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emparr02's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
meezcarrie's review against another edition
4.0
Two elements initially drew me to Deadly Summer Nights – that gorgeous cover & the fact that Vicki Delany wrote it. I’m delighted (and not surprised) to report that the story inside is just as good as it looks like it would be. The author easily transports readers to a Catskills resort in the 1950s as she vividly sets the scene and the era through her descriptions and characters. The stirrings of the Red Scare (which hit close to home for Elizabeth and her eclectic band of family, friends & coworkers) further add to the atmospheric mood of the well-plotted mystery. Elizabeth’s no-nonsense approach to life, the byplay of reality vs assumptions (cleverly seen in several different areas of the book), and even a hint of romance potential kept me invested in Deadly Summer Nights from beginning to end.
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.)
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.)
karen_the_baroness's review against another edition
5.0
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Deadly Summer Nights by Vicki Delany is about a mom and daughter duo trying to run a summer resort at the Catskills.
Elizabeth Grady is our main character, along with the point of view character, and she is a great character. She is the hotel manager and basically runs the place. At the same time, her mom Olivia Peters, a Russian ballerina that changed her name from Olga to Olivia, is the draw to their hotel for people to come to them instead of any of the other Catskills hotels in the area. Elizabeth is a widower who lost her husband to the war. As a character, I like Elizabeth a lot, and I feel bad for her about some things that her mom makes her do. Then again, it's what moms do best. Elizabeth seems to be an awesome person who has a good head on her shoulders and is trying to make this hotel venture work for both of them.
The Mystery/Victim
Elizabeth, Randy, and Velvet find the murder victim named Harold Westenham. He is a recluse guest who only went out when the cabin he was renting needed to be cleaned. Elizabeth has been tasked by herself and her mom to figure out who would have killed him since the chief is stating that not only is Harold, but Elizabeth and her mom are communists. To save their livelihood, Elizabeth is trying to figure out who could have killed him and why. She finds out a lot, and I have to say that I fell for a red herring until something happened that made me switch to another suspect that turned out to be the culprit. There are many red herrings, and I do love the way that Ms. Delany wove them in to make it seem like they had a better motive.
I am giving Deadly Summer Nights by Vicki Delany five stars and recommending it to everyone that likes to read historical cozy mysteries. I don't normally read books set near D-Day, and I'm glad that I gave this one a chance. The timing is set far enough away that it allowed me to enjoy reading it without worrying about the war. I love this historical book, and I can't wait to read the next one. Ms. Delany has done a fantastic job, and I love everything. Sure, I had to look up some stuff, but I'm not sure what to think about an Egg Cream drink.
Prize: (1) Print Copy - Deadly Summer Nights (A Catskill Summer Resort Mystery) by Vicki Delany - U.S. / CANADA ONLY
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Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Deadly Summer Nights by Vicki Delany. Check out the other stops and giveaway if you have time.
Until the next time,
Happy Reading!
Victim/Toe Tag: Harold Westenham (D)
Beachcomber Weapons: rock
Beachcomber Crime Scene: lake
Detectives: Elizabeth Grady (E)
This review was originally posted on Baroness' Book Trove
Will Elizabeth figure out who killed Harold Westenham?
Elizabeth Grady
Elizabeth Grady is our main character, along with the point of view character, and she is a great character. She is the hotel manager and basically runs the place. At the same time, her mom Olivia Peters, a Russian ballerina that changed her name from Olga to Olivia, is the draw to their hotel for people to come to them instead of any of the other Catskills hotels in the area. Elizabeth is a widower who lost her husband to the war. As a character, I like Elizabeth a lot, and I feel bad for her about some things that her mom makes her do. Then again, it's what moms do best. Elizabeth seems to be an awesome person who has a good head on her shoulders and is trying to make this hotel venture work for both of them.
The Mystery/Victim
Elizabeth, Randy, and Velvet find the murder victim named Harold Westenham. He is a recluse guest who only went out when the cabin he was renting needed to be cleaned. Elizabeth has been tasked by herself and her mom to figure out who would have killed him since the chief is stating that not only is Harold, but Elizabeth and her mom are communists. To save their livelihood, Elizabeth is trying to figure out who could have killed him and why. She finds out a lot, and I have to say that I fell for a red herring until something happened that made me switch to another suspect that turned out to be the culprit. There are many red herrings, and I do love the way that Ms. Delany wove them in to make it seem like they had a better motive.
Five Stars
I am giving Deadly Summer Nights by Vicki Delany five stars and recommending it to everyone that likes to read historical cozy mysteries. I don't normally read books set near D-Day, and I'm glad that I gave this one a chance. The timing is set far enough away that it allowed me to enjoy reading it without worrying about the war. I love this historical book, and I can't wait to read the next one. Ms. Delany has done a fantastic job, and I love everything. Sure, I had to look up some stuff, but I'm not sure what to think about an Egg Cream drink.
Giveaway
Prize: (1) Print Copy - Deadly Summer Nights (A Catskill Summer Resort Mystery) by Vicki Delany - U.S. / CANADA ONLY
Tour Organized by:
To find all the tour information, click the banner at the top of the page.
Have you signed up to be a Tour Host? Click Here to Find Details and Sign Up Today!
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Deadly Summer Nights by Vicki Delany. Check out the other stops and giveaway if you have time.
Until the next time,
Happy Reading!
Victim/Toe Tag: Harold Westenham (D)
Beachcomber Weapons: rock
Beachcomber Crime Scene: lake
Detectives: Elizabeth Grady (E)
This review was originally posted on Baroness' Book Trove
clumsycrane's review against another edition
3.0
This book dragged on. I liked the characters, but it was boring.
cj_mo_2222's review against another edition
4.0
Great start to a new series set in the Catskills in the 1950s. For fans of the movie "Dirty Dancing."
czarina_misha's review against another edition
lighthearted
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
2.0
sarahthereader's review against another edition
4.0
“A summer of fun at a Catskills resort comes to an abrupt end when a guest is found murdered, in this new 1950s set mystery series.”
Deadly Summer Nights (Book 1 in the Catskill Summer Resort Mystery series) by Vicki Delany was a lot of fun – it’s a historical cozy mystery that transported me both in time and place. If you enjoyed Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland and want to see what these resorts were like in their prime, I’d suggest this one. The mystery was strong and all the characters added to the summer-mystery vibe. I have book two checked out on the @libby.app
Deadly Summer Nights (Book 1 in the Catskill Summer Resort Mystery series) by Vicki Delany was a lot of fun – it’s a historical cozy mystery that transported me both in time and place. If you enjoyed Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland and want to see what these resorts were like in their prime, I’d suggest this one. The mystery was strong and all the characters added to the summer-mystery vibe. I have book two checked out on the @libby.app
melmo2610's review against another edition
4.0
I have been waiting to read this one for months! Set in the Castskills with a Dirty Dancing vibe and 1950's era story made this one I just had to read. I liked the story, it moved a little slow in places, but the mystery was good. I really like Elizabeth and the other characters that round out the story. I'll be interested to read book two and see where the series goes from here. Not my favorite read ever but a solid start to a promising new series.
slferg's review against another edition
4.0
Elizabeth Grady is managing Haggerman's Catskills Resort for her mother, an actress/dancer who inherited the resort from an admirer. The resort, was admittedly, rather rundown, but they needed it since her mother's last husband had emptied her bank accounts and run off with all her money. So, Elizabeth is trying to make the resort a popular, paying concern. She has recruited her best friend and her aunt, Tatiana, to help her make a go of it, along with some other friends. Elizabeth has had some trouble with a few of the other resort owners who didn't figure a "girl" should be able to manage a resort. But she really runs into trouble when a quiet writer in one of the remote cabins is killed. She calls his contact, a nephew who works for a newspaper. Then the sheriff discovers a book and leaps to the conclusion that the writer was a communist who ran a ring of spies, etc. The writer is actually a fiction author and the book was research, as were the maps pinned to the wall in his cabin. But the sheriff calls the FBI to report it. He doesn't really seem concerned with finding the killer, more interested in undermining the resort and Elizabeth and throwing his weight around. But Elizabeth and her friends, relations and employees help her try to track down why he was killed and who did it. Including a hint from a comedian she had hired.
melodicfate's review against another edition
3.0
I love hotels or inns in my cozy mysteries. I don't, however, generally read books set in the 1950s. Still, I took a chance on this one for the hotel setting, and I wasn't disappointed. The setting and time period were well-drawn, and I found all the staff interesting. Elizabeth, the main character, was a bit judgmental of others, but her past and friendliness were good qualities. She doesn't stand out to me more than some cozy mystery heroines, but I liked her overall. There was an awesome dog, and I think the beginnings of a love triangle, which is a bit annoying. I like both of the men, though. As for the murder, I didn't guess the villain. I despised the police chief, which means the author's writing was great on both of those fronts. The whole Communism thing really set the story in the time period, too. Overall, this was a very unique story, and I'm glad I read it.