Happily settled in her cozy cottage with its resident ghost, Cass Peake looks forward to Halloween. Then another corpse is found on her beachfront. With the support of family and her ghostly roommate, Cass investigates. To her dismay, she finds the murder victim handled her goofy neighbor’s trust fund and he was in dire need of money. The suspect list grows with a former husband, another needy … relative, and a maybe shady accountant who suddenly disappears. To top it all off, rumours circulate about treasure hidden in Cass’s cottage. Detective George Ho doesn’t like his ex-girlfriend snooping around. Despite that, sparks still fly between him and Cass. But superstitious George has no idea Cass’s home is haunted. Can Cass solve the mystery and renew the romance with her ghost-adverse ex?
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Synopsis:
Happily settled in her cozy cottage with its resident ghost, Cass Peake looks forward to Halloween. Then another corpse is found on her beachfront. With the support of family and her ghostly roommate, Cass investigates. To her dismay, she finds the murder victim handled her goofy neighbor’s trust fund and he was in dire need of money. The suspect list grows with a former husband, another needy relative, and a maybe shady accountant who suddenly disappears. To top it all off, rumours circulate about treasure hidden in Cass’s cottage. Detective George Ho doesn’t like his ex-girlfriend snooping around. Despite that, sparks still fly between him and Cass. But superstitious George has no idea Cass’s home is haunted. Can Cass solve the mystery and renew the romance with her ghost-adverse ex? (Goodreads)
Review:
The characters are well rounded and well developed. I enjoyed getting to know Cass and her family and friends. Cass is a smart no-nonsense woman. When there is a body discovered on the beach near her house, and she finds out it is someone she knows, she decides that she has to find out the culprit, much to the dismay of Detective George Ho, Cass’s ex. This situation leads to many heated discussions and some funny exchanges. I really liked Doris, the ghost, she added a lot to the story.
The author is very talented in her descriptive writings and these descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning. The writing style flows smoothly and it defines the characters very clearly by their actions and words. The mystery was well plotted and moved along at an even pace. There were enough clues to sift through and suspects to consider and the mystery was not easily solved.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. And if you like ghostly cozies, that is a plus.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book and provided my honest review.
Would you like to have a ghost live with you? I think I would, especially if he or she was like Doris. I totally enjoyed this book and the characters. I love being close to the water and Cass’s bungalow sounds wonderful. I enjoyed being with Cass, Gillian, Jack, and George as they work through the clues and obstacles to find the answers they are seeking. Keeping it real, Doris is my favorite. I hope that I can visit with this group again soon. I won this book from Goodreads, but my opinion is my own.
I gave up at 76%. I’d put it down then go back, read a little, then put it down again. The characters and events were just boring to me. Doris, the ghost, didn’t even add and life to it.
I didn’t hate it, but wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.
I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
Coastal Corpse by Rena Leith is a fresh telling of a cozy with a sleuth and ghost, sidekick. I immensely enjoyed the story, characters, and setting. I am adding Murder Beach to my TBR list.
Will Cass and Doris find who murdered Amelia before the murder gets Cass?
Cass Peake, the Sleuth
Cass is our sleuth. She recently divorced her husband and bought a cute haunted bungalow in Las Lunas, California. Now she is starting a new business with some friends and hoping to bring in a decent income from it. Cass also likes George a police detective that she used to date in college. Although, she needs to figure out how to trust him. I really like Cass. She has a good heart and tries to see the best in people. Cass also has that sleuth nosiness about her and the mind that sees through the puzzle.
Doris, the Ghost
Doris lives in Cass’ bungalow and was murdered in the 1920s. She and Cass are friends now. Doris is a kick, she uses slang from the 1920s to present, changes her outfits, makeup, and hair at will, along with fading in and out. She also keeps an eye on Cass since people want the treasure that was supposedly hidden in or around the house. Doris can only leave the house if she possesses an animal, most of the time that is Thor, Cass’ cat. Doris is a fantastic character and I am excited to learn more about her.
The Mystery and Supporting Cast
The mystery is really good. I think that this is the first book where the sleuth hasn’t found or at least been one of the first onto the scene of the murder. Not that, this is bad but refreshing. Cass, Jack (Cass’ brother) and Gillian (Jack’s wife) are at Cass’ house for a Halloween party and met the victim the evening before the murder happened. Let’s say with a little help from Cass and Doris, George gets the murder in the end.
The supporting cast is great. I loved the way they all interact with Doris and believe in Cass. The relationships between the characters make the story.
Five Stars for Coastal Corpse
I love the story and it seemed like it went by so fast. Therefore, I am giving Coastal Corpse by Rena Leith a rating of five stars and hope that all of you cozy readers out there check it out.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Coastal Corpse by Rena Leith.
Anyways, until next time,
Karen the Baroness
If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.
bookshelves: ghosts, cozy-mystery, murder-investigation, family-dynamics, relationship-issues
This is one busy cozy! The publisher’s blurb gives the basic intro and it’s enough to pique interest, but the story itself is what kept me reading all evening. Great characters that are easy to relate to, a few brief tidbits on the perception of several cultures regarding spirits, and a different slant on murder victims. Loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from The Wild Rose Press via NetGalley. Thank you!