A heartwarming cozy mystery series about losing everything, taking a chance, and starting again.
After suffering a personal tragedy Abby Sullivan buys a huge old seaside mansion she has never even seen, packs up her life in San Francisco, and moves to Holiday Bay Maine, where she is adopted, quite against her will, by a huge Maine Coon Cat named Rufus, a drifter with her own tragic past named Georgia, and a giant dog with an inferiority complex named Ramos. What Abby thought she needed was alone time to heal. What she ended up with was, an inn she never knew she wanted, a cat she couldn't seem to convince to leave, and a new family she'd never be able to live without.
In book 24 in the series, love is in the air as one of Holiday Bay's favorite couples decide to wed. Abby is determined to give her friends their perfect day in spite of the series of unfortunate events that prove to be almost more of a challenge than she can handle.
Kathi lives with her husband, kids, grandkids, and dogs in beautiful Lake Tahoe. When she isn't writing, Kathi likes to read (preferably at the beach or by the fire), cook (preferably something with chocolate or cheese,) and garden (planting and planning not weeding). She also enjoys spending time on the water when she's not hiking, biking, or snowshoeing, the miles of desolate trails surrounding her home. Kathi uses the mountain setting in which she lives, along with the animals (wild and domestic) that share her home, as inspiration for her cozy mysteries.
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4 stelle e mezza Quando ho bisogno di una lettura veloce e leggera, mi rivolgo a questa serie. Devo dire che stavolta i primi due capitoli mi hanno causato un po' di problemi perché erano strapieni di nomi, ma poi il numero di personaggi che effettivamente agivano nella storia si è ridotto e mi sono potuta godere la lettura. Il mistero si è risolto tutto alla fine forse un po' velocemente, ma devo dire che avevo capito gran parte di quello che era accaduto.
I have enjoyed this series but it seems to be "slowing down" a bit. Not a lot of action, just mostly conversation and conjecture by Abby and her friends. The last 15% contained most of the action and it felt almost rushed. A bit odd. I will continue to read the series as I am connected to the main characters. Let's see what the next book brings!
Amazon synopsis: In book 24 in the series, love is in the air as one of Holiday Bay's favorite couples decides to wed. Abby is determined to give her friends their perfect day in spite of the series of unfortunate events that prove to be almost more of a challenge than she can handle.
This book had a lot going on. Almost too much, but the mysteries did get solved. A lot of unnecessary characters, and one or two became much less involved as the story progressed. Mother/daughter relationships, family relationships, cooking competitions, cook outs, weddings, all faded in and out of importance. Not the most satisfying entry in the series.
Witness in the Wedding is the twenty-fourth book in Kathi Daley’s heartwarming Inn at Holiday Bay series. The well-plotted storyline flows smoothly, and multiple twists and red herrings in the complex mystery keep the reader engaged. The setting is charming, and the well-developed characters are three-dimensional, compassionate, and caring. I highly recommend this series to readers who enjoy well-crafted cozy mysteries.
After losing her husband and their infant son in a tragic accident, Abby Sullivan bought a huge old house in the charming town of Holiday Bay, Maine, without even seeing it. Once the house was renovated, she opened the Inn at Holiday Bay and found a home and a family. Georgia Carter, who has also overcome obstacles in her life, is the inn’s talented cook/baker and manager and stars in a cable cooking show once a month. Georgia and her Newfoundland dog, Ramos, recently moved back into the cottage with Abby, her Maine Coon, Rufus, and her terrier mix, Molly. Police Chief Colt Wilder is hosting a farewell party/barbecue for his niece and nephew, who spent the summer with him. Jeremy Slater, who lives in the inn’s basement apartment with his young niece, Annabelle, and his girlfriend, Mylie Sanders, is a valuable asset who helps with the inn’s day-to-day operations. Jeremy, Mylie, and Annabelle have moved into the recently renovated carriage house and are looking forward to the upcoming wedding.
Georgia and Amy Hogan, who have teamed up and entered the Labor Day Cook-off, are cooking up a storm and hoping to take first place for several of their entries, including Georgia’s newly tweaked clam chowder. Unfortunately, some entries have been tampered with, and a body was found behind a dumpster. Meanwhile, Abby has her hands full supporting Georgia and Amy at the cook-off, helping Colt and his second in command, Alex Weston, with their newest murder investigation, and dealing with an inn that’s overflowing with unexpected wedding guests.
Book 24 in this wonderful mystery series set in Holiday Bay. Abby, Georgia, Jeremy, Mylie, and Haven have made themselves a family unit after Abby, a young widow and successful author, bought an old house and set up a popular holiday destination.
In this book, Jeremy and Mylie are getting married; Annabelle, Jeremy's niece and almost daughter, as he looks after her full time, is their beautiful bridesmaid. Annabelle's mother, Jovana, is arriving for the wedding, never the maternal sort, she is coming to see her brother married and her daughter wear a beautiful bridesmaid dress. When Jovana arrives with a much larger group than she should have done, it causes problems, which Abby solves with creative thinking.
There's a cook-off competition in the town that weekend, Georgia and Amy are competing. When a popular food podcaster is found strangled, Colt, the Sheriff and Abby's partner, is called into action.
I couldn't put this book down and really enjoyed reading it. Whilst all the books are standalone stories, they are best read in order of publication to preserve continuity of the characters and wider storyline.
If you liked this book, try one of the other series by Kathi Daley, i.e., The Bookstore in Holiday Bay; The Bistro in Holiday Bay; The Cottage on Gooseberry Bay and The Resort at Castaway Bay. These are all spin-offs from The Inn at Holiday Bay. She has lots of other mystery series, too, Tess and Tilly; Rescue Alaska and many others too. They are all really good and I highly recommend them all.
I can't wait to read the next release from The Inn at Holiday Bay.
This latest Inn at Holiday Bay book is the 24th in the series and it doesn't disappoint! The author has a way of telling an engaging story.
This installment of the series is dedicated to the upcoming wedding of Jeremy and Mylie. To commemorate the event, Jeremy's mother, Annabelle, and her new husband, Carlos, are arriving from Spain to attend the nuptials. The presence of Jovana, Jeremy's sister, has caused a stir in the Inn, as well as the presence of a suspicious guest. In the meantime Georgia and Amy participate in a cook-off competition where there is speculation that the food has been tampered with. Following the discovery of a deceased body behind a dumpster, Local Police Chief and Abby's boyfriend, Colt Wilder, is on the case to find a killer. With Abby wanting to back her friends at their cook off, wedding chaos, an Inn bursting at the seams with guests, a deceased body, and now trying to solve a murder with the help of Colt's deputy Alex, it’s all been a little bit too much. Just another day in Holiday Bay!!
I really do like this series. The characters are empathetic and relatable. I love the atmosphere of the small town and the relationships formed between the residents. If you enjoy of a good clean cozy mystery that is captivating and full of surprises, then this is the type of story for you.
Lots of excitement in Holiday Bay, family members are starting to arrive for Jerome and Mylie's wedding. Annabelle is excited that her mom is there to see her in her pretty bridesmaid dress but lots of unexpected guests show up and suddenly the Inn is full to overflowing with guests and this is the weekend for Food Cookoff with lots of celebrity chiefs and a major food company as a sponsor. But there is something off about some of the extra guests that showed up and it appears there's a saboteur at the cookoff tampering with other chefs' foods. In the midst of all this a food blogger is murdered and somehow the extra guests and the food blogger seem to be somehow connected. Love Georgia and Amy's entries into the competition and watching everyone support Annabelle as her mother's visit turns out to be very disappointing for the little girl who isn't getting the time with her mom that she'd like. A murder, sabotage, strange guests and a kidnapping all come together in the end to reveal the murderer and what these guests are up to resulting in a rescue and capture of all the bad guys. In the end, in spite of it all Jerome and Mylie had the wedding they dreamed off.
Abby Sullivan settled in Holiday Bay, Maine after a personal tragedy rocked her world, changing her life. She opened an inn and gained a family. Now, two of her employees and friends are getting married. But things turn bad with unexpected guests and unfortunate events.
I've really enjoyed this series and this book is a prime example of why. It's well-written with a fast-paced plot and wonderful characters. I was hooked from beginning to end, reading it in one sitting. The mystery will keep you on your toes and guessing. I'm looking forward to the next book and highly recommend both book and series which I think is best read in order.
I have read the entire “The Inn at Holiday Bay” series and enjoyed them all. This book is a continuation of the series. I particularly like the way Kathi draws you in with her character development and makes you feel like you know each character and are part of their extended family. If you have read the other books in this series it is a must read. But, even if you haven’t read the others you would enjoy the storyline and all the characters.
Jeremy and Mylie are getting married and there's a cooking contest in town. When Jeremy's sister shows up with four extra guests and then one of the contestants in the cooking contest ends up dead behind a dumpster, Colt has to solve the murder plus figure out what Jeremy's sister is doing bringing four strangers to the wedding.
One of my favorites in this series. The series has been going on for quite a while and this edition really brought a spark back.
Abby came to Holiday Bay for one thing, and found something totally different, a family and love. Reading these books is like hanging out with your extended family. You really should check out this series and the other connected series. If you like a little murder mystery with your good friends, great food, and significant other, Holiday Bay is the place to be.
I always enjoy these books, this one was no exception. I was just a bit confused with all the talk about food. I am glad the relationship between Abbie and Colt is still going strong, they are great together. Never separate them please. I missed Velma, but loved to see more of Lacy and Lony. And it had the perfect balance of suspense, mystery and danger. I’m eagerly waiting for the next one.
As usual, Holiday Bay is bursting with festivities, friendship, love and family, as well as the underlying crime and mystery. While planning a wedding and the towns annual cook off a few unwanted occurrences, like murder and international espionage, look like trouble could interfere. But it all works out and a lovely wedding takes place.. Love the usual Holiday characters and the new ones passing through. Another great book
The main point of this story…. I believe…… is that family is who loves you! Not necessarily those that birthed you! The message was delivered in a wedding; Colts nieces/nephews and parents; Annabelle/Jeremy and Mylie. Jovana and her husband…and her loyalty to his family. And the whole Holiday Inn cast pledging their love, support and loyalty to each other
Story line was good and the Holiday Bay characters continue to have a new event in each book. However, this book had several events, ie, wedding, unexpected guests, cook off, new police staff and murder. And, as I complained in previous books, too much repetitive dialogue with each character telling others over and over again as to what is going on w each event and then any updates that happen!
A wedding is a week away and the few guests are due to arrive at the inn. But, more than the few guests arrive, and there seems to be something off about these extra guests. Then there's a murder at the town cook off competition. Are the uninvited guests connected to the murder? And will the wedding happen?
More people show up at the Inn, supposedly to attend Jeremy and Mylie's wedding. But there is more to it than unexpected guests when a talk show person ends up murdered. Annabelle's mother is a disappointment to everyone. I hope that Jeremy and Mylie adopt Annabelle as she deserves real parents who love her. JMHO
Wow, nothing like people barging in where they were not invited but to find out that the 4 uninvited guests are international criminals is crazy. Unfortunately, Annabelle's mom never got to see her pretty dress. I'm hoping that Jeremy and Mylie will be able to adopt Annabelle. The perfect small wedding happened too.
I love The Inn series and this one was as amazing as the others. The characters are well thought out and realistic. The story flows from scene to scene with a touch of magic, mystery, and romance. I am so happy for Mylie and Jeremy. I can't wait to see what the next book is about.
Each book is better than the previous one!!! After reading all the books in this series, I can say that I didn´t have enough. The story, the characters, the environment (cozy town), the pets and a little girl make me want a lot more. I could read that for days, without getting bored. All the books are well-written. The author is incredible. I truly recommend it.
Annabelles' mom arrives from Spain with her husband Carlos and her sister-in-law Giselle who adds her boyfriend to the mix. A Cook Off is also happening in Holiday Bay and between a murder, the Cook Off and the wedding life get crazy. This is a well written and delightful book.
Good addition to this series. New characters with lots to hide - at least some of them. Can you guess who is the bad person(s) and who are good? Annabelle learns some new things that help her feel more loved/part of a family. A lot to learn about the characters in this story. Find out what the issues are!
Kathi Daley never disappoints me and always has an intriguing mystery to help solve. All of the characters are amazing with interesting backstories that are shared. This mystery was true to Kathi Daley's style with a lot of surprises and suspects, with everything wrapped up in the end. And also a wedding. 🤔😊
International intrigue and murder threaten to may Jeremy’s and Mylie’s wedding but Abby, assisting Colt, her boyfriend and the local town sheriff, solve the murder and with assist from an Interpol agent, break an international spy ring that threatened to upend the wedding. Great story telling.
What’s a wedding without a dead body, and a nationally televised cooking competition, and uninvited guests? Routine, ordinary and not what would you would expect from Inn crowd from Holiday Bay. Potential romantic partner for Alex tossed in at the end of the book.
I continue to enjoy this series. The more people the merrier. I am glad of the spinoffs that play off all the series characters. Although this had a spy ring it was not boring. May Abbie and Georgia keep having fun characters as guests.
With Jeremy and Mylie’s wedding day in sight everyone is excited to watch the local cook off and cheer for Georgia and Amy. Things get complicated when too many guests show up to handle and a body turns up at the competition! Your will love it!
The story was a wee bit convoluted and mixed up with a very complicated plot. There was too much minutia, though the characters we know and love from the inn were as delightful as usual.