Killer Cottage

Tiny House Mysteries #1

by Jess Haven

Killer Tiny House Mystery #1

Her new B&B could save her ... if it doesn't kill her first.

Empty-nester Phoenix has the perfect plan to build a new Use her savings to turn a run-down property into a cozy B&B.

But when you buy a fixer-upper, there are some things you can't fix. A dead body is one of them.

Now her not-quite-perfect retreat has three big An intruder, an arsonist, and a killer. And she hasn't even opened for business yet.

She'd rather not live up to her name. Can she find the culprits before her dreams go up in smoke?

Book 1 of a quirky cozy mystery series. If you like murders with a touch of humor, order now!

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Murder Mystery, Ebooks, Amazon, Cozy

247 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 20, 2023

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have a summer cottage in your family, or have ever wanted to murder someone, or wanted to murder someone in a summer cottage...anyway, whoever you are, you will love this witty sparkler of a cozy mystery. Jess Haven's book sails along, telling the story of a summer lake townie trying to turn a decrepit cabin into a sweet rental and encountering two rotten men dragging their old business back to the beach. Bonus points for making the library a focal point of activity and for a three-legged cat.

[Elsa FT · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was a really good book 🙂‍↕️ this isn’t my usual genre but it rly sucked me in and i was absolutely hooked. 5 stars OBVIOSULY.

[Ayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cozy mystery
Ingen direkt plottwist, men gick hyfsat snabbt att läsa.

[helen :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

it's actually only 3 stars but i got it for free at stuff your kindle day so i feel bad

[Wynter Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cozy little mystery book

[Liz Martinez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Towards the end of the book I started to skim through the pages because I really just wanted to find out who did it and didn't care about anything else.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and cute! Everything you'd expect in a cozy mystery. I liked the characters, and I will be continuing the series.

[Starr Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phoenix has scrimped and saved for years to buy the dream property with the tiny space she wants to make her guest cottage rental. Her daughter Beatrice has moved away and Phoenix is an empty nester now, so the timing is right for her dream to come true.

With her bestie realtor by her side, phoenis bravely purchases the property and after the closing, they go to see it and are shocked to find a man murdered with a sweet baby alive and alone, by his side. Oooooo my! And that is just the beginning!

Little does Phoenix know that there is allllll kinds of crazzzzy coming her way.
Fun and fabulous characters fill the cast and make for a lively read, as well as the fast moving, intriguing plot - and constant surprises around every corner had my interest through the novel until the shocker ending!

An enthralling mystery, a warm lively heroine and entertaining cast and an absolutely worthwhile read

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Body, a Baby, and a Boutique Vacation Rental!
I really enjoyed this trip to Applewood and meeting Phoenix, Penne and the other characters. Phoenix has just purchased a run-down home with a shed/guesthouse on Lake Applewood, and has grand plans to fix it up and turn the guesthouse into a boutique vacation rental. Of course, a dead body and a baby show up right away and Phoenix feels compelled to solve the mystery to ensure that she and her future guests are safe, and that the killer won't be returning. There were plenty of red herrings and twists to keep me entertained, and I loved that Phoenix is finding herself again and learning to take some risks. This book was well-written and I look forward to enjoying more in this series. I was provided a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Marissa (rissareads13) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pheonix has always admired the lake, so when she has the chance, she scoops up some beach-front property. Her realtor and best friend made sure Pheonix knew that the property would need a lot of work. But when a series of events leads to police involvement, the tiny house may be more than they bargained for.

This book, sadly, was boring. I was not on the edge of my seat trying to solve the mystery and there was no romance or love interest to grab my attention either. Every time I was about to come to terms with DNFing some tiny mysterious morsel would be dropped . . . that led nowhere. The characters are okay, some not quite believable, but I did enjoy the friend group. If you have nothing else to read then this can pass for a book, just don’t get your hopes up.

[Alice Hazelbaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dead man, a baby and a mystery!

Phoenix had always wanted a place on Lake Applewood, Wisconsin but the houses were way out of her price range. So when her best friend Penne shows her a property optimistically advertised as a cozy fixer-upper, she decides to buy her “little piece of paradise disguised as a disaster”. It includes a shed or tiny guesthouse, but when she takes a look at it after her purchase she discovers the dead body of a man and a baby in a carrier! And she hasn’t even begun the enormous renovations required to make the house and guesthouse habitable. First I guess she has to solve a mystery or two!

[Spooky Kitten · Rating 5 out of 5]

🥀Book Review🥀

📚Title: KILLER COTTAGE

📚Author: JESS HAVEN

This is a 5 star cozy mystery! The writing was beautiful. The chapters were short and well written. I truly was shocked at who the killer was and wouldnt of guessed them.

This is the 1st book in the series and can't wait to read the others.

Grace was one of my favorite characters and she definitely pulled at my heart strings at times. Penne was definitely a second favorite with her sass and determination. Phoenix was a very relatable character lol I absolutely loved her.

If you love a cozy mystery (especially for the spooky season coming) I highly recommend this one!!!

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Penne helps Phoenix buy a fixer-upper house, but immediately they find a dead body and a wailing baby and Phoenix is thrown into a murder investigation of her own to protect her to-be B&B. The story is told from Phoenix's point of view as she justifies her actions and explains her thought process during this change in routine. This also means readers can follow her investigation. This is a pleasant and cosy read with quick-witted characters.


I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buying a lake house wouldn't have been possible without the revenue from the little rental cottage on Phoenix's new property. Alas, the view Phoenix saw when she first entered the rundown shed was almost enough to put paid to her plans before she even started.

I loved the character of Phoenix and the camaraderie she shared with her best friend, Penne. The story flew by and I wasn't prepared to say goodbye at the end of the book. Phoenix had me chuckling in places, even as she skillfully worked through the mystery.

This is a new favourite series for me. I can't wait to read on.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first in the series. The main character is Phoenix. Phoenix buys a run down mansion on the lake and stops there after the lawyer and finds a dead body and a screaming baby. The dead man was also thought to be a kidnapper. She thinks she can afford it all but then instead of months to turn the greenhouse into a B & B , but then it is about a month to do it all. Then bad things keep happening and no one knows who or what is behind it all. Phoenix keeps asking questions but can she get the right answers before it's too late?

[Niki Fontes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute, but boring. Lacked depth and suspense.

Sort of reminded me of a story that someone would tell over a glass of wine that would take 30 minutes tops. It had no romance or twists. It was free of any editing errors and the grammar was good and easy to read. I think if this had a love story tossed in, it could have easily been 4 stars. It also had a ton of characters that were hard to keep track of at times. The end was very anticlimactic. It just needed more…

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phoenix buys a fixer upper house and cottage on a lake where she plans to live and rent out the cottage. The day she closes on the property, she finds a dead body. In the next weeks, more bad things happen and she begins to wonder if the locals are correct in saying the place is haunted. As she’s rushing to get the cottage ready for her first customer, she’s also trying to prevent and solve the crimes happening. A cozy mystery.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good cozy mystery. I liked Phoenix she felt very much like a real person to me. I enjoyed the plot for the most part. This book was equal parts mystery and tiny home renovation. My one critique was some scenes could have been cut because they seemed to drag. Other than that, it was an entertaining book.

[Michelle Heyboer · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an engaging book! It features believable characters, devoted friends, and an intriguing mystery. Phoenix purchases an affordable house and shed by a lake, intending to transform the shed into a tiny rental house. However, a series of misfortunes occur—a death, a fire, a break-in—leading her to fear for her business's success. But as this is a cozy mystery, there's no need to worry. I'm off to search for the sequel immediately!

[Karina Aguilar · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was fun. It is a mystery but with a bit of comedy, too, which made the reading so much lighter. Short chapters and an interesting plot.
I'm leaving 1 star out because I feel like the mystery was solved in a rush: hundreds of pages developing it, and the "confrontation" was only a few paragraphs long.
It was entertaining anyway, and I enjoyed the reading.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great cozy mystery

I really enjoyed reading this mystery and trying to solve it along the way. I am glad how it ended and will continue reading the rest of the books in this series. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mysteries.

[Amary Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Renovation cozy

Ms. Haven created a wonderful tale of a woman making a fresh start after becoming an empty nester. Great characters, a bit of humor and much intrigue fill the pages. I loved this book and recommend it highly.

[Joni · Rating 5 out of 5]

good book

I liked it. Phoenix buys a property to fix. There is an old shed on the property that she fixes up to be a tiny house. Oh, and she finds a body and solves the murder. I hope there are more in this series!

[Rose Grabowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phoenix buys a waterfront fixer upper. There is an old shed on her property that she hopes to turn into a rental property. She finds a body and a crying baby in the shed and suddenly has a mystery to solve. Phoenix is a very likeable main character, and this is a great start to the series!

[Jill Hyde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick fun mystery

What a quick fun read. The characters are interesting with lots of funny quirks and great personalities. I laughed at these ladies and the things they did and said. the storyline was good and not something that you guess halfway through the story.

[Lena Y Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun enjoyable cozy mystery book. I thought it was fast paced, not too long not too short. The world building was fun and not complicated. Exactly what you need to read when you're going through a reading slump.

[Michelle Kssili · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mystery Solved

I couldnt imagine buying a house then finding someone dead inside. Penne is persistent and hardworking. Sometimes in life things turn out how they are suppose to. Excellent book.

[Sabrina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Found this book on one of those kindle free days. I thought I would like this book, but it was boring af in my opinion. It was your average mystery book with no twists or turns. Honestly wanted the killer to be one of her friends or her helper, Grace.

[Jessica Howell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. I didn’t realize this was the first in a series, so of course hardly anything happens until the very end. Not interested in continuing the series :/ this was a stuff your kindle find so i wasn’t expecting to be blown away. It was a fun simple read.

[Katy Cameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've not been getting a lot of joy from cosies recently, but this was a mystery that the MC actually worked with her friends to investigate and solve, and who brought in the police at the right moment. While I had worked out the who, the why was clever, and I wouldn't have seen that coming.