What do you think?
Rate this book
Penelope Covens Mystery #1
The Sun Also Bites
A vampire walks into a retirement community. Someone's already dead.
The dead man had a clean bill of health. Three weeks earlier, he'd had a pool bar confrontation in front of the whole community. That was all it took.
Penelope Covens has one never stay long enough to be remembered. Eighty years of packed suitcases, scrubbed apartments, carefully unremarkable cars. The next city was already mapped when Frankie called—family, the way his mother was family—asking her to come to Palm Springs. Now.
By the time Penny arrived at Crimson Canyon Estates, the community had already decided. No police. No charges. Just cancelled card nights and an HOA review with Frankie's name written between every line.
Penny has walked into harder rooms than a Palm Springs retirement community. She's cleared people before, in places where the stakes were measured in wars. But she's never investigated a gated community where every resident is armed with a casserole dish and an opinion.
Can Penny clear her oldest friend before the community turns its quiet, polite attention on her? Or has she finally walked into the one place she can't afford to leave?
Pick up THE SUN ALSO BITES and step inside the gates.
The dead man had a clean bill of health. Three weeks earlier, he'd had a pool bar confrontation in front of the whole community. That was all it took.
Penelope Covens has one never stay long enough to be remembered. Eighty years of packed suitcases, scrubbed apartments, carefully unremarkable cars. The next city was already mapped when Frankie called—family, the way his mother was family—asking her to come to Palm Springs. Now.
By the time Penny arrived at Crimson Canyon Estates, the community had already decided. No police. No charges. Just cancelled card nights and an HOA review with Frankie's name written between every line.
Penny has walked into harder rooms than a Palm Springs retirement community. She's cleared people before, in places where the stakes were measured in wars. But she's never investigated a gated community where every resident is armed with a casserole dish and an opinion.
Can Penny clear her oldest friend before the community turns its quiet, polite attention on her? Or has she finally walked into the one place she can't afford to leave?
Pick up THE SUN ALSO BITES and step inside the gates.
186 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 21, 2026
About the author
Isabel Campbell
71 books28 followersLibrarian Note: There are multiple authors by this name in the Goodreads database. This profile may contain works from multiple authors.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 3, 2026
A bit confused why we needed the main character to be a vampire but overall a fun mystery in a unique setting. The desert retirement community members, particularly Frankie and Martin as supporting characters, are great! Penelope is a bit of a cipher of a main character. A fun book rec from Darlene, thanks!
June 26, 2026
cozy mystery in a desert retirement community
It’s official. I’m an Isabel Campbell fan. I just like all the series I’ve read, especially The Chimera Agent and House of Grey. The connected characters are great. Here you get a sense of home and appreciation for quirky elderly folk, all with different histories, personalities, pittfalls. I can’t wait for this series to continue. Frankie and Martin as supporting characters are amazing. Penelope has an air of mystery and perplexes people.
Growing up in the desert I so appreciate the approach to shade and sunlight- where it shines at what times of day, sticking to the shade, etc.
Definitely looking forward to the next book.
It’s official. I’m an Isabel Campbell fan. I just like all the series I’ve read, especially The Chimera Agent and House of Grey. The connected characters are great. Here you get a sense of home and appreciation for quirky elderly folk, all with different histories, personalities, pittfalls. I can’t wait for this series to continue. Frankie and Martin as supporting characters are amazing. Penelope has an air of mystery and perplexes people.
Growing up in the desert I so appreciate the approach to shade and sunlight- where it shines at what times of day, sticking to the shade, etc.
Definitely looking forward to the next book.
June 30, 2026
Really good!
This is set in a retirement community that would be my worst nightmare. However, the author makes it interesting and fun. Great characters, a fascinating take on the problems of being a vampire, humor and - again - great characters. I tore through this in a day, and the second book is just as good.
This is set in a retirement community that would be my worst nightmare. However, the author makes it interesting and fun. Great characters, a fascinating take on the problems of being a vampire, humor and - again - great characters. I tore through this in a day, and the second book is just as good.
June 25, 2026
Excellent read
I don't normally write reviews, I give whatever stars grab me. This book is very well written and I really enjoyed the characters and the leads delight in them. Highly recommend
I don't normally write reviews, I give whatever stars grab me. This book is very well written and I really enjoyed the characters and the leads delight in them. Highly recommend
May 24, 2026
i always love everything that Isabel writes, it's always perfect, the characters are wonderful.
Penelope is absolutely brilliant, can't wait to read the next book in the series. I want to read more about her history and how things will develop next...
Thank you so much Isabel
Penelope is absolutely brilliant, can't wait to read the next book in the series. I want to read more about her history and how things will develop next...
Thank you so much Isabel
July 25, 2026
This was quite sweet actually. Not at all what I was expecting. The Vampire portion of the story was pretty much third string in importance. It was barely referenced besides sun avoidance and 2 notations about drinking some blood from a bag.
Penny/Penelope arrives at a 55+ community after a call from an old (dead) friend's son (Frankie) - who lives in the community. She has been living as a vampire for 80 years and basically moving from town to town with one suitcase about every 3 years. A very sad life. Frankie knows what she is. He asks her to come and investigate a death in the community to prove Frankie was not involved.
She comes to enjoy the people in the community and the slower pace with people who are trying to live their lives their way, despite previous tragedies or loss. Very little is provided about her previous life. A past relationship is mentioned that has the potential for being more at a later day. It was hard to tell if the person who turned her was a friend, lover, or stranger based on the information provided. I'll read book 2.
Penny/Penelope arrives at a 55+ community after a call from an old (dead) friend's son (Frankie) - who lives in the community. She has been living as a vampire for 80 years and basically moving from town to town with one suitcase about every 3 years. A very sad life. Frankie knows what she is. He asks her to come and investigate a death in the community to prove Frankie was not involved.
She comes to enjoy the people in the community and the slower pace with people who are trying to live their lives their way, despite previous tragedies or loss. Very little is provided about her previous life. A past relationship is mentioned that has the potential for being more at a later day. It was hard to tell if the person who turned her was a friend, lover, or stranger based on the information provided. I'll read book 2.
May 27, 2026
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but I was pleasantly surprised with what I got. The main character originally comes across as a bland, almost emotionless sort of woman. Moving, yet again, when a phone call changes everything. Now she's off to help the son of an old friend, and dodging the California sun as she uses her ability to read people and situations to help get Frankie out a jam. Loved the characters, especially the sunlight adverse Penny, Frankie and his partner Martin, then there is Sal and Dom (BFFs) and all the other quirky people that we meet at the Retirement Village. Can't wait to see what happens in the next instalment. I mean, a vampire in the Coachella Valley... what could go wrong?
4 stars
4 stars
July 9, 2026
I kept hoping to the end that this would get more interesting. It's a short book that didn't go anywhere with a very anticlimactic ending.
There were parts I liked. I liked that Penelope is very good at looking at the bright side and giving people the benefit of the doubt. Maybe that is because she is an 80+ year old vampire who looks 27.
I honestly thought I was enjoying the slower pace after reading a ton of action-packed books recently, but then the book just ended in the most boring way possible.
As far as I could tell, being a vampire is totally secondary to the story. I don't know that I would even count this after urban fantasy because the fantasy element was completely unnecessary.
There were a bunch of editing mistakes, too, and that gets distracting after a while.
There were parts I liked. I liked that Penelope is very good at looking at the bright side and giving people the benefit of the doubt. Maybe that is because she is an 80+ year old vampire who looks 27.
I honestly thought I was enjoying the slower pace after reading a ton of action-packed books recently, but then the book just ended in the most boring way possible.
As far as I could tell, being a vampire is totally secondary to the story. I don't know that I would even count this after urban fantasy because the fantasy element was completely unnecessary.
There were a bunch of editing mistakes, too, and that gets distracting after a while.
June 7, 2026
Neat concept
Frankie needs help with a mystery at his HOA and calls his aunt Penny to come straighten it out, however Penny is not your usual aunt. When she arrives, the community realizes there is something off about her, but can't put their finger on it as she slowly starts to unravel the mystery. I really like the concept of this series, the characters and the way they interact, and a storyline that makes it definitely worth reading. I am looking forward to the next book for another mystery and to learn more about Penny, her friends, and the new community she is starting to be a part of.
Frankie needs help with a mystery at his HOA and calls his aunt Penny to come straighten it out, however Penny is not your usual aunt. When she arrives, the community realizes there is something off about her, but can't put their finger on it as she slowly starts to unravel the mystery. I really like the concept of this series, the characters and the way they interact, and a storyline that makes it definitely worth reading. I am looking forward to the next book for another mystery and to learn more about Penny, her friends, and the new community she is starting to be a part of.
July 19, 2026
Penelope Covens is a vampire and hiding in plain sight- has spent her life erasing her presence and moving repeatedly. When Frankie calls her begging for her, she heads to California to help her adopted nephew, to clear his name.
Penny arrives and immediately sets to work to help him clear his name from murder in his retirement community. His partner offers support and love, while Penny uses her decades of espionage work back in World War II to find the villain.
Through an elaborate process of elimination of potential community suspects, Penny does find the villain and it is a shocker when revealed and the novel’s conclusion is a substantial surprise and an absolutely worthwhile read
Penny arrives and immediately sets to work to help him clear his name from murder in his retirement community. His partner offers support and love, while Penny uses her decades of espionage work back in World War II to find the villain.
Through an elaborate process of elimination of potential community suspects, Penny does find the villain and it is a shocker when revealed and the novel’s conclusion is a substantial surprise and an absolutely worthwhile read
May 25, 2026
good
This book was kind of fun and a little goofy. I felt bad for Penelope because being a vampire she doesn’t stay in one place very often because she doesn’t like making friends. Penny did make a friend with a child and she is known as aunt Penny. Now she is going to a retirement community in Palm Springs to help out Frankie.
This book was kind of fun and a little goofy. I felt bad for Penelope because being a vampire she doesn’t stay in one place very often because she doesn’t like making friends. Penny did make a friend with a child and she is known as aunt Penny. Now she is going to a retirement community in Palm Springs to help out Frankie.
August 13, 2026
Great Cozy Mystery
Don't get hung up on the vampire part. Yes, the main female character is a vampire, and it plays into the story, it isn't the whole storyline. Great interaction between characters with enough info to keep one interested, but not too much to get lost on the little details.
Don't get hung up on the vampire part. Yes, the main female character is a vampire, and it plays into the story, it isn't the whole storyline. Great interaction between characters with enough info to keep one interested, but not too much to get lost on the little details.
May 25, 2026
An excellent short story for the summer.
June 7, 2026
An extremely interesting take on a vampire story. Well worth a read.
July 18, 2026
Totally enjoyed it! This is a well written and has well developed characters. The story is catching and with the strong characters makes for a very enjoyable read. Great Reading Everyone!
August 25, 2026
A good quick read
It was very good quick witty and I shed a tear or maybe two. Can not wait to find out what awaits Penelope in her adventures.
It was very good quick witty and I shed a tear or maybe two. Can not wait to find out what awaits Penelope in her adventures.
November 6, 2026
Cute Book
This book held my attention from the first page. It was very well written, humorous, character driven, and fun to read.
This book held my attention from the first page. It was very well written, humorous, character driven, and fun to read.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews