Passerby by Britney King

 

Ruth barely has time to think.  She runs a bed and breakfast in a tourist town with the help of her brothers Johnny and Davis.  But Johnny has a full time job and Davis isn't much help so almost all the work falls on Ruth.  She doesn't even have time for romance although Cole, Johnny's best friend, would love to have a relationship.

Then disaster strikes.  Davis goes on a road trip and brings back a woman, Ashley.  Ruth dislikes her on sight but everyone else is fascinated by her.  She is beautiful but Ruth doesn't trust her and suspects there is a story behind her smiles.  Ashley invites herself along on Ruth's errands and the two of them are attacked on the road by a man in a truck with a gun.  They manage to escape and Ruth is sure it is someone from the family her own family had a running feud with.

Then the deaths start.  The first is the brother of a bride who is having her wedding at Ruth's venue and who got into a fight with Davis at the reception.  The second is the son of the family the feud is with.  Ruth is afraid that Davis will be suspected or even worse arrested.  She spends her time trying to figure out the killer along with all her other work.  Then the climax; two bodies in the house right before Davis and Ashley's engagement party.  Who is trying to set up her family?

This is my first Britney King novel.  She specializes in psychological thrillers.  I listened to this novel and the narrator was the perfect Ruth, from whose eyes the story is told.  Ruth isn't a goodie two shoes; she is often sarcastic and rude to others and she clearly sees the defects in her brothers although she loves them dearly.  The ending was not as strong as the beginning but all ends satisfactorily.  This book is recommended for mystery readers.