Bites and Bad Blood

by Sue Hollowell

Sun, sand, and a side of sabotage.

Belle Harbor's brand-new Bands & Bites Festival was supposed to be the event of the summer. Live music on the beach, incredible food, and the kind of small-town magic that keeps people coming back year after year.

Then the promoter showed up.

Slick, charming, and full of promises that sound just a little too good to be true, he's got half the town starstruck and the other half suspicious. Sponsorship deals are flying. Contracts are getting shoved across tables. And those VIP wristbands? They're starting to feel less like perks and more like warning labels.

Tilly doesn't have time for any of it. She's got a brownie tower that defies the laws of physics, a coffee line out the door, and a grandmother's legacy she'll protect with everything she's got.

But when the festival's backstage drama turns deadly, Tilly realizes the most dangerous thing at the party isn't the summer heat. It's the person running the show.

Now she'll have to sift real opportunities from poison deals, figure out who's playing the town and who's playing for keeps, and do it all before someone else gets burned.

Cozy beach vibes. Small-town secrets. One very shady festival boss. And a baker who refuses to let anyone mess with her people.

Perfect for fans of Joanne Fluke, Lynn Cahoon, and anyone who likes their mysteries served with a sea breeze and a killer dessert table.

Genres: Cozy Mystery

147 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 7, 2026

About the author

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Sue Hollowell is a wife and empty nester with a lot of mom left over. Finding a lot of time on her hands, and as a lover of mystery novels, she began telling the story of a character who appeared in her head.

The Chemical Bond is a book about Meredith Markette, a young woman who reluctantly enters into the field of law enforcement when her police officer father is killed in the line of duty. Her quest is to discover his murderer and in the meantime come to terms with a tragedy of her youth.

Will this book ever see the light of day? Maybe. Sue really likes the story and character. And writing that book taught her a ton about the publishing industry. Through this experience she has discovered a love of writing stories, and especially mysteries. She hopes you enjoy her books as much as she enjoys writing them.

She and her husband are on the search to adopt a dog, really missing her spaniels that passed a couple of years ago.

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Reviews

[Chad Barrus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a ARC copy of this book from the author and though a review wasn’t required, I wanted to offer my honest, voluntary impression upon finishing it.

A new festival is being planned for the beach town but unfortunately the promoter is someone someone has dealt with previously in another town and it didn’t end well. Then a couple more people tell of issues with the promoter as well- none favorable. Later he turns up dead so Tilly, Justine and Dexter now look into who hated the man enough to do him in!

The promoter has left many towns with debts they have to pay after he has skipped out so more and more suspects are added to the list. He gets his money first, promising the moon but leaving them in debt when he’s gone!

Everyone who is suspected hates the man but claims they didn’t do it. Tilly needs to dig deep to uncover the truth in this story of a swindler who finally got what he deserved.

Follow the clues, the lies and broken promises and find out whodunnit!

I enjoyed this cozy murder mystery and recommend it to everyone who enjoys cozy mysteries where sometimes the culprit is right in front of you the whole time!

[Merry Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

To entice more tourists to Belle Harbor, the Tourist Board chairwoman, Marilyn is hosting a traveling Bands and Bites festival. However, knowing that is more than she can handle alone she has hired promoter, Trent Harwood to handle the staging, ticketing , promotion and performers. Tilly, who owns Luna’s Bakery, along with her husband Justin and co-worker Dexter are excited getting their brownie display ready. But when Trent drops dead, Tilly and group decide they need to find a murderer. It seems Trent had an anaphylaxis episode. Who knew he was allergic to nuts? But there were so many suspects and lives he ruined that Tilly had her hands full. This is the 16th book in a really great series that I highly recommend! I received an ARC of this book but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story about a town festival that some how gets tied to a man named Trent that was known for big splashes in small ponds. Belle Harbor tries to put on a large event that Marilyn, one of the council members, tries to run without all the approvals she should have gotten. That's when she found out that she was way over her head. Things go really bad when Trent is suddenly collapsing from an allergy attack in the middle of the festival. Then Barney, police chief, finds that he has a whole lot of suspects and not a lot of information. That is where Tiilly comes in and helps. The crime is solved and town back to normal but took work to get there. Good fast reading story!
I received an arc and this is my review.

[Javon50 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bands and Bites Festival has arrived in Belle Harbor. Tilly, owner of Luna’s Bakery, along with her husband Justin and co-worker Dexter are excited while busy working on her delicious brownies and the setup of her display. Knowing only that a promoter, a slick and charming man has promised that this event will surely put Belle Harbor on the map does Tilly begin to hear murmurs that past promises made by him may be too good to be true does she become concerned. This charming story is a quick and enjoyable book. A review copy of this book was sent to me by the author. All of the above opinions are my own.

[Paula Corregan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this enthralling, short cozy mystery. Owner of Luna's coffee and pastry shop, Tilly, her husband, Justin and their friend and employee, Dexter, investigate the death of event promoter, Trent Harwood, at the Belle Harbor Bands and Bites Festival. Trent was poisoned by exposure to nuts in a dessert he ate. (He was highly allergic to them). There were many people who disliked him, mainly because he overcharged for his promotional services. Who killed him and why? Find out by reading this unputdownable book, which I highly recommend to other cozy mystery readers. I received an ARC of this book, and the opinion expressed is strictly my own.

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bites and Bad Blood by Sue Hollowell is a cute cozy mystery. This is the first book A Belle Harbor Cozy Mystery that I have read, and it can be read as a standalone. It is an easy-to-read story that moves at a steady pace. Tilly is recently married which is repeated often. From the beginning, it was evident who would die. The man was a swindler. Unfortunately, the killer was easy to spot as well. The reveal was underwhelming. Tilly’s sweet treats will have reader’s mouths watering. Bites and Bad Blood is a short story (147 pages) that can be completed in one sitting. Bites and Bad Blood is a story that fans of A Belle Harbor Cozy Mysteries will enjoy.

[Anne Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Justin and Tilly are now married and running Luna’s together. An event organiser has arrived in Belle Harbor and on the first night of the Band and Bites Festival, he dies. A massive allergic reaction. Tilly, as is normal, helps Barney, the Sheriff, work out who did it, with help from a few people. There are a few suspects, but, eventually things fall into place. It was good to be back into this series.

[Amary Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun Coastal town Cozy
Tillie runs a small successful bakery/coffee shop with the help of her friend Dexter in Belle Harbor.
The town gets involved with a promoter with a questionable motive and things go badly....for the promoter.
Tillie and crew can't stay out of the investigation, right down to old Uncle Jack. Fun read, lots of clues and suspects.
I received and accepted the offer of an ARC completely gratis and offer my opinion in the same.

[Delphia Von Heeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bites and Bad Blood is book 16 in A Bell Harbor Cozy Harbor Cozy Mystery by Sue Hollowell. Fun on the beach with live music should be fun…but not with murder. Tilly is busy making yummy food and solving murders. Bites and Bad Blood is a summer time home run! I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.

[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tillie runs a small bakery/coffee shop with the help of her friend Dexter in Belle Harbor.
The town gets involved with a promoter with a questionable motive and things go badly for the promoter.
Tillie and crew can't stay out of the investigation, right down to old Uncle Jack. Fun read with lots of clues and suspects.

[Phthon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this mystery! I can’t say I was surprised at the promoter’s demise, he was a nasty, greedy person. He left too many very unhappy people that he took advantage of in his wake. I think that the people of Belle Harbor may be a bit more cautious when presented with something too good to be true. An entertaining fun book!

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short story set in a small tourist town. At a festival to increase tourism, the key promoter is killed by an allergen. Two people take it upon themselves to find clues. Surprise ending with a hint about an upcoming book in the series. Short, sweet, and intriguing!

[Lizz Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable cozy novella. A shady promoter has set his sights on Belle Harbor, and someone decides to stop him...permanently. Tilly sorts through the many suspects and motives. This can be enjoyed as a standalone.

[Debi Paglia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Series! This book is easy to read, very descriptive and has a surprise ending! The storyline is very interesting and easy to follow. It’s a great weekend read! Can’t wait for the next one!

[Dianne Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great cozy!

An enjoyable, easy to read story with a clever, unexpected ending.  

I read this book as part of an advance reader team. I am voluntarily writing this review.

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute

It's been awhile since I read one in this series. Its cute and pretty straightforward. Good for a quick, cozy read and I don't think it's necessary to have read the others