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Cottage on Gooseberry Bay #1
Halloween Moon
A new series by USA Today Bestselling author Kathi Daley.
Ainsley Holloway had come to Gooseberry Bay to find answers about her past. She’d come to find an explanation for the dreams that haunted her after the death of the cop who’d both rescued and raised her. And she’d come to identify the family she couldn’t remember but knew in her heart she’d once belonged to.
Ainsley hoped that by finding these answers, she’d also find healing. She hoped that once she’d resurrected the memories buried deep in her mind, she’d find peace.
The Cottage at Gooseberry Bay is a series about, not only finding answers, but finding hope.
It’s a series about family and friendship.
It’s a series about shared holidays, festivals, and celebrations.
It’s a series about shared heartbreak and hardship.
And it’s a series about the bond that can be forged amongst strangers when tragedy binds two or more individuals with a common goal.
In book 1 in the series, Ainsley arrives in Gooseberry Bay only to find there will be no easy answers as she’d so naively hoped. Unwilling to leave before she gets what she came for, she rents a cottage on the sea where she and her dogs, Kai and Kallie, can settle in and wait.
Her first night in town she meets a young woman who is later found dead. The local sheriff has labeled the death of this young woman a suicide based on a text message she’d sent before she died. But Ainsley, who’d spoken to the victim only hours before the text was sent, isn’t quite as sure of the easy answer the sheriff would like everyone to believe.
An investigative journalist by trade and cops daughter by upbringing, Ainsley never had been the sort to walk away from unanswered questions, so with the help of new friends she meets along the way, she initiates a parallel investigation which seems to indicate the sheriff’s real motivation in trying to sell the suicide angle to the community is to protect the interests of a very rich and very powerful man.
Ainsley Holloway had come to Gooseberry Bay to find answers about her past. She’d come to find an explanation for the dreams that haunted her after the death of the cop who’d both rescued and raised her. And she’d come to identify the family she couldn’t remember but knew in her heart she’d once belonged to.
Ainsley hoped that by finding these answers, she’d also find healing. She hoped that once she’d resurrected the memories buried deep in her mind, she’d find peace.
The Cottage at Gooseberry Bay is a series about, not only finding answers, but finding hope.
It’s a series about family and friendship.
It’s a series about shared holidays, festivals, and celebrations.
It’s a series about shared heartbreak and hardship.
And it’s a series about the bond that can be forged amongst strangers when tragedy binds two or more individuals with a common goal.
In book 1 in the series, Ainsley arrives in Gooseberry Bay only to find there will be no easy answers as she’d so naively hoped. Unwilling to leave before she gets what she came for, she rents a cottage on the sea where she and her dogs, Kai and Kallie, can settle in and wait.
Her first night in town she meets a young woman who is later found dead. The local sheriff has labeled the death of this young woman a suicide based on a text message she’d sent before she died. But Ainsley, who’d spoken to the victim only hours before the text was sent, isn’t quite as sure of the easy answer the sheriff would like everyone to believe.
An investigative journalist by trade and cops daughter by upbringing, Ainsley never had been the sort to walk away from unanswered questions, so with the help of new friends she meets along the way, she initiates a parallel investigation which seems to indicate the sheriff’s real motivation in trying to sell the suicide angle to the community is to protect the interests of a very rich and very powerful man.
157 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 7, 2020
1069 people are currently reading
1169 people want to read
About the author
Kathi Daley
321 books1,791 followersKathi lives with her husband, kids, grandkids, and dogs in beautiful Lake Tahoe. When she isn't writing, Kathi likes to read (preferably at the beach or by the fire), cook (preferably something with chocolate or cheese,) and garden (planting and planning not weeding). She also enjoys spending time on the water when she's not hiking, biking, or snowshoeing, the miles of desolate trails surrounding her home.
Kathi uses the mountain setting in which she lives, along with the animals (wild and domestic) that share her home, as inspiration for her cozy mysteries.
Join me on Facebook at Kathi Daley Books (www.facebook.com/kathidaleybooks) for updates on my books, photos of life in Lake Tahoe, recipes, contests, and giveaways. For weekly updates and contests sign up for The Daley Weekly Newsletter (http://eepurl.com/NRPDf).
Kathi uses the mountain setting in which she lives, along with the animals (wild and domestic) that share her home, as inspiration for her cozy mysteries.
Join me on Facebook at Kathi Daley Books (www.facebook.com/kathidaleybooks) for updates on my books, photos of life in Lake Tahoe, recipes, contests, and giveaways. For weekly updates and contests sign up for The Daley Weekly Newsletter (http://eepurl.com/NRPDf).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 193 reviews
October 18, 2024
Halloween Moon (Cottage on Gooseberry Bay, #1) by Kathi Daley
Synopsis /
Ainsley Holloway had come to Gooseberry Bay to find answers about her past. She’d come to find an explanation for the dreams that haunted her after the death of the cop who’d both rescued and raised her. And she’d come to identify the family she couldn’t remember but knew in her heart she’d once belonged to.
Ainsley hoped that by finding these answers, she’d also find healing. She hoped that once she’d resurrected the memories buried deep in her mind, she’d find peace.
My Thoughts /
Short review incoming!
A perfect palette cleanser read.
Halloween Moon is the first book in the Cottage on Gooseberry Bay series and, while it didn’t knock me off my proverbial Halloween broomstick 🧹 it was still a fun read.
🎃Pleasing Pumpkins🎃
🎃 Sweetly written characters.
🎃 Picturesque prose: Gooseberry Bay was tucked into a forested area that was bursting with colour. Vine maples tangled with the wild rose that thrived in the area, creating a breathtaking palette beneath the heavy canopy of the larger trees.
🎃 Kai and Kallie, our two resident Bernese Mountain Dogs.
🎃 Short Chapters.
🤢Pickled Pumpkins🤢
🤢 Repetition. Ugh.
🤢 Overly detailed description: After changing into dark blue running shorts with a matching running jacket covering a light blue tank, I pulled my blond hair back into a long ponytail and then dug around for my dark blue running shoes.
🤢 Reading a mystery novel where the protagonists had the answers handed to them on a plate.
Even though I didn’t find our protagonist, Ainsley Holloway to be any great super sleuth, she surrounded herself with a group of characters whose combined talents to solve a mystery proved to be a good combination.
If you’re looking to read a complex mystery full of red herrings, twists and turns that will keep the reader engaged and guessing – this is not for you.
If you are looking to read a light, fun short story, with easy likeable characters, cute dogs, food (lots and lots of food), and a mystery that’s light-on, – this one ticks all of those boxes.
Synopsis /
Ainsley Holloway had come to Gooseberry Bay to find answers about her past. She’d come to find an explanation for the dreams that haunted her after the death of the cop who’d both rescued and raised her. And she’d come to identify the family she couldn’t remember but knew in her heart she’d once belonged to.
Ainsley hoped that by finding these answers, she’d also find healing. She hoped that once she’d resurrected the memories buried deep in her mind, she’d find peace.
My Thoughts /
Short review incoming!
A perfect palette cleanser read.
Halloween Moon is the first book in the Cottage on Gooseberry Bay series and, while it didn’t knock me off my proverbial Halloween broomstick 🧹 it was still a fun read.
🎃Pleasing Pumpkins🎃
🎃 Sweetly written characters.
🎃 Picturesque prose: Gooseberry Bay was tucked into a forested area that was bursting with colour. Vine maples tangled with the wild rose that thrived in the area, creating a breathtaking palette beneath the heavy canopy of the larger trees.
🎃 Kai and Kallie, our two resident Bernese Mountain Dogs.
🎃 Short Chapters.
🤢Pickled Pumpkins🤢
🤢 Repetition. Ugh.
🤢 Overly detailed description: After changing into dark blue running shorts with a matching running jacket covering a light blue tank, I pulled my blond hair back into a long ponytail and then dug around for my dark blue running shoes.
🤢 Reading a mystery novel where the protagonists had the answers handed to them on a plate.
Even though I didn’t find our protagonist, Ainsley Holloway to be any great super sleuth, she surrounded herself with a group of characters whose combined talents to solve a mystery proved to be a good combination.
If you’re looking to read a complex mystery full of red herrings, twists and turns that will keep the reader engaged and guessing – this is not for you.
If you are looking to read a light, fun short story, with easy likeable characters, cute dogs, food (lots and lots of food), and a mystery that’s light-on, – this one ticks all of those boxes.
April 22, 2022
I listened to this cozy mystery (although it was only 4 hours so I think it may have been more of a novella) on audible. It wasn’t bad and I do think there is potential for a series, but I hope the series improves. It was very short and within that I felt like there were repetitive things (for instance I heard that the main character Ainsley has large dogs about a dozen times) which almost seemed like they were trying to stretch the story into a book. I liked Ainsley well enough, and I am a bit intrigued about her mysterious past, but I didn’t find her to be a great amateur sleuth. Mostly she seems to have found a huge group of people with talents to solve mysteries and she listens. There were a lot of characters for such a short book and it was kind of hard to track them at times. I don’t think I’ll be running out to get the next book but if I stumble across it I would probably read it.
September 9, 2020
Cottage on Gooseberry Bay:Halloween Moon by Kathi Daley is a engaging new series by Ms. Daley. I really appreciate her writing. Her characters are always likable and relatable and the small towns/communities are the types of places that I would love to move into. The plot is quickly paced and the mystery while not complex was heart sad. It seems that the secondary plot of Ainsley's past may continue onto at least the next book if not more as the series continues which is fine with me. The current mystery plot kept my attention and the end was a little scary.
October 5, 2020
Halloween Moon is the first book in Kathi Daley’s Cottage on Gooseberry Bay series. The author is very talented in descriptive writing, and I felt like I was right in the midst of the activities taking place and sharing the characters’ tragedies and joys. The affable characters are well developed, and the well-plotted storyline flows smoothly. This is a fun and clean read, with a strong emphasis on family, friends, caring, and compassion. The complex mysteries encompass the main character’s past and a current murder, and the red herrings and the twists and turns will keep readers engaged and guessing.
Welcome to Gooseberry Bay, Washington, a charming community where an old photograph and dreams have brought Ainsley Holloway in her search for the truth about her past. After the death of her adoptive father, Ainsley and her two Bernese Mountain Dogs, Kai and Kallie, travel across the country from Georgia to Washington. The photograph, which she found along with her father’s diary, features a house with a woman and two young children. Ainsley, who is immediately drawn to the house and people in the photograph, believes the house is located in Gooseberry Bay, and that she is somehow connected to the people, hopes to learn their identities. When she first arrives in town, she meets Hope Masterson, the owner of the Rosewood Inn, who doesn’t have any vacancies but agrees to rent her one of five cottages she recently inherited, on a monthly basis. While picking up takeout at the local bar and grill, Ainsley, a friendly and outgoing young woman whose work history includes working as a journalist and as a private investigator, meets the occupants of the other cottages, who welcome her with open arms and friendships quickly develop. She’s even invited to join them for brunch the following day. When the final guest arrives at the brunch, Ainsley learns that Cammy Collins, the sweet, enthusiastic clerk she met at the general store the previous evening, is dead. The sheriff’s office is treating the death as a suicide, but her new friends disagree, and even though she only briefly talked to Cammy, Ainsley doesn’t think that cause of death is plausible. Ainsley joins forces with her new friends, Tegan, Jemma, Josie, Booker, Cooper, and Parker, to try to uncover the truth about Cammy’s death.
Welcome to Gooseberry Bay, Washington, a charming community where an old photograph and dreams have brought Ainsley Holloway in her search for the truth about her past. After the death of her adoptive father, Ainsley and her two Bernese Mountain Dogs, Kai and Kallie, travel across the country from Georgia to Washington. The photograph, which she found along with her father’s diary, features a house with a woman and two young children. Ainsley, who is immediately drawn to the house and people in the photograph, believes the house is located in Gooseberry Bay, and that she is somehow connected to the people, hopes to learn their identities. When she first arrives in town, she meets Hope Masterson, the owner of the Rosewood Inn, who doesn’t have any vacancies but agrees to rent her one of five cottages she recently inherited, on a monthly basis. While picking up takeout at the local bar and grill, Ainsley, a friendly and outgoing young woman whose work history includes working as a journalist and as a private investigator, meets the occupants of the other cottages, who welcome her with open arms and friendships quickly develop. She’s even invited to join them for brunch the following day. When the final guest arrives at the brunch, Ainsley learns that Cammy Collins, the sweet, enthusiastic clerk she met at the general store the previous evening, is dead. The sheriff’s office is treating the death as a suicide, but her new friends disagree, and even though she only briefly talked to Cammy, Ainsley doesn’t think that cause of death is plausible. Ainsley joins forces with her new friends, Tegan, Jemma, Josie, Booker, Cooper, and Parker, to try to uncover the truth about Cammy’s death.
November 22, 2020
I'm a huge fan of (some may say obsessed with) the Inn at Holiday Bay series, so when there was a crossover introducing Ainsley, I was excited to dig into this series and I absolutely love it! Ainsley and her new group of friends are a plucky bunch, resourceful and determined in thier investigation into a young woman's death, and heroic in their rescue. The main plot of Cammy's death was a little different than most cozies in that there was really only one suspect, so they were just looking for proof, and the cracking good ending made for an exciting read.
As with Abi's search for answers in the Inn at Holiday Bay series, Ainsley's search for the truth of her adoption will span several books. I'm looking forward to seeing that mystery unfold as well.
I really enjoyed this debut book of the Gooseberry Bay series and definitely recommend it (and the Inn at Holiday Bay series!) to cozy fans looking for well crafted characters and excellent plots.
As with Abi's search for answers in the Inn at Holiday Bay series, Ainsley's search for the truth of her adoption will span several books. I'm looking forward to seeing that mystery unfold as well.
I really enjoyed this debut book of the Gooseberry Bay series and definitely recommend it (and the Inn at Holiday Bay series!) to cozy fans looking for well crafted characters and excellent plots.
November 3, 2025
With the Halloween theme it was an easy choice to go with this Kindle Unlimited selection but uncertain whether I will pursue any others in this series. OK read.
September 15, 2020
Cottage on Gooseberry Bay: Halloween Moon
Cottage on Gooseberry Bay, Book #1
Kathi Daley
5 Stars
Synopsis:
A new series by USA Today Bestselling author Kathi Daley.
Ainsley Holloway had come to Gooseberry Bay to find answers about her past. She’d come to find an explanation for the dreams that haunted her after the death of the cop who’d both rescued and raised her. And she’d come to identify the family she couldn’t remember but knew in her heart she’d once belonged to.
Ainsley hoped that by finding these answers, she’d also find healing. She hoped that once she’d resurrected the memories buried deep in her mind, she’d find peace.
The Cottage at Gooseberry Bay is a series about, not only finding answers, but finding hope.
It’s a series about family and friendship.
It’s a series about shared holidays, festivals, and celebrations.
It’s a series about shared heartbreak and hardship.
And it’s a series about the bond that can be forged amongst strangers when tragedy binds two or more individuals with a common goal.
In book 1 in the series, Ainsley arrives in Gooseberry Bay only to find there will be no easy answers as she’d so naively hoped. Unwilling to leave before she gets what she came for, she rents a cottage on the sea where she and her dogs, Kai and Kallie, can settle in and wait.
Her first night in town she meets a young woman who is later found dead. The local sheriff has labeled the death of this young woman a suicide based on a text message she’d sent before she died. But Ainsley, who’d spoken to the victim only hours before the text was sent, isn’t quite as sure of the easy answer the sheriff would like everyone to believe.
An investigative journalist by trade and cops daughter by upbringing, Ainsley never had been the sort to walk away from unanswered questions, so with the help of new friends she meets along the way, she initiates a parallel investigation which seems to indicate the sheriff’s real motivation in trying to sell the suicide angle to the community is to protect the interests of a very rich and very powerful man. (Amazon)
Review:
This is a new series written by this author and it was a good one. It has all of the things that I look for in a cozy book-great characters, an inviting setting and a good mystery.
The characters are well developed and well rounded. Although Ainsley is new to Gooseberry Bay, she is making friends and beginning to feel like part of the community. She soon makes friends with Parker, Josie and Jemma. The four of them are very willing to do what it takes to find the killer of a girl they know.
The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and it pulled me into the story right from the beginning. Through much of the book I felt like I was right there, watching all of the action in Gooseberry Bay taking place.
As is usual with this author, there are a couple of mysteries taking place in this book. One is who killed the young woman, and the other is what really happened when Ainsley was adopted. That one will take some more work from Ainsley to get to the truth.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series.
Cottage on Gooseberry Bay, Book #1
Kathi Daley
5 Stars
Synopsis:
A new series by USA Today Bestselling author Kathi Daley.
Ainsley Holloway had come to Gooseberry Bay to find answers about her past. She’d come to find an explanation for the dreams that haunted her after the death of the cop who’d both rescued and raised her. And she’d come to identify the family she couldn’t remember but knew in her heart she’d once belonged to.
Ainsley hoped that by finding these answers, she’d also find healing. She hoped that once she’d resurrected the memories buried deep in her mind, she’d find peace.
The Cottage at Gooseberry Bay is a series about, not only finding answers, but finding hope.
It’s a series about family and friendship.
It’s a series about shared holidays, festivals, and celebrations.
It’s a series about shared heartbreak and hardship.
And it’s a series about the bond that can be forged amongst strangers when tragedy binds two or more individuals with a common goal.
In book 1 in the series, Ainsley arrives in Gooseberry Bay only to find there will be no easy answers as she’d so naively hoped. Unwilling to leave before she gets what she came for, she rents a cottage on the sea where she and her dogs, Kai and Kallie, can settle in and wait.
Her first night in town she meets a young woman who is later found dead. The local sheriff has labeled the death of this young woman a suicide based on a text message she’d sent before she died. But Ainsley, who’d spoken to the victim only hours before the text was sent, isn’t quite as sure of the easy answer the sheriff would like everyone to believe.
An investigative journalist by trade and cops daughter by upbringing, Ainsley never had been the sort to walk away from unanswered questions, so with the help of new friends she meets along the way, she initiates a parallel investigation which seems to indicate the sheriff’s real motivation in trying to sell the suicide angle to the community is to protect the interests of a very rich and very powerful man. (Amazon)
Review:
This is a new series written by this author and it was a good one. It has all of the things that I look for in a cozy book-great characters, an inviting setting and a good mystery.
The characters are well developed and well rounded. Although Ainsley is new to Gooseberry Bay, she is making friends and beginning to feel like part of the community. She soon makes friends with Parker, Josie and Jemma. The four of them are very willing to do what it takes to find the killer of a girl they know.
The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and it pulled me into the story right from the beginning. Through much of the book I felt like I was right there, watching all of the action in Gooseberry Bay taking place.
As is usual with this author, there are a couple of mysteries taking place in this book. One is who killed the young woman, and the other is what really happened when Ainsley was adopted. That one will take some more work from Ainsley to get to the truth.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series.
September 24, 2022
Halloween Moon was an enjoyable start to a cozy mystery series following a woman who finds herself drawn into a murder investigation shortly after arriving in town.
After the death of her father, Ainsley Holloway heads to Gooseberry Bay looking for answers about her past. With little to go on aside from an old photograph, Ainsley begins exploring the town while getting acquainted with the locals. When a young woman she meets her first night in town ends up dead later that night, Ainsley finds herself drawn into finding out what happened to her. As a former private investigator and the daughter of a cop, Ainsley has good instincts and knows when to follow them. Up against a powerful family and potential corruption, Ainsley will have to work fast before someone else gets hurt.
Halloween Moon opens with Ainsley arriving in Gooseberry Bay to spend a few months looking into her past. I will say that I had a couple issues with the set up at the beginning of the book. My primary issue was that Ainsley arrives in town and made no reservations or plans ahead of time so she's left to scramble at the last minute for lodging. Not only that but she has two large dogs with her (Kai and Kallie who I admit are quite adorable) that she somehow didn't realize may cause her issues with finding somewhere to stay. Ultimately this did lead to her finding a cottage on the bay that brings her in close proximity to the characters that make up the side characters, but it just felt like such poor planning.
Ainsley was previously an investigative journalist before transitioning to being a private investigator when her father retired as a cop and opened up his own P.I. business. We didn't get to see a lot of Ainsley's abilities from these jobs but I did enjoy the little bit we did see. The scene with the sheriff in particular was well done and I liked how she maneuvered around the roadblocks he tried to put up. Ainsley ends up working with her neighbors from the bay which include another journalist, a computer tech, a helicopter pilot, and more. I liked the big cast and that everyone had their own pieces of the investigation to work on. The group worked well together and I'm looking forward to seeing more of the group in future books. I liked the plan they all came up with for catching the killer and I thought the ending was well done.
The investigation into Ainsley's past made for an interesting subplot. Ainsley was taken in by her father when she was three after he found her abandoned in a warehouse that was on fire. At the time, nothing was discovered about who she was or how she ended up in the warehouse. After her father's death, Ainsley began looking for any paperwork from her past and came up empty with the exception of a single photograph. That photograph is what led Ainsley to Gooseberry Bay, setting off the chain of events in the book. Ainsley only manages to uncover a small bit of information in this book and I'm looking forward to seeing what else she finds out.
Overall Halloween Moon was a good start to the series and I will definitely be picking up the next book in the series, Thanksgiving Past.
After the death of her father, Ainsley Holloway heads to Gooseberry Bay looking for answers about her past. With little to go on aside from an old photograph, Ainsley begins exploring the town while getting acquainted with the locals. When a young woman she meets her first night in town ends up dead later that night, Ainsley finds herself drawn into finding out what happened to her. As a former private investigator and the daughter of a cop, Ainsley has good instincts and knows when to follow them. Up against a powerful family and potential corruption, Ainsley will have to work fast before someone else gets hurt.
Halloween Moon opens with Ainsley arriving in Gooseberry Bay to spend a few months looking into her past. I will say that I had a couple issues with the set up at the beginning of the book. My primary issue was that Ainsley arrives in town and made no reservations or plans ahead of time so she's left to scramble at the last minute for lodging. Not only that but she has two large dogs with her (Kai and Kallie who I admit are quite adorable) that she somehow didn't realize may cause her issues with finding somewhere to stay. Ultimately this did lead to her finding a cottage on the bay that brings her in close proximity to the characters that make up the side characters, but it just felt like such poor planning.
Ainsley was previously an investigative journalist before transitioning to being a private investigator when her father retired as a cop and opened up his own P.I. business. We didn't get to see a lot of Ainsley's abilities from these jobs but I did enjoy the little bit we did see. The scene with the sheriff in particular was well done and I liked how she maneuvered around the roadblocks he tried to put up. Ainsley ends up working with her neighbors from the bay which include another journalist, a computer tech, a helicopter pilot, and more. I liked the big cast and that everyone had their own pieces of the investigation to work on. The group worked well together and I'm looking forward to seeing more of the group in future books. I liked the plan they all came up with for catching the killer and I thought the ending was well done.
The investigation into Ainsley's past made for an interesting subplot. Ainsley was taken in by her father when she was three after he found her abandoned in a warehouse that was on fire. At the time, nothing was discovered about who she was or how she ended up in the warehouse. After her father's death, Ainsley began looking for any paperwork from her past and came up empty with the exception of a single photograph. That photograph is what led Ainsley to Gooseberry Bay, setting off the chain of events in the book. Ainsley only manages to uncover a small bit of information in this book and I'm looking forward to seeing what else she finds out.
Overall Halloween Moon was a good start to the series and I will definitely be picking up the next book in the series, Thanksgiving Past.
September 26, 2020
The characters are great to read and unique . The storyline will keep you going and wanting more of each turning Page . What a new and interesting series again by Kathi Daley.
October 31, 2024
Excellent cozy debut! Loved the protagonist and her two dogs. This first story already has me hooked on this series. On to book two! 😃
July 23, 2022
This is a typical Daley series that features a group of Gen Y adults living in a small coastal town, who have a close friendship and work together to solve a mystery. It felt VERY familiar while reading it, though it did draw me in and I particularly liked the Washington setting. It also has the "Daley" ending that leaves you hanging, making you need to read the next book in the series right away. I usually don't fall for that trick. In fact, it often makes me mad that there isn't enough resolution at the end of her books. But since I purchased the 3-book combo of this series, I am going to keep reading to see what transpires.
October 18, 2022
How does this book have such high ratings? It’s a cute story, but the writing leads me to believe that kindergartners were the intended audience. It’s so repetitive and tedious, I felt like a child being reminded of the same things over & over again. The last 4 chapters are not terrible and perhaps the book’s saving grace. A reassurance that just maybe the author can progress a story after all. Those last chapters let me believe that the series has potential, but personally I’m hesitant to continue onto the second book. My brain cannot handle a repeat of this book.
February 16, 2024
Ooh I truly love the mystery of this one.
August 23, 2020
Kathi Daley certainly knows how to tell a fabulous story! This book catches you from the very beginning and refuses to let you go. A lot of mystery, wonderful friends, and animals. Lots of animals! Some of the story has an ending, but other parts are continued. Amazingly enough, I don’t mind. It is worth the wait!
I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
September 17, 2024
I have read the reviews that gush over this book, and must admit that I am stymied. The story was okay, but not super interesting. It was fairly predictable, and completely unbelievable. A group of young adults who happen to live on the same peninsula, also happen to have skills necessary for solving crimes, and conveniently form a group to do so. The writing lacked depth and polish. It was very basic.
September 8, 2020
Ainsley Holloway is a young woman in search of her past. She lived her whole life with her beloved adopted father, a cop, knowing only that he had found her under very strange circumstances. He told her he had tried in vain to discover who she was and where she had come from.
She had been fine with that until after his death when she found a picture he had kept of a woman and two little girls standing in front of a house on the ocean. It was so unsettlingly familiar that she embarked on a journey that took her from Georgia, where she lived to coastal Maine and across country to the Washington coast.
I loved this book so much. There is a lot of mystery, between a local murder and the mystery of Ainsley’s past. There is also a wealth of friendship, both old and new, a bit of romance and so much more.
I don’t want to say too much and spoil it for anyone, but I highly recommend this book. It is wonderful. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
She had been fine with that until after his death when she found a picture he had kept of a woman and two little girls standing in front of a house on the ocean. It was so unsettlingly familiar that she embarked on a journey that took her from Georgia, where she lived to coastal Maine and across country to the Washington coast.
I loved this book so much. There is a lot of mystery, between a local murder and the mystery of Ainsley’s past. There is also a wealth of friendship, both old and new, a bit of romance and so much more.
I don’t want to say too much and spoil it for anyone, but I highly recommend this book. It is wonderful. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
February 1, 2021
Ho letteralmente divorato questo libro! È vero che è corto, solo 130 pagine, ma la lettura scorre che è un piacere. Mi piace soprattutto l'ambientazione: questo è un altro di quei posti dove mi piacerebbe vivere. All'inizio ho faticato a ricordare tutti i personaggi, ma è un problema ricorrente nel primo libro di una serie; alla fine avevo già capito quali fossero i principali. Anche qui come in altre serie di questa autrice c'è un gruppo che si ritrova per risolvere un mistero (che poi tanto misterioso non è). Un altro mistero riguarda la protagonista, ma mi sa che ci vorranno diversi libri prima che si giunga a una conclusione. Ma va bene così, sarà un piacere leggere altre storie ambientate qui.
September 26, 2020
Halloween Moon earns 5/5 Mysterious Photos...Totally Engaging!
Gooseberry Bay is festooned with Halloween flair. Ainsley Holloway is eager to get started exploring the history behind the house on the cliff she luckily can view from the cottage she was lucky to rent. She learns the small town’s grapevine is faster than the internet when many residents and neighbors are already aware she’s rented one of the cottages out on the peninsula. At the market she meets the lovely Cammy Collins and witnesses an interaction that leaves the young woman distraught and oddly closing the market early. It is shocking that the next day Ainsley learns that Cammy’s body has been found at the bottom of Bramblewood Bluff. Nothing bonds a new group of acquaintances more than a murder investigation, and Ainsley’s investigator/reporter’s intuition will come in handy. It’s going to “take a village” to uncover the truth.
“Between Parker’s nose for news, my experience as a PI, Jemma’s hacker skills, and Josie’s ability to charm anyone she set her mind to, the four of us really did make a pretty awesome team.”
—Ainsley Holloway, Halloween Moon
A Hit! Kathi Daley has penned a clever start to a new trilogy introducing an intriguing mystery, endearing strong lead, delightful supporting characters, and a couple of extraordinary four-legged friends. Kathi follows her signature style with a small town setting, near the sea of course, a close knit group of residents with whom the lead easily becomes friends, and a mystery or two that has led the main character on a personal journey of self-discovery. The group all have realistic skills and curiosity levels to weed through the evidence gathered outright or with a bit of trickery. Some of the investigation occurs off the page, typical of Daley’s work, but the team gathers together often for updates, theorizing, and planning next moves. The conclusion of book one has some satisfying closure, and personal revelations are hinted (Wow, do I have a theory!), but answers not yet complete...hence a book two and book three [insert giggle]. I personally enjoy the first-person narrative providing me a vicarious way to be part of the story with the “I” perspective along with descriptive language creating a delightful setting, appearances, and tone, and dialogue does well to illustrate emotions and personalities. Engaging...another mystery is hinted to at the end!
Gooseberry Bay is festooned with Halloween flair. Ainsley Holloway is eager to get started exploring the history behind the house on the cliff she luckily can view from the cottage she was lucky to rent. She learns the small town’s grapevine is faster than the internet when many residents and neighbors are already aware she’s rented one of the cottages out on the peninsula. At the market she meets the lovely Cammy Collins and witnesses an interaction that leaves the young woman distraught and oddly closing the market early. It is shocking that the next day Ainsley learns that Cammy’s body has been found at the bottom of Bramblewood Bluff. Nothing bonds a new group of acquaintances more than a murder investigation, and Ainsley’s investigator/reporter’s intuition will come in handy. It’s going to “take a village” to uncover the truth.
“Between Parker’s nose for news, my experience as a PI, Jemma’s hacker skills, and Josie’s ability to charm anyone she set her mind to, the four of us really did make a pretty awesome team.”
—Ainsley Holloway, Halloween Moon
A Hit! Kathi Daley has penned a clever start to a new trilogy introducing an intriguing mystery, endearing strong lead, delightful supporting characters, and a couple of extraordinary four-legged friends. Kathi follows her signature style with a small town setting, near the sea of course, a close knit group of residents with whom the lead easily becomes friends, and a mystery or two that has led the main character on a personal journey of self-discovery. The group all have realistic skills and curiosity levels to weed through the evidence gathered outright or with a bit of trickery. Some of the investigation occurs off the page, typical of Daley’s work, but the team gathers together often for updates, theorizing, and planning next moves. The conclusion of book one has some satisfying closure, and personal revelations are hinted (Wow, do I have a theory!), but answers not yet complete...hence a book two and book three [insert giggle]. I personally enjoy the first-person narrative providing me a vicarious way to be part of the story with the “I” perspective along with descriptive language creating a delightful setting, appearances, and tone, and dialogue does well to illustrate emotions and personalities. Engaging...another mystery is hinted to at the end!
October 19, 2024
Cute- but a lot of “plan making” during the story. Like who is glitching g where and what the next event was and who is driving…got old fast.
But a cute fast read.
But a cute fast read.
September 14, 2020
In this wonderful new read we meet Ainsley Holloway who is in a mission to figure out who she really is and where she came from. She has her adopted fathers version but after he died she found out some tho be that has her doubting some of his story. With a picture and location she hears off to Gooseberry Bay in hopes of getting the answers she so desperately wants. The day after she arrives she learns of a young girls suicide and realizes she met the young woman her first night in Gooseberry Bay. She can't believe that the vibrant young woman killed herself so with the help of some of her new neighbors who feel the same way they all decide for look into things. Follow Ainsley as she settled in, helps with the investigation, and starts looking into her own mystery as well. This was an exciting start, the characters were easy to get to know, the local filled with lovely imagery, and a plot to wet your appetite!
November 15, 2022
One mystery solved, however the bigger mystery barely addressed. Makes me wonder how many books before Ainsley’s mysterious past is revealed. Not sure I’m up for it.
September 8, 2020
A new start.
Ainsley has come to town to start fresh and find the truth about her past. She is immediately immersed into a murder that a local family will do anything to cover up. Located in a lush and beautiful part of Washington state, with characters that leap off the page will keep you reading nonstop till the end.
Ainsley has come to town to start fresh and find the truth about her past. She is immediately immersed into a murder that a local family will do anything to cover up. Located in a lush and beautiful part of Washington state, with characters that leap off the page will keep you reading nonstop till the end.
October 19, 2020
A new fun series, spun off from the Inn at Holiday Bay.
January 9, 2024
I love this series and want to find out what happens next to this crazy foresome!
November 1, 2021
Good cozy mystery but there were a LOT of characters to keep track of! Also, there was really only one suspect. I am continuing to read the series, though, as I am intrigued about the storyline of Ainsley's family.
June 24, 2021
Good read
If u like mysteries this book for you it has two mysteries in on story and somehow the author keeps you interested in both I don’t think you will be disappointed
If u like mysteries this book for you it has two mysteries in on story and somehow the author keeps you interested in both I don’t think you will be disappointed
September 24, 2020
3.5
Soooo...I'm really intrigued by this start to a new series. I listened to the audible edition and it was only about 4 hours and a bit so I'm thinking it's more of a novella length intro to the series. Though i get the feeling that Ainsley is a carryover character from another series. I'm really intrigued by her personal mystery and that has me anxious for the next book's release in October (looks like this might be a series of short length quick releases, almost like a serial -- though the actual murder mystery was completely solved in this one.)
Okay -- so the mystery -- pretty direct -- more of a I know who did it I just have to prove it kind of situation and Ainsley meets a bevy of friends with unique talents who make a a kind of mystery solving squad. Ironically, though she has the PI experience, it's her friends who do most of the sleuthing and that's where I have a bit of a problem. Because most of that happens out of scene and we get the results in group meetings as the individuals report back. So lots of telling and discussing as opposed to feet-on-the-ground-I'm-right-there-with-ya action.
Still, there's enough that's piqued my interest so I'll be checking out the next book. Love the location, the camaraderie among friends, the dogs!, the hint of a love interest and Ainsley's family history mystery.
Soooo...I'm really intrigued by this start to a new series. I listened to the audible edition and it was only about 4 hours and a bit so I'm thinking it's more of a novella length intro to the series. Though i get the feeling that Ainsley is a carryover character from another series. I'm really intrigued by her personal mystery and that has me anxious for the next book's release in October (looks like this might be a series of short length quick releases, almost like a serial -- though the actual murder mystery was completely solved in this one.)
Okay -- so the mystery -- pretty direct -- more of a I know who did it I just have to prove it kind of situation and Ainsley meets a bevy of friends with unique talents who make a a kind of mystery solving squad. Ironically, though she has the PI experience, it's her friends who do most of the sleuthing and that's where I have a bit of a problem. Because most of that happens out of scene and we get the results in group meetings as the individuals report back. So lots of telling and discussing as opposed to feet-on-the-ground-I'm-right-there-with-ya action.
Still, there's enough that's piqued my interest so I'll be checking out the next book. Love the location, the camaraderie among friends, the dogs!, the hint of a love interest and Ainsley's family history mystery.
December 9, 2020
I enjoy reading books about holidays during the corresponding season. For 99c this looked like a quick read and an intriguing story. At only 130 pages it was indeed a quick read but it was a disappointment. First let me say it’s a bit irritating that the author does not provide an answer to the initial storyline. It looks like I’m outta luck finding out a resolution anytime soon. It’s a weird marketing strategy to take advantage of readers in this manner. It would be one thing if the books were each low cost. But looks like following releases will be $4.99 for 130pgs of string-along story.
The main group of characters each have a specialty that aids in solving the book’s mystery. If these characters were in high school rather than young adults, this seems like it would make a great series on Teen Nick. It’s ridiculously fortuitous that there are a group of people living as neighbors who have combined skills of a former PI, a computer hacker, a boat captain and a chopper pilot. The main character’s attempt to find out about her childhood leads nowhere except as a set-up for continuation in the next book.
The main group of characters each have a specialty that aids in solving the book’s mystery. If these characters were in high school rather than young adults, this seems like it would make a great series on Teen Nick. It’s ridiculously fortuitous that there are a group of people living as neighbors who have combined skills of a former PI, a computer hacker, a boat captain and a chopper pilot. The main character’s attempt to find out about her childhood leads nowhere except as a set-up for continuation in the next book.
November 15, 2020
Cozy mysteries. No gore. Nothing horrible jumping out at you, the reader, or the characters.
This series - Gooseberry Bay - is enjoyable enough to have drawn me in, similar to the Dewberry Farm series by Karen MacInerney.
Plus I am a sucker for a holiday/seasonal series.
Book One we meet...
Ainsley H is looking for clues about her past armed only with a picture and her private investigator's curiosity. Ending up at Gooseberry Bay on the northwest coast, renting a cottage, becoming friendly with the usual assortment of characters. Halloween brings a death and she is plunged into solving the case with her buddies. Easy to see the bad guy, I was surprised at how they caught him, and the ending was too fast, needed more detail for my taste.
Slim enough to be read in one day if you have the time. This first book leads to the second.
Worth a look. Good editing, I found no typos which do seem to pop up in these cozy books.
This series - Gooseberry Bay - is enjoyable enough to have drawn me in, similar to the Dewberry Farm series by Karen MacInerney.
Plus I am a sucker for a holiday/seasonal series.
Book One we meet...
Ainsley H is looking for clues about her past armed only with a picture and her private investigator's curiosity. Ending up at Gooseberry Bay on the northwest coast, renting a cottage, becoming friendly with the usual assortment of characters. Halloween brings a death and she is plunged into solving the case with her buddies. Easy to see the bad guy, I was surprised at how they caught him, and the ending was too fast, needed more detail for my taste.
Slim enough to be read in one day if you have the time. This first book leads to the second.
Worth a look. Good editing, I found no typos which do seem to pop up in these cozy books.
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