Dead and Breakfast

Cayo Hueso Mystery #1

by Kimberly G. Giarratano

Despite living in Key West his whole life, 18-year-old Liam Breyer is a skeptic of the supernatural until a vengeful spirit, murdered fifty years ago, nearly drowns him in a swimming pool. Luckily help arrives in the form of pretty — albeit homesick — ghost whisperer Autumn Abernathy, whose newly-divorced mom has dragged her to the island to live and work at the Cayo Hueso, a haunted bed and breakfast.

Although they initially mistrust each other, Autumn and Liam team up to solve the decades-old mystery. But on an island where every third resident is a ghost, dealing with an unstable spirit has deadly consequences. If Liam and Autumn don’t unmask the killer soon, they’re likely to become Key West’s latest haunted attraction.

Genres: Mystery, Paranormal, Young Adult, Ghosts, Cozy Mystery

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 22, 2016

About the author

Kimberly Giarratano is an author of mysteries for teens and adults. Her debut novel, Grunge Gods and Graveyards, won the 2015 Silver Falchion Award for Best YA at Killer Nashville. A former librarian, she is currently an instructor at a SUNY Orange County and the chapter liaison for Sisters in Crime. Born in New York and raised in New Jersey, Kim and her husband moved to the Poconos to raise their three kids amid black bears and wild turkeys. While she doesn’t miss the Jersey traffic, she does miss a good bagel and lox.

Reviews

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dead and Breakfast (Cayo Hueso Mystery #1) by Kimberly G. Giarratano is a great murder mystery/ghost story. The murder happened 50 yrs prior but it wasn't until Autumn shows up that she starts seeing things others don't. A great ghost story full of suspense, a love story, and LOTS of twists and turns. Good story and characters.

[Stephen Kozeniewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kimberly Giarratano is a national treasure. From a technical standpoint, she's easily the most talented writer of her generation. When she blows up, it's going to be big, and seemingly sudden, but you reading this and me writing it are going to have known all along, and laugh at all the johnny-come-latelies.

With DEAD AND BREAKFAST, Giarratano revisits all the themes in her toolbox: ghostly politics, teen angst, and cold case mysteries. In her earlier meditation on these subjects, GRUNGE GODS AND GRAVEYARDS, Giarratano heaped a soap opera season's worth of abuse on her main character, which led to more teenaged disaffectation than Creation's entire discography. Rather than a single protagonist, though, DEAD AND BREAKFAST features a dramaturgical dyad in teen soon-to-be-lovers (sorry not sorry about the not a spoiler alert) Autumn Abernathy and Liam Brayer. There's about the same amount of misery as in Giarratano's earlier work, but it gets spread around a bit more, so it feels less oppressive than poor, lone Lainey's woes.

Giarratano also switches up the cold, Nowheresville, Pennsylvania setting of GRUNGE GODS for the balmy, white trash-littered shores of Key West, Florida, to fascinating effect. I suppose I should stop comparing the two books if you've come in cold to find out whether to pick up this one, but they really are of a piece. They beg for comparison. But where they depart superficially from each other, what they share is Giarratano's skillful ability to weave a spiderweb of interlocking mysteries, characters so real they practically breathe, an almost preternatural understanding of the teenaged psyche, and a seemingly in-born skill with prose that's enough to make any other author weep. Not that I would ever admit to any such weakness on my own part.

Buy this book, no matter the price, and then buy all of her others. I don't blow smoke about books, and I don't fall in love with writing easily (especially in a genre as far outside my normal wheelhouse as Young Adult mystery.) Trust me, you need to be reading this author before everybody else is, if for no other reason than to upset hipsters at your local watering hole later in life.

[Devin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a while since I've published a book review -- about five and a half months. I've been in a bit of an unannounced hiatus mixed with a large reading slump, so I've been taking a break from book blogging to focus on other things. While I'm still not done with my break, I was recently asked by Kimberly Giarratano if I wanted to review her new YA mystery Dead and Breakfast. Seeing how much I loved her book Grunge Gods and Graveyards as well as her One Night Is All You Need short story, it was a no brainer that I'd be open to doing it! I still need to get around to reading The Lady In Blue by her, but I'll get to that some other time...

If it isn't obvious already, Kimberly loves to write young adult stories involving the paranormal. Dead and Breakfast, as you might be able to interpret from the title, is no different. Just like her other stories this one is also all about the paranormal, plus just like One Night Is All You Need the story takes place in Florida, albeit with different characters.

The story opens with 18 year old Liam, a Key West native, cleaning the water of the pool at Cayo Hueso, a bed and breakfast that's haunted. Liam, however, doesn't believe in ghosts. Even when attacked and nearly drowned in the pool by a spirit, he still refuses to believe and chalks it up to being attacked by a cat.

There is also Autumn, a ghost whisperer, who is Liam's age. She's been living at Cayo Hueso with her mom now that her parents are divorced and her mother moved to Key West from New Jersey. She hates it down south until her mother hires Liam to temporarily work at the Cayo Hueso, when her general attitude towards life changes. She's less bitter towards her mother for turning her life upside down now that she's fallen for Liam, and she no longer yearns to go back home to Jersey - she just wants to be with him.

Cayo Hueso is failing to turn a profit, however,and Autumn's mother is sinking everything she's got into it to keep it afloat - including Autumn's college funds. Naturally this infuriates Autumn, however, she comes up with a plan: she can investigate the ghost that's trying to harm Liam and solve a decade old mystery, write about it, and hopefully win a big college scholarship to make up for the money she no longer has.

Dealing with the paranormal is definitely no easy task, and the fact that the spirit is unstable makes it all the more difficult. Will the two be able to solve the mystery of who's haunting Liam and why?

 

Just like Kimberly's previous books that I've read, this one is also another page turner. The pacing is perfect, as it never feels sluggish or like the story is being rushed. This book isn't quite as thrilling or as exhilarating as I tend to like my mysteries to be, but I'm being a little picky with saying that because not every book can be that way, plus it's not a bad thing since the book still keeps you hooked and continuously turning the pages to find out what happens next.

Just like with Kimberly's novel Grunge Gods and Graveyards there is some romance between the two main characters. I didn't feel it was completely necessary to include in this story, but at the same time it is kind of expected that sparks will fly between two teenagers who just met and are going through some rough times. Dead and Breakfast doesn't mull over the romantic connection, however, it's only a little side thing included in the story while Liam and Autumn work to solve the mystery at hand, which is how I prefer romance be handled in most cases. Most guys aren't exactly big on reading excessive romance. There's no sex scenes or anything like that, in fact with the exception of only 3-5 swear words the book is completely clean.

There's also something I love about the ending of certain books: when the author choses the perfect combination of words for the final sentence. It's what I think of as the perfect closing line to a story. Kimberly totally nailed that final sentence with this story, so props to her on ending it so well.

To summarize the above, yes, this is most certainly a book you want to check out if you enjoy young adult mysteries! Based on the fact that "A Cayo Hueso Mystery" is in the book's title you probably assume that this is going to be a series, and you're right! It sounds like there will be at least two more books in the series, so I'm definitely looking forward to those. Kimberly G. Giarratano is definitely an author you want to keep on your book radar.

Note: I received a eARC from the author in exchange for a review. You can find more book reviews like this one on DevinsBookHub.com.

[JillJYA · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm very fussy about my mysteries. They have to be "fair play" - the author has to give us enough clues to figure out the solution. At the same time, though, the clues can't be too obvious - that would be too easy! And I need to feel connected to the setting, the characters, and any sub-plots running parallel to the mystery. Some humor and romance couldn't hurt either.

That's why I loved Kimberly G. Giarratano's latest YA mystery, DEAD AND BREAKFAST. The setting and the characters were the first to grab me: a bed and breakfast in Key West, FL that's populated by almost as many ghosts as guests - plus its reluctant teenage employees and its desperate businesswoman owner.

Liam isn't looking for supernatural trouble - or for love - when he takes a part-time job at Cayo Hueso. Trouble finds him right away, as a vengeful ghost tries to drown him in the hotel pool. Love comes more slowly, in the form of Autumn, the hotel owner's daughter. Autumn is a "universal receiver" who can see and hear all manner of ghosts . . . while Liam is a skeptic.

As Autumn and Liam begin to investigate the ghost's mysterious death, they uncover more than just the answer to this unsolved 1960s crime: family dynamics, future dreams, and friendships all intersect the teens' sleuthing. Add a series of flashbacks to the 1960s, a gay teen with a bold sense of fashion, an heirloom ring suspected of being more than it seems, and a smattering of details that might (or might not!) be important, and you've got a mystery that - as a fan of both YA lit and fair-play mysteries - I was delighted to read. More Cayo Hueso stories please!

[Catherine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dead and Breakfast (Cayo Hueso Mystery #1) by Kimberly G. Giarratano is about a small hotel, the Dead and Breakfast, which is marketed to people who are interested in knowing about its haunted past. Autumn Abernathy and Liam Breyer both work there. Autumn is someone who has become accustomed to the ghosts. She can see and communicate with them. However, it's Liam's first day and, unfortunately for him, one of the ghosts has taken a dislike to him. Throughout the book, both teenagers try to uncover the mystery behind this unfriendly apparition. The excerpt on the Kindle Scout website is what first drew me to the book. I liked the introduction of the characters and the welcoming to the Dead and Breakfast. However, much like the events in the plot, things took a turn once I actually began reading past the excerpt after I received my copy. This review is kind of lengthy and opinionated, just to warn you.

Autumn and Liam are the two narrators of the plot and it switches back and forth between them.

Liam isn't the most interesting person on the planet, but he has some good thoughts here and there. The relationship between Liam and Autumn is pretty bad and somewhat cringe worthy. There are a lot of tacky areas where others keep on telling them not to be together; Autumn's mother and Victoria both have problems with it. Though neither have particular reason to be upset with the relationship. For Autumn's mother, it's pretty much just meant to seem like she doesn't want Liam turning out like her own ex-husband, though she's no reason to think it. With Victoria, the only real reason we're given is jealousy; which doesn't make much sense either. It's a fairly typical "love" story and it kind of feels like they're just together because the author has deemed it so. I don't sense much real relationship, or get the feeling that they even like being in each other's company. The most cringe worthy moment is late in the book where, for no reason, there's one of those scenes where the antagonist kisses Liam and then Autumn walks in. I hate those moments in media; it's just a bit where one character is meant to be making another one jealous. However, Autumn was already plenty jealous of her. It's all really generic.

Autumn's parents have recently divorced. Autumn was brought to the Dead and Breakfast by her mother, from where they had lived in New Jersey. Autumn is desperate to return there. She longs for the memories she had there whilst growing up and would love to return to that happy point in life. She's miserable here at the hotel. It definitely shows in the entirety of the story. She's a somewhat hateful person. In the beginning, I understood it as a general dislike for her position. However, later on, I realise that she's just a spiteful person in general. No matter what goes on, there's just so much she dislikes, and she's just so angry all the time. She goes about the place and deliberately antagonises people she dislikes.

There are a few antagonists, but Victoria is pretty much the primary one. She's... Not very original. She's your generic mean girl. Realistically there isn't much reason to hate her, in my opinion, but the author keeps on trying to thrust this opinion on us. Characters keep on implying that Victoria is a terrible person because she's rich and beautiful. Nothing wrong with either but, for some reason, that's cause enough for people to look down on her. So, basically it's just others being jealous of her. Just because she has money and her grandfather is an important person, doesn't mean that we should hate her, despite what the author is trying to imply. Another reason given, in Autumn's case, is that she doesn't like her because she thinks Victoria is entitled. One example, soon after we meet her, is that Victoria asks for Autumn's class notes because of a quiz and Autumn internally mocks her for not doing well in classes. Really, this just makes me look upon Autumn more negatively; she's just bullying someone who's looking for genuine help with school work. I'd like to point out that Victoria didn't actually seem that entitled to me. She hosted a party for her friends. Though it had a cover charge, that money went to charity. She even offered Liam money to help him start a business. Sure, it had strings attached, but at least she was giving him an opportunity. Really, I can sort of see why we're meant to dislike her. There is the basis for demanding and selfish behaviour. However, the majority of situations where she's involved/ mentioned are scenes where Autumn and Liam are bullying her. They make fun of her behind her back, mocking her for not being smart or for her appearance. Things like that. I'd like to comment here that there was some negative behaviour on Victoria's part, such as pushing Autumn in the pool. That's obviously not acceptable, but nor is Autumn and Liam's behaviour. Yes, she does make fun of the hotel for being haunted, but Autumn does it more than Victoria does. Autumn absolutely loathes the place, so why should she care about some random thinking it as haunted. To be honest, Victoria's comments about the place being haunted come off as jokey to me. She comes up and tries talking to Autumn, making conversation. As much as we're meant to see Victoria as a bad person, the behaviour of both Autumn and Liam are worse, in my opinion.

Going back to the "entitled" reason, I'd like to discuss Autumn's character a bit here. It seems to me that that Autumn shows far more feelings of entitlement than Victoria does. That's pretty much the basis for Autumn's entire character. I'll explain: Autumn desperately wants to go back to New Jersey because she misses it there. However, she has no money for college. Plus, she blames her mother for spending money on the Dead and Breakfast- her college fund, in particular- when she feels that she ought to go to college instead. Let me point out that, though it is her college fund, it isn't really her money. It's money that her parents have been putting aside and her mother just happens to feel that it's more important being put towards a business. Autumn has all sorts of complaints about others with this whole New Jersey thing. She blames her father for not being able to accept her back- despite the fact that he has a child on the way, which is a good enough reason for me. She hates her friend for not being able to take her in- which, I'd like to point out, she oughtn't have to; it's not her friend's fault that she's in this position. She complains at her mother for taking them to Florida in the first place. She hates the Dead and Breakfast, and any of the ideas people have to better it. Sure, Victoria might be entitled in Autumn's mind, but Autumn is pretty much the epitome of entitled. She blames everyone else and is pretty ungrateful in general. Autumn shows much more feeling of entitlement than Victoria does.

I'm mystified as to how much Liam and Autumn really hate Victoria. If either of them really hates Victoria so much, they wouldn't have gone to the girl's party. Autumn even comments that Liam probably only did it to annoy Victoria. They essentially both know that they're just going to the girl's party to bother her and try and make her jealous. Even when they get there, there are a lot of complaints from both of them. Autumn, for example, has problems with the house being so big and there being a cover charge (which goes to charity, I'll point out). She's making herself miserable, and trying to make others miserable as well. The party is a particular event. It's pretty much the epitome of all teen movies. We're meant to think that Victoria's cool because she's got a mansion and catering. There's nothing wrong with that, but I don't see why Autumn's meant to be surprised by any of it. Plus, it doesn't make sense that Victoria would just push Autumn in the pool. The author has very little reason for her to do it. None of the conversations with Victoria and her friends make much sense. It's just generic mean girl stuff, but without any point. From what the author implies, Victoria doesn't like Autumn. Well, later scenes make it obvious- where she tries and pays Liam to stay away from Autumn. However, a lot of her behaviour suggests otherwise. If I'm honest, it kind of seems like Victoria is actually trying to befriend Autumn. She often tries to come and talk to her, even asking her about her life. Why would she ask for Autumn's class notes, rather than someone else's? Why would someone who supposedly dislikes Autumn so much VOLUNTARILY come up and talk to them so often?

Autumn is a quite pretentious character. She's desperate to go to college but, for some reason, she's definitely against community college. It seemed odd to me; she was interested in taking a journalism course, but has no experience. Going to take courses at a community college would be great to help her along that path. Yet, for some silly reason, she was quite set against it. Jennifer is her father's girlfriend. The back-story is that the father cheated with Jennifer, Autumn's parents got divorced and now he lives with Jennifer. They're expecting a kid. Apparently Jennifer and Autumn are about the same age. Okay, I get that everyone dislikes her because she's "the other woman", but Autumn has some pretty hateful things to say about her. Again, we're led to hate someone, despite not having the full story. There's probably a LOT more behind the relationship, but the author just has these inane reasons for why we should hate her. Yet, Autumn makes contact with her father several times, wanting to move back into their house, despite hating Jennifer so much. That just makes no sense; she's desperate to move in with a woman that she hates? She just expects everyone else to accommodate her wishes, no matter how difficult or expensive it is for them. Just as long as she's happy...

It's pretty *beeping* obvious that, if you dislike someone, you should probably stay away from them.

The actual mystery and investigation aspect were somewhat generic. Many TV shows and other books I've read have similar plots at times. As for supernatural aspects, I could have probably done without them. I wasn't particularly interested in the actual supernatural happenings; I felt that they could have been better dealt with. For example, the reasoning the author gives for Autumn being able to sense the ghosts isn't very original. It was really reminiscent of things I've seen in some movies and TV, even in genres such as science fiction. I'm reminded, in particular, of an episode of Stargate SG:1 where it was the explanation for certain alien appearances. The primary reason she was looking into the ghost of the ring was for a potential college opportunity. However, after the initial mentions of it, that plotline was sort of dropped. We saw her researching the ghost, yes, but we never really saw her writing any notes or an indication that she was recording this for journalism purposes. If she was planning on using any of the information, she should have been at least making sure to get some evidence of it. The plot in general is alright. However, I think that there are people who don't get a proper introduction and there are a lot of portions that feel missing. For example, the areas where we're meant to hate Victoria and the father's GF. Right now, they aren't there. Some characters get kind of lost. Timothy, for example, is a character where I just seem to miss a lot of information about him and don't really feel like he fits in. The same can be said of the primary mystery aspect. I think, had the author focused a lot less on Victoria, and actually worked to build a better plot, we would have a much more intriguing mystery.

I didn't particularly enjoy any of the characters. To me, the majority are just ordinary people. However, others have behaviour and feelings that don't make sense. For example, the hatred towards Victoria and Jennifer. Autumn is just such a spiteful person and she displays such a poor attitude. Yes, I get that she hated her situation. However, she could have made the best of it. College costs a LOT, so she could have been using community college as a way to build her knowledge, and a part time job to build her funds, before heading to a more expensive place. However, for some reason, she thought that she was above that. Other characters, such as Victoria, just show such weird behaviour. I know that she's just meant to be an antagonist, but the least the author could do is have Victoria's actions make some sense. To me, it just looks like she was just stuck into the book to have someone to hate. As much as I appreciate the free book, I feel like it just needed a lot more work in a variety of aspects. The character behaviour/ opinions are unbelievable and the plot/ mystery aspects are generic. I first nominated it because I thought it was an interesting premise and I liked the author's writing style in the excerpt. The thing I'm primarily disappointed at is that the rest of the novel doesn't follow through with my expectations of an original plot and characters.
Overall, I wish I could rate it higher, but sadly I was very disappointed with it.

I obtained a free copy for nominating the book on Kindle Scout and this is an honest review.

[Abby Bood · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read. Just the right amount of suspense and wonder.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author, Kimberly G. Giarratano, for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I loved Kim's first YA mystery,  Grunge Gods and Graveyards , when I read it last year, so I was pretty excited when she offered me a copy of her new one.

What I liked:

-the mystery. At first, it seemed fairly obvious who the murderer was, but as the story progresses and more clues are unearthed, you start to question whodunnit. Like Kimberly's previous book, everything unfolds in a logical way, so you never feel like the characters know more than you do.

As for the identity of the murderer...the big reveal was handled very well and I liked how everything tied together.

-Timothy. Although he's a secondary character, I liked how sassy and knowledgeable he was. I hope he plays a bigger role in the next book!

-the ghostly possession. I don't want to spoil anything, but Autumn has some pretty cool abilities when it comes to the paranormal.

What I didn't like:

-while I thought Liam and Autumn were cute together, I wasn't completely sold on their relationship. Of course, since this looks like the first book in a series, I'm sure by the next one I'll be hardcore shipping them. But for now, I think I preferred the Lainey/Danny relationship in Grunge Gods.

If you're looking for cozy YA mysteries with a dark edge, keep Kimberly Giarratano on your radar!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I sat down to read the book last night, I had an idea that I might stay up late to finish reading it. Halfway through, I knew I had to. This paranormal mystery had lots of twists and turns along the way, leaving me to suspect the actual murderer, but not certain until the final reveal. The author does a great job setting the scene and developing the characters in several time periods along the way. So many of the situations and comments were so true to life that I had to do a double-take. The ghost at the center of this story spooked me so much that I had to keep reading for the resolution. The pitch black walk across the house to use the restroom after I was done reading was still heart pounding (I'm a wimp).

I love the setup for the next book in the series, it's not a cliffhanger per se, but enough of a tease to keep me thinking about the characters even in the light of day. Another great story by Kimberly Giarratano, suitable for YA or adults that may or may not have been traumatized by Christopher Pike novels in middle school.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seventeen year old Autumn and her mom relocate from New Jersey to Key West, Florida, following her parents’ divorce. A fish out of water and a sensitive to boot, Autumn is truly unhappy living in the haunted inn and an outsider at her new school.

Her perspective changes when she meets a local boy named Liam Breyer. One of the ghosts at the inn tries to kill Liam, which leads Autumn and Liam to investigate an unsolved murder that’s decades old.

A YA novel set in Key West with a paranormal twist. Chock full of teen angst and written in a breezy, easy-to-read style. My fav character? Katie the ghost. Another fun read from Kindle Scout!

Maggie Toussaint and Rigel Carson for Muddy Rose Reviews

[Barbara Hackel · Rating 5 out of 5]

While looking at books on Kindle Scout, I found Dead and Breakfast and after reading just a little, I knew I had to nominate it! Luckily for Kimberly and me, the book was chosen, published, and I received a copy. I just finished reading-devouring it actually! It is a YA book, I am not a YA. But the mystery was intriguing and kept me reading. Well written story about an unsolved murder, a bed and breakfast that is haunted and well past it's prime (hemorrhaging money along the way), this book also dealt with family love, friendship, bullies, revenge, and love. It also will appeal to anyone who likes ghost stories or Key West! But don't take my word for it, read it yourself! I am glad to mention that the author promises two more books in the series in the future. I can't wait. :)

[Kelly Gamble · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good little cozy with interesting characters and a great setting. This one definitely fit the bill. A run down, haunted hotel, in Key West, a Jersey girl who can see and hear ghosts, and a mystery that transcends time might be hard to pull off for some, but Giarratano is an exceptional writer who provides the right humor and the right perfectly placed details to make this a wonderful read.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won the paperback book on goodreads and even tho I'm 50 and this is a young adult novel, I really enjoyed the ghost story and the characters. It was well written and I look forward to more in this series.

[Jaz K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very fun plot twists and turns. There were some relationship elements that I feel could have had more consequences or conversations about to help fully resolve certain. Sometimes they would start to communicate but then not finish the conversation. And like I get it they’re teens but I still think they kind of glossed over certain things.
There were also some points where a character would say something vague and then disappear, which I felt if it happened in real life that would make a lot less sense for a friend to do that unless it was obviously a joke.
Plus a lot of clique school romance drama, which I tend to try to stay away from school teen stories so this was kind of funny to come across. Some classic rich teenager bullying, and old flings. I think overall I liked the mystery part of the story, I was looking forward to learning more of the past. Not the biggest fan of the teenage love triangle drama, but not bad.

—spoilers—
I will say, the fact her dad cheated on her mom, and her mom tried to keep her away from him, I’m surprised she wasn’t more upset about the fact she found him and his ex kissing.

[Trish Goodgame · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's what I thought of Dead and Breakfast by Kimberly G. Giarratano:

I gave it 5/5 stars.

Dead and Breakfast

After her parent's divorce, Autumn and her mother move to Key West to help her Aunt with a run down, haunted bed and breakfast. Liam, a non-believer of ghosts, finds himself targeted by a nasty female ghost. Autumn is able to communicate with the dead and sets about trying to find out why the evil spirit is targeting Liam. Fast paced, easy to read, interesting characters and a good mystery make a great reading experience. I loved it and can't wait to read more in the series.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun mystery geared toward YA I think. Most of the adults had issues, and I wasn't impressed with how they related to the teens. I did guess who "did" it, but it was enjoyable reading along to see if I was right. Some twists in the story I wasn't expecting, though.

[Alfred St · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining

Well written, interesting if you're into "who done its" with ghosts. The characters are well defined and that element allows for good visualization of those involved.

[Dena · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5* This book was surprisingly negative. Hardly any of the characters, and there were so many, were likeable or positive. However the mystery was interesting so I give it 3.5*.

[Sarah Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of fluff but a good story line

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny and well drawn characters

Look forward to more mysteries at the Cato Hudson. I like the premise of having ghostly help in solving crimes.

[Angela C · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Actual rating: 2.5 stars)

A free ARC of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

After finishing Dead and Breakfast, I confess to feeling a little underwhelmed. The novel started off strong, with intergenerational drama and a vengeful, violent ghost, but it was ultimately undermined by instalove, lackluster characters, and a way too convenient ending.

For the first several chapters, Dead and Breakfast does well. The action begins when Autumn Abernathy, one of the novel’s two protagonists, relocates to Key West with her divorcee mother to manage the Cayo Hueso Bed and Breakfast. Autumn, who has always been able to see and communicate with ghosts, soon discovers that the Cayo is inhabited by the spirit of a young Hispanic girl murdered in the 1950s.

The Cayo’s spooky resident isn’t your friendly Caspar-like ghost – she’s out for blood, and she’s fixated on Liam Breyer, the cute young handyman who does odd jobs around the bed and breakfast. Autumn and Liam join forces to try to resolve the ghost’s unfinished business before she ends up harming them and/or destroying the Cayo.

Dead and Breakfast will feel pretty familiar to those who’ve read Giarratano's other works to date, which also focus on girls who can speak to ghosts and must try to discover how they died. One thing that differentiates this book from the others, though, is that the ghost in question is a badass. She’s not content to sit back and wait while Autumn investigates; she takes matters into her own hands in whatever ways she can, and she isn’t afraid to possess people or cause them harm. An aggressive, pissed off, violent ghost was a nice way for Giarratano to change things up.

Another thing I enjoyed about Dead and Breakfast was the setting. After reading this book, I’m dying to take a trip to Key West. The atmosphere, food, music, and culture seem like a lot of fun, and I’d love to attend a street festival, take a midnight ghost tour, or eat seafood from a roadside stand. I will say, though – for a book that’s set in one of the most haunted cities in America, featuring a B&B whose main attraction is supposed to be its spooky tenants, I expected to see a lot more ghosts than I did. There were only two, and that was kind of disappointing.

One of my biggest complaints about Dead and Breakfast was the romance. I didn’t mind the attraction that formed between Autumn and Liam, but the depth of it wasn’t realistic. I found it hard to believe that they’d developed such an all-consuming relationship in such a short time, falling so deeply in love that they were willing to sacrifice their goals and drastically alter their life plans. It felt out of character and majorly detracted from the book. Certain interactions felt melodramatic, too, like Liam’s drinking and his temper tantrum about Autumn leaving for college.

This, plus the fact that the book wrapped up far too neatly (it was super unrealistic and didn’t do justice to the story or the characters) prevented me from being able to give Dead and Breakfast as high a rating as I originally anticipated. That said, I still have high hopes for the next Cayo Hueso Mystery book. Maybe I’ll get more of those ghosts I wanted as the series continues!

This review can also be found on my blog, Angela's Library.

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Autumn Abernathy is trapped in Key West, Florida and homesick for her native New Jersey. While she works to keep their family’s haunted bed-and-breakfast afloat, Autumn dreams of escaping to college in the northeast. The humidity is intolerable for a girl who reminisces about pumpkin spice lattes and apple-picking in the crisp fall air. And the ghosts, which Autumn regularly interacts with, are a minor nuisance. That is, until one of them nearly drowns their newest employee, Liam, in the Cayo’s pool. Working through their reluctance toward each other, Liam’s skepticism of the paranormal, and Autumn’s disdain for island life, the two of them join forces to investigate the ghost’s past. What they find is a tale of murder and heartbreak decades in the making. Unraveling long-buried secrets is a dangerous business—but in the world of the supernatural, it could cost Liam and Autumn their lives.

DEAD AND BREAKFAST is a wonderful, atmospheric young adult tale. The prose is as laid back and breezy as the Key West setting itself, lovingly written with vivid detail. It’s a great juxtaposition to the novel’s darker supernatural elements, though Giarratano reminds the audience that beneath Key West’s paradise façade, the island is teeming with spirits from its past. The paranormal mystery at the novel’s core is balanced between a few subplots and told from both Liam’s and Autumn’s perspectives.

Though there is quite a large ensemble of characters with a tangled web of relationships to follow in order to solve the murder, Giarrantano handles it all with skill. Autumn and Liam are well-rounded characters with their own individual lives, aspirations, and flaws. Their romance is both realistic and adorable; the two of them complement each other in their respective paths, helping one another to grow along the way. Memorable minor characters supplement Liam and Autumn’s stories with their quirks. Timothy, the Cayo’s flamboyant receptionist, is a highlight. Giarrantano’s dialogue is genuine in every character’s voice, offering different shades of humor, sarcasm, and poignancy.

The narrative often switches from present-day to 1960s Key West—the mix of history, family legacy, and the supernatural creates a compelling story. Each twist and turn heightens the tension until the plot reaches a satisfying conclusion. Every subplot is artfully wrapped up as all of the pieces come together, and the reveal of the murderer at the heart of the mystery is stunning.

DEAD AND BREAKFAST also delves into its own paranormal mythology. Though some of the elements are not necessarily new, the ideas are spun in a way that is especially effective in revealing key information. This use of perspective adds something different to the usual methods employed in sleuthing.

DEAD AND BREAKFAST is a delightful, intricately crafted mystery with lyrical prose that transports the reader to the idyllic—albeit haunted—island of Key West.

[David Caldwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Key West is no stranger to ghosts. Despite having lived there his whole 18 year life, Liam Breyer still doesn't believe in ghosts. That is until he attracts the attention of a ghost at his new job, a haunted bed and breakfast. Luckily, Autumn Abernathy lives and works at the bed and breakfast as well. Autumn is a ghost whisperer and she sets out to help Liam with his ghostly attachment. In their investigation, they uncover a decades old mystery that could have deadly consequences.

This is a first in the cozy, paranomal mystery series. It is fairly lighthearted despite its murderous storyline. There is plenty of local color of Key West. There is even some romance thrown into the mix. Like a lot of cozy mysteries, there is just as much (if not more) attention put into the characters and their quirkiness as the mystery itself. It often becomes how well you like the characters in determining how well you like the series. It is quite easy to like the characters and the setting in this book. So, I have a feeling this series should do quite well with fans of cozy, paranormal series. I would rate this as 3.5 stars.

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dead and Breakfast felt flat to me, though I can't put my finger on exactly why it felt that way. Several elements of the plot were a bit cliche: A haunted mansion turned bed and breakfast? Seen it. A "good" girl falling for a "bad"boy? Seen it. The pretty, rich girls who happen to be bullies? Seen it. Many of the main characters lacked any qualities that made them anything more than robotic plot chess pieces. Although a few secondary characters felt more fleshed out, they couldn't pull enough weight to save the story line. Overall, the unique elements were sparse and overshadowed by underwhelming character performances.

[Drucilla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actual rating: 2.5 stars. This was a decent book, but it was just a little boring. For a novel that purports to be a ghost story, there's very little actual ghost stuff happening. The ghost/possession is mainly used for exposition purposes. But it's not all bad, though. Giarratano's idea of why some people can see ghosts and others can't is very cool and unique so props for that. I usually can guess who the killer is by mid-book, but this time, I had no clue who it was. Also, I liked that there was no insta-love between Autumn and Liam. It'll be interesting to see where the series goes from here.

[Karen greer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read!

I was lucky enough to get this book after voting for it on Kindle Scout. This book is a mystery for teens. I am not a teen but I really enjoyed it. I would recommend this book for all ages. It's a great who done it. I hope the author writes more books around this wonderful cast of characters.

[Misty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was a good mystery that was clean and age appropriate for a teen/young adult yet interesting enough for someone older. I plan on having my oldest son, 10, & my niece, 14, read this book this summer.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read. This is a YA book. That is not a put down as I read YA books. Think Harry Potter. I read some of the books my grandchildren are reading to stay in touch. I liked this book. It is a paranormal mystery. I may or may not read more by this author. Haven't decided yet.