National bestselling author Kathleen Bridge presents a delightful new series set on a barrier island where waves meet sand—and mayhem meets murder . . . The Indialantic by the Sea hotel has a hundred-year-old history on beautiful Melbourne Beach, Florida, and more than a few guests seem to have been there from the start. When Liz Holt returns home after an intense decade in New York, she’s … decade in New York, she’s happy to be surrounded by the eccentric clientele and loving relatives that populate her family-run inn, and doubly pleased to see the business is staying afloat thanks to its vibrant shopping emporium and a few very wealthy patrons.
But that patronage decreases by one when a filthy rich guest is discovered dead in her oceanfront suite. Maybe this is simply a jewel theft gone wrong, but maybe someone—or many people—wanted the hotel’s prosperous guest dead. Only one thing is sure: there’s a killer at the Indialantic, and if Liz lets herself be distracted—by her troubled past or the tempting man who seems eager to dredge it back up—the next reservation she’ll book could be at the cemetery . . .
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
“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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Death By The Sea was terrific! The setting, the characters, and the mystery by the sea all blended together to delight and enchant me. I felt fully immersed in the seaside setting, and could easily picture each room, each scene, in my mind. There was a bit of a wait for the murder, but it was well worth it. I loved Liz, the talented main character, whose devotion to her family and friends, coupled with her quirky sense of humor, made this a mystery to remember and to treasure. I can’t wait to see what’s next for Liz and crew!
I loved this story! It’s set in a terrific beach area in Florida. The characters are very interesting with colorful backgrounds. Humor is spread throughout the book plus the author uses such lovely, descriptive prose that I almost felt like I was there! Liz, the brave protagonist who is scarred outside and inside is coping with her struggles and planning to continue with her life as a bestselling author. She’s staying with her beloved great aunt Amelia who runs an old Hotel and Emporium. Aunt Amelia is a fantastic, fun character who acted in popular old TV shows and movies. Amelia has a heart of gold and tends to collect misfits—both human and pets—at her hotel. I would love to be a guest there! I reveled in all the mentions of Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, and Agatha Christie mysteries. The murder mystery delves into a feud over pirate treasure, but figuring out who, what, when, where, why, and how is complicated. Adding to the delightfulness of this cozy are cats, a dog, and a talkative macaw! I’m all psyched up and can hardly wait for the second story! Fun debut!
I reviewed a digital arc from NetGalley and Lyrical Underground.
I couldn’t put this book down. I loved all the vivid descriptions, the quirky characters, and the references to past tv shows that I remembered. I loved the setting and would definitely visit there. I enjoyed how the characters teamed up to uncover clues to several related mysteries. Can’t wait to read the next installment.
Death by the Sea by Kathleen Bridge was an amazing introduction to this new cozy series. I seriously am ready to move into the Indialantic by the Sea hotel now.
Ms. Bridge’s descriptive writing of the characters and the hotel made me feel like I was part of the family right from the beginning. I admired Liz. Her strength as she committed herself to her new life back home at the hotel was impressive. The permanent residents of the Indialantic were a quirky group that I fell in love with. I want to meet Betty and get some of my Nancy Drew books autographed by her. The plot was quick and flowed smoothly throughout the twists and turns of this well plotted mystery. The characters are developing in this first book and I look forward to the opportunity to get to know them better as the series progresses. I’m already excited about reading the next book in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Lyrical Underground via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.
I enjoyed this book. Added bonus was the reciies
This book, part of a series, is interesting and held my attention, but I do wish the author would quit explaining who various famous people are, or giving huge clumps of background data on the old TV shows and movies that figure into the plot. If they were famous enough to be part of the book, they’re probably famous enough that people know what they are. During the first 2 books I’ve begun to wonder if Aunt Amelia’s past has any bearing on anything except to add color. We also have to wonder how many books into the series we’ll have to read to find out what’s in Liz’s traumatic past. But, one tends to forgive these things because the characters are interesting and the plot is good.
A fun new cozy mystery set in Florida! Liz Holt has returned to her family’s hotel and emporium, Indialantic By The Sea, after a trauma. A wealthy woman staying at the hotel is found murdered and her husband is injured in what appears to be a robbery. Liz teams up with a couple friends to help solve the case. This was a great book with an eclectic cast of characters. Aunt Amelia was a delight with all of her tales of her television fame. I look forward to reading more of this series and hopefully seeing a relationship develop between Liz and Ryan.
Beach read
Enjoyed
Poorly written, plot ok. Mistakes in spelling, usage, grammar.
It was a pretty good read but so many of these books are formulaic instead of as original as one would like.
It was a quick read. I liked the characters. Interesting plot.
I love mysteries and romances and this was a combination of both!
Death by the Sea by Kathleen Bridge is the first novel in A By the Sea Mystery series. Elizabeth “Liz” Holt has returned home to Melbourne Beach, Florida to The Indialantic by the Sea Hotel and Emporium which is owned by Amelia Eden Holt, her aunt. Aunt Amelia is an eccentric former actress who helped raise Liz along with Liz’s father, Fenton Holt. Liz is living in the beach house. She helps out in the hotel and is working on her next novel (well—she is supposed to be). Their latest guest is Regina Harrington-Worth and her husband David who will be staying with them while their historic home is being demolished and a modern monstrosity is built in its place. Regina considers The Indialantic beneath her, but it is the only hotel with a vacancy that will allow pets. After a successful Spring Fling event, they discover that Regina was found dead in her suite, her husband was stabbed, and some very expensive jewels have gone missing. Liz immediately dives in to find who committed the dastardly deed. Who disliked Regina enough to kill her (that is one long suspect list)? Join Liz at The Indialantic as she examines the clues and questions the suspects to catch the evildoer.
Death by the Sea is a slow starter. The murder does not happen until the forty-four percent mark. The beginning of the book is an introduction to the Liz, the hotel, the employees, Liz’s family, the guests, and the shops and their owners. The author overwhelms readers with the amount of information she is dishing out. Kathleen Bridge is a wordy writer. It creates a rich environment, but it also makes a slow-moving story. I do like the beautiful hotel and emporium that Ms. Bridge created in Death by the Sea. I did feel that the story jumps around making it disjointed. Liz has returned home after a disastrous relationship that ended in Liz being physically injured. Since Liz and her paramour are public figures, the whole debacle was fodder for the media. There are numerous quirky characters with the biggest one being Aunt Amelia. A popular actress during the 1960s who has passed her love of 60s sitcoms and movies along to Liz. The various shows and movies from that time-period are mentioned throughout the book (Dark Shadows, Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, Gilligan’s Island for example). I enjoyed the comments regarding the popular teen girl mystery novels which included Nancy Drew, Connie Blair, and Dana Girls (which I collect). There was an abundance of repetition (it is a common malady in books that I have read recently) along with a cliché nasty detective. The pace picks up slightly in the second half of the book as the investigation gets under way. I think the author tried to put too much into one book. The hotel, the numerous quirky characters, the unique shops, Liz’s nemesis, Liz and her issues, a love interest, Regina’s father and how he died, the treasure of the San Carlos, Spring Fling, Fenton Holt and his practice, the obnoxious bird with the foul mouth, the hairless cat, and Liz and her writing difficulties are just a few of the items in the book. The murder of Regina was not as complicated as it seemed, and it can be solved before the reveal. At the end of the book, readers are still left wondering how Liz was injured. We are told about her injuries, but not how they happened. There are also some contradictions (one example is the hotel is not doing well, but an employee has a large suite and some people seem to live there for free). My rating for Death by the Sea is 3 out of 5 stars. I am hoping the author will scale back in A Killing by the Sea.
“Death by the Sea” earns 4.5/5 Karma Bites…Entertainment by the Sea!
I am a big fan of Kathleen Bridge’s Hamptons Home & Garden series, so I was very eager to read the first book in her new By the Sea Mystery series. Death by the Sea takes us to the beach community of Melbourne, Florida, and introduces Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Holt who has returned home after a decade in New York that ended in a tabloid scandal. Kathleen Bridge continued with a delightful writing style engaging my interest by bringing to life the oceanfront community, hotel environment, and a plethora of entertaining characters, but the descriptions and introductions seem to be the main focus for an extended amount of time, more than I personally prefer in my cozy mysteries. Where’s the murder? Karma definitely had a few good targets to choose from, but you’ll need to wait patiently for the crime to occur. Ok, the synopsis on the book sites gives you a clue to the victim, but it takes awhile to manifest.
I did really enjoy the informative references to treasure hunting, chicory coffee, the area’s history, and 60s television programs and commercials with which I grew up, and while waiting for the crime and the subsequent investigation to get going, Kathleen Bridge did create a rich set of characters and an engaging subplot dealing with Liz Holt’s scars, emotional and physical. The rich characters which include her father, her quirky aunt, friends, BFFs, and a possible romantic interest provide a bit of humor…don’t forget a very odd cat Venus and an obnoxious parrot Barnacle Bob. But despite waiting for the crime/investigation, I enjoyed this first book and am eager for the next book, A Killing by the Sea. The ongoing shop business, special hotel events, Liz’s writing career, and a blooming romance are intriguing enough to make me a fan!
It is always exciting to see a cozy with my two favorite words. No, not Murderous Fun, although that’s always a good to see. No,…Recipes Included! It’s even more exciting when the recipes aren’t random, but make for a complete meal or are actually connected to the theme or characters in the story. Kathleen Bridge has included four marvelous recipes perfect beginning to end. From Pops’ Deli-casies By the Sea we start with Pops’ Kalamata Hummus, next enjoy an entree of Baked Grouper Bites with Banana Salsa and a side of Coconut Rice, then enjoy from Chef Pierre’s Kitchen his Coconut Lime Sugar Cookies. Yum!
Any cozy mystery that references Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, and also includes a treasure is a winner in my book – and Death by the Sea, Kathleen Bridge’s debut entry in her new By the Sea Mystery series has them all! Bestselling author Liz Holt returns home to the Indialantic by the Sea hotel in beautiful Melbourne Beach, Florida, looking for a change in lifestyle after scandal upset her life in Manhattan. She’s reconnecting with family – her father Fenton, her great aunt Amelia (what a hoot – I would love to have her in my family!), her best friend Kate – and a host of other friends, when one of the guests at the Indialantic by the Sea is found murdered and robbed of her fabulous jewelry. Liz and her team of Detectiveteers decide to investigate as any good sleuth would, and set about to discover the murderer (who surprised this reader!!!). A very nicely written cozy and the beginning of what promises to be a fun new series. A+ to Death by the Sea!