Anna Gerard: Georgia B&B Mystery Series

Time is zipping along so fast for me these days that I find it hard to believe that it is already time for my next post in my series highlighting the most popular and recommended Cozy Mystery series. This month I read the first book in Anna Gerard’s very popular Georgia B&B Mystery Book series, Peach Clobbered. Anna Gerard is also known as Diane A. S. Stuckart and Ali Brandon, so many of you may know some of her work under these other names.

(By the way, I’ve taken these days sometimes to not create a new page for every author alias on the main Cozy Mystery site. Therefore, Anna Gerard is listed under the Diane A. S. Stuckart page).

In Peach Clobbered, the story begins just after Nina Fleet (recently divorced) has moved into a large Queen Anne-style house in the small Georgia town of Cymbeline. Nina is about 40, so she is somewhat older than the typical modern Cozy late 20s sleuth. Nina’s divorce has apparently left her quite wealthy, so she says she only plans to turn the house into a bed and breakfast because she is afraid that someday she will get bored doing nothing. (A nice problem to have, I think!)

Anyway, Nina is soon visited by a nephew of the lady from whose estate Nina bought the large old house. The nephew, Harry Wescott, thinks he has a claim to the house and that Nina had no right to buy it. She is also visited by a local real estate mogul who seems to have made an enemy of just about everybody in the town.

On top of all of that, Nina’s application for a zoning change to allow the B&B to be opened is unexpectedly granted. And, Nina finds herself with a house full of unusual and unplanned guests within 24 hours of the zoning change approval. Finally, as any seasoned Cozy Mystery reader would predict, there is a murder in the town, and Nina is in the middle of it.

Peach Clobbered is an easy and fun read. I think it is a breezy and fast story, well written with an attractive sleuth and a nice supporting cast. I could picture myself sitting on a beach enjoying this book and the rest of the Georgia B&B Mystery Book series.  The rest of the series has gone on my to-be-read (TBR) list!

If you’re interested in seeing other most recommended or popular Cozy Mystery authors/series, please visit the Most Popular & Recommended Cozy Mystery Series page on my site.