After two months of reading churchy stuff and some memoirs that were very difficult, I was so relieved to find a cozy up next on my kindle list. It is the second in the Lacy Steele series by Vanessa Gray Bartal. I had already read her first book, Morning Cup of Murder, as well as the Christmas novella, Christmas Steele. Her main character is Lacy Steele, a young woman who has returned home to her small town to rebuild her life after her fiance dumped her for her younger sister, Riley. In the initial volume, Steele inherits a great sum of money from a surprising relative. Building Blocks of Murder establishes that Lacy will be staying in her small town to help reclaim the failing downtown area. Lacy continues her complicated relationships with two men in town, a cop and a preacher. Although this series is formulaic in some aspects, the mysteries are well developed and keep the reader engaged until the end.

The next volume Family Case of Murder takes Lacy out of town to finally deal with her sister and ex. This age old technique is often disappointing since the reader has connected with the characters of the first several books and now has to start all over with new characters. However, Bartal uses this time to develop one of the romantic relationships. That romance is compelling enough to overcome all of the ridiculous characters. Her sister is introduced as such a unappealing character I found myself wondering how their relationship will ever be salvaged.

Riley moves home in the next book in this series Arch Enemy of Murder. Lacy is busy with her new career saving the town and tries her best to avoid her troublesome sibling. Also keeping her occupied is her struggle to maintain a relationship with two men at the same time. They are both losing their patience and want her to choose. The mystery forces her hand and she finally chooses just as she may have lost the one she picks.

The final book Class Reunion of Murder resolves many of Lacy’s issues. She finds true love, as do other characters in this series. She once again solves the mystery through a series of miss steps and mistakes. The characters throughout are well developed and as engaging as the plots. Bartal sets up the next volume in the final chapters of this book and I look forward to reading it when it comes out.