A Reference to Murder
Author; Kym Roberts
Publisher: Lyrical Underground

Charli (Princess) Rae Warren is back home in Hazel Rock, Texas after many years. Working in her father’s bookshop, The Book Barn leaves her a lot of free time to buy and sell, as well as read book. She takes over the running the bookstore with gusto and is happy for most of the time, except when there is a murderer on the loose.

Charli keeps busy with a fundraising auction and the big rodeo event that’s come to town. All of this means dealing with big egos, including that of the favorite cowboy Dalton Hibbs, a blond, blue-eyed bull rider who gets drunk and disappears.

Dalton’s brother vanished seven years ago, and it looks like Dalton is following in his footsteps. She comes across two graves in the middle of nowhere while looking for him, she along with everyone else believes the bodies to be those of Dalton and his missing brother. But when fingers start pointing at her best friend, Scarlet she teams up with the local sheriff to find the killer.

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Kym Roberts has crafted a fast-paced, easy to follow the story. Her characters are rounded and developed and very believable and a good representation of the town and the main focus of the plot. Charli gets into more trouble than anyone could even imagine and this makes her very likable. She also puts her nose where it doesn’t belong and almost gets it cut off for the effort. The interaction between her, Scarlet and the principle characters is full of action

It is difficult to figure out which of the men in her life, Cade or Mateo is the real love interest. Although both characters are interesting, they are both equally hard to understand where Charli is concerned. This situation is a real problem for Charli as she tries to figure out which man she wants to be with if either or any. Although the killer was somewhat obvious the villain's motive was not until the very end.

This is an enjoyable read and should appeal to readers who like a bit of country and a cozy that lets your imagination roam. This book is recommended.
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A Reference to Murder by Kym Roberts
Book #2: Book Barn Mystery Series
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 4½/5 stars
My Review:

For a small town, Hazel Rock, Texas sure does have its fair share of drama and no matter how hard she tries to avoid it, Charli Rae Warren keeps finding herself right in the middle of it all! To be sure, when Charli signed on to help with the annual fundraising rodeo, she didn’t expect to find herself smack in the middle of a double murder investigation and she sure as hell didn’t expect to find her best friend as the main suspect. Really, what does a girl have to do to stay out of trouble in Hazel Rock???

When Charli signed on to help with the annual rodeo, she had no idea she would bust wide open a cold case involving the disappearance of a rodeo star. All Charli wants to do is run her silent auction, complete her volunteer hours at the rodeo, and see a lot of money go to a good cause. Unfortunately, her best-friend is involved with one of the rodeo stars, the rodeo star, Dalton Hibbs who has a huge ego and propensity for causing trouble. Though Charli wants to support her best-friend and the happiness she’s clearly found with her rodeo man, Charli is distrustful and has real issues with his treatment of her friend.

As it happens, Charli has reason to be distrustful when Dalton goes missing just days before the rodeo is due to start. What’s more, as Charli begins asking questions, she once again finds herself in hot water. Her questions seem to be right on point if the man with the branding iron hell bent on hurting her can be used as proof. Her best friend’s home is broken into and when Charli and her friend track Dalton’s cell phone, they find the unthinkable, not one, but two graves and one of them is fresh. As you might well expect, the local law (the super-hot Mateo!) isn’t at all pleased with Charli’s meddling. Though she promises Mateo to stay out of the investigation, Charli is far too curious for her own good and finds herself even deeper in the mess than ever before. Before it’s all said and done, Charli finds herself in more danger than she’s ever been in before and with a new best-friend, the inflatable donut!

The Bottom Line: This series has found its feet for me and I liked this book even better than the first, Fatal Fiction. Charli is officially welcomed back to town and has worked tirelessly to make the Book Barn Princess an even larger and more successful part of the community. She’s on good terms with her dad, has accepted the fact she has a pink armadillo as a pet, and is eternally frustrated by two sexy men who can’t seem to figure out precisely what they want. One of my favorite parts of this book, and a quality I hope to see in later installments of the series, is Charli’s marked determination to stay out of trouble and then landing in the thick of it. She exasperates the cops, worries her father to no end, and pushes the limits of her health insurance. I’m sort of smitten with Charli Rae Warren and look forward to her next adventure 😊 ( )