Coho, Cocoa & a Dockside Death in Bumble Bay: A Bumble Bay Cozy Mystery Series

by Savannah Rainn

Death in the When the Fan Stops, the Lies Start 💀

A perfect October morning on the lake turns dark when Dena Gamble and her friends return to the marina and find owner Trent Keane dead beside a silent generator. Police call it an accident—but Dena knows better. The fan was shut off. The air reeks of solvent. And Trent’s manifest lists twelve waste drums… yet only nine sit in the boathouse.

Three locals had every reason to want Trent
• Captain Ray “Skipper” Brant, furious over rising slip fees.
• Beth Cavenaugh, an activist who knew Trent was hiding dirty shoreline secrets.
• Shay LaVere, a developer with million-dollar plans blocked by Trent’s marina.

As Dena uncovers forged paperwork and dangerous motives, she realizes Trent’s death is only the beginning.

When Dena hears a generator roar back to life in the boathouse at dusk, she realizes she’s not just chasing a killer—she’s trapped with one.

162 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 2, 2025

Reviews

[Christian Schultheiss · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think one thing whether this is your favorite book in the serious yet or not definitely stands out to be true. Savannah herself is experimenting but also improving on her writing as a whole as well. The plot took more risks and had some underlying issues this go around as well, and without spoiling anything, this doesn’t end with a classic scooby doo villain like unmasking like in some of her others and I think that’s really cool to be able to watch and read mostly in real time. Dena herself on the other hand better start pumping the brakes a bit because she’s getting more and more daring and bold and it’s really going to start bite her in the butt even more than it already has (wink,wink) if you know what I mean. 3.75/5

[Alicia Viola · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up Coho, Cocoa & Dockside Death in Bumble Bay because the title alone caught my attention, and I was in the mood for a cozy mystery with a unique setting. This one ended up being a really enjoyable read for me.

I really liked the dockside, small-town atmosphere. It gave the story a relaxed, coastal feel while still keeping the mystery interesting. The mix of elements — from the food and local details to the waterfront setting — added a lot of charm without taking away from the main storyline.

The main character was easy to connect with, and I enjoyed following along as everything unfolded. The pacing felt steady, and I didn’t feel like the story dragged at any point. There were a few twists that kept me guessing, and I appreciated that I didn’t have it completely figured out too early.

I also liked the supporting characters, who helped bring the town to life and made the story feel more complete. It had that cozy, community feel that I always look for in this type of book.

Overall, I really enjoyed Coho, Cocoa & Dockside Death in Bumble Bay. It’s a fun, cozy mystery with a charming setting, likable characters, and a solid whodunit. If you enjoy small-town mysteries with a bit of personality and a unique backdrop, this one is definitely worth picking up.

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

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good offering from Savannah Rain Book 8 in the Bumble Bay cozy mystery series mystery series.
Dena with her great companions, Felix the cat and Chase the dog, join her friends, including her boyfriend, Det. Luke of the local Police Force, for the local Fall Salmon Derby. I love the description of them loading the animals safely on the boat before they take off for the day. They have a great and successful day of fishing before heading back to the pier. When they return, they find the generator running in an enclosed room, but the exhaust fan is off. And they find the owner of the Marina, Trent Keane, dead. Accident or not?
As they begin digging into information about the dock and some questionable things happening they find a number of questions before they can solve the mystery.
Though this is book 8 in the series, it can be read stand alone, but you would most likely enjoy the other volumes.

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

[Marietta · Rating 5 out of 5]

After having a wonderful time out fishing at the local Fall Salmon Derby Dena Gamble and her friends come back in to head for home when they find the owner of the marina dead in the boathouse and Dena’s boyfriend must start to look into it as he is the local police detective but of course Dena and the rest of her want to help solve this murder and help everyone heal. But as the story goes along they find out a lot about the owner and his associated and what they want to do with the area and how they want to move out people who live in a low-income apartment to make up more appealing to people with more money not the locals. And they are not looking at what it will do to area around the lake. There are lots of people who have a problem with marina owner and his development friends. Savannah Rain seems to know how to keep you interested in her story line and getting to know her main characters as well and this is the first book of hers that I have read but it won’t be the last one. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoy a great mystery with lots of twists and turns.

[Mrs K.Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coho and CoCoa & a Dockside Death is an Excellent story about 5 friends and Chase a special dog who is a Canine Officer and Felix a clever cat they went salmon fishing together. As they arrived back at the Marina and Felix & Chase signalled there is a problem so Detective Luke went to investigate. He found a body and Detective Riley came to investigate. Dena with the help of Professor Pickles looked into the clues they find. There are many pieces that they find.
Superb story and series that I highly recommend that you read.

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

[GinaB. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dena went to the Fall Salmon Derby with her friends, Luke her detective boyfriend & their 2 pets, K9 Chase & Felix the cat. They had a great day fishing & when they return to the pier, the pets lead them to find the marina owner dead in the boathouse. They go through twists & turns to solve the mystery, and I look forward to reading more books in this series. I will be making Aunt Donna’s Hush Puppies recipe at the end of the book this weekend. I received this book from Book Sprout & am leaving an honest review.

[Bren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another one bites the dust in Bumbling Bay and Dena can't rest until she finds the reason for Trent Keane's death. I love reading Ms. Rainn's cozy mysteries they're full of danger, action, murder and there's always a secret or two a townsperson holds close to their heart. Det. Luke and Dena are not only romantically involved, but they mesh really well when solving a sudden death. Oh! did I mention that Felix the cat and Chase the dog are crime fighters too 😉.

[G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again Dena finds herself pulled into a death investigation. However with her animal sidekicks and support of her friends she will not five up until she figures out a few surprises and secrets. Great characters and a storyline that has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing throughout.

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

[Lizz Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dena finds herself investigating the demise of a local. There are twists and turns as Dena looks for answers. She is relentless in her pursuit of finding the culprit and risks her own life for justice. Another page-turning Bumble Bay mystery that can be read as a standalone.