Reservation with Death

The Park Hotel Mysteries #1

by Diane Capri

"You don't want to miss this one!"

A new cozy mystery series from New York Times and USA Today best-selling Author Diane Capri.

Follow former lawyer turned concierge and amateur sleuth Andi Steele and her lovable cats (and dogs) as they catch murderers and solve crimes on historic Frontenac Island, Michigan.

Dead bodies. Hunky men. A never-ending parade of demanding hotel guests, quirky villagers, cats, dogs, and maybe a ghost.

Andi Steele loved her career as a lawyer, until she got caught in the fallout when her boss embezzled millions from clients. With no good options open to her, Andi accepted the only job she could get, filling in as the concierge at The Park Hotel on scenic Frontenac Island.

She meets the devilishly handsome Mayor Daniel Evans, but she’s in no position to be thinking about romance.

Now all she wants to do is lie low while she waits for the scandal to blow over so she can get her life back on track again.

But lying low isn’t an option when she stumbles across a dead body in the hotel swimming pool closet, a dead body that didn’t get that way naturally.

The local sheriff isn’t handling the investigation to Andi’s satisfaction, so the former legal eagle wades in to add her expertise.

But when the killer has Andi in the line of fire, getting her old life back is no longer a priority. If she doesn’t look out, she might lose the only life she’s got. Permanently.

If you love traditional cozy mystery with a side of romance and a splash of suspense, you’ll love Andi Steele and The Park Hotel Mysteries.

Get it now!

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

244 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 21, 2019

About the author

Bestselling author Diane Capri is a recovering lawyer. She’s a snowbird who divides her time between Florida and Michigan. An active member of Mystery Writers of America, Author’s Guild, International Thriller Writers, and Sisters in Crime, she loves to hear from readers and is hard at work on her next novel.

Connect with her online:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/@DianeCapri
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Diane-...

Here’s the Long version, if you’re looking for more info:

#1 Amazon Bestselling Author Diane Capri’s work is what the #1 worldwide publishing phenomenon Lee Child calls “Full of thrills and tension, but smart and human, too.” Margaret Maron, Edgar, Anthony, Agatha and Macavity Award-winning MWA Past President, says: “Expertise shines on every page.” And Library Journal raves: “….offers tense legal drama with courtroom overtones, twisty plots, and loads of atmosphere. Recommended.”

Diane’s new Jess Kimball series kicked off with Fatal Distraction, opening as the #3 Bestselling Legal Thriller, behind John Grisham. Diane’s new Hunt for Jack Reacher series began with Don’t Know Jack, which garnered #1 Bestseller spots on Mystery, Hard-boiled Mystery, Police Procedural, Women Sleuths, and Legal Thriller lists both in the U.S. and U.K. Don’t Know Jack was followed by two bestselling short stories in the Hunt for Jack Reacher series, Jack in a Box and Jack and Kill. Diane’s Judge Wilhelmina Carson mysteries were praised by Romantic Times and garnered the coveted “Top Pick.” Diane’s savvy, spunky character, attorney Jennifer Lane, stars in her own romantic suspense series, which kicks off with Annabelle’s Attack.

Diane is the past Executive Vice President of International Thriller Writers, past member of the Board of the Florida Chapter of Mystery Writers of America, and active in Sisters in Crime and other writing organizations. She comes to writing after a successful legal career and is married to her college sweetheart. She loves her nomadic snowbird existence preferring perpetual summer migrating from Florida to Michigan each year.

Diane says she writes mystery and suspense for the same reason she reads: to find out what happens, why people do what they do, and how to bring justice to an unjust world.Her books are translated in twenty territories. Diane loves to hear from readers. Contact her at: DianeCapri.com/Contact to receive notice of new releases, subscribe to Diane’s blog, or simply connect with her.

Reviews

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hotel concierge and amateur sleuth Andi Steele investigates a murder at her hotel.

Capri, a New York Times and USA Today Best Selling Author, is definitely on her game in this first in series cozy mystery. Capri's page-turning plot is filled with twists. Her protagonist and secondary characters are quirky, yet very real. And the hotel setting is charming.

All in all, this was a delightful cozy mystery read.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first time reading this author. and I loved every minute of the story! Filled with twists and turns that kept me wondering what would happen next. The story reminded me of being on Mackinaw Island in Michigan. Love the beautiful cover too! Looking forward to the next book in the series!

[Sandee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well-written cozy mystery. Diane knows how to meet the expectations from a cozy mystery and checks off every box with this one. The mystery is a good one and had a very good ending. However, I didn't like Andi, the heroine. There is almost nothing in the book about her character, so all judgement must come from what she does. She isn't very nice. She ignores her boss, her friend and the Sheriff. In spite of losing her job as a lawyer for being oblivious to what is going on around her, she believes she knows better than everyone else. So, I enjoyed the overall story but wish Diane had developed Andi as nicer and smarter.

[Flewts · Rating 4 out of 5]

I kept thinking I had read this before. But no.... it was someone who was working at a hotel on Mackinac Island. Some things were the same, of course, an island hotel in Michigan, but the characters and plot were different. Fun light reading.

[Shawn MacDonald · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have never been happier to finish a book in my life. This was my first cozy mystery and I'd be hard pressed to ever read another, if this is any indication of what they're like. The story is centered around a wholly unlikeable lawyer-turned-concierge-cum-detective who wasn't bright enough to figure out that the lawyer she worked for was embezzling, but is able to solve a murder in a place where she doesn't know any of the places or people? With each page I turned, I hoped hers would be the next body we found.

Add to that the author's over reliance on phrases and clichés (big city lawyer or hotshot lawyer or whatever she kept saying), historic Park Hotel, etc. And the icing on the hate cake that was this book is that it is clearly set on Mackinac Island, but for some reason she says it's in Michigan on Frontenac Island. What the hell? I get that you can't say Grand Hotel for fear of being sued, but Mackinac Island isn off limits?

I've never hate-read a book before and I hope I never do again.

[Lise · Rating 4 out of 5]

LA lawyer Andi Steele is facing upheaval in her previously well-planned life. Her boss is suspected of embezzlement and she, too, is under suspicion - and suspension. With few options to explore, she flees to her friend's family-owned hotel and a job as a concierge. As she tries to get her life back together, a dead body gets in her way. And if the sheriff is not up to the task, it's only natural that she step in and find the killer herself.

This was a pleasant read and my top pick for the murderer was completely incorrect. Like Andi, I didn't have any clues pointing to the person - I just followed my gut. Andi isn't a great detective; she's just tenacious. She crosses so many lines in order to solve the mystery and really, she's just being a busybody when you get right down to it. At first, I liked her character; as I reached the end of the book, I wasn't so sure.

A couple of things grabbed my attention concerning the plotline. There was a glaring error that distracted me from the story which revolved around a broken phone that was miraculously fixed some hours later. Furthermore, Andi's mother reaches out to her to help and because it's the "first" time she's done this, Andi ignores her. Andi's bright, but she probably didn't attend school on scholarship. Andi's parents ensured that she had a loving nanny to keep her secure while they attended to whatever it is that kept them from looking after her. I realize that a strained relationship is difficult to mend, but someone has to take the first step. Rather than doubt her mother's motives, Andi really should have taken the opportunity to see if they could repair their rift. The hotel seems to have more than enough people who currently dislike her and I'm not convinced that it's a great fit. We'll have to see as the series progresses. The teaser at the end of the story suggests a rocky time ahead.

Overall, Reservation with Death was a fun read. I had high hopes for the novel and for the most part, they were met. I look forward to the next book in the series.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andrea (Andi) Steele is a successful lawyer, at least she was until her boss of the last 6 years is found to have been embezzling funds from clients, and now she’s on suspension, with her license up in the air and unable to practice in the legal field until she has been cleared as an accessory.

Moving to her best friends family owned hotel while she’s waiting to either be cleared, or charged.

She’s working as a concierge under the family matron and Ginny’s mom, Lois Park, who doesn’t believe Andi has what it takes to be a concierge, but keeps her on anyway for Ginny’s sake.

When Andi goes to look for a guest lost wallet on her first day at work, she comes across a body hidden in a storage room off the pool.

Determining that the sheriff is unable to run a proper investigation Andi decides that she needs to solve the murder herself, even if it means being fired from her second job in a matter of months.

Pro’s:

Developed characters, a solid plotline, and some humor.



Con’s:

Questionable antics from an otherwise supposedly intelligent main character, and a dysfunctional cast.

Lois Park – current owner of the Park Hotel who talks to her deceased husband. Is she actually speaking to his ghosts? Or is she just thinking things through verbally? She's also the mother of Ginny, Andi’s best friend.

Ginny Park – Andi's best friend since college and the sister she never had.

Nicole Park – Restaurant manager of the hotel, and she has an unreasonable jealousy towards Andi, as Andi had previously dated her now husband, Erik Park, for a short timeframe before moving on to another college to complete her legal studies.

Erik Park – Hotel accountant and cause of Nicole’s jealousy.

Luke Jackson – Island sheriff who just wishes Andi would stay out of his investigation.

I had considered giving this a three star rating rather than a four star one due to the MC's overall lack of consideration for her boss, and the "I know better than you" attitude she has towards the sheriff on the island, seeing as how she has ZERO experience in running an investigation.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cozy Mystery

Well, this is hard for me to rate. I will average the stars.
The writing style and the overall mystery get 5 stars. The "heroine" , Andi, gets 1 star.
I don't believe that I have ever read such an arrogant, rude and obnoxious heroine before. I absolutely didn't like Andi at all.
This is the first time that I have actually really liked a story but won't continue a series because I just don't care about the main character. 😕

[Nancy Haddock · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another new-to-me-author, and I got more and more into the book the deeper I got into the plot. Great pacing, good characters, fun setting - I'll be back for more work by this author!

[Jodi Pomerleau · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised with this novel. I've read a lot of Diane Capri books, and they tend to be more edgy. This was a delightful cozy mystery. There was a good mystery, great characters, potential romance, and not a lot of extra fluff just to fill pages. It just hums along to a decent conclusion. I enjoyed it enough that if there are more in the series, I will seek them out.

[Patricia Gligor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading "Reservation with Death" by Diane Capri. The plot was intriguing, with lots of twists and turns. The setting was realistic and the characters were well-developed. I especially enjoyed the main character, Andi, who will stop at nothing to find a murderer.

[Diane Wachter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Park Hotel Mysteries, Bk. 1, @ 2019, Read 2/17/22. Fiction, Mystery, Michigan. A California lawyer, unfairly suspended from her dream job, moves to an island in Michigan to work with her college roommate's family as a concierge in their family hotel on Frontenac Island, Michigan (Fictitious island and hotel based on the Grand Hotel on Mackinaw Island). On the 1st day she finds a body in the pool maintenance closet, and becomes involved in solving the murder, to the consternation of her boss, and the local sheriff. 3☆'s = Good. I know The Grand, and the Island well, so this was especially fun for me!

A Park Hotel Mystery, Bk 1, EBK-M, Kindle, @ 2019, Reread 3/20/25. Fiction, Mystery. Didn't remember this one at all!
But still enjoyed it, probably because of the setting (see my previous review for this book.) Still 3☆'s = Good.

[Sharyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a departure from the usual Diane Capri novel, but she never disappoints and certainly doesn’t with this new series. I was privileged to receive an ARC of this excellent cozy mystery which has enough intrigue to keep you guessing to the end. The characters are well-developed, especially Andi, the ex-lawyer turned hotel concierge - and there’s a story there as well -who attracts disaster and gorgeous men while stumbling across dead bodies, in this case, beside the hotel swimming pool. Was it an accident or was something more sinister at play? Of course, Andi’s curiosity and lawyerly skills take over, leading her on an adventure down an exciting and perilous path. Get this book. Get the entire series. You won’t regret it.

[Leslie aka StoreyBook Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is going to be a fun new cozy series. The characters are intriguing and the mystery wasn't easy for me to solve (ok I'll admit it, I didn't figure it out until the killer was revealed or really close). Andi is a tough take charge woman. She can be a bit annoying thinking she knows it all and that the police on this island know nothing, but she does help them solve the crime.

Looking forward to more of these books!

[BobaFett114 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Refreshing Mystery!

This was a very well written, well thought out mystery. It was refreshing! I read a lot of mysteries and any more I know who did it as soon as it happens. Not so with this book. I didn't have a clue! Well done!

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another cute one

This is the first of the Park Hotel series written by Dianne Capri, and I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy mystery. I have read all the Judge Willa Carson books and now this looks to be the next series on my list to enjoy.

[Lee Knapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice read

A fun cozy mystery that kept me engaged. The heroine, Andi, is a strong and determined character and keeps the story moving.
A nice afternoon read.

[SylviaV · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reservation with Death by Diane Capri.
The Park Hotel Mysteries series, a 4 book cozy mystery series. This is book 1 and introduces the main character Andi Steele.
For me there were some holes in the story line that did not make sense. She has been working as a lawyer for the same company for years with no time off, no holidays etc. and she is in line to be made junior partner. Then there is an investigation into her boss and his involvement in fraud and she is implicated, because she works for her boss? What about the other people who worked for this boss? She is suspended without pay, but is escorted off the premises as if she is fired without any evidence of her committing an offence? Within a short period of time her finances/living situation is so bad she accepts her friend's invitation to work at the front desk of her friend's family hotel. I get the fact she wants a change of scenery, but I do not get the fact she is broke? She should have been earning a reasonable salary as a lawyer and with her working all the time, where did she spent her money on, she should not have been living from paycheque to paycheque?
Andi is quick to learn and so curious and observant in her new job as concierge, she solves the mystery of the death at the hotel, while managing to irritate the sheriff and draw the attention of the dashing mayor from a nearby town.
So why did she miss all the signs and red flags about the fraud and shady deals her boss was involved in when she was working as a lawyer. I did not warm to Andi and her antics. Solid read. 3 stars.

[Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andi Steele was a hotshot California lawyer … until she wasn’t. Her boss embezzled; Andi imbibed the bitter drink of forced unemployment. The only job she can get quickly is a hotel concierge job on Michigan’s Frontenac Island, where her friend’s mom owns the swanky Park Hotel. She and her two cats fly to their new job, and the cats don’t make a positive impression on the new boss. Andi just hopes she can lie low until they clear her name and let her again practice law.

On her first day as a concierge, Andi opens a utility closet near the swimming pool and finds a dead man inside. Her understanding of legal things generally and her curiosity make her a natural amateur sleuth, and the local sheriff wants nothing to do with that. She nearly loses her job for telling the apparently incompetent sheriff how to run the investigation and before the book ends, she nearly loses her life.

The characters are less memorable than the publisher wants you to believe, and don’t look for a lot of howl-and-holler-out-loud humor. It’s not there. But Andi Steele is likable enough, and you’ll read this to see how she solves the mystery and who killed the guy.

This was a short book, and it looks like the other three books in the series are equally short.

[Diane Waldo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Murder on fictional Mackinac Island

This is the first entry in a series featuring a disgraced lawyer from California who ends up at the Park Hotel on Frontenac Island serving as the temporary concierge. (Anyone who has a nodding acquaintance with Michigan will recognize the Grand Hotel and Mackinac Island.) In addition to attempting to work as the concierge when she has no experience in a position like that, the main character decides to stick her nose into a murder investigation after finding a hotel guest dead in the pool house. The sheriff is remarkably forebearing with her, considering that her snooping is all done illegally. Toss in a pregnant young woman, a handsome man who is mayor of a mainland town, and a hotel owner who has second thoughts about the job, and everything gets nicely muddled just in time for our heroine to unmask the murderer by putting herself in mortal peril. This book was good enough to make me curious about future entries in the series if I run across them.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Andi can no longer work as a lawyer, she goes across the country to work as a concierge at her friends hotel.

I found the customer interactions amusing, since I worked with customers for many years.

As for Andi, I found her to be a bit of a know-it-all. She’s not a very likable character, in my opinion. She claims to be smart, being a former lawyer, but she does a lot of dumb stuff.

I didn’t figure out who the killer was until shortly before it was revealed, which made it more exciting.

I don’t plan to continue the series.

[Holly Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book in The Park Hotel Mysteries cozy series by Diane Capri Andi Steele used to be a lawyer in California now she is in Michigan at the Park Hotel on historic Frontenac Island as the hotel concierge and also an amateur sleuth...Having to quickly change jobs when her boss embezzled millions from their clients... Finding a dead body near the spa pool one morning Andi decides to help the local sheriff figure out the crime. But, soon the killer has Andi in the line of fire, and if she is not careful she might lose the only life she has permanently....

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andi Steele is a super sleuth

Fortuitous that Andi Steele lost her job in California and moved to Michigan to stay with her friend Ginny at the Park Hotel. Otherwise a murder might have gone unsolved. Andi used her intelligence and determination to look for clues when the local sheriff seemed unable to grasp the situation. It was frustrating for Andi, but she never gave up, even when her life was in danger. This is a fun story. Kudos to Diane Capri!

[Judi Politte-Downs · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short book, quick read, a mere 170 pages but packed with mystery. Andi looses her lawyer job; she is accused of helping her boss steal money. She moves to a hotel owned by her best friend's Mom to work as a concierge. First day on the job she finds a dead man and the fun begins. We follow Andi as she solves the crime. Well written, often times I know the end long before the book ends, not so this time. Well done.

[Roxx Tarantini]

Great start on a new-to-me series!

Engaging characters, intriguing storylines, and a hint of possible romance. All elements that combine to make this book a delightful way to spend a blustery afternoon, curled up in your favourite rocker.

Andi Steele has an inquisitive - some would say meddlesome - personality that's guaranteed to get her into more hot water with the Sheriff. Can't wait to dig in to her next adventure!

[Celest · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Wonderful Adventure

This was a fast paced mystery with likable characters. Diane Capri writes an intriguing story full of surprises and suspense. Andi is a great character and too brave for my nerves. Solving the mysteries in the end was very exciting and fun, I didn't see it coming. I love when that happens. The tiny cliffhanger at the very end was something else. I have no idea where this is going, but I'd like to see.

[linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

One question

I really enjoyed the book, but have a couple questions. First, couldn't Sasha be charged with anything? Even if it was a slap on the hand. Next question, Andis phone had dropped and broke near the end when she tried to call the sheriff, but then it says she checked her messages later from her mom and the sheriff? What's up with that?

[Rachelle Steward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful cozy mystery

I adore the characters in this book. I will surely be checking out the rest of the series, and her other series as well. So very entertaining. Whatever will Andi do about her for babies? Is there a date with a Mayor in her future? So many intriguing questions!

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was the first one I read by this author. Enjoyed it immensely. I will be reading the rest of the books in this series. Main character going from California lawyer to an amateur sleuth was entertaining, getting herself into trouble without hardly trying. On to the next book in the series.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read of Diane Capri (although I have a few of her Jack Reacher stories ready to go in my eBook collection). It was a fun read, great hotel setting in a rather beautiful location. I love the characters, even Andi who is sometimes rather prone to taking dumb risks. It is an entertaining cozy read and I will be reading more in this series and in her other series too!