Review: Star-Spangled Murder (Piper Sandstone Savory Mystery) by Karen McSpade

Star-Spangled Murder

A Piper Sandstone Cozy Mystery

by Karen McSpade

Published: March 3, 2026

Publisher: Newcastle Media Publishing

Genre: Cozy Mystery, Mystery, Short Story, Thriller, Suspense

Blurb:

It’s not the first time this detective has traded in her jujitsu gi for a pair of high heels, but this time… her killer talent just turned this beauty pageant deadly.

Former Chicago detective turned small-town sleuth Piper Sandstone never expected to don sequins and high heels for Savory’s annual Star-Spangled Beauty Pageant. But when her best friend Rosemary insists, Piper reluctantly joins the lineup—only to watch the festivities collapse in chaos when one of the judges is found murdered backstage. Now, Piper finds herself thrust center stage in a murder mystery investigation that’s anything but glamorous.

The Victim? Sheila, a wealthy businesswoman and the lifelong nemesis of Piper’s best friend, Rosemary.

The weapon? One of Piper’s own throwing stars from her talent routine.

The real suspects? Everyone, from old high school rivals to powerful town leaders with secrets to hide.

The stakes? Piper’s reputation, her freedom, and the new life she has built for herself in Savory.

With Rosemary and Piper tied to the crime as key suspects and the sheriff, Piper’s fiancé, sidelined from the case, Piper must team up with her sharp-witted crew of silver-haired sleuths to find out who really wanted Sheila dead.

But as they dig through layers of small-town secrets, tangled romances, and backstage grudges, every clue only tightens the net around Piper and Rosemary, and every lead pulls them closer to a killer who’s hiding in plain sight.

Packed with Southern charm, laugh-out-loud banter, and a group of senior sleuths who steal every scene, Star-Spangled Murder is a page-turning read perfect for fans who love action-packed cozy mysteries, clever amateur sleuths, witty banter, found family, hidden secrets, red herrings, clean romance, and mysteries that keep you guessing till the end.

If you love small-town drama, quirky sidekicks, and a dash of danger with your cozy mysteries, read Star-Spangled Murder today to uncover what really happened backstage!

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My Review:

Star-Spangled Murder is a fantastic addition to Karen McSpade's Piper Sandstone Cozy Mystery series. I found myself enjoying Star-Spangled Murder just as much as the other titles in the Piper Sandstone Cozy Mystery series. The Queen Bees kept me captivated with their every move as they expertly solved mysteries.

Savory, Alabama, is gearing up for its annual beauty pageant. One of the Queen Bees, Rosemary, encourages Piper to participate in the pageant alongside her. Although Piper is reluctant to join, she doesn't want to let her friend down.

Piper's unique talent is throwing stars, so you can imagine her shock when one of her stars is discovered backstage with one of the judges, Sheila. Who could have thrown that star? I doubt it was Piper, or was it? Perhaps Piper was merely trying to protect her dear friend, Rosemary. Did someone have a grudge against Sheila? Was the murderer attempting to frame Piper? Or was the star simply in the wrong place at the right time?

Despite the police advising Piper and Rosemary to steer clear of the investigation, they, of course, ignore the warning. Their sleuthing leads them to a variety of suspects, from former high school rivals to influential town leaders harboring secrets.

The mystery around Sheila’s tragic end had me rushing to the end, hoping to learn who threw that star. I must confess, I was eager to find out whether one of the Queen Bees could be involved, though I truly hoped it wasn’t the case. Honestly, I don’t believe Piper or Rosemary were responsible at all. However, it’s hard to ignore how suspicious the star found with Sheila was.

I genuinely enjoy the Piper Sandstone Cozy Mysteries and look forward to more installments in the future. I hope this isn't the last we see of Piper and the Queen Bees.

If you're a fan of a good murder mystery, I highly recommend picking up a copy of Star-Spangled Murder today, or any of the stories in the Piper Sandstone Cozy Mystery series! On second thought, why not treat yourself to a copy of every book in the Piper Sandstone Cozy Mystery series?

Check out all the books in the Piper Sandstone Cozy Mystery series I’ve read.

Hash Browns And Homicide #0

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Murder And Grits #1

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Red Beans and RIP #2

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Mystery on the Half Shell #3

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Killer Gumbo #4

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Crab Cake Criminal #5

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Pies and Pilfering

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Star-Spangled Murder

Goodreads

Amazon

BookBub

Connect with Karen McSpade

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Book Blitz: Ashlight Dominion: Fear of Breath by J. Trevino Kelley @RABTBookTours

Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction, Dystopian

Date Published: February 3, 2026

In a world where poisoned air has stolen breath itself, survival is no longer a solitary act, it is a covenant. From the ashes of collapse rises New Umoja, a fragile but unbroken community bound together by the Mesh, a living network of memory and thought. At its heart is a struggle: who gets to breathe, who belongs, and how hope endures when systems are built to suffocate. Ashlight Dominion follows those who refuse to vanish, weaving stories of resilience, betrayal, and rebirth into a tapestry of survival. This debut novel by J. Trevino Kelley is both mythic and immediate, exploring how history, power, and identity shape the fight to endure and remain true. With prose that burns and breathes, it asks: What does it mean to rise from ash, not untouched, but unbroken?

 

 

About the Author

 

J. Trevino Kelley is a writer and strategist with a lifelong interest in systems, power, and human behavior. A husband and father of four, raised by a single mother as one of seven children, he draws from lived experience, leadership work, and a deep curiosity about how societies respond to disruption. His speculative fiction explores survival, identity, and the consequences of rebuilding the world after collapse. Ashlight Dominion is his debut novel.

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Teaser: Impulse Caught by Emily Carrington @CarringtonEmily @RABTBookTours @changelingpress

A Sticks & Stones Romance

Marisburg Chronicles 9

M/M Romance Suspense

Date Published: March 6, 2026

Publisher: Changeling Press

Riku takes charge in bed, but will he have any control over the day-to-day decisions of a marriage?

Money and status differences challenge Riku and Theo to find a middle ground. Their passion is white-hot, but their ideas of living comfortably are at odds. As their wedding nears, driven forward by Theo’s parents’ sense of guilt, Riku feels the old urge to run.

Riku refuses to give into this impulse at first, but as the comparison between his emotional scars and the mountains of Theo’s familial expectations grow, Riku fears running will be the only less-than-honorable course left to him.

Theo isn’t blind to Riku’s struggles but he doesn’t understand what’s wrong. Each time he reaches out, Riku reaches back, yet they never quite connect. Will their need for each other overcome their differences, or will their passion be subsumed by a wave of conflicting desires?

Excerpt

It was the day after the children had left for the summer. There would be ESY, of course, extended school year, but Riku hadn’t been asked to participate. He’d only been a teacher at the Colton school for the deaf since January, so it made sense he wouldn’t be first pick for ESY. He would have normally chewed over that until he was ill, but since Theo had gone back to work in February, they were living relatively comfortably. Riku’s student loans still put a squeeze on him, but he could manage without panicking.

He was sorting through papers posted on the walls. Most of them had gone home with their makers yesterday, but there were a few that hadn’t been collected. These he grouped into a folder he marked “leftover assignments” and stored for early September.

He glanced toward where Theo was wiping down desks, and Riku had to catch his breath. His fiancé was dressed in casual clothes, but he looked like a Greek statue come to life. Attired in a green T-shirt and jeans shorts, he looked younger than he was because of the cutoffs, but not like jailbait. He was thirty-two, having gained another year in mid-April. Unfortunately, Riku had also aged a year, so they were still a decade apart.

The brush of Theo’s medium brown hair on his green-clad shoulders made Riku think of a book he’d read in high school. It had been about a man who could sing magic into the world. His hair had been red as his Irish heritage, but the physical differences didn’t matter. Theo could definitely have sung magic into Riku’s heart, or anywhere else he chose. His broad shoulders stretched the T-shirt over his pectorals and his shorts showed off his long, muscular legs.

If they weren’t at school, Riku would have suggested they quit working and go goof off instead. Unfortunately, they weren’t in their rented room in Marisburg.

Turning his attention back to his chosen task, he went to the bookshelf and started organizing the books. Ninety percent of the books were in print, but the remaining ones were in print and braille, for his students who, like Theo, had Usher Syndrome or other hearing/vision challenges. He wasn’t the braille teacher, could barely feel the dots under his fingers, truth be told. Still, he liked the idea of providing all kinds of different access to literature. Probably that was part of what made him an effective English teacher.

With his back to Theo as he organized the books, he reflected that today most likely wouldn’t see the two of them making love.

Half a year ago, Theo’s parents, courtesy of his father’s quick tongue, had alienated themselves from their son. Mr. Billings had told Theo that if he could prove himself self-sufficient for six months, he would be welcomed back into the familial fold. Theo’s father had apologized, all but falling over his words in an attempt to retreat from the ultimatum but Theo had taken up the challenge.

Now it was the end of that six months. Theo hadn’t been out of communication with his parents, but certain topics, like his relationship with Riku, had been off-limits. As had his access to the family fortunes.

Theo had been, for the past six months, surviving on his own brilliant mind and on his ability to work from anywhere. Today, though, Theo would be reopening full communication with his parents.

Riku wasn’t sure if he should be dreading that time as much as he was.

It wasn’t that Theo hadn’t been talking to his parents. He just hadn’t accepted any monetary handouts from them, and he’d refused to discuss his relationship with Riku. It was easy to trust him, to believe he had suspended those ties temporarily. Theo was prideful and wouldn’t bend. Besides, the two of them had engaged in actual arguments about money, like any other couple.

Riku found himself smiling. Those fights had always ended in makeup sex, almost like they were a new kind of foreplay. He hadn’t always won the arguments, like the one they’d had about moving out of his ex’s house and into a rented room.

To save on money, he’d wanted to stay “just a little longer” despite the fact that they’d been sleeping on an air mattress in his ex’s living room. The word “uncomfortable” didn’t begin to define that situation but it had felt safe because Riku had been able to pay bills without worrying where he would rest at night.

Theo had ultimately been the hero of that fight because he’d shown Riku how selfish he was being. His lover had managed it without making Riku feel bad, which was almost a miracle.

So, why was he so tangled up about bringing the Billings parents back into the picture? They’d apologized for calling him Theo’s Asian fetish, which was apparently the worst offense in their eyes. Shouldn’t he forgive them?

No, he thought. There’s an essential disconnect between how I view the world and how they do. We can’t resolve that.

Hands closed on his shoulders, and he realized he’d been standing still instead of cleaning. He relaxed into the familiar touch of Theo’s skilled fingers as Theo began massaging his shoulders and that spot where he carried ninety percent of his tension, which was at the base of his skull. He must have been unmoving for quite a while because Theo, partially deaf and visually impaired as well, sometimes missed things that happened around him. He’d noticed today, though.

Riku turned and Theo dropped one hand into Riku’s palm. He signed, “What’s wrong?”

“I’m borrowing trouble,” he said and signed. He caught the light playing over Theo’s hair and reached up to touch a lock that had fallen in front of Theo’s eyes. “You’re gorgeous, you know that?”

“Thank you.” He laughed. “I do know, but I also am aware that you’re avoiding talking about whatever’s bothering you. What’s wrong?”

Riku shook his head, remembered Theo might not be able to see that, and answered, “I don’t want to talk about it here.”

“Maybe we should go home, and we should resume this cleaning tomorrow?”

He didn’t want to go back to the rented room and face Theo’s parents. “I’d better finish up here or it’s going to drag on all summer.”

“By yourself?”

“You can go back if you want,” Riku offered.

“Why don’t I stay with you, keep you out of your head?”

Riku hugged him, feeling the warmth of Theo’s skin on his forehead as he leaned against him. “I love you. Thank you for understanding how much I need you to be with me right now.”

Theo kissed him, angling his head so their noses didn’t bump. “I love you.” He smacked Riku’s hip lightly. “Now. Let’s get cleaning. I don’t just love you.” He signed into Riku’s hand. “I crave your touch.”

“And my mouth, I hope,” Riku signed back. “I’ve wanted to taste you for days.”

 

About the Author

Emily Carrington is a multipublished author of male/male and transgender women’s speculative fiction. Seeking a world made of equality, she created SearchLight to live out her dreams. But even SearchLight has its problems, and Emily is looking forward to working all of these out with a host of characters from dragons and genies to psychic vampires. And in the contemporary world she’s named “Sticks & Stones,” Emily has vowed to create small towns where prejudice is challenged by a passionate quest for equality. Find her on Facebook at Shapeshifter Central or on her website.

 

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