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Bed, Breakfast and Murder : Hawthorne's Haven Cozy Mystery
Shadowbrook holds special memories for Willow Hawthorne. It is a place where she spent happy childhood memories. That is until a dead body got her involved in a murder investigation.
Celebrity chef, Willow Hawthorne, took over her grandmother’s bed and breakfast in Shawdowbrook, where life is slower and less stressful- away from the hustle and bustle of New York City, where she was always under media scrutiny.
Willow’s closest friend, Violet, is the town’s gossip. She’s upset because she is losing her antique shop because the landlord insists on remodeling the property and is forcing her out permanently. Sarah Brown, Willow’s grandmother’s best friend, is the town’s historian. She loved telling stories of the old days and knows the history of all residents.
When one of the town’s most prominent members of society winds up dead, Willow and her two friends begin an investigation of their own to help the local sheriff find the murderer. Will they find the murderer before their own lives succumb to demise?
This short story will take you through twists and turns. Will you determine the murderer before Willow, Violet, and Sarah?
If you like this story, check out the other series by Olivia Page- Nova Beck Cozy Mysteries and The Maine Cozy Mysteries.
Celebrity chef, Willow Hawthorne, took over her grandmother’s bed and breakfast in Shawdowbrook, where life is slower and less stressful- away from the hustle and bustle of New York City, where she was always under media scrutiny.
Willow’s closest friend, Violet, is the town’s gossip. She’s upset because she is losing her antique shop because the landlord insists on remodeling the property and is forcing her out permanently. Sarah Brown, Willow’s grandmother’s best friend, is the town’s historian. She loved telling stories of the old days and knows the history of all residents.
When one of the town’s most prominent members of society winds up dead, Willow and her two friends begin an investigation of their own to help the local sheriff find the murderer. Will they find the murderer before their own lives succumb to demise?
This short story will take you through twists and turns. Will you determine the murderer before Willow, Violet, and Sarah?
If you like this story, check out the other series by Olivia Page- Nova Beck Cozy Mysteries and The Maine Cozy Mysteries.
79 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 18, 2025
2 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 3, 2026
Nice enough short story.
There were a few threads mentioned and not fully explored - like, for instance, the victim being the wealthiest man in the village, akin to every possible way of lowering costs on all his constructions, this was not thoroughly investigated, not by Winslow (the central figure of this story), not by the detective also.
The pottential is there, though, so that to watch the rest of author's book in the series (will this be a series ? )
There were a few threads mentioned and not fully explored - like, for instance, the victim being the wealthiest man in the village, akin to every possible way of lowering costs on all his constructions, this was not thoroughly investigated, not by Winslow (the central figure of this story), not by the detective also.
The pottential is there, though, so that to watch the rest of author's book in the series (will this be a series ? )
April 29, 2025
A very short read that introduces you to the characters' personalities with a murder to solve. Willow Hawthorne is a famous chef in NYC but when her grandmother gives her the Bed and Breakfast to take over in Shadowbrook, she was happy to get away from the grind of the city to a more lay back life. Violet is Willow’s best friend. She’s upset because her landlord wants to remodel the property and wants Violet's antique shop out permanently. But when one of the most prominent and wealthy townspeople is murdered, Willow, Violet and Sarah Brown, one of Willow’s grandmother’s best friends and the town historian decided to investigate and find the answers to help the town and the sheriff. Can they find a murderer? As short as this book is, you are taken on a real roller coaster ride with twists and turns and red herrings that keep you turning pages until the end. This book is definitely the beginning of a really good series and I hope to see more. As short as this book is, the story line, characters and descriptions are very tight and well written. I received an ARC of this book but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.
June 28, 2025
This novella delivers a warm, well-paced mystery set in the charming town of Shadow Brook.
The plot opens with calm domesticity then sharpens into a whodunnit after local magnate Arlo Reed turns up murdered.
The tension builds with strong emotional beats and believable stakes.
Willow, the protagonist, stands out. Her active role in the investigation feels earned. She balances care for her community with a need to uncover truth.
Side characters like Violet and Sarah add colour and weight, while Sheriff Jones offers steady contrast.
The dialogue flows well. Characters speak with purpose.
Exposition is smooth, though a few sections could benefit from trimming, especially Violet’s business backstory.
The pacing holds throughout, with enough clues and misleads to maintain interest.
Fans of cosy mysteries with strong female leads and close-knit towns will enjoy this book.
It blends warmth with tension and crafts a world that readers will want to revisit.
The plot opens with calm domesticity then sharpens into a whodunnit after local magnate Arlo Reed turns up murdered.
The tension builds with strong emotional beats and believable stakes.
Willow, the protagonist, stands out. Her active role in the investigation feels earned. She balances care for her community with a need to uncover truth.
Side characters like Violet and Sarah add colour and weight, while Sheriff Jones offers steady contrast.
The dialogue flows well. Characters speak with purpose.
Exposition is smooth, though a few sections could benefit from trimming, especially Violet’s business backstory.
The pacing holds throughout, with enough clues and misleads to maintain interest.
Fans of cosy mysteries with strong female leads and close-knit towns will enjoy this book.
It blends warmth with tension and crafts a world that readers will want to revisit.
April 27, 2025
I enjoyed this mystery. Who killed the town's wealthiest man? Willow and her friends investigate. The plot kept me guessing who the murderer was. I like Willow and the side characters. I will be reading this series.
June 6, 2025
This was a great mystery. The situations were realistic and interesting. The characters were likeable and had depth to them. This was an enjoyable read. I look forward to more reading adventures in this series!
May 2, 2025
a quick "cozy" mystery
May 18, 2025
The wealthy property developer wasn't popular and so there are plenty of suspects when he gets murdered. Short story to introduce the future characters.
May 19, 2025
A good start to a new series. The mystery was good, didn't guess who the villain was and the characters were fun and likeable. Recommend reading.
May 24, 2025
A quick read. Full of twists and turns and kept me reading till the end. Great characters and story.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews