At twenty-nine, Kinsley Clark is living the dream life she always envisioned for herself. She’s the proud owner of SeaScapes, a thriving landscaping company in wealthy Harborside, set on the rugged coast of southern Maine. Kinsley’s veins are filled with salty air, a myriad of colors, and the fragrance of fresh blooms. But one afternoon, while working at her aunt Tilly’s bed-and-breakfast, the Salty Breeze Inn, Kinsley digs up more than she bargained for—a high-heeled shoe. The once sparkly shoe, now caked in mud, is linked to a case the police had appropriately dubbed the “Cinderella Murder.”
Kinsley panics.  Does this mean that her aunt and the inn are somehow connected to this murder? Will it scare away potential guests? Will it subject the inn to a rush of bad press? With Aunt Tilly’s reputation, and possibly her safety, on the line, Kinsley digs deeper into the crime to find out what the shoe was doing on her aunt’s property and who murdered Cinderella, whose real name is Daisy. As she investigates, more suspects rise to the surface, and eventually, Kinsley has to weed out a killer.
Release Date: Apr 4, 2023
Series: A Mainely Murder Mystery
Book:Â 1
Publisher:Â Penguin Group
Imprint:Â BerkleyÂ
Price: $11.99
Kinsley Clark is the proud owner of SeaScapes, a landscape design company. She lives in the caretaker’s cottage behind her aunt’s estate, The Salty Breeze Inn, located in Harborside, Maine. Kinsley is doing some touch-ups to the plants around the inn to prepare for the upcoming parade of homes that will bring some welcome publicity to her aunt’s inn and her own landscaping business. Kinsley is shocked when she digs up the missing shoe from a case being referred to as the “Cinderella Murder,” Kinsley jumps into the investigation to protect her aunt and save the inn’s reputation.
This book is the first in a new cozy mystery series and has a cute premise with the landscaping business. The author does a great job of making the Maine setting come alive. I felt like I got to know Kinsley as a businesswoman and landscape designer and enjoyed the information about gardening that was part of the story and in the tips at the end of the book. I didn’t really connect with her as a person or an amateur sleuth, though. I was surprised at the choices she makes after discovering the shoe in the garden and had a hard time getting past that. I liked Kinsley’s aunt, but don’t feel I got to know her. My favorite character is the detective on the case, Rachel Hayes. It’s interesting that she is cooperative with Kinsley and is also Kinsley’s brother’s ex-girlfriend. I would have liked to have more scenes with Rachel investigating along with Kinsley.
The investigation has some surprises, and things are wrapped up nicely, even though the ending is a bit abrupt. There are some pacing issues in the story, but I think the series has a lot of potential. The setting and premise are great, so if more time was spent with Aunt Tilly and the Inn, in addition to Kinsley’s business, I think it would be a good balance and fun to read.
~ Christine
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