A suspicious death occurs when six women visit an Arizona ‘dude ranch’ managed by an older woman who happens to be an amateur sleuth. There isn’t much in the way of crime-solving here. Instead, the book revolves around the MC’s day to day running of the ranch, challenged by the toxic relationship of the 6 guests, who are ex-college roomies with emotional baggage. Our MC also worries about her husband, who is suffering from long covid. Despite these issues, this is a lightweight read, but I failed to keep track of who was who amongst the female visitors. Also, it is apparent that the main character is from a prior series as there is frequent mention of characters and events from the past, though knowledge of these is not needed to understand the plot. Overall, I thought this a bit dull and found myself skimming over some of the extraneous chatter. But it is probably standard fare for cozy mysteries, which I have yet to develop a great appreciation for.
I won a free copy of this book (thanks to the author & publisher!) and am voluntarily providing an honest review. ( )