Rhythm and Clues: The Record Shop Mysteries

by Olivia Blacke

It’s raining murder.

It’s been five whole months since the last murder in Cedar River, Texas and sisters Juni, Tansy, and Maggie have settled into a routine. Their struggling vinyl records shop/coffee nook, Sip & Spin Records has attracted the attention of predatory investors, but the Jessup sisters have no intention of selling.

When the pushy finance bro is killed outside their shop during a torrential Texas Thunderstorm that's washed out all the roads in and out of town, they find themselves trapped in town with a killer. Without power, Sip & Spin Records is relying on generators to provide great tunes and tasty beverages like Since U Bean Gone to a town thirsty for entertainment. When the river spits out an unexpected surprise, Detective Beau Russell asks for Juni’s help, never imagining that her investigation will lead her straight into the clutches of a murderer.

Up until now, the Jessup sisters have been playing it by ear, but with the whole town watching, can they catch a killer before he strikes again?

• ISBN10: 1250860121
• ISBN13: 9781250860125
• Publish Date: 15 April 2024 (first published 26 March 2024)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: St Martin's Press
• Imprint: St. Martin's Paperbacks
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 304
• Language: English
• URL: http://melia.co.uk/page/detail/?k=9781250860125

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Rhythm and Clues is the third book in Olivia Blacke's record shop storefront cozy series. Released 26th March 2024 by Macmillan on their St. Martin's Press imprint, it's 304 pages and is available in mass market paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout. The first two books in the series are also currently available for subscribers to borrow and read for free on Kindle Unlimited.

This series features a trio of sisters who are running their family's vinyl record store with collectible records along with a cafe and coffee shop on the same premises. The dialogue is witty and sometimes snarky (they're sisters, and it's in Texas) but generally good humored and supportive. Their family vibe is close and functional and despite the occasional spats, they really do care for and protect one another. It's also nice to see a cozy series featuring protagonists of color who are intelligent, well spoken, and female and not tangential to the plot. Representation is important.

The writing is engaging and the author has a solid feel for plotting and dialogue. Some of the eccentric small-town secondary characters were a bit archetypal and "trope-y" but they weren't overly intrusive or only there as window-dressing, and readers won't be yanked out of their suspension of disbelief by their overdone quirkiness. The climax, denouement and resolution are satisfying. 

This story has a cool closed circle of suspects setup (the town is isolated by a storm, and there's a murderer on the loose). It's a neat classic trope and the author does a good job with the story progression and resolution.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 8 hours 54 minutes and is well narrated by series narrator Nicol Zanzarella. She has a well modulated alto voice and does a good job with a large cast of characters and manages to differentiate all of them well enough that they're easy to distinguish and never monotonous or confusing. Sound and production quality were high throughout.

Four stars. Readers will enjoy the musical trivia and word play throughout. There was some repetition but all in all, it's a fun shopfront cozy. With three books published, it would be a good choice for a short weekend binge or buddy read.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[chymerra]

Over the past few months, I have read cozy mysteries that take place in various places. But a vinyl record shop/coffee nook wasn’t even on my radar for cozy mystery settings. I can check it off because Rhythm and Clues is set in such a place. That was one of the main reasons I decided to review the book. Not because of the mystery or because it was in Texas (which weirdly is a huge deciding factor in some of the books I read) but because it features a vinyl record store.

Rhythm and Clues is the third book in The Record Shop Mysteries series. It can be read as a standalone, but I strongly suggest reading the first two books to gain an understanding of the different relationships in the book. I wish I had because I needed clarification on the love triangle presented.

The main storyline of Rhythm and Clues centers around the murder of a financier in front of Juni and her sisters’ shop. The story also focuses on Juni’s relationships (love and otherwise) and her investigation into the death. I found the storyline engaging, often funny, and a little twisty (the murderer did surprise me).

I liked Juni, but she managed to get into trouble. As I read the book, I realized there was no holding her back when investigating the murder. She was going to find out who killed Zack, even if it meant putting herself up as bait and possibly getting hurt.

I found the mystery angle of Rhythm and Clues to be a little twisty, which surprised me. In my experience, cozy mysteries are usually written with a particular character in mind, and twists are not the norm. But, in this case, I was genuinely surprised by not only who the murderer was but also the motives behind the murder (minor spoiler: it was an accident). A smaller side mystery about handles mannequins also started about the mid-book. I did figure out where that one was going, but how it tied into the main mystery was revealed at the end of the book.

Juni’s relationships were a huge part of the Rhythm and Clues storyline. Her relationships were the bedrock of the storyline. Those personal relationships helped her with investigating Zack’s murder. She got information out of people that the police would have had to fight for.

Juni’s love life was also a significant part of the storyline. For a good part of the book, she was in a love triangle. Since I hadn’t read the previous two books, I was confused. There is a resolution to the love triangle, but I was a little disappointed with who she picked.

The end of Rhythm and Clues was perfect for the book. I liked how the author revealed who Zack’s murderer was and the reasons behind it. The author also showed the fallout from the murder. The author also left some room open for book four.

Many thanks to Saint Martin’s Press, Saint Martin’s Paperbacks, NetGalley, and Olivia Blacke for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Rhythm and Clues. All opinions stated in this review are mine.