Clover Tate

When Emmy moves to the coastal town of Rock Point, Oregon, it's to live her dream of opening a kite shop. She figures that since the other kite shop in town sells different types from hers, there's plenty of room for two. But she doesn't figure on the dead body she finds on the beach, nor the fact that her roommate Avery is suspected of killing the man. So Emmy decides to find out who really did kill him, and hopes that she can get there before Avery is sent away for good...

I picked up this book because it had a different premise, but it would have been better if I'd just left it alone. How big is this town that two kite shops can sustain in it? Are there really that many people that fly kites in this town? To be fair, even though I live in a large city (and have always made city living my life) I've never seen anyone flying kites anywhere, and I haven't flown any since I was kid.
Now, I'm not saying people don't; I'm sure they do or they'd stop making them. I'm merely pointing out that this town has a lot of kite-flyers. Just sayin'

At any rate, Emmy comes off as self-important and thinks others are beneath her. She seems to think she's smarter than everyone, including the police. This is not the type of protagonist that I'm interested in reading about, and I won't be reading any more in the series. Sorry.… (altro)

In Wuthering Kites by Clover Tate, Emmy Adler is the shop owner for one of Rock Point's newest business, Strings Attached. The coastal kite shop has caught the attention of a local reporter who is looking to interview Emmy for an upcoming segment. Things take a dark turn when a woman's body is found murdered in Emmy's shop and is believed to be that of the reporter. When Emmy and her friends realize things are what they appear, they take matters into their own hands and begin to investigate the case.

Sometimes I just need a cozy mystery in my life and this certainly fit the bill. Even without having read the first two in the series, I was able to jump right in without feeling behind. The characters were well written and likable. The setting was described in plenty of detail to get a real feel for the Northwest coastal location. With plenty of ambiguous clues, the mystery plot kept me guessing until the end.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and look forward to finding the first two in the series.

A huge thank you to Berkley Publishing for the free copy of the book, given in exchange of an honest review.… (altro)

Live and Let Fly by Clover Tate is the second book in A Kite Shop Mystery series. Emmy Adler owns Strings Attached in Rock Point, Oregon. She is busy preparing her kite for the upcoming kite festival. Emmy needs to win for the publicity to help keep her fledgling shop open over the winter. Emmy is working on her kite when her sister, Sunny arrives unexpectedly and states she is moving in with Emmy. Sunny has quit college and wants to think over her options for her future. While drinking tea, Sunny manages to spill her cup and stain Emmy’s kite. Emmy heads to Brew House and sees Jack Sullivan talking with guest judge, Jasmine Normand. Emmy ends up causing a scene. The next morning, Jasmine Normand is found dead, and Emmy is a person of interest. Business at Strings Attached takes a nosedive, so Emmy sets out to find Jasmine’s killer. When not busy with her investigation, Emmy starts working on a new kite for the competition. Unfortunately, Sunny ends up burning a hole in it. Maybe the third one will be a winner. Can Emmy find the culprit before the competition begins? Does she stand a chance of getting a kite finished in time with Sunny around?

Live and Let Fly is the second installment in A Kite Shop Mystery series, but it can be read alone. I like that Emmy makes unique one-of-a kind kites. Emmy, though, is bland and I did not like her interactions with Jack Sullivan (jealousy and overreacting when Jack wanted to discuss their relationship). Her sister, Sunny, outshines her throughout the story with her clumsiness, financial advice, and gregarious personality. I found the novel to be slow paced and lacking in action. There was a lot of time devoted to walking, eating, and talking. There is a little action towards the very end of the book. I am giving Live and Let Fly 3 out of 5 stars. The mystery has more than one component and is slightly complex. Most armchair sleuths will have no problem figuring out the solution. I was never drawn into Live and Let Fly. It is one of those stories that I read, but my mind was never fully engaged. I felt that the author did not fully develop her world or characters. Cozy mystery readers who enjoy light, humorous stories will enjoy reading Live and Let Fly. There is humor, romance, a mystery and beautiful kites in Live and Let Fly.… (altro)

Blown Away is the first book in the A Kite Shop Mystery series and a wonderful debut it is. The next time somebody tells you to go fly a kite, your first stop should be Strings Attached to talk with Emmy and purchase one of her handmade kites.

Emmy Adler has moved to Rock Point to live her dream and open a kite shop specializing in her own design handmade kites. The morning of the Grand Opening, Emmy and her dog Bear are taking their early morning walk on the beach, when Bear runs off to a collection of rocks along the shoreline and starts to bark. When Emmy catches up she finds that Bear has been barking at what appears to be a dead body. The body turns out to be that of Miles Logan, the chef at The Tidal Basin.

While getting her business off to a start, Emmy is living at Avery Cook’s house, they have been friends since childhood. Avery had recently broken up with Logan and the night he was killed, Avery had claimed she was ill and went to her room and since she was not seen until the next day, she has no alibi. When it is found that she was to met with Miles the night of his death and is reported to have been seen near where he was found, With Avery arrested for the murder and in Emmy’s opinion that police are not interested in looking any further, she begins her own investigation,

Emmy soon learns of an argument between some mushroom hunters and Logan, that Logan had plans to open his own restaurant which might lead the owner of the Tidal Inn to lose his business and that there were plans to use Avery’s property for a real estate development.

With the help of Stella Hart, a retired school teacher and local artist, who Emmy has hired to help out in the kite shop and from, surprisingly, Jack Sullivan owner of a rival kite shop.

I really enjoyed this new series and had me guessing until the end. It has a well-plotted story with interesting and well-developed characters. Looking for seeing more of Stella and seeing what might develop between Emmy and Jack.

I can’t wait for the next book in this exciting series… (altro)