Reviewed by Larissa

TITLE:  Let Sleeping Foxes Lie

SERIES: Sleeping Foxes, Book 2

AUTHOR: Sam Burns

PUBLISHER: Self-published

LENGTH: 222 pages

RELEASE DATE:  January 11, 2024

BLURB:

Max has settled nicely into life in Welling. He’s got the best boyfriend ever born and a life he never imagined he could have. He’s also written his new screenplay, and the hottest director in Hollywood has snapped it up enthusiastically.

So what’s the problem? She’s asked for a two-week long retreat, hosted by him, in his home, with the actors who’ve been cast in the movie. Between the personal disagreements, the weird flirtations, the easily bruised egos, and the fact that one of them invited his family along, the first week has already been hellish.

All he wanted to do was find the right time to propose to his boyfriend.

Things take a turn for the worse when one of the actors is murdered, and the best suspects are Max, his family, and his houseguests. The sheriff is no help at all, so Max needs to discover who the killer is before someone ends up behind bars.

Let Sleeping Foxes Lie is a slightly paranormal cozy mystery about Max and Gentry’s happily ever after, put on hold by an excessively flirty actor, a baby surprise, and the worst sheriff ever to grace the town of Welling. It follows Where Foxes Say Goodnight but largely stands alone, and closes the series.

REVIEW:

Let Sleeping Foxes Lie concludes Sam Burns’ MM romance Sleeping Foxes duology with a paranormal-lite cozy mystery that is essentially Murder, She Wrote with a snarky, young, sweetheart of a screenwriter starring in the Jessica Fletcher role.  Like the first book, the story is told entirely from the point of view of Max Blazek, the aforementioned Jessica Fletcher-eque screenwriter.

You need to read Where Foxes Say Goodnight first – the story is observation, commentary, and a low-key whodunit, so you need the context on Max, Gentry, the townsfolk of Welling, Nadia and her history for this story to make sense.  Burns’ writing is thoughtful and precise with her characteristic wit. However, the story is slow-moving and not much happens.  This is a character-driven drama and a sweet romance between Max and Gentry which adorably gets its well-deserved HEA.  Note that the epilogue of the first book takes place after the end of this book.

While not as inspiring as the best of 2023 Where Foxes Say Goodnight, Let Sleeping Foxes Lie is an easy read full of the same warm and cozy feels, falling-in-love and found-family vibes, and I enjoyed it a great deal.  If you’ve liked the first book, Let Sleeping Foxes Lie is must-read material.  While low-key, it provides a reassuring sense of closure within a cozy mystery setting that is different from your typical MM romance.  Recommended.

RATING:

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon