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Cookie James thought she was going to make things right with the island’s hottest handyman when she approached Dylan Creed at his favorite fishing hole. But her attempt at a peace offering doesn’t go so well when it leads to the discovery of a dead body. Even worse, it requires a phone call to the reason Dylan is so aloof with Cookie--FBI agent Hunter O’Neil.

When Hunter arrives, he’s quick to enlist Cookie’s help as he takes the helm of another murder mystery on Secret Seal Isle. And soon enough, sparks fly, making it clear the case isn't the only thing Hunter's interested in. But when Cookie’s meddling mother and her concerned best friend interrupt Hunter's plans for an evening tryst, Cookie turns to the one thing she does best--solving the crime.

222 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 21, 2017

623 people are currently reading
470 people want to read

About the author

Lucy Quinn

37 books87 followers
Lucy Quinn is the brainchild of New York Times bestselling author Deanna Chase and USA Today bestselling author Violet Vaughn. Having met over a decade ago in a lampwork bead forum, the pair were first what they like to call “show wives” as they traveled the country together, selling their handmade glass beads. So when they both started writing fiction, it seemed only natural for the two friends to pair up with their hilarious, laugh-out-loud, cozy mysteries. At least they think so. Now they travel the country, meeting up in various cities to plan each new Lucy Quinn book while giggling madly at themselves and the ridiculous situations they force on their characters. They very much hope you enjoy them as much as they do.

Deanna Chase, is a native Californian, transplanted to the slower paced lifestyle of southeastern Louisiana. When she isn’t writing, she is often goofing off with her husband in New Orleans, playing with her two shih tzu dogs, or making glass beads.

Violet Vaughn lives in coastal New Hampshire where she spends most mornings in the woods with her dogs, summer at the ocean, and winters skiing in the mountains of Maine.

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5 stars
357 (38%)
4 stars
332 (35%)
3 stars
184 (19%)
2 stars
47 (5%)
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10 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
Profile Image for Montzalee Wittmann.
5,104 reviews2,318 followers
October 14, 2021
Any Way You Bury It
(Secret Seal Isle Mysteries #4)
by Lucy Quinn
Another fun adventure with Cookie and another murder mystery, two hot guys trying to woe her, her hippie 60+ year old mom and friends, and her bff staying at her B&B for a bit. Things get dangerous and exciting. Fun read!
Profile Image for Kristine .
1,784 reviews11 followers
August 21, 2017
I really enjoy this series. The story quickly pulled me in and kept me turning the pages. The characters are fun, interesting, likable, and realistic. The mystery kept me guessing until the end. I hope there will many more books in this series, I can't wait to see what happens next.

I received a copy of the s book from the author, my review has been voluntarily submitted.
490 reviews9 followers
February 19, 2019
Well, it started out good and I truly enjoyed it until Cookie (purportedly a trained ex-FBI agent) proves that she is an idiot.
Let's see: Brayson dies as a result of a massive dose of Valium being ingested by him in a cheesecake made by Clarissa; Clarissa is engaged to Matteo; Cookie finds an engagement ring at the crime scene; Clarissa is seen in a photo taken of the crime scene looking on the ground for something (perhaps an engagement ring?); Cookie goes to the restaurant to talk to Clarissa; Clarissa is busy but sends a cup of blueberry tea out to Cookie to drink while she waits until she is free to talk with her - PAUSE - anybody out there not sure that it would not be a good idea for Cookie to drink that tea - RESUME - so Cookie drinks the tea, and guess what, it is drugged - imagine that! All that good FBI training gone to waste.
The rest of the book, as far as I am concerned is kerfluffle! It is a shame, because I had begun to believe that this was a series I might really like. But I don't suffer stupid, so this will be my one and only trip through this series.
Profile Image for Donna.
1,626 reviews33 followers
May 26, 2020
This is a fun, quick and easy read. The characters were interesting. Nothing new and exciting here but overall a good read.
Profile Image for Laura.
2,557 reviews
August 25, 2017
This is a great book; this is the fourth book in the Secret Seal Isle Mystery series and is written by Lucy Quinn. Cookie James thought she was going to make things right with the island’s hottest handyman when she approached Dylan Creed at his favorite fishing hole. But her attempt at a peace offering doesn’t go so well when it leads to the discovery of a dead body. Even worse, it requires a phone call to the reason Dylan is so aloof with Cookie--FBI agent Hunter O’Neil. When Hunter arrives, he’s quick to enlist Cookie’s help as he takes the helm of another murder mystery on Secret Seal Isle. And soon enough, sparks fly, making it clear the case isn't the only thing Hunter's interested in. But when Cookie’s meddling mother and her concerned best friend interrupt Hunter's plans for an evening tryst, Cookie turns to the one thing she does best--solving the crime. This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. This book will keep you reading long into the night. If you are looking for a great book, then you need to read this book. I am looking forward to reading the next book by this great author. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.
103 reviews1 follower
February 23, 2019
Enjoyable read

Once again on the quiet Secret Seal Isle Cookie and friends manage to find another body. And again this means she really needs to choose between Dylan and Hunter, but it is trying to make up with Dylan that causes them to find the body in the first place, and of course this brings Hunter back hot foot. Add in a aging hippie mother and her best friend who has decided to give her career in law up for the moment, an Italian loan shark who is the epitome of a mobster in a film, a burgeoning romance between the resident medical examiner and a visiting medical examiner, a top restaurant famous for its cheesecake and you have the basis for a book which is part murder mystery, part romance and part other things. Very enjoyable read and ideal for curling up in front of the fire on a winter's night when there's nothing on the television to get in the way of a good book. Highly recommended.
Profile Image for Sherill.
1,292 reviews37 followers
September 1, 2017
MYSTERY & DANGER!

Danger, life-threatening moments, jealousy, romance, murder-mystery, and loads of humor make this a thrilling story.

Cookie finds herself in the midst of finding another killer on Secret Seal Isle. A tangled web is weaved when both Dylan the handyman and her ex-partner Hunter fight for her loving attention. She has strong feelings for both men but can't make up her mind because each one has endearing qualities.

Loved this story - This story is absolutely fabulous with its humor and breathtaking scene descriptions. I so enjoyed the mystery and interaction between the characters. If you treasure mysteries with humor and romance this is a fabulous book for your library. I found this to be a most entertaining read and loved it so much {I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy.} Without reservations, I recommend this book.
Profile Image for Heather.
697 reviews
August 14, 2017
I love this series. I will be the first to admit at first I was like meh ok... then I read more. By time this book is about halfway in I am in love. I love the antics of Rain and her "friends". I love the interaction and the chemistry between Cookie and Dylan and also Cookie and her former partner, Hunter. This time Dylan finds the body first. Come on, you knew there was going to be a body... Cookie is around. New characters are added, which I hope stick around as they add a little something to the mix. As is usual, things are not always as they seem and it was fun trying to figure this one out as the book went on.
While this can probably be a standalone, I recommend reading in order.


I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
Profile Image for Nikki Brooks.
3,477 reviews50 followers
August 15, 2017
Cookie James is baaaaaack. Hunter and Dylan are still great characters and Rain...well she is just...well Rain LOL. There is nothing better to cheer you up after a hard day than a well written and well plotted cosy and this is such a book!

Cookie, former FBI agent and now in hiding from the Mafia, can't seem to catch a break on Secret Isle. The only people who know about her former life are her mum, her partner, Hunter and her best friend Scarlet.

Hunter and Cookie have chemistry and I'm rooting for them. There is a mysterious handyman Dylan, who is. But Dylan is quietly exerting an influence on me and the handyman is a silent, solid presence in Cookie's new life.

Absolute dream and a great way to relax and unwind and try to solve the mystery before Cookie et al!
Profile Image for Jo Hurst.
664 reviews5 followers
June 5, 2019
This was quite good and a fun easy read. Cookie is an ex FBI agent who seemingly still finds trouble. As cosy mysteries go this is good. However she has 2 love interests Hunter her ex FBI partner and local boy Dylan. She can’t decide between then so ends up near enough leading them both on, my problem with this is this was book 4 so this storyline has gone on way too long and it feels far too much like another cosy mystery set I read where I have been put off by the heroine making the wrong choice of man. We don’t need two love interests. By definition you will probably alienate 50% of your readers when one is finally picked.
Rain, Cookies sex mad mother is hilarious and gives this book a real fun element.
Profile Image for Pam Louis.
1,722 reviews7 followers
August 27, 2017
Cookie james ex fbi agent is hiding at her bed and breakfast Inn is secret seal isle. the whole crazy team is back together for this story and yes there is another murder
While out trying to talk to Dylan he finds a body. With the town cop a drunk who is she going to call? Her ex partner?
If you love mystery this is your new favorite book. It's amazing, the characters are funny and totally awesome. The story pulled me in fast and held my attention
I adored this mystery with all its twist and turns.
Don't miss this one mystery fans.
Voluntarily reviewed a copy and I honestly loved it.



Profile Image for Linda Levine.
4,636 reviews25 followers
August 31, 2017
This is such a fun series. I highly recommend it. It has a great mix of mystery, humor and romance.

Cookie is trying so hard to make her new life work and break ties with the past but it isn't easy when dead bodies seem to keep showing up. Her romance with Dylan keeps hitting roadblocks and her feelings for another man interfere as well.

The characters are so well written and the banter between the characters keeps the story moving in a fun direction. I really find her family quite funny. The story moves at a quick pace and keeps you guessing,

I ma voluntarily reviewing a copy I received.
Profile Image for Anne G. Kasaba.
1,874 reviews8 followers
October 27, 2019
This is the fourth book in the series and while I am enjoying it some things are a bit redundant. There is however enough new to make reading the series fun.

Cookie still can’t make up her mind whether she wants a relationship with Hunter her ex-FBI partner or Dillon who lives on the island. Her mother co tunes to be funny but inappropriate, and Cookie continues to get in the middle of Murder investigations on the island. Scarlett her best buddy has taken a leave of absence from her law firm and moved to the Inn on the island. Having Scarlett there is great but I’d like to see her doing more with Cookie.

I received an arc of this book and voluntarily provided a review.
Profile Image for Joselyn  Moreno.
864 reviews34 followers
July 30, 2022
First Impressions

I listen to this one, after the first and even when the storyline it's pretty along already you don't feel that you're missing anything really, and that's nice, the author it's pretty good on painting the full picture on it so you can enjoy it even if you skipped a few books along the way.

Cookie comes in string as ever with all the weird things happening on this little island, sound like a fun place to like if you're into mysteries and killers for some reason.

Characters

We have the same fun characters as before with Scarlet coming along and Rain being as feisty as ever really, she is a cool one for me, she will make most of the book what it is really.

Hunter and Dylan still hot on Cookie's trail and our heroine having to try and decide which path she want to take and be on her guard with all intrigues happening.

Final Thoughts

As usual loving this cozy mysteries, they have fun romance, lots of weird situations and the compelling side of who did it this time.

A total must if you like mysteries but don't want something super heavy to read.
229 reviews1 follower
August 23, 2017
This is a fast paced fun read that at times had me rolling. The author lured me in from the get go with Cookie, Dylan throw in the other recurring characters, Raine's quirky persona and wild lifestyle of living on the edge, another visit from Hunter to help Cookie with a case that local law enforcement doesn't want to get involved in. Loved these fun and witty characters. Loved the twists the author spun and had me guessing until the end.

Although this is a standalone book, I recommend reading them in order.

I Highly recommend this book and looking forward to Cookies next adventure
Profile Image for Christine.
Author 2 books32 followers
August 26, 2017
Any Way You Bury it is Lucy Quinn's fourth entry in her Secret Seal Mystery Series.

Cookie James has a decision to make. She likes two great guys, and they like her. But the nearby hottie has avoided her all summer, and her possible long distance cutie hasn't been heard from either. Who will she pick?

So she takes matters in hand, and goes off to find hottie Dylan. But she doesn't expect him to be fishing, not to mention finding a dead body in the water.

Wonderful mystery and high humor combines with great characters, and makes this a fun fast paced read.
Profile Image for Stephanie.
196 reviews4 followers
December 31, 2017
Oh Hunter, poor Dylan. Cookie James once again finds herself in a pickle. Dead body...check. There is one thing Cookie knows and that is solving murders. Living in quaint Secret Seal Isle should be relaxing. Former FBI agent, Cookie somehow manages to be right where the action is...oh and dead bodies. The characters are quirky and fun, especially Rain, Cookie's mom. Any Way You Bury It falls in line nicely with the rest of the series. As always I am looking forward to more of Cookie James antics. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of Any Way You Bury It from the author.
7,709 reviews47 followers
January 29, 2019
Their lack of a relationship , after he mentioned he was serious interested in her. Cookie took matters into her own hands. Dylan had already been by, and now fishing. Confronted her with, till you are over Hunter, I won’t ask.
A broken fishing pole, his dad gave him, he dives into the water to get.
Now asking for help, the deputy needed to come, a body was down there.
Sheriff Swan calls her the Grim Reaper, something is always going on with her. Her love life, wasn’t the time to decide between Hunter and Dylan.
Author 2 books3 followers
February 22, 2019
The story was okay, but not convincing. The main character, Cookie James , so called savvy ex FBI agent flip flopped back and forth between love interest, never taking a stand for either suitor. She gullibly downs a cup of poisoned tea given to her by the very person she goes to question about the poisoning death of a local man.

The mother figure, Rain, and her best friend, Winter, are stereotypical hippies, while the lone shark is a parody of a mafia bad guy.

The author overuses superlatives and adverbs. Her sentences run on... and on. A bit too cutesy for my taste.
Profile Image for Marie.
Author 21 books3 followers
March 12, 2019
I gave this five stars mainly because I've seen so many horrible books recently that it looks great by comparison. It's a good example of its genre, a mix of mystery, crime, action, romance, and fun, similar to the Stephanie Plum novels.

It seemed odd to me that an experienced agent would drink tea offered to her by a suspect--like those movies where you're yelling at the screen: Don't go in the house! Don't drink that!

Also the editor did a great job except needs to review the usage of lay and lie.
Profile Image for Dharma.
263 reviews1 follower
August 4, 2020
I realize I read the first book in this series sometime ago and was not super impressed, I may be even less impressed. So tired of the trope of choosing between two men, one dark and brooding, the other something slightly different. Cookie presents as a brainless twit for the most part, so a prior life as an FBI agent seems very unrealistic. Too much is made of her body type, her mother is a characiture (sp? I can't spell for beans) who is not endearing. Need to remember how bad this series. Good thing I didn't pay for either ebook.
Profile Image for Miranda Beazley.
665 reviews6 followers
August 25, 2017
Cookie is back again with her dead bodies, investigations and of course that delicious chemistry with two very different men.

Except this time it's not Cookie who discovers the body, but rather Dylan. I thought this book was another well written mystery. Heavy on the mystery and investigation with tid bits of romantic undertones thrown in. And the romantic mystery around which hot guy Cookie will choose is an ongoing one that is keeping me guessing and wanting so much more.
5,704 reviews38 followers
August 28, 2017
this was just as much fun as the other 3.. i loved it so much.. it was a rollercoaster of emotions and it made me laugh in many spots.. i love a good story that makes me laugh and smile.. it also made me think about throwing my kindle across the room a couple of times.. seriously lol.. i miss paperbacks for this reason ;) haha mystery, love, intrigue, humor and so much more is involved in this. i really loved this story and im glad i got to review it
Profile Image for Vi.
732 reviews2 followers
August 28, 2017
Dylan, with Cookie, floundered upon a dead body while fishing. The corpse was a relative of someone seen regularly in the series. A new character's been added; causing the local medical examiner, Jared, to do a lot of blushing and hoping.
Amusing, fun cozy mystery romance! Characters are zany and witty; the action keeps on moving. Waiting to see who Cookies chooses...
Voluntarily read ARC for honest review

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Profile Image for Elisa.
3,219 reviews39 followers
September 4, 2017
I really love Cookie she is amazing, such a great character and really who cares about her love life lol she has her job and when dead body after dead body finds Cookie she finds focusing on her job of finding killers a way of avoiding the 2 men who are interested in her.

I like Dylan and Hunter it would be hard to decide between them

I love Cookies Mum she is highly entertaining

this whole series is well written murder, mayhem and hilarity.
Profile Image for Caro.
1,776 reviews42 followers
March 17, 2019
This was a good book. I liked the characters, their personalities, the plot and this was written well. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and their quirks. I didn't care much for the love triangle thing, as that always gets on my nerves. I would like to read more in this series, however, it isn't a pressing need and more a curiosity.This is great for passing time or something to do/read. Interesting and humorous, spunky, with a little suspense and action thrown in. Have fun.
Profile Image for Ted Bun.
Author 89 books33 followers
July 19, 2022
Nice idea .... lady ex-FBI agent in hiding trying to build a new life.
Fancies the local handyman with a mysterious past
She and the handyman trips over a pile of drugs
Nasty things get sent through the post
Lady Agent has to get involved and ex-partner turns up.
Lady Agent is torn between two wannabe lovers

Just a little slow in places but it has a better, dramatic resolution of the crime.
Worth reading the first two to reach this one!
848 reviews4 followers
February 18, 2019
Another wonderful, wacky mystery by Lucy Quinn! Love this series! Full of wild and zany friends, (especially her mom), lots of drama, danger, chaos, mayhem, mystery and murder. Solving the murder a piece of (cheese)cake, solving which man to pick, may take some time! As usual Lucy Quinn does not disappoint, can't wait for the next book!
1,534 reviews13 followers
February 25, 2019
Lots of action in that small town

With her hippie upbringing, she had a difficult time with relationships. She had friends, but just a few. And her boyfriends were sparse too. But now, her mom, her best friend, her former partner in law inforcement and a very nice fellow were expecting her to make a decision
Profile Image for Dee Cash.
561 reviews2 followers
March 5, 2019
Indecisive

I have now read two or three of these looks and I'm through. They're so silly. Cookie is supposed to be a former FBI agent a d sometimes deputy. She is a large girl and attractive by her self-description. Her only problem in life is to
decide between two hunks.. As if..
Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews

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