The Killer Karma – 4 Star Book Review

Welcome to one of the November 3rd stops on the book blitz for The Sinister Superyacht by Ana T. Drew, organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Yes, I know, the title of this post doesn’t seem to match. The Killer Karma is the previous title in the series, and I’ve been asked to review. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for more spotlights, other reviews of book two, and a giveaway! (More on that at the end of this post.)

Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means there is no additional cost to you if you shop using my links, but I will earn a small percentage in commission. A program-specific disclaimer is at the bottom of this post.

About the Book

The Sinister Superyacht
Julie Cavallo Investigates Book Three
by Ana T. Drew

Publishing 20 November 2020
(Kindle)

Genre: Cosy Mystery
Page Count: 214
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

French tycoon Jean-Louis Ponsard is having a bad year.

Unwise investments, canceled orders, deals falling through…

In the thick of it, his yacht becomes the scene of a suspicious death, and his year of misfortune hits the bed of the Mediterranean Sea.

To make matters worse, the victim isn’t just anybody.

She’s his much-hated mother-in-law.

Onboard, caterer Julie Cavallo and her quirky grandma Rose do some poking around.

But every luxury cabin hides a secret.

Every passenger has an alibi or no reason to want the victim dead.

Discretion rules.

The crew keeps mum.

So do the marble countertops, gem-incrusted walls, and gold sinks.

When the cops take charge, things go to pieces, and not only for the Ponsard family.

Can Julie dive to the murky bottom of the sea, unravel the case, and come back up still breathing?

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Other Books in the Series

The Murderous Macaron
Julie Cavallo Investigates Book One
by Ana T. Drew

Published 5 February 2020
(Kindle)

Genre: Cosy Mystery
Page Count: 284
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

Welcome to Beldoc, a small town in the heart of Provence, imbued with lavender and fresh baked bread! You can idle around, or you can puzzle out a murder mystery.

When a man dies on her watch in her pâtisserie, newly divorced chef Julie Cavallo is dismayed.

Usually, she can bake her way out of the blues. But not this time. It isn’t that she’s a suspect. The local gendarmerie captain signs off Maurice Sauve’s death as a natural event. A heart attack.

But for a reason she won’t discuss, Julie suspects Maurice was poisoned.

What’s a girl to do? She’ll ignore the risk and seek justice for Maurice on her own!

Well, not quite on her own. Julie’s eccentric grandmother, her snarky sister and her geeky sous chef are keen to help.

The team’s amateurism is a challenge. But there’s also the pesky matter of no evidence, no clues, and soon, no body. The murder—if it was a murder—was planned and executed flawlessly.

Can a small-town baker solve the perfect crime?

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The Killer Karma
Julie Cavallo Investigates Book Two
by Ana T. Drew

Published 25 March 2020
(Kindle)

Genre: Cosy Mystery
Page Count: 218
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

Julie is certain Eric didn’t kill his ex-con dad.

The question is, can she prove it to the lead investigator?

Alone she can’t.

She needs Beldoc’s best — and, ahem, only — amateur sleuth team to get back in the game.

Luckily, her shrewd sister, their feisty grandma and toe-worshiping dog are up for the challenge.

Besides, Julie hopes to enlist the help of one hot gendarme…

Clueless but committed, the detective trio sets out to expose the real killer.

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My Review

My Rating: 5 Stars

I received a complimentary review copy of The Killer Karma from the author in exchange for an honest review through Goddess Fish Promotions as part of my participation in the blog tour for book 3, The Sinister Superyacht. Thank you to both Ana T. Drew and Goddess Fish Promotions for this opportunity! This has not swayed my opinion. My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.

“A conscientious pastry chef must intervene when their sous chef has a big problem.” When Julie Cavallo’s employee Eric is accused of murdering his own father, Julie sets about the task of clearing his name and solving the murder mystery at hand.

This is a fun, light read, as all good cozy mysteries are. Both Julie and Eric are such likable characters. I truly didn’t want the book to end because I enjoyed my time with them so much. And can I please sample some of Julie’s pastries?

I appreciate the fact that although this is an easy, quick read, the plot twists are deftly handled and I didn’t predict everything. Sometimes cozy mysteries fall into the trap of being predictable mysteries, but this one doesn’t. It’s fresh and doesn’t rely too heavily on tropes and tired storylines. I would also like to point out that this book absolutely can be enjoyed without previously reading the first book. I haven’t read book one yet, and I felt right at home and well informed with this book right from the first chapter, even though it sounds like Julie and Eric worked together on mystery-solving as well as baking in the previous book. There was certainly room for confusion about the previous plot, but the author handled the situation well, giving us any tidbits we needed.

Bring on the next book! (And the previous one, in my case.)

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About the Author

Ana T. Drew is the evil mastermind behind the recent series of murders in the fictional French town of Beldoc. When she is not writing cozy mysteries or doing mom-and-wife things, she can be found watching “The Rookie” to help her get over “Castle”. She lives in Paris but her heart is in Provence.

Visit ana-drew.com for a free cookbook and a game!

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Giveaway Alert!

One lucky follower of the tour will walk away with a $20 gift card to Amazon or Barnes & Noble, winner’s choice! Remember, visiting other stops on the tour gives you more chances to enter.

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.