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Snug Harbor Mysteries #4
Fatal Fiction
Old bones and a twisty new mystery make for a delicious pageturner from USA TODAY bestselling cozy author Karen MacInerney!
The air at Seaside Cottage Books is tinged with autumn, and bookseller Max Sayers is helping her friend Denise Wilmington start a new chapter by turning the abandoned shop next door into a cozy coffee house. But when the two women dig up a decades-old rhododendron by the front walk, they uncover a grisly secret entwined with the bush's roots: a woman's skeleton, buried with a gold ring.
But Max doesn't have time to dig up dirt on old bones. The next day, a famous Maine author's bequest to the Snug Harbor library vanishes within hours of arriving. Then Max's assistant Bethany and her boyfriend Devin discover the head librarian—and Devin's new boss--strangled with a phone cord behind the circulation desk.
Suspicion quickly darkens the crisp fall air. Was Bethany's boyfriend, who had no love lost for his new boss, behind the library director's untimely death? Or is a darker, older plot hidden in Snug Harbor's leafy streets? When a curious Max finds herself the subject of the next attack, the plot arc becomes terrifyingly clear. It's up to Max to find the villain, and fast... or her next chapter may be her last.
The air at Seaside Cottage Books is tinged with autumn, and bookseller Max Sayers is helping her friend Denise Wilmington start a new chapter by turning the abandoned shop next door into a cozy coffee house. But when the two women dig up a decades-old rhododendron by the front walk, they uncover a grisly secret entwined with the bush's roots: a woman's skeleton, buried with a gold ring.
But Max doesn't have time to dig up dirt on old bones. The next day, a famous Maine author's bequest to the Snug Harbor library vanishes within hours of arriving. Then Max's assistant Bethany and her boyfriend Devin discover the head librarian—and Devin's new boss--strangled with a phone cord behind the circulation desk.
Suspicion quickly darkens the crisp fall air. Was Bethany's boyfriend, who had no love lost for his new boss, behind the library director's untimely death? Or is a darker, older plot hidden in Snug Harbor's leafy streets? When a curious Max finds herself the subject of the next attack, the plot arc becomes terrifyingly clear. It's up to Max to find the villain, and fast... or her next chapter may be her last.
- GenresMysteryCozy Mystery
234 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 30, 2024
155 people are currently reading
122 people want to read
About the author
Karen MacInerney
52 books1,147 followersI'm the author of the Agatha-nominated Gray Whale Inn mystery series, Tales of an Urban Werewolf. the Margie Peterson mysteries and the Dewberry Farm mysteries (plus a new fantasy in the works). My reading is like my writing: eclectic!
I grew up in the Northeast, but I currently live in Austin with my husband, two kids, and a houserabbit named Bunny. Feel free to visit me online at www.karenmacinerney.com; I love connecting with readers.
I grew up in the Northeast, but I currently live in Austin with my husband, two kids, and a houserabbit named Bunny. Feel free to visit me online at www.karenmacinerney.com; I love connecting with readers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
June 30, 2024
Max is helping her best friend, Denise, clear away an old rhododendron to create a walk way between Seaside Cottage Books and the shop next door that Denise is renovating. While digging up the bush the two find a skeleton of a woman buried underneath the roots. Before Max has time to investigate who the bones could belong to there is a current day murder to solve.
This is a fun series to read and this book (book 4) was no exception. The characters are relatable and interesting. The character development over is series has been a joy to watch, but just in this book alone Max’s daughter come a long way in growth. The mystery, or I should say mysteries are well plotted with plenty of surprises. The pace of the book is great, from the first chapter to the last your sucked into the plot and won’t want to put it down until the end.
All thoughts and opinions are my own, I have not been influenced by anyone.
This is a fun series to read and this book (book 4) was no exception. The characters are relatable and interesting. The character development over is series has been a joy to watch, but just in this book alone Max’s daughter come a long way in growth. The mystery, or I should say mysteries are well plotted with plenty of surprises. The pace of the book is great, from the first chapter to the last your sucked into the plot and won’t want to put it down until the end.
All thoughts and opinions are my own, I have not been influenced by anyone.
July 8, 2024
I have been missing Ms. MacInerney's work, so I was happy to see a new read in her Snug Harbor series. It was great to visit again with Max and company. Although there are two mysteries in this book, a very cold case and a new one that puts Bethany's librarian boyfriend, front and center as a suspect, this is a quick read. It seems like in no time at all, we have gotten the main solution to both mysteries, although there are many unanswered questions! What happened to Mr Whiskers? We are also left with another piece of the Josiah Satterthwaite mystery solved, but way more new questions left unanswered. While a cute fast read, I was left unsatisfied with the resolution of some threads. I wanted a little more, please.
June 30, 2024
Good Story
I enjoyed reading book 4 in this series.
Max is a strong character and I liked how her daughter and her mother worked with her to unravel the mysteries.
I'm looking forward to the next book.
I enjoyed reading book 4 in this series.
Max is a strong character and I liked how her daughter and her mother worked with her to unravel the mysteries.
I'm looking forward to the next book.
July 7, 2024
Another great book in this series! Bookseller Max Sayers and her friend Denise are spending the morning digging out a dead rhododendron bush, to create a path between what will be their two stores. As they unearth the plant's root ball, they come across a skeleton buried in the garden. Since it IS a skeleton, it's obviously been there quite a while, but who is it and why is it there?
Max doesn't really have time to investigate, since the next day, a bequest of papers belonging to a local author (that had just been donated to the Snug Harbor library) is stolen and the head librarian is found dead. While the local police seem to be looking at Max's assistant's boyfriend for the crime, it's up to Max to figure out who did it and why?
I liked the dual mysteries in this book and the fact that Max's daughter Caroline, who is 19 and foundering in what she wants to do with her life, seems to be drawn into the investigation and ready to set a new course in her life. Oh, and the over arcing mystery of the rum running sea captains treasure makes another appearance here, but don't expect any solid answers yet! I finished this book, eager to get on to the next one, but since Ms. MacInerney has yet to write it, I'm going to have a bit of a wait!
Max doesn't really have time to investigate, since the next day, a bequest of papers belonging to a local author (that had just been donated to the Snug Harbor library) is stolen and the head librarian is found dead. While the local police seem to be looking at Max's assistant's boyfriend for the crime, it's up to Max to figure out who did it and why?
I liked the dual mysteries in this book and the fact that Max's daughter Caroline, who is 19 and foundering in what she wants to do with her life, seems to be drawn into the investigation and ready to set a new course in her life. Oh, and the over arcing mystery of the rum running sea captains treasure makes another appearance here, but don't expect any solid answers yet! I finished this book, eager to get on to the next one, but since Ms. MacInerney has yet to write it, I'm going to have a bit of a wait!
June 25, 2024
While helping her friend Denise during renovations to Denise's coffee shop, Max finds the skeletal remains of a woman. As she begins to research the history of the coffee shop building, she also has to deal with her daughter's upset over the upcoming marriage between Max's ex and his girlfriend of less than a year and her assistant at the bookstore finding the town librarian dead.
Fatal Fiction is a fast paced twisty mystery that will keep the reader guessing. A story full of humor and fun characters make this a quick and thoroughly enjoyable read. I highly recommend Fatal Fiction as well's the rest of the Snug Harbor mysteries.
Fatal Fiction is a fast paced twisty mystery that will keep the reader guessing. A story full of humor and fun characters make this a quick and thoroughly enjoyable read. I highly recommend Fatal Fiction as well's the rest of the Snug Harbor mysteries.
July 3, 2024
Who left bones in the flower bed
Max and best friend Denise are hard at work remodeling Denise's sea side coffee house when the two are digging up a dead rhododendron. Only to leave a set of bones tangled in the roots.
This is just the beginning of my favorite summer read. I literally stayed up all night to get to the end.
Did I mention there was a murder at the library, and Bethany's boyfriend is looking like suspect number one.
Will Max and her murder sleuthing crew be able to solve the who did it and save Devan from the iron bracelets for life.
Also, making a first-time appearance is the loveable Mr. Whiskers. He is sure to leave a paw print on your heart.
Max and best friend Denise are hard at work remodeling Denise's sea side coffee house when the two are digging up a dead rhododendron. Only to leave a set of bones tangled in the roots.
This is just the beginning of my favorite summer read. I literally stayed up all night to get to the end.
Did I mention there was a murder at the library, and Bethany's boyfriend is looking like suspect number one.
Will Max and her murder sleuthing crew be able to solve the who did it and save Devan from the iron bracelets for life.
Also, making a first-time appearance is the loveable Mr. Whiskers. He is sure to leave a paw print on your heart.
July 8, 2024
"Fatal Fiction" is book #4 in the "Snug Harbor Mystery" series by Karen MacInerney.
"The air at Seaside Cottage Books is tinged with autumn, and bookseller Max Sayers is helping her friend Denise Wilmington start a new chapter by turning the abandoned shop next door into a cozy coffee house. But when the two women dig up a decades-old rhododendron by the front walk, they uncover a grisly secret entwined with the bush's roots: a woman's skeleton, buried with a gold ring.
But Max doesn't have time to dig up dirt on old bones. The next day, a famous Maine author's bequest to the Snug Harbor library vanishes within hours of arriving. Then Max's assistant Bethany and her boyfriend Devin discover the head librarian—and Devin's new boss--strangled with a phone cord behind the circulation desk.
Suspicion quickly darkens the crisp fall air. Was Bethany's boyfriend, who had no love lost for his new boss, behind the library director's untimely death? Or is a darker, older plot hidden in Snug Harbor's leafy streets? When a curious Max finds herself the subject of the next attack, the plot arc becomes terrifyingly clear. It's up to Max to find the villain, and fast... or her next chapter may be her last."
My thoughts:
Discovering the skeleton beneath the rhododendron was only one mystery here. The murder of the new librarian and missing papers of the recent bequest were rather more pressing - especially since the police thought Devin was the prime suspect. Max and friends didn't believe he'd done it and certainly had no reason to steal the papers but how to prove it?
Some creative research, eavesdropping and searching for clues led them to other suspects - but who had the most to gain?
A climatic and potentially deadly encounter led to the reveal!
For me there were a couple of minor points somewhat related to the librarian's murder that were gathered along the way that weren't resolved. Perhaps those will come in another book?
Max and Nicholas are slowly making headway for the lost treasure supposedly left by the rumrunner. On another front, her ex husband Ted, shares some information with their daughters - and Caroline is not happy!
I do like the core characters of this series. The relationships and conversations feel realistic. A few recipes are included at the end of the book, as is the first chapter of "Reel Trouble" (book #10 in the Gray Whale series) that comes out in fall 2024.
Overall, a quick and entertaining read.
"The air at Seaside Cottage Books is tinged with autumn, and bookseller Max Sayers is helping her friend Denise Wilmington start a new chapter by turning the abandoned shop next door into a cozy coffee house. But when the two women dig up a decades-old rhododendron by the front walk, they uncover a grisly secret entwined with the bush's roots: a woman's skeleton, buried with a gold ring.
But Max doesn't have time to dig up dirt on old bones. The next day, a famous Maine author's bequest to the Snug Harbor library vanishes within hours of arriving. Then Max's assistant Bethany and her boyfriend Devin discover the head librarian—and Devin's new boss--strangled with a phone cord behind the circulation desk.
Suspicion quickly darkens the crisp fall air. Was Bethany's boyfriend, who had no love lost for his new boss, behind the library director's untimely death? Or is a darker, older plot hidden in Snug Harbor's leafy streets? When a curious Max finds herself the subject of the next attack, the plot arc becomes terrifyingly clear. It's up to Max to find the villain, and fast... or her next chapter may be her last."
My thoughts:
Discovering the skeleton beneath the rhododendron was only one mystery here. The murder of the new librarian and missing papers of the recent bequest were rather more pressing - especially since the police thought Devin was the prime suspect. Max and friends didn't believe he'd done it and certainly had no reason to steal the papers but how to prove it?
Some creative research, eavesdropping and searching for clues led them to other suspects - but who had the most to gain?
A climatic and potentially deadly encounter led to the reveal!
For me there were a couple of minor points somewhat related to the librarian's murder that were gathered along the way that weren't resolved. Perhaps those will come in another book?
Max and Nicholas are slowly making headway for the lost treasure supposedly left by the rumrunner. On another front, her ex husband Ted, shares some information with their daughters - and Caroline is not happy!
I do like the core characters of this series. The relationships and conversations feel realistic. A few recipes are included at the end of the book, as is the first chapter of "Reel Trouble" (book #10 in the Gray Whale series) that comes out in fall 2024.
Overall, a quick and entertaining read.
June 23, 2024
You know that a book is really good when you've just started reading on your Kindle and the power goes out and you quickly find an external charger and a backup so that you can finish the book the same day! This latest release in Karen MacInerney's Snug Harbor Mystery cozy series did not disappoint! Great setting, interesting mystery (with bonus mysteries within!), and wonderful characters. I love the character development of the main character's daughter. Karen MacInerney has the wonderful ability to make her characters relatable, to bring real-life situations into her stories, and deal with them in realistic ways that her readers can relate to. Being able to relate to the characters make the books more that much more enjoyable and makes you want even more books to read to see what happens next in their lives. Thanks to the author for the chance to read and review this advanced release copy of this terrific cozy mystery!! 📚💗
March 25, 2025
Max and Denise were busy ripping up rhodondendron bush in front of her soon to be store when they come upon a body. This body comes from the 50's as Max is on the path of finding out who and why. It was good to see Caroline come to life in doing research because now she finds her passion. We have a dead librarian and Devin is a suspect so Max gets busy to clear him. I was surprised when we the killer is exposed and truth comes out on a famous author who did not write his famous books. An enjoyable book and can't wait for the next book in this series because this is getting more fun in each book.
June 30, 2024
I loved losing myself among the pages of this latest story. Karen Macinerney has the ability to transport me in the worlds she creates and, even with a murder taking place, it is always hard to close the book at the end. I always feel that I NEED another paragraph, another page, another chapter, before leaving the characters to "live their life" until next time, always craving to get more details about them and the life in Snug Harbor.
This time again, the story is great, the characters so likeable and the setting is perfect!
*sigh* until next time...
Highly Recommended!
This time again, the story is great, the characters so likeable and the setting is perfect!
*sigh* until next time...
Highly Recommended!
June 30, 2024
Max finds herself in the middle of two mysteries in this fast paced book. I don't know how she is able to juggle unraveling all the clues to both mysteries while also dealing with her personal life and running her book store. I loved the pace of this book. Each mystery was easy to keep track of and because there were two, there was always something keeping my mind in the story. I also liked the way Ms. MacInerney was able to show the deep bond with Max, her mother and her daughter. The bonds were realistic and added an extra layer to the book.
August 2, 2024
Interesting
I have been reading this author for a long time. I have to say that the writing has certainly matured over time. An Inter story with another mystery surfacing at the end. So, another book to look forward to. Rather exciting in parts of the story and I loved the setting. New England and books, what could be better?
I have been reading this author for a long time. I have to say that the writing has certainly matured over time. An Inter story with another mystery surfacing at the end. So, another book to look forward to. Rather exciting in parts of the story and I loved the setting. New England and books, what could be better?
July 28, 2025
Excellent entry in the series. Max and her friend Denise discover a hand when digging up a bush. This is one of the cases that Max is involved in. The other case concerns the library director killed with the cord of the phone charger. Max always looks for underlying clues --her daughter takes a more active role in the detecting in this entry. A quick read and quite enjoyable.
June 16, 2024
Intriguing storyline. Suspense with a lot of happenings. A lot of not so nice people and lots of suspects. Surprise ending. A great read when you need an escape. I am rooting for Max’s and Denise’s businesses to be successful!
July 19, 2024
Good Snug Harbor mystery
This was a well written Karen MacInerney book. I liked the way the entire family worked to solve the various crimes. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
This was a well written Karen MacInerney book. I liked the way the entire family worked to solve the various crimes. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
September 2, 2024
I forgot about the semi-annoying daughter but she was actually enjoyable in this one,
This one was a solid read that just kind of laid out nicely and came together in what felt like an effortless way.
This one was a solid read that just kind of laid out nicely and came together in what felt like an effortless way.
June 25, 2024
What a great story for the fourth book in the series. Two murders, other mysteries, family drama, and a little romance. Who could ask for more in a book. Highly recommend!!
July 1, 2024
Love this series. The characters and the story line are fantastic.
I read it in a day! I couldn’t put it down.
I read it in a day! I couldn’t put it down.
July 6, 2024
A very intriguing mystery with a secondary mystery that sets the stage for the next book.
July 25, 2024
Another fun read from Karen MacInerney
I always enjoy her mysteries, they keep you guessing and when I am finished, I can't wait for the next one!
I always enjoy her mysteries, they keep you guessing and when I am finished, I can't wait for the next one!
August 8, 2024
Loved visiting Snug Harbour again. It’s nice to see Max adding more townspeople to her circle. There are several mysteries going on to keep them busy!
September 8, 2024
Good Read
Ms MacInerney continues to put out quality books in this series. She makes Snug Harbor sound like a place I'd love to visit.
Ms MacInerney continues to put out quality books in this series. She makes Snug Harbor sound like a place I'd love to visit.
January 1, 2025
ATY 2024
February 15, 2025
This is a fun and quick read series. The characters are enjoyable. The mysteries are interesting and fun to try and solve.
March 2, 2025
I couldn't put this book down!! Really good series!!
April 12, 2025
Great little cozy series. 3/5 stars
September 8, 2025
Hopefully there will be more books in this series as this book definitely left us with many lose ends. The storyline was good but the relationships between characters was very superficial.
July 12, 2024
Love the characters, the book store, the coffee house - just loved this book. And this author!
September 3, 2024
really enjoyed the latest snug harbor book...
December 29, 2025
This cozy mystery is the best kind... the kind you most anticipate and then simply can not put down! I've been a long time reader of the author's work and was so excited to hear of this release in this series. I am lucky enough to be a beta reader and was a little late reading it due to an injury my mother sustained but once I picked it up couldn't wait to finish it. Two days was all ot took. Now I can't wait for the next Snug Harbor Mystery! It was like seeing old friends again. Well written and kept me guessing as to "who-dunnit?"
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews