Still as Death is the second instalment in the Lucky Whiskey Mystery series. I requested it as an ARC from NetGalley before I had read the first in the series. Which is a bit of a risk. As it turned out, I didn’t like the first book. So with some hesitation I picked up the second book.

It’s a few months after the events of the first book. Charlotte throws a surprise birthday party for the granddad and Marcus Savage shows up in town. Savage is a hot shot actor and former boyfriend of Charlotte. And very intent on getting engaged to Charlotte.

Actually, at the party he manages to slip a ring on her finger that she can’t get off. When Charlotte visits Marcus the next day to end the accidental engagement, he gets violent and says she has to marry him. Charlotte escapes. The next morning sheriff Danny Gett informs her Marcus is dead.

Charlotte and Brodie team up again to investigate a murder. But after dismissing themselves, their only suspect is cousin Evan. No one else in town knew Marcus (other than as the famous actor, I guess). Rather then focus on who knew Marcus, their investigation should focus on why was it so important for Marcus to marry Charlotte? What would he have stood to gain by it?

Spoiler

That question is asked, about 90% into the story.

A lot of pretty obvious questions are not asked. Such as how was Grace able to see the colour of the car in the dark - after she stated she could barely make out the cars - and even notice it had rust on the hood? Colour is the first thing you stop seeing when it gets dark. Heck, Charlotte doesn’t even ask why she’s turned down for a loan when the bank calls to inform her of such.

As a result, Charlotte only considers the usually suspects. And though I recognise that every series needs some recurring characters, it’s quite different when they are recurring murder suspects.

I read an ARC through NetGalley.