Killer Content is the first in a new cozy mystery series. Odessa from a small Louisiana town is catsitting for the summer in her aunt's swanky NYC apartment. To earn money, Odessa is a server at Untapped Books & Café, a Brooklyn bookstore, and cafe. Untapped serves local microbrews, delicious food, and the bestsellers complete with a dog mascot.

Although Odessa often feels like a fish out of water - she still hasn't braved the subway - she's starting to make friends and explore the city. Until the shift when a coworker asks Odessa to cover for her because she has to meet someone. That's the last time Odessa sees Bethany alive. What the police are calling an accidental death, Odessa is sure is murder even though no one including her boss or the other servers believes her.

Odessa is sassy, full of heart, and always wants to do the right thing. On a budget, she loves scoping out thrift stores so she can reimagine and repurpose her buys into new clothes. She's relatable as a twenty-something, unsure about what she wants to do long-term. It was nice to have a chunky main character who's comfortable with herself.

As a former server, I could totally relate to Odessa's trials and tribulations with demanding customers, flaky coworkers, and a downer of a boss. At least I didn't have to wear a neon green polo or walk the dog as part of my tasks.

This was a fun and enjoyable read, with lots of banter. If you read a lot of mysteries, there won't be many surprises. This the type of cozy that you read because you enjoy Odessa not for the puzzle-solving.

Killer Content is a fun mystery with its unforgettable main character, Odessa, who’s from Louisiana but living in Brooklyn house sitting for the summer. Odessa and her spunk make the entire mystery worthwhile. I wish this was the start of a series because she’s too good to not write about again.

With everything that’s gone on this year, Killer Content is exactly the kind of cheerful escapism that we all need. The MC, Odessa, is unfailingly likable— huge heart, great instincts, and a strong moral compass all packaged up in a pair of cowboy boots.
I was immediately sucked into Odessa’s Williamsburg, which the author did a great job of encapsulating without it being too overpowering or needlessly descriptive. From the sense of community to the descriptions of the food, I felt immersed in the best possible way.
The mystery itself was intriguing, but more than the mystery itself, the way Odessa went about solving it is what really appealed to me. A nice relief from the usual gruff, crusty detectives, Odessa is drawn to solve her co-worker’s murder because that’s just who she is.
I look forward to reading more about Odessa’s escapades in New York, and hope the next book comes out soon!

What a fun read! You can't help but love the main character, Odessa, a spunky waitress from Piney Island Louisiana who is cat-sitting in Brooklyn for a summer. She gets a job at a bookshop/cafe and after barely a week in the big city, is solving a murder! The secondary characters were wonderful, Odessa is sweet without being syrupy, and there was plenty of plot. Ms. Blacke has a clear and humorous voice and a gift for snappy dialogue. I hope we get to see more of Odessa and her friends very soon!

I loved Odessa!!! What a great character. I wanted to be her friend, and hang out with her around Brooklyn. The author really made Brooklyn come to life - the smells, sounds, sights. I could see the bookstore and cafe where she works perfectly. What a sweet, fun mystery that kept me guessing up until the end. I can't wait for more Odessa and am so glad that she will be staying in Brooklyn (at least I assume since this is Book #1 of the Brooklyn Murder Mysteries). I need more Odessa in my life right now!

This is such a charming mystery! I loved Odessa who is spunky and stubborn, and her fish-out-of-water relationship with NYC. The secondary characters were great, and so was the backdrop of the cafe - everything felt very real with a hilarious quirkiness. And of course the mystery kept me guessing! It was lots of fun watching Odessa be an amateur sleuth.

Odessa is a country girl from Louisiana who gets the opportunity to spend a few months living rent-free in Brooklyn, thanks to the fact that her wealthy aunt is travelling and needs someone to housesit her luxurious apartment and take care of her adorable cat. She finds a part time job in a coffee shop, and in just her first week there, a co-worker dies under somewhat mysterious circumstances. Odessa is convinced murder was involved, but the police disagree. She decides to solve the mystery on her own. This is a fun read with relatable characters and an interesting New York setting. I'd recommend it to readers who enjoy lighter women's fiction and cozy mysteries. It's kind of the best of both types.

Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Odessa Dean is house sitting for her aunt. A native of the Bayou, she is finding Brooklyn to be full of excitement and culture. To supplement some of her time, she snags a job at a local business, Untapped Books & Cafe. Things take a turn for the worse when her co-worker, Bethany, tragically dies. Her death is caught in the background of many videos of a flash-mob proposal. Odessa hadn’t known Bethany for long, but something doesn’t feel right. Rather than accept that this was a tragic accident, she takes matters into her own hands to find the truth.

This was a fun murder mystery that had me wishing I was spending the summer in Brooklyn (minus the sweltering heat). Odessa was a likable character that wouldn’t let anyone stop her from getting justice for Bethany. I do wish that the book was a bit faster paced. The timing of finding clues and being introduced to new characters felt a bit off, but overall it was still an enjoyable book.

If you are looking for a light read that has you solving mysteries with Odessa, then this is for you. It was intriguing and unlike mysteries I have previously read.