Synopsis

Beck O’Rourke and her grandmother own Beach Reads bookstore and coffee shop, a gathering place for locals and tourists, a block off the ocean in Manatee Beach, Florida.

They live above the bookstore with Beck’s feisty younger sister, Lizzie, a lifeguard. Beck is excited to host the country’s bestselling cozy mystery writer for a book signing event until a member of the audience turns up dead later that night.

Afterward, Beck decides to pursue her lifelong dream of being a detective to try to catch the killer. The amateur sleuth finds several suspects, but the murderer isn’t happy about her interference.

Neither is the town’s handsome new police detective who has a history with Beck.

Review

This may be the start of a new series, but if you have read Somebody in the Neighborhood you will recognize the town and some of the characters including Scratchoff and Dorothy.

This new series features Beck and her grandmother Alice that run a bookstore and cafe in Manatee Beach Florida. Beck has always wanted to be a detective and now she is getting her chance to investigate (on the side) a murder that happened close to their bookstore and was someone they had met.

I enjoyed this cast of characters and I think this will make a wonderful series in this sleepy town in Florida.  I foresee a possible romance between Beck and Devon, who is a new detective to the force and someone she knew from college despite the fact that he wants her to stay out of the investigation so she doesn’t get hurt.

The list of possibilities for who the murder might be isn’t too long.  There are many that could potentially have a good motive and I wasn’t sure who was the most likely candidate.  Let’s just say this person was on my list but I couldn’t figure out why they would be the killer until it was revealed in the end.  There are a few clues that might point you in this character’s direction, but not many.  You will have to piece together the different clues to get you there.

And for you dog lovers, there is a Great Dane named Coquina (which is the name of a very small shell) and Dorothy’s poodle, Fifi, that we see on a couple of occasions.

Overall a fantastic start to a new series and we give this book 5 paws up.

About the Author

Judy Moore is the author of the popular thriller, “The Mother-in-Law,” as well as three mystery novels: “Somebody in the Neighborhood,” “Murder in Vail,” and “Murder at the Country Club.” She has also written numerous novellas, including the Christmas anthology “Christmas Interrupted,” which contains three novellas: “Airport Christmas,” “The Holiday House Sitter,” and “The Hitchhiker on Christmas Eve.” She has a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Florida and worked as a newspaper reporter, magazine feature writer, and publications editor for several years. A former tennis pro, Ms. Moore’s writing background also includes sports writing, and athletes from various sports are sprinkled throughout some of her novels. A lifelong resident of Florida, she currently resides in Vero Beach.

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