I think this is my favorite of the author’s many series, and I was happy to see it return. They’re always a light cozy read. I love the quaint upstate NY location and I really like Katie, she’s endlessly patient (I am not, so I envy this quality in others) and I love the down to earth realism attitude that retired detective Ray Davenport brings to balance out all the wild theories Katie comes up with. The pace on this is relaxed, and that’s what I love about this series, it’s sets just the right pace for the story, allowing the reader to really get to know the different characters while still keeping the mystery suspenseful. I loved the plot, who killed Katie’s ex-boss Josh the Jerk and why? Lots of suspects and lots of motives, Katie has her hands full investigating, leading up to the exciting conclusion.

 

All in all, a great addition to the Victoria Square series and an enjoyable read.

This was a fun read. It was light and silly and kinda Lifetime-y movie at times, but I enjoyed it. 

 

Dead, Bath, and Beyond follows amateur detective Katie as she tries to figure out who killed her former boss and planted his body in the bathtub of her friends' Bed and Breakfast. Along the way, she must juggle her struggle to balance her priorities in life, a new manicurist next door who's fumes are stinking up her shop, and a messy love life. 

 

There's a lot to like about this book. The characters for the most part are lovable and relatable. I particularly felt sympathetic to Katie's struggles with her boyfriend since I had some relationship troubles myself while reading it. She's kind of a frustrating protagonist at times, like you want to shake her and be like "stop being so stupid!", but it was in a relatable way. It was the kind of stupid you'd expect from an amateur detective. She's actually very smart in other ways. I also liked Ray. He was pretty funny. 

 

The plot was also pretty solid, which was impressive since there was a lot going on. At the end it all wrapped up nice and neat, which I was pretty impressed by. Bartlett builds everything up well and it has a solid foundation. I didn't feel cheated by the reveal of who-done-it in the end and I actually was able to keep up with most of the clues, which I enjoyed. 

 

There were some faults to the story. The story got a little melodramatic sometimes. Like, it felt like a Lifetime movie. There was also a lot going on in it and I feel some of the plot points got in the way. Like, there's the murder, there's the new nail lady, there's Katie's personal problems, there's her relationship problems, etc. I feel like if one of those elements had been taken out, the story itself would have been a lot tighter and more enjoyable. There were also so many characters that some did come across as shallow, giving kind of an impression of "why are you in this story?". So it just needed some trimming down I think.

 

Final rating: 3 out of 5 stars. It's a fun read and I'd be happy to read it again while on vacation.

 

Final thought: The cats were the best part. 

I know. Why did I check this book out when I have so many others to get through?

 

The answer: I have no impulse control and the pun on the cover and the cat were too hard to resist. 

 

I don't think I've ever read a true cozy mystery. I think this'll be fun.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

As the temperatures around here were dropping the temperatures at the Artisans Alley were heating up. It’s summertime at the Victoria Square and the air conditioning at the Artisans Alley can’t cool off the entire building. Katie also doesn’t have air conditioning in her apartment above the pizza place either. With only open windows and a fan to help her cool off she is shocked to notice a fire out her window at Victoria Square. She calls 911 and rushes over there to find Wood U totally engulfed and when the fire in extinguished the firefighters find a dead body. Everyone is distraught that the owner of the shop has died but then they find out, the person was killed before not during the fire. Because of the status of the body they know he was murdered by they can’t make conclusive identification. Detective Ray Davenport is on the case but that doesn’t mean Katie isn’t hotfooting it all over town to find the killer.

This is a hot, Hot, HOT! murder mystery. I sat down on Sunday afternoon to read and read it all in one sitting.

This is the 3rd book in the series and it has been awhile since I had read book 2, The Walled Flower, but Ms. Bartlett creates very memorable characters so I was all caught up by the end of Chapter 1. Katie Bonner inherited ownership of the Alley and she has been working hard to make it work for all her crafters and turn a profit for herself so she can invest in some upgrades like a new air conditioning system. Her tenants are an eclectic bunch, some pitch in to help all the time, some need to be reminded and one is there all the time and is getting on Katie’s last nerve. Detective Ray Davenport is retiring from the force and this murder investigation is his last. Andy and Katie are still working opposite hours but are trying so hard to spend more time together.

These wonderful characters are surrounded by quite a mystery. Until the body is properly identified Katie and Ray are assuming they know who it is and proceeding in their investigations accordingly, but the clues they uncover twists things in a way that just don’t fit together. Plus there are a few subplots that tie in to the main mystery in several ways.

One of the subplots deals with Katie’s dream of purchasing a big Victorian home to turn it into a B&B. Her money is all tied up in the Alley and the inventory she has been stashing away for when her dream becomes a reality. Her dream goes up in smoke when she learns someone else has purchased the home. It was how she handled this situation that I as a reader could see how much this character has evolved from the first book in this series. I found it very refreshing to read. I am still unsure about her relationship with Andy so I am looking forward to seeing how this is addressed in the next book. Yes, the next book! It has been awhile but Dead, Bath, and Beyond is being released next month.

To me this author is one of the best a writing cozies mysteries. You can’t go wrong with anything she writes!

Dollycas’s Thoughts

As the temperatures around here were dropping the temperatures at the Artisans Alley were heating up. It’s summertime at the Victoria Square and the air conditioning at the Artisans Alley can’t cool off the entire building. Katie also doesn’t have air conditioning in her apartment above the pizza place either. With only open windows and a fan to help her cool off she is shocked to notice a fire out her window at Victoria Square. She calls 911 and rushes over there to find Wood U totally engulfed and when the fire in extinguished the firefighters find a dead body. Everyone is distraught that the owner of the shop has died but then they find out, the person was killed before not during the fire. Because of the status of the body they know he was murdered by they can’t make conclusive identification. Detective Ray Davenport is on the case but that doesn’t mean Katie isn’t hotfooting it all over town to find the killer.

This is a hot, Hot, HOT! murder mystery. I sat down on Sunday afternoon to read and read it all in one sitting.

This is the 3rd book in the series and it has been awhile since I had read book 2, The Walled Flower, but Ms. Bartlett creates very memorable characters so I was all caught up by the end of Chapter 1. Katie Bonner inherited ownership of the Alley and she has been working hard to make it work for all her crafters and turn a profit for herself so she can invest in some upgrades like a new air conditioning system. Her tenants are an eclectic bunch, some pitch in to help all the time, some need to be reminded and one is there all the time and is getting on Katie’s last nerve. Detective Ray Davenport is retiring from the force and this murder investigation is his last. Andy and Katie are still working opposite hours but are trying so hard to spend more time together.

These wonderful characters are surrounded by quite a mystery. Until the body is properly identified Katie and Ray are assuming they know who it is and proceeding in their investigations accordingly, but the clues they uncover twists things in a way that just don’t fit together. Plus there are a few subplots that tie in to the main mystery in several ways.

One of the subplots deals with Katie’s dream of purchasing a big Victorian home to turn it into a B&B. Her money is all tied up in the Alley and the inventory she has been stashing away for when her dream becomes a reality. Her dream goes up in smoke when she learns someone else has purchased the home. It was how she handled this situation that I as a reader could see how much this character has evolved from the first book in this series. I found it very refreshing to read. I am still unsure about her relationship with Andy so I am looking forward to seeing how this is addressed in the next book. Yes, the next book! It has been awhile but Dead, Bath, and Beyond is being released next month.

To me this author is one of the best a writing cozies mysteries. You can’t go wrong with anything she writes!