Fireworks and Fatality: A Fourth of July Cozy Mystery Series

Fourth Of July Cozy Mystery #1

by Maisy Marple

Murder on the Water, Mystery in the Air

In the picturesque harbor town where boats gleam and tourists flock, bookstore owner Vivian Palmer only wanted to enjoy the Fourth of July festivities. But when the body of Dorian "Dory" Fisk—respected boat judge and harbor preservation champion—is discovered during the fireworks finale, Vivian and her Maine Coon cat Cricket find themselves navigating dangerous waters.

As Vivian investigates, she uncovers a web of a slick developer with thwarted plans, a business partner with financial secrets, a festival organizer with a complicated past, and an estranged nephew with inheritance claims. With the help of Detective Graham Alder, who reluctantly appreciates her observant nature, Vivian follows a trail of distinctive boat wax, lipstick-stained wine glasses, and Cricket's uncanny knack for finding evidence.

Time is running out as the killer attempts to frame innocent parties and destroy crucial documents. Vivian must unravel decades of harbor history, broken promises, and hidden relationships before another storm breaks over the community she's grown to love. In Harbor Town, where everyone knows everyone's business, the most dangerous secrets often hide in plain sight.

107 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 29, 2025

Reviews

[Cozy Pages · Rating 2 out of 5]

not cozy enough for me , very Mystery heavy.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s July 4th in Harbor Town and everyone is ready for a celebration. Vivian Palmer, owner of the local bookstore, and her Maine Coon kitty, Cricket, are ready to watch the festivities. The last thing anyone expects is to find the dead body of one of the boat judges, Dory Fisk.

Vivian and Cricket quickly jump on the case to find out who could have done such a horrible thing during a holiday celebration. They are more than a little surprised to find there are many suspects who wanted to get rid of Dory.

Detective Graham Alder is not happy with Vivian’s interference, but he realizes she can uncover some facts that he can’t. It’s a race to figure out this case before the killer strikes again.

This is the first book in a July 4th cozy mystery series and it’s off to an exciting start. It’s a good choice to read on the holiday or at the beach. It’s quick and makes you feel as if you are part of Harbor Town’s celebration.

The characters are well-written. Vivian’s kitty, Cricket, lends a helping paw in solving this mystery. The cat doesn’t speak, but she does discover clues that the humans don’t see. Of course, Cricket is my favorite character.

The storyline moves at a fast pace. There are several different suspect possibilities. The fun is figuring out the hows and whys of it all along with Vivian and Cricket.

I don’t know if Vivian and Cricket are featured in other books, but I hope so. They make a great amateur sleuth team.

I never read this author before, but I will be reading more in the future.

[Regina Lancaster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fireworks and Fatality

This was the perfect read for Fourth of July weekend, and Maisy Marple delivered! A glittering boat parade, fireworks, old relationships coming to the surface, a new one developing, holiday celebrations, frame-ups, intrigue, financial manipulation, sneaky real estate deals, a book store owner who notices "things" (Vivian Palmer), an appreciative detective (Graham Alder), and best of all, a gray Maine Coon cat named Cricket who finds the best clues! Murderers don't stand a chance, no matter how motivated or how cleverly they frame others!
This is a quick read any time that will please mystery fans; pick up a copy!

[Jeannie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting

I love these very interesting short reads by this prolific writer. While there aren't numerous chapters they are packed with action, intrigue and mystery. Fast paced, well written with likeable characters, usually a small town setting with a unique surprise or two. The adorable sleuthing Maine Coon was an integral part of the story that provided the interesting twist. Also another series of 6 books that can be binged read all at once.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first in the series. The main character is Vivian. Vivian is retired and bought a book store in this little town She was an investigative reporter, so she sees things others miss. There is a murder in town and the detective turns to her for insight. She almost has it figured out but can she get it before someone else is killed ?

[Rose Mcclarin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vivian and her cat Cricket were watching the fireworks from her balcony when she noticed someone creeping around on one of the boats later, they found that Dory Fisk the judge for the boat parade was dead. Suspicions spread about Rita, Petra, Hank, Eli and more, lots of red herrings but in the end the killer was caught. Great Read.

[Theld · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and Cozy

Fireworks and Fatality starts out with a bang and ends on a cozy note. Maisy Marple creates a sweet coastal town within the pages of this novel and a twisted tale of murder with endless possibilities of who could have done it. The inclusion of a feline sidekick who helps solve the mystery makes this book just perfect.

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

The characters were well written, the pace was on the faster side, and the plot held my attention. I also liked that the feline sidekick's name was cricket.

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quirky

This was a fun mystery to read. I especially loved Cricket the cat. He was the true detective as he lead Vivian and Graham to the true culprits.