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Outer Banks Bookshop Mystery #1
Smile Beach Murder
When Callie is laid off from her reporting job, she returns to her hometown of Cattail Island and lands a gig at the local bookstore -- the same one where she found comfort after her mother died. In fact, the anniversary of her mother's infamous death is approaching. Years ago, Teri Padget tumbled from the top of the lighthouse. As islanders are once again gossiping about the tragedy, devestating news strikes: the lighthouse has claimed another victim -- Eva Meeks, of Meeks Hardware. The police are calling it suicide, but Callie does not believe Eva jumped any more than she believes her mother did -- especially because Callie knows that before her death, Eva had dug up a long-forgotten treasure hunt that could have put a target on Eva's back. In Callie's search for answers, she enlists the help of some beloved books and several new friends, including the handsome local martial arts instructor, Toby Dodge. But when another death rocks Cattail Island, Callie must face her fears alone. As she earns enemies in pursuit of the truth, Callie knows she will either uncover the killer or become a victim herself.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published May 10, 2022
275 people are currently reading
8644 people want to read
About the author
Alicia Bessette
6 books302 followersAlicia Bessette is the Edgar® Award-nominated author of the bestselling Outer Banks Bookshop mystery series. Before writing fiction, she worked as a reporter in her home state of Massachusetts, where her journalism won a first-place award from the New England Newspaper & Press Association. A pianist, published poet, and enthusiastic birdwatcher, she now loves living in coastal North Carolina with her husband, novelist Matthew Quick. https://www.instagram.com/aliciabesse...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 520 reviews
May 6, 2022
Alicia Bessette’s
Smile Beach Murder
combines an island setting with a death, a bookshop, a lighthouse, a treasure hunt, and a mystery. What could be more exciting? This first book in the Outer Banks Bookshop Mystery series captured my attention immediately and kept me engaged throughout.
Laid off from her reporter job, Callie Padget returns home to her home on fictional Cattail Island in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. She gets a part-time job at the local independent bookstore. As she makes contact with old friends and neighbors as well as some new ones, she searches for answers when there is a tragic death. However, investigations don’t go smoothly. She seems to upset everyone from the police to the local newspaper staff to the richest family on the island to the family of the deceased. Will Callie find the answers she’s looking for?
Callie is a likeable and relatable character that is tenacious in her pursuit of the truth. Many of the other characters had agendas that are revealed through their actions and inactions. Overall, the characterization is excellent with a protagonist that comes alive. Her will to find the truth generates a motivation that stirs the pot and results in a good conflict. I like the cast of characters for this book as each character had a very different perspective and distinct personalities. Tin Man, the bookstore cat with his own social media following, is a great addition to the cast of characters.
The descriptive narrative transported me to the coast of North Carolina. The story moved at a good pace that kept me reading. I thoroughly enjoyed the author and book references included throughout the novel. The author does a great job of balancing the shocking and tense aspects of the novel against the bookstore and community events. The well-plotted and beautifully executed story gradually builds momentum until it reaches the astonishing conclusion. There are plenty of red herrings in this story as well as some humor. Will you guess what happened and solve the puzzles? Other themes weaved into the novel include grief, friendship, secrets, and family. While I’ve seen this categorized as a cozy mystery, it has some topics and some action that is a little darker than many in the genre.
Overall, this story is a well-written and engaging novel with humor, suspense, some action, and the possibility of romance. If you’re a fan of the beach, puzzles, treasure hunts, bookstores, cats, and sleuth mysteries, then I recommend that you check out this one. It’s a good start to a series and I am looking forward to finding out what happens next on Cattail Island.
Berkley Publishing Group and Alicia Bessette provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for May 10, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
Laid off from her reporter job, Callie Padget returns home to her home on fictional Cattail Island in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. She gets a part-time job at the local independent bookstore. As she makes contact with old friends and neighbors as well as some new ones, she searches for answers when there is a tragic death. However, investigations don’t go smoothly. She seems to upset everyone from the police to the local newspaper staff to the richest family on the island to the family of the deceased. Will Callie find the answers she’s looking for?
Callie is a likeable and relatable character that is tenacious in her pursuit of the truth. Many of the other characters had agendas that are revealed through their actions and inactions. Overall, the characterization is excellent with a protagonist that comes alive. Her will to find the truth generates a motivation that stirs the pot and results in a good conflict. I like the cast of characters for this book as each character had a very different perspective and distinct personalities. Tin Man, the bookstore cat with his own social media following, is a great addition to the cast of characters.
The descriptive narrative transported me to the coast of North Carolina. The story moved at a good pace that kept me reading. I thoroughly enjoyed the author and book references included throughout the novel. The author does a great job of balancing the shocking and tense aspects of the novel against the bookstore and community events. The well-plotted and beautifully executed story gradually builds momentum until it reaches the astonishing conclusion. There are plenty of red herrings in this story as well as some humor. Will you guess what happened and solve the puzzles? Other themes weaved into the novel include grief, friendship, secrets, and family. While I’ve seen this categorized as a cozy mystery, it has some topics and some action that is a little darker than many in the genre.
Overall, this story is a well-written and engaging novel with humor, suspense, some action, and the possibility of romance. If you’re a fan of the beach, puzzles, treasure hunts, bookstores, cats, and sleuth mysteries, then I recommend that you check out this one. It’s a good start to a series and I am looking forward to finding out what happens next on Cattail Island.
Berkley Publishing Group and Alicia Bessette provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for May 10, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
May 26, 2023
The good thing about books with short chapters is that they make it easy to take frequent breaks. An~nd the bad thing is that if they’re a bit of a snooze-fest well… those breaks can easily turn into weeks of not having the energy to pick them up again. I hope this doesn’t come across like I hated this book or anything, because that would imply that I had some semblance of feeling towards it whatsoever. Unfortunately, this was a whole heaping helping of nothing for me. Come award season, I’d like to nominate this for the “Just A Book, Book” award. That’s a thing, right? I don’t even have it in me to come up with a bad pun with the title. This was a dull affair all around.
June 9, 2022
3.5 ⭐
I would love to revisit the charming Cattail Island!
Callie returns home after being let go from her reporter job in Charlotte. It wasn't easy to go back when her mother died from falling off the lighthouse. She lives with uncle Hudson and shortly found a temporary job at a local bookstore.
A small-town setting and good company usually get me to pick up a cozy mystery. When you add a lighthouse, you can count me in! There's also a bit of a treasure hunt theme and some action.
Our leading lady is likable and uses her journalist background to find the killer. There's a hint of romance with an interesting martial arts guy, Toby who's been giving Callie some self-defense tips. I thought it was quite a sweet cozy mystery with books and a bookshop cat, Tin Man.
My only complaint is the pace. It was a little slow after halfway before a relatively exciting ending.
The author did a wonderful job describing the island and I wish that I was there!👒🌊
Thank you Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for this DRC.
I would love to revisit the charming Cattail Island!
Callie returns home after being let go from her reporter job in Charlotte. It wasn't easy to go back when her mother died from falling off the lighthouse. She lives with uncle Hudson and shortly found a temporary job at a local bookstore.
A small-town setting and good company usually get me to pick up a cozy mystery. When you add a lighthouse, you can count me in! There's also a bit of a treasure hunt theme and some action.
Our leading lady is likable and uses her journalist background to find the killer. There's a hint of romance with an interesting martial arts guy, Toby who's been giving Callie some self-defense tips. I thought it was quite a sweet cozy mystery with books and a bookshop cat, Tin Man.
My only complaint is the pace. It was a little slow after halfway before a relatively exciting ending.
The author did a wonderful job describing the island and I wish that I was there!👒🌊
Thank you Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for this DRC.
June 3, 2022
Smile Beach Murder by Alicia Bessette is the first book in the cozy Outer Banks Bookshop Mystery series. As with most cozy mystery series the books in this series each feature a new mystery to be fully solved so they can be read as a standalone or in any order if choosing to do so. There will be however character development that carries over from book to book for those following from the beginning.
Callie grew up on Cattail Island but had left the small town to pursue a career as a journalist. Callie’s memories weren’t the greatest from her childhood as she had lost her mother to a tragic incident but when Callie loses her job she decides to return to Cattail Island while she decides what is next in her life.
As Callie begins to fit into her small town again taking a job at the local bookstore working for old friends she begins to remember some fonder moments. However, the past comes crashing back for Callie when another friend is found at the bottom of the lighthouse, the same that Callie’s mother fell from. The police rule another suicide but this time Callie knows that is not the case and vows to get to the truth.
Smile Beach Murder by Alicia Bessette was a wonderful opening installment to the Outer Banks Bookshop Mystery series. I have to admit being a fan of a beachy small town setting the Outer Banks really appealed to me and the author did a great job bringing the town and characters to life. I loved that Callie had a reporting background to give little more credit to her sleuthing and I enjoyed getting to know her and those surrounding her. Also mixing the past and the present made the mystery twice as interesting to follow. Will definitely be interested in returning to the series with book two!
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Callie grew up on Cattail Island but had left the small town to pursue a career as a journalist. Callie’s memories weren’t the greatest from her childhood as she had lost her mother to a tragic incident but when Callie loses her job she decides to return to Cattail Island while she decides what is next in her life.
As Callie begins to fit into her small town again taking a job at the local bookstore working for old friends she begins to remember some fonder moments. However, the past comes crashing back for Callie when another friend is found at the bottom of the lighthouse, the same that Callie’s mother fell from. The police rule another suicide but this time Callie knows that is not the case and vows to get to the truth.
Smile Beach Murder by Alicia Bessette was a wonderful opening installment to the Outer Banks Bookshop Mystery series. I have to admit being a fan of a beachy small town setting the Outer Banks really appealed to me and the author did a great job bringing the town and characters to life. I loved that Callie had a reporting background to give little more credit to her sleuthing and I enjoyed getting to know her and those surrounding her. Also mixing the past and the present made the mystery twice as interesting to follow. Will definitely be interested in returning to the series with book two!
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
January 27, 2022
A beautifully written, big-hearted, FUN novel. You definitely want to go to Cattail Island!
November 6, 2022
I love a great first line along with a great first paragraph which make me feel like the story is going to be fantastic! SMILE BEACH MURDER is a great debut set in the atmospheric Outer Banks of North Carolina on Cattail Island where wild mustangs run free. The author’s prose was so vivid I felt I was there—smelling the salty breeze, seeing the sights, eating the food, and touring the lighthouse. There’s a ferry to the island, a bookshop (YES!), cats and dogs, treasure hunting, murders, and a super mystery puzzle to figure out. I really appreciate the short chapters which always make reading go by faster. I highly recommend this enjoyable cozy mystery be added to readers’ wish lists.
July 20, 2022
3.75
This was a STAND OUT cozy mystery and the first book in the new Outer Banks Bookstore mystery series. Set in a small island beach town on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, we get to know Callie, a former investigative journalist who returns home and can't resist digging into a recent death that happened by the same lighthouse where her mother died.
Narrated to perfection by Karissa Vacker, this book had it all - a bookshop, small town charm, beachy vibes, a touch of romance, a treasure hunt and a great mystery, all wrapped up in family secrets and an ending I didn't see coming. I'm excited to see what comes next from Alicia Bessette!
This was a STAND OUT cozy mystery and the first book in the new Outer Banks Bookstore mystery series. Set in a small island beach town on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, we get to know Callie, a former investigative journalist who returns home and can't resist digging into a recent death that happened by the same lighthouse where her mother died.
Narrated to perfection by Karissa Vacker, this book had it all - a bookshop, small town charm, beachy vibes, a touch of romance, a treasure hunt and a great mystery, all wrapped up in family secrets and an ending I didn't see coming. I'm excited to see what comes next from Alicia Bessette!
May 14, 2022
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Callie Padget tragically lost her mom years ago when she fell from the top of the local lighthouse so coming home to Cattail Island after being laid off from her job was not easy. Moving back into the loft above her uncle Hudson’s garage she takes a job at the bookstore where she found solace at all those years ago until she can find another newspaper position. She has reconnected with her old friend Eva Weeks. She and her sister are now running the family hardware store.
Eve is also the island’s foremost treasure hunt junkie and Blackbeard is rumored to have buried treasure on the island. In fact, she called Callie wanting to meet up to discuss the new clue she found for a new hunt. Sadly before they could meet Eva was found dead at the foot of the lighthouse eerily on almost the same date as Callie’s mother. The police have declared the death a suicide and Callie just can’t accept that. She doesn’t believe Eva jumped anymore than she ever believed her mother did. Eva was too excited about her new treasure hunt to take her own life.
Then another young woman is killed, and again police believe she took her own life and won’t even contemplate the deaths may be related. That just pushes Callie harder to prove them wrong.
Did Eva uncover something that should have stayed buried? Are all three deaths connected? Callie knows she could end up the killer’s next victim but she really needs to find the truth and to do that she must finish the treasure hunt her friend started.
I was surprisingly drawn to reading this book when my heart was telling me to pass it by. The book has a suicide theme but I decided to lean on my cozy mystery knowledge and trust that the tables would eventually turn to the real causes of death. So there were some hard passages for me to read but I am happy I followed my brain and not my heart this time.
Alicia Bessette has a very descriptive writing style. The best vacation our family ever had was our trip to Caswell Beach, North Carolina, and her words to me right back there. I could smell the ocean air, feel the ocean breezes and the sand and water between my toes. While we didn’t have a murder to solve in addition to our wonderful cottage on the ocean we visited several local shops and a bookstore that had a resident cat so this book brought back some wonderful memories that were nice to have.
I wouldn’t call the characters in this book quirky but they are really interesting. They all seem to either have a secret or have dealt with or are still dealing with something from their past.
Callie is in a tough place because finding another job in her field is going to be hard as the news business is changing. But she uses her skills to ferret out a killer when the police aren’t of the same mindset for most of the book. She also used the bookstore to her advantage and her and her mother’s love of Mary Higgins Clark – “Good old MHC never lets you down.” While My Pretty One Sleeps was Callie’s mother’s favorite book and Callie reads it again as she tries to solve the mysteries in this story.
Callie meets Toby Dodge while saving an Instagram star and their lives quickly mesh together as he teaches her some self-defense options. He already knows her well enough that he knows she is not going to stop trying to find the killer. He is really easy on the eyes and super friendly too so Callie doesn’t mind spending time with him one bit.
We also meet several other residents of Cattail Island and all are cleverly created and serve a purpose in the story. I enjoyed that the supporting characters had so much depth for the first book in the series.
Ms. Bessette has written a complex mystery with a lot of moving parts. She serves up some delightful twists and drops clues tactfully throughout the story. Callie is an active amateur sleuth who refuses to give up. I especially liked that completing Eva’s treasure hunt was part of her process. Even when she hit a bump in the road to solving it she was always thinking of how to get the answers she needed. I admire her perseverance. All of her digging led up to a very gritty reveal that had me almost off the edge of my seat.
The story does not end though with catching the killer. There is some unfinished business that needs to take place. I found the ending to be extremely heartwarming and completely satisfying.
Smile Beach Murder was a Perfect Escape and would be a perfect beach read for everyone this summer. A captivating mystery filled with intriguing characters set on a wonderful island in the Outer Banks. This series is off to a great start!
Callie Padget tragically lost her mom years ago when she fell from the top of the local lighthouse so coming home to Cattail Island after being laid off from her job was not easy. Moving back into the loft above her uncle Hudson’s garage she takes a job at the bookstore where she found solace at all those years ago until she can find another newspaper position. She has reconnected with her old friend Eva Weeks. She and her sister are now running the family hardware store.
Eve is also the island’s foremost treasure hunt junkie and Blackbeard is rumored to have buried treasure on the island. In fact, she called Callie wanting to meet up to discuss the new clue she found for a new hunt. Sadly before they could meet Eva was found dead at the foot of the lighthouse eerily on almost the same date as Callie’s mother. The police have declared the death a suicide and Callie just can’t accept that. She doesn’t believe Eva jumped anymore than she ever believed her mother did. Eva was too excited about her new treasure hunt to take her own life.
Then another young woman is killed, and again police believe she took her own life and won’t even contemplate the deaths may be related. That just pushes Callie harder to prove them wrong.
Did Eva uncover something that should have stayed buried? Are all three deaths connected? Callie knows she could end up the killer’s next victim but she really needs to find the truth and to do that she must finish the treasure hunt her friend started.
I was surprisingly drawn to reading this book when my heart was telling me to pass it by. The book has a suicide theme but I decided to lean on my cozy mystery knowledge and trust that the tables would eventually turn to the real causes of death. So there were some hard passages for me to read but I am happy I followed my brain and not my heart this time.
Alicia Bessette has a very descriptive writing style. The best vacation our family ever had was our trip to Caswell Beach, North Carolina, and her words to me right back there. I could smell the ocean air, feel the ocean breezes and the sand and water between my toes. While we didn’t have a murder to solve in addition to our wonderful cottage on the ocean we visited several local shops and a bookstore that had a resident cat so this book brought back some wonderful memories that were nice to have.
I wouldn’t call the characters in this book quirky but they are really interesting. They all seem to either have a secret or have dealt with or are still dealing with something from their past.
Callie is in a tough place because finding another job in her field is going to be hard as the news business is changing. But she uses her skills to ferret out a killer when the police aren’t of the same mindset for most of the book. She also used the bookstore to her advantage and her and her mother’s love of Mary Higgins Clark – “Good old MHC never lets you down.” While My Pretty One Sleeps was Callie’s mother’s favorite book and Callie reads it again as she tries to solve the mysteries in this story.
Callie meets Toby Dodge while saving an Instagram star and their lives quickly mesh together as he teaches her some self-defense options. He already knows her well enough that he knows she is not going to stop trying to find the killer. He is really easy on the eyes and super friendly too so Callie doesn’t mind spending time with him one bit.
We also meet several other residents of Cattail Island and all are cleverly created and serve a purpose in the story. I enjoyed that the supporting characters had so much depth for the first book in the series.
Ms. Bessette has written a complex mystery with a lot of moving parts. She serves up some delightful twists and drops clues tactfully throughout the story. Callie is an active amateur sleuth who refuses to give up. I especially liked that completing Eva’s treasure hunt was part of her process. Even when she hit a bump in the road to solving it she was always thinking of how to get the answers she needed. I admire her perseverance. All of her digging led up to a very gritty reveal that had me almost off the edge of my seat.
The story does not end though with catching the killer. There is some unfinished business that needs to take place. I found the ending to be extremely heartwarming and completely satisfying.
Smile Beach Murder was a Perfect Escape and would be a perfect beach read for everyone this summer. A captivating mystery filled with intriguing characters set on a wonderful island in the Outer Banks. This series is off to a great start!
May 5, 2022
Smile Beach Murder by Alicia Bessette has Callie Padget returning to Cattail Island, North Carolina. Callie has been laid off from her reporting job and is finding it a challenge to locate another newspaper job. She moves back into her old room in the loft at her uncle’s home and gets a position at MotherVine bookstore. Almost to the day of her mother’s death at the lighthouse, another body is found there. It is Eva Meeks who co-owns Meeks Hardware with her sister. Callie is one of the last people to speak with Eva. The police are ruling Eva’s death a suicide, but Callie does not believe it. Eva had been in the store the day before her death searching for information on her latest treasure hunt. Callie wonders if the search for the treasure led her to the lighthouse. With the police unwilling to explore another solution, Callie begins digging for the truth. Smile Beach Murder takes readers to the Outer Banks in North Carolina. I enjoyed the beautiful descriptions of the island. Alicia Bessette is a detail-oriented writer who brought scenes alive with her word imagery. All the things that make up a cozy mystery are included: a woman needing a fresh start, small beach town, cozy bookstore, bookstore cat, a mystery, curiosity (as a reporter she wants the truth to be revealed), and an eligible (and handsome) man. I love that the bookstore cat has his own Instagram account. “He” takes pictures around town. There is plenty of action as Callie works at the bookstore, investigates the mystery, and digs into the treasure hunt. I thought it was delightful that a treasure hunt was included (who doesn’t love a good treasure hunt). I enjoyed the reveal of the treasure hunt solution. The whodunit kept Callie busy. She actively searched for clues and asked questions. She came up with a couple of viable suspects. There is a dramatic reveal filled with tension. It depends on how many cozy mysteries you have read on when you will solve it. The clues are there is you pay close attention to the details. There are references to mystery novels throughout the story which I loved (one of my favorites was mentioned). I appreciate that the author took the time to set the stage with the setting and the main characters. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next An Outer Banks Bookshop Mystery. Smile Beach Murder is an enticing treasure with beautiful beaches, a low-ceilinged loft, a comfortable bookstore, a treacherous treasure hunt, a looming lighthouse, mystery novel mentions, an Instagram celebrity cat, and a probing reporter.
June 30, 2023
Before I go into the premise of this story, I have to share how I came upon this book.
I was cleaning up my shelves here on Goodreads, and realized that some of my old favorite books were those stories that were centered around bookstores and/or libraries. So, I did a search at my local library to find some books to check out with that theme. This one came up.
Premise: Callie returns to Cattail Island where she grew up on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. She was a successful journalist, but she was let go, and she has few job options left. She ends up working in the local bookstore, where her late mother use to take her to read. Eva Meeks, a dear old friend, owner of the local hardware store, falls from the lighthouse, and the Police Chief deems it a suicide. Since this is the same circumstance that happened to Callie’s mother years earlier, she doesn’t believe it was suicide. Something sinister is afoot and Callie is determined to discover what it is.
Even as she pursues leads, her complicated emotions have her wondering if she is searching for closure for the teenage girl she used to be, who was scarred by her mother’s death.
This is the author’s debut novel.
As readers we can view it as a sensitive story of a reporter coming home to face her past, and hopefully lay it to rest.
Only concern…
Sometimes it felt like Callie was rushing too quickly to judgment, but the author seemed to use those moments to show her protagonist’s fallibility.
Could this mean…
Perhaps that is a sign that this might be an ongoing series?
This might be fun to see another bookseller solving crimes. 3.5 stars.
May 20, 2022
I don’t think I can go higher than one star with this because it contains the greatest of all amateur investigator sins- she figures out who did it and then runs off at top speed to confront him in an isolated location. In this case she runs so fast her shoes literally fall off. Why not pause and call someone first? Or power-walk past a police station, since the police are falling all over themselves to share confidential info with her for the rest of the book?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2022
I'm giving up on Cozies. They all seem to have the same cliches: a main character with no personality who pushes her way into an investigation and does stupid things, (who also doesn't act her age & who has just moved back into the quaint town), a cutesy bookstore that always has more customers than any other bookstore ever, a pet, a hot guy, some political/business tear-down-something-to-make-condos side plot, an annoying mayor or other official....I just cannot read any more of these. I only had about 20 pages to go and I wasn't interested enough to finish it.
January 29, 2025
2.5 🌟
Mood/Seasonal Reading: summer
This could have been so good.
When I see an average review under 3.6 stars I always become wary. However, previous books have proven to be 5 stars for me despite their average ratings. Therefore, I try and give interesting sounding books a chance.
Since it’s peak summer, a treasure hunt themed cozy mystery with a lighthouse to boot seemed like a total winner. It had so much potential.
Yet, as I read. The story lost me more and more. From an average and forgettable lead and a unlikeable love interest to a lack of clues for the treasure hunt and a boring investigation. Near the end I found myself thinking that maybe this was a one off, maybe future books in the series might get better. Then the heroine raced after the killer without a word to anyone. And had the idiocy to be shocked when her life became in danger. That’s where the book completely lost me. In fact, I am struggling to find anything I actually enjoyed about it. Wondering if my .5 is too generous but I tend to try and review as kindly as possible so I’ll keep it for now.
By the time the treasure hunt was solved I couldn’t have cared less.
Won’t be picking up more in this series sadly.
Mood/Seasonal Reading: summer
This could have been so good.
When I see an average review under 3.6 stars I always become wary. However, previous books have proven to be 5 stars for me despite their average ratings. Therefore, I try and give interesting sounding books a chance.
Since it’s peak summer, a treasure hunt themed cozy mystery with a lighthouse to boot seemed like a total winner. It had so much potential.
Yet, as I read. The story lost me more and more. From an average and forgettable lead and a unlikeable love interest to a lack of clues for the treasure hunt and a boring investigation. Near the end I found myself thinking that maybe this was a one off, maybe future books in the series might get better. Then the heroine raced after the killer without a word to anyone. And had the idiocy to be shocked when her life became in danger. That’s where the book completely lost me. In fact, I am struggling to find anything I actually enjoyed about it. Wondering if my .5 is too generous but I tend to try and review as kindly as possible so I’ll keep it for now.
By the time the treasure hunt was solved I couldn’t have cared less.
Won’t be picking up more in this series sadly.
May 29, 2023
Way too long ………
August 26, 2024
My first cozy mystery!!! I enjoyed the murderer reveal a lot and think this was a good intro to mysteries for me
December 29, 2022
I bought this book in the Outer Banks at a small bookstore for a few reasons. The biggest reason was simply that the cover caught my eye - it’s gorgeous! Then I saw it was a cozy mystery, which is a genre I am trying to read more of. I also thought it would be fun to start a book about the Outer Banks while vacationing at the Outer Banks.
I’m so happy I impulsively bought this book without knowing more about it. My issue with some cozy mysteries I have tried to read is that they can come off a bit cringe-worthy at times. I also get frustrated with books (and even shows and movies) where the main character makes a bunch of rash decisions that are frustrating to witness. This book never made me feel that way. Callie was written in a way that all of her “questionable” decisions had intentions behind them, and it had me rooting for her the whole time. I was entertained and I felt cozy, yet I also felt a big sense of mystery. It had great balance.
I adored Cattail Island, the different characters, the MotherVine bookshop, and the descriptive, cozy writing throughout the book. I always say I love when books create strong imagery in my head and this one did for sure. I also want to add that I love that the setting was OBX, but that Cattail Island and the specific locations were fictional. I prefer that over a completely “real” environment that I’d have to reimagine for the sake of the story.
I'm looking forward to more books in this series!
Edited to adjust rating :-)
I’m so happy I impulsively bought this book without knowing more about it. My issue with some cozy mysteries I have tried to read is that they can come off a bit cringe-worthy at times. I also get frustrated with books (and even shows and movies) where the main character makes a bunch of rash decisions that are frustrating to witness. This book never made me feel that way. Callie was written in a way that all of her “questionable” decisions had intentions behind them, and it had me rooting for her the whole time. I was entertained and I felt cozy, yet I also felt a big sense of mystery. It had great balance.
I adored Cattail Island, the different characters, the MotherVine bookshop, and the descriptive, cozy writing throughout the book. I always say I love when books create strong imagery in my head and this one did for sure. I also want to add that I love that the setting was OBX, but that Cattail Island and the specific locations were fictional. I prefer that over a completely “real” environment that I’d have to reimagine for the sake of the story.
I'm looking forward to more books in this series!
Edited to adjust rating :-)
did-not-finish
October 15, 2022DNF at about 50% because I just couldn’t bring myself to care? And there was nothing cozy but it was written like it should be a cozy?
May 6, 2022
Callie never thought she’d return to her hometown of Cattail Island, leaving behind many bad memories years ago. But when she gets laid off from her job as a reporter, she finds herself needing a place to recharge and regroup.
Unsurprisingly, Callie finds the island hasn’t changed all that much. Most of the quirky residents she grew up still reside there, and many of the places she used to visit remain as well. In fact, this is how Callie ends reluctantly ends up taking a temporary job at the island’s beloved bookstore, the same place her mom considered a safe haven before tragically passing away years before.
The fact that Callie is returning home on the eve of her mother’s controversial death isn’t lost on anyone. Years ago, her mom took her own life after tumbling (or was it jumping?) from the top of town’s landmark lighthouse. Now years later, tragedy hits the town- and the lighthouse- again. The town chalks it up to a curse, but Callie is convinced there’s more to the story. But what, or who, is responsible for the eerily timed deaths, and can she find out before more tragedy strikes?
Smile Beach Murder is a cozy mystery for fans of Murder, She Wrote and Mary Higgins Clark, the author herself highly regarded in the story. The Nancy Drew fan in me loved seeing a strong female take on the task of solving the mystery. The colorful townspeople rounded out the whodunnit perfectly. I also loved the town bookstore, complete with a bookstore cat (my dream!). I learned that high place phenomenon is actually a thing, and if you don’t know what it is, look it up! It’s quite fascinating.
It doesn’t take a detective to see author, @aliciabessette (wife to another talented author, Matthew Quick), is sure to make her mark in the world of mystery with this release, case closed.
Unsurprisingly, Callie finds the island hasn’t changed all that much. Most of the quirky residents she grew up still reside there, and many of the places she used to visit remain as well. In fact, this is how Callie ends reluctantly ends up taking a temporary job at the island’s beloved bookstore, the same place her mom considered a safe haven before tragically passing away years before.
The fact that Callie is returning home on the eve of her mother’s controversial death isn’t lost on anyone. Years ago, her mom took her own life after tumbling (or was it jumping?) from the top of town’s landmark lighthouse. Now years later, tragedy hits the town- and the lighthouse- again. The town chalks it up to a curse, but Callie is convinced there’s more to the story. But what, or who, is responsible for the eerily timed deaths, and can she find out before more tragedy strikes?
Smile Beach Murder is a cozy mystery for fans of Murder, She Wrote and Mary Higgins Clark, the author herself highly regarded in the story. The Nancy Drew fan in me loved seeing a strong female take on the task of solving the mystery. The colorful townspeople rounded out the whodunnit perfectly. I also loved the town bookstore, complete with a bookstore cat (my dream!). I learned that high place phenomenon is actually a thing, and if you don’t know what it is, look it up! It’s quite fascinating.
It doesn’t take a detective to see author, @aliciabessette (wife to another talented author, Matthew Quick), is sure to make her mark in the world of mystery with this release, case closed.
August 11, 2022
***dnf @ 20%***
Choppy writing, abrupt chapter endings and an unlikeable mc was a struggle. She was extremely judgmental for someone confessing at every opportunity that she wore ratty dresses and shoes. Even I could point out the potential love interest and who dunnit. I love me a cozy but this ain't it.
Karissa Vacker gave it her all.
Choppy writing, abrupt chapter endings and an unlikeable mc was a struggle. She was extremely judgmental for someone confessing at every opportunity that she wore ratty dresses and shoes. Even I could point out the potential love interest and who dunnit. I love me a cozy but this ain't it.
Karissa Vacker gave it her all.
May 5, 2022
3.5 stars Interesting premise and lots of potential, but I couldn't quite connect with the main character.
Read
July 8, 2024DNF in my opinion writing wasn't good and got lost at times.
February 11, 2023
I took this from the library on a whim. It's turned out to be an amazing story that I think will blow your minds
July 10, 2022
You know that super uncomfortable feeling you get from watching someone try to make a person like them by over flattering them? It’s awkward and uncomfortable and you know that they’d be so much better off just being them self rather than doing the whole sucking up thing. That’s what reading this book felt like.
Smile Beach Murder was a shopping list of all the authors that Bessette wanted to impress by shamelessly name-dropping their books over and over again, with unsubtle hints about how popular their books were. One particular book, While My Pretty One Sleeps, by Mary Higgins Clark, was gushed over so many times that we were not only given the entire plot on at least five different occasions, but the book was recommended to other characters in the book who then checked back in with the main character to say how much they enjoyed it. Other authors and their books were mentioned in awkward plays for favour with exchanges like “I’ve brought your book order, Riding Lessons by Sara Gruen,” .
“I’m confused because I didn’t just order Riding Lessons by Sara Gruen, but also its sequel, Flying Changes”.
There just doesn’t seem to be any need for this kind of name dropping other than trying to curry favour with these authors with in-book flattery, and it’s just supremely uncomfortable reading. Mix that with a main character who combines a lack of ability to read the room and pushes her way into situations with scant regard for the feelings of others, and an irritating habit of giving up when things don’t go her way, and this wasn’t a series I will be continuing to read.
Callie, the main character, is a former journalist turned part time bookseller who doesn’t hesitate to remind us that she’s too good for the island home she’s been forced to return to after being fired from her current job. With lines like “I used to be covering murders and now I’m taking photos of manatee sightings” while pointing out that anyone who wasn’t born on the island is a “dingbat”, because living there your whole life doesn’t count if you weren’t born there.
The author uses weird similes such as describing two grieving parents whose daughter has just died as “They looked like a pair of screwdrivers - stiff and silvery”. What does that even mean???
Finishing up with a murderer who gets eaten by a shark (I mean, really??) and the cheesiest American scene possible - all of the island inhabitants and the tourists gathering round to cheer because this really is “the down home isle that’s worth your while”, this just wasn’t for me.
Smile Beach Murder was a shopping list of all the authors that Bessette wanted to impress by shamelessly name-dropping their books over and over again, with unsubtle hints about how popular their books were. One particular book, While My Pretty One Sleeps, by Mary Higgins Clark, was gushed over so many times that we were not only given the entire plot on at least five different occasions, but the book was recommended to other characters in the book who then checked back in with the main character to say how much they enjoyed it. Other authors and their books were mentioned in awkward plays for favour with exchanges like “I’ve brought your book order, Riding Lessons by Sara Gruen,” .
“I’m confused because I didn’t just order Riding Lessons by Sara Gruen, but also its sequel, Flying Changes”.
There just doesn’t seem to be any need for this kind of name dropping other than trying to curry favour with these authors with in-book flattery, and it’s just supremely uncomfortable reading. Mix that with a main character who combines a lack of ability to read the room and pushes her way into situations with scant regard for the feelings of others, and an irritating habit of giving up when things don’t go her way, and this wasn’t a series I will be continuing to read.
Callie, the main character, is a former journalist turned part time bookseller who doesn’t hesitate to remind us that she’s too good for the island home she’s been forced to return to after being fired from her current job. With lines like “I used to be covering murders and now I’m taking photos of manatee sightings” while pointing out that anyone who wasn’t born on the island is a “dingbat”, because living there your whole life doesn’t count if you weren’t born there.
The author uses weird similes such as describing two grieving parents whose daughter has just died as “They looked like a pair of screwdrivers - stiff and silvery”. What does that even mean???
Finishing up with a murderer who gets eaten by a shark (I mean, really??) and the cheesiest American scene possible - all of the island inhabitants and the tourists gathering round to cheer because this really is “the down home isle that’s worth your while”, this just wasn’t for me.
August 30, 2022
This was... Not awesome. The beginning was fun, the middle was very slow, and the ending was predictable. I did like the aesthetic of the story: the beach and the bookshop and the cats and the treasure. I did like the martial arts being referenced and I liked the lighthouse. It took 75% of the book to get to a 3rd clue though.
October 19, 2022
Laid off from her newspaper job, Callie retreats to her uncle's workshop on Cattail Island, where she's been haunted by the lighthouse that was the scene of her single mother's death. A school friend of hers also falls off the lighthouse--suicide, say the police; something else, says Callie and the woman's mourning 12-year-old daughter. Taking a job in the bookstore run by her mother's friend Antoinette, Callie tries to follow the clues to the treasure hunt that lead to her friend's death and that may implicate the island's richest, most powerful family.
July 29, 2022
As far as cozies go - this was kinda cute - I did get a little confused towards the end , but I got thru it - maybe more of a 3 star read , but giving it 4 cause I've had awful luck with books these days :-/
June 1, 2022
Callie’s return to Cattail Island was not by choice but I was happy to see the island and the islanders through her eyes. It is an idyllic place that I certainly appreciated, even if she didn’t. Getting to know the islanders was a real treat and the mystery was intriguing. I fell in love with Tin Man and the thought of his Instagram. The story itself kept my interest at the beginning and then it waned as the story went on. When she starts to figure out the mystery, it does pick up again so I enjoyed it.
May 14, 2022
Callie isn't happy about having to move back to her uncle's house on Cattail Island. It was home long ago, but once her mother died, she couldn't wait to get far away. Things didn't work out too well for her career-wise, and now she views this as a temporary living arrangement until she can find another job away from here.
Luckily though, she does get a job for the summer so on top of everything else, at least she won't be unemployed and broke. After applying and being rejected at almost every business on the island, she gets hired at MotherVine bookstore. It was a place her mother loved, so it is full of both good and painful memories. Just when things are looking up, tragedy strikes. Eva Meeks is found dead outside the Cattail Lighthouse.
This place haunts Callie since it was where she lost her mother. Callie doesn't agree with the official ruling, and she promises Eva's daughter that she will uncover the truth. A stroll down memory lane and a current mystery where the body count continues to rise means that Callie will have to figure out the identity of the killer before she is the next victim.
I have to say I did correctly guess the killer( yeah me)but not for the right reasons. Here I go being cryptic because of spoilers, but I was absolutely 100% positive that something from the past was related to what was happening now. More than just the old scavenger hunt that Eva discovered and more than just the seemingly tragic lighthouse location. I don't know if that was the author's intent, but either she reeled me in or I was just all alone on my misguided hunt for the truth! I enjoyed the supporting characters, at least the one's that I didn't give major side-eye to because I thought they might have been the killer. I felt like I was on a hard to get to the island during tourist season, and who can resist a bookstore Instagram famous cat named Tin Man. I am not sure if this was standalone or if Callie has more amateur sleuthing in her future, but I for one would be alright with the second scenario.
Luckily though, she does get a job for the summer so on top of everything else, at least she won't be unemployed and broke. After applying and being rejected at almost every business on the island, she gets hired at MotherVine bookstore. It was a place her mother loved, so it is full of both good and painful memories. Just when things are looking up, tragedy strikes. Eva Meeks is found dead outside the Cattail Lighthouse.
This place haunts Callie since it was where she lost her mother. Callie doesn't agree with the official ruling, and she promises Eva's daughter that she will uncover the truth. A stroll down memory lane and a current mystery where the body count continues to rise means that Callie will have to figure out the identity of the killer before she is the next victim.
I have to say I did correctly guess the killer( yeah me)but not for the right reasons. Here I go being cryptic because of spoilers, but I was absolutely 100% positive that something from the past was related to what was happening now. More than just the old scavenger hunt that Eva discovered and more than just the seemingly tragic lighthouse location. I don't know if that was the author's intent, but either she reeled me in or I was just all alone on my misguided hunt for the truth! I enjoyed the supporting characters, at least the one's that I didn't give major side-eye to because I thought they might have been the killer. I felt like I was on a hard to get to the island during tourist season, and who can resist a bookstore Instagram famous cat named Tin Man. I am not sure if this was standalone or if Callie has more amateur sleuthing in her future, but I for one would be alright with the second scenario.
August 3, 2022
I am rounding up from 4.5 stars for this SUPER FUN read! My library recently had the honor of hosting Alicia Bessette and a few other authors for a signing, and I made sure to snag a copy of my own.
So, cozy mysteries generally aren't my cup of tea, I like mine to have a little more grit to them. That being said, Smile Beach Murder was a really well-balanced story, with just enough charm to keep it cozy without the cloying nature of so many of this genre. The Outer Banks location was really spot-on! Having grown up nearby, I get so annoyed when things that are meant to be set in the Outer Banks actually describe some other beachy town (ahem, Where the Crawdads Sing) But Cattail Island felt like a true-to-life OBX village, and Bessette characterizes its inhabitants well without giving anyone a ridiculously heavy Southern accent.
The story was paced very well, with just enough action to keep it moving along without becoming too fast-paced. Callie is an excellent protagonist (other than her seemingly problematic relationship with food, which personally bothered me and cost this review its half star). I loved meeting everyone on the island, from Callie's uncle Hudson (who I feel as though I personally know, or have met at least 50 men just like him), to the elegant and bitchy Pearleen Standish (what a name!). I certainly did not guess who the killer was, nor did I anticipate their rather explosive demise.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, and look forward to the next installment! I'm sure that Cattail Island has more secrets to uncover.
So, cozy mysteries generally aren't my cup of tea, I like mine to have a little more grit to them. That being said, Smile Beach Murder was a really well-balanced story, with just enough charm to keep it cozy without the cloying nature of so many of this genre. The Outer Banks location was really spot-on! Having grown up nearby, I get so annoyed when things that are meant to be set in the Outer Banks actually describe some other beachy town (ahem, Where the Crawdads Sing) But Cattail Island felt like a true-to-life OBX village, and Bessette characterizes its inhabitants well without giving anyone a ridiculously heavy Southern accent.
The story was paced very well, with just enough action to keep it moving along without becoming too fast-paced. Callie is an excellent protagonist (other than her seemingly problematic relationship with food, which personally bothered me and cost this review its half star). I loved meeting everyone on the island, from Callie's uncle Hudson (who I feel as though I personally know, or have met at least 50 men just like him), to the elegant and bitchy Pearleen Standish (what a name!). I certainly did not guess who the killer was, nor did I anticipate their rather explosive demise.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, and look forward to the next installment! I'm sure that Cattail Island has more secrets to uncover.
August 4, 2023
Ahhh we love a beach mystery!!
This was so good honestly. There were so many details and subplots that all tied together perfectly in the end, with a good old fashioned dramatic confession. I loved the sort of family like feel that Callie had with all her uncles friends and the people she knew from her childhood. I loved the setting (obvi) at a cute outer banks island full of cattails, sand, and charm. The little bookshop was precious and I direly wish Tin Man’s insta was real!! The plot twist was definitely unexpected, but it didn’t feel widely far fetched. It felt totally grounded in the story and made complete sense. There were so many twists and turns throughout the story that kept me hooked and waiting till my next free slot of time to binge read! I read this book on the beach, by the pool, and sitting out on our vacation houses porch and it tied in so perfectly. The island in the book is very similar to the one I’m at right now and I loved uncovering the similarities. There was also like a very subtle romance side to it that was very sweet and it Carie’s in the second of this series, so I may pick that one up to see how it plays out. Such a great beachy, summery mystery!
This was so good honestly. There were so many details and subplots that all tied together perfectly in the end, with a good old fashioned dramatic confession. I loved the sort of family like feel that Callie had with all her uncles friends and the people she knew from her childhood. I loved the setting (obvi) at a cute outer banks island full of cattails, sand, and charm. The little bookshop was precious and I direly wish Tin Man’s insta was real!! The plot twist was definitely unexpected, but it didn’t feel widely far fetched. It felt totally grounded in the story and made complete sense. There were so many twists and turns throughout the story that kept me hooked and waiting till my next free slot of time to binge read! I read this book on the beach, by the pool, and sitting out on our vacation houses porch and it tied in so perfectly. The island in the book is very similar to the one I’m at right now and I loved uncovering the similarities. There was also like a very subtle romance side to it that was very sweet and it Carie’s in the second of this series, so I may pick that one up to see how it plays out. Such a great beachy, summery mystery!
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