Venus Bixby: Book 1
Publication Date: April 23, 2024
First in the Venus Bixby Mystery series from award-winning author Valerie Taylor.
Sea breezes and fireworks fill the air in cozy Chatham Crossing, the peaceful and historic whaling town situated between Providence and Cape Cod.
Venus Bixby, owner of the forever popular music store Oldies & Goodies, is counting on the festivities over the Fourth of July weekend to propel her to a position on the prestigious Town Committee.
After years of living in the shadow of her late husband, Venus will finally be the center of attention this holiday weekend: starting with her fiftieth birthday celebration and ending as the parade’s Grand Marshal.
Faster than a cookie crumbles, her dream collapses on the morning of her party when she trips over orange platform shoes in the gardens of the Sofia Silva Whaling Museum and breaks her thumb. When it’s discovered the shoes are attached to the body of the manager of the museum’s gift shop, Venus becomes both a suspect and a sleuth in Chatham Crossing’s first murder in decades.
Given this unexpected turn of events, will Venus ever sing and dance at her birthday party, or will her fractured thumb end up in handcuffs?
Includes cookie recipes and playlist!
A Whale of a Murder by Valerie Taylor is the first book in the Venus Bixby Mystery series, and I look forward to returning to Cape Cod over and over again. Getting to know Venus, as well as the other characters, was fun and provided some laugh-out-loud moments. The characters all have so many facets to them and they feed off each other but none more than Venus and her visiting twin sister, Sherrie.
What’s a cozy mystery without an amateur sleuth or two helping the local police, whether they want assistance or not? There were many stories told, along with murders and other crimes committed. The suspect list keeps growing, with Venus and Sherrie doing much legwork to gather clues and interview some of those on their list. The story had a good flow with a lot of twists and turns. The suspect list grows larger and shrinks as people are added and taken off the list of those who could be found guilty. But is there only one guilty party or more?
I liked the interactions between the characters and the descriptions of the businesses, the Whaling Museum, the town, the parade, and especially the cookies. Music is woven throughout, especially oldies, giving off a good vibe. The solving of the crime as the clues are put together and red herrings thrown out was nicely portrayed when the whodunnit is revealed.
By the end of the book, there is closure and a festive air. I enjoyed reading the recipes and looking over the playlist at the back of the book. I can’t wait to find out what Venus and the others get involved in next.
A Whale of a Murder is a fun cozy mystery that held my interest throughout as I tried to figure out whodunnit alongside Venus, Sherrie, and the police.
Valerie Taylor tried to retire in 2016. But life had other ideas. After enjoying some of the best years of her life in Boston and Seattle, she moved back home to Connecticut and embarked on a second career as an author. Her first romantic comedy trilogy What’s Not Said, What’s Not True, and What’s Not Lost won multiple awards. Encouraged by her readers, she created a new cozy mystery series, spinning one of the secondary characters in What’s Not LOST into the role of amateur sleuth in A Whale of a Murder: A Venus Bixby Mystery. When she’s not writing or reading, Valerie enjoys practicing tai chi and being an expert sports spectator.
July 8 – Novels Alive – REVIEW
July 8 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT
July 9 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT
July 9 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
July 10 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
July 11 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
July 12 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
July 13 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
July 13 – Reading Is My SuperPower – AUTHOR GUEST POST
July 14 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 15 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 16 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT
July 16 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
July 17 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST
July 17 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
July 18 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
July 18 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
July 19 – StoreyBook Reviews – AUTHOR GUEST POST
July 20 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW
July 21 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – REVIEW
