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Death by Downward Dog: A Hilarious Feel-Good Cozy Mystery
A peaceful yoga retreat. A rushed ambulance. And a meditation session that ends at the morgue.
On San Malvino, a secluded wellness retreat is supposed to be a place to unplug and find inner peace. But the tranquil routine comes to a screeching halt when a woman fails to wake up from a deep, guided morning meditation. Assuming a sudden medical emergency, the panicked staff rushes her to San Malvino General.
The tragic health scare turns into a homicide investigation the moment she is pronounced dead on arrival. Dr. Rubio down in the morgue immediately suspects foul play. But the scene of the crime offers no easy answers. The woman was murdered in a room full of enlightened yogis, and every single one of them swears they didn't see a thing.
The zen atmosphere crashes and burns when Mendoza locks down the retreat to interrogate a suspect pool claiming their eyes were closed the entire time. It's up to Reg, Alex, and Bombay to look past the spiritual facade and figure out how a killer struck in a crowded room without making a sound.
Welcome to San Malvino. Remember to breathe.
On San Malvino, a secluded wellness retreat is supposed to be a place to unplug and find inner peace. But the tranquil routine comes to a screeching halt when a woman fails to wake up from a deep, guided morning meditation. Assuming a sudden medical emergency, the panicked staff rushes her to San Malvino General.
The tragic health scare turns into a homicide investigation the moment she is pronounced dead on arrival. Dr. Rubio down in the morgue immediately suspects foul play. But the scene of the crime offers no easy answers. The woman was murdered in a room full of enlightened yogis, and every single one of them swears they didn't see a thing.
The zen atmosphere crashes and burns when Mendoza locks down the retreat to interrogate a suspect pool claiming their eyes were closed the entire time. It's up to Reg, Alex, and Bombay to look past the spiritual facade and figure out how a killer struck in a crowded room without making a sound.
Welcome to San Malvino. Remember to breathe.
74 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 18, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 25, 2026
When our island-dwelling friends thought they were gonna have a nice lazy Saturday spent at the cruise ship market, Angela got a call from Crane which was weird to begin with since she always calls him. But yeah, the start of a new murder mystery and a locked room one at that at a retreat that had a digital detox going on.
The great lines from our fave characters were flying fast and furious from Gary talking about his safari suit market buy to Rafa and Reg’s takes on the whole ridiculously expensive retreat. I loved Angela’s confrontation with the killer once she had everything lined up. The very end at the porch was pretty awesome too and I can never wait for the next book to roll out. I’ll never get tired of these amazing characters.
The great lines from our fave characters were flying fast and furious from Gary talking about his safari suit market buy to Rafa and Reg’s takes on the whole ridiculously expensive retreat. I loved Angela’s confrontation with the killer once she had everything lined up. The very end at the porch was pretty awesome too and I can never wait for the next book to roll out. I’ll never get tired of these amazing characters.
August 19, 2026
The gang are all out perusing the stalls at the annual cruise ship market, when Mendoza gets an urgent call from the morgue. In there, she finds a woman that's died from an opioid overdose through her eyelids - a very bizarre way to die. The victim was at a billionaires' yoga retreat in the forest, so Mendoza and the team head up there to investigate.
This was great. I loved all the twists in this one, and I always enjoy a mystery like this where the characters are cut off from electricity in some form, so they can only use their brains and conversations to figure everything out. I think it was really cleverly done.
This was great. I loved all the twists in this one, and I always enjoy a mystery like this where the characters are cut off from electricity in some form, so they can only use their brains and conversations to figure everything out. I think it was really cleverly done.
September 13, 2026
Strange murder weapon
Mendoza gets a call from Crane to come to the hospital he has a dead woman with a strange cause of death. Th woman was poisoned through her eyelids with an opiate at a wellness retreat. Rafa, Alex and Reg join Mendoza and go to the retreat location to figure out what happened. They find there are five attendees, the Guru, the chef, massage therapist, assistant to the guru. They need to find the drugs used to kill the victim and who wanted her dead and they have to do it without the help of technology, they are in a dead zone. The guru has a jamm.er in use so that the clients have to concentrate on serenity and wellness. Really good story.
Mendoza gets a call from Crane to come to the hospital he has a dead woman with a strange cause of death. Th woman was poisoned through her eyelids with an opiate at a wellness retreat. Rafa, Alex and Reg join Mendoza and go to the retreat location to figure out what happened. They find there are five attendees, the Guru, the chef, massage therapist, assistant to the guru. They need to find the drugs used to kill the victim and who wanted her dead and they have to do it without the help of technology, they are in a dead zone. The guru has a jamm.er in use so that the clients have to concentrate on serenity and wellness. Really good story.
August 18, 2026
A fun new twist
The one thing I love about these Novelas is that each one is unique and different. Tess Marlowe is excellent at keeping the plots fresh and something new or fun with each personality. My only complaint is that there doesn’t seem to be as much activity with Bombay lately, and I adore the interaction of the dog with the people.
The one thing I love about these Novelas is that each one is unique and different. Tess Marlowe is excellent at keeping the plots fresh and something new or fun with each personality. My only complaint is that there doesn’t seem to be as much activity with Bombay lately, and I adore the interaction of the dog with the people.
August 18, 2026
Great Read
This series is absolutely delightful. Quick, easy, and relaxing to read. I love the quirky characters, tropical scenery details, and especially Bombay! There is always surprising plot twists that keeps my interest. I'm looking forward to the next book!
This series is absolutely delightful. Quick, easy, and relaxing to read. I love the quirky characters, tropical scenery details, and especially Bombay! There is always surprising plot twists that keeps my interest. I'm looking forward to the next book!
August 20, 2026
This is a good one!
Usually I have an idea about who the guilty party is, but not this one. Great story, great characters, as always. Can’t wait to read the next book. I recommend this series to anyone who likes a short, lighthearted read.
Usually I have an idea about who the guilty party is, but not this one. Great story, great characters, as always. Can’t wait to read the next book. I recommend this series to anyone who likes a short, lighthearted read.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews