The are also a couple of young bead makers that sell their wares on the street. Gumdrop is Jax’s kitty, addicted to catnip, maybe a little physic, and definitely not a Stanley fan. She also brought her “animal companion”, Stanley, along without even asking Jax if that was o.k. She is staying with Jax so she can take part in the weekend event. Marta is a fellow beader that Jax met at a beadmakers’ conference. Rosie, the owner of Aztec Beads, where the event is taking place, is pretty cantankerous and a little odd. Her best friend since kindergarten, Tessa, has her own studio, where she gives classes. Her tenant and friend Val is a hairdresser, aspiring baker and quite the spitfire. Jax is a strong woman, on her own after leaving her less than stellar boyfriend in Florida. High Strung is populated with eclectic group of characters you expect to find in a cozy mystery. Her enthusiasm is also apparent in most of the book’s characters. I have seen them everywhere but never thought much about how they were actually made. I have heard about glass blowing, but glass bead making is brand new to me. The beads sound just beautiful and making them sounds so unique. She describes that processes of bead making and making jewelry with those beads so well that it is very easy to picture. You know right away that Janice Peacock is a beading enthusiast. Jax knows she must work fast stringing together the clues to not only clear her friend but catch the killer before anyone else is strung up.

Especially when the police are convinced one of Jax’s friends is the killer. When the owner is injured during the event and another young beadmaker is found dead in a dumpster the next day things get a little heated. The store’s owner is not the nicest person on the planet but Jax knows she can work with her. She is excited when she is invited teach a class and show her work at a bead-making event. Jax fixes up a few things so she can work on her beads and jewelry from home and makes some friends in the bead-making world. The house has been converted into a duplex but needs a little TLC. She packs as much as much as her new VW Bug can hold including her cat and leaves Florida behind and heads for Seattle. Jax O’Connell gets the chance to follow her dreams when she inherits a house and a bit of money from her aunt.

High Strung by Janice Peacock