TLC Book Tours Book Review: The Branson Beauty

About The Branson Beauty

• Series: Sheriff Hank Worth Mysteries (Book 1)
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books (July 19, 2016)

The Branson Beauty, an old showboat, has crashed in the waters of an Ozark mountain lake just outside the popular tourist destination of Branson, Missouri. More than one hundred people are trapped aboard. Hank Worth is still settling into his new role as county sheriff, and when he responds to the emergency call, he knows he’s in for a long winter’s day of helping elderly people into rafts and bringing them ashore. He anticipates a lot of anxiety, many arguments, and extra costs for emergency equipment that will stretch the county’s already thin budget to the breaking point. But those are the least of his worries after he discovers high school track star Mandy Bryson’s body locked inside the Captain’s private dining room.

In her captivating debut novel, Claire Booth has created a broad cast of wonderfully compelling characters, and writes with a style that perfectly blends humor with the emotional drama and heartache of a murder investigation.

“Claire Booth hits the ground running in this debut novel set in the Missouri Ozarks. She writes with the assurance and clarity of a more seasoned pro.” – Edgar award-winning author Margaret Maron

“This contemporary take on a locked-room puzzle is chilling, compelling and completely entertaining, and Claire Booth is a wonderful new voice in crime fiction.” – Hank Phillippi Ryan, Agatha, Anthony and Macavity award winner

“With nuanced characters and an intricately unfolding plot – and a bone-deep sense of cold in this snowy Ozark setting – this novel is reminiscent of William Kent Krueger or Giles Blunt. Claire Booth is a writer to watch.” – Anthony and Agatha award winner Sara J. Henry

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Review: I love mysteries of all kinds. Usually I'm a cozy mystery kind of girl, but if it is a good mystery, it doesn't have to be an amateur sleuth.  

This is the first book in the Sheriff Hank Worth series and it is a great beginning. I love the setting of Branson and the river boat. I'm all about casinos etc, even though I can't afford to go to any. I still find something glamorous about being able to through away money to a slow machine or a turn of a card.

Claire Booth makes a great debut here. Hank is a great lead character. He's a professional, but he has a little bit of what I like in a cozy mystery lead. He's got a little bit of humor with some quirky characters hiding a lot of secrets. I adored the nicknames that he gave to some of the suspects. He called his one young deputy Pup.

The mystery involves a body found on the river boat that has run aground. What should have been a simple rescue operation turns into much much more including arson and the murder of a track star.

Mandy's murder is a lot more complicated than it seems too, and that's really what makes you keep turning the pages with this book. There are so many different people that could have possibly killed her, and there was something going on in her life that will point to who had the most motive.

The story had a good blend of Hank's personal life as well as his professional life. You'll definitely be invested in this character by the end of the book.

The plot has enough twists and turns to keep the pages turning and you don't guess the killer until it is revealed. You'll also be anxious to see how Hank chooses to handle his job after the little twist at the end with the former sheriff and the county commissioner.

This is definitely a series to keep up with.

Rating: 5 flowers