Fall, Football & a Fatality: A Totally Unputdownable Cozy Mystery

by Hope Quinn

Pumpkin spice coffee was on the menu. Poison definitely wasn’t.

Stella Ray has pumpkin bread cooling at the Blue Spruce Café, gallons of coffee ready for the Friday night football game, and her American Bulldog, Rex, supposedly under control. By halftime, Rex has charged through the marching band, the Wildcats are losing, and referee Ed Verrell has managed to anger half the stadium.

Then Ed doesn’t return to the field. He’s found dead.

The list of people who might have wanted him dead grows quickly. Coach Mercer had questioned Ed’s calls for years. Rick Lewis believed one of those calls stole his son’s future. Gordon Price is hiding trouble inside the booster club books.

Chief Detective Ben Morgan warns Stella to let him handle the case. That becomes difficult when someone falsely claims Stella tampered with Ed’s coffee. With Rex fixated on a mysterious piece of “trash” from halftime, she has reason to ask questions.

Then Stella discovers the murderer is waiting for her inside the one place she has always felt safe…her café.

447 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 5, 2026

Reviews

[Samantha · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

Fall, Football & A Fatality: A Totally Unputdownable Cozy Mystery is the ninth book in the series by Hope Quinn. It is a cozy mystery that will make you laugh, while trying to solve a case involving money, blackmail and murder. Stella and her dog Rex are back, and ready to solve another mystery that only gets more complicated as time passes. Stella and Rex are serving up coffee, her specialty pumpkin spice coffee and pumpkin bread at the local Friday night football game. It's an ordinary night until Ed Verrell, a referee for the game goes missing and is found dead after drinking a cup of her specialty pumpkin spice coffee he bought from Stella. Suspicion is soon on Stella and her coffee and for a brief moment no one wants to order the pumpkin spice coffee believing it's poisonous. Stella along with her friends Maude, Cara, Rose, and Richard, and police chief Ben work to solve the murder which seems like half the town is a suspect.

Fall is definitely in the air in this new book from Hope Quinn. What better than football, pumpkin spice coffee, freshly baked goods to get you in the mood for fall weather that is until murder occurs. I absolutely loved this book and how the bulldog Rex seemed to be part of the team. He definitely knew who to go to in order to get treats and praise. I found myself laughing and finding the conversations between Stella and Rex to be funny. I loved how the characters interacted and each one has their own personalities, and brings something different to the investigation. There definitely was no lack of suspects in this book and the team has their work cut out for them. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a cozy mystery that will keep you hooked from the beginning. The fact that it has fall vibes and it came out during the fall was perfect timing.

I received this book from Hope Quinn and writing a review of my own personal opinions and thoughts.

[Merry Chapman · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

This book is another great addition to the Stella Ray and Rex cozy mystery series that keeps you turning pages until the end. The town is holding a football fundraising event and Café owner, Stella Ray are offering her wonderful Fall drinks and pastry. No one usually likes the refs in a football game when the calls seem to go one way, but usually no one kills a ref because of that. That is until this fundraiser when a much disliked ref is found dead. With her friends, Rex and Stella, despite Detective Ben Morgan's warning to stay out of it, decide to investigate, especially since some whispers are blaming Stella's drink. Can they find the murderer? There seem to be many potential suspects. With so many twists and turns, that keep you guessing until the end! Not only do I highly recommend this book, but I also highly recommend the entire series. I received an ARC of this book but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

[GinaB. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fall Football & a Fatality is the fifth book I’ve enjoyed reading from the Stella Ray & Rex cozy mystery series. In this book, Stella’s supporting the football fundraiser in Willowberry. Her Blue Spruce Cafe offers coffee & pastries everyone gobbles up. When a referee no one likes is found dead with a cup of her pumpkin spice coffee, she’s accused of poisoning it to kill him. Stella knows she’s not the reason he died since everyone else who ate her pastries & drank her coffee is fine. Stella, Rex & the fun crew (Cara, Rose, Maude & Richard) help her go through the suspects and twists & turns to help her boyfriend, Police Chief Ben, solve the whodunnit. I like the humor in this series & look forward to the next book to see what they get into. I got this great cozy mystery from Book Sprout & this is my review.

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another great Stella and Rex story. This time Stella's cafe is doing the coffee and pastries for football game. Pumpkin spice, regular, and hot chocolate. Most of the people that came to her table added extra money as they were doing it to benefit the athletic department. The one guy that acted like he was special was the ref for the game. He took his coffee, complained, and went to yell at a line judge. Sometime while he was doing the yelling someone put something in his coffee. He drank it and didn't survive. Ben, the sheriff, and Stella and the group from the Spruce cafe, starting looking into who might have wanted the ref dead. Seems like half the town! It took a lot of work but the suspect was found and life goes on.
I received an arc and this is my review.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book definitely makes me feel like fall is in the air and it actually is since it’s now October. I found this cozy mystery to be suspenseful and enjoyed the characters in the story. A man is found dead at a football game and Stella Ray and Rex are on the case even though Detective Ben doesn’t want her to be. Someone spoke to the police and gave false information implicating Stella Ray in the murder insinuating that she poisoned his pumpkin spice coffee. So of course she needs to clear her name and find the murderer before they strike again. I really enjoy mysteries with a female sleuth along with a smart furry companion.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mrs K.Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fall, Football & a Fatality is a Superb story and series about Stella Ray a Cafe Owner and her very clever dog Rex. The town is holding a fundraising football event and Stella was providing drinks. During the match an Official is found dead and Detective Ben Morgan comes to investigate. Stella, Rex with Cara her Cousin and Jounalist, Rose Cafe Assistant, Maude a Historian and Richard work together to look for pieces of this puzzle.
But what will be uncovered in their search for the truth?
I enjoyed reading this story very much and I highly recommend that you read this story and series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[MK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Quinn grabs with her cozy mystery’s. This one was truly great. The characters are great.
The coffee is always flowing, and Rex is up to something. A new murder is a foot, and Stella is in the middle of it. Everyone is pointing the finger at her.
Of course Chief Detective Ben Morgan tries to tell her to stay out of it, but it never works. She sleuths until she gets to the bottom of it.
A must read.

[Teri Ruscak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hope Quinn
Fall, Football & a Fatality: A Totally Unputdownable Cozy Mystery (Stella Ray & Rex Cozy Mysteries)
Stella and Rex
Hope Quinn pens a cozy mystery where the coffee is always flowing, the pumpkin bread is cooling before being cut, and Stella has a murder to solve.
The book was great, I love her writing style. It just flows. I recommend the book to fellow cozy mystery lovers.

[Bec Bichard Kidd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a great small town mystery! I love how the author used comedic jabs in the character's conversations. There were many times I could see myself being in their place & saying what they were saying. Sitting & reading when I would suddenly laugh... my husband thought I'd lost my mind. It was great!