Murder on Cape Cod

Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery #1

by Maddie Day (Artist)

A Cape Cod shop owner and her book club must find a crafty killer in this charming new series from the Agatha-nominated author of the Country Store Mystery series.

Mackenzie Almeida's only experience with murder investigations is limited to the cozy mysteries she reads on Cape Cod with her local book group, the Cozy Capers. But when both she and her brother become suspects in a murder, Mac summons help from her Cozy Capers co-investigators and a library's worth of tips and tricks. This is one mystery where Mac is hoping for anything but a surprise ending...

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Adult

307 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 31, 2019

About the author

Maddie Day is a pseudonym for Agatha Award-winning mystery author Edith Maxwell.

As Maddie Day, Edith writes the Country Store Mysteries, from Kensington, set in southern Indiana. Maddie lived in the area some years ago and loves writing the adventures of Robbie Jordan, a country store owner and chef in South Lick, Indiana.

She also writes the Cozy Capers Book Group Mysteries, with bike shop owner Mackenzie Almeida and her cozy mystery book group solving murders in a fictional Cape Cod village.

Her new Cece Barton Mysteries series, set northern California wine country, releases in fall, 2023

Please see Edith Maxwell's author page for more information about her other mystery series and her award-winning short stories.

Reviews

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder on Cape Cod by Maddie Day is the 1st book in her Cozy Capers Book Group Mysteries. For years, I've wanted to read one of the author's novels, but I was playing catch up on my TBR and wouldn't let myself begin a new series until I was current in most of the ones I'd already sampled. Finally, 2021 has been the year to catch up on all my series, and I've even been able to start 12 new ones. I've got the same plan for 2022, and that will include finishing up this 3-book series so that I'm current when the 2022 release is published. Depending on how those other two go... I will probably start another her series of her early in the year too. That should tell you that I liked this one, right?

This debut really hits all the marks for me. I instantly liked the main character. She had a solid group of friends, colleagues, and family in a town that was as charming as it was fun. The writing style was smooth, and the mystery had tons of possibilities. I actually found myself hoping very few of the characters were guilty because I liked so many of them. One or two were definitely the baddies, and I hoped the killer would be one of them. I won't spoil the plot, but I will say it kept me intrigued with the options until the very last minute.

Mac runs a bike shop. Her father is a minister, her mother has other gifts! She has a lovable grandmother, is of mixed ethnicities, and is dating an adorable chef. Throw in some friends who meet her for early morning walks and a weekly cozy mystery book discussion, and you've got all the perfect elements for a great series. When Mac finds the body of someone with whom she recently argued, the mystery club wants to solve it. Even more so when the accused is Mac's half-brother. Too bad things will hit closer to home as the facts unfold. Lots of wonderful side stories, a few things I wish were better tied up, and a great deal to look forward to. A solid beginning!

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Westham, Massachusetts, is a delightful tourist town on Cape Cod, and home to bike shop owner Macenzie "Mac" Almeida. After book club one foggy evening, Mac stumbles across a dead body very near her home. Unfortunately evidence found at the scene makes her brother a prime suspect. The pressure is on Mac to clear her brother's name without interfering in the official investigation.

I enjoyed this first book in the Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery. The Cape Cod setting was lovely, and the wonderful descriptions made me want to visit. Mac was a relatable, no nonsense protagonist, and I loved that she lived in a cozy tiny home! The murder mystery was not an easy one to figure out. Mac's book group didn't play a big role in solving the murder, but I felt like we got a solid introduction to all the members. I'm looking forward to the next Cozy Capers mystery! ♥

[Linda Langford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great beginning to a new cozy series set in Cape Cod. I love Seaside settings! My favorite part of the book is the Cozy Capers book group and how they read only cozies, and I was familiar with all the authors and titles mentioned having read most of them, too!

In this story, protagonist, Mac Almeida’s brother becomes a suspect in a slaying, and Mac’s innocence is also questioned. Maddie Day intro’s a strong group of characters, both as suspects and those who will be regulars in future stories. As the Mystery builds in intensity, I was surprised by who the killer was and really enjoyed the story!

[Mark Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Macenzie "Mac" Almeida has returned to Westham, Massachusetts, after several years away, and she is settling back into the town where she grew up. She's enjoying time with her family, her bike shop is thriving, and she enjoys her weekly meetings with the Cozy Capers, a book club that reads exclusively cozy mysteries. Returning from their meeting one night, Mac stumbles over the dead body of Jake Lacey. Jake didn't have the best reputation in town, and Mac had her own disagreement with the man over a repair he had been hired to do for her. Worse yet, she recognizes the knife as one her brother owns. With the rest of the Cozy Capers jumping in to try to help solve the crime, will they succeed?

Ever since this series has been announced, I've been looking forward to it, and the debut didn't disappoint. I always love vacation destination settings, and this one is fun; now I want to visit Cape Cod. Plus, what cozy mystery fan isn't going to want to read about a club that loves the same sub-genre we do? We are introduced to a large selection of series regulars here, and it took some work to keep them all straight, but I'm sure that will get easier as the series goes along and the various supporting characters get enough page time. The suspects don't have the same issue, and it is easy to remember their motives. There are several secrets and potential motives for murder, but by the time Mac figures things out, everything is clear to us and her. While this isn't a traditional culinary cozy, Mac's boyfriend owns a bakery in town, and we get several recipes at the end of the book.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[Elle G. Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Release Date: Available NOW at Barnes&Noble. Releases December 31, 2019 on Amazon.
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Actual Rating: 4 stars

Murder on Cape Cod was released exclusively at Barnes&Noble a few months ago. It is not currently available on amazon but will be released there on December 31st. I happened upon this book at the bookstore in my area and had no idea it wouldn't be released through amazon until the end of the year! Not that I care all too much because I really enjoyed this one.

This is the first book in a new series by Maddie Day. It features a heroine who is a cozy mystery lover herself (she actually takes part in a cozy mystery book club), and therefore will resonate with fans of the genre. Maddie Day peppered some popular mysteries throughout the book which I found really cool while reading (I may have added a few to my own list!). As the title states, this book takes place on Cape Cod. Being a Massachusetts resident, I absolutely loved this. I have spent many summers down on the cape and I felt like I was right back there with these sweet characters.

In this one, the heroine is doing a little sleuthing (with the help of other book club members) when a resident handyman is found dead on the path towards her house. Seeing as the murder weapon appeared to be her BROTHERS knife, he's the prime suspect. She of course knows he didn't do it and will stop at nothing to clear his name!

Maddie Day does a wonderful job with this new series and I have to say that I am really excited to see where she takes it next! If you are a cozy mystery reader you won't want to miss this one!

[Athena (OneReadingNurse) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to try a cozy mystery but this was just completely silly

All I could think was that these people are idiots poking around a murder investigation while different cop agencies and a detective were on the case. Even after the MC got a few threats she just kept going. The sleuthing that happened was these local people essentially gossiping with each other

I did like the main character well enough and her pet bird. Her family seemed nice while the other side characters didn't get a ton of screen time. There were a few snarky old ladies. I also liked that there was a lot of "local flavor" but even that could have been amped up.

I didn't guess the right murderer but the sleuthing group had no concrete theories or evidence, so it seemed like a gaping plot hole between "we have all these theories" and then randomly the climax happened and the antagonist was apprehended.

Maybe people who like this genre would like this, I don't know, other books and authors were shouted out. This is not my genre

[Melike · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read book #4 in the series first and liked it a lot, so I decided to read the first book in the Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery series. What a wonderful introduction! The setting is beautiful, all the characters are likable and the story was well-written. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

[Micky Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting cast of characters that create a sleuth team to solve the murder that has happened recently especially when it looks like one of their own is on the hook for the murder! I love that the group is a book club for cozy mysteries and are an eclectic group of people in age and background. I'm really looking forward to getting to know these characters much better!

[Shawna Shaheen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 1. Mackenzie owns a bike shop where she lets people ride on them she fixes them but her employees are starting to dissaper without giving her a reason. First her brother Derrick has not been found in a day and her other employee Orlean is having trouble with her ex husband. She was going to tell them hey I have to have reliable bunch. But Derrick her bro was not showing up because a dead guy Jake had a unique knife stuck in him so he was nervous that the cops will find him. He has a 4 year old daughter and he does not want her to suffer if he's put In jail. His girlfriend Cokie ( his daughter) mom left her and said she could not raise her. Mac found the body ( Jake she knew him from fixing her house but he did a shoddy job) she is the one that saw Derrick knife. The book club ( cozy mysteries only) that Mac her friend Gin, Flora, Tulia, Nolan, Simon and his boyfriend were all part of the book club were trying to find out who wanted to kill Jake. He had a bad reputation in town. But before he died he told people that he don't need anybody money cause he get wicked rich. Love the sweet African Grey Parrot Belle she is Mac bird. She is a funny little thing. This a very long story. But it was ok. But I did not like why someone killed him. But it is a good read

[Mallory · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 1 in the Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery series and while it wasn’t the first in this series I have read I was glad to go back to the beginning. I enjoy the cast of characters in this book (especially Cokey and the parrot) and think that it works well for a cozy mystery. I also thought the transition from cozy fan to mystery solver made sense. I also really enjoy the Cape Cod setting. My college roommate was from the Cape so I like getting to revisit that area. Mac is running her family’s bike shop when she heads home one day only to stumble over a body. She recognizes the victim as a man she had a small public conflict with and she recognizes the knife sticking out of him as her brother’s custom fishing knife. Knowing she and her brother are likely in the suspect column she and her cozy mystery book group decides to put their heads and questioning skills to the test by trying to gather information and solve the murder despite the warnings to stay out of it from the killer and the police.

[Tari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been wanting to read this since it came out, but I guess waiting three months is a lot less than other books on my TBR have waited. I really loved that the main sleuth Mac and her bestie Gin were cozy mystery fans who loved the books as much as I do. When they found themselves in the middle of a real life mystery, they found themselves referring to their books they'd read for what to do next.

I think at one point I realized who the killer was, but it was fun reading how it played out. The showdown was a really good one and very resourceful too, just like in the cozies that Mac loved. And they hadn't needed a knight in armor to come in to save them, as Mac had mentioned about one of her favorite series that the sleuth always saved herself. I really loved this book and now I can move on to the next one that I have as a paperback ARC and be happy that I already know the characters. (And I have it preordered as well.)

[Janete on hiatus due health issues · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much blah... I'm bored to death with these dialogues. Scribd.com English text, and translation for Portuguese + audio in English from Google Translate.

[Rebecca (booksandbreggs) · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF'd at 60%. There were some thoughts and beliefs in this that go against my beliefs...so, it just wasn't for me.

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dollycas's Thoughts

In this first Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery, we meet Mackenzie “Mac” Almeida, owner of Mac's Bikes in Westham, Massachusetts. Coming home from a meeting of her Cozy Capers Book Group in the heavy miss she trips over something . . . a body . . . handyman Jake Lacey. She couldn't see any wounds or blood, but when the police arrive she sees the knife stuck in his neck. A knife that looks very familiar.

As soon as the Cozy Capers get word about Jake Lacey's murder they decide they can solve it just like the characters in all the books they read. With Mac on the list of suspects along with her brother who is not answering texts or calls she and the Cozy Caper start their investigation. She just hopes they solve it quickly and there is a lot less drama than in the books they read.

____

I have wanted to start this series for a long time and am so happy to have finally done so.

Mac runs a bike shop and lives in a tiny house with her African Gray parrot, Belle. Her half-brother, Derrick lives in a lighthouse and works for her. He has a 4-year-old daughter named Cokey. Their dad is a minister and very easygoing. His wife is not the typical pastor's wife, she has her own business as an astrologer. They both help out with Cokey whenever necessary. Gin Malloy is Mac's bestie. She owns Salty Taffy's candy store. They meet up every morning to take a walk and usually listen to the latest book choice for their cozy mystery group, but now all they talk about is the murder. Mac's boyfriend Tim, a retired professor, now owns Greta Grains bakery. Victoria Laitinen is the newly promoted Chief of Police. She and Mac were high school classmates but were not friends. We also meet the rest of the Cozy Capers Book Group, other residents of Westham, and visitors to the town throughout the story. Ms. Day did an excellent job introducing all the characters and they are all unique. Many quickly worked their way into my heart.

The mystery of Jake's death was complex. A lot of people either pass by or come into Mac's Bikes and she was suspicious of many of them. I really enjoyed the way the Cozy Capers pulled their investigative tips, ideas, and techniques from the many cozy mysteries they have read. The author through in plenty of twists and turns and sets up a great showdown. I loved it and was quietly cheering as it ended.

Entangled with, through, and around the main mystery were some emotional, interesting, and entertaining subplots. Some were wrapped up but others will continue into at least the next book and maybe beyond.

The setting of Westham, Massachusetts, a seaside town where tourists flock is a wonderful setting for a cozy mystery series. The author's descriptive writing style certainly brought the community to life.

Murder on Cape Cod is a marvelous debut for this series. With a terrific theme, genuine characters, a delightful setting, and a fabulous mystery it was A Perfect Escape. I can't wait to escape into Book 2, Murder at the Taffy Shop!

[Kay Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

MURDER ON CAPE COD by Maddie Day is the first book in the new series – a Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery. Maddie Day has expertly crafted the start of a series that will have you turning pages, feeling like you’re a member of the Cozy Capers book club trying to solve the whodunit and why, while enduring you to the little tourist town of Westham, Massachusetts and its residents.

Enjoyed getting to know Mackenzie “Mac” Almeida by learning about her bicycle shop in the heart of town, its employees and her quirky family. You will fall in love with Belle, Mac’s African Gray parrot as well as her boyfriend, Tim.

Mac finds Jake Lacey’s body on a foggy night while returning to her tiny home behind her bike shop from a book club meeting. After seeing her brother’s very distinct fish knife sticking out of his body, she knows she has to find a way to prove that Derrick didn’t kill Jack. Mac turns to the Cozy Capers to help find out who murdered Jake. Their list of suspects is long and finding answers to their questions hard, but they are a dedicated and hard working group of mystery solvers each with his or her own strengths to add to the mixture.

After being warned by Detective Lincoln Haskins to leave the investigation to the authorities, Mac makes sure to turn over clues or evidence to the police. She also finds that investigating a murder can be dangerous to ones health after finding a threatening note on her door and being almost run down by a motorcycle.

MURDER ON CAPE COD is a must read if you love cozy mysteries. It’s a very well written, engaging book that will have you looking forward to the second book in this series just as much as I am. I highly recommend this book! Can’t wait to revisit Westham again to see what my new friends are up to next.

I received an ARC copy of MURDER OON CAPE COD. This in no way is reflected in or the reason for my review. The opinions expressed in my review are entirely my own.

[Christi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a great start to a new series by Maddie Day/Edith Maxwell. She has quickly become one of my go-to authors. I love the setting on Cape Cod—reading the book made me want to visit. The main character, Mac, is a small business owner with a fun group of friends and family. I highly recommend this book, and I’m looking forward to Book 2!

[Leo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it but not sure I want to continue as I didn't feel any strong emotions for the characters or pull to read the next book. Bur with cozy mysteries it sometimes take 2 or 3 books to really get attached to the series and loving the reading experience. So might but have so many cosies I wanna try and read.

[Mystery, She Read]

DNF.

Maybe I’m being picky but didn’t click with this one.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set on Cape Cod, with many local towns and landmarks, this book captures the essence of the small towns that are still on the outer cape. Mac owns the local bike shop and her boyfriend owns the local bakery. Strangers come to town and a murder ensues. There are several characters introduced including a single dad, family from Cape Verde and others for whom there's a lot of opportunity for development. While the book does not claim to be realistic with respect to places, I found the special inconsistencies a bit jarring. If Westham (loosely Eastham on the outer cape?) is on the outer cape, why drive the entire length of the Cape to go to the hospital passing at least one other on the way.

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

A mystery book club sets out to solve a murder discovered following a meeting. On a foggy evening, Mackenzie, owner of a bicycle shop in a Cape Cod tourist town, nearly tripped over the man. She recognizes the knife that stabbed the man as her brother's custom-made one. Her father pastors a church and her mother works as an astrologist--a rather unusual combination. The mystery's writing lacks cohesiveness, and its solution seems obvious.

[April Schilling · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in the Cozy Capers Book Group mystery series and I loved it! I can just picture Mac's bicycle shop in Westham and she's such a character! I was shocked by who the killer was but, I was pretty sure who was gonna be killed. Looking forward to the next book!

[Heidi Prockish · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was great! There were multiple things that I could relate to with Mac, which has me craving more!! Plus, who doesn't love a cozy where the sleuth reads cozies?!

[Erin Meyer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love cozy. I love New England. I was bored here though.

[QNPoohBear · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mac Almeida takes a shortcut home through the fog after her cozy mystery book club meeting only to stumble into a real life mystery. Mac discovers the body of handyman Jake Lacey dead on the path with a knife that looks suspiciously like her haf brother's sticking out of his chest. Derrick can't be found anywhere and Mac is worried the police will charge him with a murder she knows he didn't commit. Her friends in the Cozy Capers club want to help solve the murder but when Mac is nearly killed, she tries to stop them from investigating. Yet... she can't help herself! Can she and her friends help the police solve the mystery?

I have come to the conclusion that Maddie Day's writing style doesn't suit me. I'm not crazy about the first person narration in this instance. It just doesn't make the characters come alive or click with me. I love the meta theme of a cozy mystery book club. That was cute. I appreciated the local color but this isn't the Cape Cod I know. I have only a vague memory based on a photo of riding on a bike path. I know which area the story is set in based on the references but it still doesn't give me a New England feel. I do appreciate the diversity of Mac's hometown, again not the New England I grew up in, but appreciated. My only concern is while the author acknowledges doing research to depict her half Wampanoag detective, her heroine is bi-racial and part Cape-Verdean and nothing in the two pages of acknowledgments says anything about beta readers or sensitivity readers. The sprinkling of language into Mac's vocabularly is effective but there's nothing so far about how Mac feels being biracial and how her parents have dealt with being an interracial couple in New England. Their town seems much more diverse and accepting than the area where I grew up. I also never knew anyone who attended the "UU" church. There is a Unitarian church but I didn't know anyone who went there.

The mystery was a little bit obvious. I was caught up more in where her brother was and what was going on with him. The murderer had to be one of two people, especially since there were only four new people in town! I guessed what Jake was up to right away but I wasn't totally sure about the killer. Mac was kind of stupid to keep investigating after she was nearly killed in front of the police station!

Mac is not a likable character for me. She's a biker and I'm adverse to most forms of exercise. She runs her own business, which is admirable, but she's also a workaholic and not too bright about running her business. She seemed to think she could singlehandedly do bike repairs and tune ups and do little of the retail side of thing, preferring to let her brother do that. That's not the way the world works and since she doesn't have any other employees to do the retail side of things, she's stuck doing it herself when her brother is a no-show. When her mechanic fails to come to work, she has to do it all herself. Then her family pitches in to help. Mac also seems to be allergic to everything including furry friends. She does have an African Grey Parrot, Belle, who is amusing but not as charming as a furry child. Mac has a boyfriend but they hardly spend any time together and they don't have any chemistry. She's in a book club yet she only attends two meetings and we don't really know the other members very well yet. They're just named and help investigate.

Mac's relationship with her family is the highlight of the novel. They're a close-knit loving family. I love her relationship with her Abo Reba who is loving, kind and knows how to mind her own business. Mac is also super close with her dad, a minister, and her half-brother Derrick. Mac's dad is patient and quiet, as is fitting for his profession. He's a doting grandfather to Derrick's four-year-old daughter, Cokey. Cokey is new to the family since her French mother decided not to raise her daughter. Cokey is cute and not such an obnoxious precocious moppet. Her presence is restrained. Derrick seems like a devoted father but something is going on with him and he's gone missing when the police need to speak with him. That doesn't give me a high opinion of his character and when Mac ultimately discovers his secret, it's not a good excuse. Mac's relationship with her mom is more complicated since her mother took up astrology and changed her name. Her mom is kind of flaky and weird but her children love her and tolerate her quirky profession even if they make fun of it behind her back.

Mac's best friend, Gin, owns the candy shop in town. OMG! Can I be her best friend? Gin is a bit impatient and mischievous. She's eager to investigate the real life murder in spite of the police doing their job. Tim, her boyfriend, owns a bakery but he's mainly a bread bakery and not a pastry chef. I love bread but there's not enough of it or anything good in this book. He's kind of too perfect and boring. Bland. Blah. I'm not feeling this relationship at all. Zane, a cozy mystery enthusiast, runs the local liquor store. He loves to gossip and shares information about his customers with Mac. That's not right! Tulia runs the Lobstah Shack and she also likes to gossip. Flo, the town librarian, has a sharp mind and is eager to investigate the crime. Her daughter Suzanne manages a local bookstore and she hates cozy mysteries. Suzanne is awful! She's rude, belittles her mother and mother's friends and seems to know private information about the murder. She could be a suspect.

Orlean, Mac's mechanic, is flaky. She's just gotten out of a bad relationship and I suspect it's not really over yet. That's not a good excuse for not coming to work and not letting your boss know in advance. I doubt she'll last long. Edwin, Mac's father's accountant, is sort of a suspicious character because he has a lot of tattoos but he knows his job, he's smart, enthusiastic and Mac's dad must be giving him a second chance. Then who is the man with the identical tattoos and does he have anything to do with Edwin or Jake's murder?

Jake Lacey sounds like he was down on his luck but not for any solid reason. He sounded lazy and not a good worker. Mac had beef with Jake for not fixing her roof properly and she won't pay him until he redoes the roof. That sounds wise. Jake claims he's coming into money soon and I suspect he's involved in some kind of illegal deal like selling something, property that probably doesn't belong to him. Victoria, the police chief, is a former high school mean girl type who seems to have beef with Mac but I think she's caring and sensible enough to do her job properly and not let her feelings about Mac cloud her judgement. Detective Haskins is smart and capable. He's overworked and things don't move as fast as they do on TV so Mac feels the need to investigate. Detective Haskins may be big and seem slow but slow and careful won't get the wrong person arrested. He's fair-minded and never accuses anyone of murder and allows Mac to give him information.

Newcomers in town seen with or connected to Jake Lacey include a mysterious woman in a business suit. She pops up and her identity becomes known as Mac's mom befriends Katherine Deloit, a high-powered real estate broker. She's into astrology-who knew? Could she be the murderer? Did Jake promise her a land sale he didn't have the authorization to make in order to swindle her out of big bucks? Did she kill him when she found out about the scam? There's also a tourist/estate hunter, Wesley Farnham. He seems eager to know about Jake but if he knows Jake has been murdered, then he is lying and hiding it. I find him very suspicious. Why suddenly ask about someone you knew in high school? (FYI: North Providence is a separate city from Providence.) Who is the young woman seen with Jake who was happy and now seems sad? Did she have a connection to him? Does she know who the murderer is? She seems too young and slight to be a killer but when her identity is revealed, it sounds like she has a good motive.

This series is just not for me and I won't be reading more right now. Cozy mystery fans will get a kick out of the book club but that's not enough to keep me reading.

[Jeanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an exciting and delightful first in series by Maddie Day! I enjoyed every minute of meeting MacKenzie "Mac" Almeida, owner of a bike shop that does rentals, repairs, and sales of accessories and clothing for the modern bicyclist. Mac has returned to Cape Cod after several years away - working in Boston, then in the Peace Corp, and another year touring, mostly south of the equator. Her brother, Derrick, and his four year old daughter Coquille "Cokey" returned shortly thereafter. Derrick works for Mac on the sales and rental side, and a woman named Orlean does repairs. Mac can fill in either position as needed.

The Cozy Capers Book Group meets weekly in the lighthouse where Derrick is a caretaker, an. d this week is no different, despite the heavy fog rolling in. Just outside of her yard, Mac tripped over something she didn't see in the fog. A body. Jake Lacey was dead, and Mac had a small disagreement with him at the soup kitchen, where she volunteered, just hours earlier. Jake had claimed that he was coming into some easy money that evening, but nobody seemed to know what was up with the down on his luck handiman. They parted without animosity, but you know how small town people talk.

The book club wants to see if they can solve the mystery, but Mac isn't interested. She wants to run her business and spend time with her family and Tim, her boyfriend. Even though her brother seems to have gone missing, not even going to work. Even though Orlean was late without warning.
Derrick has secrets that he isn't willing to share, and the dragon has come back to torment him again. Their father isn't willing to divulge Derrick's secrets, so she will await Derrick's return.

In the meantime, Mac and one of her close friends was almost run over by a cyclist on the path they normally walk every morning. She is trying to stay the least involved, but seems to be the target of whoever killed Jake. There are strangers in town who seem to have known him - a young woman who has looked weepy since he died, a businessman from Providence. Mac just happens to be at the right place at the right time to learn more about Jake.

I really enjoyed this very well-written mystery! It is a beautiful start to the series. From the suspense and 3-D characters to the fear from threats and...threats to the amazing descriptions of birds, birdsongs, flora and fauna, it is a perfect read for the discerning cozy mystery reader. I like Mac and probably her father or brother the best. Or all three. The wisdom and grace with which the author writes about Derrick and his challenges are so much appreciated by this reader, especially the dragon. I did not know who the bad guy/ gal might be, had briefly but not seriously considered the person as I couldn't think of a good motive (who says motives have to be good?). I highly recommend this fabulous first in series; this is a series worth following!

[Josie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute book! An added plus is no profanity and graphic bedroom scenes starting on page 3. This author obviously has a vocabulary and imagination that extends beyond those boundaries. Very refreshing. Will look forward to the next book in the series.

[Vanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story: 3.5 stars
Audio: 4 stars

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder on Cape Cod is a great start to a new series for author Maddie Day and I am looking forward to more books. Ms. Day has wonderfully descriptive writing style that allows her to create a world and craft characters that are so clear to the reader. The characters in this series are well defined for a first book in a new series. The protagonist, Mac, is a mature, no-nonsense business woman who has returned home to open her own bicycle shop. I love that she lives in a tiny house and has a parrot who is quite vocal. She is surrounded by family and her cozy mystery book club all of whom a interesting, quirky and each bring something to the story. In this first book, I think the reader gets to know Mac's family better than the book club just because of the nature of the mystery. As the series progresses, I feel that the book club characters will become just as well known to the reader. The mystery starts within the first five pages of the book and is carried throughout the story. I thought the pace of the book was spot on with no lulls, just clues, secrets and possible motives laid out for the reader's considerations. The only criticism I had was that the reveal felt a bit rushed, like the killer's motive was not fully explored.

All in all, this was a great start to a new series. It has everything we come to expect from Ms. Day - descriptive writing that allows the reader to become surrounded in an engaging story with a charming setting and well written characters. I will definitely be back for more.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great start to a new series. Strongly recommend!

[Rita · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book of a new series and if the next book is as good as this one, it's definitely a winner.