This was my first book by Carrie Doyle, and I am looking forward to reading more.
In this easy read, cozy mystery, Antonia decides to move across country to the Hamptons and buy an Inn. She spends months carefully refurbishing it and loves everything about it. Things are moving along well until she hears a rumor that all the previous owners of the inn have died mysterious deaths. Together with her new friend, Joseph, Antonia plays detective and carefully investigates the deaths of the previous owners. There seem to be a lot of suspects and many motives. It then becomes clear that whoever is responsible is now trying to run her out of town too. Can Antonia and Joseph solve the mystery before she becomes the next victim?
Great, fun story. Highly recommend.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Death on Windmill Way takes place in the East Hamptons at a restored inn with restaurant run by the main character, Antonia. As the author introduces the characters of the story, we also learn that several of the past innkeepers have met unlikely demises including the most recent one. This leads Antonia to investigate the previous owner's death and interact with the residents in the town. Another murder occurs along the way leading up to a Poirot-like reveal of the murderer! I enjoyed the story, but struggled to connect with some of the characters including Antonia. Some of her investigating felt unnatural and questionable compared to other cozy mysteries I've read. It was a slow read for me, but the story picked up towards the end, and I felt like the author gave enough clues that the murderer reveal made sense. Perhaps the next one in the series will correct some of the character issues I had.

Having purchased the Windmill Inn after moving from California, Antonia Bingham soon discovers a rumor that Windmill Inn inn keepers are cursed and doomed to die. Did the previous owner die from a heart attack as stated, or was he murdered? But wait...the owner before that is still alive, or was...is it the curse at work? Are Antonia's days numbered? Twist and turns keep you guessing before the truth is finally revealed.

A great East Coast locale that makes me feel closer to home with each page.

This was was my first Carrie Doyle book and I liked it quite a bit. It was a cozy mystery that seemed to have a little more substance to it than a typical cozy.

The whodunit was well written, I had a guess towards the end but wasn’t entirely sure. My favorite aspect of cozies is when the author gives you a true feel for the location and the locals and in this case it’s the Hamptons describes so well that I could picture it completely.

Characters can also make or break a story and j really liked Antonia. Joseph was a lovely friend to her too. It seems I’m not alone in the next opinion, but Larry was a bit overly obnoxious but unfortunately somewhat realistic.

I’ll be interested in ready more books by this author!

I really enjoy this book. I was a cozy but not super sweet. The main character was spunky. The plot was fun too. The only thing is she seemed a little judgmental of people’s appearance but she was of her own too, so guess that was just part of her personality. I enjoyed the interactions between her and Adam.

A wonderful mystery reminiscent of Agatha Christie, set in the lovely Hamptons. The author describes the town and inn so well you almost feel like you are there. Antonia is a likeable character and her elderly friend Joseph is a lovable character! The mystery was engaging enough that once I thought I knew the killer, I went back to read an early description of the person to confirm my suspicions. Normally, I don't even try to solve the mystery. I do find the character of Larry the reporter offensive and would like it if his behavior wasn't tolerated just because Antonia needed his information. Although, that's very much what happens in the real world. I'm not sure if this is turning into a series but I would definitely future installments.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

cozy-mystery, family-dynamics, friendship, greed, mystery, murder-investigation

Antonia needs a real break to get away from her abusive ex-husband so she follows a friend's advice and moves from California to The Hamptons on Long Island New York and buys a historic inn that has recently gone up for sale. She has absolutely no experience in hospitality, but she is a good chef and has former employees to help and guide. Then she overhears a conversation indicating that the previous owners all had an early suspicious death and she questions herself. Not so much when malicious happenstances begin happening to her. Let the sleuthing begin! For the very detail oriented, this is exactly the right book. I liked it but the detailed descriptions left me lukewarm.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley.

The Trouble With A Curse.....
The first in the Hamptons Murder Mystery series from Carrie Doyle. Chef Antonia Bingham, seeking an escape, relocated to the Hamptons and is now new owner of East Hampton’s Windmill Inn. What she didn’t bank on was a local curse. When she discovers that previous owners have died in suspicious circumstances she begins an investigation of her own. A fun and entertaining mystery with a likeable protagonist in Antonia, a cast of colourful characters and an enjoyable plot in a delightful setting. Light, engaging reading and some guaranteed escapism.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of DEATH ON WINDMILL WAY (Book 1 of the Hamptons Murder Mysteries) by Carrie Doyle in exchange for an honest review. Antonia Bingham has purchased and luxuriously refurbished East Hampton’s Windmill Inn. Business is slowly increasing, but Antonia’s new business is still running in the red. When one of the guests informs Antonia that most of the previous owners have died under suspicious circumstances, Antonia’s lovely inn begins to seem more creepy than comforting. Before long, the person who sold the inn to Antonia dies under her own set of suspicious circumstances. Antonia then begins her hunt for the person making the spooky story a true tale. After all, Antonia doesn’t want to become the next victim of the local legend.

I thought this book was a good start to a new series. I liked that the author didn’t kick off the series by making the heroine or someone close to her a murder suspect. Instead, the author found a different way to give Antonia an interest in solving the case. I recommend this book to fans of Carrie Doyle and to fans of cozy mysteries featuring murder, inns, restaurants, new beginnings, and new businesses.

Overall, this is a nice edition to the cozy genre. Antonia is likable and interesting and the mystery builds to a likely conclusion. My only real complaint is Larry, the reporter in the book. He is utterly unlikable, which seems to be the point, but every scene he was in was uncomfortable and I'd rather he be toned down or not make an appearance at all.

here are lots of reasons why I choose a novel. For instance, I won a giveaway last year for the second book in the Hamptons Murder Mystery series written by Carrie Doyle and enjoyed reading it. Given the author doesn't live too far from me in NYC and I've been to the Hamptons where the books take place, it felt like a good match... so I'm reading the series from the beginning starting with the first one, Death on Windmill Way. 4.5 stars to this wonderful gem that helped me jump out of a small reading slump last week where I tried three books and couldn't get into any of them. This one left me excited to read again, and I'll soon be picking up the next in series to keep moving forward.

Antonia moved to the Hamptons ~8 months earlier on a whim. She'd been in an awful relationship, lived in California, and needed a fresh start. She purchased an inn (sight unseen) based on a friend's suggestion and immediately remodeled it. When the book kicks off, she's just re-opened post-summer season to good reviews but is still struggling to make ends meet. Antonia slowly learns of a curse haunting past owners of the inn which steers her in the direction of researching the history she should've learned about before buying the place (she knows she messed up, too!). Unfortunately, she learns the curse is more than just a rumor - someone has been killing them, but why? Between former and new staff at the inn, some residents in the town, a few friends she makes, and the local reporter, Antonia uses her ingenuity to solve the case. The police aren't even involved until a second murder takes place, but since it looks like an accident at first, they're not inclined to do much.

My absolute favorite part of the book occurs when Antonia gathers all the suspects together at a dinner party and one by one picks them off... um, I mean... reveals their secrets or explains why they could be the killer. She leaves someone for last, and it's a doozy! I had two possible culprits in mind, and I was right with one of them. That said, it's not obvious, and the weaving in and out of everyone's alibis and motives is truly a great story. Antonia is a strong lead character, very well developed, but with a few personality traits that might irk some. She's a tad judgmental (equally against all people in an understandable way) but overly honest and dedicated. I really look forward to see how she develops over the series and getting to meet the rest of the regulars in the town.