I’m so excited to be a stop on the blog tour for author Nicole Asselin and her new book Concession Stand Crimes. It is the second book in her The Ballpark Mysteries. it was a good book.
HOTDOG, CRACKERJACK, BEER, and MURDER. PLAY BALL!
MADELINE BOUCHER is still reeling from her first few weeks of working for her family’s Independent League Baseball Team, the Abington Armadillos. She found a dead body and survived a kidnapping before finally clearing her brother of a murder. She didn’t think anything could be as dramatic as that, but she was wrong.
Her parents have given her more responsibility in running ballpark events in the hopes that they could retire and leave the team in her hands. Her brother is moving on to the big leagues, so this is her time to shine. Her first task? Deal with a concession stand kerfuffle. Redmond Brewery heiress, Alaska Redmond, storms her way into the ballpark making demands.
The next day, the son of the concession’s manager finds Redmond’s body in one of the beer stands along the ballpark concourse. Again, Madeline finds herself immersed in an investigation. While the suspects start piling up, including a promising young player on the team, Madeline knows she must get involved. With the help of Davis, her new love interest and head of the security department, she delves deeper into the death of the heiress.
Trying to run team events, solve a murder, and have a normal life take their toll as Madeline comes to depend on those in her baseball-loving community, including Bronia, her old family friend who runs a garden center and helps her make sense of things. She even chances a psychic for advice while at a Salem Warlock’s away game. Will anyone help her untangle the mess of suspects including the victim’s family?
Can she clear the name of the Abington Armadillos and start focusing on the season?
Review:
The characters are well rounded and well developed. Madeline has been given more responsibilities with the minor league team, the Abington Armadillos. But before she has a chance to do very much, another body is found. Now she has to be involved with finding the murderer along with all of her other duties. With the help of her family and friends she will have to figure out the culprit.
The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The author is talented in her descriptive writing and that helped pull me into the story from the very beginning. The mystery was well plotted and I was not sure who the killer was until it was revealed at the end.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I really enjoyed this book because it involved something that I love–baseball.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book and provided my honest review.
Nicole Asselin spent her formative high school years in the middle of Pennsylvania but always identified with her New England roots. Nicole’s family is originally from Connecticut, and her Grandpa Asselin introduced her to the Red Sox nation where she has been a member for her whole life and her Grandma Asselin introduced her to the world of mystery novels. Now those two loves are combined into her new Ballpark Mystery series.
Nicole graduated from Curry College in Milton Mass with a degree in English/Creative Writing, minoring in Dance in 2004. She also attended George Mason University and received a Master’s in Arts Management. She worked in the Government sector for over ten years before transitioning to Healthcare. Now working just outside of Boston as a Technical Writer, she lives on the South Shore of Massachusetts with her three cats Julia, Jacques, and Madeline (no relation to the main character of her book).
We’re just inviting you to take a timeout into the rhythmic ambiance of our breakfast, brunch and/or coffee selections. We are happy whenever you stop by.
mjbreviewers 