Book Review: One Fete in the Grave by Vickie Fee (Liv and Di in Dixie #3)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Enjoyable mystery, great cast of characters

Cons: Pacing a little uneven

The Bottom Line:

Fireworks on fourth

Perfect disguise for murder

Fun summer cozy

This Fourth of July Ends with the Bang of Murder

Typically, my quest to read books around the holiday when they are set is limited to Christmas.  However, when I realized that One Fete in the Grave started on the 4^th of July, I had to make it an early summer read.

A killer used the annual fireworks display in Dixie, Tennessee, to cover murder.  As soon as the fireworks display has ended, the body of Bubba Rowland is discovered.  He’s a member of the town council who has plenty of people who dislike him thanks to his corruption.

Party planner Liv McKay was in charge of the festivities this year, but she isn’t planning to get involved in the investigation.  That is until Earl, her mother’s fiance, is accused of the murder.  True, Earl and Bubba had their disagreements, but he couldn’t have done it.  Unfortunately, the evidence does look pretty convincing.  Liv has her work cut out for her.

If you like books that start with a bang, you’ll like this one.  Okay, so maybe that bang is the fireworks, but Bubba’s body is found at the bottom of page two.  While we don’t meet the victim alive in the book, we still get to know what kind of person he was as Liv’s investigation unfolds.  Yes, at times she gets distracted by her business, something that slows down the plot, but there are still plenty of suspects, and the climax surprised me even though it was perfectly logical.

We’ve got a great cast of characters in this series, and they are all present.  Liv’s mother is a hoot, and I enjoyed a sub-plot she was involved in.  I still love Liv’s relationship with her husband, and Liv’s best friend Di has a large part in this book.  We don’t spend as much time getting to know the suspects, but they still come across as completely real.

If you are planning a party, there are some tips in the back to help you.  We even get a couple of completely appropriate recipes, although neither is for the chocolate cake I was drooling over in this book.

Whenever you party with this book, you’ll find it enjoyable.  One Fete in the Grave combines the lazy days of summer with a murder in an enjoyable way.

Party even more with the rest of the Liv and Di in Dixie Mysteries.