Murder at Pirate's Cove (Secrets and Scrabble #1)

Murder at Pirate's Cove is the first book in a new cozy mystery series by Josh Lanyon. Released 29th Feb 2020, it's 206 pages and is available in ebook format. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a formulaic but really fun and enjoyable cozy. Handsome newcomer Ellery has inherited a mystery bookstore and white elephant of a house which is falling down around his ears. He's single with a bad breakup behind him and just trying to keep the floundering bookshop afloat and make a new start in the tourist town of Pirate's Cove. The last thing he needs is a dead body in his place of business, or a potential entanglement with the town's handsome lawman.

The deceased was unloved by basically everyone and there are tons of secrets and hidden motives.

All the violence is off-scene, the language is clean (a few damns, nothing worse), the romance is slow burn and chaste. The denouement was fair-play (though I had figured it out a while before), and the whole combines into a fast and fun read. I'm looking forward to finding out what comes next.

Four stars. Recommended for fans of bookstore cozy mysteries.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes