Reservations for Murder (Lighthouse Inn Mysteries, No. 2) [Paperback]

Tim Myers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 4, 2002

In this second Lighthouse Inn Mystery, innkeeper Alex Winston discovers a new attraction at the county fair: a corpse.

"Myers cultivates the North Carolina scenery with aplomb and shows a flair for character." (Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel)

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (June 4, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425185257
• ISBN-13: 978-0425185254
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,562,229 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Tim Myers has been writing mysteries since 1993. He is the Agatha Award nominated author of 24 novels with Penguin/Berkley/Prime Crime, Penguin/NAL/Signet, St Martin's Press/Minotaur, and Kensington. Ten of his novels have been IMBA National Bestsellers, landing as high as #2. Tim has written under his own name, as well as Elizabeth Bright, Chris Cavender, Casey Mayes, and others.

His first story, My Late Aunt Hattie, was an 800 word short-short that combined elements of comedy, mystery, and the supernatural. It was published in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and went on to be included in The Haunted Hour anthology. The author has also had stories included in the Mystery Writers of America Anthology A Hot and Sultry Night for Crime, as well as the hardcover anthology Murder Most Crafty. He is also the author of over 80 short stories, and has been nominated three times for the Derringer Award for Excellence is short mystery fiction.

For more information on Tim, please visit www.timmyers.net

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Suprisingly Campy, July 19, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Reservations for Murder (Lighthouse Inn Mysteries, No. 2) (Paperback)

Tim Myers follow-up to his enjoyable Innkeeping With Murder
finds Alex Winston with murder at his doorstep once again.
Myers does a nice job with the small town characters giving each
chapter the right amount of homey touches to convey the
"Mayberry" cliches needed for this light read. However,
I do wish he gave his lead character more conviction and
development. We never get to know Alex Winston. He seems
to exist just to connect the dots between suspects, ex-girlfriends and current love interests. In addition, Myers
doesn't provide the reader with enough clues to the murder,
so the conclusion seems to come out of nowhere. What elevates
this so-so mystery to four stars is the campiness Myers creates
with his murderer. The last fifteen pages are pure camp and
comedy. The cat and mouse between Alex and the murderer is
over-the-top and played for laughs. This is the most
unintentionally funny murder suspect since Mrs. Voorhees took
revenge on camp counselors twenty-four years ago in Friday The
13th. If they get the right actors, this could be a hoot as
a trashy TV movie. Is this a one time comic rush or can we
expect more of the same from future Innkeeping Mysteries?
Let's hope so.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another death at the lighthouse puts Alex in the thick of it, February 10, 2003

By 

Dawn Dowdle "Mystery Lovers Corner reviewer" (Lynchburg, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Reservations for Murder (Lighthouse Inn Mysteries, No. 2) (Paperback)

...Alex is a likeable character. I like the relationship he has with Elise, but hope it will grow. I think that's the only thing I would say negative about this book is that I missed that. With Elise gone, all he did was miss her, but yet he's not sure what type of relationship they have. There was too much of that in this book.

This series is very enjoyable. I always look forward to the next book coming out. The descriptions are very enticing. I would love to stay at The Hatteras West Inn.

I highly recommend this book and the whole series.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars This Series Has Run Its Course, November 21, 2009

By 

Nancy Grisso "Stepfordmomto2" (Tehachapi, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Reservations for Murder (Lighthouse Inn Mysteries, No. 2) (Paperback)

Unfortunately after the second book, this series has run its course with me. No real spark or endearing characters that make you want to dive into the next one.

Alex Winston runs a bed and breakfast that has the distinction of having a replica of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and its outbuildings. What's so curious about that, well, there is no water around just a lighthouse sitting in the foothills of North Carolina.

While embroiled in the daily duties of running the inn and trying to bring the lighthouse back to its glory, Alex agrees to let Shantana run the Golden Days Fair on his property. Things seem to be going smoothly, that is until a local blacksmith is found impaled with a very unique piece of metalwork and everyone seems to be a suspect.

This story quickly bogs down and by the time the killer is revealed, it really doesn't matter because my attention is no longer on the book. My mind has wandered and I was trying to figure out what I was going to read next. Not a good sign.