I adored the book - it had cute moments, southern comfort, quirky characters who weren't so other the top it was annoying, a layered story-line that had different directions, reasonably plausible suspects, a love interest that wasn't boring, a dark history in a cozy, a cute dog, and a three hour swamp tour.

Oh, and alligators and olive oil.

And nudists!

Eva Knox may be gifted with family property and a small town to return to when the going gets tough, but she's also cursed with some strange and somewhat bitchy siblings. Her ex isn't a prize but he becomes an even bigger problem when he visits the town and ends up making her a prime suspect. It's nothing new to have a cop as a love interest, but these two have history. It's a bit dicier than normal since this isn't the sweet boy next door romance introduced in a cozy like normal - he has a girl who is already hanging on to his arm and they have mama drama with the in-laws. Throw in missing brides at wedding history and yeah....not as simple as the usual paint-by-numbers cozy romance.

The Ian Collier next door is a little out there and far-fetched but hey, the whole story can't just be about alligator sightings and swamp trails. That tour was beyond funny, by the way, but it creeped me out too when our heroine took a plunge into a lake she needed to stay out of. *shudders*

Another unusual aspect of this is the language - for a cozy mystery they usually dot their i's and cross their t's when it comes to substituting cussing (gasp!) but here we get some realistic dialogue for a change. Win.

I did want to slap her sister around sometimes, but this is a fun one.

This was an enjoyable read. I would recommend it to others looking for a quick, light read. I havent read the first one but I will probably check it out now.

I have to say that this is one of the few books that I just did not finish. This is not the first in the series, and I have not read the others. For this series, that is a detriment - there is a lot going on that links back to the earlier books.

I had a hard time connecting to the characters, and figuring out who was who.

Dipped to Death by Kelly Lane is the third An Olive Grove Mystery. Eva Knox works as the head of public and guest relations for her family’s inn and olive farm known as Knox Plantation in Abundance, Georgia. Eva was surprised the previous day when one of her ex-fiancés, Dudley Dexter “Dex” Codman III arrived at the inn with colleagues from Perennial Paper. She is surprised and suspicious of his presence in her hometown especially when they claim they are going to be birdwatching (Dex is not a birdwatcher or nature lover). After finishing the housekeeping chores, Eva with her dog, Dolly heads for a relaxing afternoon at the lake. She spots something in the tall weeds and checks it out. Eva finds Dex naked and dead. Since Eva had a very loud and public argument with Dex the previous evening, she is a prime suspect in his death. Eva starts digging to find out what Dex and his cohorts have been up to while in town. She needs to work quickly because the evidence is stacking up against her. Someone is not happy with her snooping and attempts to scare Eva away. What was Dex up to that got him killed?

Dipped to Death may be the third book in the series, but it can be read alone. This book is for readers who enjoy light, humorous cozy mysteries. Eva is one of those female main characters who bumbles and stumbles her way through the book. Eva does all the work while her sister, Daphne sits around giving orders and playing the genteel Southern hostess (with her pearls and exaggerated Southern accent). She is doing the housekeeping chores because the girls Daphne hired are daughters of friends and they rarely show up for work (of course). Personally, I would tell Daphne where she could stuff it, but Eva just takes what her sisters dishes out. Readers get to enjoy all of Eva’s rambling thoughts along with everything she eats and drinks. Dolly, Eva’s dog, was a delightful addition to the story. There are two love interests for Eva (a love triangle). Buck Tanner, the local sheriff and her first ex-fiancé, who calls her “baby doll” (I began to wonder if he knew her real name) all the time. Ian Collier owns the estate next door and is hiding a secret. Eva spends a great deal of time ogling the two men and acting like a twit in their presence. The author has a descriptive writing style (every little detail is described) that allows readers to visualize the scenes and includes Southern colloquialisms. I did tire of the repetition (I got it the first time) and felt the book was too long (366 pages). I did like the information on the benefits of olive leaf extract. It was informative and interesting. The murder occurs early in the book (it was obvious who would be killed). There are some good clues that will aid readers in identifying the person who committed the dastardly deed. Dipped to Death does contain foul language, copious amounts of alcohol and what I term “raunchy” talk which is very unusual for a cozy mystery. I am giving Dipped to Death is 3 stars.

Quirky and highly entertaining, Dipped to Death provides a marvelous murder mystery, an intriguing cast and just the perfect amount of southern charm. Lane's writing style reminds me of Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire series less the paranormal flare. Now, I have to back read the series since I started on book 3 and I have to know what I missed.

I received this ARC copy of Dipped to Death from Berkley Publishing Group. This is my honest and voluntary review. Dipped to Death is set for publication March 6, 2018.

My Rating: 5 Stars
Written by: Kelly Lane
Print Length: 366 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0425277240
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: March 6, 2018
Sold by: Penguin Group (USA) LLC
Genre: Contemporary Romance | Murder Mystery

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I enjoyed this book, I love a good southern cozy and this guy the bill. There was profanity in this book, which I honestly could do without. The characters are interesting, I enjoyed Eva and her family. The mystery was very interesting and I wasn't sure who the killer was to the last couple chapters. I would recommend this book to any southern cozy fan

Dipped to Death by Kelly Lane is a fantastic addition to the cozy mystery family.
Stumbling over dead bodies is not normal, but it's something that happens quite often to Eva.

Having commitment issues seems to be a huge problem with Eva, especially when a jilted fiancee shows up at Knox Plantation, several years later.

Eva doesn't want to tell her family about Dex, and she certainly doesn't want to admit the reasons behind the break up.

When Dex turns up dead, Eva becomes the prime suspect. She may have hated him, but she certainly didn't kill him.
She soon uncovers some shady characters who are pulling a huge scam.
Let's hope Eva has time to find the answers before it's too late.

I voluntarily read an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley.

Return to Eva Knox’s family’s olive farm/plantation guest house in Lane’s newest cozy murder mystery. This time, it’s Eva herself who’s a prime suspect in the murder of her ex-boyfriend, Dex. He and a bunch of snow bird investors arrive at the plantation to go “bird watching”. It’s been years since Eva and Dex were together and she’s suspicious of why the now Boston resident would return to Georgia. When she finds him floating face down in the bayou and authorities deem he was poisoned by one of her olive oils, Eva has a lot of explaining to do….and a killer to catch. I loved this book, it was full of Southern sass, heat, humidity and a tree climbing dog