A Dash of Murder: The Evergreen Hearth Inn Cozy Mysteries Prequel

by Pearl Parsons

Trapped by a storm. Suspected of murder. Saved by a dog with nowhere else to go.Ex-hotel accountant Sylvia Bennett skids into the wrong inn on the worst night. Over thyme-scented stew, Grandma Jo's laughter draws stranded guests together. The lobby becomes a makeshift family. And by morning, the innkeeper Harris is dead.

Lucky, the victim's limping spaniel, decides she's his person—whether she's ready or not.

When someone hides an oil-stained wrench in Sylvia's locker, the same tight-knit town is ready to believe the worst about the outsider.

Her trained eye catches what others the pointed silences when someone says Harris, the florist's grief she can't quite hide, the desk clerk who flinched at his presence. Everyone had a motive.

Under Lucky's steady gaze, Sylvia starts to wonder if she can trust the intuition she's spent years doubting.

The detective's filing charges. Lucky—the only witness—can't speak.

Sylvia must follow a trail of oil and silences before she loses her freedom, her future, and the spaniel who chose her first.

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Inside The Evergreen Hearth Inn Cozy Mysteries

This is where Sylvia and Lucky's story begins—before they find their forever home at The Evergreen Hearth Inn. Perfect as a complete standalone or as the prequel to the full series.

What readers

🏡 A small town that feels like your second home

🐾 Lucky—always safe, always scene-stealing (we promise!)

❤️ Clean slow-burn romance that earns every moment (door-closed, no insta-love)

🔍 Mysteries that solve more than just the crime (includes book club discussion guide)

✨ Modern page-turning pace—finish each book in an afternoon, but think about it for days

💙 Wholesome comfort reading that sneaks up on you with unexpected depth—no explicit content

Perfect for fans Louise Penny's depth meets Gilmore Girls' heart—cozy mysteries where the coffee's always hot, the community feels like home, and the characters stay with you long after the last page.

Some series you read. This one, you live in.

90 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 8, 2026

About the author

Pearl Parsons writes cozy mysteries for the modern reader who needs a safe place to land.

Like her protagonist Sylvia, Pearl is an intuitive introvert who believes that life’s unexpected twists are actually course corrections, guiding us exactly where we need to be. She crafts the Evergreen Hearth Inn Mysteries as fast-paced page-turners that feel like a hug.

Her stories blend the comfort of a warm stew with the thrill of a cinematic mystery. She explores how strangers become family, how pausing to breathe is the ultimate rebellion in a busy world, and how the truth, once accepted, becomes a gift of growth.

Pearl believes we often hold the answers long before we find the clues. When she’s not plotting twists or analyzing human nature, she’s practicing the art of slowing down and trusting the flow.

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🎁 FREE GIFT: THE EVERGREEN HEARTH STARTER PACK

Want to escape to the inn right now?

Join Pearl’s newsletter to get:
A Dash of Murder — the prequel novella (Free eBook)

EXCLUSIVE BONUS: Lucky’s Files — the investigation told entirely from the spaniel’s perspective

Click the official website in the profile to claim your bundle.

Reviews

[Tina Loves To Read · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a Cozy Mystery Prequel, and this is the book zero of The Evergreen Hearth Inn Cozy series. I think this book needed more character development and more story. It was too short to really develop anything. I also wanted more suspense. I found myself just bored reading this book. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.

[Cornel Diaconu · Rating 4 out of 5]

After you already know who the killer is from the first chapters (well, 3rd chapter, to be more exact), you only have to follow the reasoning that goes to finding the killer; not much excitement.
I noticed the doggie at the cover image has very "happy" face, but this was not how Lucky, the doggie of the story, was like. Pretty likeable, though (since he was a greate motive for me to read this book :-) )
I look furthervto the full series having Sylvia and Lucky as the main characters.

[Lizzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first time stepping into this series, and I definitely loved it. First of all, the cover is absolutely beautiful and immediately gave me that cozy, comforting feeling I look for in this genre.

The writing style was so easy to get into — cozy, smooth, and very readable. It had that kind of effortless flow that makes you keep turning pages without even noticing how quickly you’re moving through the story. I loved the small-town atmosphere and the sense of warmth throughout the book.

Lucky completely stole my heart (as expected), and I already found myself becoming attached to the characters and wanting more of their story.

For a prequel, this did a great job introducing the world and making me want to continue with the series. If you enjoy cozy mysteries with heart, lovable characters, and an easy, comforting reading experience, this is definitely worth picking up.

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

[Mrs K.Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Dash of Murder is an Excellent start of a series about Sylvia Bennett who was travelling to the Inn she had inherited from her Grandmother. But on the way was a storm started and her car stopped working. She then found an Inn. But unfortunately while there the Innkeeper was found dead. Sylvia has excellent observational skills and starts to look at the other people at the Inn. Lucky the Inn's dog saw the murder happened. Can Sylvia and Lucky work together and discover the truth?

I enjoyed the story and recommend that you read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[GinaB. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Dash of Murder is a nice prequel for the Evergreen Hearth series. Sylvia Bennett was driving to her gran’s Evergreen Hearth Inn during a storm. Her car stalled, so she checked into the Whispering Pines Inn & was greeted by Innkeeper Harris & Lucky, the cute King Charles Spaniel. The next day, she found an injured Lucky & Harris was dead. She helps solve the mystery to clear her name. This is the first book I’ve read by this author & the author kindly shared a link at the end of the book so readers can get Rules I Broke for a Human for free; it’s 37 pages & should be read next since it’s written from Lucky’s POV. I got this quick read from Book Sprout & am leaving an honest review.

[Linda Whitenight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sylvia is driving to her grandmother’s inn when a severe storm hits, she gets off the road at the Whispering Pines Inn. The Inn owner checks Sylvia in and seems to have an odd reaction to her, but the King Charles Spaniel, named Lucky, seemed to take to her. The Inn looses power and the two fixers. Lucky is injured and Silvia treats him. What has happened? Can Silvia figure out what is going on? What has happened to Lucky?

[Lora · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Dash of Murder is the prequel to Pearl Parson’s The Evergreen Hearth Inn. Instead of arriving at the inn she inherited from a grandmother she hadn’t seen since she was a preschooler, Sylvia Bennett is forced to take shelter at the wrong inn due to a storm.

At less than 100 pages, the story doesn’t leave much room for extensive world-building or complex plot developments, but it still offers a relaxing and enjoyable introduction to the series.

[Johanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prequel to The Evergreen Hearth Inn Cozy Mysteries.

'Trapped by a storm. Suspected of murder. Saved by a dog with nowhere else to go.'

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.

[Jennifer Moriarity · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute story, short and sweet. It was a bit disjointed and I feel like it jumped around a little bit. The transitions weren't very smooth and I felt like I was missing information that should have been in the story. Overall, not a bad read.

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

[Lorraine O'Connor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Written 2025. It's a nice story but there are too many "Why did you waits" for me. The story concept is nice but the author has to realize that mystery readers are not dumb. We know that a real person wouldn't wait until the next day to check on missing people or dogs. When the generator didn't come on, no one questioned it?? Need to go back to the writing board with this one.
Read on 3/22/26

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a short and cozy mystery read. There really is no murder mystery because you know who is guilty from the moment it happens. However, there are a lot of secrets about the characters in the book that are slowly revealed as you travel through the pages. I fell in love with Lucky. I would have taken him in and showered him with so much love.

Thank you to Book Funnel for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!