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USA Today Bestselling author Kathi Daley brings you a heartwarming mystery series about finding answers and fostering hope while building friendships and embracing the magic of life by the sea and small town holidays.

Ainsley Holloway had come to Gooseberry Bay to find answers about her past. She’d come to find an explanation for the dreams that haunted her after the death of the cop who’d both rescued and raised her. And she’d come to identify the family she couldn’t remember but knew in her heart she’d once belonged to.

Ainsley hoped that by finding these answers, she’d also find healing. She hoped that once she’d resurrected the memories buried deep in her mind, she’d find peace.

The Cottage at Gooseberry Bay is a series about, not only finding answers, but finding hope.

It’s a series about family and friendship.

It’s a series about shared holidays, festivals, and celebrations.

It’s a series about shared heartbreak and hardship.

And it’s a series about the bond that can be forged amongst strangers when tragedy binds two or more individuals with a common goal.

In book 10 in the series, Ainsley is hired to find the twelve-year-old daughter of a woman who was told by her husband, the baby's father, that their baby had died during delivery. Ainsley could see that the decision her client's husband had made had been a difficult one, and that the baby's father had simply been trying to do what was best for everyone, causing conflicting emotions for Ainsley about the job she has agreed to take on.

141 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 23, 2022

285 people are currently reading
174 people want to read

About the author

Kathi Daley

328 books1,782 followers
Kathi 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).



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5 stars
973 (66%)
4 stars
336 (23%)
3 stars
129 (8%)
2 stars
17 (1%)
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4 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
Profile Image for JoAn.
2,464 reviews1 follower
August 27, 2022
Another enjoyable visit to Gooseberry Bay with Ainsley and the gang. This time a new case for Ainsley also brings her sister Avery to Gooseberry Bay. Plenty of twists to the mystery and some personal new relationships on the horizon this was a wonderful afternoon read.
Profile Image for Lynn Hayward-Bisbee.
197 reviews2 followers
November 19, 2022
I love Kathi Daly. Her Whales and Tales, Zoe Donavan and Inn at Holiday Bay are series are my favorites; I also like the Rescue Alaska series. But, it she running out of ideas? I think I've invested enough time with ten books into this series. I'm sorry, but it just doesn't hold my attention at all as the others do.

I like Kathi Daly for easy, light cozy mysteries that can be read quickly and easily, but I also like to have my attention held. I hadn't really been invested in about the last five books of this series and I'm not even sure why I kept reading as I found myself skimming through them. But, honestly, this is the last one of this series.

Besides the fact that there my biggest complaint is there is so much repetition with conversations being repeated over and over to different characters in the book, this plot is so completely far fetched as to be laughable. I know it's fiction, but to think that Ainsley and her friends would be helping to solve a mystery that some mysterious Black Ops organization and the Russians can't solve is completely ridiculous.

Yup. Ten books into this series and that's it for me. I'll stick to the Inn at Holiday Bay.
Profile Image for RO G'ma.
1,061 reviews43 followers
August 23, 2022
Twist of Fate is the tenth book in Kathi Daley’s Cottage on Gooseberry Bay series. This action-packed book is an entertaining and clean read, with a strong emphasis on family, friends, community, and caring. The setting is charming, and the three-dimensional characters are well developed. Ms. Daley’s descriptive writing and incredibly complex mysteries draw readers in, making them feel like they’re taking part in the action. The intriguing mysteries, twists, and red herrings will keep readers engaged and guessing. I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys reading well-crafted cozies.

After Ainsley Holloway’s adoptive father passed away, she found a photograph of a woman with two young children. For reasons Ainsley couldn’t explain, she felt connected to the people in the photograph and started doubting her past. In her search for the truth about her past, Ansley and her two Bernese Mountain Dogs, Kai and Kallie, moved from Georgia to Washington State and rented a cozy cottage in Gooseberry Bay. Ainsley, who originally planned to stay for only a month or two, quickly made friends, settled into the community, and opened Ainsley Holloway Investigations.

In this installment, Opal Fallon wants to hire Ainsley to locate her twelve-year-old daughter, who, until recently, she believed to have shortly after childbirth. Something seems off about the woman’s heart-wrenching story, and Ainsley isn’t sure if she wants to take on the case and tells Opal that she’ll call her with her decision the following afternoon. Ainsley’s leaning toward declining the case, but before she has the opportunity to do so, someone strongly encourages her to accept the case.
164 reviews3 followers
August 26, 2022
I just couldn’t get behind the storyline. Rather than it being a good mystery I thought the storyline was cruel. The characters seem flat now as well.
2,012 reviews
August 26, 2022
Now that Ainsley has found her sister Avery these books are more about Ainsley's PI practice as she tried to solve things for clients. There is some interaction with her friends and hints of a possible different connection with Adam. I am not enjoying these books as I used to. I will try the next one when it comes out and see if it can hold my interest.

Amazon synopsis:
In book 10 in the series, Ainsley is hired to find the twelve-year-old daughter of a woman who was told by her husband, the baby's father, that their baby had died during delivery. Ainsley could see that the decision her client's husband had made had been a difficult one and that the baby's father had simply been trying to do what was best for everyone, causing conflicting emotions for Ainsley about the job she has agreed to take on.
Profile Image for Lisa Millett.
298 reviews10 followers
March 16, 2023
Cozy winner

Private eye Ainsley has a strange new case/client fall in her lap. The woman is looking for her 12 year old daughter, whom she thought died at birth, and she believes she is somewhere in Gooseberry Bay. Since the case sounds a little off, Ainsley tells the woman that she needs to think about it for a day. In the meantime she begins to look into the case and her sister, Avery, who is some type of secret agent, calls her giving her more background information and asking her to take the case. The next day Ainsley finds out that her potential Clint has been murdered and then the CIA comes and takes the body. Now Ainsley along with her friends Gemma and Parker are trying to figure out what happened to the client and where the little girl might be. Good cozy mystery that is well written and well worth the read.
Profile Image for Nikki.
1,426 reviews12 followers
September 25, 2022
I really enjoy this series by Kathi Daley, set in Gooseberry Bay, which centers around Ainsley, a relevant newcomer to the bay.

Ainsley originally came to Gooseberry Bay to find her Sister, Avery. She wasn't there, but with the help of the friends she made there she eventually found her. Ainsley has set up a Private Investigation Agency in the Bay, taking on all kinds of cases.

This book is about a case she is asked to take on about a missing child. It gets more complicated when Avery also gets involved.

I found this book hard to put down, and it made me want to re-read all the books before in the series.

Each book is a standalone mystery but the books are best read in order of publication to preserve continuity of the characters and series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Darla Taylor.
1,860 reviews
October 20, 2022
Ainsley Holloway came to Gooseberry Bay looking for answers and decided to settle down. She's opened a PI business and in this book is hired to search for a 12-year-old girl. The mother of the girl has a tragic tale, but there's much more to the story.

I'm a huge Kathi Daley fan and have really enjoyed this series. This book's a prime example of Kahti's excellent writing. I was drawn into this intriguing story and kept hooked from beginning to end. There are a lot of twists and turns, and the mystery will keep you guessing. I'm looking forward to the next book. I highly recommend both book and series which I believe is best read in order.
Profile Image for VICTORIA STEWART.
152 reviews1 follower
September 10, 2022
Another hit!! I really enjoy the layering on stories without it feeling cluttering. Kathi Daley does a fantastic job of blending multiple story lines without confusing her reader. I continue to enjoy the relationship between the characters and watching them grow and change over time. I love the unconventional family feel to it. Having dogs and cats in the mix is a wonderful bonus. I can’t wait for the next installment!
Profile Image for Celest.
716 reviews9 followers
October 2, 2022
A Kathi Daley Mystery is Always Fun

This is another example of how to weave an intriguing mystery. It started out as one thing and then kinda exploded into a huge mystery. All of the characters in this series are very unique and likable people. Of course Ainsley, being our main character, is my favorite person. I wasn't sure where this story was going, but all I can say is, don't miss it.
122 reviews2 followers
September 14, 2022
A good read!

It was slow to begin with until you got the facts. Once you found about the child it was impossible to stop reading! Avery does have an impressive job but no way could I do it. I need answers and conclusions. She only does sections and rarely if ever finds out the ending of her projects.
Profile Image for Theresa Feeley.
63 reviews
January 4, 2023
Ainsley Does It Again!

What fun to read how Ainsley and her cadre of talented friends are able to sort through complicated cases and work to solutions. This incidence is heartbreaking but leads to a safe end.

Enjoying watching the relationship development between Ainsley and Adam. Can’t wait to read more in the next book.
Profile Image for Melissa .
66 reviews4 followers
May 4, 2023
Twist of Fate….SPOILERS

This series is okay and I’ve stuck with it. However, this book’s plot was beyond absurd. Russian spies? Stolen children used as tools? How ridiculous! The continued repetition of dialogue is bad enough - especially when the book is so short - but to have a plot (?) that is completely as absurd as this one….I know you can do better!
665 reviews11 followers
August 17, 2024
Ainsley is hired to find the twelve-year-old daughter of a woman who was told by her husband, the baby's father, that their baby had died during delivery. I find I did not enjoy this one as much as I did previous books. It was grim and some of what occurred was a little hard to believe. I did enjoy it overall, but it was missing some of the fun that previous books had.
502 reviews1 follower
December 8, 2025
What was going on here!

Ok for a PI let's add a few more letters, CIA, Russian KGB or something else just as bad. Oh don't forget wit sec , that's witness protection. This was not a fun story but a mystery anyway. Still had a short bit about the relationship with Adam but not much.
90 reviews
November 10, 2022
Another great one

Kathi Daley is one of the greatest writers I really Enjoy all her books.
The Gooseberry series has me hoping for the love affair With Adam & Ainsley! it would be great!!!
499 reviews1 follower
March 14, 2024
Cottage On Gooseberry Bay:a twist of fate

This was interesting plot line with intrigue into the spy world. The geek squad are all leaving for college so lots of changes for the characters.
Profile Image for Mikaela.
74 reviews
July 5, 2024
I really love how this author takes the time to plan out the story. She weaves the story so intricately, and the scenarios are more detailed and complex than I've read in other series. I really appreciate the author's effort to be creative with the storylines and keep you guessing until the end.
Profile Image for Susan.
1,625 reviews
August 24, 2022
really enjoyed the book, can't wait to see what happens next...
964 reviews2 followers
August 27, 2022
One of my favorite series, and I loved this one! Great mystery.
4,417 reviews43 followers
August 30, 2022
A missing baby??? And now the supposed mother has been killed??? Who do you trust??? I enjoyed this story and recommend the book.
Profile Image for Janet Epperson.
532 reviews3 followers
August 31, 2022
Love this series & the characters. Always a good mystery. Ready for Ainsley & Adam to be more then friends.
Profile Image for D.
1,298 reviews16 followers
October 4, 2022
A missing person case leading to murder has Ainsley wondering whether to touch the case. A call from her sister urges her to pursue the case and right a wrong.
419 reviews7 followers
November 23, 2022
I enjoyed this book very much. I love the suspense. This is one of my favorite series.
720 reviews1 follower
January 25, 2023
cottage On Gooseberry Bay

Exciting story and wish that 12 year old could be in future stories. I’m excited to get to the next stage.
298 reviews2 followers
June 9, 2023
Very Good!

As always... Love this series and all that this author writes. I very highly recommend these clean mysteries to all.
Profile Image for Linda Christopher.
26 reviews1 follower
January 8, 2024
This is a great series (and lots to read with 15 books in the series so far). The plots are well thought out and very interesting - the main character, Ainsley, is a Private Investigator.
Profile Image for Rachel Dicker.
7 reviews
February 8, 2024
Nice read

I love easy reading books. Nice mystery good friends great surroundings. Familiar faces seems like family. Always leaves me wanting to read more.
Profile Image for Stephen Levesque.
2,808 reviews
Read
January 23, 2025
Totally enjoyed it! This is a well written and has well developed characters. The story is catching and with the strong characters makes for a very enjoyable read. Great Reading Everyone!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews

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