Murder at Honey Hollow Inn

Clementine Harper Cozy Mystery #0.5

by Lorna St. James

A cozy murder mystery set in a charming bed and breakfast, where killers check in but never check out.

In the enchanting town of Maplewood, Clem Harper runs the Honey Hollow Inn, meticulously preparing for the annual writer’s retreat. Everything seems perfect—until she discovers the body of Simone Lancaster, the local art dealer, in her parlor.

Now, this retired teacher turned innkeeper finds herself in a real life whodunit. She must rely on her sharp wit and sleuthing skills to uncover the truth about the businesswoman’s untimely death.

Clem’s mischievous tabby cat, Evie, discovers an ornate button linking the victim to several retreat guests, each harboring reasons to resent her shady charm and even shadier deals.

Is it the local artist whose creations were forged for profit, or a blackmailing reporter who exposed her crime ring?

Joined by retired detective Finn Adler and streetwise comedian Mabel Pipkin, Clem races against time in an intense cat-and-mouse game to catch the killer—who is aware of their every move.

50 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 5, 2025

Reviews

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clem Harper runs the Honey Hollow Inn in the quaint town of Maplewood. While preparing to host a writers’ retreat, Simone Lancaster, a local art dealer, turns up dead in the parlor. Clem, retired detective Finn and her friend Mabel attempt to find who the killer is and why Simone was killed.

This novella struggles to gain traction from the beginning. After finding the dead body, Clem does not call the authorities, instead she decides to confide in a retired detective as not to disrupt the writers’ retreat. I know that when reading fiction, one sometimes needs to suspend reality. However, this was a leap that was difficult for this reader to make. The author attempts to make the characters quirky, but they come off two dimensional. I believe that this may be the author’s first book and I’m sure as she continues to write, these issues can be resolved.
*I received a free ARC from the author and BookFunnel. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Yvonne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clem Harper owns the Honey Hollow Inn and is excited to be hosting the annual writer’s retreat. The retreat is going very well until she discovers a dead body in her parlor.

Along with her adorable tabby cat, Evie, Clem sets out to find a killer. It’s especially hard since she has to investigate her own inn guests. She soon discovers that the deceased did not have many friends.

This is a quick read with an intriguing mystery. It’s the perfect setting for a mystery. The characters are likeable. It’s a nice introduction into the Honey Hollow Inn world. I’m looking forward to getting to know the characters better. Of course my favorite character is Evie, the cute kitty cat. I’ll be checking out the next book in this series.



Disclosure: This one is from my own e-book collection. I received it as a freebie through the author’s newsletter. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Karen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sorry, this was just not up to par. Time for the author to spend some time learning to write and also have competent individuals review. Not best friends who would not point out (or might not even notice) mistakes like the one that runs through pages 22-23 where Mabel finds a button, then Evie nudges another button off the couch, and Mabel “retrieves another blue button. TWO buttons. But when she shows Clem and Finn her find, it is clear that there is only ONE. Just one example. This read like notes for scenes in a more extensive novel and probably should not have been released for general consumption.

[Ilene G> · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice mystery. Clementine, called Clem in the book , her friend Mabel , and retired Detective Finn investigate the murder of an art dealer. The plot is good. I like the part of Clem having a writer's retreat at her inn. This is a quick read. I felt the reveal of the killer was rushed because it is so short. Ends with a mysterious message. I will read the next book.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read ~ a bit oddly structured in that it switches quickly from narrator voice to a
first person. The mystery is there and is resolved by the end; however this reads like a rough draft of a story not a finished product. I gave it a four because it had solid bones behind it.....but leaving what was left undone for such a long time doesn't seem logical.

[Lisa Robison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clem hosts a writer’s retreat which turns into so much more. It was a quick cozy mystery. I would have liked to know a little more about the characters but otherwise I enjoyed reading it. I’m looking forward to reading the next book.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I believe this was a start to a new series. The mystery was good, even though the idea that Clem did not call the police right away bugged me. The characters were likeable, and the story held my attention. Recommend.

[Regina Lancaster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder at Honey Hollow

This sequel in the Honey Hollow mysteries is a quick read with a surprising way to the solution/confession. Evie, the tabby cat helps Clem bring peace to her sanuary at the inn by finding clues to ferret out the guilty....

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a quick and cozy read with potential to be a good series. The characters made leaps of logic that didn't make sense, like refusing to call the authorities after a dead body was found and making assumptions about the buttons that were found. The resolution felt over explained and rushed.

[Amanda✨️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 star quick read with potential. Because it is a short story there isn't a lot of build-up or twists, it just kind of goes right into it.

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short quick read with a murder in an Inn having a writers retreat. Lots of twists and crazy characters. If you like cozy this is a good one for you.
I received an arc and this is my review.

[Sharon Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good short story. good characters good mystery to solve. I was surprised at the killers identity.

[KellyJ1028 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfect cozy mystery!! I loved the storyline and characters and will definitely read more from this author.