Sea Change
Nina Banister Cozy Mysteries
Bay St. Lucy is a sleepy little Gulf Coast community and that’s the way its residents like it. Most of them generally ignore the monstrous old Robinson mansion that sits in the center of town, until one day insane old man Robinson dies and leaves the house and its accompanying fortune to the town.
The residents are ecstatic and begin planning improved schools and cultural centers. Local retired school teacher and village elder Nina Bannister is sent to the man’s funeral in New Orleans to represent Bay St. Lucy at the reading of his will. However, Nina returns from her trip saddened to report that a lone Robinson relative has appeared to claim the entire inheritance. Almost immediately, the new owner–flamboyant Eve Ivory–arrives and announces her plans to turn Bay St. Lucy into an extravagant vacation resort. These are not plans that anyone in this small town likes at all, and ones that will quickly lead to murder.
This book grabbed me from the beginning and kept on grabbing me throughout. The author made a lot of little inside jokes that I in my long book reading life picked up on and they made me laugh each time. When the evil victim was finally murdered three-quarters through the story it was a relief because well, it was pretty obvious that she was going to get it because she was destroying a whole town. However, that did not detract from the story in the slightest. I adored the main character of Nina Bannister and all of the other extremely eccentric characters in the story. I am hoping for another book in this series, if it is going to be a series. An extremely interesting story. – Hula Girl
Couldn’t put this book down. Great camp. Great mystery, twists and turns. Reading it I was swept away. But beyond that, there was innovation and language and the author’s joy of creation . Literary allusions galore. Loved the quotes, Nina, Bay St. Lucy. Most of all, I want Nina’s Vespa. – Saved