“Books have a way of pointing you exactly where you need to go.”
I honestly don’t remember where I first saw this book advertised but it may have been on Bookstagram. And, since I’m always on the lookout for a new cozy mystery series, I decided to see if my library had it, and they did.
Smile Beach Murder by Alicia Bessette is the first book in the Outer Banks Bookshop Mystery series and is set on Cattail Island.
Callie, our main character, is from Cattail Island, but sent recent years living elsewhere as a reporter. When our story begins, Callie has just been laid off from the paper and has returned to her hometown to stay with her uncle while she figures out her next moves.
She ends up seeking employment at a local bookstore, the same one she used to seek comfort after her mother died when she was a teenager and owed by a close family friend. The anniversary of her mother’s death, a tragic fall from a local lighthouse, is fast approaching, and stirring up a lot of emotions and memories for Callie.
When another local resident, and childhood friend of Callie’s, Eva Meeks, co-owner of the local hardware store, is found at the base of the same lighthouse almost to the day as Callie’s mom, rumors start spreading of a curse.
The police seem to believe that Eva jumped but things aren’t adding up for Callie. The day of her tragic fall, Eva was in the bookstore talking about a treasure hunt and even called Callie that night asking if she’d meet her at the lighthouse, though Callie didn’t go.
The investigative journalist in Callie, can’t let this go, and begins to investigate Eva’s death on her own, which quickly puts a target on her back. On her quest for the truth, she enlists the help of her uncle and his friends, as well as some new ones she meets along the way. When a second person dies that’s tied to the lighthouse, Callie realizes she must be on the right track. But will she uncover the killer or become the next victim?
I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. It's always a fun experience when you get to travel to a location you'd like to visit in real life but haven't had a chance to yet. The author was able to beautifully describe the location and actually transport me there which not every author can do. I found the characters extremely likeable and became invested in the story almost immediately. The only downside that I can see, is that I have to wait until next year for the second book to come out, which will be called Murder on Mustang Beach.
I rated this one as a 4/5.
-Amy