When Bass Master and I saw this ARC up for grabs on Netgalley, we couldn’t hit the request button fast enough! I love solving mysteries with Lena London and all her friends at Blue Lake, a sleepy little Indiana village filled with quirky townies and touristy shops. And Bass Master is rather partial to the two German Shephard sidekicks!

In the first book, Lena hit the jackpot when her favorite novelist, Camilla Graham, offered her a dream job as a writer’s apprentice! Not only does she get paid to live rent free at Camilla’s lakeside mansion, she also gets to solve real life Nancy Drew mysteries with her hot new boyfriend, Sam West. What a life!

In this new installment, the mystery begins when Lena stumbles upon the dead body of the local mailman–stabbed with Sam’s sword-shaped letter opener! It appears that–yet again–someone is inexplicably framing the poor guy for murder. It’s up to Lena to ferret out the killer before Sam gets thrown back into the same nightmare he experienced in the first book.

While tracking down clues, Lena finds more questions than answers. Who is this bearded man lurking within the shadows? Could a trusted friend or townie be moonlighting as a sleazy tabloid reporter? And why is the new sheriff’s deputy constantly patrolling Sam’s house? All signs point to a notorious kidnapper who has a serious vendetta against Sam and his ex-wife Victoria.

In addition to clearing Sam’s name, Lena must save Victoria’s kidnaped baby from the clutches of a madman. Will she save the baby in time? Will Victoria weasel her way back into Sam’s heart? Will Lena ever get to return to her cozy life of co-writing bestselling mysteries with her illustrious benefactor?! Guess you’ll have to read the book to find out!

Trust me, this is a dark and twisted ride you don’t want to miss! I enjoyed the jigsaw puzzle mystery and surprising plot twists. But what I loved most was the atmosphere and character development. Lena and Camilla have a great mother-daughter chemistry. I especially enjoyed taking a break from the mystery while Lena’s father and step-mom stopped by Blue Lake for a visit. The whole family vibe gave me the warm fuzzies–in a Hallmark Movies and Mysteries kind of way.