Charlene Morris’s historic inn in Salem, Massachusetts, is about to meet more Cupid imagery than seems reasonable. The month of February has inspired photographer Dane Stallone to recreate a Cupid-themed calendar that he made twenty years previously. MRS. MORRIS AND THE VENOMOUS VALENTINE is the intriguing ninth book in a mystery series called Salem B&B. 

Dane Stallone brings a group of twelve models, male and female, to feature for each month. He wants all twelve in each shot, so the images keep taking hours to arrange. Just as well the rooms are booked for a few nights, and Charlene is happy to have a full house. Until something goes wrong. Dane collapses and is taken to hospital.

This story includes some witchcraft, as the controlling, amoral Dane had made his models sign contracts and they wish to be rid of his toxic influence. Not that they tell him to his face. Indeed, some of the women had slept with the man – to further their career, or from adoration, or in awe of his photography skills. Someone unknown has poisoned Dane, and it remains to be seen if he will make it back, or if a model – or anyone else in Salem – is a murderer.

I’m not familiar with this series, and at first, the number of men in Charlene’s thoughts was confusing. Turns out, one is her late husband of fond memory. One is a police officer who is sweet on her. And one is a ghost haunting the inn. Well, they did say it’s a historic inn, and Jack, the helpful ghost, has been here awhile. So far, only Charlene and her cat can see or hear him. Detective Sam Holden doesn’t play a big part in the mystery compared to the full-on effect of twelve chatty, sarcastic, whiny models, from various countries, who only want to eat food with no fat or sugar and drink hot water with lime juice, until evening when they all drink alcohol. Avery Shriver, a young lady in Charlene’s family, also arrives, interested in the case as she hopes to train as a detective.

With a large cast, the story will sustain interest, while not piling on too many characters introduced in earlier books. Traci Wilton emphasises the pressures on some models and the dangers of malicious software on the internet. The Cupid photoshoot also sounds like it produces a great calendar, and I’m just sorry I can’t see the finished works. MRS. MORRIS AND THE VENOMOUS VALENTINE is a mystery with a strong touch of paranormal, while very much set in today’s world.