Lone Star Book Blog Tour: The Sisters, Texas Series by Becki Willis, Featuring Book 9—Sitting on a Fortune (Review)

Review of the Sisters, Texas series by Becky Willis, featuring book nine, SITTING ON A FORTUNE

The first nine books in the Sisters, Texas series by Becki Willis are an absolute delight. While each book can stand alone, reading them in sequence is the best way to go. The development of the main characters, the well-placed plot surprises and twists, and the multiple references to previous events will be better appreciated if you start with book one and go from there.

And speaking of book one, this entire collection of cozy mysteries starts right off with Madison “Maddy” Reynolds finding a dead body in a chicken house. In CHICKEN SCRATCH, Becki Willis immediately sets the stage and expertly creates several fantastic characters, including the protagonist, Maddy, a new widow returning to Juliet, Texas, from Dallas with her teen twins, Blake and Bethani. Drowning in debt, Maddy creates her own employment by starting In a Pinch Temporary Services (which is later changed to In a Pinch Professional Services and gains another employee, Derron, whom you will love with all your heart). No job is too menial or too outrageous for Maddy because every single penny is needed to keep her and her twins afloat. Add the re-connection to her high school crush, Brash deCordova, into the mix, and this Sisters, Texas series starts off with a gigantic bang and then speeds along at a breakneck speed all the way to book nine, with potholes, caves, romance, a couple of weddings, a spy house, a haunted house (sort of), sticky situations, danger, tall glasses of sweet tea, and dead bodies galore.

The little details and smart characterization bring all the stories to life and give them dimension and tons of small-town flavor. Becki’s writing style lures the reader in right from the beginning and only gets better with each book. The entire series flows together like one long conversation, with each book segueing nicely into the next. While not every character is fully fleshed out, the main ones grab your attention with their quirky interactions and delicately woven relationships. It is a bit astonishing that so many crimes can occur in the small sister cities of Naomi and Juliet, Texas, but they do. So, suspend your disbelief for a moment or two and enjoy this Sisters, Texas roller coaster ride. Becki Willis has certainly spent considerable time creating this wonderful world with such varied and deeply rooted characters. You will definitely appreciate the backstory of these sister cities and will find that this history anchors all the stories together, creating quite the unique backdrop in each book.

Once Maddy solves the crime in CHICKEN SCRATCH, she makes a name for herself as a capable sleuth, even if that is not how she imagines her job description at In a Pinch. In book two, WHEN THE STARS FALL, another crime-solving job falls into Maddy’s lap, but this one involves a celebrity living (and dying) right there in the Sisters. In book two, the author introduces a new plot that is spread across the next several books. Maddy’s Granny Bert (who is feisty, sassy, and a super knowledgeable octogenarian) practically gives her granddaughter a mansion that she herself inherited by none other than Juliet herself. The Big House needs work, and what better way to get a free renovation than through a reality TV show called Home Again? Of course, reality TV comes with strings attached. In book three, STIPULATIONS AND COMPLICATIONS, the home makeover is in full swing, and everyone’s privacy is forfeit. The renovation of the Big House takes on a life of its own, especially when a skeleton is discovered, opening up an intricate mystery that involves cubby holes, a secret staircase, tunnels, and modern day bootlegging.

Hang on, we’re just getting started.

In book four, HOME AGAIN: STARTING OVER, the heat is turned up full blast, literally and figuratively. All sorts of fires are popping up, and a lot of romance is scorching the pages. Oh yes, this entire series has plenty of romance. It might seem obvious that book four, based on its title, should focus mainly on the TV reality show and the renovations, but it doesn’t, which is a bit odd but certainly doesn’t make the overall story any less entertaining.

Book five, GENNY’S BALLAD, is the only one that deviates from Maddy’s main perspective. It’s unclear why Genny gets her own spotlight, but it sure is fun getting to know her better. Genesis Baker has been Maddy’s best friend since junior high, and book five is as sweet as apple turnovers as Genny discovers that love always finds a way and that age is just a number. It’s not all sweetness and light, though. There is plenty of mystery and danger to balance out Cupid’s arrows of love piercing the hearts of both Genny Baker and Cutter Montgomery, aka #Gennecut.

In book six, CHRISTMAS IN THE SISTERS, a Grinch is on the loose, stealing presents and being a dangerous pest. Despite the rash of burglaries and a pesky gambling ring, the gang still gathers at the Big House for Christmas, including Maddy’s parents and her ex-in laws. New and old holiday traditions are on the menu. Speaking of menu, Genny’s restaurant, New Beginnings, is a scrumptious setting throughout the series. Becki Willis’s writing is so accomplished that I can almost taste Genny’s famous Gennydoodle cookies.

In book seven, THE LILAC CODE, Maddy, Genny, and Granny Bert head to Washington DC and stay in an exact replica of a Spy House. Genny is judging a celebrity bake off, and the trip is shaping up to be a much needed getaway. Instead, a swapped suitcase sets a mystery in motion that is full of subterfuge, secret codes, and plenty of danger. Back in the Sisters, Maddy’s twins find themselves neck deep in their own harrowing mystery. While the separate plots in separate locations could have been their own books, Becky Willis presents both with aplomb and without too much confusion or frustration when the plots shift back and forth.

In book eight, WILDFLOWER WEDDING: WITH A KILLER RECEPTION, romance and love are in full bloom. Maddy Reynolds and Brash deCordova are getting married, but this is a cozy mystery, so you guessed it. Murder and plenty of mayhem put a damper on a much anticipated honeymoon. But what’s the chief of police and an amateur sleuth supposed to do? Catch the culprit, of course. While the main characters are well known and some are quite well loved at this point, the romance is almost over the top in book eight, and Maddy and Brash seem a bit to physically perfect. They have some internal flaws, but a few physical ones, other than Brash’s occasional popping knee, would add a touch more reality to their characterization.

And here we are at book nine, SITTING ON A FORTUNE, and I have mentioned only a minuscule amount of all the amusing, heartwarming, and perilous things that have gone on in the previous books.

In SITTING ON A FORTUNE, Brash’s birthday is coming up, and Maddy wants to reupholster an antique chair as a gift for her new husband. She quickly discovers that this is no ordinary chair. A mystery is buried deep inside the cushion, and when Maddy spills the stuffing, along with a few golden objects, she is off on another adventure. Maddy makes a deal with the devil, I mean Granny Bert, to keep the treasure a secret until they figure out the true owner of all that gold or until Brash’s birthday, whichever comes first. But as chief of police, Brash is a first-rate investigator, so keeping a secret turns into a full-time job for Maddy. Book nine has its fair share of danger and mystery, but this one has quite a bit of high jinks as well. Maddy teams up with her best friend, Genny, to solve a missing person case that balloons into a much bigger problem.

Becki Willis sure knows the secret of how to create the perfect hook at the beginning of this amazing series and at the beginning of each story. The main characters evolve and feel like good friends with each passing book, and the rotating minor characters are excellent as well. All nine plots are fresh and full of spirit, witty dialogue, sweet and salty scenes, and more than enough fracas to go around. Somehow, Becki Willis provides the perfect mix of the serious and the lighthearted, despicable miscreants and likable characters, and mystery and romance. Each book will enchant and have you scrambling for the next one.

Will there be a book ten? All signs point to Yes! Be on the lookout for ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME coming out in 2020.

Enter the giveaway below on or before March 1, 2020, for a chance to win some fabulous prizes!