Kathy Grant is preparing to open up the Swan's Nest by clearing out some of the brush in the lawn with the assistance of her best friend, Tori Cannon. Unfortunately, they find more than just a debris as a dead body is in the marshy area of the property. Meanwhile Tori is working odd jobs as a substitute teacher to pay the bills while trying to get Cannon Bait and Tackle solvent again and dreaming of the day she can renovate the Lotus Lodge. Anissa Jackson is assisting both Tori and Kathy with renovations while trying to get her own contracting business on its feet. Will the murdered man mean more trouble for Tori, Kathy, and Anissa? Will the opening of the Swan's Nest be successful? And what about Tori's dreams for her own business?

A REEL CATCH is the second book in the Lotus Bay Mysteries series but can be read as a standalone. However, we are seeing the relationships between Tori, Kathy, and Anissa solidify and become much stronger. I won't reveal spoilers, but there are some interesting twists in their growing friendships with locals Lucinda Bloomfield and Noreen Darcy. I'll be curious to see what the future holds. I particularly love that Lorraine Bartlett focuses on the empowerment of women even under some very trying circumstances.

I've struggled with liking all of Tori's family, including her grandfather Herb, who was a major figure in the first book, WITH BAITED BREATH. A REEL CATCH introduces us to a cousin, Amber, who is thoroughly dislikable. Oddly enough, Herb's move to Florida after his lottery win has softened him a bit (or perhaps it's his new love, Irene) and he's starting to grow on me. I won't say I'm missing him, but I'm at least starting to better understand why Tori loved him and her now deceased grandmother so much - and why the bait shop and lodge mean so much to her.

A REEL CATCH is a fun cozy mystery featuring likable women characters dealing with the struggles of small business ownership. Lorraine Bartlett does a phenomenal job at showcasing strong women in non-traditional roles. I cried, laughed, and cheered right along with Tori, Kathy, and Anissa. The Lotus Bay Mysteries series is the first series I've read by Lorraine Bartlett, but it definitely won't be the last!

Book Summary

Swans Nest Inn is about to open, and Kathy Grant solicits her BFF, Tori Cannon, to help spruce up her property at the marshy end of Lotus Bay, only they didn’t count on finding a body. Who was he? What’s his connection to their friend Paul Darcy? Meanwhile, two entrepreneurs with vast business ties are interested in helping Tori reopen the Lotus Lodge, and their real motives are as murky as the bay after a storm. Will Swans Nest open on time? Will the Lotus Lodge reopen at all?

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