All Too Dead

by Scarlett Moss

Running a pub wasn’t on Elle Harper’s bingo card. Neither was solving a murder.

Elle never planned to leave Atlanta, but inheriting The Velvet Anchor Pub from her late grandmother’s best friend, Bea, changes everything. Trading city life for a coastal town full of quirky locals, she moves to Cornelia Cove with her dog, Gus, expecting to manage a bar—not unravel a mystery.

From the moment she arrives, things feel off. A cryptic journal, a string of suspicious “accidents,” and a not-so-warm welcome have Elle questioning whether Bea’s death was really as unexpected as everyone claims. Luckily, she’s not in this alone.

Bea’s closest friends—an all-knowing bartender who collects town gossip like rare albums, a bohemian sage-burner, and a social media guru who can make anything go viral—may seem like an unconventional investigative team, but they have one major Swifties are excellent at spotting Easter eggs—aka clues—and this town is full of them.
Can Elle and the Swift Justice Club piece together the truth before someone decides to permanently edit her out of the story?

All Too Dead is a must-read for fans of quirky cozy mysteries, coastal charm, and a sleuthing club that knows trouble when it walks in. Grab your copy today and pull up a seat at The Velvet Anchor—just watch your back.

272 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 21, 2025

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars for this new series. Elle Harper returns to her home town to see about the pub her grandmother Bea left her, somewhere on the Georgia coast. What she doesn't expect is the interest, both good and bad, the neighbors show in her and the pub. Threats begin, and a few of her grandmother's best friends - slightly offbeat ones - are there to help. It helps the enjoyment to know Taylor Swift (sorry, there are a few of us who don't get a lot of the references). The excitement is there, regardless, and the plot goes through twists and turns as they try to figure out the secret - or secrets - Bea was working on. - I received an advance copy and freely leave this honest review.

[Melissa Chandler · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was cute with all the Taylor talk, which is my we picked up this book. The solving of the mystery was a bit too Saturday morning show on PBS.

[Anne Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I got into this book, I was very glad I was able to finish it before too tired to do so! Elle with her dog, Gus, has arrived at The Velvet Anchor Pub, which has been left to her by her dead grandmother’s best friend Bea who died quite suddenly & left a lot of cryptic clues about things not being right in the town of Cornelia Cove. In the Pub are Sam, the bartender, Sandy, Bea’s friend & Willow who breezes in & out. Then Jackson arrives saying that Bea trusted him with what she was working on & worried about. Excitement builds, hence needing to finish it in one go!

[Lee Brothers · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to know people's true intentions. Realizing that overtime people reveal themselves and then you'll know the truth. Well that works most of the time. I sure don't envy Elle. This book is very suspenseful and kept me on the edge of my chair.

[Andrea Stoeckel · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Look for the patterns. The truth is always there if you know how to see it "

Bea Harper leaves her pub, the Velvet Anchor in Corneilia Cove to Ellie Harper along with a puzzle of sorts. Can Ellie solve it?

Author Scarlett Moss introduced us to an interesting bunch of characters that Ellie seems to have inherited as well. Somehow each is connected to the Velvet Anchor and together they set about finding out why all this happened. With Taylor Swift as the playlist this group of smart quirky characters figure out the pieces of this fast paced mystery and you have to laugh at some of the conclusions and dead ends that they come up with.

I enjoyed this book staying up way past my bedtime to read. Highly Recommended 5/5

[ Disclaimer: I won this book from an author giveaway. In no way did it affect my choice to read and review it]

[Javon50 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elle Harper has returned to Cornelia Cove after her grandmother’s best friend Bea passed away. When Elle discovers that Bea left her the Velvet Anchor Pub along with several mysterious letters and a journal, she finds that Bea has left her several clues to suspicious events occurring near the marina. Not really knowing what to do about it, Elle digs deeper and along with her grandmother’s friends she begins to see a complete picture and suddenly understands that whatever is going on is very dangerous and may be the cause of Bea’s death. What a terrific first book. This is my honest, voluntary of an advanced reader copy of this book.

[Tari · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an awesome new bunch of friends Elle got when she inherited a pub on the beach in a Georgia cove town from a woman who'd been one of her grandma's besties. As Elle started looking into some weird things her friend Bea had also been investigating, the danger started and the action and suspense never stopped until the very satisfying conclusion.

Everything came to a head in an epic showdown and I loved how the friends along with the right kind of help succeeded in their mission. I'm eager to read the next book and see what these friends, and Gus, Elle's dog get into next. Gus did have a talent for sniffing out what ended up being good clues and evidence.

[J Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Swifties united!

Elle inherited Bea's pub in Cornelia Cove. She also inherited a mystery with cryptic notes and confusing clues. Bea was loved and her loyal friends want Elle to reopen the Velvet Anchor and stay in the small seaside town permanently. To do that she will need help from her Swiftie pals to solve the mystery and save the town.

This is a good start to a new series. I like the seaside setting and the premise of the mystery. It was an enjoyable read despite a few apparent inconsistencies. I received a free copy, but my review is honest and voluntary.

[Jan Kreischer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book just amps up the intrigue and excitement level as it goes along. Our heroine, Elle, comes to town to deal with the bar she inherited and quickly becomes entangled in the mysterious goings on at the local lighthouse. Is someone purposely creating accidents there? For what purpose? She has numerous warnings to back down, which enrages her. And the ragtag bunch of sleuths she gathers back her up. The most fun part of the book is that most of her gang is Taylor Swift fans, so they constantly debate about her lyrics and songs.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since this is the first book in a new series it took a while to figure out who’s who. But I like that the author jumped right into the story and filled in information as it went along rather than providing a giant info dump to start the book. The story is fast paced with plenty of action. However, the Taylor Swift references didn’t work for me since I’m not really familiar with her music.

[Sherri Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This first book in the series introduces Elle and her friends. I enjoyed getting to know them and look forward to reading more about them and their adventures in future books. My only critique is that the mystery isn’t something I felt the protagonist really needed to get involved with. These are my thoughts after reading an advance copy of the book.

[Dwayne Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elle inherits The Velvet Anchor Pub. She has a bartender that knows everything, a friend who likes to burn sage and a social media guru. The Pub wasn’t the only thing Bea left to Elle. There is a book of cryptic clues, but what do they mean? Can Elle figure out what it is or will she be the next victim. A fun mystery full of quirky characters.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fine start to a new cozy mystery series! The fun begins when Elle inherits an old pub from a family friend. The nice twisty plot, entertaining characters and seaside locale made this a fun read. I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next in the series. I received a complimentary copy of this book and chose to write a voluntary, unbiased review.

[Celest · Rating 5 out of 5]

My First Scarlett Moss Book, Very Well Done.

This was an awesome and entertaining story. The characters were very interesting and well developed. My favorite being Elle and her dog. The mystery was intriguing and exciting. Can't wait to get the next book in the series. Don't miss this great book.

[Antonia Jennings · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story steeped in mystery and intrigue. I can almost feel the tension and the fear as Elle and her friends attempt to figure out what is going on. My heart was pounding as the danger drew near.
This is one incredibly exciting mystery that kept me highly entertained!!!!!

[David Berg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free advance review copy of this book and am voluntarily providing my honest review. What a great start to a new series. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to see what happens next to everyone involved in the Velvet Anchor Pub. I recommend this book.

[Miranda Summerset · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 STARS! OMG, swifties unite! This book is a blast & filled with Taylor Easter eggs. Such a fun cozy mystery & enjoyable from start to end. The beachtown of Cornelia Cove definitely has my attention & I cant wait to read book 2.

[DJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fast paced, fun, single sitting read.
First in a new series; new characters; new location; new murders —-
A joy to read- can’t wait for the second book to become available!

[stephanie huntington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting and entertaining