Loved this cozy type mystery. My first Katie Gayle book but won't be my last. This was a fun, page-turning mystery with a satisfying ending. I love books like this. Highly recommend. 5 star read.

Great plot to get yourself lost in. This book has everything. A real fast paced thriller. Will get your heart racing on more than one occasion. Very well written. Highly recommend this book

Enjoyed this book and loved Pip's character. It was a lovely cosy mystery and I can't wait to meet Pip again in another case!

This is a cozy mystery. The character Pip was fun, and I loved following her during this book. She does not have a job, and she really needs a job. She is mistake for someone else, and she decides to do that person job. I love the mystery parts of this book, and I really enjoyed following Pip solving the mystery. Pip gets herself in and out of trouble through out this book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Bookouture) or author (Katie Gayle) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review about how I feel about this book, and I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

Full disclosure. I used to love cozy mysteries, but for some reason I moved away from them over the past couple of years. I still read the occasional one and enjoy them every time, but they just don’t hold my attention the way they used to.
Until this book.
Right from the start, I knew that I was going to really like Pip (short for Epiphany). Her initial reactions to her mom’s phone calls gave immediate insight into Pip’s frame of mind, which was totally relatable.
It also showed that Pip handled frustrating situations with a sense of humor, which I really appreciated. It was nice to have a heroine who, even when desperate for a job, could keep her wits about her and crack jokes.
Which leads me to the other characters
There’s Mummy, who we get a clear picture of because Pip has a unique ringtone for her. There’s also Pip’s cat, Most, probably one of the funniest “pet acquisition” stories and the cleverest name I’ve come across.
And then there’s Pip’s sister Flis (short for Felicity) who is in a class of her own. It took me a few beats to understand her, but once I did, well…let’s just say that Mrs. Malaprop has a descendant, and her name is Flis.
I laughed out loud over just about every one of Flis and Pip’s conversations. There was extremely clever writing and the plot points that came out of them were unique and interesting.
If you couldn’t tell, the authors are skilled at word play and have an amazing command of the language.
Then there is the case itself. I liked how Pip came on the job (not going to give it away) and I liked how the entire thing unfolded. It kept me entertained and interested all the way through.
Sometimes cozies stretch the realm of believability – everyday person has uncanny ability to solve crime. That’s not the case with Pip.
She uses what she knows, and she turns it to her advantage. For example, she figures out a few pieces of the case based on her love for pop culture, reading gossip magazines, and scouring Instagram.
Think of it as a cozy for 2020.
I’ll be honest, I’m not always a fan of pop culture and the digital age but it worked for me in this book, especially because the writing was clever. I mean, to make a joke about alliteration? I think I’m in love.
Consider me a fangirl, avidly awaiting additional adventures for Pip!

Loved this read! Couldn't put it down and decided to read it all in one sitting, definatly did not disapoint! Thankyou author!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for kindly providing me with a digital copy of this book for review.
This is book number 1 in a new mystery series and follows an amateur detective called Pip Bloom. The novel begins with Pip being out of work and in desperate need for cash, although too irresponsible to hold down a job for any length of period. If you can withhold your disbelief as to how Pip ends up investigating the disappearance of a teenage celebrity, you’re in for a fun and humorous ride with this book.
I think the author has set up some good storylines for the future books, and she laid down quite a bit of back story in this book to understand the main characters and their motivations.
Some of the humour did get a bit stale and over done at times. I still found it an enjoyable read though, and would be interested to read future books in this series. 3.5 stars

The first book in the Epiphany Bloom Mysteries is an original twist on the cosy mystery genre. Full of amateur sleuthing, fun and cosy crime. Pip Bloom, forced to work after her mother cut off her funds, tries temping with hilarious results. Instead of filing, she is mistaken for a missing person professional and decides to go for it. Pip is impulsive and nosy traits, which she puts to use with surprising results.

Fast-paced and full of action, this is a quick and exciting read.

I received a copy of this book from Bookouture via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Epiphany (Pip) Bloom is quite the character. She absolutely is in love with her cat. Her wealthy mother has cut off funds .. and Pip really hasn't had much luck in working for a living. Every job seems to have gone wrong in one way or another ... and the one she's taken on today doesn't seem to be any different.

From a temp agency, she shows up expecting to be filing, making coffee, etc. Trouble is, the private investigation office mistakenly takes her for a psychiatrist who will be helping them .. and Pip 'forgets' to tell them she's not who they think she is. She thinks helping out with looking for a missing boy might be fun .. so she goes for it.

This is a rather light-hearted cozy mystery that will delight most readers. Pip is a fun, entertaining character who finds herself pretending to be multiple people in her quest to be a productive member of society. I found myself chuckling at her attempts .. .but how she came up with her cat, named Most, had me almost in tears I was laughing so much. First book in a series, I will most definitely be watching for more.

Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the digital copy of this cozy mystery. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

The Kensington Kidnap is the first book in a humorous cozy mystery series by Katie Gayle. Released 2nd Dec 2020, it's 240 pages and available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is an engaging madcap comedy of errors with a fundamentally good-hearted and intelligent heroine who's only trying to solve the mystery and make her rent to keep a roof over her (and her three-legged cat's) head(s). The plotting and pacing are breakneck and this is one which readers can devour in a sitting or two. The dialogue is occasionally a bit twee, but all in all it's a fun ride with a satisfying denouement. The language is firmly PG (with hell, damn, bloody, and the occasional "f-bomb". There is no graphic content. Spelling and vernacular are UK standard (lift, lorry, tyre, flat, etc). It shouldn't pose any problems in context for readers. The authors hint strongly at series follow ups (in fact, book 2 will be out in March 2021); and I find myself looking forward to seeing what comes next for Pip & Most (of a cat).

Four stars. Fun.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Epiphany ‘Pip’ Bloom is down on her luck as usual. She is broke and she needs to pay her rent else she might have to go to her mummy for the money. And we all know as a grown-up that can get quite tricky.
She goes for an interview for a temp job but ends up getting mistaken for a missing persons expert at a private investigation firm. She takes it as an opportunity to get back on her feet and begins her search for the teenage son of two A-list celebrities.
This takes Pip into the strange, intimidating world of the rich and famous. The question is will she without any experience in this line of work be able to find the boy and get him back home safe.

This was absolutely entertaining and hilarious. It is a feel-good cozy mystery with adorable characters.
I had great fun reading it and was laughing out loud throughout. Pip is such a likable character. I enjoyed the exchanges she had with her mom and sister. And then there is flirting, very awkward flirting which was really fun to read too. And despite all the funny elements, there is the suspense in the plot and it kept me hooked.

A light and funny read and a great series to look forward to.

An entertaining and well written romance. Good plot and character dynamics. A touch of humor. I recommend this book. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.

Epiphany (Pip) Bloom is down on her luck--money and job wise. Epiphany is not poor but mommy dearest is not letting her anywhere near her trust fund dough at the moment. Epiphany wants to keep a steady job but she somehow has always found her well meaning self in the wrong place and situation in her previous short lived jobs. So when a temporary job as an office assistant comes her way she grabs it but when she ends up being mistaken as a private investigator by a leading investigation firm and given a case of a missing teenager to solve, she decides to go alongwith it... what's a little charade as long as it pays her bills and lets her put her 'investigative skills' to use. And thus Epiphany Bloom's career as a PI takes off!

A promising start to a new cozy mystery series by the author Katie Gayle. I think I am going to like Epiphany a lot and her interaction with her eccentric social media influencer sister Felicity in the book had me chucking away and I hope to see much of it in the next books too. Also, beneath all the eccentricity and lighthearted fun, this book touches upon the issue of the sometimes insane & dangerous level of influence social media and social media influencers can have on people and their mindsets.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture and the author for the e-Arc of the book.

The book was published on 2nd December 2020.

Rating:🌟🌟🌟🌟

I love romantic comedies, and I love thrillers too. So getting a combination of the two in this book had me feeling genuinely excited to start reading it.

When Ephinany Bloom, mainly known as Pip, finds herself being cut off from her Mothers funding – and she begins to fall behind in rent – she is forced into the working world and has to quickly take on a job. She is taken on by Sharon at Boston Investigations as a filing clerk. When she arrives on her first day, she finds herself being mistaken as an expert in Adolescent Psychology, and she finds herself being quickly thrown into a missing person’s case of a celebrity couples son.

What follows next is a tale full of misadventures and also self discovery. As she is thrown headfirst into the case, she finds herself having to use the knowledge she has collected over the years to gather clues that will help them find out exactly what happened. The only problem is – she has gathered this knowledge from watching many Television programs.

Pip has a big heart, and it is certainly in he right place. But one thing I loved about this book is how as she is thrown into this unusual case of mistaken identity, it really makes her grow as a person. Although she is usually the one in the wrong in a lot of circumstances, she seems to thrive throughout this book.

This book was an absolute delight to read! It was fun, heart warming, and the perfect book to escape into. The characters – although not always relatable, were likeable, and my love for Pip grew stronger as the story unfolded. The author brings the setting to life beautifully and really brings the story to life in your mind.

Princess Fuzzypants here: When first introduced to Pip, the reader is forgiven for thinking her a vacuous airhead, privileged, unable to take responsibility and aimless. She rents a room from a bloke she fancies but cannot pay her rent now that Mummy has cut her off. What is she and her three legged cat going to do.

In desperation, she reaches out to a temp agency and in a case of mistaken identity that Pip willingly encourages, she is sent on a mission to find the missing son of a movie star living in London while making a film. There is no indication of foul play so Pip figures it will be an easy way to make her rent money. Little does she know that she is about to discover her niche as she investigates very efficiently to locate the boy. Along the way, things that look innocent end up being nefarious and when she finds him, she uncovers a plot that highlights the danger of internet celebrity and “influencers”. She picks up assorted associates along the way and together they uncover a heinous crime.and bring a duplicitous and wicked villain to task.

Once I got into the book and realized for all of her quirks, Pip is probably one of the most level headed and focused characters whose light has been hidden heretofore. I enjoyed her adventures and hope that there are more of them coming. Five purrs and two paws up.

Desperate for a job and a case of mistaken identity while applying for a temp job made Pip an amateur sleuth in charge of a case of a missing son of multi-millionaires.

Bordering on cozy and a tiny amount of chic-lit, I enjoyed following Pip on her shenanigans. Author Katie Gayle etched out a well-rounded character, entrenched in the love of her mother and sister, exasperated by them too, the story had her following the various leads in cults and social media influencers.

Many secrets in the various groups had her taking risks, but the author managed to find an escape route for her. The first book in a light crime mystery series, Pip soon endeared herself to me as I scrolled down the pages. The mystery was intriguing, and I enjoyed the hilarious moments with her sister, Flis. I especially liked Jimmy, an instructor in the gym, who stuck himself to her side to help her with the investigation.

Relentless and determined, the nosey parker did lead herself to a dark finale. Though not my genre, it sure was fun to read her capers as she went undercover on a false identity. A terrific mood-uplifter after intense thrillers.

Epiphany Bloom - known as Pip - has taken on another temp job. She has a fabulous opportunity in front of her, even though it is due to an error. She is mistaken for a private investigator. Without revealing the truth, Pip jumps in with both feet and commits to finding the missing teenage son of a celebrity couple named Matty Price.

Whether due to curiosity or indeed a hidden talent, Pip is determined to discover what has happened to Matty. She soon finds herself mixed up with a crowd of a higher echelon, and what she learns about these people does not bring good results.

Cozy mysteries are one of my favorite types of read. In this case, our primary protagonist is expected to be an expert, so to speak. Since she is nothing of the sort, she must put up a brave front that is accompanied by some level of skill. Like with every cozy mystery I read, Pip finds herself in trouble more than once. No one likes too many questions, and this is exactly what Pip is doing - pushing buttons. Well, she pushes a bit too hard, because she really wants Matty to be found safe and sound.

Not only is Pip a delightful character, I fell for her cat, a three-legged feline named Most. I don't know what it is about this type of books and pets, but they always make a good combination, and that certainly proves to be the case in this story. With this story, the authors did a fabulous job with their debut writing together. I really loved this book and hope that there is much more to come from Pip, Most and others that we met in this engaging read.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

The Kensington Kidnap (Epiphany Bloom Mysteries Book 1) by Katie Gayle
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
Release Date: December 2, 2020

The Kensington Kidnap is the first book in the Epiphany Bloom Mysteries by Katie Gayle, the writing duo Kate Sidley and Gail Schimmel. This is the first book I've read by the author pair.

This was a fun cozy mystery featuring Epiphany (Pip) Bloom, who finds herself smack down in the middle of a missing person investigation. This was captivating mystery with touches of humor throughout.

I really enjoyed reading this and look forward to reading the future books in the series.

I'm so grateful to Katie Gayle, Bookouture, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

The Kensington Kidnap is an engaging, suspenseful cozy mystery that will make you laugh and keep you reading to discover the next exciting clue. I loved this lighthearted mystery that superbly combined humor and suspense. Epiphany Bloom, aka Pip, is the perfect protagonist in this entertaining caper involving kidnapping, cults, and influencers. This puzzle is a winning combination of fun and thrills! I highly recommend this to all cozy mystery fans! Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Kensington Kidnap by Katie Gayle is the introductory novel in the Epiphany Bloom Mysteries. Pip, who has not had success in previous jobs, and is essentially a loser, is sent to a detective agency for a temporary filing job. There is a mistake in identity and she is thought to be a psychologist brought in to solve a missing person case. The son of a movie star is missing, and his family doesn’t want the public to know about it. Epiphany (Pip) spends most of her time reading about celebrities and being star struck, so she is excited to meet the family and already knows a bit about the celeb that she is trying to find; she goes along with the mistake, takes an envelope full of money and information (her rent is late), and decides to try to solve the case. Meeting the real psychologist outside the building, she tells her that her job is gone because she is late. The way in which Pip gets the job is a bit dodgy, but as she follows clues, she finds she is pretty good at detective work and may actually solve the mystery in the end.

This first novel in the series introduces readers to Pip’s character; she is fairly well-developed, albeit quite immature and certainly entitled; nor would she be considered particularly smart. The supporting characters are also well-developed. Gayle tells the story well, and it is easy to follow. Some of the early stuff doesn’t grab, especially the tree-hugger stuff, but it is essential to the story, and as the novel progresses, it gets more and more interesting. Pip is having better luck at this job than anything she has had prior. Some may find her previous exploits humorous (others may find them silly and unbelievable). One thing that readers will find charming is Pip’s cat who was rescued from a disastrous job losing a leg after being hit with a car; Pip names the cat “Most” because it is “most” of a cat.

This cozy novel is suitable for everyone, and is a bit on the immature side. It is, however, an enjoyable quick read.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.