Lowcountry Bonfire

I really do love this series; reading it is like visiting a home town. The settings and characters feel familiar (especially Liz's daddy).

I also really love Boyer's choices when she writes; she'll start with a predictable, out-there cozy cliche, but take it in a different direction. She'll have fun with it, but not take it seriously. Unlike another cozy author I read recently who took her story in a similar direction but tried to make it work, only to make a hash out of the entire thing.

Lowcountry Bonfire starts off with a woman setting her husband's car and his clothes on fire; retaliation for the affair he's been having. When the firefighters pop open the trunk to control the fire they discover more than his clothes. But Zeke was show more killed with strychnine and his wife didn't have access to any and she's devastated that he's actually dead.

Liz and Nate start investigating and Liz finds a 20 year off-the-grid gap in Zeke's history that opens up a viable channel for investigation. What she discovers is fun for the reader in a Jason Bourne-ish kind of way, but ultimately it's the investigation closer to home that yields more results - realistic ones that are far more horrifying and heartbreaking.

Colleen's ghost doesn't get a lot of airtime here, although there was at least one scene where I thought she was just cruel; I like that she later had to face the consequences of taking a thing too far.

I like where the author has Nate and Liz too; they're an old married couple now ::grin:: but they have a nice affectionate balance in their relationship that is believable and I've always liked that Nate respects her independence and ability to take care of herself.

This book might not have had all the gasps that previous books have had, but it was a very solid mystery with a red herring that was sort of fun to explore. And if I ever have any renovations done on my house I am SO getting a secret compartment put in! show less

**SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD** PIs extraordinaire Liz Talbot and Nate Andrews have been hired by Tammy Sue Lyerly to find out if her husband Zeke is having an affair, even they're surprised when they tell Tammy Sue that Zeke has indeed been doing the horizontal mambo with a local bimbo. Not so much surprised by that, but the fact that Tammy Sue is standing outside in her yard - across the street from Liz' parents home - setting fire to Zeke's prized Mustang and screaming wildly. Also in attendance is Liz' brother Blake, the island of Stella Maris police chief, the volunteer fire department, and what seems like half the town itself.

But what no one expects is when Blake orders Pete Carter to open the trunk in order to prevent an explosion - show more and finds the body of Tammy Sue's wayward husband. How he got there and why is a mystery, and with Tammy Sue seeing him and fainting dead away, the mystery only deepens. Liz and Nate are now employed by the town to investigate, and with Tammy Sue as the only suspect, Liz knows better. While the woman may have torched her husband's car, she knows there's no way she would have murdered the man she loved.

When Liz and Nate start digging deeper, they come up with not only more suspects, but start finding out that Zeke, a notorious teller of tall tales, may actually have been telling the truth. But is that what got him killed? Or was it something closer to home and someone he trusted who decided to end his life? Since it appears the killer is now aiming for them, it will take all their sleuthing skills to find a killer before one of them find their own life extinguished...

This is the sixth book in the Liz Talbot series, and as such, the author does not disappoint. She dives right into the action from the beginning with Zeke's body discovered almost immediately. Now this could be a detriment, since we don't get to know the man; and oftentimes when this happens we don't care one way or another about the dead person. Do we like or hate him? Is he a jerk who regularly cheats? Is he a nice guy who was in the wrong place at the wrong time? But have no fear - as the story progresses, so does the life of Zeke. We learn all about him, his history, his relationship with his wife; and this is the meat of the story.

Yes, we're out to find a killer, the same as Liz; but we also discover things about Zeke that bring him to life after death. And this, my friends, makes all the difference. We learn who he was, what he felt and thought; and because of this, there is a sorrow to his death that makes us as determined as Liz to find a murderer.

The mystery is raw, driven, and well thought out; secrets are discovered and even the nicest seeming people become suspects. In between all of this, we are treated to southern hospitality on Stella Maris; with people who are concerned about manners and the fact that you must eat - a lot - to maintain your strength and sanity; and any breach of etiquette is considered a sin. It is a delightful addition and with just enough levity to keep the story from being too dark.

And, of course, we have Colleen, the ghost of Liz' best friend whose mission is to protect Stella Maris from interlopers and also to help Liz - when she can. Though not as prominent in this book as in others, the few scenes she does appear in are memorable.

When all is said and done, the killer finally caught and truths discovered, we learn that all actions have an equal reaction. And what might seem like harmless fun may cause more than pain. Cruelty comes in many forms, and mindless cruelty is the worst of all. Highly recommended, and I eagerly await the next in the series. show less

Thoroughly drenched in the modern southern voice, Lowcounty Bonfire is sixth in the Liz Talbot mystery series. I was happy to go adventuring again with Liz and her crazy friends, acquaintances and relatives. The dialogue and character interactions are hilarious and had me laughing throughout the story.

For such a small area, there sure are a lot of murders! This time it is one of her parent's neighbors, Zeke, and Zeke's widow Tammy Sue is the first to be blamed for his death. Liz and partner / partner Nate are on the case to clear Tammy Sue and find the real culprit. Most of the suspects are from Stella Maris, although a few new people are introduced. Mother is still the same perfect southern hostess. Father is busy upping his crazy. show more Colleen is bray-snorting and jesting.

Overall a great, fun read in a lovely, comforting (for a cozy!) series. Not to be missed.

**eARC Netgalley** show less

I was so happy to see this Liz Talbot story get back on track. Most of the other books have had crimes or mysteries off island, this one returns to Stella Maris where Nate and Liz are living. They are hired by the woman across the street from her parents to find out if her husband Zeke is having an affair. When they give her the evidence, she goes a little crazy. After filling his prize mustang with his clothes, she sets it on fire. When the fire department pop the trunk to fill it with water, they are all in for a surprise. Zeke is dead in the trunk.

Susan Boyer captured my interest quickly with this story. It was great to see the investigation proceed on Stella Maris. Liz is a strong, smart woman, who knows just how to question and show more follow the clues. I was kept guessing in this story as there were so many twists and suspects, yet no suspects. Coming up with the evidence needed was like putting a puzzle together. Of course Colleen is still around but not as much as in previous books. In this story, she materializes often and is a sassy 17 year old that looks wonderful. It is great to see that Nate and Liz are settling in as a married couple, yet this did not consume as much of the story as the last book. Once again, we spend a lot of time with the Talbot family and their down home hospitality and humour. When Liz's mama puts on a spread of food for the first responders that are investigating the car fire, you just have to chuckle. I love the town of Stella Maris and I can't wait to visit it again. Once again, a great cozy that has me ready for the next book. show less

It definitely pains me to say this but the Liz Talbot cozy mystery series that I've enjoyed for the past couple of years is getting pretty meh.

I don't know what else to say besides the fact that I think once Liz chose her now-husband Nate and they started investigating together the book just lost I guess that drive that the first couple of books really had.

I mean I love cozy mysteries. I can read them all day any day if the series is done right. So I don't know what happened with this one I don't know if the romance ended up impacting the story or if the whole thing with Liz being connected to her dead friend (Colleen) who now is a ghost that comes back to help her solve cases just started to get really ridiculous in the last two show more books.

"Lowcountry Bonfire" we have Liz and Nate dealing with their client who after finding out that her husband cheated on her proceeds to set his beloved car on fire. Only problem is the husband's found dead in the trunk of the car. I liked the mystery aspect of this book but once again I felt like the author went a little bit too far with trying to tie the case to things that just didn't make any sense. It just got so absurd I started to roll my eyes after a while.

I did like the additional characters that we got some looks into but the book kept coming back to Liz needing to make sure that nothing could be developed on Stella Maris because if something did get built it could mean that years in the future everybody from the island would die if a hurricane came through.

Based on reviews from other readers of the series it makes absolutely no sense. Liz has several options that she just keeps ignoring. She could demand that there be more boats brought in for people as the island grows and gets developed. She could try to stop the island from being developed by trying to have restrictions on it. Something tells me that's a thing in certain parts of the country. Or she could just I don't know move.

The writing was okay, but the flow was terrible.

There's still subtle shaming of Liz's brother for dating a woman who was a former mistress tied up in one of Liz's last cases. Her sister is absent in this one and so are Nate's awful parents. Liz's father ups the ante in being her kooky relative. Colleen is missing for most of the story, and sorry she's become a hindrance to this series. Either have her gone gone, or being in another specter. Or just get rid of that whole aspect, I don't think it matters when you see how she wasn't around for the majority of this book.

I honestly think the series should have ended when Liz and Nate got married. Now with this dream thing, Boyer is going to keep this a main focus in future books it seems.

I think I'll give it one more book to see if the series picks back up, but if not, I think I'm just going to pass on future books following Liz and her husband as they investigate crimes. show less

I love this series. Who murdered Zeke? I like how this book draws you into the story, the place, and the people. It has you going in circles trying to find out who is guilty

This was my first "Liz Talbot" mystery - and most likely my last (no fault of the author).

The story was engaging enough - small town murder, lots of suspects, lots of secrets, a strange investigative "partnership". There were plenty of twists and turns as we are drawn into the mystery. And eventhough this is number six in a series, it was easy to read and follow. The reader is not overly bogged down by heavy plot-lines or too many side-stories, and this had a manageable cast of characters. It is standard "cozy mystery" fare - an enjoyable afternoon escape.