Brenda H. (booksinvt) -
Drawn and Buttered is the third installment in the A Lobster Shack Mystery series set in the seaside community of Mystic Bay and featuring ballet dancer, Allie Larkin. Allie still hasn't been given the all clear to return to dancing full time after breaking her ankle so she's passing the time helping out at her Aunt Gully's Lazy Mermaid Lobster Shack, being a teaching assistant to her dance mentor Madame Monachova, and practicing for a small role designed just for her in her dance troupe's upcoming The Nutcracker.
It's Fall in Mystic Bay, the Leaf Peppers are keeping the Lobster Shack busy, Halloween is right around the corner and local lobsterwoman Bertha Betancourt has pulled in a giant crustacean one half inch shy of the world record. Press coverage around the impressive, Lobzilla as he's affectionately dubbed, is bringing in crowds, but when someone steals him from his tank, fingers point to the nearby fraternity at Graystone College.
Over at the Parish estate on Rabb's Point, the annual $25,000 Parish Historical Society grant is being awarded to a local history or art project and three finalists include Madame who is hoping to start a ballet troupe, Professor Fred Nickerson who is in charge of the Marine Biology Department at the College and Lyman Smith, chair of the History Department. The Halloween party following the grant presentation is interrupted when a body is found stabbed in the Parish family cemetery and Lobzilla is lying atop the body.
Allie and her friends Verity and Bronwyn find themselves drawn into the investigation when the police suspect Madame of the killing. Determined to find the real killer Allie soon uncovers a family history shrouded in tales of witches and vampires and a desperate attempt to keep the truth hidden.
A fast paced plot with a lovable cast of returning characters. The vampire theme is not one of my favorites but it didn't take away from the story. I almost felt as though the ending was rushed and while some questions were answered there were some scenes that played a pivotal part of the plot that were not. For instance, what happens to the fraternity members? A great addition to the series and I am looking forward to more adventures with Allie, Aunt Gully and the people of Mystic Bay.
It's Fall in Mystic Bay, the Leaf Peppers are keeping the Lobster Shack busy, Halloween is right around the corner and local lobsterwoman Bertha Betancourt has pulled in a giant crustacean one half inch shy of the world record. Press coverage around the impressive, Lobzilla as he's affectionately dubbed, is bringing in crowds, but when someone steals him from his tank, fingers point to the nearby fraternity at Graystone College.
Over at the Parish estate on Rabb's Point, the annual $25,000 Parish Historical Society grant is being awarded to a local history or art project and three finalists include Madame who is hoping to start a ballet troupe, Professor Fred Nickerson who is in charge of the Marine Biology Department at the College and Lyman Smith, chair of the History Department. The Halloween party following the grant presentation is interrupted when a body is found stabbed in the Parish family cemetery and Lobzilla is lying atop the body.
Allie and her friends Verity and Bronwyn find themselves drawn into the investigation when the police suspect Madame of the killing. Determined to find the real killer Allie soon uncovers a family history shrouded in tales of witches and vampires and a desperate attempt to keep the truth hidden.
A fast paced plot with a lovable cast of returning characters. The vampire theme is not one of my favorites but it didn't take away from the story. I almost felt as though the ending was rushed and while some questions were answered there were some scenes that played a pivotal part of the plot that were not. For instance, what happens to the fraternity members? A great addition to the series and I am looking forward to more adventures with Allie, Aunt Gully and the people of Mystic Bay.
