The Pearly Girls return to solve a high school reunion murder in this sequel to Murder Strikes a Chord.
Event planner Cassidy Jamison and her not-so-helpful sexagenarian staff of Roxie, Kate, Aileen, and Ruthanne are up to their elbows with a high school reunion committee’s constantly changing requirements for an event that must be the most elaborate and memorable at all costs.
When well-known reporter, Darcy Branch, and former cheerleader, Brittany Mahoney, are found dead on her property, Cassidy and the gang have to find the killer before the party’s over. And the more Cassidy and her Chihuahua mix, Elvis, dig for clues, the more deadly secrets they uncover—including one that changes everything she knows about her family’s history.
The Pearly Girls need to solve the case before the Class of 2009 goes down in Ivy Springs history as the deadliest reunion.
The books are set near Southwest of Staunton, VA in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The main character, Cassidy Jamison, owns property that she has turned into a venue for various activities, such as concerts, parties, and, as is the case in the second book, reunions.
Unfortunately, she seems to be a magnet for murder, or at least her venue is. Fortunately, she has her late grandmother’s childhood friends to help her run the business and investigate cases. Although the Pearly Girls are her grandmother’s age, they aren’t exactly grandmotherly—more rabble rousers—and they can’t help but play matchmaker since Cassidy is single.
E. B. Davis
Is the Blue Ridge area in Virginia increasingly popular with tourists? Do they crowd the roads during leaf season?
It is. The Blue Ridge Mountains are such a gorgeous vista in autumn. The area gets really crowded during peak leaf season, and a lot of the roads are in rural areas are quite narrow.
Cassidy inherited the property from her grandmother. What happened to Cassidy’s parents?
Cassidy’s parents died in a car accident when she was in elementary school, and she went to live with her grandparents in Ivy Springs.
How did Cassidy get enough experience to be an event planner and know how to run a business?
She has a background in marketing, and she watched and helped her grandmother over the years. But after a little while, she realized it was a bigger job than she had imagined.
For a time, her grandparents ran a country western bar or honky-tonk on the property that popular musicians would visit since before Interstate 81, the road in front was the main one used to get to Nashville. Was the bar in the cave, which now stands empty, or was there a different structure and they saved the cave for illegal moonshine storage back in the day?
The honky-tonk had been in the family for several generations. Her great-grandfather built it, and her grandfather ran it during its heyday. Ivy Springs is on the I-81 corridor which used to be the main route to Nashville, and a lot of entertainers used it in their travels. The cave is just a feature on the property, and Cassidy is trying to find a way to incorporate it. Her family also had an illegal moonshine business going during Prohibition, and they used the cave and the root cellar in the barn to store the alcohol.
The honky-tonk burned down in a lightning storm. The charred remains are still on the property.
Were the Pearly Girls younger than Cassidy’s grandmother? They described going to the honky-tonk, but they were very young and hid their presence from their parents. Whereas, Cassidy’s grandmother must have been a co-owner if her husband ran the bar. Am I confused?
Cassidy’s family owned the honky-tonk that was a popular music venue. The Pearly Girls were younger when Cassidy’s great-grandfather owned it, and then her grandfather took it over when he married Cassidy’s grandmother.
Is there a culture of crafted moonshine up in those hills today that actually is sanctioned via taxes, by the state or is the illegal kind still prevalent?
There is a long-standing culture of moonshine in Virginia. Some of it now is legal. Some not. I invited an Alcohol Bureau and Control Board investigator to speak to our Sisters in Crime group a few years ago, and it was amazing how much illegal enforcement they still do. When my husband and I moved to Central Virginia (which is about an hour from the mountains), our county police officers had green uniforms. I asked someone once why there were so many park rangers in the county. It turned out that back in the 1920s the local police worked with the moonshine investigators, and they chose green to be more camouflaged in the woods. They have since changed to black uniforms.
Britt, former homecoming queen, and current influencer, is the head of the reunion committee. Why is she trying to get publicity from a journalist and in her online presence with a reunion? Aren’t reunions only of interest to those participating?
Britt characterizes the reunion as a “mega-reunion.” Is that a term much like “supermodel?” Or was Britt organizing a multiple-class reunion?
Britt loves to exaggerate everything. Whatever she’s talking about, it’s bigger, better, or more fantastic than anyone has ever seen. And she will step on anyone who gets in her way.
One of the activities planned for the reunion is goat yoga. Have you or anyone you know ever experienced goat yoga? Couldn’t their hooves cause injury?
I have never tried it, but it’s on my bucket list. From the videos I’ve watched, it looks like not much yoga gets done in the play session. A goat yoga session just sounded like some over-the-top event that Britt would have to have.
Are CBDs and gummies legal in Virginia?
Some are. Most are sold in convenience or vaping shops. I listen to a great podcast, “Pick Your Poison,” and Dr. JP talked about gas station herbals. It was frightening to hear about how deadly some of these items are.
Cassidy finds that what she thought was the history of the honky-tonk wasn’t exactly the truth. Why were the Pearly Girls so reluctant to talk about the bar’s history? Their reluctance gives Cassidy the wrong impression.
Her grandfather fell ill with cancer and closed the honky-tonk during this time, and he eventually passed as a result of the disease. In all of the commotion, priorities shifted, and the honky-tonk took a backseat. Most of the players had forgotten that some of the secrets were preserved, and it was a surprise for Cassidy and the Pearly Girls.
Is knit bombing a thing?
It is. People decorate poles, posts, and statues. I’ve seen several here in Richmond, Virginia.
Cassidy has bought a new red jeep. What is the “Duck, Duck, Jeep” thing all about? Do you know how it started and why?
Cassidy loves her rugged Wrangler. And yes, Duck, Duck, Jeep is a thing. You’ll see Jeeps driving around with a row of rubber ducks on the dashboard. The internet gives the Canadians credit for starting the trend as a way to boost morale during the pandemic. I have friends with quite the duckie collections.
For a time in the book, Cassidy has two handsome and eligible guys around her, a bartender-Austin, and the Deputy Sheriff-Zac. But she then realizes that Austin must remain a friend. Why?
She likes the attention of both handsome guys. Zac has something that excites and frustrates Cassidy at the same time, and she’s drawn to him. She often mistakes his warnings for her protection as a scolding. Austin is adorable, but he is a hopeless flirt, and she just doesn’t get the vibe that he’s long-term boyfriend material. But Austin does play a big role in the resort’s new venue.
Are the Pearly Girls making up the attraction Zac has for Cassidy or does she miss his tells, which is out of character for her?
I think down deep she sees the attraction, but she is so focused on the murders that she mistakes his warnings for her safety as scoldings. She is a bright, independent woman who doesn’t like being told what to do, and I think that clouds her judgement sometimes.
What’s next for Cassidy and her dog, Elvis?
In book three, Murder Whets Its Whistle, Cassidy and the Pearly Girls welcome the Sip, Sip Hoorah festival on her property. Local vintners, distillers, and brewers gather for their organizational meetings and to showcase their wares to the public. All is rosy until one of the marketing specialists is found dead in a wine barrel.
What a wonderful interview and a great premise. This series is so much fun.
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