Liz Holt returns to Indialantic, Florida where her father runs the Indialantic by the Sea Hotel. We meet an odd assortment of characters who appear to find little to do other than drop names of old movies. (How many old titles can be fit into the book? Hundreds, it seemed.) Robbery appears to be the motive when a wealthy guest turns up dead about 40% of the way into the book. This installment failed to make me care about the amateur sleuth, detective, or any other character. I felt the author simply tried to show off her knowledge of old movies. I looked forward to a mystery set in this locale but came away disappointed. Other readers may find it more appealing. I will skip future installments. I received an advance reader's copy through NetGalley with the expectation an honest review would be written.

The blurb mentioning Melbourne Beach is what drew my attention with friends living in Melbourne FL. and I wasn't disappointed. Loved the Nancy Drew references. Wonderful story that kept my attention, was well written with colorful characters. Looking forward to more.

First book that I've read by Kathleen Bridge and it was fantastic. Really fun bunch of characters. I loved all the references to Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys since those were the first books I read. Really enjoyed the book with colorful Aunt Amelia and the gang. Very excited to read more in this series.

This is the first book of a new series and hopefully more to come as I couldn't put it down.
Liz returns home after living in New York and a shattered reputation.
Living with her great aunt Amelia Dad and friends could never be boring .
I always love starting a new series as you get to know all of the main characters and what sort of location they are in .
I enjoyed the storyline and found it very interesting, I wasn't sure who the killer was it kept me guessing as there were a few red herrings thrown in . A very good start to a new series.
Thanks to net gally and publisher for letting me read and review this book .

Death By The Sea introduces us to Liz Holt, a writer returning to Melbourne Florida after a decade in New York. We are also introduced to Liz’s colorful family and a cast of quirky clientele of the family-run hotel, The Indialantic by the Sea. When a wealthy resident is found murdered, it becomes clear they have stumbled across a burglary gone wrong or a cold blooded killer. The plot builds steadily and secrets are steadily revealed. This book is great for cozy mystery fans who enjoy quirky characters and seaside locations.

Death by the Sea is the first book in Kathleen Bridge’s By the Sea Mystery series. The author provides beautiful descriptions and lots of history about the family-run inn and the surrounding area. The characters are well developed. As is often true in the first book in a series, the mystery doesn’t start until close to the middle of the book, but then the well-plotted mystery moved at a quick pace, with lots of twists and turns. I’m looking forward to reading the next installment in this series.

Liz Holt, an award-winning author, returns to Melbourne Beach, Florida from Manhattan, where she’s lived for the past ten years, after being involved in a scandal with her writer boyfriend. She’s staying at her childhood home, an old style Florida hotel, Indialantic by the Sea Hotel, which is owned by her eighty-year-old paternal great-aunt, Amelia Eden Holt, a former television character actress. After her mother passed away when she was five years old, she moved there with her dad, Fenton, who is an attorney. Amelia has a foul mouthed but adorable thirty-year-old macaw named Barnacle Bob. Liz’s great-aunt and dad surprised her with the beach house so she would have a place to continue her writing, but she’s using her role helping at the Indialantic and being her dad’s assistant as an excuse not to write. A large portion of the hotel is now home to a collection of quirky characters and their pets. Liz is organizing the First annual Indialantic Spring Fling by the Sea at the emporium they recently opened and dealing with Regina Harrington-Worth, their new celebrity guest, who is overbearing and making everyone miserable. Regina and her husband are staying in the Oceana Suite and when a robbery occurs, she’s strangled and her husband is stabbed. Fenton’s friend, Agent Charlotte Pearson, is in charge of the case, but Liz is determined to find out if it was a burglary gone wrong or an intentional act and Liz’s childhood friend, Kate Fields, and several residents get involved in finding out what happened so their lives can return to normal. Sparks fly between Liz and Ryan Stone, who’s taken a leave from the New York City Fire Department to help his grandfather, Pops, at the Deci-casies by the Sea while Pops’ new knee heals.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

Death by the Sea by Kathleen Bridge was an amazing introduction to this new cozy series. I seriously am ready to move into the Indialantic by the Sea hotel now.

Ms. Bridge's descriptive writing of the characters and the hotel made me feel like I was part of the family right from the beginning. I admired Liz. Her strength as she committed herself to her new life back home at the hotel was impressive. The permanent residents of the Indialantic were a quirky group that I fell in love with. I want to meet Betty and get some of my Nancy Drew books autographed by her. The plot was quick and flowed smoothly throughout the twists and turns of this well plotted mystery. The characters are developing in this first book and I look forward to the opportunity to get to know them better as the series progresses. I'm already excited about reading the next book in the series.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Lyrical Underground via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.

Good start to a new series,. Enjoyed and looking forward to the next book.

A charming new mystery featuring a delightful setting in the Florida barrier islands and a set of quirky yet interesting characters. Liz Holt grew up in an old style Florida hotel owned by her great-aunt, a former television character actress. After a career in New York as an award winning author Liz is embroiled in a literary scandal and forced to retreat to her childhood home. The hotel is now only home to a collection of elderly characters when the horrible heiress Regina and her husband David check in because they need a place that will allow her to bring her cat, she makes life for everyone miserable. When Regina is murdered and David injured Liz and her fellow residents, including Betty a former writer of Nancy Drew books, get involved in finding out who did it so their lives can return to normal. Reading this book is a good time, bringing laughs along with a devious plot.

I was excited to read this book because I have spent quite a lot of time on Melbourne Beach in Florida. In this story, Liz Holt returns home to her family-run inn from the rat race in New York City. Being back home with family, surrounded by friends and balmy breezes is just the thing she needs. But things take an ugly turn when one of the inn’s most wealthy guests is murdered. Was it a robbery gone wrong? Or something more sinister? To save her family’s reputation and their business, Liz is determined to find out. I really enjoyed reading this book that took me to the beaches of the east coast of Florida and far away from my snowy home in Maine