seawarrior's review
4.0
Smile Beach Murder is an entertaining mystery with just the right amount of emotional heft. I enjoyed getting to know Callie and her neighbors on Cattail Island, and found the secrets she uncovered riveting. Bender imbues the story with culture and history for the characters and their island, making it a place it feels like you could touch on an Outer Banks map. Thanks to this, Callie's sometimes aimless investigations never felt pointless or dull. I accidentally read the sequel to this book, Murder On Mustang Beach, first, so I already know it's just as engaging. I look forward to reading future installments in the series and learning more about Cattail!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Alcoholism, Suicide, Death of parent, Grief, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, and Injury/Injury detail
More...