[ARC Review] Game of Gravestones by Gena Showalter and Jill Monroe

Publisher's synopsis: She suspects everyone of everything. Except her oldest friend. Who's found next to a body. Holding the murder weapon.

For the first time, things are just right for cemetery owner Jane Ladling. Her cat only kind of hates her sort of boyfriend, Special Agent Conrad Ryan, and she isn't flat broke. When she's asked to host a murder mystery fundraiser for the people of Aurelian Hills, Georgia, she's totally on board. Champagne, intrigue, and community? Yes, please. Then game night happens and a fake murder turns into a real one, leaving her mentor and knitting buddy Fiona at the top of the suspect list, with her best pal Beau a close second. Oops?

Jane's not about to leave the fate of her loved ones to, well, fate. On the hunt for clues, she turns the small town upside down. As scandalous secrets surface, a single truth becomes clear: if she doesn't solve the murder fast, Jane will be the next victim.

My thoughts: You would think that, after the last two life-ending incidents in her cemetery, Jane Ladling could catch a break. But when another body turns up under her watch, and her friends are all prime suspects, Jane knows she can't rest until the real culprit is caught and her friends are safe. 

Jane Ladling is truly becoming my go-to for cozy mysteries. Between Jane's quirky personality, her weird yet wonderful town, the love she has for her friends, and the ever-growing love she has for Special Agent Conrad Ryan (even if she tries to deny it), Jane's adventures always put a smile on my face along with the occasional head shake. 

Jane is the kind of character who is adorably awkward yet ferociously loyal, and we're all a little worse off for not having a friend like her. 

Gena and Jill have crafted such a fun cast of characters for this series, and I love diving a little bit more into each of their stories with each new book. While Jane is obviously the star of the show, her supporting cast (both friend and foe) truly gets the page time they deserve. I love Fiona and Beau, and I end each book in this series wanting their happily ever after almost as much as I want Jane's. Both see just how special Jane is, and they will do anything - especially if it's questionable or maybe not even legal - to help her when she needs it. 

Of course, no one sees how special Jane is quite like Conrad. Our swoony Special Agent is back, trying harder than ever to woo Jane and make her see past her family's supposed curse regarding love. I absolutely love Conrad. As much as he kept his thoughts close to his chest in the first couple of books, we're really starting to see more of his inner workings by this third book, and it's so clear just how much he loves Jane. Really the only thing I don't like about Jane as a character is how much she's fighting her attraction to Conrad. 

Since the story is all from Jane's point of view, and many in town don't trust her with the whole story, it's fun to try and piece everything together right along with Jane. Gena and Jill definitely give readers plenty of suspects, and, as always, I didn't have any idea who the true culprit was until Jane was able to figure it out. 

A fantastic new addition to the series, Game of Gravestones brought me closer to all these beloved characters. I can't wait to see what comes next for Jane, Conrad, and their friends/found family. 

A huge thank you to the authors for providing an advanced copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own. 

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Release date: 9/26/22
Format: eARC
eARC provided via: Author Talk Media