Killer Spring Fling

Victoria Town Mysteries #1

by Mollie Cox Bryan

Welcome to Victoria Town, Va., the town that time almost forgot—until it became a huge tourist attraction for lovers of all things Victorian.

Spring is a busy time in the quaint Victoria Town, with the town getting ready for the popular Spring Fling. Viv Barton is busy helping her aunt prepare the Sweet Victoria B & B for the festivities. At 28, Viv is settling in bucolic town, eager for a new life, though she's unsure what that is. As a newcomer, Viv's still finding her place. One of her favorite pastimes is walking through the expansive old cemetery early mornings. Until one morning...when her favorite haunt becomes a dead zone. Stumbling over a dead body was not in the plan.

Viv can't shed the memory of the woman's face or the strange trinkets placed around her body. When it seems the local police don't have much to offer the investigation, Viv uses her gaming skills to piece together a curious puzzle leading her down a dark, twisty, and dangerous path.

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

112 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 26, 2020

Reviews

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a quick fun new novella by author Mollie Cox Bryan, which introduces us to her new Victoria Town Mystery series. Viv is an interesting protagonist in that she is a computer game developer (also having been a hacker in her previous life). This is a new approach for a protagonist, at least for me. One who is trying to redeem herself. To do that she moves to Victoria Town where she is helping out her aunt Libby with her bed and breakfast. I enjoyed all of the characters and I am looking forward to seeing Viv grow and develop in future stories. Being a novella, the mystery was not overly complex, but Ms. Bryan did a good job of giving the reader a few suspects to focus on and some misdirections.

I'm interested to see where the author takes this series and to watch what she can do with the novellas.

I voluntarily read a digital advanced reader copy provided to me by the author. The thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This great start to what promises to be a “killer” novella series is everything you expect from Ms Bryan. Great plot, interesting characters and a writing that moves the story along at a nice pace. I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to future installments. I received this book free and chose to make a voluntary, unbiased review.

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

The beginning was very confusing and slow. It picked up towards the end but the story just didn’t work for me.

[Cozybooklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fur, fast paced story

I really enjoyed this book! It was really nice to catch up with Viv and Aunt Libby. The mystery was great, interesting and well played out.
I'm looking forward to reading more.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s Spring Fling time in Victoria Town, Virginia and Viv Barton is all set to help her aunt prepare her B&B for the tourists. Viv’s career has come to a standstill. She’s hoping to start over in Victoria Town, but when she takes a leisurely stroll through an old cemetery, she discovers a dead body. Not a buried dead body, but one surrounded by items from a video game.

Viv can’t get the image of this dead body out of her mind, especially when she learns the identity of the dead woman. Viv’s experience with games could do more to help in the investigation than anything the police can do.

This is the first book in the Victoria Town mystery series. It’s off to an interesting start. This has the potential to be an intriguing series with a wide array of interesting characters. Some are quirky and some are even creepy, but the author makes them come to life on each page.

Killer Spring Fling is a novella so it goes by fast. It makes a quick afternoon read. My one complaint is that the book could use some better editing. At one point, one of the main characters had a different name. It was quite jarring to me and took me right out of the story as I went back to see if I missed something or that it was a different character. However, it was the same character and just an error in the editing.

I’ll definitely continue with this series. There was a teaser for book #2 at the end and it sounds like a good read for Halloween. I’ll be looking for it.

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Killer Spring Fling by Mollie Cox Bryan has Viv Barton living in Victoria Town, Virginia at her Aunt Libby’s Sweet Victoria’s Bed and Breakfast. Viv is a computer game designer, but she was laid off six months ago. The town is a haven for those who love Victorian times and items. The town is gearing up for the Spring Fling including Aunt Libby. Viv is walking in Rosethorn, a local cemetery, looking for the wildflower, Blue Topsy. Aunt Libby needs it for the cake for the Spring Fling reception at the bed and breakfast. Instead of finding the needed wildflower, Viv finds a dead woman surrounded by unusual objects. Viv soon learns that the woman’s death could be connected to a game being played by local teens. Viv decides to do some sleuthing on her own to see if she can unmask the killer. Killer Spring Fling is a is a lighthearted cozy mystery. I thought Killer Spring Fling was easy to read and had an interesting premise. Due to the short length of the novella, there is little character development and the mystery lacks depth. I felt we needed more details about Viv, Aunt Libby, and the town. I enjoyed the descriptions of the town and the Victorian items. Viv might have found her niche with Victorian mourning jewelry. A Victoria Town Mystery has potential. I hope we learn more about our main characters and the town in Masquerade Murder. Killer Spring Fling is a short, diverting cozy mystery.

[Tari · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting idea for a series that looks like it's going to be all novellas. There's nothing wrong with novellas, but in this first book, I started hoping that the next books dig into Viv's past just a little bit more. We got to learn something of her past as a hacker, but I couldn't quite warm up to her. She's kind of a lukewarm main character, if that makes sense, but if she's intended to be that way, I'd say the author did her job. I really liked Aunt Libby though and just the little bit that Viv talked to her friend Willa, I came to like her too. Maybe as the series progresses, more will be revealed.

I did like the mystery and once they realized who did it, the fun part was trying to prove it and catch the person. I didn't like that character of Jack any more than Viv did though. He was somewhat creepy. The author did a good job establishing creepy wherever it needed to be, especially in that cemetery. I loved that there was a little preview of the next book. It sounds like this series might take a fun ghostly twist. I got that feeling early on in the book anyway, but I won't tell why, so it doesn't spoil it.

[Jerrilynne Evitts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Killer Spring Fling: A Victoria Town Mystery Novella

I received this book as an ARC from the author and I’m writing a review because I honestly loved it! Couldn’t put it down. A young woman is staying with her aunt to help and recover from being a hacker bust. A woman is murdered and it seems a strange game maybe the cause. Highly recommended’

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're looking for a quick read, a fun cozy to fill your time, you've found your next read in this novella! Fun characters, a B&B I want to visit, and the discovery of a dead body, are just a few of the highlights readers are quick to discover in the first few chapters. The town is getting ready to celebrate the Spring Fling when Viv discovers the body of a local girl, she also discovers her surrounded by oddly specific items, tied back to a game locals have started to play. Using her computer skills, Viv is able to find some important connections to the clues and a possible responsible, but is she on the right track? Because this was a novella, it was perfect to have on my phone to read during quick little breaks I might not have had a physical book with me. You'll find this to be a fun cozy fix and I for one cannot wait to read the next in the series!

[teal · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Killer Spring Fling" is a cute and tidy little murder mystery! For the short length of this novella, the author worked in a surprising amount of detail. The main characters were given just enough depth to invest you in their futures, and I love the inclusion of a mourning garb shop in the replicated Victorian-era setting.

My biggest complaint is the numerous errors in the formatting of the book... but as I read this electronically, perhaps they were errors created when going from print to eBook if the book was manually entered rather than scanned.

**This review was posted voluntarily and is composed of my personal views regarding this novella, which I received for free via BookSirens.**

[Gee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Viv is staying with her Aunt Libby in Victoria Town, a place that prides itself on portraying Victorian life in all aspects. and the Spring Fling of the title is a highlight of the towns year. Viv has a bit of a troubled past, not helped when she finds a dead body in the local cemetery. It appears that the deceased had been playing an online game that is Victorian based. Viv determines to find out more.

This is a nice easy, enjoyable read, which didn’t take long to finish. It’s obviously the start of a new series by this author, but I would have preferred more rounded characters and background, as there were tantalising snatches of back story that didn’t then go any deeper. As a novella this is expected, but the story line was such that I would have liked more details. That said, I’ll be interested to read the next instalment.

I received an ARC for free in return for an honest review.

[Kandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun and interesting book set during a Spring Fling in a small town. I love the characters and all of the interesting descriptions of the specialty shops and Victorian clothing. I think I am going to enjoy reading more of this series as it becomes available.

[Deborah Almada · Rating 3 out of 5]

Different and dark for a cozy

This is just not my cup of tea, I like Victorian but the main character is more Goth, while I like her Aunt and the B&B the story was dark, cemetary, weird "feeling" and dark dreams, not my vibe for a cozy.

[Pamela Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Mollie Cox Bryan cozies and while short, this presents a nice set up for future books. The story is set in a Victorian-themed small town. The main character is a reformed hacker, now a shop girl who lives in her aunt's bed and breakfast. The story moves quickly and has a resolution, but with a hint of future mysteries to solve. The only bad thing in this book is the number of typos which were quite distracting. If you can overlook those, this will be a good read for you.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Killer spring fling

This is the first book I've read of Mollies. I like how it was fast moving and kept you guessing. I'll be sure to read more of her books.

[Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kindle Copy for Review

Spring Fling festivities are in the air in a quaint small town. Viv Barton is a relative new in town as she trying to figure it what she wants in life. So in the meantime she is helping her aunt prepare her bread and breakfast inn for the festivities.

Viv’s favourite morning activity is walking through old town cemetery. Unfortunately one morning she manages to stumble over a dead woman’s body. She cannot seem to forget the woman’s face and the trinkets on her. It will lead her to a dangerous path as she seeks answers.

It is a promising new series with interesting plot line. An enjoyable cozy read.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun and quick read novella by Mollie Cox Bryan. A new Victorian themed town with fun characters. Will be interesting to see how future stories progress.

I received an ARC prior to publication and voluntarily decided to review it.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella introduces a new mystery series set in a Victorian themed town. There isn’t a lot of depth to the stories short length but I did enjoy it. I’m hoping that a full length book will follow.

[Linda Kleback · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting Plot and Characters

I enjoyed this novella. Having the heroine be a gamer and computer whiz was intriguing. I only have it four stars because of too many typos.

[Barbara]

A fun little novella. I can't wait for more in this new series.

[Becky Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Killer Spring Fling by Molly Cox Bryan was a quick read that I enjoyed very much. The description of the town, shops and the B & B made me want to go visit. This is set in Victorian Town, VA. Viv goes to live with her Aunt Libby to help her with her B & B and she had recently been let go at her job. Aunt Libby sends Viv to look for this blue flower to decorate a cake for the Spring Fling that is coming up. Viv heads to the cemetery to finds these blue flowers instead she comes upon a dead body of a girl. Viv can’t get this image out of her mind so she wants to start trying to figure out the murderer. Viv had previous wrote computer games and she had heard that there was a game about Victorian on the internet.
I loved how the author got you quickly involved in the book and I am looking forward to the next book. Especially enjoyed the recipes in the back of the book.
I received this as an ARC from BookSirens for and honest review.

[T K Nelson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Probably closer to two stars but can't really bring myself to say it was "OK".

Being a novella there is a lot of detail either glossed over or omitted. Main character Viv lost her job as a game designer due to downsizing. A previous conviction for hacking resulting in community service makes jobs in her area of expertise unlikely. Though she did get the job she was downsized from so she is hirable. Six months previous to the start of the story, she chucks it all and decides to move to help her aunt Libby run her bed and breakfast. Located in Victoria Town, a town reinvented as tourist destination devoted to all thing Victoriana.

It’s a bit distracting when things which happened previously are mentioned but with no explanation. Viv had researched her previous boss’s death. Who may have been murdered by his girlfriend? Not explained. At one point it’s mentioned a good friend had once killed someone. That’s it. No other information. The author alluding to these things and others without providing any other information makes the reader feel like they missed a book previously published. But this is the first of apparently a series of 3 novellas.

The word “goth” is not used but all descriptions would lead one to think that word fits 28 year old Viv. For years she’d worn only black. She all but hyperventilates when she’s expected to wear a yellow Victorian style dress for the titular Spring Fling. It’s one of the few attempts by the author to give the characters any personality.

Much feels incomplete here. The story is lacking in potential murder suspects and, as is often the case of novellas, the reveal of the murderer happens quickly.

[Susan Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Former hacker and computer game designer Viv is traumatized after discovering the body of a young woman in an old cemetery. She cannot get the vision of her face and the odd objects arrayed beside her body. Was her death from natural causes? Was her death caused by a strange ritual? Or was someone else responsible?

Viv feels compelled to find the answer and will go to great lengths to find the truth. When it leads into the dark web and even darker malice, she is putting herself and her aunt’s business at risk.

I did like the way the heroine passes any information over to the authorities. It is frustrating when a character holds back because they have not investigated the information fully. I also liked the way she tricked the reader down different paths only to discover the story was going to twist in another direction.

There was a lot of good in the story but if there is one shortfall, it would be the inability of the heroine to connect with me in a solid manner. I enjoyed the book but did not feel viscerally involved. Still it was good enough for four stars.

[Vicky · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thoughts: This is a quick read novella that reads both as a contemporary and mildly historical due to the setting. The story is set in Victoria Town, VA – a place where the past meets the present. The town caters to tourists who are looking for a bit of time in the Victorian era. The shops all cater to Victorian styles and fashions and during the Spring Fling, the residents dress in Victorian clothing and play everything up to the hilt. What doesn’t fit in is the dead body the main character, Viv, finds. A young teen who has been taking part in the physical part of a video game.

The setting is well done, and the characters are interesting—some a bit on the strange side—but they work. My biggest complaint with the story was the editing. It definitely needed better work, including making sure the main character had the same name throughout (she didn’t).

Recommendation: With a better editor, I’d definitely look for more from this author. But as it stands, I can’t recommend it without better work.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short introduction to a new cozy series has a different feel than what I have experienced from typical cozy mysteries. Victoria Town is something of a tourist destination with the appeal of stepping back in time. Yet it has a dark vibe, things are off, not as they seem.
Our protagonist Viv is attempting to make a fresh start. She is a games designer, with deep computer skills. When she discovers a recently deceased body she is shocked, but determined to figure out who is the murderer in their town.
Throughout this book the reader will find things not as they seem. I found myself judging characters and situations far more harshly than I generally do, more than I like to do.
This made me somewhat uncomfortable.
Overall this book has a "slightly off" feel. It will be interesting to see where the author takes it and if the characters become more appealing.

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

A long novella. Vic, a computer game designer has lost her position after hacking for what she saw as a good cause. Thankfully she didn’t get any jail time but she is unable to get a job in her field. She moves to Victoria, a Victorian themed small town to help out at her aunts B and B. Happy for the lovely area via enjoys early morning walks in the cemetery until she finds the body of a young girl surrounded by a mirror, crystals and an ornate box. The police find she has been playing an on line game that involved the same accoutrements. An ominous sign is that once a certain level is achieved The game continues on the dark web. An interesting tale that could certainly be fleshed out and the dark web aspect pursued. I am interested to see if the authors plotting improves in the next episode.

[Juliet Minerva Swift · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very short novella, but somehow it felt way too long? I don’t know how to explain this, I had a little trouble going through the whole story as it felt too dragged.

It did have a nice premise, with the murder looking like a bizarre videogame. But then the writing felt a bit too unripe, and the whole story felt unfocused.

I am really struggling to explain this, but I felt some things were a bit out of place. We have mentions of Viv’s past, that includes an investigation into someone’s death?? I am not sure why this is mentioned in the first book in a series, I kind of wanted to know more.

The editing was lacking a bit, together with a proper characterisation of the characters, and for some reason I was constantly confusing Libby and Viv.

I think there is potential for a big improvement, but I believe I might not continue with this series.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Killer Spring Fling is a cozy mystery novella. It's the right length if you're looking for a quick read. It takes place in Victoria Town, Virginia where tourists travel for all things Victorian. Viv Barton just moved to Victoria Town six months ago when she was laid off from her job as a computer game designer. She now lives with her Aunt Libby at her Bed & Breakfast. One day Viv stumbles upon a young dead woman. After her discovery, Viv has trouble getting the image of the dead body out of her mind. This is a realistic reaction of dealing with death that you don't always find in mysteries. Fortunately, Viv puts her gaming skills to use to solve the murder mystery. I enjoyed the story.

[Lise · Rating 3 out of 5]

With her future undecided, Viv Barton is spending time working at her aunt's B&B in Victoria Town, a place that prides itself on its old-worldliness. A walk to clear her head takes her through the cemetery where she finds a dead body - a very fresh dead body. Viv fears the worst and begins to put together the pieces of a rather sinister puzzle.

I zipped through this novella and was entertained by the story. I felt the heroine read younger than her 28 years - if Viv hadn't had the life experience she suggests she has, I would have put her much closer to 20 than 30. There were several word choices I would not have made and one word was repeatedly used incorrectly (winsome).

[Aղցela W. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was book 1 in the "Victoria Town" series. This was a short quick introduction to this series. Viv is attempting to start her life over. She is a games designer, with mad computer skills. When she discovers a recently deceased body she is shocked but determined to figure out who is the murderer in their town. Viv can't same to get the image out of her head. This was a different type of cozy mystery. I liked the secondary characters. This book was well written with no errors in grammar or spelling. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.