She wanted to learn how her best friend died. Falling for the grieving brother wasn't part of the plan.
Penpals since the age of 11, Katie and Lisa have been best friends more than half their lives. So when Katie learns that Lisa has died falling off the lighthouse cliffs, she naturally drops everything to pay her final respects. That's when she meets Lisa's grieving brother.
Over the past decade, Jeff has lost both parents and his sister. Now he just wants to move on. His family home contains too many painful reminders of what he's lost. He can't wait to sell it and get out of town.
But Katie isn't ready to let go. Lisa loved the lighthouse cliffs and knew when they were unsafe. The more Katie thinks about it, the more she can't help wondering if Lisa's death wasn't an accident and perhaps the answers lie in Lisa's unfinished novel. Even Jeff agrees that an accident seems unlikely.
Someone, however, wants them to let Lisa rest in peace. But intimidating death threats only encourage Katie and bring closer to each other as they race to discover the truth about Lisa's death before they become the next victims.
PS: It was Murder by Ashleigh Stevens is a murder mystery revolving around the life of two best friends Lisa and Katie who happen to be penpals since highschool. The story progresses when Katie discovers that Lisa is dead after waiting for response from her for four months. Being Sad and Heartbroken, Katie visits Copper Cove to pay her last visit to Lisa, where she discovers some probing facts about Lisa's death which leads her to investigate the case with the help of Lisa's elder brother Jeff Gardner.
The best part about the book is , it is short , crisp and on point. And you can easily read it in one sitting. It will keep you hooked till the end . Though I got bit confused with the plot , the involvement of witch and killer .. The author could have focused more on this aspect , like developing more story round the murder. Nonetheless it's a really Goodread ✌️
Rating :⭐⭐⭐.5
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
A cozy murder mystery with a small bit of romance. I enjoyed the small town closeness and the vivid descriptions. After being informed her pen pal is dead, the writer in her demands she investigate what happened to her on Maine. I love the descriptions of places and the flow. *I was given an advanced reader copy via BookSirens and am voluntarily giving my honest review.
Overall I enjoyed "PS: It Was Murder" by Ashleigh Stevens. The story begins with old letters sent between young pen pals before moving into the present, where Katie finds out that her childhood pen pal and longtime friend Lisa has died. The plot while the book switches between Katie's experiences visiting Lisa's hometown and Lisa's unfinished novel.
I really enjoyed the dual story format where both mysteries are unfolding in tandem. "PS: It Was Murder" was listed as a murder mystery romance, but the romance felt sideline and slightly forced to me. The book felt rushed, but that might be my own user error since I didn't realize it was listed as a novella and not a novella until well into reading it. (Sorry!) Taking that into account, it was a fun, quick read. I would describe it as a murder mystery with a romantic subplot rather than a romance. I did enjoy the romantic relationship that developed, but it felt outside the story-as though the book could have skipped it entirely without changing the plot. I did like how real and awkward it was for the characters given their situation though. I enjoyed the smaller characters and their personalities, they were able to shine through though their scenes were limited. I really liked the setting of the story on the coast of Maine.
Overall I'm glad I read Ashleigh Stevens' "PS: It Was Murder" and I am looking forward to reading other stories. I believe that the parts that felt uneven or rough (what my mother refers to as "new author-y") will smooth out in time--perhaps the novella format pushed things faster than this story needed.
Shoutout to BookSirens and the publisher for letting me read this ARC for free and letting me volunteer my honest opinions.
P.S.: It Was Murder is Ashleigh Stevens’ stand-alone novella of romantic suspense. It seems to be written for New Adults and takes place in 2003.
Katie Winters has been pen pals with Lisa Gardner since the age of 11, and they became best friends over the years. After Katie hasn’t heard from Lisa in over two months, she receives a letter from Lisa’s older brother, Jeff, informing her that Lisa died. Katie is shocked to learn that Lisa fell off the lighthouse cliffs near their Maine home, so she takes vacation from her dead-end coffeehouse job to pay her final respects. She meets Lisa's grieving brother when she is looking for her burial plot at the cemetery.
Jeff has lost both parents and his sister over the past decade, so he is eager to clear out his family home to sell it. Although he teaches high school, he plans to leave town after the house is sold. He is unexpectedly attracted to Katie.
Katie believes that Lisa's death wasn't an accident and maybe there are clues in Lisa's unfinished novel. When she receives intimidating death threats, it encourages Katie in her quest to discover the truth. It also pushes Katie and Jeff together.
P.S.: It Was Murder is a clean romantic suspense with no profanity or sex scenes. It is written in really simple language and seems geared for young or new adult readers. There were many typographical errors, including Lisa’s grave marker, which said “Lisa Gardiner”.
I received an Advance Review Copy (ARC) from BookSirens for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
An easy to read mystery with a bit of added romance!
Now in her early twenties, Katie is devastated to hear that her best friend, Lisa, has died in what appears to have been a tragic accident. Katie had known aspiring writer Lisa since they’d first became penpals at 11 years old. When she visits Lisa’s hometown, Katie can’t shake off the feeling that something is amiss and begins to suspect that Lisa’s death was not accidental. Alongside Lisa’s brother Jeff, Katie starts to investigate her friend’s death, searching Lisa’s writing notes for possible clues. Having heard stories about him for most of her life, Katie feels that she already knows Jeff and is taken aback when she feels attracted to him. She soon realises that neither she nor Jeff know each other as well as they feel that they do. PS: It Was Murder is a well written and easy to read murder mystery. Short extracts from Lisa’s novel lead us through the story as Katie’s investigations move nearer to finding out the truth and she learns who she can trust. Whilst light and easy to read, I found this book quite absorbing and wanted to keep reading. The storyline was well laid out but I would have liked a little more depth towards the conclusion. In the e-ARC copy that I read, there were a number of typos that Lisa wouldn’t have been happy about, including a repeated block of text, however, that didn’t detract too much from the narrative. Overall it was a great read which I would recommend.
Disclaimer: I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book free of change, in exchange for an honest review.
This romantic mystery is a slow burn. The spicy bits happen off page. So if you are looking for a mystery with a sweet love interest you’d do well to grab this one! Definitely mystery before romance.
I was looking for foreshadowing in all the wrong places at the start of the story.. oh a mention of the well in the town, must have relevance.. when in all reality none of these things I noted had any real relevance. Just world building in to this small seaside town.
I loved the time period this was set in and how the two besties started writing letters, then emails, messages and phone calls! It wasn’t that long ago that all of those changes really happened.
Nice easy read. Rated 4 instead of 5 because I found the ending with J, P and K really impractical. She just seemed to randomly develop the ability to smash chairs. And maybe I wouldn’t have been so bothered by it if it wasn’t right at the end. Didn’t completely deter a good read, but I just glazed over those parts.
ARC provided by BookSirens and publisher for free, this is my honest review.
The thing I loved most in this book is the author's writing and narrations, it was beautiful! I just wanted to keep on reading because of her writing style.
For the mystery, I didn't even see the ending coming, yeah, it was that good, I loved the course of the mystery. I also loved how the book was set in early 2000s, 2003 .
Our FMC, Katie, I liked her, she was okay, I just wanted more insights into her personal life, her parents and so on
For Jeff, I'm on the fence, I also don't know him that much, so I also wanted more on him.
I also loved reading about Stacey, the character in Lisa's book
I really hope this book is a start of a series because I can't wait read more about Katie and Jeff solving mysteries.
It was an easy, short and amazing read for me
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”
The idea is decent but I had a lot of issues with continuity mistakes, big and small. Also, there was a lot of conflicting attitudes that didn’t really make sense and way too much smirking. Katie’s reactions to Jeff, as well as Jeff’s to Katie just seemed to be all over the place and a bid childish and simple sometimes. Katie also seems a bit ditzy. I don’t really see why it was set 20 years ago, either.
As I said, the idea of the book is interesting and at least it’s short. There was also a decent sense of setting. With fewer mistakes and stronger characters who seem more consistent I’d be more favourable.
I received a free review copy via Book Sirens. My review is voluntary and purely my own opinion.
What an amazingly compact story! It starts with our heroine Katie, being assigned a penfriend in the days before email and cell phones, so it's snail mail or nothing. Then the internet arrives and makes life so much easier. The story takes a gap, and but the girls have stayed in contact, until Katie suddenly gets a message from Jeff, Lisa's brother, telling her Lisa has passed away! Katie immediately packs up and travels to Lisa's hometown, to pay her respects to her best friend. Things don't add up and the story leads to Jeff and Katie solving several murders! Thoroughly enjoyed this story.
I enjoyed this story. It has a lot to recommend it. An interesting storyline and likable characters. Katie and Lisa have been penpals and real life friends for years. I liked how the author showed their friendship throughout the years in the form of letters, emails and instant messages. After tragedy, Katie travels to Lisa's hometown in Maine to pay tribute to her friend. There she meets up with Jeff, Lisa's brother. I liked their interactions. The dialogue felt so real. I liked it a lot. I liked the romantic elements mixed with the mystery. I received a complimentary copy of this story from Book Sirens and I freely left this review.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Lisa and Katie had been penpals for years. They saw each other through the teen years and into college, then the communication stopped. Katie learns that Lisa had fallen off the cliffs and died at her beloved lighthouse. Katie immediately goes to pay her respects to her friend. She meets Lisa's brother, Jeff, and what ensues is a quest to find out what actually happened to Lisa. The relationship between Katie and Jeff adds to the mix. A wonderful easy read and the beginning of the book was unusual and fun. It was letters between the pen pals. I loved this start.
Since 1991, Katie and Lisa were penpals, until Lisa's unfortunate accident cuts her life short. Katie requests time off to visit Lisa's home to pay her respects. There, she meets Jeff as an adult for the first time and a romantic interest between them begins. On top of this, Katie is adamant Lisa's death couldn't have been an accident, so she investigates further, starting with Lisa's manuscript. This is a descriptive whodunnit as Lisa's manuscript is the key to her own death, hence the back and forth.
I received a free copy and am leaving a review voluntarily. Thank you to StoryOrigin and author.
PS: It Was Murder was written by Ashleigh Stevens. This was a very sweet book, and a very light, easy read. I love the descriptions of places and the flow. I was able to relate to the type of connection that Katie had with Lisa. It was sort of a sad story, but warmed my heart at the same time. This romantic mystery is a slow burn. The spicy bits happen off page. So if you are looking for a mystery with a sweet love interest you’d do well to grab this one! Definitely mystery before romance.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Very interesting story and intriguing about Katie who is trying to find out if her best friend Lisa's death was a accident or was she murdered. Katie goes to pay her respects and can't believe Lisa is dead and meets Jeff her brother who just wants to move on and sell the house. When helping Jeff to clear the house she finds a unfinished novel and sets out to finish it and begins to question if Lisa was murdered. Lovely setting and really enjoyed the book. Highly recommend. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I have read previous books from Ashleigh Stevens, so I knew I was going to love this one too.
It was hard seeing how much Kate was hurting having heard about Lisa's death. I know I would have done the same things as she did. She goes back to where she died and runs into Lisa's brother. What happens from there is exciting and makes you also want to help them with their quest to finding out WHAT REALLY HAPPENED…
Great read, great author, and can't wait for the next one I read!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Pepper Hamilton 4.0 out of 5 stars Friendship that takes on new meaning Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2023 Two 11-year old girl strike up a pen pal friendship.Tagedy strikes when one slips and falls out by the lighthouse. years later, her friend is shocked when she is told her friend has passed, so she drives up to Maine to pay her respects. Was it an accident or something more sinister? This is a great read that shows the depth of true friendship and connection. It is well-executed and a fast read. Well-done. P..S. I want to read more by this author.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This was a very sweet book, and a very light, easy read. A cosy mystery with a little touch of romance. As a person who also has penpals, I was able to relate to the type of connection that Katie had with Lisa. It was sort of a sad story, but warmed my heart at the same time.
Thank you to Booksirens and the author for a free copy to review.
I really enjoyed this story. I liked the pen pal beginning when Lisa and Katie got acquainted. Katie's trip to her pen pals home was the beginning of a very intriguing murder mystery. The setting and characters were great. I was swept up in the suspense as I got closer to the end of the story. Am excellent mystery.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Wow. A story within a story. Lisa and Katie became fast friends at age 11 as pen pals. They told eachother everything through the years, including college years. Katie was devastated to learn that Lisa had stopped writing to her as she had died. It was odd that she died at the Lighthouse she talked of and went to often. This was a very good book. I recommend it to young and old alike. If you like mystery and historical fiction you will like this.
A candidate for a cosy mystery. This had an unusual beginning which became clear as the story unfolded. It was engaging, and a page turner. I enjoyed reading it and recommend following this author and her short novellas. The format was unusual - oscillating between Lisa’s writings and the progress by Katie and Geoff to find out how she really died.
I was given a complimentary copy and leave my review voluntarily.
This book was a decent read. The author tried to misdirect but I just thought it made the book a little confusing even after she tried to explain what actually happened. But overall I enjoyed how Katie worked through trying to solve her best friend’s death.
Side note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review
This was a new author for me, and I enjoyed this book a lot. When Katie finds out her Pen Pal and best friend has died, she goes to say her final goodbyes. What follows was a storyline with several twists and turns. I would recommend it to others.
I received an ARC from BookSirens for free, and I am leaving my review voluntarily.
Oh man…this is one amazing read! The storyline is incredible; the characters are so good; the the plot twists keep you shaking your head in disbelief; and the lead up to the conclusion is absolutely amazing! You really need to read this book…it’s totally worth your time!! (I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and was totally blown away!!) ❤️❤️
Katie and Lisa have been pen pals from childhood when Katie gets no reply from Lisa she learns she has died and so goes to investigate how it happened and meets Jeff Lisa's brother.
A murder and romance in one, what more can you wish for.
I received an advance copy for free, and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.
This is the perfect cozy mystery. I am a big fan of cozy mysteries and have only a few where I have used a tear, this was one of them. I found it hard to put the book down and so managed to read it in two sittings. I will definitely be looking to read more from this author.
This was a believable story and I loved the main character the author gave them alot of deepth so it was easy to see what they were seeing. There were lots of twist and turns that had you thinking about if t was murder or suicide. I would recommend this mystery to anyone who enjoys a good solid mystery. Enjoy this story.
Katie finds out her pen pal has died . She drops everything and flies out to get some answers and meets Lisa’s grieving brother …A lovely warm tragic story of love I received an advance copy and my review is my own words voluntary
This was a cute, fast read. It has some mystery and a little love included in the story. Does Katie get to the bottom of how her long time pen pal die? Was is accident? What it suicide or even a murder? Highly recommend this book.
I received a copy of this book for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I really enjoyed the nostalgic feel of this mystery. It was a nice mix of mystery and romance. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author. I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.