Born To Bead Wild

Glass Bead Mystery, #5

by

Janice Peacock

With an almost ensemble team of sleuths and its interesting glass bead theme, this long-awaited addition to the author's Glass Bead Mystery series will not disappoint.

Jacqueline “Jax” O’Connell and her best friend, Tessa Ricci, were on their way to teach a week-long glass bead jewelry workshop at a farm-turned-arts-camp in the Olympic Peninsula when they got a call from Jax’s neighbor, Val, that she was also going. Val, a hairdresser and an excellent, albeit at times adventurous, cook, was headed to the same location, having been hired as the new chef for the facility. Along with a huge pink suitcase filled with fashionable clothes and heels, Val had also brought her Basset hound, Stanley. But while Tessa was looking forward to sharing with her future students, Jax, a lifelong city girl, was a bit apprehensive about spending a week in a rustic camping environment. 

When they arrive at the camp, the three discover the accommodations are a tad more rustic than they’d anticipated, and with a strict no-technology policy in place, they are required to leave their cell phones in the camp office. However, making up for the inconveniences, the setting on the shores of a lake was beautiful, and Tessa and Jax were elated to find that the studio for their class was an absolute dream.

 While inspecting the beautiful space, Tessa is surprised when an old nemesis, Marvin Caputo, appears to check the studio’s ventilation system and questions its adequacy and safety. He and Tessa had come into conflict years earlier when he was trying to gain consulting work from her by claiming her glass studio wasn’t up to code and had caused her numerous problems. Even though Tessa had come out on top of that situation, her studio was fine; it still rankled. 

Marvin Caputo had angered many people in his past and had a notorious reputation. But when Caputo is found floating in the lake, all the workshop participants come under suspicion when it is deemed a homicide. Jax, Tessa, and Val quickly realized that someone in their group was a murderer. 

Born to Bead Wild is the fifth book in author Janice Peacock’s delightful and quirky Glass Bead Mystery series and is a long-awaited addition, as the last book was published in 2018. The main character, Jacqueline “Jax” O’Connell, is smart and savvy, and in this story, she has quite a bit of time on her hands to look around and uncover clues to what is going on at Full Moon Farm, the site of the workshop. She’s good-hearted, and though initially annoyed by Val accompanying her and Tessa, she stands up for her neighbor at every chance and willingly lends a helping hand. Tessa is the lead instructor for the glass bead class along with their friend, Adriana Jones, and although she must focus on teaching, she still has Jax’s back and urges her on when needed. For me, it was Val’s camp experience that took center stage. Honestly, I could feel the horror of those menus and weird staples, and I applauded what Val could create out of that mess. Frankly, I would have starved to death or worn a rut in the road to Port Angeles, going for food before eating any of the camp owner’s scheduled meals. 

The murder mystery and the amateur investigation were solid and intriguing. The victim doesn’t have much page/screen time, but it’s enough to know he’s trouble with a capital “T.” In contrast to our three heroines, quite a few unpleasant folks are involved with the workshop, including the owners of Full Moon Farm, and some make for good suspects. I never clued in on who the actual killer was until the reveal, though, with hindsight being 20/20, perhaps I should have. Then, too, the final resolution of the case comes with its terrific twist. 

With an almost ensemble team of sleuths, a great setting, and the interesting glass bead art and jewelry theme, I recommend BORN TO BE BEAD WILD to cozy mystery readers who enjoy artistic or craft-themed stories, books with a rural camp location or set in the Pacific Northwest, in general, but especially fans of the previous books in the series. 

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