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3.47 AVERAGE
3.47 AVERAGE
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.
A quaint mystery set in a cozy island community with a treasure hunt, an intriguing case, and depth to the characters and relationships that makes you want to see them succeed. Smile Beach Murder is a perfect mystery for a breezy beach day read!
Characters
Callie Padget has returned to Cattail Island where she grew up after being laid off from her reporter job at the Charlotte newspaper. Hudson is her uncle.
Teri Padgett is Callie’s mother who died when she was a teenager. Her quirky former friend Antoinette Redfield runs the MotherVine bookstore and offers Callie a job upon her return.
Eva Meeks is the older sister to Georgia Meeks, a friend of Callie’s from high school, and is the central death in the story. Eva owns the local hardware store on the Island. Summer is Eva Meeks’ twelve-year-old daughter. Bo Beauchamp works at the hardware store.
Gwen Montgomery is the new lighthouse keeper. Ralph Burrus is the head of the local nonprofit groups that oversees the lighthouse. Drew Jurecki is the Chief of Police in Cattail. Rasheeda Scarboro is the medical examiner. Officer Fusco is a young female police officer new to the force.
Trish Berryman is the the Editor in Chief of the local paper, the Cattail Crier. Jeff Berryman is Trish’s husband and the main photographer for the paper. Ralph Burrus is the head of the local nonprofit groups that oversees the lighthouse. Toby Dodge is the owner of the local martial arts gym.
Pearleen Standish is the wealthiest resident of cattail and the heiress to a furniture empire founded on the island. Whitman Standish is her grandson and heir to the furniture empire.
Structure, Setting, and Plot
Smile Beach Murder takes place on Cattail Island which is located in North Carolina’s Outer Banks. The book is narrated by lead character and amateur detective Callie Padget. The story is told in one continuous timeline moving forward from the first events of the book.
Callie is emotionally fragile after being part of a 62-person layoff at the Charlotte-newspaper where she was a reporter. With few options, Callie moves back home temporarily while she continues to build her portfolio and apply for jobs in journalism. Her uncle Hudson welcomes her home to her former bedroom. While Callie loves her uncle and her hometown, it is full of difficult memories of her mother, who died when Callie was a pre-teen.
Callie is working at the local bookstore, MotherVine, as a clerk, book runner, and occasional photographer when the sister of one of her childhood friends Eva Meeks comes in looking for a book to help her with a treasure hunt she’s on. Eva owns the local hardware store and loves to tackle mysteries and treasure hunts. Her current one has her pointed towards the lighthouse on Smile Beach, which happens to be the very place Callie’s mother died two decades earlier.
When Callie discovers the next day that Eva died at the very same lighthouse the night before, she rushes to the scene. It feels like history is repeating itself. The police claim it is suicide, but Callie doesn’t think that Eva jumped any more than she thinks her mother did.
Callie knows she can help clear up what happened to Eva if the police won’t. She enlists the help of some friends and begins the very treasure hunt that took Eva’s life. But when another body ends up at the lighthouse, Callie wonders if she should have never come back to Cattail Island. Now she either needs to find out what happened or risk becoming the next victim…
My Thoughts
The setting on Cattail Island is perfect for a new cozy mystery series. In the opening chapter Callie is headed across town and I felt I could smell the beach-y town as she was crossing it—the salty sea air, the smell of fried food from the beachside cafés, and the floral fragrance from the gardens.
Callie has some sadness in her past. While most cozy series would focus on the devastation of losing her job and being forced to move home, Smile Beach Murder focuses much more on why she has been avoiding coming home. Throughout the book we get small flashbacks as she remembers her mother and continues to process her grief. I loved how she became interested in Mary Higgins Clark after her mother passed because it was her favorite author.
At one point Antoinette (who largely seems kooky and not plugged into what is going on) sees her eyeing one of her mother’s favorite books and gifts it to her. Another time she recommends MHC to Summer, who is going through the process of losing her own mother at around the same age Callie was when she lost hers. These poignant moments add more depth to the series than we usually see in cozy mysteries and made me feel more connected to the characters.
Callie is a strong lead for a series. She is smart and compassionate for others. She wants to understand what happened but not in an annoying way. She doesn’t bumble around the way many cozy leads do, probably due to her experience as a reporter. A lot of her mystery-solving comes through interviewing people and observation, which also pull from her journalism repertoire.
Overall a great start to a new cozy mystery series. With a charming setting, an adorable cat, a job at a kitschy shop that allows her to travel around town interacting with people, and a strong lead, this has everything cozy mystery lovers are looking for!
Characters
Callie Padget has returned to Cattail Island where she grew up after being laid off from her reporter job at the Charlotte newspaper. Hudson is her uncle.
Teri Padgett is Callie’s mother who died when she was a teenager. Her quirky former friend Antoinette Redfield runs the MotherVine bookstore and offers Callie a job upon her return.
Eva Meeks is the older sister to Georgia Meeks, a friend of Callie’s from high school, and is the central death in the story. Eva owns the local hardware store on the Island. Summer is Eva Meeks’ twelve-year-old daughter. Bo Beauchamp works at the hardware store.
Gwen Montgomery is the new lighthouse keeper. Ralph Burrus is the head of the local nonprofit groups that oversees the lighthouse. Drew Jurecki is the Chief of Police in Cattail. Rasheeda Scarboro is the medical examiner. Officer Fusco is a young female police officer new to the force.
Trish Berryman is the the Editor in Chief of the local paper, the Cattail Crier. Jeff Berryman is Trish’s husband and the main photographer for the paper. Ralph Burrus is the head of the local nonprofit groups that oversees the lighthouse. Toby Dodge is the owner of the local martial arts gym.
Pearleen Standish is the wealthiest resident of cattail and the heiress to a furniture empire founded on the island. Whitman Standish is her grandson and heir to the furniture empire.
Structure, Setting, and Plot
Smile Beach Murder takes place on Cattail Island which is located in North Carolina’s Outer Banks. The book is narrated by lead character and amateur detective Callie Padget. The story is told in one continuous timeline moving forward from the first events of the book.
Callie is emotionally fragile after being part of a 62-person layoff at the Charlotte-newspaper where she was a reporter. With few options, Callie moves back home temporarily while she continues to build her portfolio and apply for jobs in journalism. Her uncle Hudson welcomes her home to her former bedroom. While Callie loves her uncle and her hometown, it is full of difficult memories of her mother, who died when Callie was a pre-teen.
Callie is working at the local bookstore, MotherVine, as a clerk, book runner, and occasional photographer when the sister of one of her childhood friends Eva Meeks comes in looking for a book to help her with a treasure hunt she’s on. Eva owns the local hardware store and loves to tackle mysteries and treasure hunts. Her current one has her pointed towards the lighthouse on Smile Beach, which happens to be the very place Callie’s mother died two decades earlier.
When Callie discovers the next day that Eva died at the very same lighthouse the night before, she rushes to the scene. It feels like history is repeating itself. The police claim it is suicide, but Callie doesn’t think that Eva jumped any more than she thinks her mother did.
Callie knows she can help clear up what happened to Eva if the police won’t. She enlists the help of some friends and begins the very treasure hunt that took Eva’s life. But when another body ends up at the lighthouse, Callie wonders if she should have never come back to Cattail Island. Now she either needs to find out what happened or risk becoming the next victim…
My Thoughts
The setting on Cattail Island is perfect for a new cozy mystery series. In the opening chapter Callie is headed across town and I felt I could smell the beach-y town as she was crossing it—the salty sea air, the smell of fried food from the beachside cafés, and the floral fragrance from the gardens.
Callie has some sadness in her past. While most cozy series would focus on the devastation of losing her job and being forced to move home, Smile Beach Murder focuses much more on why she has been avoiding coming home. Throughout the book we get small flashbacks as she remembers her mother and continues to process her grief. I loved how she became interested in Mary Higgins Clark after her mother passed because it was her favorite author.
At one point Antoinette (who largely seems kooky and not plugged into what is going on) sees her eyeing one of her mother’s favorite books and gifts it to her. Another time she recommends MHC to Summer, who is going through the process of losing her own mother at around the same age Callie was when she lost hers. These poignant moments add more depth to the series than we usually see in cozy mysteries and made me feel more connected to the characters.
Callie is a strong lead for a series. She is smart and compassionate for others. She wants to understand what happened but not in an annoying way. She doesn’t bumble around the way many cozy leads do, probably due to her experience as a reporter. A lot of her mystery-solving comes through interviewing people and observation, which also pull from her journalism repertoire.
Overall a great start to a new cozy mystery series. With a charming setting, an adorable cat, a job at a kitschy shop that allows her to travel around town interacting with people, and a strong lead, this has everything cozy mystery lovers are looking for!
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.
This book has fully hooked me onto cozy mysteries!
Overall, despite being a bit darker in nature, this has the right level of twists and location based mystery.
I received an ecopy of this book through Netgalley; however, my opinions are my own
I received an ecopy of this book through Netgalley; however, my opinions are my own
meh. this book was not good. The writing was tweeny & the plot was dopey. I'm bummed because I was pretty excited to pick this up.
But also, what is with the main character just casually breaking & entering into houses and cars? I hated it.
But also, what is with the main character just casually breaking & entering into houses and cars? I hated it.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Great first entry for this new series. Can't wait to read more!