Lisa Henson
I’ve long been a fan of Ellen Byron’s books, so I jumped at the chance to review Solid Gold Murder. This is the second in Byron’s Golden Motel Mysteries. It read fine as a stand-alone, but I’d like to go back and read the first because this one was really good!
The Golden Motel is a fmily affair. Dee, her dad, and her ex turned business partner, Jeff, are all invested in making it work. Panning for gold is one of the touristy activities the hotel offers, but it’s never turned up much more than pyrite – sparkly, but worth very little. When real gold turns up in the sluice, though, it’s a second California gold rush for the aptly named little town of Foundgold, California (and its neighboring town, Goldgone), and Dee and Jeff find themselves booked solid.
But with all that business comes trouble. When a young tech mogul and his so-called friends roll into town, they seem to rub everyone the wrong way. And when his body is found at the bottom of a mine shaft, Dee has her hands full trying to make sure her motel’s nickname of “Murder Motel” doesn’t stick.
This book was delightful! As always, Byron gives us a likeable protagonist in Dee. She’s traded in the bright lights and big city for small-town entrepreneurship, and I’d say she’s learning pretty quickly. She and Jeff have a good relationship full of banter and snark, and Dee’s dad is a hoot when he’s in character as an old-timey prospector helping with the sluice.
The story is also full of small-town antics, both good and bad. There are longstanding feuds and fast friendships, colorful characters, and enough twists and turns to make your head spin. Dee gets herself into some sticky situations, and they make for some entertaining reading. I chuckled, snorted, and laughed out loud a time or two. I want more of this series – well worth the read!
Originally posted at theplainspokenpen.com.
I’ve long been a fan of Ellen Byron’s books, so I jumped at the chance to review Solid Gold Murder. This is the second in Byron’s Golden Motel Mysteries. It read fine as a stand-alone, but I’d like to go back and read the first because this one was really good!
The Golden Motel is a fmily affair. Dee, her dad, and her ex turned business partner, Jeff, are all invested in making it work. Panning for gold is one of the touristy activities the hotel offers, but it’s never turned up much more than pyrite – sparkly, but worth very little. When real gold turns up in the sluice, though, it’s a second California gold rush for the aptly named little town of Foundgold, California (and its neighboring town, Goldgone), and Dee and Jeff find themselves booked solid.
But with all that business comes trouble. When a young tech mogul and his so-called friends roll into town, they seem to rub everyone the wrong way. And when his body is found at the bottom of a mine shaft, Dee has her hands full trying to make sure her motel’s nickname of “Murder Motel” doesn’t stick.
This book was delightful! As always, Byron gives us a likeable protagonist in Dee. She’s traded in the bright lights and big city for small-town entrepreneurship, and I’d say she’s learning pretty quickly. She and Jeff have a good relationship full of banter and snark, and Dee’s dad is a hoot when he’s in character as an old-timey prospector helping with the sluice.
The story is also full of small-town antics, both good and bad. There are longstanding feuds and fast friendships, colorful characters, and enough twists and turns to make your head spin. Dee gets herself into some sticky situations, and they make for some entertaining reading. I chuckled, snorted, and laughed out loud a time or two. I want more of this series – well worth the read!
Originally posted at theplainspokenpen.com.