Shadows on the Shore: A Beach Town Cozy Mystery

by H.C. Cardona

Amidst the sun-soaked sands of Cherry Blossom Bay, where secrets whisper on the breeze and mysteries hide in plain sight, Piper Rose and Kenji Kitsune are about to uncover more than they ever bargained for.

When Piper Rose's life hits a stormy patch, she seeks refuge in the tranquil shores of Cherry Blossom Bay, guided by the call of her aunt, the town's resolute police chief. Eager to rebuild her world after a heartbreaking breakup, Piper's fresh start takes an unexpected twist when her aunt secures her a job with the enigmatic private investigator, Kenji Kitsune. Kenji, a former detective turned P.I., carries the weight of an unresolved case that led him away from the force. But now, a chilling mystery looms over Cherry Blossom Bay as the mayor's life is suddenly extinguished. In a twist of fate, the mayor's son turns to Kitsune for answers, and Piper becomes his unexpected assistant. Together, Piper and Kitsune navigate the secrets buried beneath this picturesque beach town's facade. As they delve deeper into the mayor's demise, they unearth a tangle of motives and suspects, forcing them to confront their own shadows along the way. Join Piper and Kitsune on a gripping journey through the sun-soaked sands of Cherry Blossom Bay, where the search for truth may wash up more than they ever anticipated.
Fans of Angela Fox and Harper Lin are diving into this beach-town cozy mystery filled with unpredictable twists and turns, slow burn romance, and a cast of colorful characters. Scroll up and dive into this new series today!

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

172 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 26, 2024

About the author

H.C. Cordona is one of the pen names of Heather C. Myers.

Reviews

[Kellie O'Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good cozy mystery that kept me guessing until the end! Good and solid mystery that I really enjoyed!

Recommend

Enjoy and Happy Reading 🕵️‍♀️

[Erika Knickerbocker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute small town mystery

I would have liked if there was romance in it as well. Maybe later on she gets with kitsune. Seems like it could go that way. Sunshine grumpy.

[Jane litherland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect mystery from the epic pen of H C Cardona. Piper Rose seeks refuge in Cherry Blossom Bay.shes off to visit her aunt, the town’s Chief of Police. She is eager start anew after heartbreak gives her due cause. So here she is on new shores. She is teamed up by her aunt with the local P.I. Kenji Kitsune. He is ex police turned P.I. carrying the burden of all his unsolved cases. When the Mayor is killed , her son turns to Kenji for answers. Kitsune with the help of Piper dives into the investigation, uncovering some shady suspects indeed. Piper’s first day and there’s an high profile murder case! Oh gee! But this rookie struck lucky and found her niche even being the town chief’s niece. Absolutely brilliant characters a perfect partnership. The grump and somewhat slob met his march with Piper. Good job HC a perfect mystery series is born. This one certainly does not disappoint nor bore. I’m hooked from the outset . Please write more. Love it as you tell as over the rooftops I will yell. Brilliantly immersive work, perfect prose and on the nose description, the characters are superbly written of course. I think you can safely say I’m smitten. I’m leaving my review voluntarily in my own words.

[Lise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shattered by a failed romance, Piper Rose returns to Cherry Blossom Bay to live a life mostly arranged by her termagant aunt, the town's Chief of Police. Working as an assistant to a private investigator throws her into political intrigue: the sudden death of the Mayor. With a desire to prove herself, Piper digs deep to succeed in a career she never knew she wanted.

H.C. Cardona is a "new to me" author. If this story indicates her talent, I have been missing out on some fantastic reading! I loved the characters, the twistiness of the plot, and the absolutely perfect length of the book. Happily, being so far behind, I have several more adventures to read, and I can't wait to dive in.

I recommend Shadows on the Shore for those cosy lovers who enjoy a sophisticated, yet uncomplicated story set in a beautiful location.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, this met a lot of the basic build up for a cozy mystery. This book is written in 1st person from the fmc viewpoint. Naive young, (sometimes) amazingly gorgeous fmc (Piper) with ex-boyfriend or husband issue that meets the perfect hunk of a guy (usually a PI/cop) that is immediately interested. Even if she's really quirky. Another hunk of a guy is interested in her too - or at least flirty. This fmc checks all the boxes - all.
As far as the murder mystery goes - this one was pretty good. A few twists that made it quite different and no real idea who the killer was.
As far as the hunky new love interest - Kenji Kitsune is PI with a tortured soul due to some mysterious past murders that he feels he should have prevented/solved as a previous detective.
As for the fmc - she has "pink" hair that she says is natural. She is hired as an admin for Kitsune but immediately (Day 1) decides to solve the mystery without any background or training or rationale. The mmc brings her in sometimes (why isn't discussed) but she gets an attitude when she isn't included. I had a bit of an issue with that.

On the other hand, the story needs editing. There are missing and wrong words, questionable grammar, and really messed up conversations - you can't tell who is talking sometimes. Also, every young waitress/hostess that the fmc meets stutters and is nervous - however they are drop dead sexy/gorgeous. Despite being new to the town with no friends, there is no attempt to meet them or try to make friends with them. Men were described as having "sharp delicate features" - not certain about that. The fmc is constantly smoothing down or adjusting her too short skirts also - it's really distracting.

Will I go to book 2? Maybe. The mystery was decent, and a cozy is always good to read between the more thriller type books. I hope the editing improves.

[Lisa Hawkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shadows on the Shore by H. C. Cardona is a cozy mystery about how the Mayor of Cherry Blossom Bay was murdered. There were plenty of suspects, from the Mayor's son to Piper Rose's abusive ex-boyfriend.

Kitsune is a former ex-cop who now barely works as a private investigator. The town's police captain has Kitsune take on her niece as an assistant, though Piper Rose has zero experience doing investigative work. Piper is overly enthusiastic about this job, though she had been studying medicine before her abusive ex-boyfriend almost strangled her. Together, they work to solve the murder case.

There are several open-ended mentions of Ollie and Lynn (both deceased, both of whom Kitsune is supposedly "actively working" on finding out who killed them), they make suspect the author has other books on these open-ended cases planned/written.

There were obvious errors, all near the conclusion. Errors such as Piper putting her bag on His (Kitsune's) shoulder, using the word 'we' when referencing a male specifically, and a few others.

[Jeffrey Aitken · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is a smart, engaging small-town mystery driven by voice, chemistry, and charm.

The plot centres on Piper Rose, a recent heartbroken woman who takes a job as a PI’s assistant in Cherry Blossom Bay.

Piper’s witty narration and guarded vulnerability make her relatable, while her slow-burning partnership with the gruff but sharp Kenji Kitsune gives the book emotional depth and narrative tension.

The dialogue shines, especially in the banter between Piper and Kitsune, and the author creates the quirky town of Cherry Blossom Bay well without making it feel twee.

The mystery unfolds at a steady pace, though the stakes could be raised earlier, and emotional moments sometimes get deflected by humour.

Still, the writing is confident, clean, and interesting throughout.

Fans of cosy mysteries with bite will enjoy this. It’s funny, warm, and tense.

A superb launch to an admirable series with potential.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fast, easy, cozy little mystery! Really enjoyed that it was tasteful and there wasn’t language or spice. I loved all the characters and felt like they all fit well with the storyline and it was just enough story without drawing it out and giving me all that I needed but definitely left me wanting to read the rest of the series to find out the rest of the characters and see what other investigations they could solve! I was able to figure out most of what happened before the ending but loved the journey to get there and there was a little twist to who actually did it! Super cute and can’t wait to read the rest of the series!

[Martine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Piper gets involved in a murder case on her first day at work as an PI assistant. I think this a nice start of a new series. It's a fun and entertaining read. The characters are so different and likeable. I hope there will be a sequel soon
I received an advance review copy for free and I'm leaving a voluntary and honest review.

[tre.wandereads · Rating 4 out of 5]

i really liked how, as with all other books from HC I've read, we jump right into the mystery. It took me a bit of time to figure out who was the culprit and I liked being on my toes. It was a nice fun read, not heavy, not overly dramatic. but interesting enough to keep me reading!

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

[SylviaV · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shadows on the Shore: A Beach Town Cozy Mystery by H.C. Cardona.

This is a story that is exactly what it portrays it is. It is a cozy mystery with likeable characters and a cozy mystery story line. It is book 1 in a series and it sets up the characters and background for the rest of the series. The murder was solved at the end of the book. An easy and fun read. 3 stars I like it.

[Anna Kaaiakamanu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt overall this cozy mystery was a good read. I did feel like it ended very abruptly. The FMC was a bit much for me. She gets this job as an assistant to a PI because her aunt is the sheriff. She is very opinionated for someone with no experience. I also did not like that she tried to take over the investigation with no experience or training.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a good book, the characters were relatable, especially mister grumpy, and very untidy, Kitsune. The storyline is really good at keeping your attention drawn to the book. I can't wait for the next one.

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read.

Kitsune is quite the character, interesting. And I'm not sure how pink hair can be natural - maybe an explanation? I did however thoroughly enjoy this detective (and detective in training) book.

[Linda Bloss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty good storyline

Reading went well and quickly as one gets into the story, however, there are misspellings and some "he and her" are mistaken errors. Otherwise, the I enjoyed the book.

[Kate Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Piper and Kitsune are both very likeable characters who are an excellent foil for each other. My only disappointment with this book is that it wasn’t longer. I received this as an advance copy and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable book

This is a cute story about Piper returned to live with her head of the Police Dept aunt in her home town and was given an apprentice job with a moody private investigator. Cute book very well written.

[Ray Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book

Liked the girls attitude, good book. The area location was great in the book. I was really interested in the whole story and liked that it took a turn at the end of the book. So extra details that I didn't think were needed in the book, but that was just me.

[marlene ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Great Book

I liked how the author wove the mystery,giving many potential suspects,but in the end,I was surprised by the ending,never guessing the conclusion. I would recommend this book to friends. It's great to have a clean mystery to read just for entertainment!

[Liza · Rating 3 out of 5]

She's an ex-medical student who broke up with her boyfriend and gets a job with a PI. That sounds fair enough.

My issue is that she keeps straightening her skirt, pulling it down plus twisting her hair around her fingers.

Maybe I put too much expectation on medical students.

[Floyd Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keeps you wondering

Great read.makes you want to finish to the end without stopping.good characters nothing nasty for a change.just a good bolk

[Ricky L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shadows on the Shore

It's a good read, just not long enough!
I could have read at least 12 more chapters... I was just getting to know the characters and it was over.

[Eriko · Rating 1 out of 5]

This almost certainly started out as a Naruto fanfiction. And not a very good one

[Marci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it?

I love Piper and Kirtsune. They are just getting to know each other, and I think it's going to be a wild ride. Make sure to read one of these books. You won't be sorry.

[Patricia L Luft · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

Funny serious great writing. Hard to put down. Clean with a bit of romance. Will get the next book in the series

[Star Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally enjoyed!

Nice to read something different. Seemed a little off to start but it made me not want to stop. The difference in the characters made it fun. This was a good read!

[Megane · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a pretty good book, the plot was unexpected, but it felt pretty slow.

[Ginger Strange · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read for lazy days. I liked the characters and the plot quickly kicked off. Enjoyable book!

[Theresa L. Crandell]

fast read

Cute story, not the greatest book, but it was ok to pass the time. I think it could have been better with more backstory, and better character development.

[Cindy Howell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book.

The book was great a little slow but a must read book.The character were likeable relateableand just plain fun .Could not put the book down