A Garden to Die For

The Coffee House Sleuths #1

by T. Lockhaven

Grab a cup of coffee, relax and disappear into the cozy coastal town of Lana Cove.
He just purchased an amazing home facing the ocean in a small North Carolina town, and has finally won over the hearts of the locals. He befriended a beautiful woman named Ellie and her best friend Olivia, owners of the Bitter Sweet Café. And he is finally living his dream, writing his first mystery novel. His past life, his loveless marriage, his backbreaking corporate job, is now a distant memory. What could possibly go wrong?
A body is found in Michael’s backyard, and suddenly he’s the main suspect. His life is turned upside down. He left Boston to get away from the madness. Just as things begin to work themselves out, there’s another murder with all the clues leading back to Michael. His life is in chaos, the locals are turning against him, he’s a murder suspect, and now, he may lose the house of his dreams. Can Michael along with his new friends, Ellie and Olivia, solve the murders and clear Michael’s name? Follow along as these amateur sleuths work through the clues to find the killer.
Based in a cozy beach town off the coast of North Carolina, A Garden to Die For is a fast-paced mystery filled with laughter, unfaltering friendship, murderous mayhem and an affable main character whose flaws and self-deprecation make him instantly likable. If you enjoy characters like Richard Castle , then you will enjoy the wit and charm of Michael West.
First book in "The Coffee House Sleuths" series, buy A Garden to Die For today and follow the clues of this lighthearted cozy mystery!
Praise for "The Coffee House Sleuths"
"Hard to put down. Wanted to know what was going to happen next."
"It kept me smiling the whole way through! Clever and addictive."
"This has a great storyline that hooked me immediately and lots of twists to keep me guessing."
"This was a good quick murder mystery with really enjoyable characters that make you laugh, groan (especially Michael lol) and keep you on your toes with who you think the killer is."

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Fiction, Novella

164 pages, Paperback

Published April 15, 2020

About the author

You can blame my 7th grade English teacher, Mr. Ownby. I began writing mysteries in middle school, with gripping titles like, The Secret in the Swamp and The Ghost of Hollow Lake—Mr. Ownby, would kindly read them, and then encourage me to keep writing and reading the classics. His words, "Some day I'll be reading your mysteries with the rest of the world," inspired me.

Forty years later, I was able to fulfill my dreams and become a full-time writer. When I began writing, I decided that my books would be a safe-haven from the real world. My children's series, which I write under Thomas Lockhaven, all have strong messages of perseverance, thinking outside the box, friendship and loyalty. I have a daughter, and as I work through my manuscripts, I always try to imagine what I can say to inspire and entertain at the same time.

For my cozy readers, I spent much of my life traveling to small coastal towns in North Carolina and then later in my life to the coastal towns in New England. I've always loved the idiosyncrasies of the locals, and I've always wanted to bring them to life in a book series. My Coffee House Sleuths stories are just that. And just like my children's books, I endeavor to write stories that are clean, with very little violence and no profanity. I do my best to help people disappear from the craziness of life, even if just for a little while.

I currently live in Boston, but my dream is to move to a small coastal town, stare out over the ocean, and to let the words flow. I have an incredible wife who constantly inspires and encourages me, and an amazing daughter who is my most harsh, but loving critic. As I said earlier, my passion is to write and to continually improve and perfect my craft. For those of you who read my books, I humbly thank you. For those of you who have never read my books, I welcome you with open arms.

Reviews

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining mystery listening 🏡😮

This kindle ebook novella is from my Kindle Unlimited account book one of two

Michael has just moved to the town after the divorce. He is digging in the garden when he finds a thumb! The police find a body and the fun begins. It appears to be the owner of the house. Why? He with friends uncover the truth leading to the arrest of the killer. 😎 🎶

I would recommend this series and author to readers of romantic family and friends relationships adventures mystery novels 🤔🎉 2025 💃😏

[Tari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this borrow from Kindle Unlimited. Michael's a great character, and I love the banter and humor going on with him and his best friends Olivia and Ellie who run a coffee shop. I think he has eyes for Ellie, and the same with her. They made good sleuthing buddies. This was one crazy mystery that had some good twists to it. When I read in the Amazon description that Michael's character was a lot like Richard Castle, well I couldn't get that out of my mind so guess who I pictured him as?

What a crazy showdown and outcome to the mystery--it should have given Michael plenty of new ideas for his own books. I'm really eager to read the next book and was happy to check Amazon and see that I have that book.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe the best cozy mystery that I've read in a while! I will definitely read more by this author.
Great characters and dialogue (love the sassy-ness), and the plot did not seem to be following a formula.

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

It starts with Kudzu and ends with Green Jell-O!!! In between is a finger with a ring and lots of cars and… Well, this is supposed to be a review not a reveal, so let me begin!!! I enjoyed the story and recommend the book.

[donna hennebury · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good romp

I found this book a fun book with great character's.
It was an easy read that kept me interested till the end.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read Clean

Very good book. Clean, I really like that. Good twist at the end. The number of page's was good I have a short attention span and like to know the end so I mostly read 250 or less pages. Thank You.

[J. Rose Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

a cute cozy with a bit of action

You really feel like you’re in the middle of some combination of Burn Notice mixed with Nancy Drew. Fun and lighthearted with a robust cast, and a cozy happy ending.

[Stephen Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fast paced fun story about an amateur sleuth named Michael and his two best friends Ellie and Olivia. Michael has moved to a small town named Lana Cove from Boston. Right away, he becomes the main suspect in a murder investigation. The three friends work together to clear Michael's name and to catch the actual murderer. I absolutely loved this book and am looking for the next in this series.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

He has finally found the place to be happy and he is even working on his first book. Then a dead body appears in his garden and he becomes the prime suspect. Now everything is in danger and it becomes worse when a second body appears. Will he prove he is innocent? Will his life ever be the same again? See just how he gets on

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ryan Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun cozy mystery featuring a male sleuth and two female sidekicks. Micheal is an mystery writer trying to finish his first novel and moves from Boston to Luna Cove, North Carolina. He befriends Ellie and Olivia, owners of the l9cal coffee shop. He finds a body at his newly bought home, believed to be the previous owner. Then another a young woman. Michael, Ellie, and Olivia find themselves investigating. It was very entertaining and provided a great mystery.

[Jodi Sweet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a funny cozy! Michael, Ellie and Olivia have the greatest sense of humor and the offbeat jokes and one liners are too much! The bad guys were just everywhere and one was going after the other, it was crazy! Lots of fun and I recommend reading this one.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Amy Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quirky characters, wholesome fun, good humor, and surprising twists and turns make this an entertaining kickoff to a new mystery series! An easy read, with likable characters who go on some outrageous adventures. Highly recommend!

[Teri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael is starting a new life but when he digs up a body in his backyard things get crazy.

New author to me and this story didn't disappoint. Characters and setting were great. The story kept you guessing to the end. Very well written and fun to read.

[Thomas · Rating 1 out of 5]

I downloaded this 'BOOK' from Prolificworks.
If I had known it was only a preview I wouldn't have wasted my time.
No murder included. No mystery of any type included.
Please let your potential readers know if you are putting out only a partial story.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable cozy read!

Well written, well paced story with some great characters and an interesting plot that I would never have guessed! Definitely recommend for a quick read and a start to an interesting series!

[Dasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

No está mal.
Si eres una fan de este género, imagino que te gustará más que a mí. No me ha picado lo suficiente la curiosidad como para querer seguir leyendo esta saga.

[Carolee DeWitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable read.

[Tianna Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book!
Loved all the characters and story line!
Good read!

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good beach read. Quick, witty, a little weak in the ending, though.

[Lauren Heiy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Garden to Die for ( book 1 Coffee House Sleuths

This was a fun book to read and a great mystery. Everyday people, small town humor and a variety of charachters.

[Barbara Powers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it!

This is the first book I read of hers. I’m looking forward to reading more! I found a new Arthur to follow!

[Vickie Boyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was over too soon.

I enjoyed this book very much. I can’t wait to read more Coffee House Sleuths. Where can I find the next one?

[Connie Mahoney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad

Didn’t know who the bad guy was til the end… that’s good. A little confused about the friendship of Michael, Ellie, and Olivia, but it works well. Fair start to a series.

[Cheryl A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

lots of twists and turns.

Good character descriptions. A fun read with lots of twists and turns and an interesting conclusion . Well worth the read

[Reenah · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Entertaining

Another good read by this author it has made me want to read more about these people. It has mystery humour and underlying romance.

[Fleur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michael is an absolute hoot with his terrible one liners and finding a dead body in his backyard doesn't help him while he is trying to be accepted into his new home town of Lana Cover where the townsfolk are fun and quirky and don't like outsiders. When things start to go from bad to worse he decides he needs to find out whats going on so with the help of his good friends Ellie and Olivia who run a cafe that I very much want to visit they work together to solve the mystery. It was great how Ellie and Olivia are in the know of people who can help them solve some mysteries as well as how you slowly get to know them all as thee mystery is unraveled. There are some good laughs, twists and surprises in this great read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sassy Beta Reading & Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cozy mystery with obnoxious, corny humor, a divorced would be author, and left me with a few questions. It did have a completed mystery ending.

Written as a 3rd person, single pov with a story completed ending. This is book 1 of the series. I could not become emotionally attached to the characters. They were entertaining, but didn't have a lot of depth to them. Maybe in the future books, we'll get to know more about the characters and can become more invested in them.

Would I recommend this book? It was a good way to spend a few hours.

Would I read more from this author? Probably

Sassy Beta Reading and Review

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michael retired after an ugly divorce to Lana Cove, a quiet little town and bought a house there. When he tackles a Kudzu plant in his garden, he is shocked to find a human finger and calls the police. This leads to some crazy activities around him and his house. Trying to figure out, who the body was and what seems to be still hidden in his house, keeps him and his new friends from the Bitter Sweet Café on their toes.
A nice, fast paced cozy, with Michael being quite an unusual character, bringing some laughter into the story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.