Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Review - An Amateur Sleuth’s Guide to Murder

Title:  An Amateur Sleuth’s Guide to Murder
Author Lynn Cahoon
Series:   Bainbridge Island Mystery #1
Publisher:  Kensington Cozies
Genre:   Cozy Mystery
Format:  Kindle ARC
No. of Pages:   256
Date of Publication:   June 24, 2025
My Rating:   4 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

New York Times bestselling author Lynn Cahoon makes her hardcover debut with an irresistible new meta-mystery series about an amateur sleuth who doesn’t just solve crimes, she writes about how to do it . . .

TIP #1: WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU COUNTS AS WORK EXPERIENCE
Meg Gates could use a guidebook for life. Indeed, she’s faced some challenges. She dropped out of college to work for a tech startup that failed—and her fiancé just took her bridesmaid to Italy on what was supposed to be Meg’s honeymoon.

Now, at twenty-six, Meg has taken the ferry ride of shame from Seattle back to Bainbridge Island to live with her family. At least she has her rescue cocker spaniel, Watson, by her side. But it’s Meg who could use a rescue—and she’s hoping it will come in the form of a part-time gig doing research for a bestselling mystery writer.

TIP #2: WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW – OR WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW
That’s when the lightbulb goes Meg will write her own guidebook—a manual on criminal investigation. But before she can impress her new boss with her pet project, the author’s manager is found dead on the rocks beneath the author’s Gothic mansion.

Now it’s time to put her guide to the test, as Meg sets out to clear her employer of suspicion and solve the crime. But there’s one important caveat she’ll have to add to her guide—

TIP #3:  BEWARE OF UNKNOWN DANGERS


MY THOUGHTS:
Each chapter in Lynn Cahoon’s delightful first book in her cozy mystery series begins with one of the tips that Meg Gates plans to use in her own mystery novel. Meg is currently unhappy with her life. Single after a broken engagement, she works only a part-time job at her mother’s bookstore. However, her life takes a positive turn when she is offered a job as an assistant to mystery writer Lily Aster. Although it’s just another part-time job, it encourages Meg’s desire to become a mystery writer herself.

When a dead body is discovered at her new job, Meg and her lifelong best friends decide to investigate the murder. This gives Meg real-time experience as a mystery writer. Unfortunately, it soon seems that the prime suspect in the murder is Lily, her new boss.

This intriguing cozy mystery is rich with a slow-burn romance and delightful characters (let’s not forget her adorable rescue dog, Watson). It’s a great start to a new series. 

Many thanks to Kensington Cozies and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I'm a storyteller. I started thinking about writing during a long (school) bus ride home. A high schooler taught me how to tell stories and then cut out pictures from Teen Beat to illustrate them. I was hooked. 

But when I looked at the college catalog, there was no writer track or degree. So I went practical with a Poli-Sci degree. Many years later, I finally started writing and taking craft classes. Then I put it off again. 

Finally, God sent me a gift - breast cancer. That made me really consider my life choices.  I started writing seriously, again, in between work, appointments, and life. 

Five short years later, I had my first book published. The next year, I release the first Tourist Trap novel. And the next year, I hit my first bestseller list. 

I've been working hard ever since, bringing stories to you. I hope you enjoy my cozy mysteries and hold on for the ride. 

I think my first teacher on that bus would be proud of where I've landed. 




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