A small-town mystery novella with a dash of romance and a few ghosts.When Max Elliot invites Izzy Grant to a fancy Ivy League alumni reception at the Tawnee Mountain Resort, the ghost hunters anticipate a romantic weekend getaway at the premier ski and golf destination. But when wealthy hotelier Leona Hutton is murdered, and her ghost asks Izzy to find her killer, she and Max decide to … killer, she and Max decide to investigate.
Will Izzy and Max solve the case before more alumni end up dead, or the killer turns the tables and decides to hunt the ghost hunters?
Leona’s Last Resort is a part of the Tawnee Mountain Mysteries series, a collection of seven brand new mysteries, from seven award-winning and bestselling authors, taking place at the same final destination, the Tawnee Mountain Resort.
Leona’s Last Resort features ghost hunters, Izzy Grant and Max Elliot, from the Izzy & Max Paranormal Mystery series.
Each book in this multi-author series is a standalone novella, and the series can beread in any order.
The Tawnee Mountain Mysteries series includes:
Leona’s Last Resort by Karen M. Bryson
Dark Side of the Mountain by R.J. Rosatte
Deadly Reception by Karen Randau
Black Diamond Graves by Wendy Fallon
Deadly Misfire by Laurie Fagen
Cassidy’s Deadly Exit by Marla J. Hayes
The Quinnipiac Disappearance by Lee Tidball
more
Received a free copy for a review. I really enoyed this story and the characters. Plan to read more of Karen M. Bryson’s books.
Enjoyed this mystery, plenty of “suspects” to keep you interested in figuring out whodunnit. I even like how the author wrote the relationship part. Great characters, quick read story with just enough ghost paranormal to keep you entertained without feeling creepy and also has a few cozy moments.
A bit of romance, a touch of the supernatural, and a murder to solve combine to make a delightful cozy mystery in Leona’s Last Resort. I particularly enjoyed the witty dialogue and the quirky characters that are Max and Izzy. Izzy’s outer tough girl attitude, snark and all, made an interesting contrast with her softer inner musings, and Max with his crazy, screwed up song lyrics is just adorable. Max and Izzy have quite the list of suspects who just happen to be as zany as our ghost hunters and they all have ample reason for making that list. The story is fast paced and easily read in one sitting – a good thing since I found myself flying through the pages.
A cute cozy mystery with a lovable pair of characters
I liked this novella-length cozy mystery. It only has a little bit of a paranormal element to it because the ghost only gets about one minute of page time. It also has a little dash of romance. I think that this novella would be rated PG; it is suitable for teens and adults, and maybe kids as well. This can be read as a standalone, but I liked it enough that I want to read the previous book, “Rye Must Die”, that Karen M. Bryson wrote about the main characters Izzy Grant and Max Elliot.
It took me a chapter or two to get invested in the story. At first, Izzy was in such a sad, self-pitying mood that I could not relate to her, but thankfully she shook that off and showed some determination and feistiness.
The story takes place at the fictional Tawnee Mountain ski resort in northern New Jersey. Izzy Grant runs an antique store in the nearby town, and she helps her boyfriend Max Elliot conduct ghost tours for the tourists. Since they both can actually see ghosts, I guess that the tours are pretty good. Izzy is not comfortable at all with expressing her feelings. I love how Max showers her with affection. Well, Max comes from a rich family, and he has talked Izzy into going with him to a gathering of his rich college friends at the resort. Murder ensues, and their friend the resort manager asks them to investigate on the resort’s behalf.
There were plenty of suspects, and I enjoyed how the investigation moved quickly. I really liked Izzy and Max. I wish that there was a little more sensory description in the story so that I could get immersed in it a little more. I also wish that the book was a little funnier. The author has a pleasant writing style. It is the first book that I have read by this author, and I look forward to reading some more.
I received a free advanced reading copy from the author, and I voluntarily wrote this honest review.
This is an amusing cozy mystery. I enjoyed the setting of the resort and small town. The characters were quirky, snobby, mean, like real people. There were twists to keep you guessing. There was humor to lighten the mood. The chemistry and friendship between Izzy and Max made for an interesting back story. I enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more in this series to see how Max and Izzy fair.
I received a copy of this story through Candid Book Reviews, and this is my unsolicited review.