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Murder at the Water's Edge: A Completely Absorbing Small Seaside Town Cozy Mystery
Someone very powerful has spent twenty years making sure a dead woman’s story stayed buried.
They almost got away with it.
When a stranger arrives in Blue Heron Bay asking questions, someone makes sure she stops asking — and she ends up dead on the beach before she gets her answers.
Now Molly McBeal is investigating a murder she almost walked away from. It reaches back two decades. Buried files. Silenced witnesses. One beloved judge whose reputation depends on the truth never surfacing.
Molly has solved murders before. She has never had to choose between the truth and her oldest friend.
Joan knows something. So does Molly’s dog, whose eyes shifted from clear azure to the color of deep water. They haven’t changed back.
And the civil rights attorney who just drove into town? He’s waited twenty years for this moment. He may be the only person in Blue Heron Bay who wants the truth as badly as Molly does.
In Blue Heron Bay, the summers are beautiful.
The secrets are not.
They almost got away with it.
When a stranger arrives in Blue Heron Bay asking questions, someone makes sure she stops asking — and she ends up dead on the beach before she gets her answers.
Now Molly McBeal is investigating a murder she almost walked away from. It reaches back two decades. Buried files. Silenced witnesses. One beloved judge whose reputation depends on the truth never surfacing.
Molly has solved murders before. She has never had to choose between the truth and her oldest friend.
Joan knows something. So does Molly’s dog, whose eyes shifted from clear azure to the color of deep water. They haven’t changed back.
And the civil rights attorney who just drove into town? He’s waited twenty years for this moment. He may be the only person in Blue Heron Bay who wants the truth as badly as Molly does.
In Blue Heron Bay, the summers are beautiful.
The secrets are not.
232 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 10, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 21, 2026
I love this series about a small, cozy seaside town called Blue Heron Beach. It has great vibes of community, caring, coffee. and sleuthing.
A visitor comes to town looking for answers to questions she had. Unfortunately, she never received answers as her lifeless body was found before she could even ask her questions.
Molly, the owner of Star's Landing, the coffee shop, had sleuthing to do with the stranger's circumstance, as well as the weird behavior of her best friend.
I find this story intriguing and wondering the possible motives of why the visitor was murdered. A good story!
I was provided with a copy of the book by the author, this review is my honest opinion, given voluntarily.
A visitor comes to town looking for answers to questions she had. Unfortunately, she never received answers as her lifeless body was found before she could even ask her questions.
Molly, the owner of Star's Landing, the coffee shop, had sleuthing to do with the stranger's circumstance, as well as the weird behavior of her best friend.
I find this story intriguing and wondering the possible motives of why the visitor was murdered. A good story!
I was provided with a copy of the book by the author, this review is my honest opinion, given voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Murder at the Water's Edge is a Superb story and series about Molly McBeal a Cafe Owner and her very special clever dog Star and her Psychic Friend Joan. A customer comes to the Cafe linked to Joan's past.
Unfortunately the customer is then found dead on the beach. Chief Shire comes to investigate. Molly with Star start to investigate after the customers father turns up looking for answers. But they find there are many secrets related to the past.
Can they uncover all the clues and discover the truth?
I enjoyed reading this story very much and I highly recommend that you read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Unfortunately the customer is then found dead on the beach. Chief Shire comes to investigate. Molly with Star start to investigate after the customers father turns up looking for answers. But they find there are many secrets related to the past.
Can they uncover all the clues and discover the truth?
I enjoyed reading this story very much and I highly recommend that you read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Frustrating Protagonist Spoilers a Great Mystery<./b>
The setup for this book was great—a cold case involving a judge's ruling and a daughter seeking justice—but the protagonist, Molly, made it a difficult read. She is incredibly pushy and entitled, acting like she has legal authority to interrogate people.
Whether she’s bullying people for being "evasive" or forcing her dog into a private home against the owner's wishes, her behavior felt rude rather than heroic. I also found the dog’s "super-canine" abilities too unrealistic to stay immersed in the story. I’m a character-driven reader, and I just couldn't root for Molly.
I received this book as an ARC and this is my honest review.
The setup for this book was great—a cold case involving a judge's ruling and a daughter seeking justice—but the protagonist, Molly, made it a difficult read. She is incredibly pushy and entitled, acting like she has legal authority to interrogate people.
Whether she’s bullying people for being "evasive" or forcing her dog into a private home against the owner's wishes, her behavior felt rude rather than heroic. I also found the dog’s "super-canine" abilities too unrealistic to stay immersed in the story. I’m a character-driven reader, and I just couldn't root for Molly.
I received this book as an ARC and this is my honest review.
May 10, 2026
I enjoyed this small town cozy mystery with diverse characters who make you feel like you’d be glad to have them as friends. Something is not quite right with Joan and her friends stay by her side until she’s ready to divulge what’s going on. Twenty years of secrets finally come to light and the people involved finally get to hear the truth and get a resolution for all the pain that was caused. I felt that this was a suspenseful story with Star the best dog - detective dog ever. She should be on the police’s payroll and I could’ve used more Finn in this book also but that’s just me.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is the first book I've read by this author. I have never read any of the other books in this series. I will not read another one either. Let me tell you why.
1. This is about a murder that happened to a woman who had gone to a judge to file a restraining order that was denied. It was denied on the basis of a clerk who said the petition was incomplete. Then the denial was covered up. We are never, in the whole story, told why this cover up occured. The whole book, all told, never explained the reason for the cover up.
2. There was so much unnecessary wordage that the book could've been told in half the length that it actually was.
3. The dogs eyes turning colors. One color meant this, one color meant that. And the word 'azure'.....omg if I never hear that word again in my life, it'll be too soon.
4. This is not the first book in this series, so I can only imagine that, if this one is this bad, the others can't possibly be any better.
5. The dog and it's nose pressing. . This was as overused as the word azure was. Give me a break.
I cannot in good conscience recommend this book to anyone.
I received an ARC of this story and am leaving my voluntary review.
1. This is about a murder that happened to a woman who had gone to a judge to file a restraining order that was denied. It was denied on the basis of a clerk who said the petition was incomplete. Then the denial was covered up. We are never, in the whole story, told why this cover up occured. The whole book, all told, never explained the reason for the cover up.
2. There was so much unnecessary wordage that the book could've been told in half the length that it actually was.
3. The dogs eyes turning colors. One color meant this, one color meant that. And the word 'azure'.....omg if I never hear that word again in my life, it'll be too soon.
4. This is not the first book in this series, so I can only imagine that, if this one is this bad, the others can't possibly be any better.
5. The dog and it's nose pressing. . This was as overused as the word azure was. Give me a break.
I cannot in good conscience recommend this book to anyone.
I received an ARC of this story and am leaving my voluntary review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Another edition from the Molly McBeal and Star series that brings the past into the present. I love the characters in this series, those who frequent the star's Landing Cafe are the most wonderful. Gruff and his cat Barnacle would live in everyone's world. The stories are exciting and suspenseful; they are an easy read. I recommend this book and the series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 23, 2026
This is another great story from Maple Quinn with Molly McBeal & Star, her awesome mini Aussiedoodle with eyes that change color. Molly has the Star’s Landing coffee shop Blue Heron Bay where the knitting circle and other locals like Gruff & Barnacle the cat like to meet. Molly sorts through the twists & turns to solve an old mystery; BTW, the map at the start of the book was a nice touch. I received this great cozy mystery as an ARC from Book Sprout & am leaving an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Great Cozy Mystery book. Wonderful characters and beautiful book cover. An adorable, sluething and magical doggie named Star. Inviting story of unsolved murders and revealing the truth for their final justice. Strong lifelong friendships being tested, and a well deserved happy ending. I look forward to reading more books from Maple Quinn
May 19, 2026
Easy to read
I have read all the books in the series. They provide me with new characters and places that I need at this time. I recommend them to my book reading friends as a change from all the heavy reading we get caught up in. I can picture Molly and Star in my mind, as well as the town. Thank you for these easy to read books!
I have read all the books in the series. They provide me with new characters and places that I need at this time. I recommend them to my book reading friends as a change from all the heavy reading we get caught up in. I can picture Molly and Star in my mind, as well as the town. Thank you for these easy to read books!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews