On Flashback Fridays I will share with you
the books I was not able to review
when they were first released that have been screaming at me
from my To-Be-Read bookshelf.
The Body in the Annex (A Sunset Lodge Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – New York
Publisher : Independently Published (July 26, 2022)
Paperback : 208 pages
ISBN-13 : 979-8830901635
Kindle ASIN : B09XJ3M176
After months of planning, sisters Abigail and Amanda Clark have finally purchased a historic resort property in the Finger Lakes. Abigail has years of experience managing hotels and restaurants, so she’s sure she’s ready for this new challenge. She isn’t even bothered when her sister takes her dream job and decides not to move to Nightshade right away.
When a guest turns up dead in one of the rooms, though, Abigail finds herself caught up in the middle of a murder investigation. That definitely wasn’t in her plans.
The dead man had a lot of enemies in the small town of Nightshade, New York, and it isn’t long before Abigail has met several of them. Her nosy neighbor is eager to poke her nose into the police investigation, but all Abigail wants to do is find some guests for Sunset Lodge.
Can Abigail fix up the historic hotel on a shoestring budget? Will she be able to find guests who don’t mind that a man was murdered in the hotel’s annex? Or will Abigail’s neighbor say the wrong thing to the wrong person and get someone else murdered before the police find the killer?
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Sisters Abigail and Amanda Clark take a leap of faith and buy a historic resort in Nightshade, New York. Abigail has worked at and managed restaurants and hotels for years. Amanda is a set designer for off-Broadway shows in New York. Abigail knows the business and knows Amanda will devise unique ways to revamp the rooms and cabins.
Then Amanda has a great job offer she can’t pass up, so Abigail is on her own, but the resort’s employees have been working at the place for years so she knows together they can fulfill her plans.
Then Abigail finds her first guest dead in his room. She didn’t have a plan for that.
While she didn’t know the victim it seems the entire population of Nightshade did and no one had anything good to say about the man. Abigail’s retired neighbor Jessica knows everyone and she wants Abigail to investigate the murder but Abigail is confident the police will have an arrest soon. But soon all the people Jessica had mentioned as suspects make their way to visit Abigail and the Sunset Lodge. Could one of them be a murderer?
Abigail wants to concentrate on renovating the lodge but that darn Jessica wants to drag her into catching the killer, not understanding it could be the killer catching them.
I enjoyed meeting Abigail. She is learning that owning a hotel is different than managing a hotel. The buck now stops with her. In a change from a usual cozy mystery, she doesn’t want to investigate the murder. I was disappointed that her sister wasn’t as dedicated to the hotel as Abigail. While Abigail said she was okay with it, I was upset for her. Taking on this resort is a lot especially when you were supposed to have a partner. Jessica was a true nosy neighbor and a pushy one too. I liked the cook Marcia, handyman Carl, and night manager Arnold. They each have cabins on the property. They were loyal to the former owners and are ready, willing, and able to help Abigail make Sunset Lodge a place tourists would love. We also meet some Nightshade residents – most are murder suspects.
The victim, Russell Morris, left behind a slew of enemies. Several come by to introduce themselves to the new owner of Sunset Lodge but they all seem to have an agenda. Near the end, Jessica finally questioned people instead of just spouting theories. She was blunt which could have backfired. Abbi didn’t know any of these people so other than the body being found on her property she wasn’t invested in the investigation. What I did find surprising was that the victim’s major crime happened 10 years ago and nothing was done, something about contracts, but now the man has come back to town with another scam. The plot did have issues. I was able to hone in on the guilty party easily.
The Body in the Annex has given this series a good start. I liked Abigail and her employees and want to see the changes she has in store for the Sunset Lodge. I have enjoyed other books by this author so I know she can write a stronger mystery and there is a foundation here to build on, so I intend to continue with the series.
*This book was an Amazon Purchase.
Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent
About the Author
Diana Xarissa has lived in several US states, the north of England, and the Isle of Man. While she is currently in the US, she still misses the stunning scenery, wonderful people, and fascinating history that make the Isle of Man so unique.
Website – Twitter/X – GoodRead
Also written by Diana Xarissa
Find more books by Diana Xarissa here.
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I am giving away 1 Kindle copy of The Body in the Annex!
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*This book is part of my personal collection.
