Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Scandal at the Salty Dog

SERIES:  Secrets and Scrabble

AUTHOR:  Josh Lanyon

NARRATOR:  Matt Haynes

PUBLISHER:  JustJoshin Publishing

LENGTH:  6 hours and 29 minutes

RELEASE DATE:  July 29, 2021

BLURB:  

Mystery stalks the cobbled streets of Pirate’s Cove.

Who or what is haunting elderly recluse Juliet Blackwell, what does it have to do with mysterious goings-on at the Salty Dog Pub – and why is any of it mystery bookshop owner Ellery Page’s problem? According to sometimes-boyfriend Police Chief Jack Carson, it’s not Ellery’s problem, and Ellery should stop asking awkward questions before it’s too late.

Ellery couldn’t agree more, but it’s hard to say no when someone is as frightened as old Mrs. Blackwell. Mrs. Blackwell insists the ghost of long-dead pirate Rufus Blackwell has come to avenge himself on the last member of his treacherous clan.

Before Ellery can say, “Yikes!” Mrs. Blackwell takes a tumble down the grand staircase of her spooky mansion, and it’s up to Ellery to find who is trying to kill his eccentric customer.

REVIEW:

Note:  While this is the fourth installment in the series and it can be read as a standalone (there is enough background info dropped into the story), I think it’s best enjoyed if read in order.  As usual, there are spoilers in this book for the previous mysteries 🙂

Ellery has mostly recovered from his injuries during the last murder investigation and he’s back to work at the Crow’s Nest.  He’s very happy with how his relationship has moved forward with Jack as he’s gotten back on his feet, so to speak 🙂  Jack has decided he is ready for more with Ellery and so they are definitely dating at this point.   He really needs to get more help at the shop though as Nora Sweeney, his assistant, and Felix have availability but his backup Libby has to get back to the town pub, the Salty Dog to keep it going while her father recovers from surgery.  AND she wants to hire Ellery to find out who has been breaking into the Salty Dog at night, stealing food and  cash.  And soo he has to embark on a search for another employee 😛 and also try to help Libby discover whatever  “ghost” has been breaking into the Salty Dog.

While he’s conducting some of the most hilarious job interviews, he’s distracted by a request from one of his best customers, Mrs. Juliet Blackwell, requests a drop off of her recent purchases.  But when Ellery gets to her house, he hears screaming.  He can’t get in through the front door, so he gets to the side and an open window, crawls in and discovers and unconscious Mrs. Blackwell.  And then we’re off.  Ellery’s sure she’s not telling the truth about what happened before he found her, but she’s not budging.  While he visits her in the hospital, he has another run-in with Sue Lewis, the publisher of the town newspaper, The Scuttlebutt Weekly.   He’s more convinced than ever that Juliet Blackwell is hiding something.

Ellery cannot seem to stay away from the mystery, but he’s vowed to Jack that he won’t go into the fray without backup.  But that doesn’t seem to go for others who are also interested in the goings on.  But Ellery and Jack make a good team, and both of them do want to ensure that justice is served 😀

I’m absolutely loving this series and especially the audios 🙂  Ellery and Jack’s relationship has moved to the next level here.  I loved the little bit of jealousy that Jack displays and I can’t wait to see what happens with their relationship moving on to the next story – which thankfully isn’t far away 😀  We meet Ellery’s mother in this one – well over the phone – and I cannot WAIT until she arrives in Pirate’s Cove.  The mystery is well done with a few twist not foreseen and I just love getting to see and know more about this little town.  Josh Lanyon is a master of this genre and this exquisite little series is an example of the mastery.  The mysteries are delightfully satisfying but it’s the characters drive the story and series.  I continue to adore Matt Haynes’ narration and this has become one of my favorite Lanyon series to date.  Keep them coming 😛  Highly recommended for Cozy Mystery fans and Lanyon devotees!

RATING:

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

Audible

Authors Direct