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.
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