Book 96, 2019

Sweet Masterpiece by Connie Shelton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



By mid-morning on Thanksgiving, I finished reading Sweet Masterpiece by Connie Shelton. It's the first book in the "Samantha Sweet" series, featuring Samantha (Sam) whose dream is to open her own bakery. In the meantime, however, she has a side-job as legal caretaker for the USDA. This means she must sometimes break into abandoned homes so she can clean them for eventual sale.

Sam isn't having a good day. The first home she goes to, she has to pick the lock. Then, when she begins mowing the overgrown yard, she comes across a recent grave. Sam has to call the police and answer some questions from handsome deputy Beau Cardwell. After she's cleared to leave, Sam's next house yields an elderly, dying woman, who insists she take a small, carved box from the home. Once again, Sam has to call for help, but the woman dies before help arrives. She meets Deputy Cardwell for the second time that day.

At home, Sam begins to feel an odd energy whenever she handles the box that the woman insisted she take. Locals claim the old woman was a witch, and now Sam isn't sure what to believe. When she's cleared to return to the first home, she finds a mural painted on a closet wall. It soon is connected to a famous painter who disappeared from the public eye years ago. Sam can't help but think the body in the grave is that of the artist, and she can't resist looking into it. She's convinced he was the victim of foul play.

In the meantime, she has her baking business to conduct from her cramped kitchen, her prodigal daughter has returned, and Beau seems interested in her in a romantic way. Soon, her flamboyant BFF, Rupert, is convincing her to dress up and play the part of a wealthy art patron, and Sam conducts an actual B&E on a suspect's house. She begins to wonder if the odd box may have something to do with her change in demeanor and fortune, but who would believe such nonsense? It's not until her own life is in danger that Sam realizes what a deadly game she's been playing.

The story was engaging and well-written. I enjoyed Sam's character, especially since she was older and a bit plump. I get weary of reading about young, svelte beauties. All characters were done well, even those who didn't have much screen time. I managed to figure out 'who dunnit' before Sam did, but not much earlier!

Favorite line: The peace and quiet of her own home, enjoyed in solitude, were much more appealing.

Very good, four stars!