Fatality By Firelight

Fatality by Firelight by Lynn Cahoon is the second book in A Cat Latimer Mystery series. Cat Latimer is welcoming a new group of writers to her second writer's retreat in Aspen Hills, Colorado. After inheriting the beautiful Victorian from her ex-husband, Michael, Cat turned the home into the Warm Springs Writers Retreat. On the first full day of the retreat Cat and her boyfriend, Seth (he is also the handyman) take the writers up the mountain for a day of skiing. After enjoying the slopes, Cat and Seth enter the lodge to find the writers enjoying the bar. Christine, one of her guests, is in a clench on the sofa with local, Tommy Neil. It will not go well for Tommy when his fiancé, Brit finds out. Upon arriving back home, Cat tries to warn Christine, but she does not wish to listen (feels he is the one). The next day the group tours the local library. When they are finished, Christine takes off with Tommy. Cat is awoken in the middle of night by the arrival of her Uncle Pete, Chief of Police. Tommy was found murdered and the last person seen with him was Christine. Christine is not in her room, but she soon stumbles in cold, crying and with blood on her top. Christine insists that Tommy was alive when she left. Cat does not see Christine as a killer and starts asking questions around town. In addition to the murder, Uncle Pete is investigating the theft of a signed Hemingway book stolen from the library (and the librarian is pushing him to find the book). Cat thought that writer's retreats would be quiet and leave her plenty of time to write! Cat is in for a surprising week in Fatality by Firelight.

I thought that Fatality by Firelight was better than A Story to Kill (the first book in the series). I found the story easy to read, nicely written, and it has a beautiful setting (I would like to visit). The book has far more going on in it than I summarized above. The romance between Seth and Cat is prominent in the book (just my personal opinion). Cat is not ready for a relationship with Seth. She has yet to resolve her feeling for her ex-husband, Michael. Cat needs to find out what really happened to Michael and why he pushed her away before she moves on with Seth. The storyline regarding Michael started in A Story to Kill and continues in Fatality by Firelight. The storyline of Michael shares the spotlight with the murder of Tommy Neil. I hope the author wraps up this particular storyline soon. I think it needs its own book (book three perhaps). I am curious, though, to see how the mob ties in with Michael's demise. I give Fatality by Firelight 3.5 out of 5 stars. I wish the mystery of Tommy Neil's death had been more challenging. I could identify the culprit early in the book (might as well have been a neon sign hanging over the killer's head). I am having a little trouble liking Cat. She is not happy with how much time she must spend interacting with her retreat guests. Cat did not realize how much time she would have to spend socializing and helping her guests. Cat seems to have formed the idea that guests would spend their time locked in their rooms writing or researching at the library (and Cat would spend her time writing in her attic office). It seems that Cat did not fully think out the idea of her retreats. Cat conscribes to what I call the "Scarlett O'Hara" theology. Tomorrow is another day. If you do not get it done today, there is always tomorrow. In Cat's case, she hopes Shauna will do it for her. I am a fan of Shauna. She is more than a housekeeper and cook. Fatality by Firelight is best read after A Story to Kill. I will be reading the next book in A Cat Latimer Mystery series. I am curious to see what happened with Michael and what role Dante Cornelio (a handsome mob guy) will play in the next book.