Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!
I am happy to feature Strike the Death Note today!
Strike the Death Note (Octavia Fields Mysteries)
by Rebecca McKinnon
About Strike the Death Note
Strike the Death Note (Octavia Fields Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Rocky Mountains
Independently Published (June 26, 2025)
Number of Pages 204
Digital ASIN : B0F336797V
With just two weeks left of the summer at Aerie Pines, music shop owner Octavia Fields should be getting ready to head back to the nomadic life she lives most of the year—but the season is set to end in a minor key for her little shop.
Octavia’s determined to do everything she can to increase sales so her employees won’t have to bow out for the next season. If she’d known it would involve coming across a body with a conductor’s baton sticking out of its chest, she might not have been so eager.
While Octavia is trying to focus on her shop’s problem, music students who know she played a part in catching the last killer keep telling her what they know about the victim. She wants to pass the information on to the detective, but when one of her employees becomes a suspect, Octavia has no choice but to become the conductor of her own investigation.
Trying to save her shop, solve a murder, handle threats, and deal with her growing feelings for the lead detective is keeping Octavia’s score full—but she needs to find the sour note before someone else plays their finale!
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Octavia Fields is preparing to close her Aerie Pines music shop in a couple of weeks for the season, but she knows she needs to come up with ways to make her little shop more profitable if she is going to reopen next year.
Sadly, her life breaks a string when she finds a conductor’s baton protruding from the chest of one of the students attending the summer program. Knowing she should be concentrating on her business, she still can’t keep from doing a little snooping into the death, especially when one of her employees appears to top the list of suspects. She wants to help Detective Jack Price in any way she can while hoping their budding relationship will bloom.
With everyone attending rehearsals and stopping by for their bows and strings, Octavia will be orchestrating her own composition to catch the killer despite finding more scary conductor’s batons as threats to get her to back down.
Can Octavia catch the killer, save her business, and get her man, too? Or will the case reach a crescendo for both her and her business?
All Ms. McKinnon’s core characters are well-crafted and fun. Octavia Fields is one cool protagonist who marches to her own beat. She summers at Aerie Pines, where her employees take very good care of her and her shop. The rest of the year, she travels from protest to protest for causes important to her in Betty, her hippie van pulling her tiny house behind. She loves the simple life, no need for a cell phone, and she rarely wears shoes; she is a true free spirit. Her best friend Piper has Octavia’s best interests at heart, but can sometimes be the little devil on her shoulder. Piper’s husband is a total peach who puts up with his wife’s shenanigans. Octavia hasn’t seen hunky Detective Jack Price with his piercing blue eyes much recently but that changes after she finds another body. That attraction between them is unmistakable.
The murder happens early in the story, and there are plenty of suspects to work through. Mairi and Xavier have complete control of the music shop, so Octavia has time to sleuth. With the murder, students are required to stay behind the gate. Octavia makes a deal to have a couple of tables set up near the rehearsal area to sell things the students may need. It also makes it easier for her to question suspects and others who may have insight about the death. Octavia is a little ditzy at times, but people open up to her, and she can put clues together to come up with unique theories that strike all the right notes. I enjoyed following along step by step to the exciting conclusion, where I found out I was completely wrong about the guilty party.
Strike the Death Note is an excellent addition to this music-based cozy mystery series. Set in the Rocky Mountains, the setting is picturesque and unique. The mystery is well-plotted, and the characters gel together and make wonderful friendships. If you like music-themed mysteries and a quirky main character, this series is for you. I am intrigued to see where Ms. McKinnon takes this series next, as the season has ended in Aerie Pines.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC.
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About Rebecca McKinnon
Rebecca McKinnon enjoys playing with her imaginary friends and introducing them to others through her writing. She dreams of living in the middle of nowhere, but has been unable to find an acceptable location that wouldn’t require crossing an ocean.
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Great Escapes Praise for Strike the Death Note (Octavia Fields Mysteries)
by Rebecca McKinnon
Strike the Death Note by Rebecca McKinnon was a very fun, well-written cozy mystery, and I definitely recommend it to cozy mystery lovers!
~Christy’s Cozy Corners
5-STARS
Music, mystery, and murder are center stage in Strike the Death Note. With realistic characters and lively banter, this is a must-read for cozy mystery readers.
~Novels Alive
Laugh out loud funny, yet with endearing characters, STRIKE THE DEATH NOTE strikes all the right notes in this engaging mystery. I can’t wait for Octavia to return to Aerie Pines!
~Cozy Up With Kathy
5 stars!
A summer violin shop owner looking to revitalize her slowing business finds a dead body instead.
~Guatemala Paula Loves to Read
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” “As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.” I am also an affiliate of Bookshop.org and I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.” These funds are often used for gift cards and other giveaways.
It is my pleasure to shine the spotlight on
’ main backdrop, the amazing city of Miami, Florida, is beloved and well-known to me. I was born and raised in Miami, and like the novel’s main character Vy, I am a singer/songwriter, Grammy-considered, independent artist. All things relating to music or literature are my passion.
, a Miami Music Mystery. Now, I have brought my characters back to life, in the sequel, In the Key of Dead, a Miami Music Mystery. The phobias, the dream sequences, and the quirkiness of the main characters are all based on facts. I hope that I was able to, once again, show the readers of my novels, the love I have for Miami, the Cuban culture, my family, and music. For more information, visit 
