I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from . This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Wrecked by Rum
by Lucy Lakestone
Series: Bohemia Bartenders Mysteries #2
Series Rating:
Published by Velvet Petal Press on August 18, 2020
Genres: Mystery
Pages: 300
Format: Kindle
Goodreads
BookBub
Get Your Copy at: Amazon
Also in this series: Risky Whiskey
When rum collectors collide ...
When mixologist Pepper Revelle joins the Bohemia Bartenders for what promises to be an entertaining, rum-soaked tiki convention in sultry South Florida, she expects divine ukuleles, sublime swizzles and a chance to know chief bartender Neil a little better. What she gets is chaos — the death of a high-profile rum collector, a cast of sneaky suspects, and ten thousand limes to squeeze.
With one of their own under suspicion, Pepper and Neil set out to find the real killer. But behind the aloha shirts and cocktail parasols is a blender full of secrets. The centerpiece of the convention is a high-dollar tasting of rums that survived a shipwreck and other disasters, and when a precious bottle vanishes from the crime scene, everyone with a ticket is a suspect.
As Pepper tries to keep the insatiable crowd inebriated and her gregarious dog Astra sober, she finds peril under every palm tree. It seems like everybody’s guilty of something. But who’s guilty of murder? And can she and Neil find the culprit before they’re smacked like the mint in a Mai Tai?
WRECKED BY RUM is the second book in the Bohemia Bartenders Mysteries, funny whodunits with a dash of romance set in a convivial collective of cocktail lovers, eccentrics, and mixologists. These cozy culinary comedies contain a hint of heat, a splash of cursing and shots of laughter, served over hand-carved ice.
Wrecked by Rum by Lucy Lakestone is a fast-paced mystery, with lots of spicy rum drinks, some pirate tales, murder, and a missing one of a kind lost for ages bottle of rum.
Will Pepper and Neil find the person who killed Fizz Martin before Luke ends up in jail?
The Mystery
Pepper and Neil are back together, trying to solve a murder at the latest bartending conference in Fort Lauderdale. These bartenders sure seem to be in the wrong places at the wrong place a lot. Pepper finds Fizz Martin dead in the kitchen, with Luke, one of the other Bohemia Bartenders, bending over his body with blood on his hands. And the priceless bottle of rum Fizz had is missing.
Pepper and the Bohemia Bartenders
The Bohemia Bartenders are stretched relatively thin between their bartending schedule, the convention, and trying to clear Luke’s name. Pepper also has the added responsibility of caring for her dog, who she had to bring to the convention. Astra is also being cared for by Pepper’s business partner’s younger sister. However, Astra likes to eat things that she shouldn’t, she also helps find a clue or two.
I like the banter between Neil and Pepper, but seriously she needs to get to know him before they go farther. He is holding back for a reason, and Pepper needs to figure out what that is first. Neil is a pretty cool guy who has a specific style that sets him apart from the crowd.
Four Stars
The story is entertaining, and the characters are developing nicely. The setting is fabulous. All the different rum drinks sound amazing. And the mystery is good, easy to follow. I knew who did it right away. Pepper just needed to figure out how. I am incredibly interested in the mystery around Neil’s grandfather.
If you like a mystery with a bit more than a cozy, this series is for you. Pepper is not the average sleuth, but that was easy to figure out since she is a bartender.
The cocktail recipe is Pina Pele.
First Book in the Series
Coming November 2020
Movies, murder, and too much vodka …
Mixologist Pepper Revelle is thrilled the Bohemia Bartenders’ latest gig is in her backyard: a cocktail-themed film festival that draws all the usual suspects to Bohemia Beach. But good suspects are in short supply when a body wearing an antique gold coin necklace washes up on the Florida sand.
Pepper’s colleague and elusive crush Neil fears the worst for his grandfather, a treasure hunter who’s been missing for months. Meanwhile, Pepper’s big-bearded ex-boyfriend, an obnoxious celebrity mixologist with a TV crew in tow, is convinced someone’s trying to kill him, too. To Pepper’s dismay, he begs her for protection.
Stir in a couple of desperate Hollywood stars, a pushy producer, dashing distillers, a frantic festival chairman, a garnish-eating dog, vats of vodka, and a double dose of danger, and Pepper’s patience is poised to pop like popcorn. Can the mixologists shake up a solution to multiple mysteries before they’re skewered like the olive in a martini?
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Wrecked by Rum by Lucy Lakestone.
Until the next time,
This Guest Review is for Baroness’ Book Trove.
About Lucy Lakestone
Lucy Lakestone is an award-winning author who lives on Florida’s east-central coast, among the towns that serve as an inspiration for the hot romances of her Bohemia Beach Series and the jumping-off point for the Bohemia Bartenders Mysteries. She’s been a journalist, photographer, editor, and video producer but prefers living in her imagination, where the moon is full and the cocktails are divine.
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