Summer Coven

Dead & Breakfast Mystery #2

by Kat Hillis, Rosiee Thor

Everyone's favorite vampire odd couple is back for another bloody good time in this new supernatural mystery from the authors of Dead & Breakfast.

Arthur Miller (no relation to the playwright) and his beloved, Salvatore Conte, are settling into their (para)normal lives in Trident Falls. Finally, everything seems to be going swimmingly...business is booming at the inn and Arthur is hard at work on his first case as a private finding their friend Brody's missing mom.

But when a pet psychic is felled by a poisoned potion she (somehow) didn't see coming, Arthur's investigation takes an enchanting turn - and not in a good way. It turns out the psychic was a member of the Celestine Coven, a powerful group of witches who sell their charms for a price. Did the pet psychic find herself on the wrong side of the coven? Or did she trigger someone’s pet peeves with her predictions? It will require all of Arthur's wit and Sal's whimsy to solve this murder, find their missing person, and avoid becoming part of the witches' wicked brew.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Queer, Vampires, Cozy, LGBT, Gay

336 pages, Paperback

Expected publication August 25, 2026

About the author

Kat Hillis is the author of queer speculative fiction full of silly jokes and twisty plots. A southerner now living in Alabama, she’s a lifelong fan of vampires, mysteries, and puns. When she’s not writing or reading, she’s gaming, drawing, or making handcrafted soaps.

Reviews

[Jazz’s Reads and Rants · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW | Summer Coven by Kat Hillis and Rosiee Thor is an easy five stars for me. I already thought Salvatore was a complete hoot in Dead & Breakfast, but this installment somehow tops it.

Sal and Arthur absolutely leap off the page — their personalities are loud, chaotic, and ridiculously entertaining. Their antics kept me hooked the entire time, and I found myself genuinely excited to see what mess they’d stumble into next.

I’m not typically a mystery reader, so this series has been my unexpected gateway into the genre — and honestly? I’m obsessed. The balance of humor, intrigue, and character chemistry makes it such a standout.

Netflix, please. I’m begging. This deserves a screen adaptation.

Huge thank you to Net Galley, Berkeley, Kat Hillid and Rosiee Thor for sharing this one with me!

[Brinley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dead and Breakfast was everything I wanted from a book. It was silly, it was adorable, it captured my heart. This one however? Somehow, it missed. I'd loved Sal and Arthur in Book 1, but Sal drove me absolutely nuts in this one. He just never got serious!! And i didnt click with the setting or the mystery, and the characters bugged me, so I truly found reading this too be exhausting. And im still not quite over the disappointment :( off to pretend this one doesnt exist so Dead and Breakfast remains untainted in my mind

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

[Karyn Defoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! I went into this not knowing it was the second in a series. But enough information was given about the first book that I didn’t feel left behind. I’ve decided I would read any book about Sal and Arthur no matter what the content.
Despite this book being about murder this was a delightfully cozy and funny book. I loved every Glee reference. They made me kick my feet in joy.
The only gripe I have with this book is just a me thing. I guessed 90% if the end VERY quickly. The clues were probably meant to be subtle but there wasn’t enough to throw me off. But it didn’t ruin any part of it because the writing was so enjoyable.
Time to go back and read the first one!

[Cassidy]

Thanks to Berkley for offering me this ARC through NetGalley! Summer Coven by Kat Hillis and Rosiee Thor comes out on August 25, 2026.

[Teri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read many cozies, but this series has completely charmed me with its quaint small town and charismatic paranormal and human characters.

Summer Coven is just as delightful as the first in the series, Dead and Breakfast. After rebranding the inn, business has picked up considerably, but Arthur and Sal aren't rolling in the cash yet. It helps that the inn is fully booked for the Summer Solstice Festival, an event that's bringing crowds of tourists to Trident Falls - including the Celestine Coven. Vampires Arthur and Sal are excited to attend the first day of the festival, but what they didn't expect is another murder. Someone kills a pet psychic who is a member of the coven.

With Arthur now a VAMP PI (very astute married paranormal private investigator), he's on the case. Which is a good thing since the bumbling sheriff immediately accuses and imprisons the wrong person again. As in the first book, Sal provides several comedic moments, and his vibrant personality is a perfect balance to Arthur's more serious one. When Arthur starts feeling overwhelmed by his responsibilities, Sal is there for support and reminds Arthur they now have a community of friends they can rely on.

The couple are taken down several unexpected paths in their quest to find the murderer, and it's an entertaining journey every step of the way. I'm hoping for more books in this series. Recommended for fans of found family, small town murder mysteries, and characters you'd love to meet.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Haven · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC review copy obtained from NetGalley

Full disclosure, I was so excited when I saw that I’d been approved for this book. I read the first book in this series, Dead & Breakfast, and I loved it. So I was very eager to get my hands on another book about Arthur and Sal.

I was not disappointed by the second book in the series!

I do want make a point here and also acknowledge; the first book was sort of silly and absurd, and the second in the series is even sillier and more absurd. This might put some people off, if you don’t enjoy that sort of thing in your murder mystery books, but I absolutely LOVE it.

Sal was one of my favorite parts of the first book and we get much more of him in the second, which is a delight. The mystery itself was fun and gripping, with a good amount of twists and turns. And it ends up answering some questions I still had from book one, as well.

If you’re looking for a fun time, this series is perfect. I’ll be eagerly keeping an eye out for any future additions.

Thank you again to NetGalley for providing the ARC in exchange for this honest review.

[Brianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and Kat Hillis for a copy of this Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Final Verdict: 4.0

While I don't normally read cozy books, I am a sucker for a good mystery. The concept of two married vampires solving mysteries was just too good to pass up, and I'm glad I didn't. Granted, I totally missed that this was a sequel and therefore had to go and read the first book (because I'm simply someone who has to do that) before I could properly get into this one. I have to say that I wasn't disappointed with the novel. You certainly don't have to read the previous novel to enjoy this one, but it certainly adds to the tale if you do. This was cleverly written, with all the things you loved about the first book and better! This couple has grown near and dear to my heart, and I'm super excited for any more installments featuring them!

[Horror Nerd · Rating 3 out of 5]

The mystery investigation is done much better this time (our vampire detective is investigating murder & fraud in a coven of witches), with many more twists to it. The book has a slow & steady pace, but everything picks up & the stakes get really high during the last twenty or so percent. The only things I wanted more of was Arthur's background (it's the second book, and I still feel like we know so little about him) & more attention to secondary/supporting characters (the werewolf cafe owner, the supernatural coroner, etc).

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book.

[Marie A · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so much fun! Cozy, flamboyant and a little bit campy. Sal and Arthur remind me of ‘The odd couple’, but married. There is so much going on, but it is all weaved together seamlessly.

I am thoroughly enchanted with Arthur, Sal and their found family in Trident Falls and like Arthur, I can’t wait for the next mystery!

I would like to thank Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for a copy. All opinions are my own and my review is voluntarily given.

[Alex S · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these!! Arthur and Sal, solving crimes, having such a good time. I love how funny they are, I laugh constantly at Sal’s missteps. They have such a good contrast: Sal the over the top drama king and Arthur the serious, they compliment each other perfectly!

This was such a good story too! I didn’t even suspect the ending and I was loving all the chaos!
I loved all the references too, it’s just a really fun book and I hope there is more!!

[Danielle D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summer Coven was a hilarious and entertaining addition to the Dead & Breakfast Mysteries. The mystery was fast paced, the banter was great, and the frequent references to supernatural pop culture were very funny. I hope this series continues for many books!

[Mama McAvoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this ARC copy of Summer Coven through NetGalley and was pleasantly surprised by the wittiness and fun I had while reading this book. I had no idea it was actually the second book in The Dead and Breakfast series and was pleased that I was able to jump right in to this book without an issue from not having read the first installment. Arthur and Sal are vampires that own the Dead and Breakfast B&B and Arthur has become a PI detective on the side. They live in a small, rural town called Trident Falls that seems to be experiencing some rather unusual crime that Arthur and Sal continue to get mixed up in. This case involves some troublemaking witches that are up to no good with fraud, murder and a missing person all thrown in! I really enjoyed this book as it was a fun, light read that kept me laughing with the puns! I plan on reading the first book to see where this all started! This would make a great show if Amazon or Netflix wanted to pick it up! So if you want a fun, easy read that will keep you on your toes trying to figure out “who done it”, give this wonderful book a shot!

[Tyler Hancsak · Rating 2 out of 5]

If scooby doo was led by two gay vampires that own a b&b. Very unserious and cheesy.

[C.M. Stenquist · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a lot of fun . A series to continue for sure

[Allison Werkau · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun read! Vampire husbands Arthur and Sal make a great duo solving crimes while running their B&B. Vampires, witches, murder, and magic, all the makings of a great paranormal cozy mystery! Overall this was a fun and charming read!
Arc received from NetGalley ✨