Member Reviews
The main mystery is Chloe finding a boat that went missing twelve years before. I actually enjoyed the subplot with Boone's absent father more than the main plot. The man claims that Boone left his house, his boat, and his half of the bar to him in a will that Boone made shortly before his death Afghanistan. He has the will and the emails to back up his claim. Steve is confident that he will have an easy time getting the house, bar, and boat. He is not a nice person. One thing I didn't like was Chloe starting to think of Rhett as Rip after Rhett is given the nickname by his firefighting buddies. Just doesn't feel right.
I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher and/or author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
A Time to Swill by Sherry Harris is the second book in the Chloe Jackson, Sea Glass Saloon cozy mystery series.
The book is well-plotted. The characters are believable and Chloe has some angst. Ms. Harris does a wonderful job bringing humor, mystery, and Intrigue into this beach mystery novel.
The story is largely set in the fictional small town of Emerald Cove on the Florida Panhandle between Panama City and Pensacola, near Destin Florida, a beautiful area.
This can be read as a standalone story. The main mystery is resolved by the end of the book but her relationship with Rip is not solid by the end of the book. Looking forward to what may come in book number 3.
I was given an advanced readers’ copy by Netgalley and cannot thank them enough. I am not required to leave a positive review. I chose to do so.
Out for a jog one early morning Chloe hears a baby crying in an abandoned boat and rushes to the rescue. She is the one who ultimately needs rescued and finds herself involved in an old mystery involving four people lost at sea..
This story did a great job making me suspicious of many of the characters yet I never would have guessed the ending. The characters are interesting and I look forward to learning more about them in future Chloe Jackson, Sea Glass Saloon Mystery series books. Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.
Chloe has closed the Chicago chapter of her life, her life as a children's librarian and has spent the past several weeks packing her little red VW Beetle for her return trip to Emerald Cove, Florida. Since the death of her friend during his tour in Afghanistan, she has been a 25% owner of his grandmother's beach saloon, The Sea Glass and owner of his beach house and boat. From children's librarian to part owner of a bar, pulling beers and pouring drinks Chloe makes time every morning to run on the beach. Working behind a bar isn't much exercise. On her first morning back, while on her run, her world takes a bizarre twist. In the thick fog she spots a drifting sail boat and thinks she hears a baby crying. Swimming out to rescue the baby she finds it's really a kitten and it's sharing the boat with a woman's skeleton. She returns to dry land with a kitten and a boatload of questions that need answers.
From the first page to the last I was hooked both with the mystery of the skeleton on the ghost ship and the other issues Chloe has to deal with. The biggest one? Will she still have the house and partnership left to her or loose it when the will is contested. The mystery was well crafted and I like the recurring characters, especially Vivi, a lady who is a true Steel Magnolia. The setting of the beach community dealing with tourists, developers and devastating hurricanes is vividly portrayed. While the mystery stands alone there are enough threads to make me eager to see what is in store for Chloe, The Sea Glass and Emerald Cove.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
A Time to Swill by Sherry Harris is the second book in the new cozy Chloe Jackson, Sea Glass Saloon Mystery series. As with most cozy mysteries each book in this series will feature it’s own mystery that is fully solved within the book leaving each to be able to be enjoyed as a standalone if choosing to do so. There is character development that carries over from book to book however for those that enjoy the entire series from the beginning.
Chloe Jackson is a children’s librarian from Chicago who made a promise to her best friend when he enlisted in the military. If anything were to happen to him Chloe promised to head to Emerald Cove in the Florida Panhandle to see to it that his grandmother would be OK after his passing. What Chloe didn’t expect was the feisty Vivi Slidell who runs the Sea Glass Saloon. Being far from the elderly grandma Chloe thought she’d find she wasn’t sure of staying on but a promise is a promise.
Now Chloe is settling into her life in Emerald Cover working with Vivi and has taken up jogging in her time off to get a little exercise before her shifts at Sea Glass Saloon. One morning Chloe comes across a sailboat having run aground and investigates when she hears a noise. Luckily for Chloe the noise was just a kitten but unluckily for Chloe she also stumbles on a skeleton on the abandoned boat that ties back to someone she knows leaving her to figure out the old crime.
The Chloe Jackson, Sea Glass Saloon Mystery series is not overly quirky and humorous but it is good for a few chuckles along the way so of course I had to come back for book two. Chloe is a likable protagonist and I love the setting in the small town by the sea. There was also once again a fun mystery to follow along with and try to solve along with Chloe so again I will look forward to returning to this series in the future.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
Another fun story by Sherry Harris! I enjoy this series because while there is some backstory, it's all very fluid and things are constantly changing, as a series should. Happy to read the ending and love the solving of an old mystery. Good read!
Chloe wasn't sure about Emerald Cove and the Sea Glass Saloon when she promised her friend Boone she would care for it and his grandmother but she's loving it. Then she goes out for a run one morning and finds a sailboat- with a cat and a skeleton on board. Unwisely, perhaps, she hops aboard, is swept out to sea, and then is rescued by a mysterious man. Turns out the sailboat is connected to her friend Ralph, who's a suspect now in the murder of his wife. But what happened to the three people she was with. Of course Chloe's going to investigate- when she's not involved in defending her inheritance from Boone's wayward father. This has good characters and a fun setting. It's the second in the series but perfectly enjoyable as a standalone. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good twisty cozy mystery.
This was a very well written book. The plot was very enticing and I couldn't put the book down. This was a new to me author and I will definitely try another book by this author.
Enjoyed the second in the series just as much as the first. Love Chloe Jackson and the Florida group. Some exciting moments. Much of the action takes place in a saloon so the drink facts add a bit of interest. A smidgeon of romance. I look forward to reading the further adventures of Chloe. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.
Chloe Jackson has returned to Emerald Cove, Florida with all her Chicago belongings. Out on a morning jog, Chloe spots a sailboat washed up on a sandbar. Hearing a cry, Chloe climbs aboard and finds a cat and a human skeleton in the cabin. After a harrowing escape from the burning boat, Chloe returns to work at The Sea Glass Saloon. The locals soon learn that the skeleton on the boat has been identified as belonging to Susan, one of four people who disappeared on the sailboat 12 years ago. Where has the boat been all this time and what happened to the others? When Chloe's unidentified rescuer is found dead in his cigarette boat near Chloe's cottage, it appears someone wanted to silence him permanently. Illegal smuggling of alcohol and other illicit activities may be connected to the sailboat's reappearance and murder.
Meanwhile, Steve, the estranged father of Chloe's late friend Boone, arrives in Emerald Cove to drop a bombshell. He claims that Boone had written another will before his death in Afghanistan, leaving the cottage, boat and partnership to the Sea Glass Saloon to Steve instead of Chloe. Stunned by the news, Chloe, Vivi and her friends think they are being scammed by the smooth talking Steve and set out to find evidence to prove his deceit.
This was another fun read in the Sea Glass Saloon mystery series.
I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and Kensington Books with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.
I now love two series from Sherry Harris! A Time to Swill, the second book in the Chloe Jackson Sea Glass Saloon Mystery series has action, adventure, community, romance and heart; all the elements that I love in any book. When I first discovered that Ms. Harris was writing a second series, I was a little concerned that it couldn't meet the standard set by her Sarah Winston books; I LOVE that series. This series has a completely different feel but the quality of plots and the wonderful people in the first book of Chloe Jackson, Sea Glass Saloon Mystery series has resolved my concerns. The second of book of the series, A Time to Swill, has topped that off with Chloe's return to permanently live in Boone's old house, or is it permanent? Someone is challenging his will with a newer one! The distraction of the jerk presenting it is making life even more complicated at a time when Chloe is focused on investigating the disappearance of ghost ship she discovered, one that has brought law enforcement attention back on one of her new friends.
I was excited to have my NetGalley request for A Time to Swill approved! My thanks to both NetGalley and Kensington for allowing me to enjoy the ARC and to share the fun with my friends and followers. While I hope Sherry Harris continues writing the Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mysteries, my heart is split between that series the Chloe Jackson, Sea Glass Saloon Mysteries.
#NetGalley #ATimetoSwill #Kensington #SherryHarris
Another trip to the Florida Panhandle and the fictitious town of Emerald Cove finds Chloe Jackson in the middle of a crazy situation. Chloe is co owner of the Sea Glass Saloon that her friend Boone left it to her in his will. She works with his grandmother Vivi and bartender Joaquin in the little bar right on the beach. Chloe has just returned from moving the rest of her stuff from Chicago when she sees a stranded sailboat between the sandbars through the early morning fog while on her run. Thinking she hears a baby crying, she calls 911, then swims to the boat only to find a skeleton and a cat along with other interesting finds, like a woman's ring. Then the boat starts moving and she is far from land. She gets rescued hours later but there is quite a mystery to solve and lots of clues that make this an interesting saga with roots from years ago when this sailboat disappeared with four locals aboard who were never found. This is a great mystery to unravel with an appearance from Boone's absent father Steve claiming that Boone changed his will before he died and left his home, boat, and partnership to the Sea Glass to him instead of Chloe. Another task for Chloe and friends to work on. Great characters, lovely setting, interesting mystery to solve and a little hint of romance kept me engaged. I live in nearby Panama City so it is fun to read this series and picture the settings and where the author has planted Emerald Cove. I also appreciated the author mentioning our area as still recovering from Cat 5 Michael in 2018. I am looking forward to reading Book 3.
I received a complimentary ARC from Kensington Books through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine only.
While I’m not quite sure I would call this book a cozy myself, I thought it was an entertaining read. It was much darker than I had anticipated but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, just unexpected. I hadn’t read the first book in the series to compare but I really liked this one and plan to go back to read number one as well as any future books in this series.
Thanks to NetGalley for a chance to read the ARC of A Time To Swill in exchange for an honest review.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Chloe is a wonderful character, and I look forward to following her adventures for years to come.
Even better, the secondary characters feel as real and special as Chloe.
I loved reading the author’s note at the end that thanked the friend who’s found an article about a ghost ship washing up on shore in Destin that led to the birth of this story.
I’m definitely going to read the first book in the series and look forward to what comes next!
This is a very good story, although it turned out to be a bit different than I expected. Judging by the cover and the blurb, I expected a light and funny cozy mystery with an inquisitive main character who leads the investigation while working in a seaside bar. And that only partially turned out to be true.
While Chloe does work at a bar and tries to discover what happened years ago on a boat she had found, this book is not your typical cozy mystery. The tone of it is not as light and funny as I expected. I would even say that this book is somewhere on the verge of cozy mystery and more typical suspense. It's not a bad thing, I still enjoyed the story, it just turned out to be something different.
The whole story has a great start. The main character Chloe discovers an abandoned boat while jogging on the beach in the morning. When she gets on the deck to discover the cause of the strange noise, the boat begins to move away from the shore, carried by the waves. On board, Chloe finds a skeleton and a little kitten. And then the mysterious good Samaritan rescues her when the ship begins to burn and disappears before Chloe knows his name.
It was a very promising beginning, so I'm a bit disappointed that it wasn't Chloe who solved the main mystery in the end. At some point, other characters in this book took over. It was of course more probable and realistic, but for that reason I found the ending not that satisfying.
There is also a second plotline related to the will left by the co-owner of the bar where Chloe works. This part seemed to me more typical of cozy mystery and Chloe is involved in solving this problem from beginning to end.
I hadn't read the previous book, but that wasn't much of a problem. Although it would probably make it easier for me to understand what happened before, because the events of the previous book are quite often referenced in this book.
Overall, that's a pretty good story. I liked Chloe and the rest of the characters. And although the book didn’t have the holiday vibes I expected, I quite liked it. I think I will also try other books by this author.
I received this ARC via Netgalley and Kensington Books, in return for an honest review. While the second book in this series, it is easily read as a standalone. Chloe Jackson changed her life by moving to Emerald Cove, Florida, and leaving Chicago behind. Sadly, her move was precipitated by the death of her dear friend, Boone, while deployed in Afghanistan and her inheriting his house and a partial stake in the bar that he and his grandmother owned. Now working as a server and learning to mix cocktails, Chloe loves starting her day with a run on the beach near her house. One morning, she discovers a sandbar stuck boat and hears what sounds like a baby on board. After calling 911, she climbs aboard but the boat slips out to sea while she’s searching and being thrown about by the rough waters. It’s perilous but Chloe is rescued and saves the small creature aboard. But when she makes it back to land, her rescuer disappears! Thinking it’s all odd but trying to move on, Chloe and her new friends are thrust into a 12-year-old mystery surrounding a lost ship with four people aboard. And, on top of all this, Boone’s birth father shows up in town and claims he has a will that supersedes hers, leaving the house and the bar to him.
There are lots of layers and Ms. Harris does a good job of keeping all the voices straight while weaving all the threads to create this tapestry of people, old and new events and the threats to Chloe and her way of life. This is a solid cozy and I look forward to the next in the series.
After loving the first book in the Sea Glass Saloon Mystery series, I was incredibly excited for book two. However, A Time to Swill doesn't quite live up to the high standard set by book one. That being said, it's still a very solid cozy with an interesting cold case/disappearance storyline and I still look forward to the next book in the series.
Thank you Kensington Books for the NetGalley ARC!
Bartender at the Sea Glass Saloon in the Florida Panhandle, Chloe likes to spend her mornings running on the beach. But she gets an extra jolt of cardio when she finds a human skeleton aboard a beached sailboat and a very live kitten. The sailboat is traced back to Ralph, whose wife disappeared along with three friends 12 years earlier, making Ralph suspect number one. Determined to prove her friend’s innocence, Chloe begins an investigation of her own in this wacky romp through the Emerald Coast
Chloe Jackson was a childrens librarian in Chicago until the contents of her best friend Boone's will was read. Now she is a bar owner in the Florida Panhandle with a home on the beach, her own boat, and a far more relaxed way of life to enjoy.
Taking her morning run on a foggy beach Chloe spots a boat listing on a nearby sandbank and the sounds of someone still on board. Her attempted rescue mission starts a murder enquiry that comes far too close to home when one of her new friends is suspected of the killing. Knowing this can't be true Chloe is soon making shocking discoveries which threatens her new life and leaves her wondering who, if anyone, she can trust.
This is the second Chloe Jackson book and is a slightly darker than usual cosy crime mystery. The storyline was engaging, I liked Chloe and the other main protagonists very much and enjoyed the way everything gradually fell into place. There was however, a little too much padding in the form of bar life and patrons for my liking which did interrupt the flow but with no spoilers from the first book this can be read as a standalone. The main characters' backgrounds are introduced gradually and very satisfactorily as the story progresses without giving anything away of what happened previously.
I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. I enjoyed this very much and will definitely be on the look out for more in this series.
Although not a title that I would purchase for the high school library, it is one that I will promote and recommend in my personal life.