Book Review: A Killer Carnival by Jeannette de Beauvoir @JeannetteDeB #akillercarnival #cozy mystery

Someone in Provincetown, MA is set to destroy Carnival if it’s the last thing they do in the latest installment of Jeannette de Beauvoir’s Provincetown Mysteries.

Working as a wedding and events coordinator at the Race Points Inn in Provincetown, MA keeps Sydney Riley busy! As part of her job organizing parties, weddings, and events for the Inn, Sydney gets tapped to coordinate a float for Provincetown’s Carnival Parade. It is the peak of summer season and the town is packed with holiday traffic.

When Sydney’s boyfriend Ali’s sister Karen arrives for an unexpected visit, Sydney is certain something is up. Karen is the Commissioner for the Boston Police, and Sydney can count on one finger the number of vacations Karen has taken in the time she has known her. Suffice it to say, Karen is not the type to take a vacation, particularly to a summer resort in the peak of party season! Sydney is certain there’s another reason for Karen’s visit, if only she can find out what it is.

But as Sydney presses forward, she starts to face some ugly truths about the world around her, as well as herself. Anti-Muslim sentiment seems stronger than ever, and a number of other hate-related issues are bubbling to the surface. The summer season brings the holiday goers to Provincetown, but unfortunately it also lets in some who are definitely not there for the party!

This book is packed with social issues that are unfortunately very relevant to the time we live in. If you are someone who shies away from commentary on the current administration, then be warned that this entire book seems to be making a statement about the state of our country. A much-needed statement, many of us would say.

Though there are tons of things keeping it interesting, the real mystery doesn’t pick up until about halfway through the book. The characters are interesting, the setting is fascinating, and the author’s love of the city she lives in shines through the pages. This is not a typical cozy mystery—it is much more sociopolitical commentary than it is cozy murder mystery. Much edgier than a typical cozy, and with less mystery. I did think there were some interesting twists, and overall it was a complex story with good characters.

Thank you to the Cozy Mystery Review Crew for my copy. Opinions are my own.