About the Book
Synopsis from Goodreads:
A charming bookshop café. A ruthless developer. Murder in the garden.
Jessica Bloom’s dream bookshop café has just opened in Mystic Valley—when her cat, Oliver, finds a body in the garden out back. Suddenly, the close-knit Mystic Junction Shops small business collective is in crisis.
Everyone’s a suspect. A rival developer. An angry son. A conniving nephew.
Even Jessica’s new neighbors have secrets to hide.
Prickly Detective Grayson takes the case, while Jessica and Oliver leap into action. Tech whiz Sam keeps on the digital pulse, while Mystic Valley’s homeless troubadour, Mango, offers his help.
A suspicious fire breaks out. Secrets unravel. Shadowy figures prowl the grounds.
Jessica and team race to solve the case before the whole collective goes up in smoke.
My Review
Everything is going well for Jessica Bloom as she opens her new bookshop cafe. She’s part of the Mystic Valley collective of small businesses. Things take a crazy turn when her cat, Oliver, finds a dead body in their garden. The victim was not very well-liked so there are many potential suspects.
With the help of Oliver, and her fellow collective members, Jessica is determined to find out who did this crime. She won’t stop looking until this case is solved.
This is the first book in the series. Previously, I read the prequel, which I enjoyed very much. This book did not disappoint. The mystery grabs you right from the start. There are so many twists and turns that it’s not easy to figure out whodunit.
I really liked the way the author wrote the setting. It’s a group of shop owners in a small town. There is a cozy family feeling.
The characters are quirky and, of course, my favorite is Oliver the kitty. He has a tendency to be just as nosy as his human. Together, Jessica and Oliver make quite the team.
I’m looking forward to reading more in this series.
For reading challenges:
Cruisin’ thru the Cozies Reading Challenge 2026
What An Animal Reading Challenge 2026
Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge 2026
Disclosure: I borrowed this one from the Kindle Unlimited library. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
This sounds like a fun read! I love discovering a new to me cozy series.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you found this to be up to the prequel, it sounds like the author will have an excellent series as long as s/he wants to keep it going.
ReplyDeleteA cozy cover is nothing without a cat
ReplyDelete