Book 95, 2022

[chez_jae]

Nightmares Can Be Murder by Mary Kennedy

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I brought my work book home with me last night and finished it today. It was Nightmares Can Be Murder by Mary Kennedy, and it's the first in her "Dream Club" mystery series. The main character is Taylor Blake, a type-A business consultant who has come to Savannah, GA to help her sister Ali with her floundering candy shop.

Ali's old-fashioned candy shop is barely afloat, but Taylor has some innovative ideas to draw in more business. Ali is also interested in dream interpretation, and she is involved in a Dream Club that meets once a week to discuss and interpret their dreams. Taylor reluctantly gets involved, although she claims to never dream. When a local dance instructor dies and the crime scene is eerily reminiscent of one of the dreams a club member had, Taylor can't help but be intrigued. Intrigue turns to worry, however, when Taylor learns that Ali was once involved with Chico and that she'd gone to see him the night he was murdered. With Ali now a suspect, the members of the Dream Club put their heads together to learn all they can about Chico and who may have really wanted him dead.

I enjoyed the unique premise of the story. There were lots of nifty twists and turns that had me suspecting several people before the final reveal. Characters were fleshed out, and the plot moved along at a fast pace. I do wish we'd seen more of Taylor living her life, but most of the narrative was consumed with her investigation.

Favorite lines:
♦ My sister seems to have inherited a Martha Stewart gene, and sadly, I didn't. Story of my life.
♦ It was obvious he wouldn't take a hint; only a verbal two-by-four would put a dent in his gigantic ego.
♦ "Isn't she just the sweetest thing?" she purred. "I simply love her to death." I'd been in Savannah long enough to know that "loving someone to death" is code for "I wish she'd take a bath with a toaster."

And, here are the annoying 'didn't know I was holding my breath' lines. Yes, I said lines. Cue eyeroll:

♦ I didn't realize I'd been holding my breath and blew out a little puff of air.
♦ I hadn't realized I was holding my breath, and the words came out in a rush.
♦ I hadn't realized I'd been holding my breath, and I let it out in a little sigh.

Three in one book?! That's got to be a record!

Interesting story, with interesting characters. Four stars.

First in a series gets put to my
1. Does the mc work at/as one of the following: baker/bakery/sweet shop/tea shop/coffee shop, library/librarian, antique/vintage shop, book store, fashion/boutique, bed & breakfast? She's eschewed her career to work in a vintage candy shop, so yes.
2. Does the mc live at her (or his) place of occupation? Yes, she and Ali live in an apartment above the shop.
3. Is the love interest involved in law enforcement? (Police officer, sheriff, detective, PI, FBI) Yes, Noah is former FBI and is now a PI.
4. Does the mc have a dog/cat as a pet? Ali has two cats, so...yeah.
5. Is the mc's BFF either a gay guy or a ditzy/zany woman? No
6. Did the mc find the body? No, she did not.
7. Did the mc wind up in mortal danger at the end of the book? Yes, that she did.
8. Is the mc's mother either: dead, absent, far removed, ditzy and dithering, or overbearing/disapproving/meddling? Yes, mom is dead.
9. If mother is dead/absent, does the mc have another mother-figure (grandmother, aunt, mom's friend, or an older friend)? No
10. Is the mc child-free? (Either no children or else grown children--i.e. no small children to look after) Yes, she's child-free.