Sarah Winston makes a living by running garage sales for other people. She's also the ex-wife of the current chief of police, CJ. So things get complicated when she's running a garage sale for an older couple and when someone pulls down a sheet to see what's under it, they find the battered body of Mr. Spencer, with his wife nearby, unconscious.

Then, making everything more complicated is the sudden appearance of her younger brother, Luke, whom she hasn't heard from in years. When he arrives bedraggled and tired at her door, she can't turn him away. But she finds herself having to keep his appearance a secret from CJ, and while she wants to know why Luke is there, she doesn't want to drive him away by asking too many questions. Then, when he's suspected in Mr. Spencer's death, she needs to clear his name...

The rest of the review has major spoilers, which, if you'd like to, you can see here: https://joannesbooks.blogspot.com/2020/04/a-good-day-to-buy-sarah-winston-garage... ( )

Sherry Harris does it again in this latest addition to the Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery series. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, in fact, it is the best I have read so far. If you have not visited Ellinton Massachusetts in this series, it is time you did.

Sarah Winston is divorced from ex-military, now Sheriff, C.J. They have begun dating again and it seems a remarriage may be in the future. While running her latest garage sale at the Spencers, she discovers Mr. Spencer, a veteran, dead in the garage and his wife unconcious on the floor beside him. When she returns home that day, she answers her door only to find her estranged brother Luke standing there. As CJ investigates the crime, Luke becomes a suspect in the murder when his fingerprints are found in the garage. Of course, this causes Sarah to begin her own investigation to exonerate her brother. As another body turns up, Sarah once again finds herself in danger. When she begins to have suspicions about a group of visitors to the town, CJ tries to get her to stop her questions and interference. Will she be able to find the true murderer? What is Luke really involved in? Will Sarah and CJ proceed to the next step in their relationship?

The plot is well paced, and the characters are well developed. It is easy to get a good sense of Sarah through her interactions with the other characters. She continues to be loyal and stand up for thsoe she cares about. She is honest and not afraid to turn in her brother if she finds evidence that he did kill Mr. Spencer. I did not have any idea who the murderer was and the twist at the end of the story was very good. At the end of the book there are some tips for yard sale buyers and sellers. I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy mystery. I recommend this book to cozy mystery lovers out there. This is a good series. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley. ( )

Book received from NetGalley.

Even though this book is the fourth in a series, you really don't need to read the other books to keep up with what is going on in this book. The main character helps others have profitable garage sales. Unfortunately, Sarah Winston finds a body in the garage and she's off to solve the mystery that goes along with it. I do have to admit some of the parts of the book seem formulaic in Cozy mysteries, especially since there are so many out there in the genre. What made me raise my rating from a 3 star to a 4 star, was the fact the author used the book to bring out an issue that many of our Veterans are dealing with. It was cute, and a very quick read. ( )

A Good Day to Buy by Sherry Harris is the fourth book in A Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery series. Sarah Winston is helping Verne and Velma Spencer downsize their collections for a move to Florida. Today is garage sale day, and Velma keeps trying to reclaim items. Her husband, Verne takes her inside, and Sarah gets ready to bargain. Later in the morning, a customer attempts to enter an off-limits area in the garage that Sarah has cordoned off with sheets. Behind the sheets, Sarah discovers the couple on the floor. Verne is dead, but Velma still has a pulse. Through the back door of the garage, Sarah sees a man fleeing into the woods. After giving her statement to the police, Sarah is home enjoying a Fluffernutter sandwich (marshmallow Fluff and peanut butter) when there is a knock at the door. It is Sarah’s estranged brother, Luke who is twitchy and acting cagey. He needs a place to stay and asks Sarah not to tell anyone that he is there especially C.J. (Chief of Police and Sarah’s ex-husband/current paramour). Luke tells Sarah that he is an investigative reporter working on a story. Luke stays a short time, but he is soon gone without a word. When Luke’s fingerprints turn up in the Spencer’s garage and he becomes a “person of interest”, Sarah knows she must take action. Sarah finds a notebook of Luke’s in the couch that contains a list of names. Sarah hopes that Luke’s research will lead her to him. She knows her brother did not hurt the Spencer’s. Now, she has to prove it and then explain her deception to C.J. Sarah will need to stay alert and on her toes, because she is not the only person trying to find Luke!

A Good Day to Buy is nicely written and has a good pace (and flow). A Good Day to Buy can be read alone. The needed background information on Sarah is provided in the book (and she has a complicated history). There are some wonderful descriptions of antiques in the book. I love vintage items and there are several objects described that I want to own. I give A Good Day to Buy 4 out of 5 stars. I am not a fan of the romance in this series. I was very disappointed to see Sarah take up with her ex-husband again (I preferred her with Seth). He strikes me as a self-centered individual, and he does not seem happy with the new Sarah (who she has become since the divorce). I believe Sarah is with him because it is comfortable, easy, and familiar. It will be interesting to see what happens between C.J. and Sarah in the next book. The murder mystery was complex and a delight to solve. I believe many readers will be stumped by this one. The secondary storyline regarding veterans was shocking (spoiler). There are some handy garage sale tips at the end of the book. I enjoyed A Good Day to Buy better than the previous book in the series. I was especially grateful that Ms. Harris cut down on the Fluffernutter sandwich references (makes me queasy just thinking about them). I was surprised by the cliffhanger ending (and disappointed). I hope the author will resolve the issue early in the next book and not drag it out (sorry, but I do not want to spoil it for anyone). ( )

Although this is Sherry Harris's fourth Garage Sale mystery, it's the first one I've read, and I'm happy to say that A Good Day to Buy works very well as a standalone. I didn't feel lost once, nor did I feel bogged down in backstory. I was a bit reluctant to read a book that focuses on garage sales, but Sarah Winston doesn't focus on just those. We also read about her attendance at estate sales as well as working with art and antiques. So it's not just about people's "cast-off junk." (I think Harris also managed to raise my opinion of garage sales as I read.)

This is an excellent, multi-layered mystery that revolves around Sarah's estranged brother. It's a chance for readers to learn some of the main character's family dynamics... speaking of which, the relationship she has with her ex-husband is an interesting one. Sarah Winston is a main character I rapidly grew to like, and I had to smile when her friend Gennie laid down the law and insisted Sarah learn self-defense after finding herself in a dangerous situation once again. I know of several other main characters in cozy mystery series who should do the same thing. Gennie could have a flourishing career.

The mystery is solved in A Good Day to Buy, but the book ends on a cliffhanger with Sarah's personal life. I was very impressed with my first Garage Sale mystery, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if I visit Sarah Winston again-- especially to see how that cliffhanger turns out. ( )