Murder at Alba Lodge: A Maine Vacation Cozy Mystery Novella

by Etta True

A dead guest on the sunporch dashes Adrienne Foster’s plans for a restful country vacation.

Despite the victim’s advanced age, the Medical Examiner suspects foul play.

Adri’s sister, owner of Alba Lodge, worries about the small town’s reputation...

…and whether news of a murder will hurt her business.

When the local sheriff is slow to gather clues, Adri teams up with a magazine

reporter to interview suspects.

She puts her vacation on hold and assures her sister they will find the murderer.

Moxie, a fluffy Maine Coon, maintains her stand-off-ish air, while observing all.

She’s a smart cat, attentive and suspicious.

Several other guests knew and disliked the victim.

Staff found him entitled, impatient, and difficult to please.

He had a reputation as a womanizer–perhaps a jilted lover (or another woman’s jealous husband) is the culprit!

With multiple suspects and red herrings, will Adri solve the mystery before another guest turns up dead?

Genres: Cozy Mystery

126 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 25, 2024

Reviews

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adri Foster has a busy life. She is a middle school music teacher who takes care of her aging parents. On a school break, she travels to Alba Lodge for some rest and relaxation and to help her sister (the owner) out for the week. Little did she know that she would be walking into a murder investigation. There seems to be several viable suspects and many twists and turns before the killer is revealed. The only negative I have about this book is that there is very little law enforcement involvement in this case, which strikes me as a bit unrealistic. Other than that, I enjoyed this story. This is a novella (107 pages) and is a fast read. I would recommend this book to cozy mystery readers.

[Nancy (The Avid Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adrienne Foster needed a vacation to take a break from caring for her elderly parents, so she decided to spend some time with her sister Alice, who owns Alba Lodge in Maine.

Shortly after Adrienne, or as she is better known, Adri, arrives at the lodge, one of the guests, Mr. Burger, is found on the sunporch with no pulse. The local police department doesn’t seem to be making much progress in solving the crime.

Alice is worried about the reputation of her lodge. Adri wants to help her sister and investigates the crime on her own. She soon discovers that not many people cared for Mr. Burger, as he was not a nice man. He was rude to the staff and always complaining about one thing or another.

With the help of a magazine reporter, Adri investigates the crime. There are plenty of suspects to interview. Many people had reasons to dislike Mr. Burger. Adri needs to find out which suspect harbored enough animosity towards Mr. Burger to kill him.

The mystery and suspense kept me hanging on every word as I followed Adri on her journey, interviewing all the suspects as clues were revealed one after another.

I recommend Murder at Alba Lodge to all cozy mystery readers! Grab a copy of Murder at Alba Lodge today and join Adri in her quest to uncover whodunit!

[Jeffrey Aitken · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella is a charming, well-crafted cozy mystery that blends small-town charm with an engaging whodunit.

Etta True weaves a warm, immersive plot centred on Adrienne Foster. A compassionate music teacher whose lakeside holiday at her sister’s lodge turns into a murder investigation when a troublesome guest turns up dead.

The mystery unfolds with a satisfying balance of red herrings, subtle clues, and character-driven revelations.

The cast is vivid—from the competent and caring Adri to the stressed Alice and the no-nonsense cook, Harriet.

Even the Maine Coon cat, Moxie, adds personality.

The author makes the relationships feel genuine, and draws the lodge’s cozy atmosphere, creating a strong sense of place.

True’s writing style is fluid and approachable, filled with gentle humour, rich detail, and authentic dialogue.

The novel’s heart lies in its community and familial bonds, making it as resonant as mysterious.

The only critique is the slow start—early chapters focus on setup before the mystery takes hold. A brisker opening would strengthen reader engagement.

Still, once the murder mystery kicks in, it’s a satisfying, comforting read perfect for fans of traditional cozies with heart and a touch of spice.

[Merry Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adrienne is a music teacher and it is school holiday time so she decided to vacation at her sister's lodge. It was supposed to be relaxing, but that was until a very obnoxious, unruly guest is found dead and the medical examiner thinks it's foul play. But the local sheriff seems to be slow on the uptake. So Adri feels it absolutely necessary to help her sister, Alice, find a murderer so the reputation of the lodge doesn't take a hit. So, Adri teams up with a magazine reporter with a little help from Moxie, a fluffy Maine Coon who is standoffish, but very smart and aware. There are many suspects since the victim was totally unlikable and there are many possible suspects. If you like a fast paced read, this is your book AND I recommend it. I received an ARC of this book but the opinions expressed here is strictly my own.

[Jean Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adri shows up at Alba Lodge for a vacation and to help her sister, who is overwhelmed since her husband is out of town. Soon after her arrival, a guest is found dead on the sun porch. The guest was someone who constantly complained and as a result, wasn't well liked. There are a lot of suspects to choose from as so many had bad feelings towards the victim. The mystery is solid and I like Adri, but her investigation seems mostly nosiness. She takes dangerous and reckless chances and her investigation doesn't make much sense. It also seemed strange to me that law enforcement came when the murder was called in, but seemed to do nothing else in the way of investigating. So that part felt rather unrealistic to me. I received an ARC copy of the book and this is my honest review.

[Lori Hooten · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not typically a mystery reader so this one was a little stretch for me. I liked the characters and found the mystery clean, not too dramatized, and not graphic or gory. That part was nice. It was not a grabbing story for me, but as I said, this isn't my typical type of story. I wanted to go out of my comfort a little bit and this was nice. I probably won't pick it up again but I enjoyed it. I did feel like the conclusion was, oh, a bit weak, I guess. The motive was strange and didn't really make sense to me. Overall, it was a nice read.

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know that amateur sleuths get a fair bit of leeway in this sort of book, but the main character of this one would definitely have been arrested for concealing evidence and impeding the investigation.

Also, she's concerned at the beginning of the book that her brother won't take adequate care of her parents while she's away, but she never once phones to see how things are going, over the week she's away.

Started well, failed to stick the landing.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give this 4 1/2 Stars!!

This book is like the prequel to the Adri Foster Cozy Mystery series. Of course Adri is the main character. She is going on a trip to her sister’s lodge for vacation. While there a man turns up dead. Can Adri find out who did it before her sister’s lodge gets ruined? I was shocked when I found out who was behind it. I will say this book reminded me of the game Clue which I love. Overall, I really enjoyed this book.

[Anne Newman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alice is the owner of Alba Lodge & is stressed because her husband is away, so her sister Adrienne goes to help her. Adri is a music teacher, but it is school holidays so she’s looking forward to relaxing. But, a troublemaker of a guest is murdered! Adri takes it upon herself to investigate as the police don’t seem to be doing anything. She solves the crime quite well!

[Kate Wells · Rating 1 out of 5]

yeah. NO. I really dislike sticky beaks who undermine investigators because they think they are so smart. Adri is gossipy, stick beak, Alice is a weak character, I hate trying to interpret the fake german accent. And I hate the superior tone that writing her speech that way comes across. Opinions expressed are entirely my own

[Liza · Rating 3 out of 5]

The (food) choking in chapter one seems like a space filler as staff already knew that the heroic staff member had worked at an aged home and so has some medical knowledge.

Adri finds out some information that would help the sheriff - but never tells him. She just persists in sticking her nose in with everybody.

Very lighweight

[Norman Hirschman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adri shows up at Alba Lodge to help her sister. Soon afterwards one of the guests dies. It turns out that it was murder. Due to the guest's unpopularity, many guests are suspects. Only Adri can hope to find out who the murder suspect might be in order to save the reputation of the lodge. Light reading and very enjoyable.

[Lorraine O'Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our heroine goes on vacation and after dropping off her things in her room, she ends up finding a dead guest in the solarium. As she investigates, trying to solve the murder, she learns that all who are there have something to hide. Lots of twists and turns later, she uncovers the culprit, just as her vacation is over. Enjoyable read.

[Slugpuppy3 · Rating 3 out of 5]

MURDER AT ALBA LODGE is a nice read. The murder mystery is solid and the protagonist, Adri, is sweet. Unfortunately, her investigation is reckless and dangerous, doesn’t make a lot of sense, and there’s never any explanation as to why law enforcement is doing nothing.

[Lee Brothers · Rating 5 out of 5]

A twisted little tale. I really enjoyed this. The lodge sounded amazing, I'd love to visit. The sisters tapped at my heart, family loyalty and love. The author did a good job of revealing and describing. I can't wait til the next book.

[LINDA BASS · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, but I had a hard time eliminating the suspects as it seemed that no one liked him as he was a horrible man. I loved that Adri went to help her sister when her husband with out-of-town Alice fell apart.

[Karen McCormick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series and lots of fun

Good twists but not scary or disturbing. Easy read for a weekend & interesting characters. This series gives a taste of Maine from a very local perspective with a kick.

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

An obnoxious man is killed at a vaction destination in Maine. Turns out, there was a fairly interesting method of murder.

There's the usual investigation, and fun and games.

I started to wonder if maybe there's something in the water in Maine, spreading from
Cabot Cove.

[Christie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, quick-to-read, cozy mystery.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite well done for a cozy novella. Always wonder why authors love using inexperienced murder investigators who do daft things and get themselves in trouble! Great setting for this novella though!

[Marseydoats · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF...
Well written, and a nice cover... Just not my cup of tea.

[Jan Sjostrand · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good story lots of twists and turns Really enjoyed this story

[Anke Kurth · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a cozy mystery with everything in it. Entertaining.

[Genesia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adrian went to her sister's lodge for a much-needed vacation. However, instead of enjoying a restful and relaxing time, disaster struck on her first night there: one of the guests was murdered. The lodge's reputation was at stake, and Adrian's sister, Alice, who is a reporter covering the story, was worried about the impact of the murder on the lodge. Adrian observed that the detective assigned to the case didn’t seem very concerned about solving the mystery, so she took it upon herself to begin asking questions and gathering clues to solve the case.

This cozy mystery kept me thoroughly entertained. The characters are charming, the lodge is beautiful, and the plot is engaging. I will definitely recommend it to all mystery lovers.

Thank you to the author for providing me with an advance copy. I'm leaving this honest review voluntarily.

[Jennifer Rosenberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting

[Rachelle Bachiu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Putting yourself in charge of a murder and keeping information from the police is not a great way to get things done however she gets it done.

[Megan Olds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good cozy mystery.

[Linda DuPont · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good, clean, entertaining. I had my suspicions, but hadn’t truly figured it out before the end.

[Jane Y · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what a great book.

I didn’t realize who the killer was until the last two chapters.

I hope there is some books in this series?