Murder Strikes a Chord

Pearly Girls Mystery, #1

by

Heather Weidner

A new cozy mystery to enjoy!

Murder Strikes a Chord is the first book in author Heather Weidner’s great new cozy series, the Pearly Girls Mysteries. Its fun and comfortable-with-each-other main characters and lovely Blue Ridge Mountain setting provide a fresh combination for solving an intriguing murder. Cassidy Jamison and her staff of four 60-something women, the Pearly Girls, all friends of her deceased grandmother, have worked hard planning a multi-weekend music festival at her lovely outdoor events venue and are ecstatic that the first band to headline the event is The Weathermen, a popular band straight out of their youth. When Cassidy and Elvis, her chihuahua mix, find the body of The Weathermen’s lead singer dead on the grounds the morning after their successful opening night, she realizes that his murder could have devastating repercussions, and not just for the reputation of her business. Roxie Matthews, one of the Pearly Girls, was the last known person seen with Johnny Storm the night before, putting her in the crosshairs of the local sheriff who’s under pressure to solve the high-profile case. 

Cassidy Jamison is a sweet young woman who returned home to Ivy Springs after the death of her beloved grandmother to take over her family’s outdoor events venue, Celebration. With the help of her grandmother’s close circle of women friends, she’s managed to keep the business afloat and is continually brainstorming new sources of revenue that will make things a little easier on everyone. She readily jumps into amateur sleuthing to safeguard Roxie from the sheriff with a grudge and protect the reputation of her newly flourishing business. She’s not alone in her endeavors as all the Pearly Girls lend their support, and there is an attractive deputy sheriff in the picture to watch for in the future. 

The murder occurs fairly early in the story while the author is still building Cassidy’s and the Pearly Girls’ backstories and the fictional community of Ivy Springs, so readers learn about the place and people as the story progresses. As Cassidy witnesses a couple of altercations involving the lead singer leading up to his demise, there are a number of suspects to be crossed off the list before the killer is revealed. 

I recommend MURDER STRIKES A CHORD to cozy mystery readers, especially those who enjoy stories featuring rock music and musicians or settings in the Blue Ridge Mountains or Virginia. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.