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A review by dollycas
Flower Power Trip by James J. Cudney
5.0
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Poor Kellan, he finds another dead body. This time in the courtyard at the Memorial Library during the fundraiser masquerade ball. Crime sure has been on the rise since he came back to town. The body may tie into a situation Braxton’s school president is facing. The school is also hosting a special flower exhibit, one of Kellan’s siblings is back in town, Nana D is running for mayor, and Kellan’s not so dead wife is sending him postcards from places they had traveled together.
Kellan Ayrwick is a protagonist pulled in so many directions this reader almost got whiplash. Thankfully he handles it all pretty well. Some really big things happen in this book in addition to the murder and I need to be very careful because I don’t want to spoil anything.
The story sets a quick pace from the beginning and doesn’t let up even at the end because there is a heartstopping cliffhanger. A story full of twists, the book is practically impossible to put down. I think I suspected everyone at some point in the story, except maybe Kellan. His parents were surprisingly absent from the masquerade ball but that didn’t mean one of them wasn’t hiding in the courtyard. So they were on my list too, like I said, everyone was a suspect in my mind. The author did a great job of keeping his readers guessing.
The characters Mr. Cudney has created are top-notch and continue to grow as this series continues. Nana D. continues to be my favorite. I love the relationship she has with both Kellan and Emma. His parents are actually missing him now that he has moved to his grandmother’s guest house. Kellan’s relationship is evolving in a surprising way with another character. It gets kinda humorous in places.
While the main mystery of this story reaches a very satisfactory conclusion, a continuing storyline hits a major arc by the final page. I loved that and I hated that. It has become a trait of this author that I just have to get used to. 🙂 Thankfully the author has the next book Mistaken Identity Crisis set to be released on June 30, so I won’t have to wait too long to see what happens next.
I have seen James J. Cudney writing chops grow in each of the books in this series. He is clearly finding his footing as each book is better than the last. I recommend reading the series in order for maximum enjoyment, but each one can stand on its own.
Poor Kellan, he finds another dead body. This time in the courtyard at the Memorial Library during the fundraiser masquerade ball. Crime sure has been on the rise since he came back to town. The body may tie into a situation Braxton’s school president is facing. The school is also hosting a special flower exhibit, one of Kellan’s siblings is back in town, Nana D is running for mayor, and Kellan’s not so dead wife is sending him postcards from places they had traveled together.
Kellan Ayrwick is a protagonist pulled in so many directions this reader almost got whiplash. Thankfully he handles it all pretty well. Some really big things happen in this book in addition to the murder and I need to be very careful because I don’t want to spoil anything.
The story sets a quick pace from the beginning and doesn’t let up even at the end because there is a heartstopping cliffhanger. A story full of twists, the book is practically impossible to put down. I think I suspected everyone at some point in the story, except maybe Kellan. His parents were surprisingly absent from the masquerade ball but that didn’t mean one of them wasn’t hiding in the courtyard. So they were on my list too, like I said, everyone was a suspect in my mind. The author did a great job of keeping his readers guessing.
The characters Mr. Cudney has created are top-notch and continue to grow as this series continues. Nana D. continues to be my favorite. I love the relationship she has with both Kellan and Emma. His parents are actually missing him now that he has moved to his grandmother’s guest house. Kellan’s relationship is evolving in a surprising way with another character. It gets kinda humorous in places.
While the main mystery of this story reaches a very satisfactory conclusion, a continuing storyline hits a major arc by the final page. I loved that and I hated that. It has become a trait of this author that I just have to get used to. 🙂 Thankfully the author has the next book Mistaken Identity Crisis set to be released on June 30, so I won’t have to wait too long to see what happens next.
I have seen James J. Cudney writing chops grow in each of the books in this series. He is clearly finding his footing as each book is better than the last. I recommend reading the series in order for maximum enjoyment, but each one can stand on its own.