Killer Colada

Beach Cocktail Cozy Mysteries #3

by Lydia Lane

It’s not all sunshine and daiquiris at the Golden Hibiscus Resort. It’s the Fourth of July at the Golden Hibiscus Resort, but working in a tropical paradise is a lot different than being a guest, as Tessa Tidwell is quickly finding out. As the new event planner, she spends more time in boardrooms than bikinis, and her tiny apartment is a far cry from a beachside villa. Throw in the just-built Golden Hibiscus Towers next door, pushy colleagues, and a last-minute July Fourth party, and Tessa’s new Island Life is more like her old Mainland Life than she’d like to admit. So far, the only redeeming thing about being a Golden Hibiscus Resort employee… Is that she isn’t the one who just went missing. *****

KILLER COLADA is the third book in the Beach Cocktail mystery series, funny beach reads that follow a jilted bride and a gin-soaked divorcée as they encounter various deaths and other crimes at a luxury beach resort.

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THE BEACH COCKTAIL SERIES
Mai Tais & Murder - Book One
Dying for Daiquiris - Book Two
Killer Colada - Book Three
Martinis & Mayhem - Book Four - Coming FALL 2023

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MARTINIS & MAYHEM - A HALLOWEEN-THEMED MYSTERY - FALL 2023
Spooky things are happening at the Golden Hibiscus Resort... or are they?

256 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 5, 2023

Reviews

[Elle Wren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great installment in the Beach Cocktail series! Tessa and Sybil are such a great duo. I liked seeing how life has changed for Tessa since she moved to the island permanently. The mystery was engaging with lots of suspects and intricate details. I hope we see more of Tessa's new love interest in the next book! This series is so fun. I highly recommend it.

[Ferne (Enthusiastic Reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tessa Tidwell is the event manager at the Golden Hibiscus Resort in Hawaii and lives in the Sunset Crest apartment complex. Sibyl Vine has returned to the Golden Hibiscus as the owner of a penthouse in the new Hibiscus Towers. The women met as guests at the pool during Tessa’s first visit. Tessa doesn’t have as much time for leisure, ensuring the Power Up 360 men’s personal development retreat is going well, and an unexpected assignment during the most recent meeting to organize a 4th of July party for the resort and towers properties with only a week’s notice. Tessa needs someone to remind her why she moved here to take this job! Not to mention now there’s a missing person–a resort salon employee.

I have loved this fun cozy series since meeting Tessa and Sibyl in Book 1. The dynamic friendship between 30-something Tessa and 60-something Sibyl is terrific, and conversations are never dull–sometimes hilarious, sometimes food for thought. As Sibyl met Tessa as a jilted bride, Sibyl has been mentoring Tessa from Day One on the fine art of living, the craft of a good martini, and especially advice about men. Sibyl’s advice deserves attention regardless of age or marital status. Two of my favorites from her latest guidance are:

"People place far too much value on certainty when it’s an illusion, at best. You’re better off paving a path as you go than trying to find a road that doesn’t exist."

and

"The world will keep turning. The trick is to keep living as it turns.

Join the fun! Tessa and Sibyl await to welcome you to the Golden Hibiscus Resort and Towers.

Reviewer’s Note: In Book 1, the author used a unique approach that was true to her characters. Sibyl would have used the descriptive words in her conversation, and for the few times needed, Tessa as POV translates ...

"(here Sibyl used a word that is rarely heard in polite company)."

In Books 2 and 3, this approach was not used and is unable to be designated a "clean cozy."

[Sharlene Baldeo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 3 of the series and while I did enjoy the read- it was actually the least favorite of them all. I would say that I disliked that Tessa actually did have a real job and had to do real work which she did kind of push of or delegate to someone else to do so that she could hang with Sybil and try to avoid murders which didn't happen no matter how hard she tried, I also did not like the lack of true love interest for Tessa in all 3 books. You would think by the 3rd book the author would have gotten the hint and paired Tessa up with a a Hotty or long term relationship.

Hated the rush ending: did not feel like there was real closure at all. Somehow I feel the real culprit got away.

Overall rating 3.0

Least favorite of the 3 books

Prob won't invest in the next of the series if there is one ....

[Regina Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I highly recommend reading this series in order as the name of the killer from the previous book is revealed in the next book.

In this third book Tessa Tidwell is now working at The Golden Hibiscus Resort as the event planner and is trying to adjust to living full time in Paradise and working at the Resort instead of being a guest at the Resort.

Of course Sybil Vine is back with more words of wisdom about life and love but this time I found her a little to cynical.

When one of the resort's employees goes missing Tessa is on the case even though she said she wouldn't get involved. Then a guest is found dead but not at the resort so even though Tessa had no intention of getting involved she gets involved.

I throughly enjoyed this third but hopefully not final book in Lydia Lane's Beach Cocktail cozy mystery series. I laughed a lot as I read and the as always the mystery was great.

[Pea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading Killer Colada. The book centres around Tessa, who's working at the Golden Hibiscus resort. This is the third book in the series, although it's the first one I've read, and the author does a good job of giving enough back story about the characters that I didn't find it an issue. Tessa soon finds herself tangled up in another murder mystery, and in amongst the challenge of holding down a full-time job and entertaining her wealthy friend, she tries to also solve the mysteries that're unfolding at the resort. Fun characters, exotic surroundings, and a challenging mystery to solve, highly recommended!

[Debra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was in the "Little Library" so decided to give it a try. Won't be reading any of her other books.
Am forcing myself to finish it, it is just not that exciting of a murder mystery, rather stupid.