I read one of the later books in the series and really loved it, so I wanted to start the set from the beginning. It may just be that it's the first so the author was still getting her sea legs on this one, but I just wasn't as in love with it as the previous book I'd read. There were quite a few implausible scenarios in the book that I just simply couldn't overlook. While cozies can be known for unrealistic features in their plots, this book took the cake. Here are a few of the points I had issue with:

*After finding a skeleton in a room of the new inn they're working towards opening, Liza and Melanie are allowed to continue to live in the inn while waiting on the forensic team to finish investigating the room, which takes weeks to complete. I just couldn't see police letting people have access to a crime scene until all forensics are completed.

*The police taking weeks to complete the forensics: WHY?!?!?! If any police force is investigating a crime, regardless of how old, I can't imagine any scenario in which they would walk away from a crime scene for an indefinite amount of time and just leave it sitting for anyone to contaminate it until they've finished taking their samples, fingerprints, etc. The reason given was that the murder was several years old and therefore it "could keep". Not plausible. Period.

Other than that, and a few other minor details, the rest of the story and mystery were quite good. I just couldn't get beyond the unrealistic aspects and enjoy the rest of the book. They kept nagging at me, therefore the 3 star rating. ( )

This is the first book in a new series with some humour, a ghost, a murder and a pair of sleuths that are quite interesting. Melanie West, recently divorced, decides to take her grandmother up on her offer to open a bed and breakfast in a small town on the Oregon coast. The ladies purchase a haunted mansion and are in the middle of renovating when they find a skeleton in a hidden room. It is considered a cold case, so the police are in no rush to solve the case. Because this means the ladies can not open the Merry Ghost Inn until the police release the scene, they decide that they need to solve the crime themselves.

I enjoyed the characters of Melanie and Liza. Liza was originally from England so still has her accent and uses many expressing that are definitely English. Liza is one of those older characters that you just fall in love with. She is quite feisty, smart, has a strong character yet is very loving to Melanie. Melanie is also a strong character with brains, loyalty and perseveres with her actions to reach her goals. Then there is the ghost. Melanie doesn't believe that there is a ghost, but Liza does and even names him. She also figures out clues that she believes he has left for her.

This was a realistic murder with a few suspects. A cold case is not the easiest to solve, but they ask the right questions, rattle a few cages and use the clues they find in the house to lead them to the culprit. I wasn't that impressed with the motive, but overall, this was a fun story with an interesting mystery. I listened to this book and thought the narrator did a good job with the story and the voices. I will be listening to the next story shortly. If you enjoy a cozy mystery with multiple generations and a little bit of the paranormal, then pick this one up. ( )

Melanie West and her grandmother, Liza Harris, are renovating a big, old home in Sully's Landing, Oregon, to open a bed & breakfast inn, when they find a skeleton in a hidden room. It's quickly identified as Angela Morelli, wife of Vincent Morelli, the last couple to live there. Angela had vanished, believed to have deserted wheelchair-bound Vincent, and Vincent had gone to live with his son, Tony. Now that Vincent is dead, Tony had finally sold the empty house...

Melanie and Liza's renovation plans, and therefore their opening plans, are now on hold until the police release the second floor as no longer a crime scene. This wouldn't be a huge problem if this cold case didn't quickly get shoved to the side by more active cases. With potential financial ruin staring them in the face, it's no wonder Melanie and Liza decide to investigate on their own.

This is a fun, interesting book, if a little silly in places. I have some difficulty believing the police would be so indifferent to clearing and releasing a crime scene inside what his both someone's home and their business. At the same time, Melanie and Liza are logical and methodical in how they go about it, and don't actively do things straight out of the "How to Get Yourself Killed by the Killer" manual. There's also the small matter of the dog that Melanie decides to adopt. I can't say much about why she decides to adopt the dog, because spoilers, but she seems amazed by the paperwork and procedures involved--which are really startlingly minimal. It's a surprise to her when the shelter wants to see if the dog likes her, for instance, not just whether she likes the dog. Yet while shelters are more, um, relaxed, often, in their adoption procedures than rescue groups are, what surprises me is how quick and easy it was, and if there was an adoption fee involved, I missed the mention of it.

But, yes, that's the reaction of someone involved in dog rescue. Inside baseball, anyone?

They're new to the town, and they meet some interesting people along the way, who are clearly going to be regulars going forward. People like them because they are, in fact, likable, intelligent, considerate people. They try to do the right thing.

It's an enjoyable story, and I look forward to more.

I bought this audiobook. ( )

Even though I figured out who the killer was very early on in this book, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The main characters (Liza and Melanie) are so much fun and have a great relationship, and I love the idea of the two of them opening a B&B in a small town on the Oregon coast. The fact that the B&B is haunted makes it even better! The town is full of interesting characters with lots of potential. I hope we get to see several more installments in this series. ( )