Review of Flower Power Trip by James J Cudney

Congratulations to Jay on the release of his newest book!!!!! Flower Power Trip is available from today. Get your copy now!

At a masquerade ball to raise money for renovations to Memorial Library, Kellan finds a dead body dressed in a Dr. Evil costume.
Did one of Maggie’s sisters kill the annoying guest who’d been staying at the Roarke and Daughters Inn, or does the victim have a closer connection to someone else at Braxton College?
As Kellan helps school president Ursula bury a secret from her past and discover the identity of her stalker, he unexpectedly encounters a missing member of his family. Everything seems to trace back to the Stoddards: a new family who recently moved in.
Between the murder, a special flower exhibit and strange postcards arriving each week, Kellan can’t decide which mystery in his life should take priority. But unfortunately, the biggest one of all has yet to be exposed – and when it is, Kellan won’t know what hit him.

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The Braxton Campus Mysteries continue in this third instalment, Flower Power Trip.  In short, I loved it.  The author has most certainly hit his cozy mystery stride and that comes through in this book. It’s a treat to read.

While each book in many cozy mystery series function well as stand-alone, I think this series is best read from the start.  Important character arcs develop from book to book and the highest level of enjoyment will come from following in order.  That said, each book in this series provides a new, fully-developed and properly-resolved mystery and can still work on its own. 

The current mystery: Once again Jay delivers a very well-plotted story of intrigue.  No one is above suspicion, not even family! The many viable suspects, motives and opportunities made the story interesting and made me feel I had an actual chance at discovering the culprit.  I may have had a chance but ultimately I did not figure out who it was until a moment before the big reveal.

Kellan: This protagonist is definitely growing on me! I like that he gets dressed down by April and even Myriam, who remains her bossy, insufferable self.  That’s not a bad thing as Kellan is still pretty full of himself at times, especially as concerns his sleuthing abilities. He does possess a kind and generous disposition, though, and that makes him very likeable.  

Secondary characters: I really enjoyed the reappearance of several characters from earlier stories, even types we may not normally see recurring in a cozy series.  This helps to make this newest instalment really feel like a ‘coming home’ and running into familiar folks. 

Nana D isn’t too much in the spotlight this time around but that’s okay as we get to focus on other characters.  Her behaviour at a family gathering still manages to provide one of the funniest scenes in the book.  

Gabriel comes home and I am so in love with his story.  He has a shady past.  He is /was on a journey of self-discovery.  He’s keeping his return home on the down low and he’s building his relationship with Sam. There is so much potential to explore in just this one character.  I can’t wait to read more.   

April and Kellan are at each other again.  We see a softer side, however, to the brash and indomitable sheriff.  She and Kellan are certainly trying to find a way to put up with each other and I look forward to see how this volatile relationship unfolds.

Francesca: This story line just gets juicier and jucier. But it’s not the main mystery. The author does a great job providing readers with little snippets of that drama while keeping the focus on the main storyline.

Kellan’s managed to find himself in the middle of a love quadrangle.  But it’s really cute, especially as there is no guarantee of returned feelings. Only one of these ladies has made it clear she’s interested but the chemistry is there with the others too.  Where will that delicious drama go???

The pacing is spot on in this narrative. The story starts off with a bang and the action continues from there.  The characters are evolving and remain interesting.  The bigger story arcs are intriguing and being well-developed across the books. 

Just be warned, the last page sets up the drama for Book 4.  I hate cliffhangers but I can’t really fault Jay for how he’s done it this time.  It’s pretty much a great segue!

I give Flower Power Trip 5/5 tripping espresso shots.

Disclaimer: I was a beta reader for this book but all opinions expressed here are honest and my own.