Heather’s Bookshelf: Kiss Your Strawberries Goodbye
Author: Nina DeGraff
Released: 10/07/23
Genre: Adult Mystery
“This was how prey animals died. Breathless. Wild-eyed. All because I’d traded my job, my friends, my comfortable, known world in Boston for the farm of a father I’d never known. It was reckless. Crazy. You didn’t ask the right questions. The understatement of the year.”
“Kiss Your Strawberries Goodbye” (A Sonny Littlefield Mystery) introduces Sonny Littlefield, a young woman who recently moved to the farm her biological father left her when he passed in Gracious, Maine. While she should be concerned about the strawberries and sheep, more dire concerns take precedent when an intruder ransacks her barn.
Besides trespassing and scaring her horse, the intruder also leaves behind a human skeleton hand…and there’s a note.
“You didn’t ask the right questions.”
Sonny sets out to find the meaning behind the message and the author before something terrible happens to her. Even those closest to her father were shocked by Sonny’s existence and even more surprised by her sudden inheritance. Suspects and theories fly as Sonny’s instincts lead her in the direction of the culprit. Somewhere hidden in the mystery and gossip of a small town is the truth, but will she find it before it’s too late?
Trigger Warning: violence, reference to sexual situations, reference to stripping/prostitution, alcoholism, adult language, rape, murder
Overall, I enjoyed this story. Sonny is the main protagonist and the story is told through her POV. Things that have happened in her past are revealed through communication between Sonny and her friends. It also serves to highlight Sonny’s personality, desires, faults, and insecurities. She’s a kind and determined woman who’s had some bad things happen to her in her past. She’s trying to put the pieces together and trying to find a connection to her deceased father, but the whole world seems to be against her. Her trials and difficulties are very relatable and I truly wanted it to all work out for Sonny. The story follows Sonny’s inadvertent investigation into the mysterious messages and the skeleton hand. There are so many possible culprits along the way and the deeper she gets into questions the more she finds answers she’s either not seeking or not wanting. There’s several memorable ancillary characters that help move along the pacing and provides a little relief from the tension in the story. I especially enjoyed Sonny’s interaction with Nadine and the budding romance with Dan. I did not see the ending coming at all! But once the revelation occurs, it all comes together nicely and makes sense. I’d love to see what happens with Sonny Littlefield in the future.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A murder mystery set in a small town. Secrets on secrets result in an interesting tale with a complicated and likable protagonist.
Want to learn more about the author?
Check out my interview with Nina DeGraff
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Find it for purchase here
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