Mystery at the Masquerade

An M/M Cozy Mystery (Secrets and Scrabble, Book 3)

By: Josh Lanyon

Narrated by: Matt Haynes

Love Is in the Salt Sea Air - And So Is Murder!

Ellery Page, aspiring screenwriter, reigning Scrabble champion, and occasionally clueless owner of the village's only mystery bookstore, the Crow’s Nest, is both flattered and bemused when he’s invited to the annual Marauder’s Masquerade, the best and biggest social event of the season in the quaint seaside village of Pirate’s Cove, Rhode Island. The event is hosted by the wealthy Marguerite Bloodworth-Ainsley - a descendant of the famed pirate Tom Blood.

Ellery doesn’t even know Mrs. Bloodworth-Ainsley - nor, it turns out - does Mrs. Bloodworth-Ainsley know him. But Marguerite’s son, Julian wants to know Ellery. Julian, handsome, rich and engaging, is a huge mystery buff. In fact, he’s bought quite a few books at the Crow’s Nest bookstore, but never quite worked up the nerve to ask Ellery out.

As his relationship with Police Chief Carson seems to be dead in the water, Ellery is grateful for a little flattering attention from the village’s most eligible bachelor, but any hopes of romance hit the shoals, when Julian is accused of murdering his mother’s unlikable second husband during the Masquerade's annual ghost hunt in the family’s spooky cemetery.

©2020 Josh Lanyon (P)2021 Josh Lanyon

My favorite so far!

Great ending!
Love this guys.
Watson is still my favorite character
More head injuries - ouch

excellent love the series

love carter's voice very sexy please write more I love all the different series I've read I feel like I got to know your characters and am sad when series is over and can't wait for next book in series

Prue Love

Loved the whole series. I listened to the book every chance I got. I can't wait to start a new book by Josh Lanyon.

even better than the first two

Lanyon has really hit his stride with these characters, what a fun ride! The narrator gives Jack the Batman voice and it really works.

A fun cozy mystery

This is a fun cozy mystery with a lot of enjoyable eccentric characters, including the adorable puppy, Watson. Ellery is smart and sweet, extremely charming. The only downside is the police chief, Jack, who is more than a bit of a jerk. Also, while a set up for Ellery's involvement, Jack's incredibly quick arrest of Julian is an unbelievable plot device. It's just too fast, he couldn't have gathered enough evidence to have a reasonable case that a prosecutor could hold up. I have to wonder if a GSR test would've ruled Julian right out (depending on how much residue would have transferred from. a brief pick up of a previously fired gun. And that, itself, would bring into question any GSR on Julian's hands. Actually, there wasn't enough time for an autopsy, much less a rifling pattern test to even prove the gun was the murder weapon. Likely it was, but there wasn't time between 4am and 10am when Ellery woke up for all of that to be done. Extremely bad police work. Jack's being set up as Ellery's love interest but Jack's just not likeable. He jumps to conclusions, makes false accusations, and treats Ellery poorly. Also, it's not believable that Ellery thinks Jack's a good detective, because he's patently not. That's frustrating, and I wish there was another love interest for Ellery, who deserves far better. Still, good investigating on Ellery's part, who is very clever, and Nora and the Silver Sleuths are a delight.