ARC Review: A Fatal Groove by Olivia Blacke

A Fatal Groove
Author: Olivia Blacke
Series: The Record Shop Mysteries (Book 2)
Publication: St. Martin's Paperbacks (July 25, 2023)

Description: It’s springtime in Cedar River, Texas. The annual Bluebonnet Festival is brewing and the whole town is in harmony. Juni Jessup and her sisters Tansy and Maggie thought opening Sip & Spin Records was going to be their biggest hurdle, but the Frappuccino hits the fan when the mayor drops dead―poisoned by their delicious coffee.

Since Tansy was the one to brew the coffee, and Juni was the unfortunate citizen who stumbled upon the mayor’s body, the sisters find themselves in hot water. Family is everything to the Jessups, so with Tansy under suspicion, the sisters spring into action.

Between the town festivities, a good old-fashioned treasure hunt, and an accidental cow in the mix, Juni will have to pull out all the stops to find the mayor’s killer.

My Thoughts: Juni Jessup is hoping for a normal Bluebonnet Festival and lots of new business for Sip & Spin - the combination record shop and coffee shop she and her sisters just opened. But when the mayor is found dead in his office clutching one of their to-go cups, Juni and her sisters need to find the killer before their reputation is ruined and oldest sister Tansy who made the coffee is convicted of the murder.

Mayor Bob has been the mayor for a long time. He's so inoffensive that everyone votes for him each election. But someone obviously wanted him dead. Could it be the head of the Town Council and Tansy's long-time rival? Or is it the guy who owns a bunch of used car lots and is dating their mother? After all, the two have been competing for years to find the lost loot stolen from the bank during a bank robbery that occurred during the Bluebonnet Festival in 1956. Or is it the mayor's long-suffering wife who had an iron-clad alibi? She was on an Alaskan Cruise when Bob dies. 

Juni is still juggling her two boyfriends. Beau was her college sweetheart but broke her heart. Now he's the only detective on the Cedar River police force and is constantly trying to keep Juni out of his investigations while trying to win her heart again. Teddy was a childhood friend who wants to have a different relationship with Juni now that they are both adults. 

This was a fun story with lots of great characters and an entertaining plot. I especially liked Juni's determination to save her family and her business. I liked the small-town setting. 

Favorite Quote:

"Is it true that he was mauled by an animal? I mean, I don't want to believe all the stories about werewolves in these parts, but if we've got jackalopes and chupacabra, why not werewolves, right?"

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.