Coconut Confessions

The Coconut Confessions, Hawaii Cozy Mysteries #1

by Addison Moore

Welcome to Hanalei Bay, Kauai—where paradise comes with a body count.

Murder in paradise has never been this entertaining! You will LOVE this tropical cozy mystery!

Welcome to the Coconut Cove Paradise Resort, where the roosters crow all day long, the murder rate is surprisingly high, and apparently my love life requires a body count to kickstart things.
Cosmopolitan Magazine calls Addison's books, "...easy, frothy fun!"
Humor with a side of homicide.

A laugh out loud standalone cozy mystery by New York Times, USA TODAY, & Wall Street Journal bestseller Addison Moore. Includes RECIPE!

I thought I was applying for a barista job at a cozy inn in Maine. Turns out there was a typo—or the universe has a twisted sense of humor—because now I’m managing a falling-apart resort on Kauai’s North Shore where the pools look like science experiments and the electrical system was apparently installed by someone who learned wiring from a cereal box.

My name is Jinx Julep, and yes, the nickname fits. I’ve got auburn hair that defies humidity, a talent for stumbling into trouble, and a recently divorced status that led me to this slice of paradise held together by duct tape and optimism.

Everything is going surprisingly well until I find a body floating face-down in our infamous green pool. Now I’m conducting amateur murder investigations with my two senior citizen sidekicks, dodging the advances of a grumpy but devastatingly attractive detective, and trying to keep our ramshackle resort from collapsing into the ocean while figuring out which of our colorful guests decided murder was an acceptable vacation activity. Okay, fine, I’m not dodging a thing when it comes to Mr. Hot Stuff who happens to be packing heat. But who could blame me? The man looks like he was personally sculpted by Hawaiian legends and comes with his own handcuffs.

Did I mention the stray cats that run this place, the red dirt that gets into everything, and the roosters who think they’re the actual resort management?

Everyone is a suspect. And if I don’t figure out who’s killing our guests, the only thing deader than our victim will be my new career in paradise.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery

244 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 19, 2026

About the author

Subscribe to Addison's newsletter! http://www.addisonmoore.com/subscribe/
Follow for deals and steals on Bookbub-> https://www.bookbub.com/authors/addis...
Addison Moore is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of cozy mysteries and romance. Her new book MIDLIFE IN GLIMMERSPELL is NOW available! Read today!
Cosmopolitan Magazine calls Addison's books, "...easy, frothy fun!"
Humor with a side of homicide.


FREE with Kindle Unlimited! Amazon-->https://amzn.to/3AnyVhs Hibiscus Homicide Cruise is here! An impending divorce. An ornery homicide detective. The cruise of a lifetime. And ghosts. Midlife on the high seas is proving to be a real killer.
#Cozymystery #Kindleunlimited #mystery #PWF

Reviews

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recently divorced Jinx lives up to her nickname when she thinks she’s applying for a barista job in Maine and after speaking to the owner, the mysterious Mr. X, she ends up in Hawaii…but wait cold winters compared to beautiful weather…I am not sure I would call her a jinx. That sounds like destiny to me!

Jinx arrives at Coconut Cove Paradise Resort and that’s when things start to go down hill. The resort is falling apart. From the sounds of it, I would be worried about what they would find in those pools and let’s not get started on the electrical system and broken EVERYTHING. She finds the place surrounded by cats and chickens. I am cool with the cats, but not so sure on the chickens! She quickly makes friends with Ruby, a wealthy widow/serial divorcee and permanent fixture at the resort and Lani, the head of the kitchen. Lani and Jinx have to answer the Melanie, the resort manager, who is as shady as they come.

Did I mention the handsome man Jinx tussles with at the airport over luggage?! Don’t worry we will see him again!

No sooner does Jinx arrive than the staff is told if they don’t make a profit by the months end the owner would be shutting down the resort, but Jinx has other plans. The girls get ready to meet the new guests, but little did they know their evening was going to go from bad to worse especially after that dead body appears.

This is where we see that handsome man reappear as Detective Hale. Jink, Ruby, and Lani decide that the detective needs some helping in solving the murder and start investigating and the trouble they shall get into while doing so. At least they have some kitty help along the way with Spam and the gang!

While navigating a murder investigation, repairing the broken resort (Detective Hale actually helps here), and finding out what really makes Melanie so shady, they find the murderer and meet the owner of the resort and Jinx just might get some good news in several forms along the way.

Definitely think this was a time when her nickname worked out for her! This is a laugh out loud story and I can’t wait to read the next book to see what kind of trouble Jinx and the gang (including all the cats) can get into!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jinx Julep trades her cheating husband for a job at a ramshackle resort on Kauai and immediately finds herself knee deep in trouble. Hired by the anonymous Mr. X, she learns that the staff have only a month to make the Coconut Cove Paradise Resort profitable before it closes for good. Teaming up with the octogenarian permanent resident Ruby Figgins, and spatula wielding cook Lani Mahelona, Jinx is up against temperamental appliances, toxic swimming pools, feral chickens and cats, buildings held together with duct tape and wishes, and a perpetually unpleasant manager. A murdered guest just adds one more thing to the to-do list. She may have gotten off on the wrong foot with Detective Koa Hale over a luggage mix-up, but that doesn’t stop her from investigating. Will the aptly named Jinx find her dreams of a new life in Paradise up in smoke before she’s even had a chance?

Coconut Confessions kicks off a new series for Addison Moore, adding a new bunch of eccentric characters to her roster. Fans of Ms. Moore’s other cozies will find many of her signature elements - quirky yet charming heroine who has a me cute to insta-attraction with the hot, grumpy, cinnamon roll cop; brazen, no-filter yet fiercely loyal women of a certain age sidekicks; mean girl antagonist; animals; plenty of laugh out loud shenanigans; descriptive writing that puts you in the scene; sumptuous food with recipes; and a puzzling murder to figure out. It’s a fast paced, comfort food type read with a characters that anyone can relate to. The location on Kauai adds to the charm, as do the assorted chickens, cats, and geckos populating the scene. Jinx’s optimism and determination to save the resort are admirable. Kick off your shoes and settle into the sand with a Mai Tai for this fun adventure.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jane litherland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coconut Confessions ,what’s a gal to do? How did she know what was in store . When searching online for a Barista position? Always a pleasure to read an Addison Moore treasure. This book is awesome and then some . Hanalei Bay, Kauei. A paradise …until someone meets their demise. Coconut Bay ,Paradise Resort has a better ring to it I’d have thought when searching for a job . But look what crops up that you can’t believe or explain ,when you end up in Paradise and not in Maine…Jinx Julep though has a spring in her step and away she does go. A barista job at a cosy inn in Maine was about her barrow… A typo or no ,this is where she did go. Well you know what happens where she goes . A body floating in the pool. Here we go and it was going a,ing swimmingly too. She met a hip friend
Ruby and a kitchen worker Lani who isn’t a shirker but the one in charge as she head of the kitchen no less . Gotta be impressed. …

Anyway I digress somewhat . Well you can imagine this place is hot but not as much as a certain handsome fella with handcuffs . Is he a piece of hot stuff.Well the heat is burning ,but it the sun . No misbehaves in this one. Though he’s probably worth a glance . Any romance in the offing ? Well it’ll get a couple of pensioners scoffing at her expense . All this stuff and nonsense going on. But it’s all fun and laughter and dare I say ,even after demise in paradise an happy ever after…

Well , can tell you this for nought . This book is well penned and I was engaged beginning to end . Grinning throughout too ,that’s how an Addison Moore gets you. Shouting for an encore. Who could ask for more?

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jinx Julep applies for a barista job in Maine and ends up in Hawaii instead, at the Coconut Cove Paradise Resort on Kauai. In addition to having an unpleasant manager, the resort is rundown, on the brink of bankruptcy, and overrun with chickens and cats, including the orange cat, Spam, who takes to Jinx straight off. The on-site seniors, Lani, the Kauai local who runs the kitchen, and Ruby, a wealthy permanent guest, also take to Jinx, and the three of them put their heads together to find ways to keep the resort from going under. And after Jinx discovers a pushy resort consultant dead in one of the resort pools, she also finds herself spending time, sometimes with the good-looking Detective Koa Hale, following clues, talking with suspects, and tracking down the killer.
This story was not quite a page-turner for me (I’d rate it a 4.5 if I could give half-points) so I had no problem dividing it into three bedtime installments, and Jinx was also a bit over the top for me at times. But I found all three ‘installments’ to be entertaining, and more than once, I found myself laughing out loud – perfect for someone who like fun cozies as bedtime reading.
(I received an ARC version of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.)

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coconut Confessions is the first book in the Hawaii Cozy Mystery series. This book successfully introduces us to the island and the characters. The author does a good job of setting things up. Justine “Jinx” Julep just recently learned her husband’s idea for wedding vows were fluid and was cheating. So after divorcing him she looked to relocate and thought she applied to the east coast but applied and was hired during the interview to come to Kauai right away. Upon arrival Jinx hoped things where better than they appear. The resort has seen better decades, check-ins were down and her room was a storage room off the parking garage. She with the help of others around the resort did little things to perk up the park. But finding dead body in the pool put a damper I to things. Being the one to find the body Jinx felt the need to poke around and try to sleuth out who did it. When the police arrived she was already on a short list with the lead officer as she ran into him at the airport and they clashed some. Will she find herself in trouble or help with the investigation? Will she be able to secure her employment or will the resort fall apart around her?

[Margery · Rating 5 out of 5]

A job interview over the phone for a barista job in Maine, the man offers her a job in Hawaii. So perfect, or too prefect? She sadly discovers it was too good to be true. She is welcomed by a few ladies who show her the ropes. The fact there are no ropes, the owner has never been seen, the pool is green, the grounds are over run with cats and the roosters crow all day does not mean all is bad, does it? Well let's add a dead body floating face down in the pool and now Jinx can claim this job is going to be way more difficult for her. She has to uncover the murderer and start bringing in profits or the resort will close down. Jinx, Lani and Ruby decide the hot and handsome detective needs help. The manager wants the resort to close, but she is the only one! In true Addison Moore style, this book is literally a laugh a minute and when you think you have something figured out..think again!

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first, I was thrilled, captivated by wonderful lines like "Melanie’s smile is made of glass—transparent and easy to cut yourself on." But soon the story was so taken over by the metaphors and adjectives that I couldn't even tell what the point was. It becomes so repetitive and annoying that I almost quit reading. How many times can something be "held together by duct tape and optimism?"

There's a decent plot hiding in there, so I pushed through and finished the story. The characters could be engaging, but more time was spent on adjectives and repetitive prose than on actual character development. Honestly, everyone seems to talk with the same quirky patter, so the dialogue could be interchangeable. I do like the cat, though.

With a good editor who could take a machete to the manuscript, I would really enjoy this. As is, it's like trudging through molasses and disappointment.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jinx Julip decides to leave her cheating ex and interview for a barista job in Maine. However, she ends up managing a rundown Hawaiian resort in Kauai instead of the job she applied for… and stumbles into a murder case in the disgusting green pool. You’ve got eccentric guests, senior citizen sidekicks, feral chickens, cats and hot Detective Hale thrown in. This book has short chapters, fast pacing and is very bingeable. There is lots of snark and quirky situations which I absolutely love.
This is going to be another great series by Addison Moore. I'm glad this story is set in Hawaii which is a change from most cozies. I can't wait to see what Jinx and her pals get up to in the next book.

[J Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious!

Jinx Julip leaves her cheating ex behind and applies for a barista job at a resort. In typical Jinx fashion, she thinks the resort is in Maine, but it is in Hawaii and “looks like it’s auditioning for a disaster movie and really committed to getting the part.” When a guest is found floating face-down in an algae-filled pool, Jinx and two senior citizen friends begin investigating, much to the dismay of the grumpy but incredibly attractive detective.

This book has a good mystery with laughs on every page. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I received an advance copy, but my review is honest and voluntary.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jinx thought she was applying for a barista job at an inn in Maine. Turns out, she ends up managing a rundown resort on Kauai's North Shore! Things were going well until she finds a body floating in the swimming pool! Together with her two citizens friends, Jinx is trying to figure out which one of the resort guests is actually a killer! Between the senior citizen friends, the stray cats and the roosters, there won't be any shortage of laughs while Jinx tries to figure out who the killer is before this job goes down the drain! A fantastic new series from Addison Moore and I can't wait for more!

[Johanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Book 1 of The Coconut Confessions, Hawaii Cozy Mysteries series. And a wonderful start it is! Look forward to more from this world.

'Welcome to Hanalei Bay, Kauai—where paradise comes with a body count.'

The characters were very appealing and likeable and quirky and mysterious. Plot was intriguing and exciting and well paced. World building was excellent and solidly drawn. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.

Grab a copy, kick back and enjoy!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jinx Julip is newly single after leaving her cheating ex and applies for a barista job in Maine, but ends up getting a job in Hawaii. When a dead body is found in the resort's green pool, things take a murder mystery turn, and Detective Hale is sent to investigate. This is a well written, cozy mystery with quirky characters and a crazy, fun storyline that make this a fantastic read. Coconut Confessions is book one and a fabulous start to The Coconut Confessions: Hawaii Cozy Mysteries series, and I can't wait to read the rest of the series. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the fact that it's set in Hawaii but it's not one of those high dollar bars/restaurants/hotels. The fact that Jinx has to figure out how to save this resort in a month. Throw in a couple of older ladies that work at the resort and a bunch of cats, and they're off to the murder! So funny and snarky. I love when there are sidekicks that are older and don't care what anybody says. They are hilarious. I'm really loving this series so far. Keep'em coming!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coconut Confessions is book #1 in The Coconut Confessions, Hawaii Cozy Mysteries series by Addison Moore.

Jinx Julep was looking for a fresh start after her divorce so she accepted a barista job at Coconut Cove Paradise Resort. It isn’t the luxury resort she was expecting. If they can’t turn the rundown resort’s finances, it will be closed. That’s made more challenging when a guest is found dead. Love the characters and humor. I look forward to more of this new series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jessica Forbes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this start in Hawaii. Jinx is a fun main character to follow and read about, even if she lives up to her name at times. Koa is definitely a very nice boyfriend for her. The mystery was interesting, as was watching the resort slowly get updated throughout the book to something respectable. Can't wait to read the next one!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Susan Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent mystery with well-drawn characters. One of the funniest scenes i hayever read involves a cellphone and a cinnamon roll.. my favorite character is Spam, but the chickens and roosters come in at close second. One chuckle i am certain that Ms. Moore did not intend is her frequent observations about scents, especially plumeria and ocean. I can’t wait until the next book in the series comes out!

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

What does Jinx look like?

She divorced due to an unfaithful husband, gets detoured to Hawaii instead of Maine, hair gets frizzy in humidity, who's curly hair doesn't, but there's not a description it what she looks like, physic or description Ita whatever it she looks like. Strong stubborn characters. Gumption to right wrongs, etc..pretty basic storytelling, beautiful Hawaii of course, said over and over. Seen there. It is beautiful. 4 stars due to the non description of Jinx.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book but am happily reviewing it as I found it delightful. It's a great start to a new series, there's some colourful characters, some eye candy in the shape of a local detective and the main character, Jinx, certainly lives up to her name. If you love a mystery with lots of light background stuff going on then you'll love this, give it go, you won't be disappointed.

[LizJ. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coconut Confessions Book 1 of the Coconut Confessions, Hawaii Cozy Mysteries
by Addison Moore is a laugh out loud, crazy, quirky, wonderful characters, great worldbuilding and a fantastic plot twist at the end. I can't wait for book 2!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author has once again brought us a fun and entertaining mystery to read. It's filled with plenty of shenanigans and, of course, a mystery to solve. The characters are as quirky as ever, and nothing about this book was a disappointment. I had a blast reading it and look forward to whatever comes next.

Well done to the author!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fluffy fun!

If you’re looking for some lighthearted fluffy fun this is your book. I thought it was clever, witty and wacky. The man Jinx was very aptly named and the setting is paradise with a twist. There was a little bit of repetitiveness with the sum ups but other than that a very enjoyable read. Looking forward to the next adventure!.

[Phthon · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG! Jinx is HILARIOUS! I lost count of the guffaws of uncontrolled laughter I burst out in. This book was super funny! Especially all the mayhem and chaos that ran rampant at the resort. I LOVED the big reveal of the Mysterious Mr. X! I can’t wait to read the next book!

[Lauren Heiy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coconut Confessions: The Coco Confessions , Hawaii Cozy Mysteries book 1

Absolutely delightful cozy murder mystery with a couple other mysteries. Jinx is her name and although she has a big heart, trounble seems to find her and so do the cats and chickens..

[Sandra Bennett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wading through...

The story is in there somewhere - short, simple, and predictable; however, there were way to many metaphors, adjectives, puns, attempt at humor etc., to wade through to find it.

[Rae · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really disappointed. And annoyed.

I couldn't even make it three chapters in - the use of AI is all over this book. I typically enjoy Addison's books but I hate that AI has infiltrated even high level writers' processes.
It's really disappointing.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the story, author was very descriptive. If you've been to Kauai, you will really understand those parts. But AI reader was a bit of an adjustment to get used to (cadence and pronunciations could vary, and not much voice inflection); much prefer a HUMAN reader.

[Timothy P. Hench · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coconut Confessions Hi-Jinx

A wonderful, entertaining, beginning to a new series. Just when nothing else can go wrong, murder makes an appearance! And you think you know what is happening, well you would be wrong. Romance and murder the blend of a perfect book!

[Eileen Gernet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable

Though murder is never enjoyable, this book contained all the elements of a great murder mystery. When you have mystery, romance and humor on your book, you can't go wrong..

[Nancy Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read

I love reading but sometimes finding a new autho red is a challenge I am so happy I found Addison Moore. It is such a great story line with characters you can actually visualize and feel like one of the gang

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️’s rounded up for GR