Murder is No Accident by A. H. Gabhart (Review)

Series: The Hidden Springs Mysteries (Book 3)

Paperback: 352 pages

Publisher: Revell (March 14, 2017)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 080072710X

ISBN-13: 978-0800727109

Young Maggie Greene may be trespassing in the old, empty Victorian mansion on a quiet street in Hidden Springs, but all she wants is some private time in the magnificent tower room to write her stories. Certain she'll be in trouble if caught, she hides when a realtor shows up. But someone else is in the house too, someone even more worried about getting caught. When Maggie finds the realtor's body at the bottom of a flight of stairs and the other person gone, Deputy Sheriff Michael Keane is called in. He assumes the realtor's death is a tragic accident--until a second person is found dead in the house. When Maggie is threatened, Michael must catch the murderer before anyone else dies.

Cozy mystery fans will love this third installment in The Hidden Springs Mysteries series from an author who knows how to make small-town America sweet, sentimental--and a little sinister.

My Review:

This was a good Christian cozy mystery book. It is book three in the Hidden Springs series but can stand alone. The author did a good job developing the small town feel. There were several interesting unique characters. The series revolves around Deputy Sheriff Michael Keane. He grew up in Hidden Springs and has roots there. His only living family member is his Aunt who is a high school math teacher even though she is elderly. He has a girlfriend named Alex who spent her summers in Hidden Springs visiting her Uncle Reese. She is a lawyer in the big city and is not a small town girl. They love each other but that always stands in the way. There were two murders in the book. I did not solve them before the end of the book. I was surprised at one of the killers. The ending was mostly satisfying. I would have liked more closure between Michael and Alex. Recommended to fans of the genre.

                     

Follow

Follow on Amazon

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations and more coming soon.
Learn More

Similar authors to follow

See more recommendations

$ERROR_TEXT$

You need to complete your profile in order to start following people.

Complete my profile

Biography

Ann H. Gabhart caught the writing bug at the age of ten and has been writing ever since. An award winning author, she's published many books for both adults and young adults. Scent of Lilacs, her first inspirational novel, was chosen as a Top Ten Christian Fiction Book by Booklist magazine. Her Shaker novel, The Outsider, was a finalist for ECPA Christian Fiction Book of the Year and was a Top Pick by Romantic Times Book Review Magazine. Love Comes Home won the Selah Book of the Year award. Ann writes about Kentucky history and small town life and as A.H. Gabhart is the author of the Hidden Springs mysteries.

Ann lives on a farm in Kentucky not far from where she was born. She and her husband have three children and nine grandchildren. Ann loves hiking on her farm with her grandkids and her dog, Oscar. See more about her books at www.annhgabhart.com or join the conversation on her Facebook page, www.facebook.com/anngabhart

Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Murder Comes by Mail by A. H. Gabhart (Review)

Series: The Hidden Springs Mysteries (Book 2)

Paperback: 352 pages

Publisher: Revell (May 17, 2016)

ISBN-13: 978-0800727055

Deputy Sheriff Michael Keane doesn't particularly enjoy being touted as the hero of Hidden Springs after pulling a suicidal man back from the edge of the Eagle River bridge in front of dozens of witnesses--a few of whom caught the breathtaking moments with their cameras. But the media hype doesn't last long as a new story pushes its way into the public consciousness of Hidden Springs' concerned citizens.

Photos of a dead girl arrive in the mail, and Michael becomes convinced she was murdered by the man he saved. With a killer one step ahead, things in Hidden Springs begin to unravel. Now Michael must protect the people he loves--because the killer could be targeting one of them next.



My Review:

Although this is book two in the Hidden Springs Mysteries, it can stand alone ok. I did not enjoy reading it as much as the first book. The subject matter was pretty heavy to be in a cozy mystery. There was not enough to lighten it up. I like the concept of the overall series. I wish the romance was more developed between Michael and Alexandra. He grew up with Alex in Hidden Springs but now she is a big city lawyer. He knows he does not want to live that lifestyle again. He likes living and working in a small town. They have chemistry though and I can't wait to see where the author takes it. The mystery part was easy to solve but the tension was still there as bodies begin to pile up. Michael is kept busy trying to protect the people he loves and the town. Overall a good story.







Ann H. Gabhart caught the writing bug at the age of ten and has been writing ever since. An award winning author, she's published many books for both adults and young adults. Scent of Lilacs, her first inspirational novel, was chosen as a Top Ten Christian Fiction Book by Booklist magazine. Her Shaker novel, The Outsider, was a finalist for ECPA Christian Fiction Book of the Year and was a Top Pick by Romantic Times Book Review Magazine. Love Comes Home won the Selah Book of the Year award. Ann writes about Kentucky history and small town life and as A.H. Gabhart is the author of the Hidden Springs mysteries.

Ann lives on a farm in Kentucky not far from where she was born. She and her husband have three children and nine grandchildren. Ann loves hiking on her farm with her grandkids and her dog, Oscar. See more about her books at www.annhgabhart.com or join the conversation on her Facebook page, www.facebook.com/anngabhart

Review copy provided by Revell in exchange for an honest review.

Murder at the Courthouse by A. H. Gabhart (Review)

Series: The Hidden Springs Mysteries (Book 1)

Paperback: 336 pages

Publisher: Revell (October 20, 2015)

ISBN-13: 978-0800726768

After a few years as a police officer in Chicago, Michael Keane has no trouble relaxing into the far less stressful job of deputy sheriff in his small hometown. After all, nothing ever happens in Hidden Springs, Kentucky. Nothing, that is, until a dead body is discovered on the courthouse steps. Everyone in town is a little uneasy. Still, no one is terribly worried--after all the man was a stranger--until one of their own is murdered right on Main Street.

As Michael works to solve the case it seems that every nosy resident in town has a theory. When the sheriff insists Michael check out one of these harebrained theories, his surprising discovery sends him on a bewildering search for a mysterious killer that has him questioning everything he has ever believed about life in Hidden Springs.

My Review:

Murder at the Courthouse is the first book in a new mystery series by A. H. Gabhart. The plot line was interesting and had a lot of potential. Unfortunately I did not enjoy reading this book as much as I thought I would. The plot moved slow and the mystery part needed more development throughout the book. I guessed the bad guy early on in the book. Also the romance was extremely awkward and underdeveloped between Michael and Karen, the woman preacher in town. The minor characters were nicely done. I liked the side plot about Michael helping a troubled kid named Anthony Blake. This was a cozy mystery with a small town feel like the Mitford series by Jan Karon. I want to read book two when it comes out to see where the author takes the story and I have enjoyed reading several other books by this author.







Ann H. Gabhart caught the writing bug at the age of ten and has been writing ever since. An award winning author, she's published many books for both adults and young adults. Scent of Lilacs, her first inspirational novel, was chosen as a Top Ten Christian Fiction Book by Booklist magazine. Her Shaker novel, The Outsider, was a finalist for ECPA Christian Fiction Book of the Year and was a Top Pick by Romantic Times Book Review Magazine. Love Comes Home won the Selah Book of the Year award. Ann writes about Kentucky history and small town life and as A.H. Gabhart is the author of the Hidden Springs mysteries.

Ann lives on a farm in Kentucky not far from where she was born. She and her husband have three children and nine grandchildren. Ann loves hiking on her farm with her grandkids and her dog, Oscar. See more about her books at www.annhgabhart.com or join the conversation on her Facebook page, www.facebook.com/anngabhart

Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.