Loved It!
Dollycas's Thoughts
It's time for another retreat at Cat Latimer's B&B, Aspen Hills Warm Springs Resort. This group is unique because along with the student from the local college, the other writers are two couples. Seth has planned a special hiking trip for the group complete with field guides to identify flora and fauna. Not long after the hike begins they come across something not covered in Seth's guide . . . a dead body. A body Seth recognizes. A man he thought had died in Germany during his last tour of duty. He is shocked to learn his friend had been living nearby with a gold claim. With this happening right before a planned reunion of his military friends they all become suspects. Now Cat with some assistance of Uncle Pete's Gal Pal Retired Alaska Deputy Shirley will do her best to end this killer's story without ending hers.
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This was a rich story with many facets. The main mystery puts Seth and Cat a bit at odds. A friend he thought was dead was really alive and living nearby. Now someone killed him and he can't believe any of his platoon could be involved. There has to be another explanation. His military life is not something Seth speaks about, so Cat feels she needs to tread lightly. Ms. Cahoon threads a needle releasing clues carefully, and issues the twists precisely. Seth shielded his friends so Cat had to dig into the victim in other ways making this investigation unique. I really enjoyed the way the entire story was plotted and the way it played out.
Lynn Cahoon has created such a strong group of core characters. Cat, Shauna, Seth, Uncle Pete and now Shirley can be added to the mix. I thought we had gotten to know them pretty well over the series so far, but this time readers get more information about Cat and Seth's relationship at the end of high school and how it all fell apart. Cat learns some things she didn't know. I loved how this was written and that Seth was featured. It makes the characters even more relatable. Shauna also revealed more about her family this time too. It really shows me we are just scratching the surface of these characters.
Readers are also introduced to a group of retreat writers. Two married couples, Sydney and her husband Tristin write a travel blog, Jocelyn, and her husband Josh, also frequent travelers, write western historical fiction. They are joined by college student Brodie Capone. The two couples become fast friends taking the retreat in a direction Cat never expected. Brodie grows over the course of the story too.
As always the location adds to the story. Trekking the trails more than once was fun and while moving the investigation forward, one of the characters was so delighted by what he saw is brought a huge smile to my face.
In A Field Guide to Homicide, the author sets a perfect pace, each page pulling you deeper into the story. A writer's retreat, a dead body, an Army reunion, and many secrets all come together to make one heck of a story. The ending was just awesome.
This entire series is great. Treat yourself to the whole bunch.
