Killer at the Cult by Alison Golden – Book Review

I'm excited to be sharing a new review for Alison Golden! And there's another review on the way because I read these 2 books back-to-back!

Synopsis:

A sinister cult. A body in the woods. A mystery more devious than Annabelle’s diet…

Reverend Annabelle Dixon has pulled out all the stops to earn the affection of the handsome Inspector Nicholls. She’s even done the unthinkable, and sworn off sweets… for a bit.

But when all her efforts come to naught, Annabelle seeks comfort and distraction in the affairs of her parish. When she hears of strangers moving into a house on the edge of the village, Annabelle decides to pay these new residents a visit.

What she finds is a quirky cult, and a ritual that sends her fleeing into the woods…where she promptly trips over a dead body!

Local police make a hasty arrest, but Annabelle is convinced they have the wrong man. And she decides a murder investigation is just the thing to keep her mind off the absent Inspector Nicholls. But with an entire cult full of suspects, can Annabelle unravel the killer’s identity, before they strike again?

Killer at the Cult is the latest entry in the Reverend Annabelle Dixon series. If you like quaint English towns, mysterious characters, laugh-out-loud humor, and a touch of sweet romance, then you’ll love Alison Golden’s deliciously humorous storytelling.

This book includes recipes for some of Annabelle’s favorite treats:

·        Lovely Lemon Tart

·        Pious Plum and Almond Crumble

·        Reformed Rhubarb Flan

·        Soulful Scones

Book Review of Killer at the Cult 

"So who has motive?"

"They all do!"

"Alibis?"

"None of them have one."

 

Killer at the Cult by Alison Golden is the sixth book in the Reverend Annabelle Dixon Mystery Series. It's my third read in the series.

I'd originally planned to start my advanced reader's copy (ARC) of Golden's upcoming book Witches at the Wedding but thought I'd start Killer at the Cult first to refresh my memory.

Like all of Alison Golden's cozy mystery books, Killer at the Cult can be read as a standalone. You don't have to read other books in the series to start this one, though I highly recommend you read Death at the Café, the first book in the series because it's brilliant!

However, unlike previous books in the series, the murder mystery in Killer at the Cult doesn't take place the beginning.

In Death at the Café, the murder takes place in the first chapter or two, whereas in Killer at the Cult, the murder occurs in chapter 9. This doesn't put off the reader though, but I thought it was worth mentioning because I personally prefer when the murder takes place early on.

In Killer at the Cult, Annabelle investigates a group of people who come to her village and whom the villagers are weary of. The group seems to follow a strange saint – strange even to a Reverend like Annabelle.

But they are a friendly group who invite her over for one of their – strange-is-an-understatement – rituals.

However, by the end of the ritual, the leader of the group Theo Westmoreland is discovered dead!

"But, but…There hasn't been a thorough investigation. You're making your facts fit your theory."

In this book, Annabelle meets police Inspector Ainslie – and he's totally urggh!

Unlike previous books, where Annabelle's beau Inspector Mike Nicholls is the inspector in charge, Ainslie thinks is a slam-and-dunk case. But Annabelle will set him straight – several times over! *go Annabelle*

Naturally, Annabelle decides to investigate the group more thoroughly to uncover the real killer. She delves into each person's past and how they got into the group.

"Annabelle seriously doubted [Suki's statement], but the alternative was to point out that Theo had been murdered and probably by one of the people he lived among."

Killer at the Cult comprises 31 fairly short chapters, making it easy for the reader to keep going till the end and finish the book in a few days.

One of the things I enjoy is Golden's description of setting and food – especially in the Reverend Annabelle Dixon Mystery Series. Annabelle adores sweets, especially cakes.

Here's an example:

"Annabelle pushed open the front door and marched down the hall to her rustic, cozy kitchen. It was her favorite room in the house. It had exposed beams running across the ceiling and down the walls. It was a place of calm, communion, and cupboards full of cake."

Am I the only one who wants to close their eyes and wake up in this kitchen?

Overall, I thought Killer at the Cult is an interesting read. I didn't get the killer right. I didn't expect THAT person to be the killer AT ALL!

So my overall rating for Killer at the Cult by Alison Golden is 3.75 stars.

 

Note: I received a free copy of Killer at the Cult from its author Alison Golden as part of her street team. This in no way affected my review.

 

Read more of my book reviews of Alison Golden's books:

Reverend Annabelle Dixon Mystery Series

-          Death at the Café (Book 1)

-          Horror in the Highlands (Book 5)

-          Witches at the Wedding (Book 8)

Detective Inspector Graham Series

-          The Case of the Screaming Beauty (Book 1)

-          The Case of the Hidden Flame (Book 2) 

-          The Case of the Broken Doll (Book 4)

-          The Case of Samson's Leap (Book 8)