Down By Deep Eddy: A Cozy Mystery

by Sedona Heeler

A cozy mystery set in the heart of Austin, Texas—perfect for book clubs and readers of easy-to-read fiction with plenty of twists.

Solana Banks thought she had it all: a dream writing job and a vibrant life in Austin. But when she’s assigned to cover a mysterious story regarding Town Lake, the leading events prove otherwise. Although the story gets brushed off as just another incident.

Then there’s Jetter—her charming new neighbor who might be hiding more than he lets on. What begins as harmless flirtation hints at something more dangerous. Through a bit of sleuthing, Solana starts to connect the dots.

If she’s not careful enough, Solana might not just uncover a scandal—she could end up as the next headline.

252 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 24, 2025

About the author

Sedona Heeler writes stories inspired by headlines and heart. She believes stories are how we make sense of life, loss, and everything in between. Based in Austin, TX, her novels (so far) are inspired by the city’s vibrant energy, history, and headlines. When she’s not writing, she’s probably soaking up the Texas sun.

Reviews

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are too many personal details and not enough suspense in this story to make it interesting. Way too much time is spent describing Solana, one of the main characters, doing things like ordering a latte or taking a shower, or how her eyes tear up when she is chopping an onion. Also, the tension within Solana’s friend group is distracting and doesn’t add anything, in my opinion. Jetter is another main character whom I found more interesting than Solana. I would have preferred more Jetter and less Solana. I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Rachel Self · Rating 4 out of 5]

After moving to Austin a few years ago, Solana Banks feels like things are finally falling into place, personally and professionally. She is writing for one of the largest media companies, and has finally found the perfect condo to call home. As she settles into her new place, Solana is assigned one of the biggest headlines of late - the mysterious deaths at Town Lake. Struggling to keep her article from becoming merely a spectacle, Solana finds herself thrust into the middle of her own Town Lake story.

Feeling frustrated with the lack of answers and more deaths, Solana begins her own investigation. Aided by her new (mysterious) neighbor, Jetter, Solana quickly finds that there’s a darker side to the city she loves. Can she uncover the truth before she falls victim to the Town Lake killer?

I really enjoyed this fast-paced, cozy mystery set against the backdrop of the great Texas capital, Austin. Sedona had me feeling like I was back in the city grabbing coffee, walking the streets, and enjoying the great outdoors (minus the whole finding bodies in the lake part).

I loved the characters, and as always, love a good dual POV. Solana is a strong FMC, and a character that I can identify with - feeling a bit like an outsider at times, but still comfortable in her own skin and convictions. I loved the incorporation of Spanish in her inner dialogue as well! Jetter is the mysterious neighbor - he keeps Solana (and the reader) guessing, but definitely intrigued! I don’t want to say too much more about him, because, spoilers 👀

I flew through this book in two days! The twists and turns had me on the edge of my seat the entire time, and I didn’t see the ending coming! While it was a satisfying conclusion, parts of it felt a bit rushed, and I would have loved a little more detail. But overall I enjoyed it, and I hope we will see more of Solana in future adventures.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so complex and deep when it all came to light, that I was gobsmacked! I think I got whiplash with all the back and forth and backdoor deals. It was the last thing I would have thought of. This was a dark gritty twisted coverup that still boggles my mind. Action , drama, and high stake betrayals. I voluntarily read a free copy of this book provided by book sirens and am giving an honest review .

[liv phe hei · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked: the main character, the energy, the suspense. I enjoyed the time spent in this place with this main character.

Didn’t love: I still don’t totally understand the actual resolution of the mystery—this might be a good show-don’t-tell feature for some, but I needed more actually told to me in the last few chapters to understand the plot. Relatedly, characters’ decisions didn’t make sense. Repetitive sentence structure. Confused how, upon moving to a new city, Solana has a gaggle of friends who she seems to know well. I feel like in the relationships, the plot, the mystery, and the characters’ decisions, some pages and chapters were missing.

Thank you to the author for my ARC copy in exchange for this review!

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book. I received an invite from BookSirens - it is a new (to me) site in the same category as NetGalley, which has been my go-to for ARCs (Advanced Review Copies)

Both provide platforms for authors to distribute advance review copies (ARCs) but differ in their reader experience, pricing models, and target audiences. BookSirens allows readers to view ARCs immediately and is favored by many self-published authors for connecting with readers and tracking statistics, while NetGalley is a more established platform with a large network, often used for professionally published books but with a request-and-wait system that can lead to rejection.

It seemed to me they are just getting started because the selection was small. Each book allows the author to choose how many advance copies will be granted and when they are gone, they are gone. So maybe they have a lot of books and they just go really fast?

Due to the small selection of books on BookSirens, I was having trouble finding one I knew I would love. It is important to me that I finish any book I am honored to be able to review in advance since it is really important for the author to receive reviews, ideally positive ones.

I think Sedona Heeler has the potential to become a strong author. This book was not quite there for me yet but I hesitate to make it sound as if the book wasn't good. I have never published a book but know people who have and it is not only a lot of work and a huge undertaking taking a year or several years to "give birth" to your first book, but from what I understand, there is a sense of vulnerability when you put your "baby" out into the world.

I will say that as a woman in her 50's, it could very well be that the subject was just not the right match for me. In this book, quite a bit of time we follow the main character (Sedona, like the author) to situations that no longer appeal to me. I never did enjoy the bar scene when I was younger and the thought of meeting 6-7 other people at a night club for a weekend long birthday event is not for me. Where it really fell short for me outside of the content, is I didn't understand her friendships. Who are these people and why should I care? I didn't understand who Sedona really was and the friendships seemed shallow or at least not very well developed.

The book was only 236 pages which was a plus. It took over 80 pages to get to the real plot and I hope future books can spend less time on details such as her routine when she comes home from a run and more parts that really mattered.

I think all authors grow in their abilities as they continue to write more, and I hope Sedona keeps at it. I think she has great ideas in her and with continued improvement, her writing skills will develop. It will be interesting to see how her writing skills improve over her next few books. Keep at it!

[Zafira Shelby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was intrigued by the blurb and the cover, but honestly, I came out a little disappointed.

The beginning pulled me in, but as the story went on, it almost felt like Solana’s and Jetter’s parts were written by two different authors in which I prefer Jetter’s more.

I also couldn’t really figure out the main direction of the plot. It’s marketed as a mix of romance, drama, mystery, and thriller—which sounds exciting—but instead of blending, it felt like bits and pieces of everything thrown together.

Some scenes felt unnecessary and didn’t add much to the story. What really kept me reading was the secret identity part and the reason behind it, that was interesting.

Overall, it was an average read for me, but I think many readers might still enjoy it.

If it sparks your interest, you can look out for it on Sept 24th.

📝 Thanks to Sedona for the ARC! This review is voluntary and reflects my own thoughts.

[Sedona Heeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m stoked to release this book into the world and into readers’ hands. To set the tone, the (Not) Alright in Austin series is all about exploring of the city, showcasing its many layers from current and previous headlines that hit close to home. Think of the series as heavy headlines turned light although not every story may be inspired by a headline.

Down By Deep Eddy kicks off the series in Austin, TX. If you enjoy friend group dynamics like those in the early seasons of Only Murders in the Building and social commentary explored in Knives Out: A Glass Onion, I think you may like this book.

This book is available as an eBook and paperback, so choose the way you want to take a dip into Down By Deep Eddy and let me know how you think I did for a first-time author.

Thank you for your support!

[Abbi · Rating 1 out of 5]

This wasn't for me; I often found myself second-guessing if a plot point had been introduced and I missed it, or correcting a grammatical error in the pages. The writing was choppy, and the characters were dull and not well-written. It was definitely a quick read, and easy to understand, but I felt like I was reading a fanfic. Not even the mystery/solution itself could redeem the story.

I received this book as an ARC from Book Sirens. I appreciate the copy and really want to support authors as they get published, so I really wanted to like this book, but it did not deliver for me.

[Delphia Von Heeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Down By Deep Eddy:(Not) Alright in Austin by Sedona Heeler. I believe that this book is an epic fiction story told in parts. Solana is the main character and she is surrounded with excellent supporting characters. I found that the story builds and I was surprised at the twist in the story. There are multiple layers in the story and I found myself reading just one more chapter. I loved the Epilogue… it was a twisted surprise. I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am an ARC reader for Book Sirens and this is my honest opinion. I enjoyed this book. Not very long but with a twisty plot featuring a young woman blogger, working for an ex magazine company, who will stop at nothing to find the truth, and her interesting but mysterious neighbour, with a side of fun loving friends. The story was interesting enough from chapter one and didn't let up till the last full stop to have me turning the pages

[Sokia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Down by Deep Eddy was one of my favorite books to review this year! I personally think this authors writing style is so amazingly mysterious that it left me feeling tense as I continued through the book going through life with Solana and combing through her memories, I could not put this book down and I am anxiously awaiting another book from this author!!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Andrew Hollister · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this gem at an early release event in Austin. I was blown away by the twists and turns of this story. The story is a perfect blend of a classical "Who Done it?" mixed with exploring the great city of Austin. I really liked how I was kept guessing until the end.. I do wish I got to know the characters more but I don't think that would have changed things being a surprise.

[Geraldine Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really intriguing cozy mystery told in the voices of Solana and Jetter.
I found that were was minimal information given about the protagonist and her friends' backstories, however this just made for a really intriguing read.
I look forward to the next book in this series.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Aaron · Rating 2 out of 5]

started well but started to come apart about halfway through. not bad. just not great.