Second Gold Rush Leads to a Second Murder Mystery for Dee
I’ve long enjoyed the mysteries of Ellen Byron, but I really enjoyed the debut of her Golden Hotel Mysteries last year. I am happy to say that Solid Gold Murder is a solid follow-up.
This series is set in California’s gold country up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The main character is Dee Stern, a former sitcom writer who has purchased a motel just on the border of Majestic National Park. She’s in business with her best friend, Jeff Cornetta, who is recovering from time spent in Silicon Valley. Yes, this series is very Californian. As a native, that may be one reason I love it since I always enjoy seeing things I recognize in the books I am reading.
As this book opens, the duo are beginning to expand the offerings they have for guests, including panning for gold. However, the first guests to use their setup find real gold, not just the fool’s gold Dee and Jeff put in the sluice for them to find.
Naturally, this sets off a mini second gold rush, which is great for business. Or it would be if one of their guests weren’t Sylvan Burr, an insufferable tech billionaire who wants to strike it rich again. He has a way to alienating everyone who comes in contact with him. So it is hardly surprising when someone pushes him down an abandoned mine shaft. The surprise is some of the secrets coming out after his death. With so many suspects, will Dee figure out who killed Sylvan?
I love it when an author comes up with a murder plot that can only happen in the location where the story takes place. That’s the case here, and it adds to the fun.
And, before we completely leave the topic of the location, the setting for this series is great. The motel is between two tourist towns, and the rivalry between the two is great. We also get some descriptions of beautiful scenery. This is definitely one of those places I’d love to visit in real life. Between murders, of course. And that is semi-possible since the setting is a fictionalized version of real places.
Speaking of murder, we’ve got a strong mystery here. There are lots of suspects so there was always something more to learn and a clue or red herring to ponder over. I really appreciated how things played out when we reached the logical climax.
Plus we have several subplots that perfectly weave in and out of the main mystery and help keep our attention.
About my only real complaint is that Dee’s budding romance with Jonas feels underserved here. I get it, there’s so much going on we don’t have the page time to see more of him. I hope this is remedied in future books.
But the characters we did get to see? They were just as delightful as they were in the first book. I enjoyed seeing how these relationships grew over the course of the book. Naturally, the suspects did their job of keeping us guessing.
While Ellen’s books have always had humor, I find this series her funniest. There are lots of laughs and jokes to be had.
In the way of extras, we get some road trip tips and a recipe for a bar cookie.
Solid Gold Murder is another delightful mystery from the pen of Ellen Byron. Avoid the (gold) rush and pick it up today. You’ll be glad you did.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
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