Reviewed: 29 June 2024

Murder on Devil's Pond

by: Ayla Rose

Hummingbird Hollow B&B Mystery - Book 1

Rating: (3.5/5)

What to do when the town curmudgeon unexpectedly leaves his estate to you? You investigate his death.

Hannah, after a tumultuous youth, returns to town to help her sister Reggie run a B&B and pollination garden. She has been back a couple of years and during that time has become friends with neighbor Ezra. An 80-year-old widower who lives in the town’s eyesore, a nearly burned down home on a prime piece of land. His family wants him to move to a senior home, his neighbor wants to buy it, and a local resort owner wants to buy it as well. So when Ezra turns up dead there are quite a few suspects, including Hannah, not only because she found him but because she, unbeknownst to her, has been named sole beneficiary.

His family, whom Ezra lovingly refers to as vultures, check into the B&B and things go crazy from there. On advice from Ezra’s lawyer, Hannah keeps it a secret (except for telling her big sister Reggie and Paster Kendra) that she is the heir. As it turns out, despite the state of Ezra’s home, he is quite a wealthy man.

The slant of the story is that Hannah is investigating the past in order to understand the motive behind Ezra’s death. She talks with many people from his and his late wife Molly’s past. Surprisingly, in a town where there seems to be no secrets, there are quite a few. Hannah meets a number of interesting characters as she digs through the past.

There is a start of a love triangle with Ash (inn’s groundskeeper), Noah (police detective) and Hannah.

There is family drama lightened up with little (stubborn) Peach, Hannah’s niece who wants to grow up to be just like her aunt who she thinks plays in mud all day.

The story ends with a thought provoking point about how the choices made can change the trajectory of someone’s life and possibly those around them. The choices made by Ezra and Molly, triggered so many changes in their lives and the lives of those around them. It also touches on the them of penance.

This is a first time read of this author and I enjoyed it.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for the opportunity to do an early read and share my thoughts on the story.

Happy Reading!

Release Date: 9-July-2024

Cozy Mystery, Audiobook, Female Sleuth, NetGalley

Plot Summary

A quaint Vermont inn offers idyllic peace–until a body is found on the property–in this charming series debut perfect for fans of Ellen Byron and Ellery Adams.

When 33-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 80-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.