Review: Bound by Murder (Beach Bound Books and Beans Mysteries Book 1) by Christy Barritt

About the Book
When widow Talitha Robinson buys an old store on the boardwalk in Lantern Beach, North Carolina, she’s in for a surprise . . . or several. She plans to renovate the space and open Beach Bound Books and Beans, but never expects to find a decades-old skeleton hidden inside one of the walls.

As word of the discovery spreads across the island, strange occurrences begin to occur around her. It soon becomes clear someone still knows something about the dead person—something they don’t want discovered.

Thankfully, former police chief and current mayor Mac MacArthur seems just as eager to unravel the mystery behind the skeletal remains as Tali. But as the two bind together to solve the case, a devastating secret is revealed.

Will their newfound friendship come unglued before they find the answers to the past? Or will their blooming relationship die like the man hidden in the wall?

Bound by Murder is book 1 in a four book series of novellas. Though the main mystery is resolved, there are threads that will continue throughout the entire series.

Amazon / Goodreads

Available in Kindle Unlimited at time of posting.

MY THOUGHTS

You have no idea how excited I was about this book. Mac is one of my favorite Lantern Beach residents and I've always wanted him to get his own story. And he finally got it! A series of short cozy mysteries! I couldn't be happier! It's sure to please other longtime fans of Barritt's Lantern Beach books, but it's also a great place for new readers to jump in.

I liked Tali and her adorable doggie Sugar. They're great additions to Lantern Beach and I'm sure, once the remodel is complete, her bookstore/coffee shop will be the new hotspot in town.

The mystery was a good one. It definitely kept me guessing with all the surprising turns it took. And while this mystery was solved, there was a bit of a shocker at the end, which makes me even more excited for the next book.

FOUR STARS