Cat. Maybe one day she’ll get a nice, boring, “normal” writers’ retreat but it’s probably not likely anytime soon. Not as long as Cahoon continues with the series lol.

This case takes several twists and turns, and just about the time I thought I had everything figured out… I didn’t. And then I did. And then I didn’t again. And then I did. But woven through the story is the mystery I’m most interested in – what really happened to Cat’s late ex-husband and what other clues has he left behind in their former house? I’m so loving this continuing story arc. It’s nice because the individual or “new” mysteries in each book are wrapped up by the end but this thread with her late ex-husband keeps getting more layered and more intriguing.

Bottom Line: Another terrific offering from Lynn Cahoon! You may not want to read it while you’re hungry though because you’ll find yourself craving all the delicious food cooked by Shauna. (Don’t ask me how I know this.) Well-plotted with engaging characters and a cozy setting, Fatality by Firelight is the perfect choice for a night in by the fire or a weekend escape.

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.)

see my full review at Reading Is My SuperPower

wildflowerz76's review against another edition

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3.0

This is number 2 in this series. I liked the first one fine. But there were a few things that annoyed me. I found them worse in this book. I find the nonstop badgering of the MC about her love life to be highly annoying. Her friend literally tells her she looks like hell almost every morning. The love interest is annoying. The mystery was entirely too far-fetched. I'm not going to spoil the plot points, but it just wasn't logical. There were also a lot of grammatical error. And continuity errors. I may be mistaken, but I thought she finished her book at the end of the last one. Now in this one, that seems to not be the case. There was more, but I can't remember now. I have the next two and I'll read them, but I've got some ARCs piling up, so I'm taking a break from these for now.

girlonthecsaw's review against another edition

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4.0

Love this series!!! I had to pace myself so I wouldn't finish it too soon because then I have to wait for #3. The characters are wonderful, the mystery is engaging and resolved in a satisfactory manner. I really wish the Warm Springs Retreat was a real place -I'd love to visit- well, minus the murders.

gotoboston's review against another edition

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4.0

I felt like this one was a lot better paced. I got into the characters more and I definitely am so curious about the mystery of what her ex-husband was involved with. But, the relationship between Cat and her boyfriend is doing nothing for me. They are so boring and just thrown together. There was no build up or tension or really any reason for the two of them to be together beyond having a past. Dante is an interesting new addition, though I'm not sure if the author is going the Stephanie Plum direction of having a 'good boy' love interest and a 'bad boy' love interest. Either way, I'm curious to see what happens next.

morticia32's review against another edition

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3.0

Book 2 in the series.

I am enjoying this series. The Colorado setting, the writer's retreats, the main mystery, I loved it. The writing is tight, the characters are well developed and mostly likeable.

What I am not loving is the secondary plot-line that is dragging on and dragging more people in. I am not a fan of "To Be Continued" in anything. In the first book, it was a bit more subtle. With book 2, it's as much a part of the book as the current murder and I am not liking that so much. I would really like to see it given its own book and wrapped up so Cat can move on.

As a result, I just can't give this book more than a 3 star rating. I liked it, but I didn't love it. I am still looking forward to reading book 3 in the series.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book received from the publisher, via NetGalley*

lunifur's review against another edition

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5.0

**I voluntarily reviewed this ARC**

I love this series! You'll definitely want to read the books in order since part of the story is continued from the first book. Both storylines in it are really well-written, and I can't wait for the next one.

helenwhite83's review against another edition

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5.0

Fatality by Firelight is the second novel in the Cat Latimer series.

Catherine ‘Cat’ Latimer, along with her friend Shauna and boyfriend Seth, run a writers retreat in the small Colorado town of Aspen Hills. Following on from her first retreat - which ended in murder - Cat and Shauna invite another group into their home looking for rest, relaxation and writing time. But when local Lothario Tommy is found dead in his suite at the ski resort, suspicions turn from his barmaid fiancé Brit to visiting romance writer Christina. Throw in a bizarre mob connection, and Cat has her work cut out keeping the retreat from going belly up, whilst also uncovering her ex-husbands secrets.

Whilst I enjoyed this book, I don’t think I enjoyed it as much as the first one. I found the sudden connection with the mafia to be a bit unbelievable, but perhaps this is something that will be expanded in future instalments. I am enjoying the sub-story of Cat uncovering her dead ex-husbands secret life, along with her blossoming romance with Seth - Cahoon teases the reader enough without taking their focus away from the main storyline. All in all, it was a great escape from reality, and a break from heavier crime novels. Not to be missed by any fan of the series.

bwilhoite8's review against another edition

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4.0

Lynn Cahoon did a great job writing the second book in this series. I was so bonded and well known with the characters. I got some questions answered from the first book but Lynn still keeps you hanging on wanting the next book for even more!

pugmomsbookblog's review against another edition

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5.0

This is only the 2nd book in the Cat Latimer Mystery series and I feel like I already know the characters so well! I enjoyed the book retreat setting and also the town in which the characters live (and die)!! The author does a great job in creating an engaging whodunit with a secondary mystery surrounding Cat's late husband too which gives the book another layer of excitement that leaves the reader eagerly anticipating the next book in the series.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

ssejig's review against another edition

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3.0

I wish I had read the first book in this series because there were a lot of call backs to the other story in this series. Otherwise, this was a perfectly fine book, though a bit convoluted in areas. A LOT of red herrings in this book.
This is the second writer's retreat that Cat Latimer is hosting in the house she lived in with her ex-husband, the house he surprisingly willed to her. During the last retreat, one of the writers (I'm guessing from the references) ended up dead. This retreat has its own share of problems, a famous Hemingway book being stolen from the library, one participant who has a stalker and is almost kidnapped, participants who don't seem fully invested in their writing, Cat finding out that her home town is a supposed "safe zone" for mob families to send their college-aged kids, a big mob guy hitting on her... There's a lot going on.
I would probably read the next book in this series if some of the "over-arching" stories start moving a little faster.