Dollycas's Thoughts
Emmy Cooper had a great job at a design firm until she didn't. Now, she has returned home to the Wisconsin Northwoods and her family's cottage resort on Lake Covington for a break and to reassess where she is in her life. Sadly, life in the lake is not as relaxing as she hoped. Instead, some bigwigs from a development company are working hard to get property owners to sell their land so a ritzy modern resort can be built. Emmy's parents have refused several times but the pressure is on.
Then, Emmy finds one of the developers bobbing in the lake near one of the cabins. A piece of evidence puts Emmy's dad in the hot seat. Now, Emmy is on a quest to clear her dad and find out what happened to drive someone to resort to murder.
_____
Ms. McEwen does an excellent job introducing Emmy, her parents, her brother, and her friends. They are all true-to-life and relatable. The developers put on a full-court press to get them to sell their resort but they stayed strong even after finding a body. Reservations were canceled, and rumors were flying but the Coopers and their friends stuck together while Emmy, and her friends, Whitney and Marcus-with-the-mullet, "way cooler than Billy Ray Cyrus" tried to find the truth. Friends forever, they reminisce about the old days, and poke fun at each other, but always have each other's back. Another old friend happens to be on the police force. Emma blushes head to toe whenever he is around. All the characters grew over the course of the story but there is plenty of room for them to evolve as the series continues.
The author penned a well-plotted mystery that was filled with twists and turns. Both Emmy and I rotated through the possible suspects. I had my a-ha moment sometime before Emmy. Thankfully, the girl has the Wisconsin gift of gab, the ability to devise a plan, and the fear to follow through. It was edge of the seat moments for me.
Ms. McEwen's descriptive detail brings the Wisconsin Northwoods, the close-knit town of Covington, and Cooper's Cove to life. It was easy to follow in the characters' footsteps and see in my mind's eye every person in the story. As a lifelong Wisconsite everything rang true to me from the settings to the dialogues. Now that I have met the Cooper's and the wonderful people of Covington I can't wait for my next visit.
Resort to Murder has sent this series off to a super start. Genuine characters and a twisty mystery set in an idyllic spot made for a very enjoyable read. I am excited to see Dead White and Blue will be released on July 2, 2024, so I will be returning soon.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC.
Emmy Cooper had a great job at a design firm until she didn't. Now, she has returned home to the Wisconsin Northwoods and her family's cottage resort on Lake Covington for a break and to reassess where she is in her life. Sadly, life in the lake is not as relaxing as she hoped. Instead, some bigwigs from a development company are working hard to get property owners to sell their land so a ritzy modern resort can be built. Emmy's parents have refused several times but the pressure is on.
Then, Emmy finds one of the developers bobbing in the lake near one of the cabins. A piece of evidence puts Emmy's dad in the hot seat. Now, Emmy is on a quest to clear her dad and find out what happened to drive someone to resort to murder.
_____
Ms. McEwen does an excellent job introducing Emmy, her parents, her brother, and her friends. They are all true-to-life and relatable. The developers put on a full-court press to get them to sell their resort but they stayed strong even after finding a body. Reservations were canceled, and rumors were flying but the Coopers and their friends stuck together while Emmy, and her friends, Whitney and Marcus-with-the-mullet, "way cooler than Billy Ray Cyrus" tried to find the truth. Friends forever, they reminisce about the old days, and poke fun at each other, but always have each other's back. Another old friend happens to be on the police force. Emma blushes head to toe whenever he is around. All the characters grew over the course of the story but there is plenty of room for them to evolve as the series continues.
The author penned a well-plotted mystery that was filled with twists and turns. Both Emmy and I rotated through the possible suspects. I had my a-ha moment sometime before Emmy. Thankfully, the girl has the Wisconsin gift of gab, the ability to devise a plan, and the fear to follow through. It was edge of the seat moments for me.
Ms. McEwen's descriptive detail brings the Wisconsin Northwoods, the close-knit town of Covington, and Cooper's Cove to life. It was easy to follow in the characters' footsteps and see in my mind's eye every person in the story. As a lifelong Wisconsite everything rang true to me from the settings to the dialogues. Now that I have met the Cooper's and the wonderful people of Covington I can't wait for my next visit.
Resort to Murder has sent this series off to a super start. Genuine characters and a twisty mystery set in an idyllic spot made for a very enjoyable read. I am excited to see Dead White and Blue will be released on July 2, 2024, so I will be returning soon.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC.
