A Deadly Cliché

Olivia Limoges is walking her poodle, Captain Haviland, along the beach when she stumbles across a dead body buried in the sand. The circumstances surrounding the death are odd to say the least, but Olivia has no idea how bizarre things are about to become. Soon she is involved in trying to solve a series of burglaries that have turned deadly. She has other mysteries to solve, including her somewhat tangled love life. And then there is the mysterious letter she receives saying her father, whom she thought died years ago, may still be alive. Olivia is starting to realize she can't go it alone and is glad to have the help of her friends in the Bayside Book Writers Club.

"A Deadly Cliché" is the nicely done second book in Ellery Adams's Books by the Bay cozy mystery series (the first was A Killer Plot (A Books by the Bay Mystery). I love Olivia's character and how she is changing and evolving as a person and character. In the first book she was rough around the edges - in this book, while she still has some prickly moments, she is learning that it is okay to care for and love people, not just her dog. Without giving away too much, I have to say I prefer the direction her love life is going in in this book compared to the first book (there is a wonderful scene in this book where Olivia runs into the ocean when she realizes she is attracted to someone - this simple scene says much about Olivia's character). The Bayside Book Writers Club is another thing I love in this series - Adams takes on the daunting task of writing portions of four novels within the main novel and does an excellent job of making it seem like each portion was written by different authors (not only that but she gives some excellent advice to would be authors reading the book). As for the mystery - this isn't the type of mystery where there are a lot of suspects and readers try to figure out who the killer is. Instead, readers find out the clues alongside Olivia and unravel the case at the same time she does (the clichés are a nice touch). There are some genuinely scary and tense moments in the book. The ending of the book is perfect in so many ways and may bring tears to the reader's eyes.

"A Deadly Cliché" is a nicely done cozy mystery. ( )

I enjoyed the first book in this series but have to say that this one tops it by quite a bit. Olivia is opening up more to her friends in Oyster Bay but is still very reserved and leery of getting too close. Then she finds a body buried on the shore and the mystery of who and why begins.

Then a series of odd break-ins result in a 2nd death and Olivia is up to her neck in searching for answers to the puzzles. She is working closely with Lauren, who is aiming for a job with the local newspaper, and also with Sawyer Rollins, the police chief.

There is also a secondary mystery that involves only Olivia. Someone sends her a blackmail letter and hints that her father is alive, the father she thought drowned when she was a young girl. That sub-story is the one that packs the most punch in this book, the emotions and the hurt that are uncovered in this private, reserved woman are drawn perfectly and made me want to read the next in the series *right now*.

Waiting impatiently for book number three. ( )

For me, this second in the Books by the Bay series really delivered the goods because along with the resolution of the crime, I found out a more about Olivia Limoges, the central character. Haviland, Olivia's dog, continues to charm me. He's not there to solve the crime, he's just there to be there when needed--which is all anyone should ask of a cherished pet. ( )

First Line: "Storm's comin'," the fisherman said, stroking the pewter whiskers of his beard.

While walking with her standard poodle, Captain Haviland, along the beach, Olivia Limoges finds a body buried in the sand. Could this be connected to a series of strange burglaries in the Oyster Bay, North Carolina area? At the scene of each burglary, the thieves set up bizarre tableaux: a stick of butter with a knife cutting through it, a doll with a spoon in its mouth, an incomplete deck of cards.... Suddenly Olivia understands that each scene represents a cliché, and what better group of people to decode this sort of clue than her Bayside Book Writers?

There's no sophomore slump in the Books by the Bay cozy mystery series. A Deadly Cliché is even stronger than the first. Although the characters understand that the burglars are leaving clues behind, understanding the why takes a while to unfold, and the thieves' identities even longer. Part of the reason for this is due to the fact that there's a subplot in play: Olivia has been given information that her father-- long believed to be drowned at sea-- may actually be alive, and finding him is more important to her than unmasking the thieves.

This subplot adds depth to the character of Olivia. For years she's kept a protective shell around herself, one that kept her aloof and almost entirely unapproachable in the first book, A Killer Plot. As she tells another character, she is working on "defrosting," and learning about her father is going to help her do just that. It's also going to add to future books in the series.

Another bonus to this series is being able to watch a writers group in action. For anyone who's interested in the craft, it's useful to see how the group interacts, to see how they critique each other's work, and to understand how they help one another.

This series is pretty much Olivia's show, and although I love seeing a wealthy person being a force for good in her community, and I enjoy watching her become more approachable and willing to trust, I'm hoping that more of the secondary characters-- particularly those in the writers group-- will come to the fore and share more of the limelight with Olivia.

As in the first book, Captain Haviland continues to be an excellent canine sidekick, even if he does seem to eat nothing but gourmet food. He doesn't have any super powers; he's just a well-trained, well-behaved dog that loves his human. You can't ask for more than that.

However, I can and will ask for more than that. What do I ask for? More books in this series, please! ( )

There’s nothing better than starting your day with a brisk walk by the sea, especially if accompanied by your favorite canine companion. The warm sun on your face, your bare feet sinking in the sand for a little extra aerobic-style workout. That’s the peaceful way Olivia Limoge and her standard poodle, Captain Haviland, choose to start their day the morning of Labor Day weekend in Ellery Adams’ delightful new mystery, “A Deadly Cliché”.
But there’s just no telling what you might come across on the beach these days, as Olivia and Haviland find out when she lifts up a child’s discarded bucket she finds on the sand and discovers it was hiding the decaying head of a man. Yuck. Way to ruin a perfect day, especially for the man.
Could this grisly discovery be connected to a series of bizarre burglaries plaguing Olivia’s home town of Oyster Bay, North Carolina? The thieves have a distinctive MO. At every crime, they set up odd tableaus and Olivia, smart cookie that she is, figures out that each setup represents a cliché. Who better to figure out the cliché clues than Olivia’s Bayside Book Writers Group, especially since their newest member is the town’s police chief? And as if her life isn’t already complicated enough, she discovers through an anonymous note that her father, lost at sea many years ago, may still be alive.
Lots of twists and turns and a likeable cast of characters will have readers hooked, I guarantee it.

Reviewed by Susan Santangelo, author of “Moving Can Be Murder” for Suspense Magazine ( )