Clover Tate Books In Order

Publication Order of Kite Shop Mystery Books

Clover Tate is a retired congressional investigator and American author popularly known for Blown Away the debut book in the Kite Shop Mystery series.

Blow Away

Blow Away is the first novel in Kite Shop Mystery by Clover Tate. The story is set in Rock Point in Oregon. The debut novel introduces us to Emmy Adler, a woman finally living her dream of a good life that she has always wanted since she was a child. She has relocated to the coastal town of Rocky Point, Oregon and she is starting her kite business.

One morning, as she is getting ready for the grand opening of her kite business, she stumbles upon the body of a man washed up the beach. The dead man is a local chef named Miles Logan, and according to the gash on his chest, it becomes clear that the chef had been murdered and his body disposed of in the waters. According to the local sheriffs, the blame all falls to Emmy’s best friend, Avery, a young and beautiful lady who had an affair with the chef.

According to Emmy’s thoughts, Avery is a very well-mannered woman who cannot even hurt a fly let alone kill a person. However, the only problem is that Avery cannot give a reliable explanation about her whereabouts on the night when the chef was murdered.

Blown Away is a brilliant and intriguing debut novel to an up-and-coming series. The main character in the first title is Emmy, a young woman who has followed her dream of owning a kite business. She relocates to Oregon where she hopes to start her business. She is an artist and creates custom made kites and also carries more offerings. She is all set for the grand opening of her business when she and her pet Bear discover the body of Miles Logan. All the eyes turn to the young woman who had an affair with the dead chef and the clues that are rising do nothing to help Avery. Emmy is quite sure that her friend is innocent and she is ready to do whatever it takes to ensure that her friend does not end in jail and that the perpetrator of the heinous crime is brought to justice.

This is a brilliant cozy mystery that lives to the expectations of every avid cozy mystery readers. The setting, being a coastal tourist town is an excellent idea and how the author describes the place is quite fascinating as well. Tate’s description of the Rock Point, Oregon is brilliantly done, the local people, the stores, the restaurants and the towns local colors are described in detail. This somehow arouses the reader’s thirst for adventure in the midst of the main plot which is murder.

Tate’s use of the diverse character in the whole murder saga is brilliant. The readers are introduced to a variety of characters that inhabit Rock Point. For instance, there is the retired teacher turned artist Stella and Emmy’s loyal friend Dave. These characters play a significant role in Emmy’s life, and they help the readers to get more insight into the local town, its people, and more so about the main character Emmy.

Then there is the main character Emmy; she is such an exciting lead character who is easy to connect with; she is also a likable character. She has a knack for investigation; this is showcased when her best friend Avery is accused of being the person who murdered the chef. She is blindly devoted to Avery; this is quite understandable as the two friends have known each other for a long time. This loyalty is even justified as the story progresses when we see Emmy determined to do whatever it takes to prove to the authority that her friend is innocent. Emmy has good intentions for everyone around her; she is also self-righteous.

However, like any other character or anyone in real life, Emmy has her flaws as well. For instance, at time she seems to get angry at some characters very easily mainly one or two adversaries. Sometimes she also has less regard for what other people around her think, and she is also quick to lose temper. However this can somehow be justified, her frustration arises because no one around her was willing to believe her about the innocence of her friend. Throughout the novel, Emmy matures both as a character and as a woman, as she tries to conduct her amateur sleuthing and prove to unveil the identity of the killer and set her innocent friend free.

On the other hand, there is Avery. She and Emmy have been good friends for many years. However, unlike her friend, Emmy who keeps no secrets, she has held some secrets from Emmy, and these secrets only appear to do her more harm than good. Other characters are varied but also well-crafted, and this helps keep the readers hooked to the last page.

Blown Away moved at a steady pace, and it is an easy light read. The killer’s motives and the final revelations that the author makes the novel a worthy read.

Live and Let Fly

Live and Let Fly is the second book in Kite Shop mystery by Clover Cate. In this second installment, the main character, Emmy Adler, the owner of Kite shop becomes the main suspect in a murder crime that could see all her dreams come crashing down on her.

With summer just around the corner in Rock Point, Emmy hopes to that she will beat the seasonal drop in business by scooping the prize in the annual kite festival. Emmy’s ambitions of becoming the best in the day leading up to the festival are soaring, not even an argument with a contest judge and reality television star can bring her down. However, when Jasmine is later found dead the morning after their argument, Emmy ambitions are no long soaring high.

The cops open an investigation into what could have caused Jasmine’s death deem it a murder and Emmy becomes the main suspect. With a sensational national reporter convinced that she is guilty and her business at stake, Emmy will have to trade her kite making skills for crime solving or else find her dreams blown off the course.