Although the tour is over, you can still find out more about this book and read other reviews here.
Load the Boat: A Darla King Novel by Rosalee Richland
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Permit me to say at the outset that I did not read the first book in the series. While I may not have understood some of the references to the first book, I believe the author has done a fairly decent job of getting the readers “up to speed” on this series, and it somewhat intrigued me to go back and read the first book in the series.
This book is honestly the quintessential cozy mystery. The profanity is quite sparse to the degree that it is almost nonexistent. There are no bedroom scenes, and there are no violent or gory scenes. For that, I am immeasurably grateful. The star of the book is matronly, does not have a perfect figure, and is thrown into the thick of the investigation through no fault of her own. Readers will find some love and romance, and the action is basically uncomplicated and easy to follow.
For me, this book was a little too tame. That may sound strange in light of some book reviews I have written in the past, but I will admit that I prefer more suspense that this book provided. However, that is only a personal opinion. Notwithstanding, I thoroughly enjoyed this easy-to-read mystery, and I would certainly read another book from this author in the future. I knew virtually nothing about square dancing, and I have never been a cruise. That did not impede my true enjoyment of this book. I was not fond of Darla’s love interests, but that is a minor part of the plot. For a light, cozy mystery, I would definitely recommend this book.
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.