Cozy Mysteries: Lethal Letters

The Books by the Bay cozy mystery series is one of my recent favorites.  The books are very well written and flow so that I am never bored.  The character development in the series is also very good.  The main character (Olivia) goes from being a bit of a lonely loner to having a significant other and a great group of friends.  And it's not only the main character that gets character development, the more peripheral characters develop and grow as well, be it a new job or a relationship challenge or both.  The books are set in a small town by the ocean, and although I am really more of a mountain/lake person, reading about Olivia's adventures make me want to go breathe in some rejuvenating sea air.

One of the ways in which Olivia makes friends is to join a writing group.  In each story, Olivia, with the help of the writing group and her cop boyfriend, solves a murder.  In Lethal Letters Olivia finds a young girl dead on the beach while taking her niece and nephew on an outing.  Her inquiries lead her into the world of a rich influential family, a disabled woman in a trailer park, a drug smuggling ring and mermaids.  This was an excellent book and I highly recommend it!