Another slow meandering choppy book which reads more like ideas than a finished manuscript. I don’t know what it is with this series, Mary Ellen Hughes has put out great books in the past, but this one, in particular, falls flat.

As the Keepsake Cove Spring Festival is gearing up, Callie Reed soon learns her ex-boyfriend Hank, and his new band will be performing. Thinking this would be the most traumatic event of the weekend, things suddenly turn sideways when the band’s manager, Bobby Linville, is found dead and Hank is the prime suspect.

With nowhere else to turn, Callie is called to Hank’s aid and with her meandering investigative skills called into use again, since there is no officer in sight, Callie, with the help of her friends have to put the pieces together and in doing so, uncover a couple of other secrets in their quiet little cove.

The most challenging thing about this book is not putting it down to find something else to read. Though short, there is too much filler and not enough side story to keep the burdensome dialogue forefront in your mind.

Is Callie's belief in Hank justified?
A Curio Killing by Mary Ellen Hughes is a sweet cozy set in Keepsake Cove. This town must be the collector's paradise with entire stores dedicated to individual collectibles. Callie and Lyssa have solved a murder or two before this one.

Callie
Callie is our main character, sleuth, and point-of-view. She is also the owner and operator of House of Melody, in the town of Keepsake Cove. Callie has quite a few friends there and enjoys her life. Well, until her ex-boyfriend shows up and is accused of killing his band manager. Now, Callie must dust off her sleuthing boots and figure out who killed Bobby.

I like Callie, she has compassion, works hard, and tries to help everyone out. You don't see that too often. She has a lovely shop that, for the most part, was doing well, a sweet little cottage, and a cuddly cat. Oh, and a new and improved boyfriend too. The only thing is Callie should listen to her first impression of people. Callie needs to trust herself more and tell people if she is going to meet someone for the first time.

Mystery
The mystery was well-plotted, and I had an idea of the culprit early on just because of Callie's thoughts and view of the murder's previous actions. The town of Keepsake Cove is unique, and the characters are intriguing. I enjoyed the story.
The subplots with Hank and the festival helped complete the story. I adore the budding relationship between Callie and Brian. They make a good team. Let's hope they can make it.

One other thing that I liked was that the police weren't involved until they were needed. There weren't any strained relationships or confrontations with the police in this installment.

4 Stars for A Curio Killing by Mary Ellen Hughes
My rating for A Curio Killing is four stars. It is a great cozy worthy of a recommendation. It is available now, so check it out.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of A Curio Killing by Mary Ellen Hughes.

Anyways, until next time,
Karen the Baroness

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.

Callie Reed lives in the small town of Keepsake Cove, where she owns a music box shop and sometimes helps solve mysteries! When her musician ex-boyfriend Hank comes to town, Callie is not glad to see him reappear. She is even more upset, though, when he is wrongly accused of killing the band's manager. She decides to help clear Hank's name, even though doing so puts her in jeopardy.

A Curio Killing is book 3 of the Keepsake Cove mystery series. I really enjoy this series. I especially love the setting. As described in the book:

"But she still had plenty to do just readying her music box shop for the influx of new customers expected to flood the streets of the Cove during the spring festival. But that, of course, was the whole point of it— bringing people to the area, some of whom might not yet have discovered Keepsake Cove and its bevy of specialty shops, each featuring a unique type of collectible item. Delia’s Shake It Up! offered a huge variety of collectible salt and pepper shakers. On the other side of Callie’s shop, Karl Eggers’s Carlectibles carried classic and collectible model cars. Then there were Bill and Laurie Hart’s Kids at Heart vintage toy shop, Orlena Martin’s Treasured Boxes, and many, many more. The Cove was a section of the town of Mapleton, which featured the more routine though essential kind of places, such as grocery stores and banks. But Keepsake Cove was a collector’s dream, and more than one shopper had been hooked after a single visit to the area." (Kindle location 67)

The mystery in this novel was interesting. I liked the glimpses it gave us into Callie's life before Keepsake Cove, and I appreciated her loyalty to her ex-boyfriend Hank, and her determination to clear his name. There were a number of plausible suspects and the mystery kept me guessing until the end.

Callie took a couple of big risks that had me saying "no!!!" to the book, but I think it is part of her character to leap before thinking at times.

I liked Callie's relationship with Brian (would actually like to read more about their romance) and her friendships with Delia and Lyssa and the other shop owners.

This novel has a leisurely pace that suits the charming small town setting. It was not a fast read but it is one that I really enjoyed. I look forward to reading the next book in this series and recommend A Curio Killing (and this entire series) to cozy mystery readers, and especially to anyone who enjoys picturesque small town settings.

A Curio Killing
(Keepsake Cove Mystery #3)
by Mary Ellen Hughes 

Kindle Edition, 264 pages
Published September 8th 2019 by Midnight Ink


Goodreads synopsis:
Callie finds treble in Keepsake Cove when her ex-boyfriend is framed for murder
Callie Reed is looking forward to her first Keepsake Cove spring festival. But her excitement dims considerably when she learns that her ex-boyfriend, Hank, will be performing with one of the hired country-western bands. Callie vows to keep her distance, but that changes when the band's manager, Bobby Linville, is found dead, killed with the music box Hank bought at Callie's shop.
Hank is soon singing a sad tune in a detention center with Callie his only lifeline. Though thoroughly aware of his many faults, she knows violence and murder aren't in his blood. But that means one of her fellow Keepsake Cove residents must be hiding a dark secret—something Callie desperately needs to uncover.

***

4.5 Stars

This is the third book in the Keepsake Cove Mystery series by Mary Ellen Hughes.

This was my first book in this series and I wasn’t disappointed.

Callie Reed is visiting a local town festival where her ex-boyfriend, Hank is performing on stage. He obviously still had the hots for her due to his new song’s title, Missing You. Then after an argument with his band manager the man winds up dead and Hank is suspect number one. I am not entirely sure why Callie felt the need to search around for his killer. The way the author explained his past behavior made me think that the man could have possibly done it.

I wouldn’t have touched this crap with a ten foot pole. But some main characters in these things are gluttons for punishment, I think. The entire scenario could have blown up in Callie’s face considering her new relationship with restaurant owner Brian. Even Callie’s mother tried to get her away from the entire situation by moving up her upcoming knee surgery and requesting her assistance during the transition time.

There was a lot of downtime for Callie during this book especially after a fire knocked out power for many of the businesses in town. I wasn’t as familiar with the recurring cast to quickly pick out who I thought might have set Hank up, but I thought the revealing of the bad guy was a particularly nice touch and it really ramped up the tension

Great story with great characters. I will definitely want to visit this berg again.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

A Curio Killing by Mary Ellen Hughes is about Callie Reed who is looking forward to her first Keepsake Cove spring festival. She is upset to learn her ex-boyfriend will be performing with one of the country-western bands. Then Band manager, Bobby Linville, is found dead, killed with a music box that Hank purchased at Callie’s shop, House of Melody. Hank is arrested. Callie must solve the murder to help Hank, even though they are separated. There is also a deep-held secret that Callie is searching for the truth. I liked the town of Keepsake Cove. The characters were great, except for Hank. His character did not appreciate all the efforts Callie put out to find the killer of the band manager. The plot was well thought out with some great twists and turns toward the end.

A CURIO KILLING by Mary Ellen Hughes
The Third Keepsake Cove Mystery

Spring is blossoming and Keepsake Cove is celebrating with its Spring Festival. After inheriting her aunt's music box shop, Callie Reed is looking forward to her first festival and while she won't have a booth at the event is anticipating big crowds checking out House of Melody. She's thrown for a loop when she hears a too familiar baritone voice in her shop. It turns out her ex-boyfriend Hank's new band is headlining the festival. The festival however, ends abruptly after the first night when the band's manager is found murdered and Hank is arrested. Hank may be many things, but Callie is certain he's no killer. With the police certain they have their man, Callie is determined to find the real murderer. It turns out that several people in town knew the manager, and none of them had good memories. Could the murderer be Lyssa's new landscaper, Delia's house guest with the hot temper, or Krystal the current small business association's president? Or could Hank be the killer after all?

How far would you go to help an ex? Callie has to walk a thin line as she doesn't want to encourage Hank to think there's a possibility of renewing their relationship and she doesn't want to upset Brian and ruin their burgeoning romance, yet, believing he couldn't be culpable and knowing he has no one else, Callie feels duty bound to help. And help she does, keeping Brian appraised of her actions as well as her reasoning and having Lyssa in the loop helping out.

The third Keepsake Cove Mystery had my brain engaged and kept me engrossed in the mystery. There are lots of interesting threads promoting several possible motives introduced to muddy up the investigation. The final confrontation had my heart pounding as I fought along with Callie.

A CURIO KILLING is a well plotted mystery filled with interesting characters. I enjoyed my time in Keepsake Cove and look forward to returning.

A Curio Killing is the third book in this series and though I haven’t read the previous books at times I wish that I had to be a better back story on certain things however, it didn’t stop my enjoyment of this instalment. Keepsake Cove sounds like an amazing little place, and is the perfect setting for this cozy mystery. Callie is all settled and looking forward to her first Keepsake Cove spring festival, but what she wasn’t banking on was her ex boyfriend Hank and his band being the headlining act! Hank was a cheat and broke Callie’s heart so I found it a bit odd as to why she would drop everyone and everything in order to prove that Hank was not a murderer when he is accused of killing the band’s manager, Bobby.

There were several times I was shaking my head at her putting her new relationship with Brian on the line to help Hank. For someone who broke heart in such a way she seemed to want to risk everything.

Apart from that niggle with Callie, I really enjoyed this cozy mystery, it was slow pace building up the reveal of the true killer, I cant wait to go back to Keepsake Cove and see what is in store for Callie.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

In this 3rd Keepsake Cove Mystery House of Melody owner Callie Reed is excited about the upcoming Spring Festival. She is totally caught off guard when her ex-boyfriend Hank walks into her shop and informs her his band will be headlining the entertainment for the festival. She is even more shocked when he purchases a pricey music box. She plans to enjoy the festival with new boyfriend Brian, keeping any contact with Hank to a minimum.

Then the band’s manager is murdered and the murder weapon happens to be the music box Hank purchased the day before. Like a familiar country song, Hank finds himself behind bars pleading his innocence and begging a woman (Callie) for her help. She believes he didn’t do it but she has no idea who would have killed the man. It could be someone who calls Keepsake Cove home.

__

The core characters in this series are an eclectic group and they are joined this time some great new characters, some who make very good suspects. Keepsake Cove residents, Hank and the members of his band. Delia’s costume photographer friend Jill, and Callie’s mom who is reaching out by phone for Callie’s help too. I am glad Brian is such a fantastic boyfriend. He was patient and didn’t get too freaked out by Callie’s determination to help her ex, but it was easy to see he was not happy. She also leaves the music box shop in her assistant’s hands a lot while she is “investigating”. She is blessed by the people in her life that stood by her side as she helped a man that had really hurt her in the past.

The mystery had its share of twists and turns. There turned out to be more suspects than originally perceived. Secrets revealed really took the case in a different direction. I was surprised by the way everything played out.

Keepsake Cove, a collector shopper’s dream come true, is an ideal place for cozy mysteries to take place. I would love to visit all the unique shops at any time of year. The author’s words also bring another area to life. She does an excellent job laying out the festival grounds too, making it very easy for readers to visualize.

There was something missing from this book that I loved about the others. That being Tabitha’s surprising over-the-top clothing and accessory choices that would surprise Callie and visitors to House of Melody, i.e. a new character each day. This time she was so focused on building her jewelry business and filling in for Callie, her uniqueness took a backseat. With a more serious Tabitha, some of the humor found in previous books was lost.

That being said A Curio Killing is a fine addition to this series. With the publisher closing its doors I hope the author finds a way to continue it because I sure would love to visit Keepsake Cove and these characters again soon.

Keepsake Cove is a strange little town filled with collector shops. Old friends and new are intertwined. The mystery kept me guessing. Charming series.

A great mystery which is surprisingly dark for a cozy, A Curio Killing is book three in the ‘Keepsake Cove Mystery’ series.

Cassie Reed is going about her life making ends meet and running her shop, House of Melody, selling unusual music boxes, alongside all of the other collectables businesses in her little town, including Shake It Up! - a shop selling salt & pepper shakers. Keepsake Cove, Maryland is a wonderful, quaint little place and the townsfolk regularly hold events for business promotion. This time, it is the weekend of the Spring Festival with various entertainments on offer for the event-goers such as a band, fancy dress photography, craft stalls and line-dancing. During the festivities, a dead body is found. A previous beau of Callie’s, Hank, the hired band’s guest singer, is considered to be the main suspect but he maintains that he is not the perpetrator. Callie turns amateur-sleuth but will she able to find out the truth before she is next on the hit list?

I loved down-to-earth and inquisitive Callie although she did have a tendency towards procrastination. A few of the other characters were difficult to warm to, however I was rather fond of kindhearted Delia. Some of the stronger secondary characters provided further depth and richness to the story – such as part-time assistant Tabitha, Callie’s significant other, Brian and her fiction writer friend, Lyssa.

I really appreciated the author, Mary Ellen Hughes’ easy-going style of writing. With its interesting dialogue and red herrings, there was never a dull moment in this thrilling cozy mystery.

There was plenty of opportunity to play armchair detective alongside Cassie whilst I tried to guess the identity of the killer. Swiping through the pages on my e-reader, I finished A Curio Killing in only a few hours!

A fantastic and engaging read which was well worth the time invested and totally deserves my five stars.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Midnight Ink, via Negalley and Great Escapes Book Tours at my own request. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

A Curio Killing by Mary Ellen Hughes is the third novel in A Keepsake Cove Mystery series. Callie Reed owns House of Melody in Keepsake Cove, Maryland. The Keepsake Cove Spring Festival begins the next day and it will be Callie’s first time experiencing it. She is shocked when her old boyfriend, Hank walks into the shop and learns his band will be performing at the festival. The festival is a hit until the band’s manager, Bobby Linville is found murdered and Hank is arrested. Hank has no one else to call and Callie feels compelled to help him. A Curio Killing can be read as a standalone for those new to the series. Callie Reed, Brian Greer, Delia Hamilton, Tabitha and the other collectible shop owners have returned in A Curio Killing. Delia’s costume photographer friend, Jill comes for the festival. I liked her concept of photographing people in costumes (historical and superhero). With Hank arrested for his manager’s murder, Callie jumps in to help him. She is certain that he did not commit the crime. Callie questions band members and follows leads in her search for the killer. There were some interesting aspects to the mystery including the murder weapon and some unexpected revelations. I did feel, though, that Callie was willing to risk too much for the sake of a cheating ex-boyfriend. Her mother is having surgery and would appreciate Callie flying to Portland to be there for her and her current husband. While Brian said he understand why Callie was helping Hank, you could tell that he was not happy with the whole situation. I missed Tabitha’s unique outfits in A Curio Killing. They add a touch of whimsy and humor. I just love the description of Callie’s little cottage with its red siding and sage green door (I would have a navy blue door). A Curio Killing is a light cozy mystery with curious collectibles, cryptic clues, fun photos, chancy conflagrations, and suspicious singer.

A Curio Killing is the third book in the Keepsake Cove Mystery series.

Spring is near and everyone in Keepsake Cove is looking forward to tho the Keepsake Cove Spring Festival. Callie Reed has her excitement dampened when her ex-boyfriend, Hank suddenly appears in her shop, the House of Melody. Hank has joined with a band that seems to be on the road to success. The band's leader, Bobby, appears to have put his drinking problem behind and Hank is confident that they are just one song from stardom. Soon it appears that the bandleader has been drinking once again and was seen arguing with Hank. Later as the evening's events are winding up the body of Bobby is found and next to his lifeless body is the music box that Hank had purchased earlier from Callie. Then Hank is arrested for murder based on the music box and his witnessed argument.

Callie doesn’t think that Hank is capable of murdering someone and decides to do a little investigation of her own. With the help of current romantic interest, Brian and author Lyssa set off to clear Hank’s name.

I love the community of Keepsake Cove and it’s residents. The characters are well-developed and interesting. The story is well written and plotted and I was kept guessing until the end.

I’m hoping to see more stories in this interesting series.

Once I got really into the first few chapters of this book, I couldn't put it down. I had enjoyed the first two books a lot, but I loved this one even more. I kept waiting for Aunt Mel to make her presence known by chiming Grandpa Reed's music box like in the other books. It came but was definitely not what I would have expected, but it was so sweet. I liked that one part of the last book was explained in this book. I can't go into detail or it would give away something major. It seemed like all the loose ends were neatly finished off.

I hadn't guessed who the killer was. I knew it couldn't be Hank, Callie's formerly not-much-good-for anything ex-boyfriend. He was tossed into jail for killing the band's manager and I enjoyed that Callie had her author friend Lyssa from the last book there to help her investigate, at least for awhile. Callie and Brian seem to be in a good place with their relationship. Brian has the patience of a saint. What other man would be so gracious when the girl he likes was trying to prove her ex-boyfriend's innocence. But Callie has proved that she only has eyes for Brian more times than once, so I guess it's that mutual trust thing that's so important.

I'm really anxious to read the next book and will need to snoop around to see if it's available for pre-order yet. I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

This story has an interesting twist to it. How far would you go to help your ex? Hmmm, that might give you pause for thought. Lucky for Hank, Callie is a very good person. These characters bring the story together in an entertaining way. You just never know where these leads might lead you or what obstacles you might encounter. I would love to visit a place like Keepsake Cove and meander in and out of the shops. I can’t wait for the next book so I can see what these folks are up to next. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

The 3rd installment in the keepsake cove finds Callie trying to help her ex from jail. Callie is running the music box she inherited from her Aunt and is making a nice life with a new boyfriend Brian and is looking forward to the enjoying the spring festival. Unfortunately, her ex boyfriend Hank's band is playing at the festival. She still goes with Brian at her side and is shocked to find out that Hank has been detained in the murder of his band's manager with a music box purchased in Callie's shop. Callie may think that that Hank was a terrible boyfriend but she does not believe he is a murderer. Of course it turns out there were many who had it in for Bobby (the band's manager). Classic cozy

Callie has been in Keepsake Cove nearly a year and has become an active part of the shopkeepers community. Festivals are an important part of drawing tourists to town, hopefully attracting visitors to spend money in the regular shops as well. Callie's shop focuses on music boxes.
Unexpectedly, this most recent festival also brings Callie's EX to town and tragedy too. Hank, the EX ends up in jail suspected of murder. Being the only person he knows locally, Callie feels soft-hearted and some obligation for helping find a true killer before Hank is falsely convicted and before Callie has to take off to help her own mother. Lots of unexpected connections lead to varied motives and more suspects, if only the police wee looking for them.

The characters are wonderful. I liked the deep digging and past associations that came to the surface as the connections were revealed. It has an underlying sad story, but makes for an intriguing cozy mystery.

A curio killing is a the third book set in the keepsake cove cozy mystery series. I normally love cozy mysteries but those one I had a tough time getting into. I am not sure if it is because I have never heard of the first two books. I also felt like the theme was a little out of place being released in fall. While I did not not appreciate the book I am hopeful others will.

Hank might have been a rotten boyfriend but Callie doesn't think he's a murderer. Especially not a murderer using a music box he bought at her store. He's asked her to help him and she does it in part for him but more for herself. Bobby Linville, the victim, managed the band Hank played in but, in classic cozy fashion, he was not the person he might have appeared to be. I keep reading this series because I like Callie and I like cozies. Readers who are not familiar with Maryland's Eastern Shore will laud the setting but those of us who know it know that there's no town like Keepsake Cove there and certainly not a town that would support a music box shop as a full time proposition, tourists or not. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For cozy fans- and you'll be fine if you haven't read the earlier books because Hughes gives good backstory.

When her ex-boyfriend is arrested for the murder of his band manager, am alcoholic schemer, it's up to music-box shop owner Callie to clear his name & find the real killer. Her investigation turns up plenty of people who had reason to dislike the man, makingr figuring out who actually committed the crime no easy task. Tons of twists & turns will guessing to guessing throughout this exciting story!

This is the third book in the Keepsake Cove Mystery series. It works well as standalone, since the author does such a nice job of filling in enough of the past details that you won’t feel as if you are left in the dark.

One of the reasons I love cozy mysteries is that the books are clean without the swearing and sex that have overtaken too many of the books on the market. With this series, the author has created a nice community of friendly business associates, friends and a few not-so-nice characters. The main character, Callie, is a kind person who even cares about what happens to an ex-boyfriend. She’s the type of person anyone would want on her side during tough times, except, of course, a killer who knows she’s been trying to find out who is really responsible for murder.

By the end, all the details are neatly tied up. This is definitely a series that fans of cozy mysteries would enjoy.