Sleigh Bell Tower: Murder at the Campus Holiday Gala (Braxton Campus Mysteries #8) by James J. Cudney is an incredible book. When I thought the author said it all in his previous seven books, he surprised us with another cozy mystery delight of a book.
A carefully and finely plotted mystery, Sleigh Bell Tower gives us a small army of interesting characters, a taste and smell of holiday festivities, a dispute over the proposed landsite to build a new boutique hotel, a suspense of a new murder, twists and turns of an exciting amateur sleuthing, pleasant creeps of paranormal, and a lot a lot of humor, family drama and intrigue (my favorite parts).
The most stellar part of the book is again Kellan’s and Nana D’s relationship. I wanted to start my review with quoting some of their dialogue, because already from the first opening lines of Chapter 1, Nana D and Kellan shine in being sassy wisecrackers. But as I flew through the book, pulled by its great promises, I realized that wouldn’t be possible. My review would end up pages and pages long as I would copy-paste all their hilarious thoughts and conversation. Their dialogues are brilliant, cunning, and contagiously funny, almost unreal! Both Kellan and Nana D are utterly charming and strong characters you must love. It hurts your bowels while you laugh at their verbal fights and outwitting. I would like to know if there are real Kellan and Nana D in the author’s life and not only in his imagination because they are more lively, convincing, and tangible than some real people I know.
Thank you, Kellan, and Nana D, for all the laughter, guffaws, and smiles; thank you, Jay, for yet another humorous and adorable hit from the Braxton Campus Mysteries!
BJ
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