Death, Turmoil and Turtles: A Pelican Shores Cozy Mystery

Pelican Shores Cozy Mystery #3

by Bessie Barr

Pelican Shores is thrilled to be this year’s host for the Seaward Turtle And Rescue charity. It's STAR Convention time!

There are sea turtles to rescue and funds to raise. Local potter, Finn Dockrey, and her best friend, Birdie, have sleeves rolled up. It's free community pottery classes, homemade cherry hand pies, and cinnamon rolls. Smiles and sunshine all around — until a severed human arm is found in the beachside trash bin.

The tide turns in the town as the cheer turns to dread.

And now, the quaint beach town is teeming with more than just turtle lovers. It’s full of secrets –– and suspects.

Oil tycoons. Glittering philanthropists. Retired gangsters. They slip between silent auction tables and into the town’s web of underground bars and secret rooms.

All the while detective Pace Stringfellow maintains his focus. He knows that where there’s an arm, there’s also a body. And a killer.

He insists that Finn, Birdie and their fur friends, Beau and Queen Bean steer clear.

More body parts begin to surface. And Finn and Birdie find themselves pulled into the investigation.

The convention is in full swing and a killer still at large. Will the duo piece together the truth before someone else washes up, dead?

MAPS and RECIPE INCLUDED!

Genres: Cozy Mystery

195 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 30, 2025

About the author

You found me! I'm Bessie!

I love reading and writing, particularly with a cup of Lady Grey tea and an orange-glazed scone. This word-loving discovery started as a youngster. Picture this: 8 years old. A quiet corner of a quiet room. Beanbag. Thunderstorm booming. My first mystery. A brother and sister crime-solving duo, attempting to scale the slippery stone walls of an old, spooky estate. I was hooked!

I still love a good cozy mystery. And so, I naturally leaned into this genre as my life pivoted to allow more creativity!

Also, I am a wife to my highschool sweetheart, mom to 3 adult kids, and groveling attendant to 2 entitled cats and a wet-nose-nudging dog. I am blessed to call the beach my home & thankful for the creativity it spurs. Many a plot develops at the rising of the Texas sun over the gulf coast— just saying!

I hope you love Bessie Barr Cozy Mysteries as much as I love writing them!

Find my Facebook Bessie Barr Books for a F•R•E•E novella!

Reviews

[Amanda Reads Cozies · Rating 5 out of 5]

This intriguing and original storyline hooked me right away, keeping the narrative fresh, engaging, and genuinely fun to follow. The characters are completely top-tier, and their chemistry makes it impossible not to stay totally invested in what happens to them. Honestly, Birdie is so real for that callout—the slow-burn "will they or won't they", but the book is still an absolute masterpiece overall.

[Tambi Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grab your apron and a sturdy pair of gloves, because things in Pelican Shores are shifting from "sweet as a cherry pie" to "somewhat dismembered" in Death, Turmoil, and Turtles, the third delightful installment of the Pelican Shores Cozy Mystery series by Bessie Barr. The town is buzzing with the STAR (Seaward Turtle and Rescue) Convention, but the festive vibe hits a wall when local (and my) favorite Beau discovers a severed human arm, sending Finn Dockrey on a race against the tide to identify a victim before she can even hunt for a killer. Between running free pottery classes for gossip-prone convention-goers and navigating the return of the mysterious Jesse James, Finn must use every ounce of her wit and tenacity to restore order to her picturesque home. The scenery is so vividly rendered that I could feel the salty breeze from Galveston’s historic Pleasure Pier, while the emotional stakes had reached a fever pitch that left a lump in my throat until the end.
Finn isn't tackling this "handy" little murder alone; her ride-or-die best friends, Birdie and Martha, are right by her side, fueling the investigation with unwavering loyalty and a steady supply of homemade cherry hand pies and coffee. Finn holds true to her promise that she would not let someone get away with a crime if she could do anything to stop it – a testament to her heart-aching backstory. Birdie’s unpredictable humor provides laugh-out-loud moments—including a snort-worthy scene that I reread multiple times (and laughed with each one)—that perfectly balance the fast-paced suspense and clever red herrings. This entry stands out in the genre by keeping the victim’s identity a total mystery, adding a brilliant layer of intrigue to an already original storyline. With a satisfying ending and a recipe for those famous hand pies tucked in the back, this is a masterful emotional rollercoaster that proves Bessie Barr knows exactly how to keep me turning the pages.
Come for the turtles, stay for the turmoil—this is one mystery you’ll want to catch hook, line, and sinker!

[Lyn Richards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finn Dockery and her best friend Birdie are somewhat celebrities in Pelican Shores for solving a previous kite killer case. Whilst this story is the third in the series, I was still able to read it as a standalone book.

Finn and Birdie run pottery classes and provide renowned baked goodies to the town and in between these roles solve difficult crimes in Pelican Shores. Well they've done it once previously before, so doesn't that make them experts? We are about to find out when severed limbs show up on the beach in Pelican Shores and the police are trying to locate who the limbs are from and who has separated these limbs from the original bodies.

I appreciated the humour and serious sides to the storylines and the consistent progression of the storyline. I did feel at times the pace was a bit lacking at times and some of the unrealistic parts of the storylines detracted me a bit from being enraptured by this story. Nonetheless I did enjoy the twists and turns of the story, even if a couple of them were a little predictable. Parts of the story made me smile and also gasp so I did get hooked into the storylines in the end.

I was fortunate enough to be provided an ARC of this book by the author and haven't read the previous two books in this series. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

[Laure · Rating 4 out of 5]

The island of Pelican Shores is bursting at the seams with tourists and absentee residents as the annual STAR Convention nears. Finn is busy with her pottery class and her student’s creations are being donated to the silent auction to raise funds for STAR. When Finn discovers a severed arm on the beach, she realizes that where there is one detached body part there are bound to be more yet to be discovered. Although Detective Pace Stringfellow has warned them away from the investigation, Finn and Birdie will be visiting underground bars with secret rooms and playing poker with retired gangsters in an effort to uncover the identity of the killer.
This is another wonderful must-read cozy mystery with some surprising twists in the plot. I adore these characters! They are well written, and compelling with some very interesting and occasionally amusing personality quirks. Surprising and unexpected twists in the plot made it impossible to put this book down once I started reading. I highly recommend this book to other cozy mystery readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary ARC of this book that I received from Book Sprout.

[Merry Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book three in the Pelican Shores Cozy Mystery series and a great addition to the series. The Town of Pelican Shores is hosting the Seaward Turtle and Rescue charity event to raise money to help the turtle rescue. And of course, Finn Dockrey and her best friend, Birdie are excited to be a part of this event! With so many people at the beach event, things go awry for our protagonists, Finn and Birdie and their pets, Beau and Queen Bean. It seems Beau has found a severed arm in the trash bin. Of course Finn and Birdie along with the clue finding Beau want to investigate, but they were told by Detective Pace Stringfellow to stay away. But when more body parts are found, Finn and Birdie along with Beau definitely get involved. This is a fast paced fun cozy mystery that keeps you guessing right to the end. I recommend this book as well as the entire series! I received an ARC of this book but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book 3 in the Pelican shores series. In a previous book Finn Dockery and Birdie joined Martha in her coffee Cafe and added some additional space for Finn's art items for sale in addition to adding art classes. Not to be left out they added baking facilities so Birdie could add baked goods for sale.
In earlier episodes Finn and Birdie get involved in trying to solve a murder. Obviously Detective Pace Stringfellow is not at all happy about them getting involved and wanting to play detective on this. And, Detective says please stay out of this one. Which, of course, doesn't stop them and they, along with Beau, Finn's dog, are quickly involved.
This storyline might be more complex than others in the series. Lots of twists and unexpected connections. Kept me guessing till the end to both figure out who might have been killed and who did it.

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

[Baby Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finn, Beau (the awesome golden Retriever/golden sleuth), Birdie, Martha, Queen Bean, and Detective Pace are once again embroiled in a who dunnit case. This time the mystery takes a sinister turn. who is leaving body parts in certain areas of the beach and who do they belong too? As the case gets hotter and even more mysterious, it is up to Finn, Beau, and friends to get to the bottom of the case before someone else gets hurt. The chemistry between Detective Pace and Finn is so adorable and I can't wait to see if it turns into something even bigger as they both seem to need one another in an intimate way. I keep circling back to Jesse J, the mystery notes writer and follower of Finn. What connection does she/he have to Finn and why the mystery notes. These books continue to get better with each case, and I look forward to reading whatever Bessie Barr has in store for this series next. The main characters are wonderful and full of life! I know it is going to be great.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by this author, and as such, I didn't read the first two books in this series. However, it seemed to work well as a stand alone, apart from numerous mentions of their Kite Killer Case. I might have given this book a higher rating, but it was full of editing errors. I know that this is an ARC and that it will be gone over but it was so bad that it was very distracting from the story. There were missing words, added words and even calling someone by the wrong name.

I increase my pace and pull with me.

Jim and a driver steps out to pull the door open, is sitting in the front seat.

Fake Marvin holds his hands up. (Two sentences later we get)
Glance at the fallen man only now coming back to consciousness.

This just really ticks me off. These are only a very few of the errors made in the book.

[Chere Gruver · Rating 5 out of 5]

We’re back in Pelican Shores again with another murder!

This time, Beau ends up finding a leg in a trash can, not a whole body. Big shock, Finn and Birdie once again decide to investigate and find out who committed such a horrible crime. I really do enjoy cozy mysteries. The whole aspect of the amateurs investigating until they find out whodunit before the police do. There’s a little bit of romance in this one, just a hint, well more like attraction really. There’s danger, and suspense and I didn’t figure whodunit until Finn did. One thing I especially enjoy, are the characters and I really love the fact that Finn’s dog and Birdie’s cat play such a big role in this series! I just adore the cat’s name as well—Queen Bean.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a very interesting mystery with a pleasant enough set of characters who, of course, get into a dangerous situation as they race to solve it. No one wants a murderer wandering about town! The plot is well written and exciting at times ~ a bit on the gritty~ but not overly descriptive so that's excellent as a cozy mystery. There was a considerable emphasis on romance (in trying to push one to begin between the main character and the 'handsome' detective)but it doesn't get off the ground. I glazed over on those sections! There are a number of editing errors and a couple of times I had to go back to read what I'd just read. Overall, I do recommend the read as it's a good puzzle of a mystery!

[Harriet Flowers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This brilliantly written cozy mystery is centered in a little town of Pelican Shores. The primary characters are three 50+ year old women who have come to be considered amateur sleuths. They own a little coffee shop/bakery/art store and most people gravitate there for the delicious pastries, coffee, beautiful artwork and fellowship with locals. Things are business as usual until a severed leg is found in a trash can on the beach. Of course the police detective tells them to stay out of it but these three just don’t listen!! This is a cute mystery that kept me guessing all the way to the end!!

While I read this book as an ARC book, I am writing this review voluntarily

[LaurenB · Rating 4 out of 5]

We’re back in Pelican Shores for the STAR convention, where people come together to raise money to save the turtles. The tide turns when body parts start popping up around town. Fin, Birdie, and Beau quickly get to work tracking down the killer.

This is the third in the series, but worked as a standalone/first read for me. They reference previous cases, but they explain them briefly and the characters and their relationships are well developed. This was a quick, cozy beach mystery but it didn’t feel rushed or disjointed. Overall, I really enjoyed this book.

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

[Marietta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book in the series and Finn and Birdie are back to work in another murder case Just as the STARR convention for saving the turtles is about to start. They find a leg in one trashcan and an arm in another trashcan so are trying to help the police solve the mystery. They make a few more friends along the way. They are helping donate act and pottery to the silent auction as well. There are lots of twist and turn while they try and solve the mystery. If you enjoy something that is not overly deep and scarey then this one will be for you. I can't wait to see what Finn and Birdie get themselves involved with next. Enjoy the great read.

[Cherie Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pelican Shores is a quaint little beach town who is the hosts of this year’s Seaward Turtle Rescue Charity fundraiser. The whole community is enjoying themselves when a severed human arm is found in a trash bin and where there’s an arm there’s got to be the rest of the body. With so many in town for the fundraiser detective Pace Stringfellow has his work cut out. This cozy mystery has a great plot with lots of suspects, throw in the furry companions to add more charm to it and you have a great little who-dunnit. I recommend reading this book!!
Cherie

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book by this author but I feel like it can stand alone. You have enough information about the town and the characters to jump right in and get caught up.

I really enjoyed this fast moving and easy to read cozy mystery. I love Beau. This golden retriever has a nose for uncovering the clues.

The humor and the lovable group of characters make this such a fun mystery to read. It is the perfect story to cozy up with on a weekend and try to piece together the clues to solve the mystery along with the characters.

[Linda K Goodwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun cozy murder mystery with a female Sleuth Finn Dockrey, and her best friend, Birdie and her dog Beau and Queen Bean, Birdie's cat. Oh my, they discover...or I should say, Beau uncovers an arm!
There are a lot of rich people on this island perfect for they have a charity to help the turtles getting started.
This is a very entertaining story, with a little bit of hopeful romance. Goes at a fast pace and recommend this to young and old alike.

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

[Jean Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finn and Birdie are back, this time working to solve a gruesome crime. Body parts start showing up in trash cans shortly before a fundraiser to save turtles. One woman who has been at the center of the fundraising seems to be more out to help herself than the turtles. There are lots of twists and turns before a surprise ending. This is the 3rd book in the series and there are many interesting characters. I received an ARC copy of the book and this is my honest review.

[G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finn and Birdie just can't resist sleuthing when body parts are found in Pelican Shores.
A really fun cozy mystery with amazing characters that make you feel like you are right in the middle of it. Following along the investigation and seeing every twist and turns makes this for an amazing page turner that you don't want to miss.

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

[Suzan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a fun cozy mystery. I really enjoyed following Finn and Birdie around Pelican Shores while they try to track a killer. Great characters including Beau and Queen Bean, a wonderful writing sytle, and great extras like Detective Stringfellow in the mix. This is a very entertaining read that will keep you guessing. I look forward to reading more of these.

[Sharmani Jayaram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finn does it again by solving this intriguing murder case of finding body parts in trashcans . A captivating read from the start with a edge of the seat finish. I received this ARC copy via booksprouts and leave a honest review. I recommend this book to other readers.

[Rick Molitor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very good cozy mystery. The characters were relatable. The story moves along quickly as our heroes try to find the killer. There are plenty of interesting characters who they meet along the way. And, with a little help from their friends, they catch the killer. A good read.

[Eliz Marino · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC and this is my voluntary review. A cute cozy series that features Finn, her dog Beau and best friend Birdie with Queen Bean the cat. This was a fast clean read that had elements of suspense. A welcome addition to a wonderful series.

[Arlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Read all the books in the series. Just love Finn and Birdie and agree with Martha, they should open their own agency. Couldn't put them down. This is the first I read Bessie Barr and will certainly check out her other books.

[Linda Whitenight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finn is helping to free turtles from a mess on the beach when Beau finds a severed leg in the garbage. Oh no, another murder in Pelican Shores can the girls solve another one before someone else is killed?

[Juanita E. Arp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book! The books storyline will keep you guessing who did it. I can't wait to see what happens next. I received this book as a Free ARC copy to read and I voluntarily leave this review.

[Hillary Gurrola · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another fun adventure in the series. Finn (Shorelock Holmes) and Birdie solve a mystery of missing body parts turning up all over town while also participating in a save the sea turtles fundraiser with their art studio/coffee shop. It was quick paced and full of interesting clues and characters. I did not solve the mystery. It was a fun ride!

[Anne Pyles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love Finn, Birdie, Beau, and Queen Bean! Another fun adventure as they put the clues together. And will Finn and Detective Stringfellow ever figure out they belong together?!??

[Marseydoats · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really fun series with great characters. I love the whimsical pelican drawings at the beginning of each chapter.
Already looking forward to the next one!

[Marie Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story.

Loved this story. Fast paced. Interesting characters. When finished one chapter couldn't help continuing on. Enjoyed the dynamics by all involved.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Danger on the Beach . . .

Pelican Shores is hosting an event to earn money to support the Seaward Turtle and Rescue charity. Preparation has begun with Finn Dockrey and her best friend Birdie excited to participate (although “cherry hand pies” is not the best name for a pie when we learn what a killer is leaving around the community). Their joy turns grim when a severed human arm is found in a trash bin. And it doesn’t stop there as other “parts” turn up. A varied assortment of people arrive and Detective Pace Stringfellow is concerned about what all these body parts imply. Can he convince Finn and Birdie to stay out of the investigation? Or will they insist on being part of it before the death count rises further?