What do you think?
Bonnie Writes The Beatles: Hamburg: An action packed humorous cozy mystery
NEW from the author of A Cozy Beatles Mystery Series comes the companion Bonnie Writes The Beatles!
Book 1: THE HAMBURG HOOLIGAN A BEATLES BEERHALL BASH
**A girl, a rocking band…and a heist-filled holiday!**
Meet Bonnie Bell, an aspiring journalist on her first big adventure—a holiday in 1962 Hamburg with her father. But when they stumble into the infamous Star-Club on the Reeperbahn, things take a wild turn. A brawl breaks out, her father gets arrested, and suddenly, Bonnie’s vacation turns into a high-stakes mystery.
Enter the Beatles—yes, *those* Beatles. John, Paul, George, and Ringo witness the chaos and team up with Bonnie to clear her father's name. But as they dig deeper into Hamburg’s underworld, they uncover a network of seedy crime lords and a string of daring heists that have the whole city on edge.
Armed with wit, charm, and a little help from the Fab Four, Bonnie must grow from a wide-eyed tourist into a savvy sleuth. But can this unlikely crew crack the case before the next big score? Or will they be caught in the crossfire of the Reeperbahn’s darkest secrets?
Get ready for a cozy mystery that’s as groovy as it is gripping, starring Bonnie Bell and her new best mates—John, Paul, George, and Ringo! Releasing October 15, 2024. PREORDER now!
Book 1: THE HAMBURG HOOLIGAN A BEATLES BEERHALL BASH
**A girl, a rocking band…and a heist-filled holiday!**
Meet Bonnie Bell, an aspiring journalist on her first big adventure—a holiday in 1962 Hamburg with her father. But when they stumble into the infamous Star-Club on the Reeperbahn, things take a wild turn. A brawl breaks out, her father gets arrested, and suddenly, Bonnie’s vacation turns into a high-stakes mystery.
Enter the Beatles—yes, *those* Beatles. John, Paul, George, and Ringo witness the chaos and team up with Bonnie to clear her father's name. But as they dig deeper into Hamburg’s underworld, they uncover a network of seedy crime lords and a string of daring heists that have the whole city on edge.
Armed with wit, charm, and a little help from the Fab Four, Bonnie must grow from a wide-eyed tourist into a savvy sleuth. But can this unlikely crew crack the case before the next big score? Or will they be caught in the crossfire of the Reeperbahn’s darkest secrets?
Get ready for a cozy mystery that’s as groovy as it is gripping, starring Bonnie Bell and her new best mates—John, Paul, George, and Ringo! Releasing October 15, 2024. PREORDER now!
149 pages, Paperback
Published October 11, 2024
About the author
Kal Smagh
18 books23 followersA 3 year writer for his college humor magazine, and a Beatles enthusiast, Kal Smagh combines these passions to craft fun Beatles stories.
Newest series is Bonnie Writes The Beatles! …previous series: A Cozy Beatles Mystery Series Both are set in the 1960s and follow an amateur sleuth (Bonnie Bell or Helen Spencer) as they solve mysteries for the Beatles as a journalist (Bonnie), or Fan Club helper (Helen). These are clean cozies, suitable for most ages.
Kal grew up in Colorado and lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
Newest series is Bonnie Writes The Beatles! …previous series: A Cozy Beatles Mystery Series Both are set in the 1960s and follow an amateur sleuth (Bonnie Bell or Helen Spencer) as they solve mysteries for the Beatles as a journalist (Bonnie), or Fan Club helper (Helen). These are clean cozies, suitable for most ages.
Kal grew up in Colorado and lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 14, 2025
Love all these books! Never stop! There are probably a million stories
November 29, 2024
So glad for more Beatles mysteries!
I so loved the last series and am so thankful for this newest series! It puts forth each of the Beatles personalities to perfection! I still am a huge Beatles fan after all these years. I remember so clearly seeing them with my grandmother on the Ed Sullivan show. These mysteries are extremely enjoyable and hilarious in parts. I'm enjoying them immensely!
I so loved the last series and am so thankful for this newest series! It puts forth each of the Beatles personalities to perfection! I still am a huge Beatles fan after all these years. I remember so clearly seeing them with my grandmother on the Ed Sullivan show. These mysteries are extremely enjoyable and hilarious in parts. I'm enjoying them immensely!
February 16, 2025
Love this book. Wish it was longer! Love the stories being created about such a fab time in music and history.
August 14, 2025
This is another series featuring the Beatles in the background from the same author who gave us another Beatles Cozy Mystery series. The Fab Four figure more prominently in this book that focuses on their time in Hamburg before Beatlemania was a thing.
Bonnie Bell is a young aspiring journalist traveling with her father to Hamburg. One evening they go to the Star Club where the Beatles are playing. Bonnie's dad is attacked and then arrested for what appears to be a robbery. Bonnie knows her father is innocent, but she has to prove it. Eventually, the Beatles come to her aid and the caper begins. Comically things get resolved, her father is cleared and Bonnie writes her first article about the Beatles, of course.
Something I particularly liked about this book/series is that there is a connection to the author's other series. Helen and Bonnie meet each other when they are in their 70's and share their stories of the Beatles. It's a cleaver device and is part of why this is a light, summer "good read."
Bonnie Bell is a young aspiring journalist traveling with her father to Hamburg. One evening they go to the Star Club where the Beatles are playing. Bonnie's dad is attacked and then arrested for what appears to be a robbery. Bonnie knows her father is innocent, but she has to prove it. Eventually, the Beatles come to her aid and the caper begins. Comically things get resolved, her father is cleared and Bonnie writes her first article about the Beatles, of course.
Something I particularly liked about this book/series is that there is a connection to the author's other series. Helen and Bonnie meet each other when they are in their 70's and share their stories of the Beatles. It's a cleaver device and is part of why this is a light, summer "good read."
March 30, 2025
This new series starts in Florida with two ladies in their 70s. The Beatles Helen from the last 6 books meets Bonnie, who met the boys while visiting Hamburg with her British journalist father as a 21 year old American in 1962. She ignored warnings and goes to the rough Star-Club, where her poor dad gets injured then arrested when a fight breaks out. The Beatles step in to help, and mayhem ensues. This is a wonderful addition and nostalgic look into the beginning of the Beatles career. Their personalities shine in the authors hands. On now to Paris! book 2 and eagerly awaiting the next installments due in 2025.
January 26, 2026
First hand account
The author wrote as if she met the Beatles before they were famous. I chuckled about her time in Hamburg Germany.
The author wrote as if she met the Beatles before they were famous. I chuckled about her time in Hamburg Germany.
Read
May 14, 2026"Four men, three with guitars and one behind them on the drums were singing That'll Be The Day. They sounded, and felt, as good as melted butter tastes on warm sweetbread."
In Bonnie writes The Beatles, the year is 1962, and the American Bonnie Bell is accompanying her journalist father on a trip to Hamburg. There, they stumble upon a bar and a rocking band of four lads from Liverpool who are determined to make it big in the world of music. When a fight breaks out in the bar and Bonnie's father is framed, Bonnie is determined to clear his name, defying both gangsters and the police as she tries to uncover the truth with the help of her four new friends John, Paul, George and Ringo.
A light-hearted mystery and loving tribute to the Beatles. Bonnie is a fun, sympathetic character, and the idea of the Beatles as amateur sleuth companions is quite entertaining. This is not a complex mystery filled with red herrings and alibis or an intense, brutal crime story. Bonnie Writes the Beatles is a cute, fun, cosy mystery, quick and easy to read with a nostalgic feel and an obvious love for the Beatles evident in the writing. Recommended for Beatles enthusiasts and fans of gentle, family-friendly cosy mysteries.
In Bonnie writes The Beatles, the year is 1962, and the American Bonnie Bell is accompanying her journalist father on a trip to Hamburg. There, they stumble upon a bar and a rocking band of four lads from Liverpool who are determined to make it big in the world of music. When a fight breaks out in the bar and Bonnie's father is framed, Bonnie is determined to clear his name, defying both gangsters and the police as she tries to uncover the truth with the help of her four new friends John, Paul, George and Ringo.
A light-hearted mystery and loving tribute to the Beatles. Bonnie is a fun, sympathetic character, and the idea of the Beatles as amateur sleuth companions is quite entertaining. This is not a complex mystery filled with red herrings and alibis or an intense, brutal crime story. Bonnie Writes the Beatles is a cute, fun, cosy mystery, quick and easy to read with a nostalgic feel and an obvious love for the Beatles evident in the writing. Recommended for Beatles enthusiasts and fans of gentle, family-friendly cosy mysteries.
June 25, 2025
My childhood Beatlemaniac friend gave me this book as a gift - anything about the Beatles, of course!
It’s a little goofy and the main audience may be middle schoolers who like mysteries that also include the Beatles during their early days. It’s a niche, I guess!
It’s a little goofy and the main audience may be middle schoolers who like mysteries that also include the Beatles during their early days. It’s a niche, I guess!
July 18, 2026
It's short but fun. Would have liked to explore the city more but the premise is unique and a must read for Beatles fans. The original series felt a little less rushed but this is only the first of these, I'm still curious to see what happens down the line.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews