Fresh, fun, and well-written! Odessa and this cast of quirky characters make for a quick, delightful read! Can't wait for more in this series!

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC!

This modern take on the cozy mystery genre is a hit! Odessa Dean is a Southern girl living in NYC working at a cafe in a bookstore while taking care of her aunt's cat. What's not to love about that? I loved getting to know her and her friends as she tries to figure out what happened to her co-worker. The mystery kept me guessing until the end. The tweets at the beginning of each chapter were fun. I recommend Killer Content to everyone who wants to travel but is still stuck at home.

Quirky, cozy and laugh out loud funny! I adored this book! I don’t normally ready cozy mystery’s but this was just different and I ate up every word. I adored Olivia, I want to be best friends with her.

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for my advanced ebook copy.

Odessa Dean is still getting used to life in New York City after spending her first quarter century or so in the sleepy Louisiana town of Piney Island. Her aunt needed a cat-sitter while jaunting off to Europe for three months, so Odessa happily took the opportunity to see the big city, rent-free. Aunt Melanie tried to give her some spending money, but Odessa had been sure her savings would be fine for the summer, a notion she was swiftly disabused of after only a few weeks of living in a place far more expensive than her rural hometown.

So Odessa gets a job waitressing at Untapped Books & Cafe, a position she both loves and hates. When her co-worker Bethany Kostolus abruptly leaves mid-shift on a matter of “life and death”, Odessa is mostly annoyed at having to cover for her, especially when Bethany is gone for much longer than promised. When Bethany doesn’t come back at all, Odessa begins to suspect something is seriously wrong, even before she views a local flash mob proposal going viral on social media for all the wrong reasons. Instead of attracting attention for the happy occasion, the video is snagging viewers for footage of someone plunging to her death from overhead. Odessa is shocked to recognize that someone as poor Bethany.

Despite the cops, including the handsome Detective Vincent Castillo, ruling Bethany’s death an accident, Odessa is convinced that foul play must have been involved. Her persistence in investigating earns her mostly exasperation from Detective Castillo, who is understandably unhappy at her amateur attempts at detection:

QUOTE
"Let me guess, you read a lot of mystery novels."

I shook my head. "No, but I do listen to true crime podcasts."

"Listening to podcasts doesn't make you a detective."

"Why not?" I argued. "I taught myself how to sew a Renaissance Faire costume, complete with corset, by watching YouTube videos. I could get a whole master's degree online if I wanted to."
END QUOTE

This very millennial attitude permeates this fun contemporary cozy novel as Odessa traverses Williamsburg in search of clues as to what really happened to Bethany, getting to know her co-workers better and making friends along the way. As someone on the cusp between being a millennial and a Gen Xer myself, I spent my time alternately nodding along in recognition and cringing in embarrassment as Odessa blithely makes her way, fish out of water style, through solving a murder while navigating life in 21st century New York City. I also really enjoyed her growing relationships with the diverse and quirky cast of characters, as well as the deftly handled romantic subplots.

Perhaps what I enjoyed most of all was Olivia Blacke’s commitment to depicting the unexpected best (and occasional worst) of Williamsburg. From thrift stores and squatters to dog parks and locavores, Ms Blacke seamlessly blends the very real concerns of modern Williamsburg residents into her narrative, as here where Odessa’s co-worker Parker addresses her concerns about the beehives he maintains on the roof of Untapped:

QUOTE
"Are you kidding? The neighbors love them. My bees pollinate every flowerbed and community garden within two miles. That's like most of Williamsburg. If it weren't for my bees, all of the beer and veggies we serve in the cafe would get their ingredients from Jersey or something instead of right here in Brooklyn. Take our most popular beer, Pour Williamsburg. They use coriander, grown on the rooftop garden next door and pollinated by my bees, to give it that extra little flavor. Then they bottle it in Park Slope and deliver it out of the back of a minivan. That's what makes eating local so special. The whole of Brooklyn can get involved."
END QUOTE

Both charming and rooted in reality, this entertaining debut is a breath of fresh air in the cozy genre, featuring a sleuth who reads like an actual 20-something in the right now instead of from the last century. The use of technology and social media throughout was also really well done, especially with the ways Odessa used both to help her find and trap a killer. I’m excited to see where Ms Blacke goes with this delightful cast next, and am looking forward to solving more mysteries with Odessa as she grows into full-fledged independence and adulthood.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Cozy mysteries are usually too…cozy and action-less, for me, but Killer Content piqued my interest and persuaded me to give the genre another shot. And once I reframed my mindset in terms of the branding of the “cozy,” I found I was able to enjoy what this one brought to the table.

One of the best parts is the setting…while I’ve read several books set in New York, I liked how this one generally felt like a no s change of pace, even keeping in mind it is a busy metropolitan area. The cute little Williamsburg apartment and charming bookstore/cafe are examples of settings that feel idyllic, and I loved the vibes I got from them.

And the fact that Odessa herself is new to the area makes it easy for a non-resident to resonate and soak it all in with her. Not only that, but there’s a charming recurring cast of characters that are absolutely delightful.

The mystery itself is engaging, and I was impressed with how it was still able to deal with a complex crime and the questions around it without delving too much into the shock value, as I feel like some other cozies I read pulled back too much and lost my interest as a result, to the point that I didn’t really miss the lack of intensity of a more standard mystery.

This is one of those books that, to my knowledge, appeals to all the familiar cozy mystery tropes, yet is still accessible for someone who isn’t so sure about the genre or its appeal yet.

Killer Content by Olivia Blacke was a killer murder mystery! This was good enough to brave reading on my Kindle in the bathtub which is a hallmark of how much I NEEDED to know what would happen next! Our sleuth is Odessa Dean from a small town in Louisiana, but thanks to her aunt's spoiled cat she's a temporary New Yorker in a swanky Brooklyn apartment. She gets a job as a waitress at a cafe/bar/bookstore. When one of her coworkers dies a bit mysteriously, she is on the case like her many true crime podcasts have prepped her be.

Odessa is amazing, I love seeing a younger slueth who isn't afraid to investigate and has fun hobbies like sewing! I can't wait to see where this series goes! Put this one on your must read today!

If Untapped books & café is a real place I wanna go there right now! Killer Content was a quick read. I personally don't read many 'cozy mysteries' and I'm not sure if it is my favourite theme/genre. One main issue I had with the book is unnecessary details given throughout as well is repeated/similar scenes. For example, Odessa talking about the heat wave in New York, the food that the cook makes, etc. It made the book a lot slower and did not add any value. Other than that, I liked the characters- especially Odessa. she was fun and I liked her inner-dialogue. All of them were interesting and had distinctive personalities. Overall, this book was a miss for me, but readers who enjoy cozy mysteries may enjoy this!

Killer Content by Olivia Blacke is an interesting cozy mystery that had me invested in the characters.

Odessa Dean is cat-sitting for her aunt for a few months in Brooklyn. Odessa is from a small town in Louisiana and is now living in one of the nicest apartments in the city. She works at Untapped Books and Coffee. She likes her job but doesn’t have any friends. Odessa is also still getting used to living in a city. One day at work, Bethany asks her to cover for her while she leaves for an hour. Bethany doesn’t return to work because she died. Everyone is convinced Bethany’s death was an accident except Odessa. Odessa hardly knew Bethany but will do anything to prove she was killed. Bethany is trying to find the murderer.

I really enjoyed Killer Content. The story grabbed my attention from the very beginning. The characters are definitely one of the best parts of Killer Content. Odessa is quirky and relatable. Her aunt offered to pay her to stay at her apartment, but Odessa refused. She decided to get a job as a waitress instead. Her boss makes her do odd jobs that he doesn’t feel like doing like walking his dog. Odessa works had and doesn’t let this bother her. Odessa doesn’t fit in with most of her coworkers and even when she hears them making fun of her, she is still nice to them. When Bethany dies, she will do anything to find out what actually happened even when people try to convince her to give up. When another coworker she hardly knows needs somewhere to stay, she breaks her aunt’s rules and lets Izzy move in. Izzy and Odessa quickly develop a friendship. Izzy tries to be a good house guest by cooking and cleaning for Odessa. Bethany is an interesting character. Odessa discovers many things about Bethany during her search. Odessa is put in some interesting situations that are very entertaining.

I recommend Killer Content to fans of cozy mysteries. I usually do not read cozy mysteries but am so glad I read this one. I will definitely be reading more cozy mysteries and looking forward to book two in A Brooklyn Murder Mystery series.

Thank you Berkley Publishing, NetGalley and Edelweiss for Killer Content.

I liked the premise of this book - a 20-something woman from small town Louisiana goes to New York to spend a summer house and cat-sitting for her aunt in Brooklyn. She takes a job as a waitress in a combo cafe/bar/bookstore, and right at the beginning of the book, she sees one of her coworkers fall to her death in the background of a viral flash mob proposal video filmed just minutes before she sees it. Though she barely knows the woman, she decides to get involved and pushes her way into the police investigation in a way that I assume would be very much not appreciated in real life. I liked Odessa as a main character but I didn't like the writing style in this book - it was overly descriptive/explanatory often (like "so and so is a vegan, and that means that she doesn't eat any animal products including eggs and honey"). I think I would have enjoyed it more if the writing style was a bit sparer.

3.5 cozy + quirky + laugh out loud stars to this debut whodunit mystery novel! Odessa is a Southern girl, living in Brooklyn for the summer, cat sitting for her aunt and waitressing at a bookstore cafe. One of her coworkers is murdered and Odessa, a true crime junkie + concerned coworker, is determined to solve the mystery and deliver justice for her friend. Full of hilarious misadventures and interactions, this book kept me laughing and entertained until the end. It was a quick, fun read. Perfect for fans of the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich.

Thank you to Berkeley Publishing + Netgalley for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love a who done it - especially when the one figuring it out is someone who takes matters into their own hands. Well done.

I am new to the cozy mystery genre, but absolutely adored this book! Just delightful. This book is book one in the Brooklyn Murder Mystery series. Odessa has recently moved from Louisiana to Brooklyn where she is house and cat sitting for her aunt and working at Untapped Books & Café. When her coworker Bethany has fallen to her death, the police deem it an accident. But Odessa believes Bethany, an influencer with a large following, has been murdered. Odessa makes it her mission to solve the crime. This was a fun and entertaining book. Odessa is relatable, smart and kind. Even though the pace stalled a bit in the middle, it ramped up again towards the end. I would definitely read the next book in the series! Thank you to Berkeley Publishing Group and Netgalley for the advanced review copy and for introducing me to the cozy mystery genre!

I would recommend this for patrons who like Laura Levine's Jaine Austen series, or other cozy mysteries more on the humorous side. For me this book was a little too "millennial" and I couldn't really relate to the characters. And there were a lot of comments made about the rude manager who seemed to be a stereotype of what the author perceived as a typical gen-xer. The mystery was not well-crafted but most books in this genre are read for the characters and interactions than the actual crime-solving. However, I don't think my typical cozy mystery readers would connect well with Odessa.

I really wanted to love this cozy mystery, but it was a little dry and boring for me. The characters were cute, but the story was very slow.

Odessa Dean is housesitting for her Aunt in Brooklyn. She comes from a very small town in Louisiana so there is culture shock with her new environment. She is lucky enough that her Aunt lives in an awesome apartment. And she finds a job as a waitress in a cafe/book shop. It sounds like she has a charmed life.

The mystery begins when her coworker, Bethany, dies in a near by park. The cops rule it an accident, but Odessa believes there is something suspicious about her death. She begins digging into Bethany's life.

I like that Odessa was not as irritating a sleuth as some cozy mystery protagonists. She asks a lot of questions, but goes about it in a nice way. The reveal of the murderer is believable and makes sense. I like it when the murderer doesn't come entirely out of left field. My only complaint of Odessa as a character is that she seems too nice and lets too many people take advantage of her. I felt annoyed on her behalf.

This is a fun book and Odessa is a great character. I enjoyed reading it and I’m looking forward to reading more in this series.

I received an ARC fron NetGalley and the publisher.

Thank you to @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.
Publication - February 2, 2021

A small town girl from Louisiana finds herself in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York City, New York for three months to house sit for her aunt. After recognizing her meager savings will not sustain her fun while in NYC, Odessa gets job as a waitress at a local cafe specializing in craft beers, organic foods, a lazy old hound and an assorted cast of characters.

A warm summer day in Williamsburg brings a flash mob proposal and Brittany, another waitress at the cafe, rushes out on the pretense of a life or death matter at the park. Brittany never returns to work and videos on the internet show her lifeless body laying on the ground.

Odessa jumps into the investigation as she believes it is more than an accident that took Brittany's life. Unfortunate mishaps burden Odessa's investigation over the course of the week from dumpster diving to getting arrested. Throughout the book, Odessa is undeterred by the authorities labeling of an accident, and is determined to identify the killer who took her friends life.

The book is exciting in the beginning, gets bogged down in the middle building the facts and the conclusion is rushed. There are moments in the cafe that are completely irrelevant to story which mitigate the story. Killer Content (A Brooklyn Murder Mystery #1) is a quick read.

Someone please tell me Untapped Books and Cafe is a real place!! ROAD TRIP.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this advanced copy! I really enjoyed getting to know Odessa and how quirky she was. It was interesting to see how her true-crime obsession led to her being certain that her coworker was murdered instead of it being an accident like the police stated. In my opinion, it just seemed a bit far fetched. Odessa only knew her coworker for about a week and it seemed as though she was just forcing herself to be part of the story. It felt like it was being dragged along. I was also very annoyed at the fact that every couple of pages there was a mention of Odessa being from Louisiana. I think a couple of times was sufficient. But overall, I assumed this was going to be a campy murder mystery and that our main character was going to have more skills at her disposal but sadly that wasn't the case. I do still think it was a fun read but I think it was missing a bit more plot. It just seemed off with how quickly Odessa became obsessed with this death.

A great mystery that kept me turning the pages!
I've been dying to read this book!
Thanks NetGalley publisher and author!
This book is everything and then some!
Had no idea it was going to be this so dang good!

Killer Content by Olivia Blacke is a Brooklyn based murder mystery novel. Odessa is from small-town Louisiana, only in NY for the summer. When her co-worker, a waitress by day and DIY soap making Youtuber by night is caught on video falling to her death Odessa knows it isn’t an accident. Sure, she doesn’t know Bethany all that well, but she has watched a lot of true crime podcasts. With the police telling her to back off and an absolute nightmare of a manager, Odessa is determined to find the killer.
As a New Yorker I am definitely biased, but there were entirely too many descriptions of random scenery from Brooklyn, the setting of the novel, for my taste. This book felt like it was half walking tour of Williamsburg half murder mystery. Blacke was also constantly reinforcing the small town girl meets the big city trope by including random facts about the small town in Louisiana and mentioning that Odessa wears cowboy boots. I found the character development to be incredibly lacking. For example, Odessa is cat and apartment sitting for her rich aunt. But, it is never made clear how her aunt got rich, where she went, if they were close or not, and why she has so many weird rules that Odessa seems to constantly be breaking. There was also no resolution on several matters, including the fate of one of her friends who is currently a squatter and if she stays in her job working for a boss who abuses his power daily. Finally, there were no twists-and-turns, no fake outs, and really little mystery. I was surprised to find out who the killer was, mostly because they seemed irrelevant for most of the book. Mostly, I was confused why Odessa was so obsessed with this girl’s death, when she barely knew her and everyone she knew was telling her to drop it.

3.25 stars
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TW; Death
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Odessa Dean is from a small Louisiana town who is learning to adapt to a new Brooklyn life as she watches over her Aunt's cat for the next few months. During her few months she gets a job at Untapped Books & Café - but when one of her coworkers ends up dead, Odessa will stop at nothing to prove that her death isn't a freak accident. I'll start off by saying I loved Odessa's character, she was so witty and stood her ground for someone who comes from a small town. Blacke does such a good job at painting a picture of Brooklyn - I can't wait to revisit these characters in the sequel.

This was a cozy mystery - the café adds as a great workplace and due to this we get some pretty solid secondary characters that act as the fellow coworkers. As much as I loved reading about the café, it felt like some parts could have been edited out to focus more on the crime aspect. At times I felt frustrated since it felt like no one believed Odessa, not even the police. It finally took for her to crack the case before someone finally believed her.

The book reads fast, but I mainly was interested in reading what happened in the end. As mentioned above, I found myself skipping over some of the work scenes and scenes that weren't relevant to the mystery.
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I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.