Customer Reviews

Lye in Wait (A Home Crafting Mystery)

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Sophie Mae Reynolds is quite surprised to find the neighborhood handyman, Walter Hanover, dead in her workroom. He died from drinking lye. She has plenty of it on hand for making soap. But the police call it suicide.

Sophie can't understand why a man who won the lottery and has a loving fiancée kill himself. So, she investigates. Her best friend Meghan tries to stop her to no avail. Detective Ambrose, who sends the butterflies in her stomach a flutter but can also cause her annoyance, can't stop her either.

Her sleuthing leads her to peppermint and a trail of arson, bigamy, and a family secret that's quite shocking and reveals a personal connection to Walter. Can it connect him to his killer? Can Sophie uncover the killer without putting herself and those she loves at risk?

Sophie is a breath of fresh air as a lovable amateur sleuth. She is so much fun as she works her way through her investigation. I look forward to reading many more adventures with Sophie.

Detective Ambrose and Meghan help balance Sophie and try to keep her out of trouble. That isn't an easy job.

The new craft series features recipes as well. I highly recommend this book.

Soap maker Sophie Mae Reynolds is devastated when she finds the body of neighborhood handyman Walter Hanover on her workroom floor. The police think he committed suicide by drinking lye but Sophie Mae isn't convinced and begins looking into Walter's death herself much to the annoyance of Detective Barr Ambrose. The more Sophie Mae digs, the more complicated the case becomes. Sophie Mae doesn't seem to have a clue about Walter's death, but someone thinks she does and soon her life and the lives of those around her are in real danger.

"Lye in Wait" is the first book in Cricket McRae's Home Crafting Mystery series and it has some good moments. The characters are good, starting with Sophie Mae. She is a well-written character - widowed and making a decent living with her soap and other beauty products. I liked the fact that in this book, unlike some other mysteries, Sophie Mae is seen actually working instead of letting the mystery take over the book. Sophie Mae lives with her friend Meghan and Meghan's young daughter Erin and McRae does a good job of describing the relationship between the three which is very believable. The descriptions of the meals that Sophie Mae and Meghan cook made my mouth water. While the characters and soap making elements worked for me, the mystery aspects didn't work as well. Although the book has all the elements of a cozy mystery (including the ubiquitous attractive detective) it is a little too gritty to be called a cozy, especially in the way Walter dies and Meghan's relationship with her jerk of an ex-husband. The mystery seems to rely on too many coincidences and I felt cheated at the end when the murderer was revealed.

"Lye in Wait" is not a perfect mystery, but has some good moments and interesting characters and looks like the start of a good mystery series.

McRae definitely knows how to craft a story. This is a great read that keeps your interest from the first page. Sophie Mae Reynolds just can't stop wondering why poor Walter Hanover would commit suicide. She forges ahead for answers, even though she often gets the feeling she should mind her own business. 'Lye in Wait' is full of surprises: I could not put this book down and I can't wait for the sequel. Go Sophie Mae!

I am very pleased to have found a new mystery series. "Lye in Wait" was a page turner, & I stayed up way too late reading it. The prose really flows, & there are no lulls in the action. The first person narration was great, & I ended up loving Sophie Mae more than the mystery.

Not only do we get a good mystery story, but also recipes for making soap, lip balm and bath crystals--with great tips throughout the book--along with instructions on how to run your own business. I still can picture the characters clearly and there were portions where I laughed out loud. Very cleverly written...loved it!

There are two ladies combining their lives, homes, and individual businesses. Meghan owns the house and lives there with her daughter. Meghan runs a massage business. Our co-sleuth is soap maker, Sophie Mae Reynolds, her best friend.

To the ladies dismay, Sophie Mae goes down to her basement workshop and finds their local handyman not installing plasterboard but dead, from drinking liquid lye.

With this gruesome discovery, Sophie Mae, Meghan, and Erin (daughter,) find themselves woven into an intricate murder mystery. The mystery builds as the book progresses.

This was a great debut for a series and also gives us recipes for making home lotions and lip balm.

What a fun series. I happened to meet the author and pick up her book by happenstance. Although, it took a couple of pages to get into it, after the first chapter or two, I couldn't wait to turn the page. A fun, unique book with a great character. I was pulled into Sophie Mae's life and just bought the third book in the series. Fun plot and enjoyable characters. Mystery and suspense without the gore. Definitely enjoyable and nicely written.

I have to say the I just loved Sophie. She is a no nonsense kind of gal and I really enjoyed finding out how the story, with it's twists and turns, would turn out in the end. I liked that I could indentify with Sophie and wondered how I would handle a dead handyman in my basement. Keep the books coming, Ms. McRae, as I love your story line.

I liked it. Good characters, good plot. Pacing was just right. And I'm going to try one of the 'recipes' in the back. I'll definitely buy another in the series.

This is an entertaining and fast read with fun characters, some intrigue, and a little action. I like the personalities she's created and how they interact. If you like it there are more in the series.