Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book
Rate this book
Maisie Swenson was thrilled to host the premiere party for the hottest new movie release in Hollywood at the five-star Oceanside Hotel, but she had no idea how difficult Hollywood types could be. Dramatic and demanding, she could handle but… murder? She needs to charge more for these events.

Everyone assumed it was an accident when the stunt went wrong, until they saw the body wasn’t the stuntman. Now everyone is a suspect – the stuntman who despised the victim, ex-lovers, actors--the list goes on and on.

None of this is Maisie’s business until her friend Kristi Bentley, the police officer in charge of security that night, gets suspended for not providing adequate protection. As the circumstantial evidence grows against Kristi, Maisie can’t help getting involved to clear her best friend.

The more she digs, the more dirt she finds. Did anyone NOT want this person dead?

220 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2017

707 people are currently reading
248 people want to read

About the author

CeeCee James

88 books453 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
392 (53%)
4 stars
231 (31%)
3 stars
91 (12%)
2 stars
17 (2%)
1 star
5 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
Profile Image for Nancy Haddock.
Author 8 books421 followers
October 5, 2017
Great read

I had just as much fun with this book as I have with the first 3 in the series. Well paced and plotted with relatable characters. I will be waiting for book 5!
674 reviews15 followers
October 7, 2017
The Oceanside Hotel is hosting its first movie premiere. The number of movie stars and reporters is enormous, with wall-to-wall spectators. Kristi Bently, with the Starke Springs Police Department, is there assisting with security.

On the sidelines, Maisie is bumped by a reporter and trips. Fortunately, Kristi is there to catch her and keep her from spilling a glass of wine. At that moment, Kristi is photographed holding the glass. When a stunt goes wrong and David Beck is killed, the reporter uses that particular photo to make it appear that Kristi was "star-struck" and not doing her job.

Was David's death an accident or murder? If it was murder, who was responsible and why was he killed? Can Maisie and Kristi determine what really happened?

This story does an excellent job of describing what I imagine would be some of the issues of dealing with famous personalities and their egos.
Profile Image for Cindy B. .
3,899 reviews220 followers
November 1, 2018
Clean romantic mystery

Comfy, cozy good - beach or fireside read. Like this episode and will try to read others in the series. Recommended for mystery/romance lovers.
Profile Image for Jane Firebaugh.
Author 7 books99 followers
October 7, 2017
Fatal Vacancy is wonderful! I love the quirky characters in this delightful series.

Maisie, who manages a posh hotel, has her hands full when the a movie premiere is held on the hotel premises.

Besides having to put up with numerous guests who feel themselves to be entitled, she is trying hard to solve a murder that took place during the premiere, all while worrying about her relationship with Jake, her boss's devilishly handsome brother and trying to keep her feisty momma out of mischief.

I so enjoyed following Maisie through the twists and turns in this fun and eventful story. Super fun read!
195 reviews2 followers
December 6, 2017
A Great Vacation Read

CeeCee James's books are quick light reads that are great for reading at a doctor appointment or at a lunch alone. I'm Fatal Vacancy, a movie star is murdered and the hunt for the guilty party is on. The characters are young bubbly people who kept me interested to the final page. The sunny not climate is also a positive. Get comfortable and read!
1,701 reviews35 followers
June 2, 2020
The Oceanside hotel is hosting a premiere for an upcoming adventure flick with a surprise for the crowd attending.
The stuntman for the movie is going to scale down the wall of the hotel for the Red Carpet set to start things off with a bang. When there's an equipment failure and the stuntman falls several floors below, they discover it wasn't the stuntman doing the stunt after all.
Maisie's best friend's sister Christie is in danger of losing her job at the police force as she was in charge of security where the accident happened.

A fun story with plenty of twists that will keep you guessing until the final reveal.
Profile Image for Cecile VanTyne.
114 reviews
April 30, 2022
Fatal Vacancy is the fourth in the Oceanside Mystery series and it's terrific! This series is what got me interested in CeeCee James' books and I'm so grateful for that.

Maisie Swenson is the Manager of the Oceanside Hotel and they're hosting a movie premier party for a new Hollywood release. Little did she know how much trouble this would bring to the Oceanside and specifically her best friend. I really enjoy all the characters that work at the hotel and I especially like her mom and the relationship they have. And then, of course, there's Bingo!

I'm excited to read the next book and hope it's not going to be the last in the series!
Profile Image for Kati Reads Books.
132 reviews3 followers
April 2, 2023
Fatal Vacancy is the 4th book in the Oceanside Mystery series. While the first three books are great, reading them is not necessary in order to enjoy this one.

When a PR stunt at a red carpet movie premier being held at the hotel she manages goes horribly wrong, Maise finds herself trying to help solve a murder. She wants to clear her friends name and keep the resort from gaining a bad rep.

This book is a delightful cozy mystery that keeps you guessing until the end. There’s also a great side storyline telling the relationship between Maise and her new love interest Jake. Recommend if you enjoy easy to read cozies.
183 reviews2 followers
April 27, 2018
Good book with usual Ms. James twists

This book was the last in a series with the usual main characters connected with the Oceanside Hotel. The murder was unexpected and covered by so many possible suspects. It was a great story, worth reading. The reason I didn't give it a five was because this is the first time I have grammatical, spelling and typos. It distracts me and I have to work to focus on the story. Didn't ruin character development of story line, but did make you say "huh?"
Profile Image for Rita Day.
80 reviews
October 5, 2017
Fatal Vacancy

Ceecee James has written a wonderful story that will have you reading until the end and wanting more. Maisie is the manager of Oceanside Hotel, she is in charge of a movie premier that they are hosting. It's going along smoothly until a stunt for the premier goes terribly wrong. Is it an accident or is it murder? Anyone who loves a good cozy mystery will love this one to the very end.
7,766 reviews50 followers
November 1, 2018
Maisie hosting the first movie premier, over flowing with people, a glass of champagne in hand as she stumbles,when someone bumps her. Kristen assisting the police, breaks her fall. The cameras caught it, but looks like it was Kristen that was doing the drinking on the job.Then murder of the director, this was no stunt. Good plot, and wondered who did it, The author has once again brought us an interesting story.
Profile Image for Paulette.
983 reviews23 followers
October 29, 2017
Fatal but Fun

A good cozy series. Quirky characters that keep the Oceanside Hotel running, if not smoothly, at least more interesting with each book. A movie premiere being held at the hotel along with divas, reporters, police and a stunt gone wrong, make this book another good cozy mystery by
Ceecee James.
99 reviews2 followers
December 4, 2017
Enjoyable mystery

I greatly enjoyed Fatal Vacancy. The characters were really likeable, especially the heroine and her mother. It was a bit of lightness with the mystery. It was well placed and not easy to figure out. The hotel as a background was good. Would like to have seen a little more of Jake. The editing was excellent. I plan to read more of CeeCee James.
Profile Image for Terry Webb.
77 reviews2 followers
June 25, 2019
Always There

I am always happy when I find a book by this author that I have not read. Fatal vacancy held my interest as I continue to see our protagonist develop in her role as hotel manager, and her other roles in life. Fatal Vacancy kind of leaves that feeling in the end-it is over-but, I want more.
Profile Image for Loretta TheMoodyRedhead.
1,053 reviews4 followers
December 5, 2020
Lights, Camera, Action... Splat!

Oh no, a stunt gone wrong in this story. But who is the guilty party? I suspected a few people and one... "fall guy" (wink). And what is going on with Jake? Is he finally fed up with too many dead bodies showing up around his love interest? Read this and find out!
Profile Image for Susan.
2,231 reviews19 followers
July 30, 2024
A stunt as part of a red-carpet party for a movie premiere includes a masked superhero walking down the side of the hotel building. When he plunges to a very dramatic and public death, he is found to be not a stuntman but the film’s director. As the hotel manager, Maisie is strategically placed to help the police investigate. A fun, light read.
667 reviews7 followers
October 20, 2017
An Oceanside mystery book 4

I really have enjoyed this author. I have read all four books and I highly recommend all her books to everyone who loves cozy mysteries. She writes wonderful characters and great storylines. Diana Romano
Profile Image for Mary .
823 reviews56 followers
December 26, 2017
Movies and mayhem

This was very enjoyable. Maisie is as wild and crazy as ever. Her momma even more so. This time Maisie is star struck when a murder happens. She puts on her sleuthing hat and solves the crime.
Profile Image for Linda Rainey.
2,348 reviews21 followers
January 6, 2018
A Cute Cozy Mystery

I loved this book with it's twists and turns.
The characters were memorable, an entertaining story line surrounds by a high class Florida Hotel.
This book is recommended for who love cozy mysteries.
38 reviews
April 1, 2018
Will there be more???

Another great addition to the Maisie drama of life in a hotel. CeeCee did a good job of keeping the subjects intentions hidden with false leads to keep even Maisie on her toes. Plot development was good and the story kept me interested until the very end.
96 reviews1 follower
August 26, 2023
Fatal Vacancy

Like all books in this series the stories just get better and better. Love the mysteries and the characters. CeeCee James makes these people truly come to life. Good Clean reading too.
Profile Image for Medenna.
782 reviews1 follower
April 30, 2025
Good book

I had a little bit of a hard time getting engaged with the story, but enjoyed the developing story. I had a hard time remembering who the characters were. That could have been because I was very tired while reading this book.
836 reviews10 followers
October 7, 2017
Really Enjoyed!

A very delightful book & series that captured me from beginning to end! There's murder, humor, suspense, & a little romance, all my favorites!
2,847 reviews8 followers
October 16, 2017
Enjoyable, as always! I enjoyed the Hollywood theme of this installment, and there was no shortage of suspects! A fun little mystery.
Profile Image for Shannon.
503 reviews2 followers
October 25, 2017
Solid

Continued mild character development, combine with a decent new story. Not extraordinary, but certainly worth the read after the last three.
Profile Image for Suzi.
178 reviews13 followers
November 19, 2017
I like this series!

Great characters and interesting mysteries. Behind the scenes peek of a large hotel. Creative and fun. Thank you Ms James for another very good read!
Profile Image for Caroline Palmer.
2 reviews
December 18, 2017
Great read. Love the series.

Write more please. Love your characters. I read all four booms. Can't wait for the next adventure. Also loved the Elise series.
Profile Image for Jana Gundy.
1,919 reviews17 followers
January 2, 2018
Always a great read

These are always fun books to read and I am never let down. The stories are enjoyable and the mystery well written.
2 reviews
February 5, 2018
Great book

I really liked this book. I have read all of the Oceanside mystery books. I think this one was the best so far.
58 reviews
February 15, 2018
Great book!

Another great story from CeeCee James. She really writes the best mysteries. You should read this series, they are very entertaining.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.