This is the second in the series but the first I have read. The book felt flat, not well-plotted, and the characters did not resonate with me. I would not recommend this book be read out of sequence. I was a bit lost. The author doesn’t give you enough information to follow along if you missed the first book. My recommendation, give the reader a little background or don’t refer to incidents or people in the previous book.

I am going to pass on this series as there are so many more to read.
There is a resident ghost, Doris. This was intriguing.

I was given a copy and these are my opinions.

Coastal Corpse is a haunted cozy mystery.
Cass Peake lives on the water and she has a ghost for a roommate. A corpse washes up on the beach at Cass' house and she solves the murder.
Lots of twists and turns and in an Agatha Christie style, everyone has a motive -- keeping the reader on the edge of their seat.

Princess Fuzzypants here: There is a lot going on in this story as Cass gets drawn into another murder where the victim is found on the beach near her home. It turns out the victim is the aunt of her next door neighbour who came to sort through issues with the family trust. There is the brother of the neighbour who may or may not benefit from the trust. There is the ex-husband of the victim who may have been pining to reconnect with the victim. There are a lot of moving parts. There are various townsfolk who suspect that Cass’s home is haunted and think she is responsible for the murder rate in town.
They are right about the first supposition. In fact Doris, her resident ghost and now friend, is very much involved in finding the truth. Doris has a cool talent where she can inhabit Cass’s cat Thor to come together as Thoris. Thoris is my favourite part of the book. Not everyone knows about Doris including the police officer who may or may not become Cass’s squeeze. Cass is going to have to come clean and soon.
Once all and sundry are up to speed about Doris and they hold a seance, the killer is revealed and brought to justice. There are some great characters, like Thoris, who bring lots of potential to develop. But it is definitely Doris, and Thor, who steal the show.
Four purrs and two paws up.

This is book 2 in the Cass Peake Cozy mystery series and I did not read book 1, Murder Beach. I'm thinking it might have helped to have some background of the characters and story from book 1. I've read several authors that have the similar story line of a ghost living with a person in an old house. Ghost Doris is hoping to find a way to crossover and helps cottage owner, Cass solve murders. It's Halloween and Doris and Cass help find who killed a woman on the beach who looks remarkable like Cass. An ok story, fans of ghost cozy's will enjoy. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is a lively cosy, and is the sequel to ‘Murder Beach’. You don’t have to have read that one first, but I think it probably helps as there are quite a lot of characters to get to know quickly otherwise.
This is a paranormal cosy, a combination that works very well in this author’s hands. The setting of Las Lunas is lovely, and very atmospheric. We have a pair of sleuths – Cass, an energetic divorcee, and Doris, a ghost. She was murdered many years ago. She takes on animal form if she needs to go out of the house to help Cass. Now, how clever is that little touch to the plot! And talking of animals, there’s also Thor the cat, and he certainly lends a paw.
There’s love interest for Cass, so there’s a hint of romance as well as a mystery and lots of enjoyable entertainment in this impressive book.

This book was a slow burn for me. I found it took me a fair while to get into it and before I found myself actually wanting to continue reading it. I am glad I stuck with the book as it was a really good mystery. I enjoyed the ghost interactions and the cat. I like the characters and the book got very interesting and I was always looking forward to my next night of reading a chapter or two.

Coastal Corpse is second in this series and you should read the first book before this one. The characters are interesting and well developed. The storyline is entertaining.

Coastal Corpse is the second book in a series but can be read by itself. (I have not read the first book but intend on doing so after reading this.)

Cass lives in a haunted house adjacent to a beach known for murder. So it is no surprise when a body is found while her brother and sister-in-law are visiting for Halloween. Initially a suspect, Cass helps the police solve the case and catch the murderer.

I am thankful for the electronic copy of this book I received from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I gave up at 76%. I'd put it down then go back, read a little, then put it down again. The characters and events were just boring to me. Doris, the ghost, didn't even add and life to it.

I didn't hate it, but wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I love this fun cozy mystery ! This is my first in the series of two books. .I will immediately read the first "Murder Beach" after enjoying this book so much. .Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the ARC. My review opinion is my own. I highly recommend this fun mystery for your reading enjoyment. This is the perfect blend of mystery, paranormal and humor with a great setting and likable charcters

Right away I liked the protagonist Cass Peake . Cass is divorced and bought herself a adorable haunted cottage on the beach in fictional Las Lunas California . This is a small coastal community, warm and inviting to the reader. Cass has a love interest, a police detective that she reconnected with after dating in college. She is busy staring a new business with her friends and she is well liked and considered a good friend.
Her resident ghost is Doris who provides humor as well as investigating advice. Doris was murdered in the 1920's and has the added fun of changing her hair and outfits often . Thor is Cass cat who has a unique relationship with Doris as she cannot leave the house unless she is a animal . So she and Thor have a truce and trade off . Its a wonderfully smart part of this series and a lot of humor ensues with Doris, Cass and their relationship.

When a murder occurs before Halloween in front of the cottage, Cass is on the case and soon finds the mystery may involve a trust fund, a neighbor and herself ! Much to the chagrin of her love interest she investigates and puts herself at risk.

I loved this new series and look forward to the next in series. This is a smart fun read with a excellent well crafted sleuth. I love the charcters including Doris and Thor. The setting is enjoyable on the coast and the supporting charcters all add to the story. Very well done to the author !

Blurb: Happily settled in her cozy cottage with its resident ghost, Cass Peake looks forward to Halloween. Then another corpse is found on her beachfront. With the support of family and her ghostly roommate, Cass investigates. To her dismay, she finds the murder victim handled her goofy neighbor's trust fund and he was in dire need of money. The suspect list grows with a former husband, another needy relative, and a maybe shady accountant who suddenly disappears. To top it all off, rumors circulate about treasure hidden in Cass's cottage. Detective George Ho doesn't like his Cass snooping around. Despite that, sparks still fly between him and Cass. But superstitious George has no idea Cass's home is haunted. Can Cass solve the mystery and renew the romance with her ghost-adverse ex?

Review:
Now that she has settled into her haunted seaside cottage, with its resident ghost Doris, Cass is looking forward to Halloween with her brother and sister-in-law. But when a murdered body is found near her house, things get a little too spooky. The body the aunt of her close neighbor—and she just happens to be the person running his trust fund. The suspect list grows as Cass discovers reasons for them all to want the woman dead. To complicate matters, Detective George Ho, an old/maybe new again boyfriend, doesn’t like Cassie snooping around because she might be the target. And then there’s Doris, Cass’s ghost, who helps out with some of the mystery, but also causes problems when superstitious George finds out about her.

What I liked: Doris! She’s a hoot. And Thor (the cat who Doris sometimes inhabits). In fact, all the characters were interesting as was the mystery itself. It’s an interesting mix of cozy mystery and paranormal aspects that meld together well.

What I didn’t like: Coming into a series when you haven’t read the first one often leaves you trying to figure out back story. I was a little lost because of this. But… that being said, I wasn’t so lost that I didn’t enjoy the story. Also, there were two clues that I don’t believe were addressed and I wondered who had done them: who left the recording pen in Cass’s kitchen and who took the plastic bag of “found” things from the counter? I *think* I know who it was, but am not certain. Just a couple of really small details that left me dangling.

Recommendations: I definitely recommend this, but suggest strongly that you get the first one in the series first (Murder Beach) and read that so you know better what’s going on. Beyond that, I can’t wait for more of these books!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review

Vicky 10/29/19

Now that she has settled into her “haunted “, with its resident ghost, Cass is looking forward to Halloween. Then, a murdered body is found near her house. The body is that of a relative of her close neighbor and the person who runs his trust fund. Several possible suspects come to light. The neighbor seems to be in need of money, though Cassie really does not know why. Next is his cousin, also a beneficiary of the trust fund, who is a new doctor with lots of schooling bills to pay off. Then there is the accountant, who came along with the dead woman, who has disappeared. Finally, there is the woman’s ex-husband, who just happens to be in town, though the woman, for all we know, did not know he was there—and why. Cass must ferret through a myriad of clues, while figuring out which of the suspects is the murderer. To complicate matters, Detective George Ho, her sort of beau, does not like Cassie snooping around, though he seems to enjoy interacting with her and her friends, while everyone remains involved in the case. Cass must now dig in and figure out what happened and why.

I have not read the other book in the series. Though that did not present any real problems for me, more back story would have helped me understand and better appreciate the story. I found this book interesting. The mix of paranormal and real-life mystery intrigued me as I read. It was interesting to watch Cass and George interact, and it was obvious their relationship was far from over. The story moved along smoothly and went rather quickly. I though the writing and story development were done well enough, but I though more lead-up to the ending may have helped. Still, I would rate this a pretty good cozy. It will interest anyone who likes cozies, as well as the reader who likes them along with the intermingling of paranormal and reality. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

While I somewhat enjoyed this book, i had some problems with it. I wanted more Halloween, first and foremost. I thought the author uses fancy vocabulary unnecessarily for some unknown reason. I don’t like that two characters have such similar names - Mia and Mina. And finally, while I understand the financial reasons, I just don’t know why someone would stay at a home which has had two bodies in the beach ( and as we learn later there was another before she moved there.) It also seems like there is little regard for the dead.
I do not think I will continue with the series, I liked the premise but not the execution.

A new author for me to read.
I enjoyed it immensely with a little paranormal and a ghost what more can you want.
Fun read and a great plot
Definitely recommend this book and author.
Looking forward for the next instalment.
Many thanks to The wild rose press and to NetGalley for advance copy for my honest review.

bookshelves: ghosts, cozy-mystery, murder-investigation, family-dynamics, relationship-issues

This is one busy cozy! The publisher's blurb gives the basic intro and it's enough to pique interest, but the story itself is what kept me reading all evening. Great characters that are easy to relate to, a few brief tidbits on the perception of several cultures regarding spirits, and a different slant on murder victims. Loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from The Wild Rose Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

A cozy mystery set around Halloween. Black cats, ghosts and dead bodies abound. This is the first book I've read in the series, and may have made a difference. I started it out strong, and then tended to skim more in the middle, as it seemed to get a bit repetitive. Overall though, I enjoyed it enough to finish it, and would recommend it.

This is the first time I've read this author and I really enjoyed this mystery. The characters were interesting as was the setting. They mystery kept me guessing. I look forward to more in this series.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Coastal Corpse was an entertaining paranormal cosy. I liked several of the characters and the interaction between them, but I felt the ending could have been written a lot better.

A new to me author, glad I gave it a chance. Complete with a wonderful family, a seance and a ghost, and a main character who can't keep her nose out it. I look forward to reading more by this author.

An entertaining and engrossing paranormal cozy, well written and enjoyable.
I liked the well written cast of characters, the setting and the mystery that kept me guessing.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.