In the gentle coastal town of South Cove, California, all Jill Gardner wants is to keep her store--Coffee, Books, and More--open and running. So why is she caught up in the business of murder?

When Jill's elderly friend, Miss Emily, calls in a fit of pique, she already knows the city council is trying to force Emily to sell her dilapidated old house. But Emily's gumption goes for naught when she dies unexpectedly and leaves the house to Jill--along with all of her problems. . .and her enemies. Convinced her friend was murdered, Jill is finding the list of suspects longer than the list of repairs needed on the house. But Jill is determined to uncover the culprit--especially if it gets her closer to South Cove's finest, Detective Greg King. Problem is, the killer knows she's on the case--and is determined to close the book on Jill permanently. . .

My Review:

The summer months of 2014 have been filled with cozy mysteries. I did like the story settings and the characters, so I will be coming back for more later. Also, this might seem biased, but I love that the series takes place in one of the many small seaside towns along the California Coast - so much to do and see and still have that small town feel.

It was an easy and quick read, yet the reveal of the killer's identity surprised me. I did not need so many paragraphs about home renovations; I am hoping that by book 2 the house is completely made over and Jill is settled in. Jill is a smart character and a pretty good sleuth, but she was dumb as a brick over Greg's martial status (hello, look at this finger - is there a ring or tan lines that look like a ring? No? Then He. Isn't. Married. Go. Kiss. Him. Already.). For me, the relationship between Jill and Greg was more friendly flirting than red hot romance.