Book ~ "Map Skills Murder" (2018) Leslie Langtry

From Goodreads ~ Summer is moving fast for ex-CIA Agent turned Girl Scout troop leader, Merry Wrath. Wedding plans are underway, with the groom's twin sisters on a mission to decorate the festivities with taxidermized animals and a full troop of flower girls with terrible taste in dresses. 

If that wasn’t enough to deal with, the Girl Scouts dig up a treasure map in Merry’s yard. A century ago, the mysterious axe murder of Mad Mimi and the secret of her missing treasure were never solved. Merry thinks this map could be the key ... but unfortunately, the investigation of this cold case - complete with a secret diary, gold bullion and a llama named Tinkles - yields a modern day murder! 

Are these crimes connected? And more importantly - who has an axe to grind with Merry Wrath?

Merry is a former CIA agent who loved her job and was very good at it. But when her identity is exposed, she’s forced into early retirement, given a severance package and told to start over somewhere new. She returns to her small hometown in Iowa, where her best friend, Kelly, still lives. Together they run a Girl Scout troop while Merry tries to adjust to a much quieter life.

While dealing with wedding planning and her fiancé’s unusual family, Merry’s troop discovers a treasure map buried in her yard. The map is tied to a century-old unsolved axe murder involving a woman named Mad Mimi and her missing treasure. As Merry investigates the old mystery, the search leads to a modern-day murder involving hidden clues, a diary and gold bars. Merry works to determine whether the past and present crimes are connected and who is responsible. During this Merry is wondering if she is making the right decisions with her life and missing the action from her life as a CIA agent.

This is the seventh in the Merry Wrath mystery series (there are currently 36) and I liked it. There were some odd things that I would have like more info on, though, and wondered why they were included in the story. Like what was the point of making such a big fuss about the hobby of the present day murder victim? It can be read as a stand alone but it's fun to read them in order. It's written in first person perspective in Merry's voice so we can to hear her thoughts (and she has a lot!). I liked the writing style ... it was conversational as if Merry was speaking to us. It was a quick fun read and I look forward to continuing on with the series.