Book 2, 2026

[chez_jae]

A Little Taste of Murder by Carolyn L. Dean

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


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Finished an ebook last night. It was A Little Taste of Murder by Carolyn L Dean, and it’s the first in the “Brightwater Bay” cozy series. The main character is widowed Claire.

Claire wants to visit the San Juan islands over the holidays before she needs to return home to AZ and get a job. There’s nothing for her back home except a too-empty apartment. On her way to catch the ferry, however, her car breaks down and leaves her stranded in Brightwater Bay with her dog, Roscoe. Fortunately, the sheriff gives her a ride into town and introduces Claire to Daisy, who has some cottages to rent. What was meant to be an overnight stay until her car is fixed becomes a longer stay when a man is murdered on the doorstep of Claire’s cottage. Now the detective in charge is telling her to stay in town, and Claire’s funds are running low. New friends step up to help. Molly introduces Claire to her aunt, who just so happens to need some help in the local bakery. Soon Claire is feeling more at home here than she ever did in AZ, and handsome Scott is one more reason she may wish to stick around longer.

I liked the story. Claire was a resilient character. All characters were portrayed well, even the less than savory ones. I appreciated that Claire wasn’t doing any overt investigating. When she recalled something or overheard information, she dutifully passed it along.

Favorite lines:
♦ “Best thing about being an adult is being able to eat dessert first.”
♦ “I took a no-fruitcake vow years ago.”

Charming and seasonal...four stars.