You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.47 AVERAGE
3.47 AVERAGE
Smile Beach Murder is the first of the Outer Banks Bookshop Mystery series. It is a fun cozy mystery featuring an ex-reporter, Callie Padget, who has moved back home to Cattail Island in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Callie finds a job at the local book store, and also finds a mystery to solve when one of the locals falls off the top of the lighthouse, just like her mother did 26 years ago.
Her mother's death was ruled an accident, and this recent death is ruled a suicide. But Callie isn't convinced - the dead woman, Eva, had just called Callie that afternoon and was excited about a treasure hunt clue she had found. Eva was obsessed with treasure hunting, and while she had some health problems, Callie knows she was too caught up in her treasure hunt to throw herself off the top of the lighthouse on purpose.
There is, of course, a love interest as well, a dingbatter (someone from off island) named Toby. He runs a dojo and offers to train Callie in self defense. Their romance will be a slow burn throughout the series, as Toby has sworn off women for an entire year after a bad experience.
If you enjoy cozy mysteries (and especially if you are from NC or have visited the Outer Banks), you'll enjoy Smile Beach Murder.
Her mother's death was ruled an accident, and this recent death is ruled a suicide. But Callie isn't convinced - the dead woman, Eva, had just called Callie that afternoon and was excited about a treasure hunt clue she had found. Eva was obsessed with treasure hunting, and while she had some health problems, Callie knows she was too caught up in her treasure hunt to throw herself off the top of the lighthouse on purpose.
There is, of course, a love interest as well, a dingbatter (someone from off island) named Toby. He runs a dojo and offers to train Callie in self defense. Their romance will be a slow burn throughout the series, as Toby has sworn off women for an entire year after a bad experience.
If you enjoy cozy mysteries (and especially if you are from NC or have visited the Outer Banks), you'll enjoy Smile Beach Murder.
A really good cozy mystery. I love the island and the treasure hunt. The author did a really good job summarizing the details and bringing them back to mind when needed. I believe this is her first mystery and I will definitely continue to read others she writes.
You're going to roll your eyes at points but you'll also love it if you've been to small towns in the Outer Banks.
A good solid mystery featuring a bookshop and recently fired reporter has a treasure hunt at its core. Set in the Outer Banks of North Carolina where the author also lives, the description of this quaint tourist island just may inspire a vacation destination choice.
The locals are a well-balanced cast of characters rounded out by wild horses, manatees and sharks. A budding romance is always a nice inclusion. Author drops in a lot of author names with a special nod to Mary Higgins Clark. A few story bits could have been developed a bit more but overall this is a pleasing summer read.
The locals are a well-balanced cast of characters rounded out by wild horses, manatees and sharks. A budding romance is always a nice inclusion. Author drops in a lot of author names with a special nod to Mary Higgins Clark. A few story bits could have been developed a bit more but overall this is a pleasing summer read.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
as far as murder mysteries go, not bad! i liked the main character and her working through what happened with her mother as well as the recent murders, but i didn’t find the end to be that compelling personally!
One of the best cozies I have read in a while!! While this still followed the normal plot, I like that we strayed from food/bakeries and Callie worked in a bookshop. I loved the treasure hunt aspect, especially after just completing an OBX bookstore scavenger hunt!
There was a decent red herring at the end, and I really do feel like you saw Callie grow throughout the novel. I really hope that this becomes the series to follow Callie and Toby and everyone else!
There was a decent red herring at the end, and I really do feel like you saw Callie grow throughout the novel. I really hope that this becomes the series to follow Callie and Toby and everyone else!
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.