The breathtaking barrier island of Melbourne Beach, Florida, is every tourist’s fantasy—until murder washes ashore . . . Trading the urban sprawl of Manhattan for the tranquility and exotic beauty of a Florida barrier island was the best decision author Liz Holt ever made. What could be more ideal for relaxing, regrouping, and getting a writer’s creative juices flowing than observing life … flowing than observing life at the unconventional hotel that has been in Liz’s family for generations? But it’s death that grips the island when a body sweeps in on the tide . . .
The victim was a member of a fishing crew lost at sea who may or may not have drowned. Despite the corpse in their crosshairs, the staff of the Indialantic by the Sea Hotel and Emporium continues its plans for its first annual Pirates’ Weekend. But things go further awry when both a hurricane and a killer leave a trail of destruction. Liz and her new boyfriend must figure out who’s behind the carnage before they also end up in Davy Jones’ locker . . .
Recipes included!
Praise for Kathleen Bridge
“A delightful sneak peek into life in the Hamptons, with intricate plotting and a likeable, down-to-earth protagonist. A promising start to a promising series.”
—Suspense Magazine on Better Homes and Corpses
“The descriptions of furniture and other antiques, as well as juicy tidbits on the Hamptons, make for entertaining reading for those who enjoy both antiques and lifestyles of the rich and famous.”
—Booklist on Better Homes and Corpses
“An excellent read.”
—RT Book Reviews on Hearse and Gardens
“Ghostal Living is a marvelously entertaining tale of revenge, murder, quirky characters—and disappearing books! With a clever protagonist, wonderful details of life in the Hamptons, and plot twists on top of plot twists, Kathleen Bridge will have mystery readers clamoring for more.”
—Kate Carlisle, New York Times bestselling author
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I loved this story! The cast of characters is quirky making them interesting and entertaining. Liz, the protagonist, is a strong, sensible woman who’s slowly recovering from an abusive ex and an injury that’s left her relationship-shy. Living with her beloved Aunt Amelia and friends at the Indialantic by the Sea Hotel, Liz is surrounded by love now and working on her second novel. There are several pets, both feline and canine, plus a talkative parrot! The Florida beach setting is awesome until a murder marrs the pristine grains of sand.
Liz has often heard tales of much sought after sunken Spanish galleons in the ocean nearby. When a sweet friend’s nephew’s lifeless body washes ashore and it’s deemed homicide, Liz quickly realizes he had to have seen or heard something that put him on a hit list. The author dangles cunning clues throughout this storyline trying to snag reader’s attention and, perhaps, draw them away from certain suspects. For me, one suspect stood out from others, however, the author tossed in some unexpected twists that kept me guessing. I was pleasantly surprised at the ending. I found the story well-paced with lots of action, humor, and a great plot! I’m definitely looking forward to future stories in the series. The author provides delicious salad recipes for readers to try.
I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Kensington Lyrical Underground. Thank you.
I enjoyed this book so much that I didn’t want it to end! I’m eagerly awaiting the next in the series!
Murder hits close to the Indialantic Hotel in beautiful Melbourne Beach once again, and Liz Holt is on a mission to discover the killer. With a hurricane on its way, Pirates’ Weekend on the calendar, and talk of lost treasure, Kathleen Bridge’s A Killing by the Sea kept me on the edge of my seat as I got to play armchair detective along with Liz, Great Aunt Amelia, bff Kate, boyfriend Ryan, and the rest of the residents. A nice sequel to Death by the Sea, the mystery is cleverly crafted and quite cozy. A+
Another fun adventure with Liz, Aunt Amelia and the rest of the folks at Indialantic by the Sea Hotel and Emporium. So many suspects and lots of twists. Several mysteries to solve. I love all the quirky folks that live at the hotel and in the neighboring area. I love all the tv and movie references. I did miss Betty and the Captain in this one but glad to see them return at the end. Liz’s NY story is still a mystery but seems like things might be happening soon for that. Great descriptions of the area and the weather. I could really picture all of it. Was hard to put this book down and do real world stuff. Can’t wait for the next book.
palnning to read #3 as soon as I can////enjoyed
What a wonderful group of characters! They are so well developed and you feel like you know each one personally. Aunt Amelia and her sidekick macaw, Barnacle Bob, are so entertaining. I enjoyed all of the references to various TV shows and commercials that Aunt Amelia appeared in over the years. And then you factor in a murder mystery and you are in for a delightful read.
The relationships between the various characters are varied…budding romance, friendships, family, frenemies, jealousy…a little bit of everything. And such wonderful pets are scattered throughout. I want to move to the Indialantic By the Sea and live with this amazing group of people.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lyrical Underground for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
This was an intriguing book. I love the old hotel, the eclectic characters, and the charming emporium shops. In this book, the nephew of one of the shop owners is found murdered. There are several suspects including a wealthy man, his ex-wife, his half-brother, the wealthy man’s chauffeur, and a young man that worked with the deceased. Every page had me second guessing myself as to who the killer was. Very well written and I can’t wait to read the next book! Looking forward to seeing what’s next for this fun group of characters and Liz & Ryan’s relationship!
It kept me guessing until the end.
I started with this second book in the series unknowingly and when I finished this one, immediately went back for the first in the series. The plot is well-thought out and I now cannot wait for the third book in the series to come out. I highly recommend this author and series.
Stand alone – absolutely. This is the second in the series. I usually enjoy books set in Florida. The story was interesting and I was surprised upon reveal.
What I did like:
The cast of characters – their diversity.
The main characters are evolving. This one is set in Melbourne.
Lots of twists and turns, leading to a not so easily picked culprit.
References to show from the 1960s and 1970s.
What I did not like:
Many characters – distracting.
Looking forward to another installment.
I volunteered to read and review an ARC of this book provided by Lyrical Underground and NetGalley.