Even with all her experience, Gloria Bachman, retired banker and candy entrepreneur, didn’t see this coming.
Sweeties, the beloved Comfort chocolate shop, was ready for its cameo in advertising extraordinaire Jazzy Mezcal’s famous travel and food show! Comfort town folks had worked hard all summer to get their shops Hallmark-movie ready. On the eve of the TV crews overtaking the town, Gloria’s Chamber of Commerce welcome party gets drenched in a wicked rainstorm. Locals call it a “blue norther,” and a dreaded agent of change. Flooding seems like the worst of their problems until the celebrity TV host turns up dead.
In shock, Gloria’s friends turn to her to figure out who could be responsible for such a disaster. With the TV crew and guests in town for the 8th Street Market’s annual shopping event, suspects are endless. Reluctant to get involved, Gloria would much rather focus on the delicious romance with Mason Lassiter. And she would if a frenemy from Kerrville didn’t haunt her every step. Now as Gardner Rogers treads on her turf, everything feels suspicious.
With all eyes on Gloria to find the truth behind Jazzy Mezcal’s untimely death, she indulges her curiosity for problem solving while trying to disguise how unsure she is about the future with her boyfriend. Disruption in Mason’s world, mayhem in Comfort, and one epic chocolate disaster rouse Gloria to action and make her decide what’s worth fighting for. All she can say for sure, is that no one is finding any comfort in Comfort.
“Sometimes a little chocolate helps kick-start a recovery.”
Finding Comfort by Kimberly Fish is book two in the Comfort and Joy series, and it is a wonderful continuation of Gloria Bachman’s escapades in Comfort, Texas. This ‘woman of a certain age’ is a divorced, retired banker who opened a chocolate shop in book one, Sweet Comfort. But can a murder mystery happen twice in a small town in the Texas Hill Country? That would be a resounding Yes! And once again, Gloria finds herself right in the middle of it all.
This latest cozy mystery by Kimberly Fish is a doozy, with Jazzy Mezcal and her high-maintenance crew descending on Comfort to film a travel/food show. In the aftermath of an unexpected and quite violent thunderstorm, the days that follow reveal a questionable death, illegal drug activity, and an eccentric resident of Comfort with something to hide.
In Finding Comfort, Gloria’s relationship with Mason Lassiter takes a sweet leap into the next phase, which for them means saying I Love You and appreciating the level of comfort their relationship offers. This lovely accord between two mature adults is gentle, refreshing, and a joy to behold.
Kimberly Fish has created a most excellent protagonist in Gloria Bachman. She is an older woman starting over in life, career, and love, but she is not the stereotypical perfect woman who sweeps people off their feet based on looks alone. Gloria has middle-aged curves, a giving heart, and a nose for rooting out clues to the murder du jour. Our Gloria is one lucky lady in Comfort, but when a mystery is afoot, donning her Miss Marple cap might not always be a good idea, but it sure is fun for readers. Gloria is headstrong yet sensitive, and she owns a chocolate shop and appreciates a good cup of coffee. What’s not to love?
With all this fangirling aside, the other characters are just as wonderful and well developed. All of them are feisty and ready to fall all over themselves to protect the town and their friends and family when the chips are down. Kimberly Fish expertly captures the nuances and the layers of all types of relationships, both the positive and the volatile, offering more than enough melodrama to keep readers riveted.
Comfort is a real town not too far northwest of San Antonio, with more than its fair share of rugged Texas charm. Kimberly Fish, with her expert storytelling and eye for detail, gives this small town the super-star treatment and fictional main character status in all her Comfort books, with a full menu of gossip, secrets, sweet romance, friends and enemies alike, and plenty of delicious treats. Enjoy!
But wait! Just when the characters find some semblance of comfort, a brewing nugget of drama threatens to erupt, whetting the appetite for book three, Home to Comfort.
“Comfort has gone viral.”
Enter the giveaway below on or before November 3, 2023, for a chance to win some great prizes.
I received a free copy of this book from Lone Star Book Blog Tours in exchange for my honest review.
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10/24/23 |
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10/25/23 |
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10/26/23 |
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10/27/23 |
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10/28/23 |
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10/31/23 |
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11/01/23 |
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11/02/23 |
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You always have the BEST reviews that end up costing me money and time because I have to buy the book and start reading. You test my willpower! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Can’t wait to read this!
Well worth the cost because Kimberly Fish always delivers such great stories!
Terrific review, Ruthie. And you’re right about Kimberly delivering a great story.
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