Carrie Schmidt's Reviews > Boarding with Murder

This is my first book by Kathryn Long, but I hope it’s not my last! I enjoyed meeting Ali, Gladys, Ollie, and swoonilicious Quint – and I look forward to spending more time with them as the series progresses.

Poor Alexis (Ali) – she’s just lost her job and heads from New York to California to spend some much-needed time with her aunt Julia. Only to discover upon arrival that Julia has passed away – and her best friends (and caretakers of her B&B) think she was murdered. When there really is a murder on the premises a couple days later, those caretakers – quirky and endearing sibling pair Gladys and Ollie – are the prime suspects, though sheriff Quint tries his best to put off the inevitable as long as possible. The plot is full of potential suspects, and while I had my suspicions as to the correct culprit, my certainty wavered more than once as everything unfolded. The author did a great job with twists, turns, and red herrings, and it solidly held my attention from beginning to end.

The romance factor in Boarding With Murder is a bit more of a focus than it usually is in a cozy mystery but you won’t hear me complaining! Did I mention how yummy Quint is – and his kisses? He moved pretty fast but that’s understandable considering how many sparks flew whenever he and Ali were in the same room. I loved everything about this smoldering sheriff with his amused grins and romantic side.

Bottom Line: Boarding With Murder by Kathryn Long is a delightful start to a new cozy mystery series with quirky characters, old Hollywood charm, a lovely setting & a dash of romance. I enjoyed Ali’s first person narrative – and getting to know her character better through it. I also have a feeling that readers will fall for the Bellwether siblings, Gladys & Ollie, as much as I did. Their interactions with each other and various other characters added plenty of smiles to the story, as did swoony sheriff Quint (and the romantical possibilities for his character & Ali’s). The mystery, though loaded down with possible suspects, gets sharper as it unfolds and this complexity kept me guessing throughout. Loved the classic Hollywood nods too!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

first seen at Reading Is My SuperPower