16) The Graves of the Guilty by Ellery Adams

The Blurb :

Welcome to Hope Street Church, where friendships are formed, fresh starts are encouraged, and mysteries are solved.

Cooper Lee is on top of the world, thanks to her great friends at Hope Street Church and the satisfaction of having solved two perplexing mysteries. And with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, she’s hoping that love is in the air for her and her new boyfriend, Nathan. But Cooper’s faith is about to be tested when her sister, Ashley, discovers a corpse and is implicated in the gruesome murder. And just as troubling, a darkly handsome and exciting man has come into Cooper’s life and just might tempt her to stray.

As Cooper and her friends from the Bible study group once again spring into action to root out a killer—and Cooper digs deep to solve a more personal mystery—she discovers that following the clues is raising more questions than answers. But one thing’s for certain: when cold-blooded criminals mess with Cooper’s family and friends, the killers haven’t got a prayer.

Or is there?

As if things weren’t bad enough, Rose’s older sister Violet is going through a mid-life crisis. Violet insists that Rose stop seeing her sexy new boyfriend, Arkansas state detective Joe Simmons and date other men. Rose is done letting people boss her around, but she can’t commit to Joe either. Still, Rose isn’t about to let the best thing in her life slip away.

My Thoughts :

The Hope Street Mysteries have been very enjoyable reads.  I am really happy that these books were re-released because, despite having read other books by this author, they had never been on my radar.  It has taken me a good few months to get the three books read but there are always so many books and so little time.  I rarely marathon read a series and this wasn't a series I really felt like reading it one go.  It was good but not compelling enough to have me grabbing the next installment straight away.

Cooper grows a lot throughout the books and it is wonderful to see her move along in her life instead of getting stuck as plain old Cooper.  The Hope Street Church plays a big part in her life but I think it was just a little push she needed to get her going.  Nathan of course is a huge influence in Cooper's life but it will be interesting to see how their relationship fairs if just thinking about another person romantically is a big deal for them.

The plot was good and interesting.  I can't believe Cooper didn't realise who was involved in the business and actually went to that person for help.  Even I had figured out that the person ad something to do with it.  Although I think Cooper is a thrill seeker and enjoys getting into the bad situations.  Maybe she deliberately forgets the smallest detail so she will get into trouble?

I look forward to reading the next book in the Hope Street Church Mysteries.  They have been a lovely cozy experience with some great varied characters and some interesting stories.  The church aspect isn't too overwhelming and is not off putting.  It will be nice to see how things turn out for Cooper in her job and relationships.  It will also be good to see Ashley get what she has wanted since the series started.

Well worth checking out if you have read any of Ellery Adams other books.  If you enjoy her style, characters and mystery weaving then you can't go wrong with a quick visit to church.

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