Killer Cupid by Laurien Berenson

Looking for a cozy filled with Valentine’s Day romance and a solid mystery plot? Or maybe you just want to hunker down with a fun, well done story to while away a few hours when winter has you staying inside?

Then look no further than Laurien Berenson’s Killer Cupid – a special Valentine’s Day mini-mystery (200 pages) from Kensington Publishing.

Melanie Travis is a special needs tutor at a local academy in Connecticut. It’s a snowy February and she and her hubby, Sam, have been bestowed with a romantic Valentine’s Day getaway compliments of their children and their dear Aunt Peg.

Also joining them are Uncle Frank and Aunt Bertie. The 4 of them, along with Melanie’s senior dog, Faith, are off to The White Birch Inn in the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts. All are looking forward to a long weekend of hot chocolate by the fireplace, spa treatments, ice skating, moonlit sleigh rides and so much more!

But in this case, the “so much more” includes a murder so cold even a hot toddy can’t take off the chill. At first, Melanie is intrigued by the tragedy, but when she realizes she may have noticed something that could help the police catch a killer, she shares the info with local law enforcement. And why not — she’s plenty familiar with finding bodies and catching killers. Melanie also just happens to have good instincts when it comes to crime and well, she just “runs” with it!

So when the inn’s owner, Evelyn, pulls her aside and asks for her sleuthing help, she just can’t say “no.” The inn’s reputation is at stake and Evelyn wants to be sure the killer is caught before they can strike again.

But when Melanie and Bertie put their head’s together, they find plenty of motives and plenty of suspects. The deceased had several male companions. The victim also upset a lot of the inn’s vendors that were hawking their Valentine’s Day special wares at the inn. There’s also suspicious employees and an inn full of guests – surely, at least one of them is a killer.

“Cozies” are called cozies for a reason – and this one fits the bill from A to Z. It’s a perfect weekend read to enjoy with a box of good quality chocolates and a carafe of coffee, while snuggled in your favorite comfy PJs. The winter splendor and festivities at the inn will have even the most timid reader wishing they could race through the snow on a snowmobile or don a pair of ice-skates for a moonlight waltz.

With lovable and delightful characters, a tough case to crack and plenty of romance, Killer Cupid, A Melanie Travis Canine Mystery by Laurien Berenson makes for a fun and festive tale.

Book and photo provided by Kensington Publishing.