Murder on Devil's Pond by Ayla Rose Book Review

About the Book:

When thirty-three-year-old Hannah Solace returns to her hometown to renovate and reopen the inn she co-owns with her sister Reggie, her mission is to give the old Victorian hotel an entirely new life. She’s even planting pollinator gardens around the inn–native flowers and fruit trees to lure honeybees and houseguests alike. 

Hannah’s fresh start is stymied by Reggie’s continual interference, unreliable contractors, a check-the-couch-for-coins budget, and townspeople Hannah left behind fifteen years ago. Her main source of camaraderie is Ezra Grayson, an eighty-year-old recluse who lives nearby. After an unsettling conversation with a disgruntled Ezra, Hannah is horrified to discover him dead on her property later that day. 

Ezra had always had plenty of people to complain about, especially locals trying to force him out of his property for its prime real estate. As buzz around town grows after his death, Hannah finds herself on the short list of suspects. Hannah starts digging and quickly discovers that secrets lurk beneath the charming surface of the town she once again calls home.

My Review:

I enjoyed this cozy mystery. It has the typical amateur sleuth who is under suspicion and must discover the murderer to keep herself from being arrested. Hannah manages her sister's B&B and is good friends with an elderly neighbor. When she finds him on the B&B land and it is determined he was murdered, she becomes a suspect. Her investigation is more figuring out past events and relationships than finding current evidence.

The characters are a bit unusual for a cozy mystery. None of them seem particularly happy so the character development was not upbeat. The best part of the book was the good descriptions of the setting.

It is a good start to a new series and an interesting read. I enjoyed it enough that I will be watching for the next one.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Ayla Rose is an author and lawyer who lives in the Green Mountains of Vermont. When not writing, she enjoys kayaking, hiking, gardening, and spending time with her husband, sons, and the family’s three dogs.

Crooked Lane Books, 304 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)