NIGHTMARES CAN BE MURDER is Book one in the Dream
Club cozy
mystery series by Mary Kennedy. I love the dream club set-
up, and the vintage candy shop belonging to the main
character's sister is a quirky and delightful backdrop to
the action. There is a good mix of suspense and lighter
moments in this fascinating cozy mystery. This is the
first
book I've read by Mary Kennedy, but look forward to trying
more in the future.
Taylor and her sister Allison vary enough in their
personalities to keep things interesting without clashing
and having an antagonistic relationship. Taylor and her
family and friends are all extremely likable characters. I
love that Mary Kennedy creates characters close to Taylor
with either a law enforcement background or experience in
reporting. Having access to people with that background
gives a more realistic explanation for how Taylor is able
to investigate criminal activity without having that kind
of background herself. As much as I love Taylor's friends,
I think her fellow Dream Club members are not quite as
likable and make great suspects.
I like that you learn more about the victim as the book
progresses, and how that helps in figuring out the
murderer. The suspense slowly builds and the danger
becomes
more and more evident with each chapter. I think Mary
Kennedy does a great job of scattering red herrings
throughout NIGHTMARES CAN BE MURDER. Each suspect is
believable as a potential murderer. Sorting out the
tangled
relationships in order to find a motive for murder leads
Taylor on an interesting journey.
NIGHTMARES CAN BE MURDER is a fun and fascinating cozy
with
very likable main characters. I look forward to seeing how
Allison's business grows in future books. I also can't
wait
to see if romance blooms for Taylor in the next book.
Business consultant Taylor Blake has returned to Savannah, Georgia, to help her sister Allison turn her dream of running an old-fashioned candy store into a reality. Allison is also interested in dream interpretation and invites Taylor to her Friday night Dream Club, where members meet once a week to share and analyze their dreams. When a local dance instructor, Chico Hernandez, is found dead in his studio, and the murder scene has an eerie resemblance to one of the dreams shared at their meeting, Taylor can’t help but be intrigued. And when her sister, who was briefly involved with the dance teacher, becomes the prime suspect, Taylor and their fellow club members can’t be caught napping. It’s up to them to dream up a solution to the murder before Allison faces a real-life nightmare.