While performing one evening, cellist Sara Selkirk is
distracted by a woman in the audience wearing a bright pink
suit. It's not just the suit that disconcerts her, but the
fact that the woman slumps to the ground. First it appears
she's fainted, but later it's revealed she'd been drinking.
And to add further drama to the situation, the woman is
none other than Professor Joyce Cruikshank, Sara's previous
music teacher.
Joyce has gone from being a very talented and respected
music teacher to basically being a fall-down drunk. When
Joyce is evicted from her apartment, Sara takes pity on her
and let's her move her meager belongings in with Sara,
including a cello, of course, and her dog, Pretzel. This
arrangement certainly throws a wrench into Sara and
Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Poole's romantic life.
Andrew, still reluctant to move in with Sara, can't
understand why she feels she has to save Joyce and
interrupt their lives.
In the meantime, while Sara and Andrew are escorting Joyce
around town, she decides to step into a local pub to use
the facilities. And wouldn't you know it -- a body is
discovered in a stall. Joyce screams and is frantic. The
dead woman, known as Mrs. Takahashi, had been a guest at a
local bed and breakfast owned by Hilary and Ivan Golightly.
Now we have another murder that both Andrew and Sara must
solve. Suspicions are raised toward Joyce, not only because
her story seems a bit out of sorts, but she'd made a very
unkind remark regarding foreigners. And of course, Andrew
doesn't trust her.
The bed and breakfast owned by Ivan and Hilary supplies
fresh grains and such to the Sulis Clinic, a well-known
health spa owned and operated by Ivan's father. Because of
its reputation, Sara persuaded her good friend, James, to
check in for rest and relaxation in the hopes it would cure
whatever was plaguing him. She discovers that the music
therapist recently left, so Sara asks the owner to hire
Joyce, not only to help her get her life together, but
because Sara needs some time and space with Andrew. How was
Sara to know that the Sulis Clinic wasn't what it claimed
to be, or that someone would be murdered there, while
others got sicker, including James?
The plot thickens and you can't have a great Morag
Joss mystery without many twists and turns. Are the two
murders connected? What was Mrs. Takahashi doing at the bed
and breakfast alone?
Joss has done it again with the third installment in her
Sara Selkirk mystery series. She introduces and develops
characters quirky and different from one another, but uses
her talents to bring them together in a well-thought-out
and intriguing murder mystery. Everything falls into place
when you least expect it. Like the first two mysteries,
FRUITFUL BODIES solves the crimes and ties up the loose
ends. The only difference with this story is that there's a
snippet of thread that's not tied and leaves you wondering
what's in store for Sara and Andrew in the future. I
anxiously await the next installment.
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