Quinn Caine and nun-in-training Sister Daria are young cousins who can’t help but find themselves at the center of any dangerous mystery that befalls their small town of Vienna, Virginia. When a famous Broadway star returns to make a mark on his hometown, tensions rise once again after a bag of venomous snakes attack and kill him in his car. This man was the town’s playboy and broke many hearts during his formative years. Hence, not everyone in Vienna welcomed him with open arms. A Midsummer Night’s Scheme by Harper Kincaid is the second installment in the Bookbinding Mystery series in which Quinn and Sister Daria return to their amateur sleuthing ways to catch a killer, or else the next victim could be someone close to them. 

The first book in the Bookbinding Mystery series is To Kill a Mocking Girl. I didn’t read it before diving into A Midsummer Night’s Scheme. But I had no problem following along with the overall dynamic of established characters. So the aforementioned Broadway star Chad Frivole returns and announces that he wants to build a community theater in Vienna. And readers learn about several women who succumbed to his charms, only to have their hearts broken. While Chad insists he’s not that guy anymore, not everyone is convinced. And before they know it, Quinn and Daria have terrifying front-row seats to Chad’s murder. Then emergency services arrive and find a bag full of exotic yet highly venomous snakes in the car he crashed, along with a cryptic note about Chad’s fate. Suddenly they realize that they are dealing with a new level of possible revenge. 

As the ladies and law enforcement continue to follow leads (separately, of course), Quinn learns that her brother Sebastian – Bash for short – and his fiance Rachel find venomous spiders in their bed. Suddenly Bash is the next target. Apparently he had also broken a few hearts back in the day before he settled down with Rachel. And because investigators find another note in a notebook that Quinn designed, she can’t sit back and let her boyfriend/detective Aiden Harrington do all the work. Now it’s personal, and the cousins are determined to find the killer before Bash becomes the next victim. 

Aside from the cozy murder mystery elements, Kincaid adds some other plot points to make A Midsummer Night’s Scheme unique. The story features POVs from both Quinn and Sister Daria, making it an interesting shift from the typical murder mystery. Furthermore, readers get some family drama. Bash informs his parents that he is converting to Judaism for Rachel before the wedding. This news shocks and upsets Mr. and Mrs. Caine, leaving both children disappointed in their parents. While not necessarily essential to the plot, this storyline added depth to the characters and opportunity for growth that readers can relate to. 

Aside from all that, the pacing was fine and the mystery wasn’t so easy to figure out. However, the story didn’t suck me in like other murder mysteries have. Yes the main characters are likable and are unique in their backgrounds. But, even though Daria was questioning her chosen path to become a nun, a new love interest conveniently shows up towards the final third of the book. His attraction to her (and disregard of her pending vows), seemed unrealistic due to how quickly it developed. But after reading that cliffhanger at the end of A Midsummer Night’s Scheme, readers will surely want to know what happens next between them. 

Harper Kincaid joins us for a Cantina Conversation to talk about her experiences as a published author and her love for the cozy murder mystery genre. Keep an ear out for the interview on a future episode of The Nerd Cantina Show and preorder A Midsummer Night’s Scheme, available March 21. To Kill a Mocking Girl is available now.