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Invitation to Murder
Not yet published
Expected 26 May 26Nothing spoils a party like an uninvited corpse, which is just Lacey Langdon’s luck as she inherits a printing and party-planning business in this letter-perfect debut mystery.
After inheriting her mother’s printing and party-planning business, Lacey Langdon moves back to her sleepy hometown of Willow Bluffs, perched on New Jersey’s Palisades. When her great aunt, Tessa Langdon Vander Horn, a well-known and beloved soap opera star, sells her nineteenth-century estate and donates ten acres to the development of a community park, Lacey’s new venture is put at the helm of the opening ceremony. But the festivities quickly come to an end when the body of town councilman Glenn Hartman is found on the bank of the Hudson River.
Partnering with her former classmate, lawyer Derek Conover, they dig deep into the case to find out who is behind the murder. Suspicions abound, but Lacey and Derek hit a snag when one of their prime suspects drops dead at Lacey’s next event. With a second body added to the count, tensions rise in Willow Bluffs.
Caught in the crossfire when remnants of a family tragedy resurface, Lacey and Derek must act swiftly before another body drops dead.
Perfect for readers of Ellie Brannigan and Laurien Berenson, this cozy mystery is a charming small-town read.
After inheriting her mother’s printing and party-planning business, Lacey Langdon moves back to her sleepy hometown of Willow Bluffs, perched on New Jersey’s Palisades. When her great aunt, Tessa Langdon Vander Horn, a well-known and beloved soap opera star, sells her nineteenth-century estate and donates ten acres to the development of a community park, Lacey’s new venture is put at the helm of the opening ceremony. But the festivities quickly come to an end when the body of town councilman Glenn Hartman is found on the bank of the Hudson River.
Partnering with her former classmate, lawyer Derek Conover, they dig deep into the case to find out who is behind the murder. Suspicions abound, but Lacey and Derek hit a snag when one of their prime suspects drops dead at Lacey’s next event. With a second body added to the count, tensions rise in Willow Bluffs.
Caught in the crossfire when remnants of a family tragedy resurface, Lacey and Derek must act swiftly before another body drops dead.
Perfect for readers of Ellie Brannigan and Laurien Berenson, this cozy mystery is a charming small-town read.
304 pages, Paperback
Expected publication May 26, 2026
4 people are currently reading
16401 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 26, 2025
This was such a cozy read!!
We are thrust right into the action as a mysterious death is announced right away in Lacey’s hometown, Willow Buffs. I really liked our main character and her relationship with Derek, I thought they were sweet. The small-town feel was immaculate, so cozy, and the story wrapped up nicely. Aunt Tessa was an interesting character but felt at times like too much of a stereotype.
And my only negative: the twist at the end didn’t really live up to my expectations, a bit predictable.
Overall, I would recommend it for the atmosphere and if you want a quick, easy-to-read murder mystery.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
We are thrust right into the action as a mysterious death is announced right away in Lacey’s hometown, Willow Buffs. I really liked our main character and her relationship with Derek, I thought they were sweet. The small-town feel was immaculate, so cozy, and the story wrapped up nicely. Aunt Tessa was an interesting character but felt at times like too much of a stereotype.
And my only negative: the twist at the end didn’t really live up to my expectations, a bit predictable.
Overall, I would recommend it for the atmosphere and if you want a quick, easy-to-read murder mystery.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 29, 2025
Look, I love a cozy mystery as much as the next person who owns seven different novelty mugs, but this book, Invitation to Murder, is the epitome of a literary gentle breeze, and not in a good way. It follows Lacey Langdon, who inherits a party-planning and printing business and moves back to her "sleepy hometown" of Willow Bluffs. Willow Bluffs, by the way, sounds less like a town and more like the name of a scented candle you’d find at an artisanal soap shop.
The whole premise feels contrived. She gets to throw an opening ceremony for a community park, and—shocking, I know—a dead body shows up. It’s like the universe knew Lacey was bored and decided to hand her a hobby. The unfortunate town councilman, Glenn Hartman, is found near the Hudson River, which is apparently the local designated corpse drop-off point.
Lacey teams up with her former classmate, the lawyer Derek Conover, who is clearly the obligatory handsome, slightly rugged, and entirely too competent male co-star. Their partnership, if the summaries are accurate, is the central engine, but I’m going to be unsolicitedly critical and assume their chemistry is about as sizzling as lukewarm tap water. They are the definition of "serviceable," plodding along with their "investigation" which, let's be real, mostly consists of talking to gossipy locals and occasionally stumbling into a clue.
The narrative commits the cardinal sin of the cozy genre: it doubles down on the death count. Just when you think the Lacey/Derek duo might be running out of steam solving the first, a second suspect—a prime suspect, no less—drops dead at Lacey's next event. This isn't tension; it's overkill. It’s the author saying, "See? Stakes!" when really it just feels like narrative exhaustion. The whole thing about a resurfacing family tragedy just makes the plot sclerotic, dragging the pace down with unnecessary historical baggage.
Overall, it’s a perfectly unctuous read if you want something that requires zero cerebral activity. But if you’re looking for a genuinely clever, deleterious critique of society or a mystery that requires you to exercise your frontal lobe, this is disappointingly jejune. It's cute, it's cozy, and it’s about as memorable as that third cousin you only see at weddings.
#InvitationtoMurder #NetGalley
The whole premise feels contrived. She gets to throw an opening ceremony for a community park, and—shocking, I know—a dead body shows up. It’s like the universe knew Lacey was bored and decided to hand her a hobby. The unfortunate town councilman, Glenn Hartman, is found near the Hudson River, which is apparently the local designated corpse drop-off point.
Lacey teams up with her former classmate, the lawyer Derek Conover, who is clearly the obligatory handsome, slightly rugged, and entirely too competent male co-star. Their partnership, if the summaries are accurate, is the central engine, but I’m going to be unsolicitedly critical and assume their chemistry is about as sizzling as lukewarm tap water. They are the definition of "serviceable," plodding along with their "investigation" which, let's be real, mostly consists of talking to gossipy locals and occasionally stumbling into a clue.
The narrative commits the cardinal sin of the cozy genre: it doubles down on the death count. Just when you think the Lacey/Derek duo might be running out of steam solving the first, a second suspect—a prime suspect, no less—drops dead at Lacey's next event. This isn't tension; it's overkill. It’s the author saying, "See? Stakes!" when really it just feels like narrative exhaustion. The whole thing about a resurfacing family tragedy just makes the plot sclerotic, dragging the pace down with unnecessary historical baggage.
Overall, it’s a perfectly unctuous read if you want something that requires zero cerebral activity. But if you’re looking for a genuinely clever, deleterious critique of society or a mystery that requires you to exercise your frontal lobe, this is disappointingly jejune. It's cute, it's cozy, and it’s about as memorable as that third cousin you only see at weddings.
#InvitationtoMurder #NetGalley
January 3, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Invitation to Murder by Carol Floriani due to be published on 26th May 2026 was a fun, cozy-style mystery with plenty of suspects and secrets to keep me guessing. The premise hooked me right away, and I enjoyed playing detective as the story unfolded. Some twists were predictable, but the ride was still entertaining. Not a total jaw-dropper, but a solid, enjoyable mystery that made for a good time.
Invitation to Murder by Carol Floriani due to be published on 26th May 2026 was a fun, cozy-style mystery with plenty of suspects and secrets to keep me guessing. The premise hooked me right away, and I enjoyed playing detective as the story unfolded. Some twists were predictable, but the ride was still entertaining. Not a total jaw-dropper, but a solid, enjoyable mystery that made for a good time.
November 7, 2025
Carol Floriani’s The Invitation to Murder checks all the boxes for cozy mystery fans: small-town charm, quirky characters, and just the right sprinkle of intrigue. The setting feels lived-in and comfortable, making it easy to get swept up in the community’s drama. Unfortunately, Aunt Tessa, who seems pivotal, became more frustrating as the story unfolded with her guarded communication style.
She’s one of those characters who only talks when you drag the truth out of her. And sure, she’s willing enough to answer once asked, but if you have no qualms sharing vital information, why wait to be asked? Especially when there’s a possible stalker lurking in the background? It’s one of those character choices that makes you want to reach into the book and shake someone.
The partnership with ex-classmate Derek adds cute banter, blending old tragedies with fresh kills, but the killer reveal was a letdown. Even though I added a note in the middle of the book guessing the killer correctly, the reason why did not sit well with me. Cozy elements shine in the party-planning chaos and NJ setting, but predictability dulled the edge.
It's a breezy debut with enough small-town sleuthing and event mishaps to entertain, though the emotional family ties felt underdeveloped amid the annoyances.
Would I recommend it?
It’s a mixed bag. I liked the small-town setting, the party-planning hook, and the undercurrent of family secrets, but I wanted sharper character logic and a more earned ending. A solid debut with promise, but not one that left me wowed.
💭 Let’s talk mysteries that miss the mark
Have you ever read a book where the big reveal just didn’t land for you? What makes or breaks a good killer twist in your opinion? Tell me your thoughts below 👇
She’s one of those characters who only talks when you drag the truth out of her. And sure, she’s willing enough to answer once asked, but if you have no qualms sharing vital information, why wait to be asked? Especially when there’s a possible stalker lurking in the background? It’s one of those character choices that makes you want to reach into the book and shake someone.
The partnership with ex-classmate Derek adds cute banter, blending old tragedies with fresh kills, but the killer reveal was a letdown. Even though I added a note in the middle of the book guessing the killer correctly, the reason why did not sit well with me. Cozy elements shine in the party-planning chaos and NJ setting, but predictability dulled the edge.
It's a breezy debut with enough small-town sleuthing and event mishaps to entertain, though the emotional family ties felt underdeveloped amid the annoyances.
Would I recommend it?
It’s a mixed bag. I liked the small-town setting, the party-planning hook, and the undercurrent of family secrets, but I wanted sharper character logic and a more earned ending. A solid debut with promise, but not one that left me wowed.
💭 Let’s talk mysteries that miss the mark
Have you ever read a book where the big reveal just didn’t land for you? What makes or breaks a good killer twist in your opinion? Tell me your thoughts below 👇
December 10, 2025
Lacey has been turned upside down. Her parents' tragic death was followed by her moving in with her Aunt Tessa and taking over her mom's printing and event planning business. Aunt Tessa, a soap opera star whose family has lived in Willow Bluffs for generations, has sold the family estate and land. This touches off a series of events. The most serious, the death of a councilman.
The story setup was interesting and not something seen every day. However, for me at times it felt like the story worked too hard to follow a cozy mystery formula.
The "romance" between Derek and Lacey seemed forced, more like Lacey was trying to convince herself because Aunt Tessa kept referring to Derek as Lacey's "young man". That, coupled with moments where Lacey is contemplating whether or not she could date Derek. The dinners together and such showed a budding relationship of sorts, the "moments" in my opinion were not necessary.
The murder mystery was more of a historical mystery wrapped in a cozy. It was unexpected, and I didn't mind it. Unfortunately, I'd guessed a lot of it early on, so the twists didn't land quite like they probably were intended.
I am interested in what happens next for Lacey, Derek, Aunt Tessa, Jess, and James in Willow Bluffs.
Thank you #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for the opportunity to read and share my thoughts on this book.
Happy Reading!
The story setup was interesting and not something seen every day. However, for me at times it felt like the story worked too hard to follow a cozy mystery formula.
The "romance" between Derek and Lacey seemed forced, more like Lacey was trying to convince herself because Aunt Tessa kept referring to Derek as Lacey's "young man". That, coupled with moments where Lacey is contemplating whether or not she could date Derek. The dinners together and such showed a budding relationship of sorts, the "moments" in my opinion were not necessary.
The murder mystery was more of a historical mystery wrapped in a cozy. It was unexpected, and I didn't mind it. Unfortunately, I'd guessed a lot of it early on, so the twists didn't land quite like they probably were intended.
I am interested in what happens next for Lacey, Derek, Aunt Tessa, Jess, and James in Willow Bluffs.
Thank you #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for the opportunity to read and share my thoughts on this book.
Happy Reading!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an Advanced Readers Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I’m someone who loves mystery books, films and anything in between so when I saw this book, I just had to request it. I’ve seen Poirot (Murder on the Orient Express, Death in the Nile), etc and read many books in this genre so this book would have been right up my alley. With that being said, I’m going to keep this review quite short. I wanted to stop at chapter one but I pushed on to chapter four in hopes it would get better, but it didn’t for me. I would say the first chapter had a lot of information especially during the first half of the chapter so I did feel like I couldn’t digest or remember much of that information that was told. I just could not get into this book. I think the concept is interesting, but I think it’s just a me thing. It might also be that this is an ARC so hopefully the published version would be better.
Overall, I’d rate this book three out of five stars. I don’t want to rate it lower as it might be a me thing and not a problem with the book, but I do think other people might like this book more than I did.
I’m someone who loves mystery books, films and anything in between so when I saw this book, I just had to request it. I’ve seen Poirot (Murder on the Orient Express, Death in the Nile), etc and read many books in this genre so this book would have been right up my alley. With that being said, I’m going to keep this review quite short. I wanted to stop at chapter one but I pushed on to chapter four in hopes it would get better, but it didn’t for me. I would say the first chapter had a lot of information especially during the first half of the chapter so I did feel like I couldn’t digest or remember much of that information that was told. I just could not get into this book. I think the concept is interesting, but I think it’s just a me thing. It might also be that this is an ARC so hopefully the published version would be better.
Overall, I’d rate this book three out of five stars. I don’t want to rate it lower as it might be a me thing and not a problem with the book, but I do think other people might like this book more than I did.
December 25, 2025
I am personally offended and enraged.
WHAT WAS THE POINT.
Why is everyone wearing beige cashmere turtleneck sweaters. Why are they constantly eating rich people catering. Why can no one cook. Why are they so obsessed with that sweet, succulent, baby cow flesh.
There are so many commas.
Our protagonist is certified #quirky. She is obsessed with yellow. She drives a VW Beetle. She is 28 but sounds suspiciously old. She refers to a woman as a “dish,” for example.
Speaking of that dish woman!! Did you know that she is an evil devil gold-digger temptress TART?!???! Nothing like our perfect and pure protagonist who doesn’t so much as kiss the boring love interest.
Jeremy should have been the love interest, btw. Justice for Jeremy. Derek is lowkey villain-coded, sorry.
This was a bad time for me. However, there are worse cozy mysteries out there. If you are a fan of the genre and want to turn your brain off, give this book a try!
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Publishing for the ARC! All opinions are my own.
WHAT WAS THE POINT.
Why is everyone wearing beige cashmere turtleneck sweaters. Why are they constantly eating rich people catering. Why can no one cook. Why are they so obsessed with that sweet, succulent, baby cow flesh.
There are so many commas.
Our protagonist is certified #quirky. She is obsessed with yellow. She drives a VW Beetle. She is 28 but sounds suspiciously old. She refers to a woman as a “dish,” for example.
Speaking of that dish woman!! Did you know that she is an evil devil gold-digger temptress TART?!???! Nothing like our perfect and pure protagonist who doesn’t so much as kiss the boring love interest.
Jeremy should have been the love interest, btw. Justice for Jeremy. Derek is lowkey villain-coded, sorry.
This was a bad time for me. However, there are worse cozy mysteries out there. If you are a fan of the genre and want to turn your brain off, give this book a try!
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Publishing for the ARC! All opinions are my own.
November 19, 2025
Lacey Langdon, a novice event planner, teams up with a lawyer friend and a beloved soap opera star, who happens to be her great aunt, to solve the murder of a town councilman in sleepy Willow Bluffs. The councilman's body had turned up on the bank of the Hudson River during a groundbreaking ceremony Lacey had planned, abruptly halting the festivities. The sleuths discover more than they bargained for as their net widens. They uncover a land deal gone bad and much more. The intrigue, craftily laced with cozy charm, kept me in suspense all the way to the breathtaking finale. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!
December 8, 2025
I really enjoyed this cozy mystery about a small town called "Willow Bluffs" with its historical scandals.
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Lacey Langdon and Derek Conover's investigative partnership to uncover the trurth behind the mysterious death of Glenn Hartmann has led them to the ancient history of the Vander Horn family.
When another woman turned up dead at a party organized by Lacey, she felt compelled to discover more about the town's history and its relation to her ancestors and the current deaths in their small town.
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I must say, the ending was quite unpredictable for me. All in all, it was an enjoyable read.
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Lacey Langdon and Derek Conover's investigative partnership to uncover the trurth behind the mysterious death of Glenn Hartmann has led them to the ancient history of the Vander Horn family.
When another woman turned up dead at a party organized by Lacey, she felt compelled to discover more about the town's history and its relation to her ancestors and the current deaths in their small town.
---------
I must say, the ending was quite unpredictable for me. All in all, it was an enjoyable read.
December 4, 2025
The basic plot that follows Lacey Langdon as she attempts to navigate the sudden intense drama in her quiet town is admirable. However, the characters themselves have not been developed enough for the reader to be invested. Everything seems to be happening very quickly and conveniently. And Lacey seems to be going along with no ideas or original thoughts of her own. I feel the story would have progressed the exact same way with or without Lacey.
The storyline is interesting but the writing style could use some work.
The storyline is interesting but the writing style could use some work.
November 20, 2025
3.5 ⭐
I enjoyed this book. It’s a charming, cozy small-town mystery, and the author’s writing style has a touch of Agatha Christie, which I’ve always appreciated. My only critique is the plot twist; I felt it could have been stronger, with a more cohesive connection between the crimes.
Overall, though, it was an enjoyable read.
I enjoyed this book. It’s a charming, cozy small-town mystery, and the author’s writing style has a touch of Agatha Christie, which I’ve always appreciated. My only critique is the plot twist; I felt it could have been stronger, with a more cohesive connection between the crimes.
Overall, though, it was an enjoyable read.
November 28, 2025
What a great start to a new series! Floriani blends the sordid history of a wealthy family with circumstances of the current generation in a twisty mystery.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews