I really enjoy the Sarah Winston Garage Sale series and somehow missed this one along the way. I had no problem picking it up, even though I had read the next two already. In this book, Sarah is getting ready to begin a yard sale when the police show up. Apparently the items she was selling belonged to the homeowners, but the sellers were only renting the house. She is taken to the police station, but not charged, at least not yet. As she tries to figure out who the real thieves are, she meets up with her friend Michelle from the local base. Michelle has been the victim of false accusations about discrimination as she is trying for a promotion. When one of the men she suspects of the claim turns up dead in her car, she is the prime suspect. Sarah decides to put her own problems aside and try to help Michelle. As the case progresses, it seems that both of these situations might just be connected.

I love this series and this is one of the best in it. Sarah is arrested for being an unwitting fence for stolen goods and luckily her connections get her freed while the investigation continues. She works diligently to get herself cleared as well as trying to help her friend beat a murder rap. She works very closely with the police this time, but does use her contacts to help gather evidence that the police don't have access to. Because of her personality, she has no problem working with others to get information. Sarah is a great character and I really enjoy how these stories play out. The plot is engaging and this one has a few more twists due to the double cases. I figured out parts of the story and though I figured out the culprit and what had happened, but I wasn't completely right and there were several surprises along the way. I loved this one and definitely recommend this book and series

What a GREAT cozy mystery. Let's Fake a Deal will keep you interested until the very end. Well-crafted characters and a well-written storyline will leave you wanting more.

Synopsis:
SHE’S GOT THE GOODS . . .
As a former military spouse, Sarah Winston’s learned a little about organizing, packing, and moving. Her latest project sounds promising: a couple of tech-industry hipsters, newly arrived in her Massachusetts town, who need to downsize. Unfortunately, when Sarah tries to sell their stuff, she discovers it’s all stolen—and she’s the unwitting fence.

BUT SARAH’S PROBLEMS ARE JUST BEGINNING
Michelle, an old friend of Sarah’s from the Air Force base, is in line for a promotion—but not everyone is happy about it, and she’s been hit with an anonymous discrimination complaint. When one of the men she suspects is behind the accusations turns up dead in Michelle’s car, Sarah needs to clear Michelle’s name—as well as her own for selling hot merchandise. And she’ll have to do it while also organizing a cat lady’s gigantic collection of feline memorabilia, or they’ll be making room for Sarah in a jail cell . . .

Let’s Fake a Deal, book 7 in the Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mysteries by Sherry Harris, is another fantastic installment in the world of professional garage sale organization. In this book, Sarah is organizing a house-wide garage sale for a younger couple looking to downsize. As she opens the sale, she discovers the young couple missing and her hands on what is being labeled as stolen. She’s now on the chopping block since the “owners” are missing and she’s the one selling all the stolen goods.

In the meantime, a friend of Sarah’s from the Air Force base, who is up for a promotion, has a discrimination charge brought against her. Then one of the men Michelle suspects instigated the charge is found dead in her own vehicle. Sarah has two mysteries to solve – the one where she’s the fence of stolen items and the one where Michelle is a murderer. In the middle of this, a woman with an obsession with cat memorabilia contracts with Sarah to sell some of her items. Book 7 is packed full of problems and Sarah will need to stay organized and focused if she doesn’t want herself or Michelle to wind up in jail.

This is another great installment in the garage sale mystery series!!!

I was late getting to this book, but once I read Harris' most recent garage sale mystery, I had to come back to this one. Sarah's contracted to sell the possessions of a young techie couple, but is then arrested on the day of the sale for selling stolen merchandise. The couple can't be located to verify Sarah's story. And then, in the midst of that trouble, Sarah's friend Michelle is the main suspect in the murder of a major on the base. So Sarah's trying to help her as well Neither situation is helping Sarah's relationship with the local prosecutor! A really fun read!

One of my favorite things about books in this series is that you are hooked from the first page. I was shocked by what happened at the garage sale in the first chapter and thought that was the only mystery but then the murder happened. I was shocked in the end and it is definitely one of the most unique plot twists. I live this series and highly recommend this book

Let’s Fake a Deal, book 7 in the Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mysteries by Sherry Harris, is another fantastic installment in the world of professional garage sale organization. In this book, Sarah is organizing a house-wide garage sale for a younger couple looking to downsize. As she opens the sale, she discovers the young couple missing and her hands on what is being labeled as stolen. She’s now on the chopping block since the “owners” are missing and she’s the one selling all the stolen goods.

In the meantime, a friend of Sarah’s from the Air Force base, who is up for a promotion, has a discrimination charge brought against her. Then one of the men Michelle suspects instigated the charge is found dead in her own vehicle. Sarah has two mysteries to solve – the one where she’s the fence of stolen items and the one where Michelle is a murderer. In the middle of this, a woman with an obsession with cat memorabilia contracts with Sarah to sell some of her items. Book 7 is packed full of problems and Sarah will need to stay organized and focused if she doesn’t want herself or Michelle to wind up in jail.

I really enjoy the Garage Sale Mysteries by Sherry Harris. As a lover of garage sales, yard sales, flea markets, etc., a cozy setting of this nature makes me happy. Sarah is a great protagonist and has been in such a way that I feel like I know her personally. She has very realistic characteristics and the author really brings Sarah to life. I love all the secondary characters the author has created for this series, too. Seth, Mike “the big cheese” Titone, Stella, Awesome, and all the rest compliment this series so well.

As I said about the rest of the books in the series, Let’s Fake a Deal is a fantastic cozy mystery full of twists, turns, distractions, and multiple storylines. There are suspenseful, humorous, and heartbreaking moments that are sure to keep the reader engaged. The author sets up many of the characters as the potential suspect and expertly pulls the tablecloth out from underneath them without spilling the truth.

Side note: I wish Sarah would stop being so hard on herself. She deserves happiness despite what happened between her and Chuck.

I was provided a review copy of this book.

Let's Fake a Deal by Sherry Harris finds Sarah in hot water when she is arrested for selling stolen goods at her latest yard sale. The couple who hired her conveniently disappeared without a trace. At the same time her friend Michelle is the prime suspect in a murder. Sarah ties to divide her time between clearing Michelle's name and clearing her own. The plot of the book is a bit strange, but I suppose it is possible. I enjoy the unusual theme of a professional yard sale person.

Let’s Fake a Deal

by Sherry Harris

You can get a fairly good look at life on a U.S. Air Force base from reading Let’s Fake a Deal by Sherry Harris. Details range from the Spouse’s Club (formerly known as the Officers’ Wives Club) with its social structure and infighting to the legal processes within the enlisted and officer ranks. Much of it is accepted as “that’s the way it is” and some if it, sexual harassment, for example, is undergoing a slow evolution.

Sarah Winston, ex-wife of an Air Force security police force commander, lives between two worlds with loosening connections to the military and strengthening bonds with her new family of friends in the town she stayed in after her divorce. She owns a garage sale business, helping others sort through the excess in their lives, and lives in a tiny apartment furnished with garage sale findings.

Let’s Fake a Deal finds a shocked Sarah being arrested for selling stolen goods at one of her sales. Not only could she be convicted of a felony, but she could also damage her boyfriend Seth’s political chances as a District Attorney. At the same time that Sarah tries to locate the mysterious “aw shucks” couple who set her up, in more ways than one, she is also investigating the murder of Major Blade whose body was found in her friend Michelle’s car. Michelle is an Air Force light colonel enduring an IG investigation, but does not even know what the charges are. The Air Force judicial system works in powerful and mysterious ways.

Ride along with Sarah in this rollercoaster of a tale that involves a lot of investigation and interviews along with some action and romance. I think you’ll like both Sarah and this cozy mystery.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Mystery

Notes: 1. #7 in the Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery Series, but works well as a standalone. I have only read a few in the series and have no problem following the plot.
2. The author includes a lot of acronyms that are common in military life, but she also give good explanations for them.

Publication: July 30, 2019—Kensington

Memorable Lines:

Going to garage sales was like finding a good partner. You had to kiss a lot of frogs before you found a treasure.

“Purple looks great on you,” I said. Way better than envy green did on me.

Maybe poor in money, but rich in family and friends. Loved. Isn’t that all any of us really wanted?

Sarah is arrested for selling stolen goods when she agrees to have a yard sale for a young couple. While she is trying to clear her name for that, her good friend Michelle is arrested for murder. Now she has another investigation to get into. She digs in to get her mind off of her troubles and to clear Michelle's name.

I adore this series. I really enjoyed that there were to mysteries and the tie in with each other. I am also thankful that it seems Sarah may be able to put her past behind her and finally move on to happiness. I am glad that Luke is putting down roots near her as well.

I love this series and this latest instalment did NOT disappoint, well written, great characters and an engaging mystery. Loved it!

This is a series that I come to look forward to each new book. The characters seem 'real' with relationships that move, grow and sometimes end.

This one was well-written and the mystery was very interesting to me. I had to read late into the night to find out if I had guessed the correct suspects to both mysteries.

I'm ready for the next one!

A Sarah W Garage Sale Mystery. Sarah Winston, former Military wife, organiser extrodinaire has a new project - a project that's going to cause her a whole lot of trouble.. More than that, that trouble is going to go from bad to worse and escalate fast. Well written, endearing cosy mystery, fast paced with nicely drawn characters. An enjoyable read and whilst can be read as a standalone more enjoyment will be had in reading from the start of this series.

Princess Fuzzypants here: I have enjoyed this series as Sarah has rebuilt her life after her marriage dissolved. I always find it interesting how she finds and then values items for sophisticated garage sales. But everything for which she has worked is at risk. She is conned by a couple into selling the contents of an AirBnB type of rental. They have set her up to take the fall and she never saw it coming. Then her good friend becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a rather unpleasant military associate. Again, the real villain has set the frame up so obviously, the authorities have no other suspects.
Sarah is already trying to figure things out when her boyfriend, Seth’s political opponent latches onto her legal woes to make points in the campaign. Sarah wants Seth to be cautious and distance himself. Seth is not willing to abandon her. There are several plot lines throughout the book that examine relationships and loyalty. There is also a serious thread about the misogynistic treatment of women both in the military and the outside world.
This outing also has a lovely plot line of a crazy cat lady whose kitty turns Sarah into a total cat lover. Her friend and landlady’s kitty seals the deal. In fact, I would not be surprised to see her with a feline companion in a future book. That could only take a good series one step better.
You can read this as a one off but I recommend you start from the beginning. I think you will like Sarah as much as I do.
Five purrs and two paws up.

The writing is pretty tight and I laughed at Kitty but the plot was not very interesting. When developments happened they worked just not many of them

Top-notch series, and this book maintains the high standards. Always well written, her characters engaging and the mystery entertaining. Sarah Winston's experiences as a military spouse allowed her talent for organizing to fkourish,. Now no longer a military spouse, she has built up a business organizing garage sales. Until the morning when she is handcuffed and arrested for selling stolen property. Desperate to restore her reputation, she begins investigating the shady couple who set her up. Then a good friend is implicated in a murder, and she truly has her hands full.

This is the 7th book in this beloved series and my favorite of the entire series. I have read and loved the entire series. The protagonist Sarah is a favorite charcter of mine as a divorced independent woman on her own creating a viable business out of garage sales. This is a great mystery ! I was so enthralled I could not put this book down until the end. This is a exciting multi layered plot with a great sleuth that was surprising to conclusion. Very well done to the author. This is one of the best cozy mysteries I have read this year.

I received a ARC for review. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley .My opinion is my own.

Our intrepid garage sale maven Sarah was selling the items for a clients sale when she is arrested for the sale of stolen goods ! Naturally she is shocked and appalled that her clients duped her . Now they have disappeared and cannot be found so her story is suspicious to the police. She is bailed out right away and of course investigating to clear her name and find out why she was set up. In the meantime she has another challenge when her good friend Michelle is charged and Sarah promises to clear her name as well . When they are returning to Michelle's car they find a body ! Now they are sure they were set up as dupes to sell stolen property and now for murder.

This mystery had me from page one ! The arrest of our beloved Sarah was the opening of the mystery and it just got better and better throughout the plot. I did not guess any of the suspects and I love the multi layered plot. It is a exciting read I was unable to put down. Very well done to the author. Bravo. .I cannot wait for the next in series. I highly recommend the entire series.

Thanks to the folks at NetGalley for providing me with a free book in return for an honest review. Garage Sales, Stolen Property and Murder, what a lovely combination and all of this is set forth in this new book by Sherry Harris. I never really read cozy mysteries prior to joining NetGalley and it books like this that make me wonder why I never read this genre. A well-written mystery in which our heroine stages Garage Sales and is eventually arrested for selling stolen property. That mystery might not be enough to keep things rolling, but out of the blue her friend, Michelle, is now charged with the murder of a Military officer. There was bad blood between Michelle who is also a military officer and the now deceased Major Blaze and this makes Michelle the leading culprit for the crime and how we have both stolen property and murder to entertain us. Along the way we meet the eccentric Kitty Thompson who is in love with all things cats and we have some delightful portions regarding this sale. This book is a fast-paced and easy read. It is a book that is tightly and well written and has a plot that keeps you guessing as to the perpetrator up to the very end. Very good plot work by Ms. Harris. I give this a 4**** because there are some secondary characters that are a bit wooden if you have not read prior books by Harris. I do hope she continues her Garage Sale Mysteries. They are fun and perfect light reading!

Let’s Fake a Deal by Sherry Harris is the real deal. In this seventh installment of the series, Sarah Winston, garage sale guru, has her hands full, running her business and solving two seemingly unrelated crimes. Sarah is hosting a garage sale when the police arrive and accuse her of selling stolen goods. Sarah’s explanation – that she was conducting the sale on behalf of the homeowners – does little to convince them, as the couple who hired her are suddenly nowhere to be found. Things go from bad to worse when her friend, Michelle, a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force, is accused of murdering the Major who had filed a discrimination complaint against her. Sarah’s vested interest in clearing both her and Michelle’s name catapults her into the heart of the investigations.

As always, Sherry Harris has written a genuinely entertaining cozy mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The action is high-octane, and there are numerous twists and turn that will keep you guessing until the end. Sarah is a strong, level-headed woman, who, as a former military spouse with a boyfriend (Seth) who is the local D.A., is uniquely positioned to investigate both on and off the base. The focus this time, in addition to Sarah and Michelle’s respective dilemmas, is on Sarah’s brother, Luke, who plays a prominent role in the story. Sarah’s relationship with Seth also takes on additional significance as they examines their feelings for each other. And, adding a touch of humor to the mix, Ms. Harris effortlessly weaves a subplot featuring a cat-crazy client who hires Sarah to stage a Cat-tastic garage sale, throughout the narrative surrounding the investigations.

There is so much to love about this book: Sarah’s unique profession, the military setting, Sarah’s evolving relationships with her boyfriend, Seth, and her formerly estranged brother, Luke, as well as the colorful secondary characters – especially attorney Vincenzo DiNapoli and his “investigator” Mike Titone. Let’s Fake a Deal is in all aspects a thoroughly engaging cozy, with an emphasis on mystery. I’m very much looking forward to reading the next installment of this fantastic series.

Note: I received an ARC of Let’s Fake a Deal from NetGalley and Kensington Books. The above is my honest review.

The latest book in the Sarah Winston Garage Sale series opens with a yard sale....and with Sarah face down on the lawn getting arrested because the items she's selling are stolen property. There's also a murder to solve when a body is found in the car belonging to one of her old friends from the Air Force base...and she's got a client selling off an extensive collection of cat stuff.

This is one of my favorite books in the series. I complained that the previous book, The Gun Also Rises, didn't have enough garage sales in it -- this one more than made up for that with sales that are a major part of the plot. It's a fun and fast paced read and I was definitely worried about Sarah.