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A review by blogginboutbooks
Dead and Breakfast by Kate Kingsbury
4.0
I'm always looking for fun new cozy mystery series. They make for light, entertaining reading that's perfect for sandwiching between heavier tomes. I hadn't heard of the Merry Ghost Inn books until I saw the first one in my library's audiobook collection. As is true with most cozy mysteries, I didn't end up loving this one, although I liked it enough to continue with the series.
The set up of DEAD AND BREAKFAST is appealing. As a PNW native, I enjoyed the Oregon setting with its familiar place names. I also liked the warm relationship between Melanie and her grandmother. My favorite element, though, was the inn's friendly ghost. As for the plot, it moves swiftly. Of course, it's far-fetched in places, predictable in others. The mystery isn't anything original and the identity of the killer comes as no surprise. Overall, DEAD AND BREAKFAST is a decent read. Nothing special, but entertaining enough. Like I said, I'm up for reading the next installment.
A note on the audio: The audiobook is narrated by Tavia Gilbert. I found her performance to be melodramatic, complete with a number of irritating voices. Liza's is especially overdone. It gets shrill in places, which drove me nuts. I don't even know if the next installment is on audio, but it doesn't matter—I won't be listening to it. I'll just read it, thank you very much.
If I could, I would give this book 3 1/2 stars. Since I can't, I'm rounding up.
The set up of DEAD AND BREAKFAST is appealing. As a PNW native, I enjoyed the Oregon setting with its familiar place names. I also liked the warm relationship between Melanie and her grandmother. My favorite element, though, was the inn's friendly ghost. As for the plot, it moves swiftly. Of course, it's far-fetched in places, predictable in others. The mystery isn't anything original and the identity of the killer comes as no surprise. Overall, DEAD AND BREAKFAST is a decent read. Nothing special, but entertaining enough. Like I said, I'm up for reading the next installment.
A note on the audio: The audiobook is narrated by Tavia Gilbert. I found her performance to be melodramatic, complete with a number of irritating voices. Liza's is especially overdone. It gets shrill in places, which drove me nuts. I don't even know if the next installment is on audio, but it doesn't matter—I won't be listening to it. I'll just read it, thank you very much.
If I could, I would give this book 3 1/2 stars. Since I can't, I'm rounding up.