This and That with Karen : Murder makes Scents by Christin Brecher

Mar 2, 2020

Murder makes Scents by Christin Brecher

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing "Murder' makes Scents" the 2nd Instalment in the Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery series by Christin Brecher. I was really looking forward to reading this and I wasn’t disappointed!

Stella Wright loves creating candles at her Nantucket store—and she also has a burning passion for justice. Now, after visiting a perfume conference, she must solve a vial crime . . .

Stella and her globe-trotting mom, Millie, have come home from a perfume industry conference in Paris, where their trip was marred by witnessing the stabbing death of a young man. It’s a relief for Stella to be back on her picturesque island, with the comforting company of her cat, Tinker. But lingering danger may have followed them back across the ocean.

After someone breaks into her candle store, the Wick & Flame, Stella starts feeling spooked. And just as things threaten to ignite, Millie suffers a blow to the head. Stella receives an anonymous note claiming that her mother smuggled a secret formula out of France—and threatening her life if it isn’t returned. Now Stella’s picked up the scent of a cold-hearted criminal and an intriguing puzzle, and things are about to get wicked . . .

I really enjoyed the follow up to book one and the story starts off with Stella and her mum Millie in Paris for the World Perfumery Conference, where a man was stabbed to death. Then flying back to Nantucket where Stella starts to think something or someone has followed them home. I always like a small town setting even better if it is by the sea. This instalment was full of intrigue, suspense and a whole bunch of suspects...

The Protagonist Stella is well developed, likeable and I loved her unorthodox relationship with her mum Millie as you could tell they loved each other very deeply. Another favourite of mine is Tinker the cat (my first cat was named Tinker as well). The addition of Cherry Waddle as shop assistant was great, she will fit in perfectly with the rest of our main side characters.

I found that the story was well paced and I couldn’t put the book down as I wanted to know who the killer was. The description of the setting and crime scenes are strong and really drew me in. The ending was anticlimactic in some ways but I rather liked it.

We didn’t see as much candle making in this story but there are instructions for making your own molds at the back along with Gram Scully’s Cranberry pie recipe.

Highly recommended to all my cozy friends! I can’t wait for 15 MINUTES OF FLAME the 3rd instalment to come out in September 2020.