Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

When Nora Alexander's mother died, she had one request: Nora was to go to Piney Woods, TX, to deliver a letter to a man named Adam Brockwell. Upon arrival, she's almost run off the road. Then, the grieving Nora is shocked to learn her mother's scathing letter attacked the popular Brockwell. When Brockwell is killed, suspicion falls on Nora, and Tuck Watson, the hunky police chief, asks her not to leave town. In need of a temporary job, the insolvent Nora accepts one with Tuck's aunt, who is trying to save a historic hotel. Now, in order to clear her name, Nora questions the town's residents, including family members that she didn't even know she had. VERDICT Trent (Till Death Do Us Part) launches a new cozy series introducing an amateur sleuth who feels vulnerable and alone in the world. The cast of likable small-town residents and a sympathetic lead will attract fans of Sheila Connolly and Paige Shelton, but the stereotyping of older characters limits the book's appeal.-Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publishers Weekly
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Nora Alexander, the heroine of this saccharine series launch from Trent (the self-published Pecan Bayou series), drives from her home in suburban New Orleans to Piney Woods, Tex., to deliver a sealed letter to wealthy Adam Brockwell at the request of her dying mother, Kay. The evening of her arrival, Nora goes to a restaurant, where she meets a charming police officer, Tuck Watson, who can't resist giving her a chaste kiss on parting. The next day, at Adam's house, she's greeted at the door by his attractive son, Corey. Adam, who doesn't remember Kay, refuses to read the letter aloud after opening it. The day after that, Nora returns to Adam's house, where she and Corey find Adam's bloody body in the study. That Kay's letter condemns Adam for unspecified wrongs makes Nora a murder suspect in the eyes of officer Tuck. Forced to stay in town, Nora gets a job helping run and refurbish an old hotel. In her search for other suspects, Nora unearths secrets about her mother's past that lead her into danger. Cozy fans won't mind the rather unlikely solution. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.