Murder in the Secret Maze
A Tory Benning Mystery, Book 1
Judith Gonda
Cozy Mystery
Beyond the Page Publishing
February 26, 2020
Paperback: 273 pages
ISBN-10: 1950461386
ISBN-13: 978-1950461387
Digital ASIN: B084HNMVGV
About Murder in the Secret Maze:
First in a new series featuring California landscape architect Tory Benning!
Landscape architect Tory Benning knows the lay of the land, but she’ll have to dig through the clues to unearth a killer . . .
After a whirlwind romance and a glorious wedding at the luxurious Hotel Santa Sofia, Tory Benning is ready to let down her hair, slip into her dancing shoes, and celebrate—until she discovers that her newly minted husband has vanished. The police suspect cold feet and second thoughts are behind Milo’s disappearance, but Tory’s certain he’s met with foul play. And since she designed the plush resort, she knows every nook and cranny of the grounds and adjoining secret maze, and wastes no time delving into her search.
As clues begin to emerge that Milo may have taken his last breath in the maze, Tory steps up her sleuthing, even as she learns she’s the prime suspect of a cop with a chip on his shoulder and is squarely in the sights of a menacing stalker. And when a second body is found on the grounds, Tory fears she’s up against a killer determined to silence any and all who get in the way. .
Not to be deterred, Tory forges ahead, navigating a case with more twists and turns than the maze itself, until the labyrinth of clues leads her to shocking revelations about her husband, her family, and the identity of a killer who’s dead set on making her the next victim . . . .
My Review:
Tory Benning is part of the family that own's a California landscaping company. On the day she marries her husband, Milo, after a short, whirlwind courtship, he disappears. After a brief text to Tory, Milo misses his and Tory's wedding reception. His car is missing and phones calls go right to voicemail. A cop with a vendetta against Tory tosses her concerns aside and chalks Milo's disappearance up to cold feet. Tory is sure Milo didn't disappear on his own accord. Clues eventually start emerging inside the maze on the luxury hotel's property where the wedding was held, confirming Tory's suspicions. Milo didn't get cold feet and just leave her minutes after the wedding ceremony.
Even as her worst fears are coming true, the cop with the vendetta is determined to pin the mysterious and violent disappearance of Milo on Tory. When the body of a second person is found in the maze, Tory knows What follows is a murder mystery so tangled up it makes the secret maze look like a run in the park. As Tory and her friends unravel the clues, Tory discovers shocking information about every facet of her life, and they all boil down to desperation and greed. Now, Tory just has to stay alive while pinpointing exactly what happened and by whom.
The author created a diverse cast of characters and several viable suspects. I found all of the characters believable for the most part. They worked will together and were able to realistically investigate the clues. I enjoyed the interactions between Tory and her family and friends. I did find Tory's lack of emotions throughout the book to be pretty off-putting, however. Her ability to hunt down clues, examine them, and still be able to go to work, and act normal just didn't sit quite right. I realize people deal with grief in their own way but Tory was stony and didn't show any emotions of loss of sadness. I didn't find her character believable in that regard.
Despite the lack of the appropriately grieving widow aspect of Tory's character, I enjoyed Murder in the Secret Maze. The mystery was intriguing and, although I suspected who the murderer was, the motives behind everything were shocking and a complete surprise. The author did an amazing job weaving together this cozy mystery. The book was fast-paced, easy to follow, and full of twists and turns. There is a great foundation for this series and I look forward to the next book.
I was provided a copy of this book to review.
My Rating:
Landscape architect Tory Benning knows the lay of the land, but she’ll have to dig through the clues to unearth a killer . . .
After a whirlwind romance and a glorious wedding at the luxurious Hotel Santa Sofia, Tory Benning is ready to let down her hair, slip into her dancing shoes, and celebrate—until she discovers that her newly minted husband has vanished. The police suspect cold feet and second thoughts are behind Milo’s disappearance, but Tory’s certain he’s met with foul play. And since she designed the plush resort, she knows every nook and cranny of the grounds and adjoining secret maze, and wastes no time delving into her search.
As clues begin to emerge that Milo may have taken his last breath in the maze, Tory steps up her sleuthing, even as she learns she’s the prime suspect of a cop with a chip on his shoulder and is squarely in the sights of a menacing stalker. And when a second body is found on the grounds, Tory fears she’s up against a killer determined to silence any and all who get in the way. .
Not to be deterred, Tory forges ahead, navigating a case with more twists and turns than the maze itself, until the labyrinth of clues leads her to shocking revelations about her husband, her family, and the identity of a killer who’s dead set on making her the next victim . . . .
My Review:
Tory Benning is part of the family that own's a California landscaping company. On the day she marries her husband, Milo, after a short, whirlwind courtship, he disappears. After a brief text to Tory, Milo misses his and Tory's wedding reception. His car is missing and phones calls go right to voicemail. A cop with a vendetta against Tory tosses her concerns aside and chalks Milo's disappearance up to cold feet. Tory is sure Milo didn't disappear on his own accord. Clues eventually start emerging inside the maze on the luxury hotel's property where the wedding was held, confirming Tory's suspicions. Milo didn't get cold feet and just leave her minutes after the wedding ceremony.
Even as her worst fears are coming true, the cop with the vendetta is determined to pin the mysterious and violent disappearance of Milo on Tory. When the body of a second person is found in the maze, Tory knows What follows is a murder mystery so tangled up it makes the secret maze look like a run in the park. As Tory and her friends unravel the clues, Tory discovers shocking information about every facet of her life, and they all boil down to desperation and greed. Now, Tory just has to stay alive while pinpointing exactly what happened and by whom.
The author created a diverse cast of characters and several viable suspects. I found all of the characters believable for the most part. They worked will together and were able to realistically investigate the clues. I enjoyed the interactions between Tory and her family and friends. I did find Tory's lack of emotions throughout the book to be pretty off-putting, however. Her ability to hunt down clues, examine them, and still be able to go to work, and act normal just didn't sit quite right. I realize people deal with grief in their own way but Tory was stony and didn't show any emotions of loss of sadness. I didn't find her character believable in that regard.
Despite the lack of the appropriately grieving widow aspect of Tory's character, I enjoyed Murder in the Secret Maze. The mystery was intriguing and, although I suspected who the murderer was, the motives behind everything were shocking and a complete surprise. The author did an amazing job weaving together this cozy mystery. The book was fast-paced, easy to follow, and full of twists and turns. There is a great foundation for this series and I look forward to the next book.
I was provided a copy of this book to review.
My Rating:
Thank you for the review!
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