The Corpse in the Cabana

Viola Roberts Cozy Mysteries #1

by Shéa MacLeod

Successful author Viola Roberts is headed to a writers’ conference at an exotic Florida resort complete with white sand beaches and swaying palm trees. She plans to lounge in the shade drinking frosty beverages with little umbrellas while catching up on her never ending to-be-read pile. And, of course, no sojourn to tropical climes would be complete without her boozy, wise-cracking best friend and fellow author, Cheryl.

When Viola discovers the diva of the author world dead (as a doornail) of unnatural causes, the police immediately consider her their prime suspect. But when the head detective turns a gimlet eye on Viola’s best friend, the author has had enough! Along with help from hunky fellow writer, Lucas Salvatore, Viola is determined to ascertain who killed the corpse in the cabana before she, or Cheryl, wind up in jail. Or worse.

The Corpse in the Cabana is the first in the bookish cozy mystery series, Viola Roberts Cozy Mysteries set (mostly) in the quaint seaside town of Astoria, Oregon.

"Fun and fresh, with a twisty, clever plot that will have you turning pages right to the end." -Cheryl Bradshaw, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Sloane Monroe mysteries.

Genres: Cozy Mystery, Mystery, Cozy, Fiction, Contemporary, Ebooks, Romance

175 pages, ebook

First published February 8, 2016

About the author

Shéa MacLeod has dreamed of writing novels since before she could hold a crayon. She totally blames her mother.

Her favorite poem as a child was ‘Jabberwocky’, and Her favorite authors were Agatha Christie and Edgar Allan Poe. Which probably explains a lot.

After a six year sojourn in London, England, a dearth of good donuts has driven her back to her hometown. She now resides in the leafy green hills outside Portland, Oregon where she indulges in her fondness for strong coffee, Ancient Aliens reruns, lemon curd, and dragons.

Because everything's better with dragons.

Shéa is the author of the SUNWALKER SAGA (a fast paced urban fantasy series with a kick-ass heroine published by Montlake) and DRAGON WARS (a post-apocalyptic series with dragons)as well as the Cupcake Goddess novelettes.

Reviews

[✨ Gramy ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

.
This cozy mystery spotlights spunky Viola Roberts, who gave up accounting for a successful career as a historical romance writer. Her sass, snarkiness, and averageness make it easy to identify with her. Viola and her best friend, Cheryl Delney, the girl next door type, traveled together attend a writer's conference and enjoy the amenities, the sun, and fun in Florida. Also in attendance is Natasha Winters, well-known cougar, and a lush, besides being the top-selling romance author. She was currently involved in a nasty divorce. Another familiar face for Viola was Lucas Salvatore, a famous thriller writer, a personable and good-looking fellow.

Trouble is brewing at the writer's conference in St. Petersburg, Florida. Soon the dead body of Natasha Winters is discovered stabbed with a knife used to slice fruit for cocktails. Viola is suspected originally, but then the police turn their attention to her best friend, Cheryl. To avoid arrest, Viola, Cheryl, and Lucas combine their detective skills to determine who the real murderer is. This leads to danger and some possible romance. These quirky characters are well developed and provide humor and wit to the story.

This cozy mystery was entertaining, even though it was a little off the path at times. I appreciate that this read is clean and wholesome.

[Annette · Rating 2 out of 5]

Viola and her best friend, Cheryl, are at a writer's conference in Florida. Natasha, the best selling romance writers is murdered the first night they are there. Because Cheryl had a fist fight with Natasha and Viola found the body both of them are suspects.
I like cozy mysteries and I do not expect them to have the depth of War and Peace, but this was just too much for me. I am sure it was just me, but I felt that there were too many trivial side trips.
It is fast moving, that was a good thing. I think my big problem was I did not like Viola very much. And Cheryl acted rather dim.
For me, this was simply not a good fit.

[Linda Langford · Rating 4 out of 5]

4-1/2 Stars! Humor and mystery galore at a Writer's Convention in sunny Florida. Historical romance writer, Viola Roberts, is in attendance with fellow author and best friend, Cheryl Delaney, when the diva of romance novelists, Natasha Winters, is stabbed with a knife used to slice fruit for cocktails. Viola's thirst for a good mystery leads them on a hilarious romp as they observe and eliminate suspects while still enjoying benefits of the convention. The haunted hotel next door almost ends Viola's career (and life!)--Did a ghost try to push her down a flight of stairs? Lucas, a fellow author, becomes an attentive companion, and love seems to be in the ocean air. This well-plotted debut cozy is a delightful, laugh-out-loud, never a dull moment story! I hope fellow readers enjoy it as much as I did.

[Hope Smash · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had a lot of potential. I really liked Viola as a main character. I related to her personality and her interests and she was fun to read about. Unfortunately this book was riddled with spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. *SPOILERS I could have lived with those issues if it wasn't for the fact that during the big reveal it was suddenly discovered that Andrea was Kyle's ex-girlfriend. Like this was big news that cracked the case. Only problem is that information was revealed not once but twice earlier in the book in Chapter 13.* So really that kind of spoiled the ending. It's a shame too because I did enjoy the rest of the plot and the characters. I feel that if Shéa MacLeod got herself a good editor most of the issues would have been solved and this would have been a 4/5 instead of 2/5. I might venture into some of her other works to see if the editing has improved.

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a writers' conference in Florida. The best selling writer, is an obnoxious jerk,and pays the price. Our sleuth is the one that discovers the body, and feels that the police are incompetent, even though the lead detective is good looking.

Along the way, she also meets a good looking thriller writer.

The investigation is certainly slap dash, and the sleuth is lucky she survived. The solution is a bit iffy, IMO.

[Doward Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me introduce you to Viola Roberts, formerly an accountant but now a successful romance writer. Attending a writer's conference in St. Petersburg, Florida with her best friend, Cheryl Delaney, should be a nice vacation, until she stumbles across the very dead body of Natasha Winters. Natasha was the top selling romance author, a Cougar, a lush, in the middle of a nasty divorce and someone you didn't want to get on the bad side of. Viola becomes a prime suspect for discovering the body but Cheryl soon takes her place after the police discover she had a knock down catfight with Natasha at the Meet and Greet party. With the help of Lucas Salvatore, a hot and hunky thriller writer, the girls are determined to find the real culprit before Detective Costa arrests one or both of them. I really enjoyed meeting these well developed characters. Viola is sassy and snarky, Cheryl is the girl next door and Lucas is suave and always coming to the rescue. I enjoyed this murder plot with its many red herrings that will keep you guessing right to the grand finale. I want to read more in this entertaining series.

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a charming "light" cozy mystery! By "light" I mean it was angst-free and just a straight-forward cozy adventure that was really entertaining. A snarky, witty protagonist with a terrific BFF and a handsome potential love interest - fun! A tropical Florida setting - y0u could practically feel the humidity coming off the pages. A fast read and very enjoyable. Looking forward to the next one.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly entertaining, lighthearted read of a cosy mystery that was a rung or two above the norm in quality. Viola was a wonderfully warm protagonist with more than a hint of wit and the plot with its ensemble of characters kept you enthralled until the end. And who wouldn't want a BFF called Cheryl? ;) Recommended read of a series that I will be adding on my "To Read" list.

[Jilrene · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another Prime Reading fail. This one just did not work for me. Annoying MCs. Blah mystery. No fun.

[Missc · Rating 2 out of 5]

Badly written, badly plotted, badly proofed!

Did this book even see an editor? The reveal happens halfway through and then again at the end. The MC was an idiot. Everyone else was a cardboard cut out. The only reason I gave it two stars is because I liked the setting.

The love interest was only there to display how desirable the main character was, but she was constantly dismissive of him and I'd have walked away if I were him. The friend was irritating. The MC had no sense of self preservation and I was kind of hoping she'd get killed... Being pushed down the stairs was as though someone followed a "mystery beats by number" and decided she needed a pinch moment, but it was then instantly forgotten about.

It reads like a rushed first novel.

[Sabine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars! I liked this book A LOT! It was a well thought through murder mystery with great characters, a little bit of romance and some not over the too humour. I think I got it some time for free on Amazon but while reading it purchased the next 2 of the series already. Highly recommended

[The Book Junkie Reads . . . · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall 4 out of 5 stars
Performance 4 out of 5 stars
Story 3 out of 5 stars

What fun to be heading to a convention for work and find that you are involved in a mystery? How far will you go to get yourself out of trouble? Would you do the same for a friends? I loved Viola. She was fun, quirky, smart, almost clueless, except for when she was very on the money. The narrator Yvette Keller had the voice that made this cozy mystery just flow and jive with me. I am looking forward to the next one.

This was a quick, fun, light, sassy read/listen. Viola had a good friend, a job she loved, and three men (one she did know, one too young, one a stick in the mud).

[Erin Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 star Review The Corpse In The Cabana (Viola Roberts Cozy Mysteries, Book 1) by Shea MacLeod

AUDIO REVIEW

Both the author Shea MacLeod and narrator Yvette Keller are new to me and I have no idea why that is. Although this is my first book from both of them, it will not be my last.
It is a cozy mystery and one that I found entertaining.

The narrator did a good job and kept me entertained, her voice was easy to listen too as well, although her male voices could have been stronger, but that is just my opinion. Viola Roberts is a successful writer attending a conference in Florida with her best friend and fellow author Cheryl.

She planned a trip with plenty of relaxation beside the pool, what she didn’t count on was finding a body and certainly not that she or Cheryl would appear to be the prime suspects.
Teaming up with fellow writer Lucas Salvatore, Cheryl and a couple of other writers, she is determined to find the real killer before she or Cheryl end up in jail for a murder they didn’t commit.

This was a book filled with secrets, suspense, mystery and I was kept on the edge of my seat as I listened to this story. There are a number of twists, turns and surprises in The Corpse In The Cabana as Viola and her band of friends follow the clues and I have to say that I was taken by surprise on a couple of occasions.

I looking forward to more adventures with Viola Roberts in the future.

[Nancy Haddock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast-paced fun

This was a whim purchase, and I'm glad I made it. The heroine is funny and smart. I will be getting the next book.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cozy mystery faithfully written by formula.

[Christie Pardee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the Florida beach setting for this one. Very cute.

[Orsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laza, gyorsan olvasható krimi. Nem volt tökéletes, könnyen kitalálható volt ki a tettes de ettől függetlenül élvezetes volt. Talán leginkább egy Gyilkos sorok epizódhoz tudnám hasonlítani csak modernebb változatban. 4/5⭐️

A lighthearted, fast-read crime novel. It wasn't perfect, it was easy to guess the culprit, but it was still enjoyable. Maybe I could compare it to an episode of Murder She Wrote, only in a more modern version. 4/5⭐️

[Sandee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Viola and her friend are in Florida at a conference for writers. This was a solid cozy mystery and I enjoyed reading it, mostly for the tidbits about the conference. Unfortunately, I didn't like any of the characters. For me, they fell a little flat and their relationships all seemed strained. But if you are looking for a fast cozy mystery with a good mystery, you would probably enjoy this.

[Fee (Ebook Addicts) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Story:
Viola Roberts and her BFF Cheryl Delney are in Florida attending a writing conference, where we met an host of other characters, mainly Natasha Winters (who ends up being the victim) and Lucas Salvatore, who becomes Viola's sort of love interest. When Viola discoverers Natasha dead, and comes to blows with the Lead Detective she sets about to clear her name with the help of Cheryl and Lucas.

There are some comedic moments that make the characters more real and making it an entertaining read. This is a clean cozy mystery and if you love losing yourself in a who-dunit this is a good series to start. It was an enjoyable and entertaining read, though my only gripe was there was a major clue discovered a few chapters prior to it becoming the BIG clue it was intended to be, and that kinda confused me for a moment.

The Narration:
Yvette Keller was brilliant for this book! She really brought life to the book and actually made the characters real - full of all the emotions there were going through and one moment stands out when Viola was running up stairs Yvette even made the character out of breath in telling of it.

"I dashed down the open-air hall and took the stairs as fast as my legs would take me. By the third floor, I was out of breath. By the fourth floor, my legs were rubber. By the time I hit the fifth floor, there was a stitch in my side so bad I was nearly doubled over."

Yvette brings the humour, banter, and mystery alive and I am glad that she is narrating other books in this series.
The actual audio was smooth without any background noise or static and chapters flowed seamlessly.

[Starfire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh? This is one that I probably *should*, by all rights, have DNFed, but for some reason, I did keep reading it right to the end.

Viola as a character just annoyed me: I feel like she read like a high school teenager in many scenes, despite - I think - being in her 40s. Her best friend, Cheryl, didn't seem to have any real personality beyond being 'blonde and skinny' (the most frequent description any other character seemed to use for her). And the love interest, Lucas seems enamored enough of Viola to move from one coast of the US to the other for her at the end of the book for reasons that are never really made clear and seem incomprehensible for me.

Also, I gritted my teeth every time Detective Costa told Viola to do something and she immediately either bumbled her way into doing the opposite, or deliberately chose to do the opposite. I realise that this is a core trope in the cozy-mystery-with-amateur-protagonist genre, but that doesn't mean it's one I enjoy reading personally.

And along those lines, I loved the *concept* of a cozy mystery set at a writers' conference, and it's entirely possible that the shenanigans in the book are 100% reflective of what goes on at your average NWA conference. But, again, that really didn't make it any more enjoyable to hang out with these characters, so I suspect I won't be continuing with this series. YMMV.

[Rabid Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really enjoyable, fun, cozy murder mystery. Viola Roberts and her best friend Cheryl are both great characters; they are humorous, snarky and always seem to find themselves in the middle of trouble. When they decide to attend a writers conference in Florida, they manage to thrust themselves into the middle of a murder investigation, become suspects in the killing, and put their lives at risk. The plot keeps you guessing and there are even some hints of potential romance. The narrator did an excellent job of showing the humor and sarcasm, giving the characters individual voices and bringing the story to life. This is a well written and narrated murder mystery, that has a very entertaining plot and well developed characters. I will look forward to listening to more audiobooks in this series

[Marcella · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've now read several 1st-in-a-serie books by Shéa MacLeod and they are enjoyable reads. No cunning or surprising plots but enjoyable. However, in this book there was a huge mistake in the plot, which spoiled the ending - and the book, hence a lower rating - for me. At the end, Viola suddenly knows who the killer is because of something her friend discovered the night before. However, her friend AND Viola already discovered this information about the killer halfway through the book.

[Lida · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cozy mystery that caught my attention from the beginning and held it. While the constant description of who is hot and who is dumpy could have been toned down a bit, I found (most of) the descriptions entertaining and the mental commentary of the main character quite funny. There were plenty of great twists as each character got evaluated as the possible killer.

I look forward to seeing how this series continues.

[Sonia Cristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such a cute book, I enjoyed reading it. Viola is such a easy likeable character and so funny.

[Emmalynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not Bad

Goodish, though Viola had a case of the too dumb to live at the end 😒😒😑 it’s a decently paced cozy with a dash of potential romance.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A murder at a writers conference, what a sensational concept for a murder mystery! In The Corpse the Cabana, writer and amateur sleuth, Viola Roberts, is attending a writers conference along with her friend, (and fellow writer), Cheryl. It happens to be in Florida, on the coast. During the party social mixer on the first night, Viola's friend Cheryl gets mixed up in a catfight with the unpleasant romance writer, Natasha Winters. Later, Voila is up late, and decides to take a walk on the beach. She notices a body in one of the cabanas. thinking someone has passed out, viola decides to enter the cabana, only to discovers the body of Natasha Winters, stabbed in the back (quite literally). Local police detective Cost as, warns her that this isn't her place to investigate, but due to her finding the body, and her friend seen agruing with deceased. Viola decides to channel her inner 'Jessica Fletcher' and investigate the murder. Alongside mysterious mystery/ thriller writer, Lucaa Salvatore, and Chery she is on the case. Even though Viola writes historical romances veres crime novels (thrllers) and murder mysteries, this book adds a Murder, She Wrote vibe, as well as brings something different. I enjoyed this mystery with its interesting cars of characters, and many clues and red hearings to follow

[Avigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 ⭐️

Shéa MacLeod’s The Corpse in the Cabana sits around a 3.25-star read for me, offering both charm and frustration. Cozy mysteries are often a palette cleanser for me, especially after heavier, more serious books, and this one delivered that lighter tone. The premise itself is amusing: a historical romance author suddenly thrust into the role of amateur sleuth. Viola has no idea what she’s doing, but her friend Cheryl and mystery-thriller writer Lucas lend both comic relief and a bit of professional know-how. Their quirky banter made the story entertaining and kept the pages turning.

That said, the pacing was uneven. The beginning felt slow and too familiar, almost like I had read a similar plot before. Once the murders started, the story picked up, but the culprit was easy to guess—especially after the second death. Some reviewers felt the same, noting that the “big reveal” lacked impact because of the clues sprinkled in earlier. While the characters were fun, they weren’t always deeply developed, which left me wishing for more dimension.

In the end, The Corpse in the Cabana did what it was meant to: provide a light, fast-paced cozy mystery that cleared my brain between heavier reads.

[Tricia S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A popular romance writer is murdered at a conference. Viola, another writer, found the body and now feels the need to find out who killed her, so she could get off the suspect list. This book is a fast paced mystery. This is my first book by Shea MacLeod and I loved it. The characters are very likeable and I liked the narrator. I can totally imagine Viola sound like that. This is a fantastic fast listen, I know that i want to finish the series. If you like fast paced mysteries this book is just right up your alley.

[Vikki Walton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun cozy read. Viola is attending a writer's conference when she stumbles across a dead body. The woman was a high-profile author who had plenty of enemies and envious authors who might want her dead. But since Viola finds the body, the rumpled but attractive Detective Costa has her in his sights. With her friend, Cheryl, Viola sets out to find the real culprit. But when handsome and sexy author, Lucas, enters her orbit, can she stay focused so she doesn't end up the next victim.

As an author, I chuckled at some of the relatable conference descriptions. Great cozy mystery that's lots of fun. Clean cozy with a hint of romance.

[P.S. Winn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, quick mystery. Viola Roberts and her friend Cheryl are in Florida when murder and mayhem strike. As the two, being authors, try to get to the bottom of the crime, they find themselves stuck in the middle of the mystery. This book is well written and great to grab when you want a book you can finish in a short time and thoroughly enjoy the time spent.