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The Bookstore at Holiday Bay #1
Once Upon a Mystery
I bought a bookstore.
My name is Lou Prescott. I was born in South Carolina but spent most of my life in Northern Minnesota. Since the death of my husband, I've found myself at loose ends, so when my niece offered to sell me the quaint seaside bookstore she owned in Holiday Bay, Maine, I jumped at the opportunity to restart my life somewhere new.
My journey to date has been a bit rocky but my rescue cat Toby and I are making it work. The first thing we did after settling in was add a coffee bar and pastry counter as well as a cat lounge with a rescue and adoption feature to the existing bookstore. This allows Bert and I to match his buddies from the street with their perfect human.
So far, my favorite part of my new endeavor is a reader group who refer to our club as Murder on Tuesdays. The murder mystery book club started off as a typical read and discuss type forum but quickly segued into an actual mystery club when a member of the group was found dead. When it became obvious that the murder wouldn't be easily solved, the bibliophiles who'd gathered decided to exchange their reading hats for their sleuthing hats and pitch in.
My name is Lou Prescott. I was born in South Carolina but spent most of my life in Northern Minnesota. Since the death of my husband, I've found myself at loose ends, so when my niece offered to sell me the quaint seaside bookstore she owned in Holiday Bay, Maine, I jumped at the opportunity to restart my life somewhere new.
My journey to date has been a bit rocky but my rescue cat Toby and I are making it work. The first thing we did after settling in was add a coffee bar and pastry counter as well as a cat lounge with a rescue and adoption feature to the existing bookstore. This allows Bert and I to match his buddies from the street with their perfect human.
So far, my favorite part of my new endeavor is a reader group who refer to our club as Murder on Tuesdays. The murder mystery book club started off as a typical read and discuss type forum but quickly segued into an actual mystery club when a member of the group was found dead. When it became obvious that the murder wouldn't be easily solved, the bibliophiles who'd gathered decided to exchange their reading hats for their sleuthing hats and pitch in.
182 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 12, 2023
658 people are currently reading
440 people want to read
About the author
Kathi Daley
326 books1,782 followersKathi lives with her husband, kids, grandkids, and dogs in beautiful Lake Tahoe. When she isn't writing, Kathi likes to read (preferably at the beach or by the fire), cook (preferably something with chocolate or cheese,) and garden (planting and planning not weeding). She also enjoys spending time on the water when she's not hiking, biking, or snowshoeing, the miles of desolate trails surrounding her home.
Kathi uses the mountain setting in which she lives, along with the animals (wild and domestic) that share her home, as inspiration for her cozy mysteries.
Join me on Facebook at Kathi Daley Books (www.facebook.com/kathidaleybooks) for updates on my books, photos of life in Lake Tahoe, recipes, contests, and giveaways. For weekly updates and contests sign up for The Daley Weekly Newsletter (http://eepurl.com/NRPDf).
Kathi uses the mountain setting in which she lives, along with the animals (wild and domestic) that share her home, as inspiration for her cozy mysteries.
Join me on Facebook at Kathi Daley Books (www.facebook.com/kathidaleybooks) for updates on my books, photos of life in Lake Tahoe, recipes, contests, and giveaways. For weekly updates and contests sign up for The Daley Weekly Newsletter (http://eepurl.com/NRPDf).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
June 29, 2023
This has a potential to be a good series. I like Lou and her partnership with Velma, the whole Firehouse bookstore, and her new fur baby. The problems that I sometimes find in Ms Daley's books are, one they are short on story and character building, two she must assume people read the supporting and previous books in series featuring Holiday Bay but it you don't, you will be lost and finally too many people, not enough context. This was a weird mystery, if interesting, but we really have no idea why Lou would get involved in asking questions as she has no connection to the victims. Just because she was in the group that had questions? A little more connection, a few less characters and a little time in the story would help here immensely.
September 3, 2023
Great story. Protagonist is an older lady who is widowed and has bought a bookstore. The series is a spin-off from two previous series by Author Daley which I haven’t read; however, this story can stand alone. Looking forward to reading the next story!
September 14, 2023
This book is good so far. It was easily read and it kept me intrigued. I love the characters so much and it was a mystery book. This is my first time reading Kathi Daley's book and what I wanted to say this one is a good start. It was published this year and I wanted to read the whole series but the next series is coming out next month. I wanted to read all of her books because it was something for me.
Once Upon a Mystery by Kathi Daley is a new series coming out and she also makes sales of her book which is a nice idea. She has a lot of series of books she makes so I guess my next read of her books is Boxes in the Basement which is a part of a series "The Inn At Holiday Bay" Series.
The Main Character here is Lou Prescott who bought a bookstore at Holiday Bay in Maine. She has a cat named Toby and I just loved her cat. They have also held a meeting on Tuesdays. The murder mystery book club started off as a typical read-and-discuss type forum but quickly continued into an actual mystery club when a member of the group was found dead. When it became obvious that the murder wouldn't be easily solved, the bibliophiles who'd gathered decided to exchange their reading hats for their sleuthing hats and pitch in.
Once Upon a Mystery by Kathi Daley is a new series coming out and she also makes sales of her book which is a nice idea. She has a lot of series of books she makes so I guess my next read of her books is Boxes in the Basement which is a part of a series "The Inn At Holiday Bay" Series.
The Main Character here is Lou Prescott who bought a bookstore at Holiday Bay in Maine. She has a cat named Toby and I just loved her cat. They have also held a meeting on Tuesdays. The murder mystery book club started off as a typical read-and-discuss type forum but quickly continued into an actual mystery club when a member of the group was found dead. When it became obvious that the murder wouldn't be easily solved, the bibliophiles who'd gathered decided to exchange their reading hats for their sleuthing hats and pitch in.
December 21, 2023
Are we supposed to ignore that a love interest is literally named Tucker Carlson? Because I could not.
July 4, 2023
not up to what I expected based on The Inn At Holiday Bay series.
I want to the books in the end at Holiday be series. The bistro series is OK but this one is a real disappointment. It seems as if it’s just written to give characters from the other books something to do. There was no real plot to the story and it just seemed that all is done is introduce new characters. Not very interesting ones at that. Also, there was no mystery. The moment the tea was mentioned in the book I knew it played a major part in the death, yet nothing was ever proven. Even the way, Velma character was written, seemed out of character based on her in the other box. This book was just a piece of fluff, no substance and an abrupt ending. I wouldn’t waste my time.
I want to the books in the end at Holiday be series. The bistro series is OK but this one is a real disappointment. It seems as if it’s just written to give characters from the other books something to do. There was no real plot to the story and it just seemed that all is done is introduce new characters. Not very interesting ones at that. Also, there was no mystery. The moment the tea was mentioned in the book I knew it played a major part in the death, yet nothing was ever proven. Even the way, Velma character was written, seemed out of character based on her in the other box. This book was just a piece of fluff, no substance and an abrupt ending. I wouldn’t waste my time.
July 6, 2023
Why
I’m just not certain that another spin off from The Inn at Holiday Bay is a good thing. How many amateur sleuths does a small town need? And another high school romance possibly picking up 40 years later? Other things that bothered me were the niece who worried about her widowed aunt and wanted her to move closer, then took a trip to Italy and never came back after meeting someone and just sold her bookstore to her aunt. It also seemed to me that all the memories and references to Lou’s late husband seemed superficial and flat. I had no impression of a great love. Odd hours and closing the bookstore now and then out of the blue, then an easy remodel is just too slick. Hiring an employee with a mysterious past; does almost every business in town do this?
I think I will stick to the original series
I’m just not certain that another spin off from The Inn at Holiday Bay is a good thing. How many amateur sleuths does a small town need? And another high school romance possibly picking up 40 years later? Other things that bothered me were the niece who worried about her widowed aunt and wanted her to move closer, then took a trip to Italy and never came back after meeting someone and just sold her bookstore to her aunt. It also seemed to me that all the memories and references to Lou’s late husband seemed superficial and flat. I had no impression of a great love. Odd hours and closing the bookstore now and then out of the blue, then an easy remodel is just too slick. Hiring an employee with a mysterious past; does almost every business in town do this?
I think I will stick to the original series
July 25, 2023
It’s pretty bad. The girl was part of a sentence at least 50 times but when it comes to males, it’s the man and not the boy. I am done with the series exploration of every possible side story. This one was just stupid and made little sense.
June 27, 2023
Sorry not for me, absolutely terrible narration. She read it in a monosyllabic manner , what a shame
April 2, 2024
Don't bother....
This book jumped all over the place. There was no flow to the story. The characters were likeable but the plot and the writing were not.
This book jumped all over the place. There was no flow to the story. The characters were likeable but the plot and the writing were not.
July 20, 2025
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- nothing cures my imposter syndrome like reading a terrible book by a bad author. That’s the only good thing I’ll say about this book. Kathi Daley is an awful writer. Her repetitive use of certain phrases was annoying and amateurish. For instance, a character mentioning another person then following it up with “Eden referred to Hazel who worked at…” “Velma referred to so and so who …” just constantly employing lazy and repetitive writing mechanisms that distracted and annoyed me. She refers to the contractor Lonnie then in the same paragraph he’s Lonny. It’s just bad writing! And excuse me, why the HELL is the love interest named TUCKER CARLSON?! I already felt like this book was making me stupider as I read it, but that fact alone made me seriously lose respect for the author. How did their editor/publisher allow such a famous and divisive name to be used for the love interest? It was obviously deliberate and the choice to do so was weird as hell. The lame attempts at imagery or flowery language was awkward and felt forced. Like occasionally referring to someone as pretty or sweet. And there were details included in this book that I just couldn’t figure out why they were part of the story. Why the hell did Velma and Lou need to go to Portland to look at granite. What is that adding to the story? Why do we care that the cat Toby briefly got outside. That’s another thing, I don’t believe this author has ever met a cat in her life- the way Toby is written about in this book. The only reason I didn’t give this book one star is because if I actually finish a book I figure it at least deserves a 2- but the only reason I did finish it at all was because it’s so short and it feels like 3rd grade reading material so it was very easy to get through. Albeit I was annoyed and rolling my eyes the entire time. The conclusion of this book was predictable, unsatisfying, and lame. I cringed through the entire last chapter.
July 8, 2023
I was really looking forward to this series since I am a fan of her other series, The Inn at Holiday Bay & Bistro at Holiday Bay. Bistro as well as this series is a spinoff of The Inn at Holiday Bay.
I was disappointed in the first book of this series. If you have read The Inn at Holiday Bay then you know that Lou came to Holiday Bay to help out her niece, Vanessa, who owned the local bookstore. Lou is a widow who has been at a loss since her husband passed away. She feels like she no longer has a purpose so when her niece Vanessa offers to sell her bookstore, Lou jumps at the chance. She leaves her life in Minnesota and moves to Maine.
This book had a lot of potential but somehow dropped the ball. There is a death and a mystery surrounding that death but there wasn't enough suspense surrounding it. The climax was a big letdown.
There also wasn't enough Character development. The story spent more time on Lou remodeling the bookstore, reflecting on her husband's passing and the changes in her life that I found myself being a bit bored with the story. There were too many characters, and I really couldn't connect with any of them. The mystery wasn't even much of a mystery and it was barely mentioned, except in the beginning and then again at the end. I like a mystery with twists and turns and this one just didn't have that.
This is not a series that I am looking forward to seeing where the characters go next. I will probably give book number two a chance, but if it isn't any better than this one, then I won't finish this series.
I feel like there have been enough books in Holiday Bay and maybe she should move on.
I was disappointed in the first book of this series. If you have read The Inn at Holiday Bay then you know that Lou came to Holiday Bay to help out her niece, Vanessa, who owned the local bookstore. Lou is a widow who has been at a loss since her husband passed away. She feels like she no longer has a purpose so when her niece Vanessa offers to sell her bookstore, Lou jumps at the chance. She leaves her life in Minnesota and moves to Maine.
This book had a lot of potential but somehow dropped the ball. There is a death and a mystery surrounding that death but there wasn't enough suspense surrounding it. The climax was a big letdown.
There also wasn't enough Character development. The story spent more time on Lou remodeling the bookstore, reflecting on her husband's passing and the changes in her life that I found myself being a bit bored with the story. There were too many characters, and I really couldn't connect with any of them. The mystery wasn't even much of a mystery and it was barely mentioned, except in the beginning and then again at the end. I like a mystery with twists and turns and this one just didn't have that.
This is not a series that I am looking forward to seeing where the characters go next. I will probably give book number two a chance, but if it isn't any better than this one, then I won't finish this series.
I feel like there have been enough books in Holiday Bay and maybe she should move on.
July 6, 2023
Lou Prescott moved to Holiday Bay from Minnesota after her husband passed away. Lou originally came to run her niece's bookstore while she went on vacation then decided to make the move permanent when her niece decided to sell the bookstore. Lou and Velma became partners and are remodeling to open a bookstore/coffee bar with a cat lounge featuring adoptable cats from the rescue. When one of the women from their book club is found dead, Lou and Velma along with some friends look into things to try to find a killer.
I love Kathi Daley's books so I was thrilled to start a new series. First in her Bookstore at Holiday Bay series (a spinoff of Inn at Holiday Bay), Once Upon a Mystery is an excellent book. It's well-written with wonderful characters and a well-thought-out plot. I loved that our two main characters are women in their 60's who overcame a tragic loss and are starting over. I was drawn into this captivating story and kept hooked from beginning to end. The mystery is intriguing and will keep you on your toes. Kathi is a superb storyteller and this book is a can't miss that you won't want to put down. I'm really looking forward to the next book and highly recommend this one. As mentioned, this is a spinoff of Inn at Holiday Bay so you might want to read that series first although it's not a hundred percent necessary. It just gives you a better idea of who some of the people are.
I love Kathi Daley's books so I was thrilled to start a new series. First in her Bookstore at Holiday Bay series (a spinoff of Inn at Holiday Bay), Once Upon a Mystery is an excellent book. It's well-written with wonderful characters and a well-thought-out plot. I loved that our two main characters are women in their 60's who overcame a tragic loss and are starting over. I was drawn into this captivating story and kept hooked from beginning to end. The mystery is intriguing and will keep you on your toes. Kathi is a superb storyteller and this book is a can't miss that you won't want to put down. I'm really looking forward to the next book and highly recommend this one. As mentioned, this is a spinoff of Inn at Holiday Bay so you might want to read that series first although it's not a hundred percent necessary. It just gives you a better idea of who some of the people are.
June 30, 2023
This is a new series but takes place in Holiday Bay, the town of some of the author's other books. I enjoyed this book, especially catching up with many of the characters from other books. Kathi's books are always entertaining and the mysteries are well done.
Amazon synopsis:
My name is Lou Prescott. I was born in South Carolina but spent most of my life in Northern Minnesota. Since the death of my husband, I've found myself at loose ends, so when my niece offered to sell me the quaint seaside bookstore she owned in Holiday Bay, Maine, I jumped at the opportunity to restart my life somewhere new.
My journey to date has been a bit rocky but my rescue cat Toby and I are making it work. The first thing we did after settling in was make a few additions to the bookstore including a coffee bar and pastry counter, as well as a cat lounge with a rescue and adoption feature. This allows Toby and I to match his buddies from the street with their perfect human.
So far, my favorite part of my new endeavor is a reader group who meets on Tuesday nights.The murder mystery book club started off as a typical read and discuss type forum but quickly segued into an actual mystery club when a member of our group was found dead. When it became obvious that the death of our friend and neighbor wouldn't be easily solved, the bibliophiles who'd gathered decided to exchange their reading hats for their sleuthing hats and pitch in.
Amazon synopsis:
My name is Lou Prescott. I was born in South Carolina but spent most of my life in Northern Minnesota. Since the death of my husband, I've found myself at loose ends, so when my niece offered to sell me the quaint seaside bookstore she owned in Holiday Bay, Maine, I jumped at the opportunity to restart my life somewhere new.
My journey to date has been a bit rocky but my rescue cat Toby and I are making it work. The first thing we did after settling in was make a few additions to the bookstore including a coffee bar and pastry counter, as well as a cat lounge with a rescue and adoption feature. This allows Toby and I to match his buddies from the street with their perfect human.
So far, my favorite part of my new endeavor is a reader group who meets on Tuesday nights.The murder mystery book club started off as a typical read and discuss type forum but quickly segued into an actual mystery club when a member of our group was found dead. When it became obvious that the death of our friend and neighbor wouldn't be easily solved, the bibliophiles who'd gathered decided to exchange their reading hats for their sleuthing hats and pitch in.
June 30, 2023
I kinda jumped right into this new series in the Holiday Bay world even though I've not read any of the other series (but have massive intentions to, no worries!). I didn't feel lost or anything and any of the characters who're crossovers were nicely explained without going into overkill on details. If anything, this book's making me wanna start the Inn at Holiday Bay series soon! :)
I liked how Lou and Velma worked so well together and welcomed new employee Eden as well. What's so cool is the variety of ages in the employees and the book club held at Lou's shop. Lou and Velma weren't content to leave an accidental death just hang and got to wondering if the death of the woman's husband was also intentional. I really liked Alex's character--she's a really nice officer who didn't immediately discount any of their theories and was actually grateful when the figured out the truth. I'll be grabbing the next book in KU as soon as it's out--from the listing, it looks to be a fun Halloween story!
I liked how Lou and Velma worked so well together and welcomed new employee Eden as well. What's so cool is the variety of ages in the employees and the book club held at Lou's shop. Lou and Velma weren't content to leave an accidental death just hang and got to wondering if the death of the woman's husband was also intentional. I really liked Alex's character--she's a really nice officer who didn't immediately discount any of their theories and was actually grateful when the figured out the truth. I'll be grabbing the next book in KU as soon as it's out--from the listing, it looks to be a fun Halloween story!
July 1, 2023
I have read most, if not all of the books by this author. First of all.. I would implore her t please use the word said. It isn't a literary failure, and indicted is not a good alternative. I find the total lack of this work jarring, and it does take a little away from the books for me,.
This is a nice relaxing read like all of the books by this author. I look forward to seeing more of Velma and some others and Daley has a nice way of bringing in mentions of the other series and their characters. This book seems to try to introduce all of the characters that we can expect to appear and that made it a bit short on story and long in introductions. I'm sure that will even out in the end, but I do wish book two had come out at the same time so we could fix them in place in the series.
Lou sure has jumped in with both feet, no complaints, but it did seem odd. I will read on...but I don't think any series will ever be as good ( for me ) as the Inn. I love those books characters and fur rolk.
This is a nice relaxing read like all of the books by this author. I look forward to seeing more of Velma and some others and Daley has a nice way of bringing in mentions of the other series and their characters. This book seems to try to introduce all of the characters that we can expect to appear and that made it a bit short on story and long in introductions. I'm sure that will even out in the end, but I do wish book two had come out at the same time so we could fix them in place in the series.
Lou sure has jumped in with both feet, no complaints, but it did seem odd. I will read on...but I don't think any series will ever be as good ( for me ) as the Inn. I love those books characters and fur rolk.
September 26, 2023
Nice start to a series, though I question a if non reader would really be interested in buying a bookstore. Well, she says she reads, but isn't a bibliophile, but it just struck me as odd how many times she mentions she isn't really a reader.
Discovered later this is a 2nd spin off of another cozy series. I was drawn to it because of the premise (bookstore owner helping solve a mystery).
Honestly, as I was reading I thought this was the author's first attempt at a cozy, and thought it was quite well done in that case. There was some repetitiveness in building the background of Lou (well, that she previously lived in Minnesota and is a widow) since that was repeated a few times, I assumed it was the first cozy by the author.
I might try the original series, or give a chance on the 2nd book in this series, to see if the mystery is a better one. Curious as to how all 3 series set in the same town/village deal with so many murders or mysteries. That has always been the stumbling block of many cozy series: how often the person comes across a mystery.
Discovered later this is a 2nd spin off of another cozy series. I was drawn to it because of the premise (bookstore owner helping solve a mystery).
Honestly, as I was reading I thought this was the author's first attempt at a cozy, and thought it was quite well done in that case. There was some repetitiveness in building the background of Lou (well, that she previously lived in Minnesota and is a widow) since that was repeated a few times, I assumed it was the first cozy by the author.
I might try the original series, or give a chance on the 2nd book in this series, to see if the mystery is a better one. Curious as to how all 3 series set in the same town/village deal with so many murders or mysteries. That has always been the stumbling block of many cozy series: how often the person comes across a mystery.
October 24, 2023
Excellent book !!!!!
I love the start of this series!!!!
Lou Prescott is a great new addition to the town!!!!!!
When bought the bookstore from Vanessa, her niece she had been going through grief of losing her husband Gus.
It was a blessing to have a change of scenery and a new start.
Lou had found slot of new friends and a special edition, Toby her kitten.
Velma is now co-owner of the "Firehouse Books".
They are gathering for their Tuesday night book club and one of their members is not showing up. What could have happened to her? The next day they found out! Who? Why?
Now Lou and Velma have to find out the answers and Colt is out if town and the new police officer Alex Weston is there to do her job.
Now I really want you to get this book to find the answers!!!!
I love the way the three series connect " The Inn at Holiday Bay, and the Bistro at Holiday Bay"
I feel like I am living in the town with all this wonderful people!!!!
You won't be disappointed!!!!
I love the start of this series!!!!
Lou Prescott is a great new addition to the town!!!!!!
When bought the bookstore from Vanessa, her niece she had been going through grief of losing her husband Gus.
It was a blessing to have a change of scenery and a new start.
Lou had found slot of new friends and a special edition, Toby her kitten.
Velma is now co-owner of the "Firehouse Books".
They are gathering for their Tuesday night book club and one of their members is not showing up. What could have happened to her? The next day they found out! Who? Why?
Now Lou and Velma have to find out the answers and Colt is out if town and the new police officer Alex Weston is there to do her job.
Now I really want you to get this book to find the answers!!!!
I love the way the three series connect " The Inn at Holiday Bay, and the Bistro at Holiday Bay"
I feel like I am living in the town with all this wonderful people!!!!
You won't be disappointed!!!!
July 11, 2023
As has become a habit in her books, the author wraps the mystery up in less than a paragraph without actually explaining most of it. How did the wife find the note in her husband’s pocket? When? Was all the tea always tainted or just the latest batches? How did no one else in the entire country know about the tainted tea? Was there even an actual affair? No mention of talking to the married man to confirm, deny and even the gossip hounds never speculated (which frankly is the most unbelievable part of the book - this town dishes all the dirt. Constantly). And seriously another long lost love? Same story playing out again from the Royce plot line. Only with Tucker Carlson as the long lost love. How did that get past legal?
I gave up on the Bistro books, holding out little hope for the Inn books. I’ll give bookstore one more shot but if it conforms to current writing habits……
I gave up on the Bistro books, holding out little hope for the Inn books. I’ll give bookstore one more shot but if it conforms to current writing habits……
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2024
This book was most definitely not for me. I do think this is something my mom would really enjoy though and I’ll be recommending it to her. I will not continue this series.
Lou is starting over in Maine after her husband of many years passes away. She is taking over her niece’s bookstore with a new friend in town. Her highlight is the Tuesday night book club/gossip session with other ladies in town. One regular member does not show up, only for the ladies to discover she passed away. Many of them decide together they are going to find out what happened to her.
There was so much unneeded conversation in this book. While it was less than 150 pages, at least half of it was so boring I couldn’t focus. But I really don’t think this book is geared towards me, my age, or my typical interest.
Lou is starting over in Maine after her husband of many years passes away. She is taking over her niece’s bookstore with a new friend in town. Her highlight is the Tuesday night book club/gossip session with other ladies in town. One regular member does not show up, only for the ladies to discover she passed away. Many of them decide together they are going to find out what happened to her.
There was so much unneeded conversation in this book. While it was less than 150 pages, at least half of it was so boring I couldn’t focus. But I really don’t think this book is geared towards me, my age, or my typical interest.
July 9, 2023
I like the Inn at Holiday Bay series a lot, and certainly liked seeing some of the familiar characters here. I also understand needing to set the stage and setting for a new series. However, I think Daley spends so much time on the setting that the mystery feels like an afterthought and mostly gets tucked in between the narrative here and there. I also found it incredulous that these wannabe sleuths were given such leeway and credence by Alex from the police, or the fact that she would so easily share details about an ongoing investigation. Maybe the next book in the series will be better, but for me this book fell flat, even though I gave it three stars, mainly because it was well edited.
June 30, 2023
I really enjoyed this first book in Ms. Daley's spin-off from her Holiday Bay cozy mystery series. Lou is a woman I can relate to being of an older generation. It was great to see Velma taking a more primary role in this new series. The other characters are developing nicely in this first book, and I look forward to getting to know them better as this series progresses. They mystery had a few twists, especially since it couldn't be determined if the death was a suicide or murder. An entertaining afternoon read.
July 10, 2023
Adding to The Holiday Bay Collection
The Inn…..the Bistro and now The Bookstore. Each series starts with a refugee from another place and another life ending up in Holiday Bay…..and staying. The Bookstore adds a new depth. It combines our favorite people and storylines from earlier books with new arrivals. I come from a small town on the East Coast; on The Water….. with a makeup similar to Holiday Bay…..partly families that have been there generations….. new arrivals and finally tourists. Kathi is creating a real town…… I can’t wait to see where she takes us next
The Inn…..the Bistro and now The Bookstore. Each series starts with a refugee from another place and another life ending up in Holiday Bay…..and staying. The Bookstore adds a new depth. It combines our favorite people and storylines from earlier books with new arrivals. I come from a small town on the East Coast; on The Water….. with a makeup similar to Holiday Bay…..partly families that have been there generations….. new arrivals and finally tourists. Kathi is creating a real town…… I can’t wait to see where she takes us next
June 28, 2023
Amazing book
This is a great new series. ( well a spin-off series) I can relate to these older women as I too am a widow of 18 months. I'm glad the author didn't try to make them act like silly nellies like some do when they feature an older person. Its great that the series takes place in a familiar setting of Holiday Bay and alot of the cast is from other books in this place.. Worth every minute.
This is a great new series. ( well a spin-off series) I can relate to these older women as I too am a widow of 18 months. I'm glad the author didn't try to make them act like silly nellies like some do when they feature an older person. Its great that the series takes place in a familiar setting of Holiday Bay and alot of the cast is from other books in this place.. Worth every minute.
June 29, 2023
Ok read
While I read her other 2 series I can't keep reading the same stupid stuff the other female writers do when a woman is widowed. Why do they think we want to keep reading that they are going to be alone and refusing male friendship because they feel they are betraying their dead husband. It's annoying and stupid. If Lou keeps up this behaviour, I just can't keep reading it.
While I read her other 2 series I can't keep reading the same stupid stuff the other female writers do when a woman is widowed. Why do they think we want to keep reading that they are going to be alone and refusing male friendship because they feel they are betraying their dead husband. It's annoying and stupid. If Lou keeps up this behaviour, I just can't keep reading it.
August 21, 2023
Awesome
I love that Kathi intertwined folks from the other series set in Holiday Bay. It's like meeting new friends with the old friends. This was interesting because what initially was thought to be a suicide ended up being a murder. The ideas that the ladies have for the book store are great and I love that Velma is getting a lead part in this series. Love the ladies and can't wait to see what is next.
I love that Kathi intertwined folks from the other series set in Holiday Bay. It's like meeting new friends with the old friends. This was interesting because what initially was thought to be a suicide ended up being a murder. The ideas that the ladies have for the book store are great and I love that Velma is getting a lead part in this series. Love the ladies and can't wait to see what is next.
September 3, 2023
I love this series. I think this is a spin off of the original series which I loved. This is a story which starts with Lou who recently moved to Holiday Bay and bought Vanessa's bookstore. She teamed up with Velma , longed time resident and diner owner who lost her diner . She married Royce and left for a couple months and came back . She is working at the bookstore. There are several things going on
in this story. So if you love a great cozy, This a VERY GOOD READ.
in this story. So if you love a great cozy, This a VERY GOOD READ.
October 15, 2023
Two Deaths; Murder, Suicide or Accident
Kathi Daley writes a great mystery and none are even close to being similar. I never see it coming. I love the characters, some were familiar friends from other series that I read and a couple were new comers. Lou and her friends worked together with Alex to solve this mystery with Lily inadvertently helping. I always want more details, but when it's over, it's over.
Kathi Daley writes a great mystery and none are even close to being similar. I never see it coming. I love the characters, some were familiar friends from other series that I read and a couple were new comers. Lou and her friends worked together with Alex to solve this mystery with Lily inadvertently helping. I always want more details, but when it's over, it's over.
May 5, 2024
Moving to New town and state
Lou has purchased the Firehouse Book Store from her niece and has partnered with Velma whose diner burt down to put in a coffee shop in part of shop. One of the long time residents husband died then it looks like she committed suicide. Lou along with others feel Gwen wouldn't commit suicide and decide to try to find out the truth. Good story and characters.
Lou has purchased the Firehouse Book Store from her niece and has partnered with Velma whose diner burt down to put in a coffee shop in part of shop. One of the long time residents husband died then it looks like she committed suicide. Lou along with others feel Gwen wouldn't commit suicide and decide to try to find out the truth. Good story and characters.
June 28, 2023
A heartwarming story.
I love this story about Lou and Velma, as well as the gand from the other Holiday Bay books. The story has humor, friendships, and a unlikely mystery. If you like books by Kathi Daley you will love this new series. If you haven't read any of her books, come on in and enjoy a master storyteller's world.
I love this story about Lou and Velma, as well as the gand from the other Holiday Bay books. The story has humor, friendships, and a unlikely mystery. If you like books by Kathi Daley you will love this new series. If you haven't read any of her books, come on in and enjoy a master storyteller's world.
July 3, 2023
New friends and old acquaintances
I always enjoy a story set in a bookstore. If you add cats to the mixture in any way shape or form i am even happier. This story introduces new friends while revisiting old friends and has a mystery also. I can’t wait for the latest installment in this series.
I always enjoy a story set in a bookstore. If you add cats to the mixture in any way shape or form i am even happier. This story introduces new friends while revisiting old friends and has a mystery also. I can’t wait for the latest installment in this series.
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