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Merry Ghost Inn #1
Dead and Breakfast
Melanie West is getting her life back on track after a messy divorce when her grandmother, Liza Harris, asks her to open a B&B with her. Together, Liza and Melanie purchase a purportedly haunted mansion on the Oregon coast and jump right into clearing out the cobwebs. But while attempting to remove wallpaper in an upstairs bedroom, the new B&B owners stumble upon a very real skeleton in their closet.
The police suspect the skeleton is that of the wife of the previous owner of the B&B, but no one in town seems to want to say much about her. As the inn owners try to juggle renovations with their own amateur investigations, their grand opening looms closer and closer—and a friendly ghost in their walls starts playing tricks. But it all comes crashing to a halt when a new body is found stabbed to death on the beach below the inn—the victim chillingly close in resemblance to Melanie herself.
It seems someone doesn't appreciate newcomers prying into the small town's past, and now it's up to Melanie and Liza to get to the bottom of these murders to save their business...and their lives.
The police suspect the skeleton is that of the wife of the previous owner of the B&B, but no one in town seems to want to say much about her. As the inn owners try to juggle renovations with their own amateur investigations, their grand opening looms closer and closer—and a friendly ghost in their walls starts playing tricks. But it all comes crashing to a halt when a new body is found stabbed to death on the beach below the inn—the victim chillingly close in resemblance to Melanie herself.
It seems someone doesn't appreciate newcomers prying into the small town's past, and now it's up to Melanie and Liza to get to the bottom of these murders to save their business...and their lives.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 10, 2017
321 people are currently reading
2286 people want to read
About the author
Kate Kingsbury
84 books568 followersKate Kingsbury grew up in London, England, and at a very early age began telling stories to her school friends during the London Blitz of WW II while huddling in bomb shelters. Kate moved to the U.S. in the early sixties, and had passed her 50th birthday when she published her first book. Writing as Doreen Roberts, (her real name at the time) she published 26 romance novels for Harlequin/Silhouette. In 1991 her first Pennyfoot Hotel book was published and since then Kate has written 35 mysteries, including the Manor House mysteries, the Bellehaven House mysteries(written as Rebecca Kent) and the Raven's Nest mysteries, (written as Allison Kingsley.) Her new series, The Merry Ghost Inn Mysteries debuted in January, 2017 with Dead and Breakfast, featuring a B & B on the Oregon coast. She has one son, Regan, and lives with her husband, Bill, in the beautiful state of Oregon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 479 reviews
February 15, 2017
This was my first foray into the genre of cozy mysteries, attracted by the potential for a genre-crossover because of the ghost element. That turned out to be only a minor plot point, but I don't mind as I've been meaning to try out one of these for a while.
Melanie and her grandmother Liza have moved to a small seaside town outside Portland to open a B&B. While renovating the supposedly haunted mansion, they discover a hidden room with a skeleton inside. The local police launch an investigation but they're understaffed and busy. With that threatening to delay the opening of the B&B, Mel and Liza begin to investigate the murder themselves.
Melanie and Liza are likable characters with interesting back stories. The mystery itself is quite simple (I listened to this as an audiobook while I wasn't reading the SF mystery Six Wakes; the complexity of two situations was a stark contrast). In general I enjoyed it, but I don't feel compelled to continue with the series, or in fact, anything else in this genre. It's not bad, it's just not really for me.
Melanie and her grandmother Liza have moved to a small seaside town outside Portland to open a B&B. While renovating the supposedly haunted mansion, they discover a hidden room with a skeleton inside. The local police launch an investigation but they're understaffed and busy. With that threatening to delay the opening of the B&B, Mel and Liza begin to investigate the murder themselves.
Melanie and Liza are likable characters with interesting back stories. The mystery itself is quite simple (I listened to this as an audiobook while I wasn't reading the SF mystery Six Wakes; the complexity of two situations was a stark contrast). In general I enjoyed it, but I don't feel compelled to continue with the series, or in fact, anything else in this genre. It's not bad, it's just not really for me.
July 13, 2017
This seemed almost like an adult cozy for children. The plot was formulaic, the case was simple, the clue was easily spotted, etc. The adult parts all happened in the past; the present is all PG. Even the ghost was super lame. The only thing I liked about this whole book was the dog. And I pretty much like all dogs.
December 30, 2016
After a messy divorce Melanie West decides to take her grandmother up on opening up a bed and breakfast in the small town on the Oregon coast. The ladies have already named their upcoming B&B the The Merry Ghost Inn due to the rumors that the house they've purchased is haunted and it doesn't take long for them to start hearing the ghostly laughter.
Unfortunately, while Melanie and Liza are in the middle of remodeling to get ready to open the Inn they come across an actual skeleton in a hidden closet. The police are called in but seeing that the body had been there for years the case gets put on the back burner for a more recent homicide that needs solving so Melanie and Liza decide to do some investigating of their own to try to help since they won't be able to open until the case is solved.
Dead and Breakfast is the first book in the new Merry Ghost Inn series by Kate Kingsbury. I found this cozy mystery to be quite charming with likable characters and a fun setting. Liza is one of those grandmothers that you just fall in love with as a character, a bit of a spitfire and feisty but a very loving grandma nonetheless. And who doesn't love a fun read that includes a ghost in the mix?
The ladies so their bit of investigating simply by asking around the small town and stumble across a few clues in their home so the story comes across as something that could happen. A somewhat simple mystery that if following the clues you should be able to figure out but still a fun read following along with this pair as they solve the case. I will certainly be looking forward to more adventures happening in the Merry Ghost Inn in the future.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
Unfortunately, while Melanie and Liza are in the middle of remodeling to get ready to open the Inn they come across an actual skeleton in a hidden closet. The police are called in but seeing that the body had been there for years the case gets put on the back burner for a more recent homicide that needs solving so Melanie and Liza decide to do some investigating of their own to try to help since they won't be able to open until the case is solved.
Dead and Breakfast is the first book in the new Merry Ghost Inn series by Kate Kingsbury. I found this cozy mystery to be quite charming with likable characters and a fun setting. Liza is one of those grandmothers that you just fall in love with as a character, a bit of a spitfire and feisty but a very loving grandma nonetheless. And who doesn't love a fun read that includes a ghost in the mix?
The ladies so their bit of investigating simply by asking around the small town and stumble across a few clues in their home so the story comes across as something that could happen. A somewhat simple mystery that if following the clues you should be able to figure out but still a fun read following along with this pair as they solve the case. I will certainly be looking forward to more adventures happening in the Merry Ghost Inn in the future.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
June 6, 2017
Sometimes I feel that when I review a cozy mystery book I'm reviewing all cozy mysteries I've ever read, and that's not fair to the book. However, the tropes are so prominent in some books that it's hard to ignore history. In that light:
1. I don't understand completely unqualified, nosy persons wanting to solve a mystery because they want their businesses to not get impacted and for them to not go broke, but I can relate. But when they say, let's buy this pricey dress that we didn't really need and couldn't afford because all for a good cause and anyway credit cards were made for this, I have no idea what they're thinking.
2. Not all women need men to take care of them. And you do not ogle any random person who happens to be passing by on the off chance that he's available (he is, and for some reason is fascinated by this person who isn't much of a sparkling personality to be honest). The constant reminder Liz kept giving Melanie about the two available men was groan inducing, and it added nothing to the story.
3. I would dearly like to know what the police were doing when a grandma and her granddaughter were out there investigating. I mean, this book says that they just shut shop and went off somewhere else because there was a bigger crime, so that's it for some days. But there's another death nearby, and they come back to solve it, which turns out to be related (shock!) but no one knows they're related until the killer confesses it. Tsk. It doesn't look like the police are very bright.
4. But they'll still date these same police officers.
As for this book specifically, Melanie wasn't anyone I'd put at the center of a mystery solving. She's basic, passive and her grandmom has all the best ideas. Grandma also has more guts and savvy than Melanie does. Melanie has two interesting stories in the past. One, her mother disappeared without a trace after a period of depression. The other, she hates her ex-husband because of what he did to her. Neither one is pursued meaningfully.
Liz was better, and in my mind she's the heroine. She's certainly open minded enough, and seems to understand that whether or not there's a ghost in their inn, it pays to be interested and enthusiastic about the ghost. Melanie is a wet blanket of the worst sort. But Liz can't stop trying to set Melanie up with the nearest man. It's annoying as all get out.
1. I don't understand completely unqualified, nosy persons wanting to solve a mystery because they want their businesses to not get impacted and for them to not go broke, but I can relate. But when they say, let's buy this pricey dress that we didn't really need and couldn't afford because all for a good cause and anyway credit cards were made for this, I have no idea what they're thinking.
2. Not all women need men to take care of them. And you do not ogle any random person who happens to be passing by on the off chance that he's available (he is, and for some reason is fascinated by this person who isn't much of a sparkling personality to be honest). The constant reminder Liz kept giving Melanie about the two available men was groan inducing, and it added nothing to the story.
3. I would dearly like to know what the police were doing when a grandma and her granddaughter were out there investigating. I mean, this book says that they just shut shop and went off somewhere else because there was a bigger crime, so that's it for some days. But there's another death nearby, and they come back to solve it, which turns out to be related (shock!) but no one knows they're related until the killer confesses it. Tsk. It doesn't look like the police are very bright.
4. But they'll still date these same police officers.
As for this book specifically, Melanie wasn't anyone I'd put at the center of a mystery solving. She's basic, passive and her grandmom has all the best ideas. Grandma also has more guts and savvy than Melanie does. Melanie has two interesting stories in the past. One, her mother disappeared without a trace after a period of depression. The other, she hates her ex-husband because of what he did to her. Neither one is pursued meaningfully.
Liz was better, and in my mind she's the heroine. She's certainly open minded enough, and seems to understand that whether or not there's a ghost in their inn, it pays to be interested and enthusiastic about the ghost. Melanie is a wet blanket of the worst sort. But Liz can't stop trying to set Melanie up with the nearest man. It's annoying as all get out.
November 19, 2022
To recover from a bad divorce, Melanie enters a business partnership with her grandmother, Liza. They buy a fixer-upper mansion on the Oregon coast to renovate and open a B&B. The locals say the old house is haunted, so they go with the flow and name it The Merry Ghost Inn. Just as they start renovations on the house, a grisly discovery within one of the walls halts their project. Soon laughing ghosts and a skeleton in the wall is the least of their worries when a woman is murdered and someone seems keen on killing Melanie, too.
I listened to the audio book version of this story. Narrated by Tavia Gilbert, the audio is just shy of 7 1/2 hours long. Gilbert does a great job of narrating. She really brought the story to life!
I enjoyed the characters, the plot and setting of this book. My favorite character? It's a toss up between Liza, the spunky grandma or Max, the rescue dog. Or, maybe the ghost! It's hard to choose!
I'm definitely reading the rest of this 3-book series! Very entertaining!
I listened to the audio book version of this story. Narrated by Tavia Gilbert, the audio is just shy of 7 1/2 hours long. Gilbert does a great job of narrating. She really brought the story to life!
I enjoyed the characters, the plot and setting of this book. My favorite character? It's a toss up between Liza, the spunky grandma or Max, the rescue dog. Or, maybe the ghost! It's hard to choose!
I'm definitely reading the rest of this 3-book series! Very entertaining!
November 30, 2020
You know.. I feel like I don't read enough cozy mystery books and I should probably do more of that in the new year. There's just something about them that makes it super easy to get connected or sucked into. Or maybe I've been watching way too many Hallmark Christmas movies and these are somehow following the same likeable pattern.
Other than that, it kind of felt like I got a lot of information in this one instead of more mystery. I guess that's okay because I would rather have the info dump in the first book than the 3rd or 4th book - ya know? Not sure if that makes sense but somehow to my brain it does. I might need more coffee tomorrow since I barely got through my own cup today.
Hoping the next book has a fun mystery that I can easily get sucked into. Also, I hope it's on audible lol.
Other than that, it kind of felt like I got a lot of information in this one instead of more mystery. I guess that's okay because I would rather have the info dump in the first book than the 3rd or 4th book - ya know? Not sure if that makes sense but somehow to my brain it does. I might need more coffee tomorrow since I barely got through my own cup today.
Hoping the next book has a fun mystery that I can easily get sucked into. Also, I hope it's on audible lol.
March 20, 2017
"DEAD AND BREAKFAST is an excellent start to the series."
Read this review in its entirety at Fresh Fiction
Read this review in its entirety at Fresh Fiction
August 1, 2025
3.5 🌟
Mood/Seasonal Reading: the ghost in the house says October but the lack of spooky vibes mixed with when it is set is actually Spring
This could have been really good. The two main characters were very likeable especially her British grandmother. Sadly, it just fell flat on multiple accounts. The murder itself gets started right away, is interesting, and the mains investigate on their own for one of the most valid reasons I’ve seen in a cozy. Since it is a cold case and it’s holding up their renos on their soon to be inn, it’s the perfect excuse to get their noses dirty.
Once they got started I just found myself bored. Nothing really exciting happened to keep me turning pages; it was very one note. While that note wasn’t bad, I never considered DNFing, it also didn’t enthrall me. And the romance was almost nonexistent. This one was just okay. I don’t know if I would continue the series. On one hand I can see it improving and I enjoyed the two main women, while on the other hand there are so many other books to explore that will capture my attention far better.
Mood/Seasonal Reading: the ghost in the house says October but the lack of spooky vibes mixed with when it is set is actually Spring
This could have been really good. The two main characters were very likeable especially her British grandmother. Sadly, it just fell flat on multiple accounts. The murder itself gets started right away, is interesting, and the mains investigate on their own for one of the most valid reasons I’ve seen in a cozy. Since it is a cold case and it’s holding up their renos on their soon to be inn, it’s the perfect excuse to get their noses dirty.
Once they got started I just found myself bored. Nothing really exciting happened to keep me turning pages; it was very one note. While that note wasn’t bad, I never considered DNFing, it also didn’t enthrall me. And the romance was almost nonexistent. This one was just okay. I don’t know if I would continue the series. On one hand I can see it improving and I enjoyed the two main women, while on the other hand there are so many other books to explore that will capture my attention far better.
March 25, 2017
This is a cozy mystery, which started off promising, and went downhill. WAY downhill. After the grandmother/sidekick character started to annoy me, I started to skim and found the whole thing too cliche. It was like watching a horror movie and seeing the girl who open a basement door when all the lights are out and there's already been one dead body in the house. For me, the thing that makes a cozy mystery work is that the protagonist has to have some extraordinary skill or way of thinking that lets them see what others miss. Instead, I ended up wishing the heroine and her grandmother would get what was coming to them, since they're both idiots.
February 6, 2017
Fun, cozy mystery with a resident ghost who loves to laugh... I'm glad this is the first in a series, and I will look forward to reading each entry. Clean, easy reading.
The characters are also entertaining, and include Melanie, a recent divorcée and her spunky grandmother, Liza. Together they decide to purchase a historic home and turn it into a bed and breakfast. While they are hard at work getting it ready to open, they make an unexpected and grisly discovery... The book centers on this discovery, and the efforts put forth to solve it.
The characters are also entertaining, and include Melanie, a recent divorcée and her spunky grandmother, Liza. Together they decide to purchase a historic home and turn it into a bed and breakfast. While they are hard at work getting it ready to open, they make an unexpected and grisly discovery... The book centers on this discovery, and the efforts put forth to solve it.
February 2, 2017
I thought I would love this. And I'm really bummed because I was ready for a fun, new paranormal series.
It started out with some promise, and there were some cute moments, but overall it was disappointing. The mystery was completely transparent. I knew the killer from the beginning. (I hate that!) I wanted to know more about the ghost, but he played a very small role in the story. Melanie was not the brightest protagonist out there. She was quite passive and became irritating early on.
Oh,... but I did adore her dog, Max!;-)
It started out with some promise, and there were some cute moments, but overall it was disappointing. The mystery was completely transparent. I knew the killer from the beginning. (I hate that!) I wanted to know more about the ghost, but he played a very small role in the story. Melanie was not the brightest protagonist out there. She was quite passive and became irritating early on.
Oh,... but I did adore her dog, Max!;-)
May 28, 2021
What a delightful cozy mystery! The characters and setting are fun, and there are enough open , questions, leave an opening for a future episodes in the series. The idea of a nonthreatening ghost whose perceived actions can be considered clues – although after the fact – is good for a giggle.
The whole thing is entirely fluff and great fun :-).
The whole thing is entirely fluff and great fun :-).
December 18, 2016
Melanie West and her grandmother, Liza Harris have always been close and now they've teamed together to open a charming Bed & Breakfast in an old Victorian house near the beautiful Oregon coastline. Reportedly haunted by a ghost, they decide on the name, Merry Ghost Inn. While removing old, out-dated wallpaper, they discover a hidden door that opens to reveal a horrifying discovery--a skeleton in a tattered nightgown. A nice officer, Ben Carter, responds to their 911 call, and thus begins this intriguing tale of missing persons, ghosts, and struggling to get the house remodeled, open to guests, and making income. Melanie and Liza are somewhat meddlers and not good at waiting so they quickly become amateur sleuths to try and hurry up the investigation by seeking answers themselves. Someone they question is the murderer, but the reason isn't clear until the author reveal. The cute rescue dog on the book cover is Max, and he's a great character, too!
This debut story keeps you guessing and holds your interest while moving along at a nice pace. I felt Melanie and Liza needed to be a bit stronger in character, since they are two women alone, and maybe they will be in future books. I look forward to book two in this cozy series.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy.
This debut story keeps you guessing and holds your interest while moving along at a nice pace. I felt Melanie and Liza needed to be a bit stronger in character, since they are two women alone, and maybe they will be in future books. I look forward to book two in this cozy series.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy.
February 2, 2021
I almost never read/listen to cozy mysteries but I should probably read them more often. This one was really easy to get into and I liked following the main character and her grandmother as they found the bones of a dead woman behind one of the walls in the house they recently bought. The police isn't very efficient to say the least so they decide to try and find out the truth behind this murder mystery. It was interesting and I had a theory and got it right so that's nice.
Overall, this was a good book and a quick read. The fact that the cover is very cute helps as well (it's one of the reason why I chose this one to listen to). The second and third book are available as well so I might dive into those some other time.
Overall, this was a good book and a quick read. The fact that the cover is very cute helps as well (it's one of the reason why I chose this one to listen to). The second and third book are available as well so I might dive into those some other time.
January 7, 2017
3.5 stars. Nice first entry in the series. I liked Liza and Melanie and I see lots of potential for future adventures at the Merry Ghost Inn. This story combined a cold case with a current day one, of which I am always a fan. I liked how Liza and Mel investigated and tried to work with the police. I also liked the supporting characters. There are a couple storylines that I hope will have some resolution down the line.
October 9, 2017
This was extremely flat. The plot was flat, the characters were flat, the dialogue was flat...
The whole thing simply didn't work. As far as mysteries go, this wasn't that mysterious, as the clues were pretty obvious. As for the characters, I just couldn't care about them. And the dialogues were just too forced, as if the author was forcing the character to spit the lines. I couldn't imagine a real life conversation happening like that.
The whole thing simply didn't work. As far as mysteries go, this wasn't that mysterious, as the clues were pretty obvious. As for the characters, I just couldn't care about them. And the dialogues were just too forced, as if the author was forcing the character to spit the lines. I couldn't imagine a real life conversation happening like that.
June 7, 2019
Recommended to me.
Thank you!
3.5 stars. I really enjoyed this book and it definitely helped with my book slump.
I will be picking up the next story in the series.
Thank you!
3.5 stars. I really enjoyed this book and it definitely helped with my book slump.
I will be picking up the next story in the series.
August 31, 2022
Such a fun book! I loved the supernatural touch. The mystery was well thought out and the grandmother/granddaughter duo was everything I wanted.
October 8, 2018
This is the first book in a new series with some humour, a ghost, a murder and a pair of sleuths that are quite interesting. Melanie West, recently divorced, decides to take her grandmother up on her offer to open a bed and breakfast in a small town on the Oregon coast. The ladies purchase a haunted mansion and are in the middle of renovating when they find a skeleton in a hidden room. It is considered a cold case, so the police are in no rush to solve the case. Because this means the ladies can not open the Merry Ghost Inn until the police release the scene, they decide that they need to solve the crime themselves.
I enjoyed the characters of Melanie and Liza. Liza was originally from England so still has her accent and uses many expressing that are definitely English. Liza is one of those older characters that you just fall in love with. She is quite feisty, smart, has a strong character yet is very loving to Melanie. Melanie is also a strong character with brains, loyalty and perseveres with her actions to reach her goals. Then there is the ghost. Melanie doesn't believe that there is a ghost, but Liza does and even names him. She also figures out clues that she believes he has left for her.
This was a realistic murder with a few suspects. A cold case is not the easiest to solve, but they ask the right questions, rattle a few cages and use the clues they find in the house to lead them to the culprit. I wasn't that impressed with the motive, but overall, this was a fun story with an interesting mystery. I listened to this book and thought the narrator did a good job with the story and the voices. I will be listening to the next story shortly. If you enjoy a cozy mystery with multiple generations and a little bit of the paranormal, then pick this one up.
I enjoyed the characters of Melanie and Liza. Liza was originally from England so still has her accent and uses many expressing that are definitely English. Liza is one of those older characters that you just fall in love with. She is quite feisty, smart, has a strong character yet is very loving to Melanie. Melanie is also a strong character with brains, loyalty and perseveres with her actions to reach her goals. Then there is the ghost. Melanie doesn't believe that there is a ghost, but Liza does and even names him. She also figures out clues that she believes he has left for her.
This was a realistic murder with a few suspects. A cold case is not the easiest to solve, but they ask the right questions, rattle a few cages and use the clues they find in the house to lead them to the culprit. I wasn't that impressed with the motive, but overall, this was a fun story with an interesting mystery. I listened to this book and thought the narrator did a good job with the story and the voices. I will be listening to the next story shortly. If you enjoy a cozy mystery with multiple generations and a little bit of the paranormal, then pick this one up.
June 29, 2017
Enh. I seem to have lost my taste for mysteries where a newly single woman and a "you must have a man in your life" mother or (in this case) grandmother start a business for which they are totally unprepared. In this case, a bed and breakfast on the Oregon coast, where said ladies started taking reservations before the place was even close to ready -- and with absolutely no concept of said breakfast! And the ghost is (spoiler) ridiculous. Scenery was nicely described, though. I will not be reading any more of this series.
June 3, 2020
Dead and Breakfast by Kate Kingsbury is the first book in the Merry Ghost Inn Mystery series. Melanie West and her grandmother are planning to open a B&B when during their renovations, they stumble across a skeleton and soon become involved in the investigation. A nice start to the series and I enjoyed getting to know the characters, although I would have expected a bit more from the ghost. I liked that they tried to keep the police updated and involved, but I felt the mystery itself was a bit weak and obvious. An interesting introduction and I loved Max, their rescue dog.
September 4, 2020
The idea of a haunted bed and breakfast with a murder mystery to solve seemed cute, but this was nothing but poorly written.
I found Melanie annoying as she had hardly any backbone and could be a cry baby. And her grandmother Liza was worse. She was utterly bossy, intrusive and overly nosey.
There were parts of the story that lacked consistency and, most likely, research on the author's part. Like, who advertises their new business and books customers when they haven't even started renovating or made plans for operations? And Melanie adopting the dog Max? In the case of his adoption, I'm certain someone would have had to go through way more than she did. Then there's the way they liked to spend money on unnecessary things like a fancy dress, but then complained about how much renovations would cost. No one with any sense would do such things. Another for me is the "skeleton". I mean, was it a true skeleton, or just a badly decomposed body? The true state of the "skeleton" feels unclear to me. It seems the author should have researched human decomposition and written it correctly to be believable.
There were also elements to the story that seemed to serve no purpose. One is the fact that Melanie's mother went missing when she was a child. Perhaps this will be explored in a later book, but for this story, it didn't seem to belong much. Another is Melanie's ex-husband and the way the relationship ended. Certainly terrible, but I found it unimportant to the plot line.
I found Melanie annoying as she had hardly any backbone and could be a cry baby. And her grandmother Liza was worse. She was utterly bossy, intrusive and overly nosey.
There were parts of the story that lacked consistency and, most likely, research on the author's part. Like, who advertises their new business and books customers when they haven't even started renovating or made plans for operations? And Melanie adopting the dog Max? In the case of his adoption, I'm certain someone would have had to go through way more than she did. Then there's the way they liked to spend money on unnecessary things like a fancy dress, but then complained about how much renovations would cost. No one with any sense would do such things. Another for me is the "skeleton". I mean, was it a true skeleton, or just a badly decomposed body? The true state of the "skeleton" feels unclear to me. It seems the author should have researched human decomposition and written it correctly to be believable.
There were also elements to the story that seemed to serve no purpose. One is the fact that Melanie's mother went missing when she was a child. Perhaps this will be explored in a later book, but for this story, it didn't seem to belong much. Another is Melanie's ex-husband and the way the relationship ended. Certainly terrible, but I found it unimportant to the plot line.
August 24, 2018
I'm going to give this one 3 1/2 stars, but if I were to rate this solely based on the narrator, it would be 2 stars. I did enjoy the mystery however the narrator was overly dramatic and made the MC sound very annoying. I think if I had read this one, it could easily have been a 4 star read.
April 13, 2018
A quick read. I liked the mystery and the characters but it isnt anything I haven't read before. I did like the ghostly laughter and items missing because of what appears to be a ghost in the Inn. Lately I feel DejaVu when reading cozy type mysteries. We need something new people.
May 6, 2021
On a long road trip, this was the pick to keep us entertained and... it barely did that.
This story is formulaic, boring, and underdeveloped. The main characters have little personality, leaving this story with no legs to stand on. There is some "not like other girls" energy, a lack of continuity (saying they are broke & yet they make frivolous purchases without mention of their money concerns), and the dialogue is dull as a door knob. I listened to the characters have the same conversation about renovations and money a dozen times, and it just felt like I was being spoon fed a recap of their last conversation over and over. The love interests have no personality, dimension, or chemistry with the MCs. It was hard to imagine anything about setting or characters, and the description was the bare minimum.
There are great ideas in here - a skeleton in the closet, a murdered doppelgänger, a missing mother, but nothing is developed!! It's painfully boring. I won't be continuing the series, but it's a shame. The ideas are there, but the delivery truly is not.
This story is formulaic, boring, and underdeveloped. The main characters have little personality, leaving this story with no legs to stand on. There is some "not like other girls" energy, a lack of continuity (saying they are broke & yet they make frivolous purchases without mention of their money concerns), and the dialogue is dull as a door knob. I listened to the characters have the same conversation about renovations and money a dozen times, and it just felt like I was being spoon fed a recap of their last conversation over and over. The love interests have no personality, dimension, or chemistry with the MCs. It was hard to imagine anything about setting or characters, and the description was the bare minimum.
There are great ideas in here - a skeleton in the closet, a murdered doppelgänger, a missing mother, but nothing is developed!! It's painfully boring. I won't be continuing the series, but it's a shame. The ideas are there, but the delivery truly is not.
August 3, 2019
I really loved this start to a cozy series! Enough to jump straight into buying the second book as soon as I was back near wifi. It just had everything I want in cozies; great characters, unique settings, a super mystery, fantastic writing and a possibly but not over the top romance. Oh, and of course, there's a dog.
Like always when I really love something I struggle to string together why exactly I love it with writing 'I LOVE IT. iT WAS GOOD AND I LOVED IT' in various different ways. Somehow that's all I can so to try and express exactly how much I love things (probably why when you ask me in real life 'what's your favorite book?' and I stare blankly as if I've never read a book in my life)
So yeah, expect a review for book two soon, hopefully just as incoherent.
Like always when I really love something I struggle to string together why exactly I love it with writing 'I LOVE IT. iT WAS GOOD AND I LOVED IT' in various different ways. Somehow that's all I can so to try and express exactly how much I love things (probably why when you ask me in real life 'what's your favorite book?' and I stare blankly as if I've never read a book in my life)
So yeah, expect a review for book two soon, hopefully just as incoherent.
November 4, 2021
First book in a new-to-me ghost cozy mystery. I'm not a huge spooky fan but this was more lighthearted and fun and I like the way the author incorporated the ghost into the mystery element. It's not over done -- very subtle, actually. Enjoyed the bed and breakfast angle (and that tile is os pun-y clever!!!!). These amateur sleuths make a few rookie mistakes -- but, hey, it's their first murder! I'm sure they'll hone their skills as the series continues. :-)
August 25, 2021
An unusual but enjoyable read. Will try more by this author.
August 31, 2023
This was a light read but with excellent characters and an interesting plot.
January 6, 2017
I always enjoy starting a new series and this one was a delightful debut. Dead and Breakfast introduces us to Melanie and her grandmother Liza who recently purchased an old home to open a bead and breakfast. Things quickly take an unwanted turn when they find remains hidden in the house while renovating. Worry sets in when the investigation into the remains gets stalled and there is real fear they might not be able to open on time. Melanie and Liza take the investigation into their own hands to try to protect their investment and open on time.
This book had it all! Humor, mystery, conflict, and a whodunit I never would have guessed. I love how the author introduced the backstories for the characters, Melanie escaping memories of her bad marriage, Liza missing her deceased husband. It was all beautifully put together in a way that has you turning pages until the very end.
If you are looking for a story that grips you from the very first chapter, look no further. I cannot wait for the next installment to see what these two get into next.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book.
This book had it all! Humor, mystery, conflict, and a whodunit I never would have guessed. I love how the author introduced the backstories for the characters, Melanie escaping memories of her bad marriage, Liza missing her deceased husband. It was all beautifully put together in a way that has you turning pages until the very end.
If you are looking for a story that grips you from the very first chapter, look no further. I cannot wait for the next installment to see what these two get into next.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book.
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