Mystery at the Masquerade (Secrets and Scrabble #3)

Title: Mystery at the Masquerade (Secrets and Scrabble #3)

Author: Josh Lanyon

Publisher: JustJoshin Publishing

Release Date: February 28, 2021

Genre(s): M/M Cozy Mystery

Page Count: 219

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 

Read book blurb here

This third installment in John Lanyon's new cozy mystery series was unexpectedly published in early 2021, ahead of schedule, and it is a welcome ray of sunshine (and murder).  

Ellery and Jack, Buck Island's gorgeous police chief, are still friends .... just friends, no benefits. They share an easy casual friendship involving sanding, sawing and plenty of other home repairs at Ellery's decaying Dutch Renaissance style mansion, but anything beyond that involves the two men warily circling around any sort of actual involvement. 

But an unexpected invitation to the annual Marauder's Masquerade at Bloodworth Manor puts Ellery in the middle of a murder in a mausoleum, with plenty of suspects and intrigue. Of course, Nora finds the murder a bit too convoluted. 

"A hard shove down the stairs, a balcony railing giving way," Nora was saying dreamily. "That how you do it."

"Sometimes you scare me," Ellery remarked.

Don't get me wrong - like Nora, I simply adore a good old-fashioned murder mystery, and while the mystery here is interesting, well-written and completely gripping, I think I actually squealed in delight at the very G-rated, yet nicely steamy debut of some perhaps more-than-friendly benefits between Ellery and Jack.  4 stars for "Mystery at the Masquerade."

I received an ARC from the author, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.