Alibi by Accident

Verona Montero #1

by Kayleigh Suggett

F*ck It isn't just the name of her favorite smoothie—it's also Verona Montero's approach to murder investigations.

“...an amusing debut mystery…”—Library Journal

Verona Montero loves calling herself a private dick because it makes her sound like she’s in a 1940s detective movie. And she gets to say “dick” a lot. So when Miami—a walking Barbie with an emoji addiction—needs proof her billionaire husband Javier is cheating, Verona's all over it. Bonus: it means working with divorce lawyer Quentin, whose cologne gives her “crotch headaches.”

Then bam—Javier turns up dead in Greece, and Miami is staring down a murder charge. With her client’s billions at stake and a hefty retainer padding her account, Verona’s jetting off to Mykonos faster than you can say “Dark and Stormy.”

Between conning hotel staff and recruiting a drag queen to go undercover in a secret sex club, evidence suggests that the wrong person might be taking the fall. Now Verona’s facing her toughest moral dilemma yet: pursue justice for a dead predator, or let a killer with excellent taste in victims walk free.

Wickedly funny and twisty, this whodunit delivers the goods for fans of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series and Elle Cosimano’s Finlay Donovan series.

Praise for Alibi by Accident:

“I grinned like a lunatic from page one to the end.”—Shannon Baker, award-winning author of Stripped Bare

"...fast-paced, darkly funny, and driven by crisp dialogue…”—Carolyn Ridder Aspenson, USA TODAY bestselling author

"...will keep readers on their toes…”—Booklist

Genres: Mystery, Mystery Thriller

296 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 10, 2026

About the author

Kayleigh Suggett’s love of classic mysteries, British satire, and clever humour inspired Alibi by Accident, the first in her series of mysteries featuring private dick Verona Montero. She wishes that more female authors were writing in the irreverent style she enjoys, so she decided to become one herself.

With a background in customer service and business administration, she draws on her experience of the oddities of human behaviour to craft distinctly zany characters, fast-paced banter, and hilarious situations.

​When she’s not coming up with a perfectly snide simile to add to her books she’s a wedding singer, choir nerd, mountain-gazer, and NYT crossword frustrated solver. She lives in Calgary, AB with her husband and son.

Reviews

[Stacey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you for the ARC. Not good, not bad. A lot going on for one book with one story. I either want a PI and a lawyer teamed up or I want a bunch of love stories. Nothing really meshes or flows well here and the author tried incredibly hard to be “sexy cool fun girl” with all the language and dirty talk.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you read this book and found yourself offended by the language and sexual innuendo, you DID have fair warning from the blurb and should have passed this one by. If you enjoy irreverent, over the top, zany characters and situations, this book may be a good choice. The book doesn’t take itself too seriously and you can’t either. It is entertainment! Raunchy and cringy at times to be sure, but entertainment.

[Katie Henry · Rating 1 out of 5]

Quite honestly, I did not like this book. I felt like it was trying way too hard. The excessive inappropriate language was a bit much for me. This book just wasn’t what I hoped it would be. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishing team for this ARC!

[Elizabeth Quant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alibi By Accident is a fabulous who-done-it with a witty, lovable, complicated heroine and a fully rounded out cast of adorable nutballs. The engaging plot keeps you guessing until the end and I couldn’t put it down until I knew who the killer really was. For fans of The Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich and the Finlay Donovan series by Elle Cosimano.

[I v e t t e ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you so much to NetGalley and RBMedia for the audiobook!

Our FMC Verona’s inner dialogue is hilarious and the banter throughout the book delivers laughs. But when Part 2 kicked in, I found myself confused. I had completely forgotten about the prologue and had to go back and relisten just to get my bearings again.

The backstory between Zayn and Blair felt a little out of place for a mystery (at least at first) until everything finally tied together. I just wasn’t a fan of the structure. Usually when a book is split into parts, it helps the story come together but here it introduced more characters and made things feel a bit scattered in the moment.

With that being said, I did absolutely love Verona and I enjoyed the story overall so I’d definitely listen to the second book. And I’ll admit I am a little invested in her and Quentin now. The narrator Carlotta Brentan did an amazing job!

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely perfect! Thank you NetGalley, Recorded Books, and Kayleigh Suggett for the ALC in exchange for my honest review. This was such a breath of fresh air. It was entertaining, witty, and so much fun. For being a debut novel and the first in a serious, I cannot wait for “Hot Girls Die First.” The cover is fun and can cover so many prompts (drink on cover, teal, yellow title). I loved how there were separate stories that merged so nicely. Verona Montero is the new Stephanie Plum. The narrator Carlotta Brentan is easily becoming a favorite of mine.

[Get Your Tinsel in a Tangle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Verona Montero calling herself a “private dick” every five minutes is the kind of running joke that should absolutely be my personality type. I support women committing to a bit. I support detective chaos. I support a main character who knows exactly how ridiculous she sounds and keeps saying it anyway. So walking into Alibi by Accident, I was ready. I had my metaphorical margarita. I was prepared for a messy, snarky mystery with big Stephanie Plum energy and a heroine making questionable life choices in designer sunglasses.

And honestly? The idea of this book is extremely my vibe. Verona is a Miami private investigator who gets hired by a woman named Miami Cavallero, which is already incredible because that is not a human name, that is a yacht. Miami suspects her billionaire husband Javier is cheating, which feels less like a suspicion and more like an extremely safe bet. Verona ropes in divorce lawyer Quentin Ellsworth, partially because the case might require legal backup and partially because she has what she professionally describes as “crotch headaches” around him, which is both medically concerning and emotionally relatable.

Naturally, things escalate immediately. Instead of just catching a cheating billionaire in the act, Javier turns up dead in Greece, Miami becomes the prime murder suspect, and Verona suddenly finds herself flying to Mykonos to untangle a murder investigation involving shady rich people, suspicious hotel staff, sexy bartenders, and a drag queen helping with undercover work. Which, on paper, is exactly the level of chaotic detective nonsense I want in my life.

And there are moments where this book absolutely delivers that energy. Verona is messy, impulsive, foul mouthed, and constantly teetering between “professional investigator” and “woman making decisions she will absolutely regret later.” Her awkward crush on Quentin creates some genuinely funny internal spirals, and when the humor lands it really lands. The undercover shenanigans, the banter, the general “how did my life become this?” energy, it all has the bones of a really fun mystery series lead.

But this is also where the book started doing narrative gymnastics that occasionally made me feel like the plot had three different group chats going and none of them were talking to each other.

The story jumps around quite a bit between timelines and perspectives, and sometimes it feels less like clever mystery layering and more like the narrative equivalent of someone shuffling a deck of cards mid conversation. There are multiple threads happening at once, the investigation, the romance tension with Quentin, some side story elements that take a while to click into place, and instead of blending together smoothly they sometimes just sort of… bump into each other awkwardly.

And look, I enjoy chaotic storytelling. My brain thrives on chaos. But even I occasionally found myself pausing like, wait, hold on, who are we with right now and why are we here?

The humor also tries very hard. Sometimes in a good way. Sometimes in a “you can relax, we already get the joke” kind of way. Comedy works best when it trusts those reading it, and every now and then the book pokes you in the shoulder like “did you see what I did there?” and I’m sitting here like yes, I did, I was enjoying it until you explained it.

That said, the audiobook experience gets a serious boost thanks to Carlotta Brentan, who absolutely commits to the chaos. She gives Verona a sharp, sarcastic personality that keeps the character engaging even when the plot starts wandering a bit. Her character voices are distinct, her comedic timing is solid, and she carries the tone in a way that makes the listening experience genuinely fun. There are narrators who read a story and then there are narrators who perform one, and she definitely leans into the performance side.

The mystery itself didn’t quite hit that big gasp moment I want from a whodunit. I wasn’t aggressively trying to solve it along the way, and the final reveal didn’t give me the dramatic “wait WHAT” reaction I live for in murder mysteries. It was more of a polite nod like, okay sure, that tracks.

But here’s the thing. The bones of a really fun series are absolutely here. Verona has potential to become a wildly entertaining disaster detective, the premise is strong, and the world has that snarky mystery energy that could really shine once everything tightens up a bit. This feels very much like a debut where the author is still calibrating the pacing, the structure, and how all the moving pieces fit together.

And honestly? I would absolutely read the second book. Because sometimes the first book is the messy pilot episode where everyone is still figuring out the vibe before the show suddenly finds its groove in season two.

Three stars from me. A fantastic premise, a narrator who fully understood the assignment, and a mystery that didn’t completely land but definitely showed flashes of the chaos I wanted.

Whodunity Award: For The Most Chaotic International Murder Investigation Conducted By Someone Who Absolutely Should Have Slept More

Also a big thank you to RBmedia and NetGalley for the ALC, which allowed me to experience this mystery the way it was clearly meant to be consumed, through Carlotta Brentan fully committing to the drama while I wandered around my house doing chores and quietly judging fictional billionaires.

[Jeanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had Alibi by Accident on hold from the library for when it came out, so I was excited to get an ARC of it before hand. I love fun comedy type mysteries so I was really hopeful I would like this one.

I didn't mind the cursing like some have said in their reviews, that didn't bother me at all. I just overall found it hard to connect with the characters, the timeline of jumping back and forth was chaotic and confusing, and the overall mystery never made me wonder or care about whodunit.

The author broke the 4th wall a few times in this novel, which I have seen work well in other books but came across condescending and kind of pick me. There were multiple times when she said something negative about journalists and then said "it just part of the story, please give me a good review", which I am sure she thought was cute and playful but the overall tone was desperate. She also would make jokes and then break the 4th wall to explain the joke and say, "get it?", I think the author should feel their readers are smart enough to get the inference or joke that is being made instead of pointing everything out she thought was funny.

The plot was boring. It took so long, bounced around so much, was not great at creating any kind of redeeming quality for the characters. I had a hard time remembering who each character was because I could not for the life of me connect with them. I was hoping that the potential love connection between the PI and the Lawyer would hold my attention but even that was a complete let down.

The end of the book where we learn what really happened was not a very gotcha moment. It felt like a throw away ending. But there was nothing else in the book that made up for the fact that solving the murder was lackluster to give this book any additional credit.

The only pluses I experienced with this book was I was intrigued by the premise but I don't think it was executed well and could use some serious editing. The other was I do think the narrator for the book was good, I just don't think this book was made for her. She did great voices but she would have been stronger on other books.

In the end I am giving this book a 2 star rating,

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the ARC for my honest review.

[Carol Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed Alibi by Accident and Verona is quite a main character. Keep that in mind because the book itself had some issues for me. She’s a private detective, or a private dick as she refers to herself in a kind of running joke, in Calgary. Her new client, Miami, knows her very rich husband is about to divorce her and wants Verona to get proof that he’s cheating on her so she can cash in on her share of the billions. Then, the husband ends up dead, murdered in a hotel in Greece, and Miami becomes a chief suspect, even though she was thousands of miles away, so Verona is off to Greece to find another focus for the police’s attention.

I was not prepared for the language in this one. I should have been, just look at the first word of the blurb, but there were too many f-words when they just weren’t needed. I was also not prepared for the amount of drooling Verona would do over her friend, divorce lawyer Quentin. Once again, if I had paid more attention to the blurb… It just felt like the whole thing was trying too hard.

The plot was a little disjointed. We start off with a prologue featuring a couple in Greece, but by the time we get back to it, I had almost forgotten they existed. We get a brief introduction to a drug dealer in a sex club, but he’s never a serious suspect. We get a lot of funny, slightly outrageous moments but they don’t fit smoothly together. The narrator does a great job with it all, though, and i definitely recommend the audio. She gives Verona a sharp, sarcastic personality that keeps the character engaging even when the plot goes a little off the rails. Her character voices are distinct, and her timing and tone make the whole thing fun.

The whodunnit made sense, but I felt like the wrap-up was overly long, especially considering I doubt we’ll see those particular characters again. #2 in the series is supposed to be out this summer, and I’ll definitely be picking it up. Hopefully some of the issues I had will be smoothed out and I’ll be more ready for the type of mystery and humor it has. I think it’ll be a perfect pool read – maybe with a dark and stormy, which I had never heard of before, but sounds yummy.

[Julie Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay not what I was expecting. The reader was warned about the excessive swearing in the blurb, so that didn't bother me and I did enjoy it. However there was several reason I marked it down a star. I think the main reason was the story couldn't decide what it wanted to be, I enjoyed it until near the end when it became a court room drama and nobody talked to each other. The other reason was the story jumped around and it took a long time to explain why we kept getting the perspective of a meet cute romantic story. It did eventually all come together but I by far enjoyed Verona side of the story the most, especially when she went undercover with a drag queen. She was sassy and had enough attitude to keep it entertaining and the banter coming. It was a good job Verona was investigating because I had no clue who the killer was. I did like the long epilogue that explained everything and even pointed out some clues that I missed. I don't think the humour flows like an Evanovich’s story but the banter, sexual innuendos and adult themes are there. It will be interesting to read the next book.

Verona is hired by Miami who is afraid her husband has lost interest in her and is about to file for a divorce and needs the good on him first. Verona sets her up with lawyer Quinton and with Miami's good looks could be a big mistake but at least she will get to work with him. With Verona trying to prove he is cheating and with Quinton trying to protect her assets, what could go wrong? Actually a lot, when the husband in question leaves the country and is found dead in his hotel room. With the police looking at Miami, Verona jumps on a plane to find the real killer. Cheating husbands might be more her speed but can she step up and find a killer?
I liked the narrator. She did a good English accent that didn't make me cringe. The rest of the character voices were good too and it was a pleasure to listen too.
I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not every book is meant for every reader—and this is probably one of those. That’s exactly why I don’t rate books with stars. Reading is subjective, personal, and emotional; not everyone is going to connect with every story.

If you’re a fan of Janet Evanovich or Elle Cosimano, there’s a good chance you’ll appreciate this one. The moment I saw “F&ck It” in the description, it reminded me of my favorite book bestie, and I knew I had to pick it up.

This is a whodunit featuring a witty, lovable, slightly complicated heroine surrounded by a fully fleshed-out cast of delightfully adorable nutballs. It’s a light mystery packed with sharp snark, ironic life observations, and a strong supporting crew rallying around the FMC. The plot isn’t especially deep, but the humor shines. There’s even some courtroom drama—which I especially enjoyed as a paralegal—alongside a private “dick” investigator and her cases.

And I have to mention the narrator, who did a fantastic job. The delivery perfectly captured the wit and personality of the heroine, brought the quirky supporting cast to life, and elevated the humor in all the right places. The narration truly added another layer of enjoyment to the story.

If you’re looking for a quick, funny palate cleanser and you love characters like Stephanie Plum or Finlay Donovan, I think you’ll really enjoy Verona Montero.

Thank you to NetGalley, RBMedia and Kayleigh Suggett for the ALC.

[MichelleZ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alibi By Accident was a witty fast read that comes full circle. I didn't mind the f bombs as much as other reviewers, and they are a lot of them. It follows Verona, a private dick, who has been hired by Miami (who can get annoying) to see if he husband is cheating on her. As Verona is on the case, the husband is murdered, and she now needs to prove that Miami wasn't who killed him.
Along the way we meet a bunch of other characters, Blair, Zane and Quentin. It travels from present to past and back to the past again all to wrap the ending up with a neat bow.

I really like the narrator Carlotta Brentan, I have heard other books by her and she breathes life into the characters.

I want to thank Netgalley, Kayleigh Suggett and RBMedia for an advanced audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Jodi Gallegos · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alibi By Accident is the story of Verona Montero, a Miami P.I. – or as she prefers to be called, a private dick. Verona is hired by the vapid wife of a local billionaire to prove that he is cheating. Soon the billionaire ends up murdered, the wife has been accused of his murder and Verona is stuck in an international investigation. Author Kayleigh Suggett has written a light mystery with some snark, ironic insights on life, and a varied cast of characters that surround and aide Verona. The description/blurb described it as “wickedly funny and twisty” but I didn’t find it to be that strong. It was amusing and light-hearted, but I just didn’t empathize with the main character or story as much as I’d hoped.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Alibi by Accident by Kayleigh Suggett is an adventurous first installment in the Verona Montero private detective series.

Verona Montero is hired by Miami Cavallero to see if her husband Javier is cheating on her. Verona suggests she hire divorce lawyer Quentin Ellsworth just in case her suspicions are true. Sounds like a straight forward case, but Javier ends up dead, and Verona tries to find his killer after her client becomes a suspect in his murder.

Alibi by Accident is a busy mystery with a tough, foul-mouthed lead character. Verona is an interesting character that is flawed yet likable. Her crush on Quentin leads to some funny scenes due to her romantic ineptness. The storyline is a little convoluted with unexpected time jumps. The footnotes for the chapters are funny! Although the story is a bit a rough around edges, Kayleigh Suggett brings the mystery to a satisfying conclusion.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun debut mystery. Verona is an irreverent private investigator with an unrequited crush on the lawyer she works with. She is fearless, confident, brash, opinionated, and potty mouthed. While I enjoyed her character, the murderer she was seeking to identify was too easily apparent; I solved the case much more quickly than Verona did. I liked the author’s use of footnotes with their pop culture references, but they would be better placed at the bottom of the page instead of the end of the chapter; I had forgotten what they referred to by the time they appeared. And I found that Verona’s crush’s (who seemed interested in her at one point) suddenly infatuation with another woman jarring. But overall the book was enjoyable and funny, and I look forward to the sequel.

[Juli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alibi by Accident is the first in debut author, Kayleigh Suggett's, series starring Verona Montero, a private detective. I read the synopsis and was excited to read this book. Verona is hired to find proof that billionaire husband, Javier, is cheating on his wife, Miami. Should be simple, until it's not when Javier turns up dead in Greece.

What would have been a fun mystery for me was spoiled by all the inappropriate language. It seemed that the author relied on this thinking it made for a more amusing story. I enjoyed the cast of characters and Verona.

Thank you to the publisher, Severn River Publishing, for an ARC. The opinions in this review are my own.

[nika.ex.libris · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light mystery with a vivid plot that never stands still. There are three povs here: two from the main couple and a third from a separate heroine whose storyline is tied to the investigation. Instead of a dynamic mystery, I got endless inner monologues about who desires whom, and that quickly became exhausting. Verona isn’t idealized, she’s stubborn, sarcastic, and sometimes even irritating. There were a few funny moments, the author does handle irony well, but with too many events packed into such a short book, the story felt chaotic. At some point, I just lost interest.

[Shawn Fisher · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway winner. The book started off good for me but about 50% through I honestly lost interest. I did finish it but I really did contemplate dnf’ing this one. Zane and Blair were thrown in as side characters which should have been more developed for becoming the major players in the story. The Verona and Quentin storyline was a complete waste of time when all of the sudden we get Nina at the end with no warning. Blair was so over the top but could have been so much more when Javier was so terrible. There was no mystery or intrigue about whodunnit, about 70% through it was given away with a sentence in the book.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

5⭐️ narration by Carlotta Bretan
2.5⭐️ book

The actual mystery part of the story is interesting, but the characters did not connect for me. We jump around so much and are repeatedly told feelings, it's a bit chaotic. Plus the random 4th wall breaks during towards the end were a bit much.

I love when books are filled with dark humor, but it all felt a bit forced and didn't feel like the characters actually liked anyone (except Quentin - he 'loved' all the women he encountered a bit too much, ick vibes).

[booksy.tx.ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cozy mystery, kind of.
No small town or amateur sleuth. But still kinda got those vibes. I loved this. It was fun and mysterious. The main character was kind of quirky and odd. Pining after the lawyer unsuccessfully. But I’m so invested in seeing how it works out. I need this to be a series. I did guess the mystery, but it had me seriously second-guessing myself. Another character I hope to see more of! I’m all in here.


Come read with me @booksy.tx.ana

[Mich Dandonneau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Verona Montero, I can get behind you.

A rough around the edges, no BS private dick, Verona is a riot. She is met and surrounded by a cast of characters (Miami, you're a star.) that made this murder mystery a very silly trip.

This book doesn't take it seriously which made it perfect to listen to while running errands. The first book of a series has a lot of pressure on it, but it rose to the occasion. I'll be joining Verona on her next case!

[LoveMyAuthors · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story was just ok, I was actually excited to read this one based on the blurb but it fell flat.

I was expecting "wickedly funny and twisty" but instead got the sense that the author was just trying way too hard to capture a bygone era with little success.

I'll be honest, the 1940's PI premise was the hook that got me, but didn't reel me in.

[Kelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the writing style of this not-your-average cozy mystery. Suggett breaks the fourth wall, makes pop culture references, and writes sassy, snarky characters. For me, our FMC is a refreshing 2026 take on a Veronica Mars/Stephanie Plum character.

I was surprised to get multiple sides of this story! We not only follow the Private Investigator and Lawyer working the crime, but we also get to follow another couple who has a meet-cute around the time of the murder as well. A fun take on a who-dun-it.

I look forward to following this series!

(I received this audiobook ARC via NetGalley)

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was different

I’m not usually bothered by ‘f’ bombs, but seriously, most of them were pretty inappropriate. There’s a place and a time, not every place and all the time. I give an ‘F’ to the editor. This book had been compared to Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series - not even close. It could have been a decent story with a few rewrites.

[M.J. Rodriguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is loaded with foul language and dirty jokes. Some of the content in this book turned me off. Plus I wasn’t impressed with a smoothie shop giving provocative names to its smoothies. Nonetheless I enjoyed reading about the first adventure of Verona from her home in Calgary, AB to a town in Greece. I plan to read Suggett’s next book on Verona later this year.

[Doreen Fernandes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young wife is a suspect in the murder of her philandering husband. Verona Montero is an investigator and is assigned to find the real killer. The real killer is smart and leaves no traces but Verona thinks she has found him. An engaging plot with quirky characters and a lot of hilarious situations. I like the subtitles.

[Genna · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s not bad and I really didn’t mind the extra curse words but plot-wise it was not new.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cozyish-type of mystery/thriller. It is on the lighter side and does not have an in-depth plot. Very quick read about a private investigator and her cases.

[Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

I could not get into this book. It was featured as a light funny read and I just couldn’t find much humor. I quit reading about 1/2 way through the book.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Held my interest from first page to the last