Death said the Gypsy Queen: A Lily Gayle Lambert Mystery (#4)

When Lily Gale notices a stationary gypsy wagon, it captures her imagination. Unable to resist, she approaches the wagon intent on having her fortune read.  She sits down in front of the crystal ball and receives a puzzling warning from the gypsy: “Beware the sign of the vampire blood.”  Sure enough, only a short time later, an elderly gentleman who once sold candy at the local five and dime is found murdered, his body bearing signs of human teeth marks. Lily has an idea of what the motive may be, but it is a secret she must keep. Meanwhile, she manages to worm her way into the investigation, hoping to solve the crime without spilling her big secret. 

Cozy mysteries are great fun, but they are not all created equal. In this fourth installment of the “Lily Gale” series, it is presumed readers are familiar with the recurring characters and any crossover plot lines. This is not a good assumption to make, as first -time readers will feel lost. Who are the characters and in what way are they related to one another? What is their shared history? Is the plot a continuation from a previous installment? The story needs to be fleshed out, and moves entirely too fast, leaving a few dangling threads.  However, followers of the series may understand the character dynamics, and the plot may make perfect sense. Therefore, interested parties may want to catch up with the series before tackling this one. Fans of the series, however, will want to touch base with the characters and all the latest developments, and will hopefully enjoy doing so. 

Julie Whiteley