Murder at Leisure Dreams – Galapagos

Giovanna Rogers Mystery, #2

by

Sharon Marchisello

An excellent follow-up to the series debut and an exciting standalone mystery!

Murder at Leisure Dreams – Galapagos is the second book in author Sharon Marchisello’s excellent Giovanna Rogers Mysteries, while also serving as an exciting standalone mystery for those new to the series. After falling in love with the Galapagos during her luxury cruise of the islands the previous year, Giovanna Rogers accepts the position of manager of the soon-to-open, elite Leisure Dreams - Galapagos resort, having met the owner, Jim Roberts, and his family on the trip. However, mere days before the resort’s Grand Opening, a renowned documentary filmmaker staying at the resort is found dead in her luxury suite, and a local reporter is set on making the event all about the tragedy. When the cause of death is deemed poisoning, Giovanna is determined to discover the truth before the resort’s reputation can be irredeemably damaged, and she finds herself out of a job. 

Giovanna is an extremely likable main character and is taking a big step toward starting over again after the disastrous events of the previous year, when her former business partner scammed her out of her life savings, leading to the collapse of her and her then-fiancé’s fledgling veterinary practice and the breakup of their relationship. While her grandmother, Michelle, has returned home since their momentous cruise, Giovanna’s new partner-in-crime is hunky local police detective Victor Zuniga, who is officially investigating filmmaker Claire Costello’s death. What follows is an intriguing puzzle with a great romantic storyline. 

The exotic Galapagos setting provides a unique backdrop to the series, where newcomer Giovanna experiences the sights and sounds of the remote island location, learns to fit in with the local culture, explores a new romance, and gains the trust and respect of her new staff, all while preparing for an epic grand opening. The mystery kicks off early in the book, with the discovery of the victim’s body interrupting a romantic interlude between Giovanna and Victor. I really enjoyed their couple vibe and was sad that she had to try to keep her relationship out of sight or suffer the gossip of the staff. Together, they make a great team, with him including her whenever possible, in his case, as they followed the various clues wherever they led. With plenty of intrigue and plot twists to keep things exciting, the story had me engaged from start to finish. 

I recommend MURDER AT LEISURE DREAMS – GALAPAGOS to cozy mystery readers, especially fans of the previous book in the series. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.