Lacing Up For Murder is a cozy mystery set in a lodge by the woods. With an array of interesting characters and situations, this entertaining story is sure to be enjoyed by fans of the genre.

Glenna McLain is part owner and manager of the hundred-year-old Whistling River Lodge, on Mount Hood, Oregon. The place is rumored to be haunted by the man who built it, who supposedly hung himself or was killed by creditors back in 1929.

But all is well that early September as Glenna welcomes her new guests: a psychic tea leaf reader, a group of lacemaker ladies, and a party of Japanese business men, among others—that is, until her hateful ex-husband Jared Rynelli checks in. Glenna isn’t happy to see him, to say the least, and they inevitably end up having a fight. Then Jared is murdered and Glenna becomes the prime suspect. In order to prove her innocence and get to the heart of the puzzle, she must dig deeper and deeper into her ex-husband’s past. Intrigue, deception, mob connections, murder and arson are just some of the things Glenna discovers. Trying to solve a mystery and care for her guests isn’t an easy job—especially when additional new guests include her ex’s illegitimate son and a giant dog she saves from the woods—to add to the two she already has!

There are enough interesting elements in the story to keep most readers happy. Glenna is a sympathetic character; the dialogue is natural; and the author uses mostly action to keep the pace going. But even so, this is a cozy mystery and not so much a page-turner. The author develops the mystery logically but I didn’t find a lot of clues to be able to solve the puzzle myself. There’s a bit of romance but not enough to get in the way of the mystery. The setting, along with the ghost rumors, add a wonderful atmosphere to the novel, making the reader wish she was there having tea and scones at the lodge’s café.