A review by natalie_deane
Smile Beach Murder by Alicia Bessette

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

This is probably one of the whitest books I’ve ever read, but I appreciate that it strayed away from some of the typical tropes in the cozy mystery genre that I don’t particularly enjoy (like cops being love interests). The mystery itself was fun to follow, and while I didn’t love every plot choice, I think it came together nicely at the end. And, of course, I’m a sucker for any book that has the main character working in a small town bookshop, even if Callie was a bit of a bummer main character until like halfway through the book, when she was allowed to have an actual personality.