Black Cherry Chillers and Conniving Beauty Queens

The Buenaventura Beach Mystery Series, Book 3

De: Mindy Killgrove

Narrado por: Heidi Hecker

They’re not out to get you, unless you’re the one holding the crown.

The mindset of a pageant contestant is an enigma to Avery Baldwin. She never participated in them during her younger years. When she had the opportunity, she determined she’d rather sit on the beach and draw in her sketchbook. So, when her nephew, Noah Dixon, volunteers to serve the community by working as a stagehand for the local Miss Buenaventura Beach Pageant, she commends him for his thoughtfulness, and leaves the rest of her comments to herself.

But when one of the contestants falls off the stage, and the girls accuse each other of committing acts of sabotage, Avery’s interest is piqued. When the finger is pointed at Noah, as if he could possibly want to hurt some of the competitors, Avery feels compelled to rush to his defense.

Can Avery figure out what’s really going on at the pageant before someone else gets hurt? Or will the contestants turn a friendly, local competition into a full out battle for the coveted crown?

Find out what happens by listening to Black Cherry Chillers and Conniving Beauty Queens, book three in the Buenaventura Beach Mystery Series.

©2024 Mindy Killgrove (P)2025 Mindy Killgrove

Interesting Story

This review is based upon the copy gifted to me via Audible.

My immediate response to the narration by Heidi Hecker was I don't think I can get through the entire book. While her voice is pleasant to listen to, the recording picked up on the sounds of her lips sticking triggering my Misophonia. It was quite prevalent in the beginning making it hard to truly listen to the actual story. Eventually, it went away only to come back at times.

The main character, Avery Baldwin has come back home to Buenaventura Beach where she typically visits during the summer. This year she decides to stick around taking a position at the high school as the art teacher. Avery also does drawings for people down on the beach as a side hustle.

The town is gearing up for a festival, complete with a Miss Buentaventura Beach Pageant. Never participating in pageant hoopla in the past despite her sisters having been contestants, Avery just doesn't understand the importance and lengths people put into winning.

Avery finds herself drawn into the fray when incidents keep happening threatening the well being of pageant coordinator, who is her mom's friend, her nephew whose girlfriend asked him to help, and many of the participants who are her students. Her inability to let things that bother her go, Avery finally gets to the bottom of all the incidents and perpetrators is caught beforethingsg become fatal.

Meanwhile, Avery deals with her growing friendship with a newcomer divorced single father of an atypical son.

The story is easy to read/listen to. Despite this being the third of the series, it didn't feel disjointed picking up as a standalone read. I would definitely be interested in reading the rest of this mystery romance series.