This was just an OK cozy mystery for me. Callie has returned home to Cattail Island on the Outer Banks. She gets a job at the local book store. When a local woman falls to death from the lighthouse just like her mother she sets out to prove it is not a curse or an accident. I really liked the outer banks setting and the characters but I found the mystery to be weak. The treasure hunt was fun but the solution did not make much sense and felt like it came from left field. The sleuth goes off by herself to confront the killer. There was also a lot of filler in the book, certain places and people were described over and over again.

You know what? This was actually such a blast

I don’t remember much because it was literally three whole years when I read it, but I remember thinking dang, what a solid cozy.

Cozies are so good and the titles have to make sense. The title reminded me of the band smile empty soul, but with a beach, so I was down like downtown Julie Brown.

I remember liking the plot, the twists, the quirky cast of characters. Do I remember it? No I am sorry , I am a goldfish in a sea of elephant (elephant fish? I digress)

Regardless, it was a hit and now I need to see if there is another book in this series

Thanks Berkley for my gifted copy.

In this book, Callie returns home only for tragedy to strike when an old friend of hers dies unexpectedly and Callie gets caught up in the investigation.

There is nothing I enjoy more than finding new to me mystery series like this one. I'm always on the hunt for new to me authors and series to try in the mystery genre which is why I picked this one up. What made this book a bit different from your typical mystery though is that there was a treasure hunt aspect to the story. I found this side plot (for lack of better description) to be fun and helped add to the level of suspense that was found in the pages. The mystery itself was one that kept me guessing even though I had a very strong suspicion on who was behind it all - and I was correct. It didn't affect my enjoyment though because I was so invested in seeing how everything was going to tie together - Eva's death, the treasure hunt, and Callie's mom's death that happened so many years ago. It all combined for a page turning read and I'm excited to continue on with this series in the near future.

Mystery readers and those who just like suspenseful reads should give this book a try. It almost felt like a cozy mystery at times so cozy fast also might want to pick this one up. It was a fun read that I can definitely recommend!

CW - Suicide, addiction

A quaint mystery set in a cozy island community with a treasure hunt, an intriguing case, and depth to the characters and relationships that makes you want to see them succeed. Smile Beach Murder is a perfect mystery for a breezy beach day read!

Smile Beach Murder takes place on Cattail Island which is located in North Carolina’s Outer Banks. The book is narrated by lead character and amateur detective Callie Padget. The story is told in one continuous timeline moving forward from the first events of the book.

Callie is emotionally fragile after being part of a 62-person layoff at the Charlotte-newspaper where she was a reporter. With few options, Callie moves back home temporarily while she continues to build her portfolio and apply for jobs in journalism. Her uncle Hudson welcomes her home to her former bedroom. While Callie loves her uncle and her hometown, it is full of difficult memories of her mother, who died when Callie was a pre-teen.

Callie is working at the local bookstore, MotherVine, as a clerk, book runner, and occasional photographer when the sister of one of her childhood friends Eva Meeks comes in looking for a book to help her with a treasure hunt she’s on. Eva owns the local hardware store and loves to tackle mysteries and treasure hunts. Her current one has her pointed towards the lighthouse on Smile Beach, which happens to be the very place Callie’s mother died two decades earlier.

When Callie discovers the next day that Eva died at the very same lighthouse the night before, she rushes to the scene. It feels like history is repeating itself. The police claim it is suicide, but Callie doesn’t think that Eva jumped any more than she thinks her mother did.

Callie knows she can help clear up what happened to Eva if the police won’t. She enlists the help of some friends and begins the very treasure hunt that took Eva’s life. But when another body ends up at the lighthouse, Callie wonders if she should have never come back to Cattail Island. Now she either needs to find out what happened or risk becoming the next victim…

The setting on Cattail Island is perfect for a new cozy mystery series. In the opening chapter Callie is headed across town and I felt I could smell the beach-y town as she was crossing it—the salty sea air, the smell of fried food from the beachside cafés, and the floral fragrance from the gardens.

Callie has some sadness in her past. While most cozy series would focus on the devastation of losing her job and being forced to move home, Smile Beach Murder focuses much more on why she has been avoiding coming home. Throughout the book we get small flashbacks as she remembers her mother and continues to process her grief. I loved how she became interested in Mary Higgins Clark after her mother passed because it was her favorite author.

At one point Antoinette (who largely seems kooky and not plugged into what is going on) sees her eyeing one of her mother’s favorite books and gifts it to her. Another time she recommends MHC to Summer, who is going through the process of losing her own mother at around the same age Callie was when she lost hers. These poignant moments add more depth to the series than we usually see in cozy mysteries and made me feel more connected to the characters.

Callie is a strong lead for a series. She is smart and compassionate for others. She wants to understand what happened but not in an annoying way. She doesn’t bumble around the way many cozy leads do, probably due to her experience as a reporter. A lot of her mystery-solving comes through interviewing people and observation, which also pull from her journalism repertoire.

Overall a great start to a new cozy mystery series. With a charming setting, an adorable cat, a job at a kitschy shop that allows her to travel around town interacting with people, and a strong lead, this has everything cozy mystery lovers are looking for!

Bessette does an excellent job of creating a sense of tension and unease, and the characters are well-drawn and believable. However, I did find that the pacing was a bit slow in places, and some of the plot twists felt a little predictable. That being said, if you're a fan of suspenseful mysteries with a strong sense of place, then Smile Beach Murder is definitely worth checking out

Smile Beach Murder - Alicia Bessette - This is a fun and quick cozy mystery read. It isn't too deep or complicated but it was exactly what I was looking for. I ordered a copy for our library and look forward to recommending it to other cozy mystery fans.

Smile Beach Murder (Outer Banks Bookshop Mystery Book 1) combines all the necessary ingredients for a good read: journalist returns home, works at a bookshop near the beach, and a woman mysteriously dies after a fall from a lighthouse. Readers who take the bait will patiently work through the sometimes repetitive detail to get to the end. Overall, Alicia Bessette has the potential to secure a wide audience. Smile Beach Murder is for fans of Tara Lush's Coffee Lover's mysteries set on the west coast of Florida.

📖My Thoughts📖

I absolutely love cozy mysteries. They’re always one of my go-to books when I’m in a slump or just in need of a break from other genres. It’s not very often I get the pleasure of reading the first in a series when it comes to the cozy mysteries, so it was really nice to have gotten the chance to and get the background of the main characters. The book was very quick and easy to read, as well as entertaining. This individual book is set in present time but also has some flashbacks allowing us to get into the history of Callie’s past. I loved seeing the relationship between Callie and Toby start to develop and can’t wait to see what awaits them in the future. I really enjoyed this one and can’t wait for the next one to come out! If you love a good cozy mystery, definitely pick this one up! You won’t be sorry.
Thank you Netgalley, Berkley Publishing Group and Alicia Bessette for the opportunity to read and review this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A cozy beach mystery that ended with a feel good ending. A fun read especially since it takes place on the Outer Banks, NC a place that I myself love.

I will definitely follow along with this series as I truly did enjoy this one. A perfect read for a day on the beach.

I really enjoyed this cozy, small-town mystery! I was rooting for Callie the entire book, and as a former journalist, I loved how Callie dug into and investigated this case. This was a quick read that pulled me, and it was simply a joy to read!

Smile Beach Murder by Alicia Bessette is the first book in the Outer Banks Book Shop Mystery series. Alicia does a wonderful job setting up not only this story but for the future titles coming up.

It’s the perfect cozy mystery summer read with a small town setting, great detailed scenery , a bookstore and and a famous cat, a death, twists and turns and a variety of characters.

I look forward to sharing this new title with cozy reader fans -- this is the first in a brand new series and it checks all the boxes: smart young female sleuth, Outer Banks beach setting, and a murder mystery that has enough layers to keep up interest.

The first in a new cozy mystery series, set in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, was entertaining. Callie Padgett lost her job as a reporter, and returned home to Cattail, the town she was from. Many years after Callie’s mom fell off the lighthouse and died, another woman, a friend of Callie’s, is thought to have jumped to her death from the lighthouse. Sure that the police have it wrong, Callie investigates a variety of characters. I liked the setting, and the characters like her Uncle and Antoinette, the owner of the bookshop she ends up working for while deciding her future. Recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I'm always interested in books that take a turn out of the ordinary. The setting for this book is a small island town. Some people go there to escape while others have lived there all their life. The twists and turns near the end of the book keep you guessing. I like how the author spent plenty of time in wrapping everything up. You have a sense that everything was addressed.

Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC for an honest review.

Smile Beach Murder takes place in the Outer Banks, NC. My family has been there a couple of times and I loved it. We even went to the top of a lighthouse- there's a lighthouse in this book and I wondered if it might be based on the one we climbed.

This is the first in a new cozy mystery series- the Outer Banks Bookshop Mystery series. This is a cozy mystery- there's a bookstore, a cute cat, a mystery to be solved, some entertaining side characters, and a lack of gore. It was a more serious tone than other cozies I've read, and that worked for this story line. It will be interesting to see if future stories are lighter or if they'll maintain this tone.

Callie is a laid off journalist who's moved home to her uncle's and gets a job in a family friend's bookstore. Her investigative skills are handy when there is a mysterious death. Callie also has some past history to deal with. It was great getting to know Callie and the community. I will read the next one.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

3.5 ⭐

I would love to revisit the charming Cattail Island!

Callie returns home after being let go from her reporter job in Charlotte. It wasn't easy to go back when her mother died from falling off the lighthouse. She lives with uncle Hudson and shortly found a temporary job at a local bookstore.

A small-town setting and good company usually get me to pick up a cozy mystery. When you add a lighthouse, you can count me in! There's also a bit of a treasure hunt theme and some action.

Our leading lady is likable and uses her journalist background to find the killer. There's a hint of romance with an interesting martial arts guy, Toby who's been giving Callie some self-defense tips. I thought it was quite a sweet cozy mystery with books and a bookshop cat, Tin Man.

My only complaint is the pace. It was a little slow after halfway before a relatively exciting ending.

The author did a wonderful job describing the island and I wish I was there!👒🌊

Smile Beach Murder by Alicia Bessette is the first book in the cozy Outer Banks Bookshop Mystery series. As with most cozy mystery series the books in this series each feature a new mystery to be fully solved so they can be read as a standalone or in any order if choosing to do so. There will be however character development that carries over from book to book for those following from the beginning.

Callie grew up on Cattail Island but had left the small town to pursue a career as a journalist. Callie’s memories weren’t the greatest from her childhood as she had lost her mother to a tragic incident but when Callie loses her job she decides to return to Cattail Island while she decides what is next in her life.

As Callie begins to fit into her small town again taking a job at the local bookstore working for old friends she begins to remember some fonder moments. However, the past comes crashing back for Callie when another friend is found at the bottom of the lighthouse, the same that Callie’s mother fell from. The police rule another suicide but this time Callie knows that is not the case and vows to get to the truth.

Smile Beach Murder by Alicia Bessette was a wonderful opening installment to the Outer Banks Bookshop Mystery series. I have to admit being a fan of a beachy small town setting the Outer Banks really appealed to me and the author did a great job bringing the town and characters to life. I loved that Callie had a reporting background to give little more credit to her sleuthing and I enjoyed getting to know her and those surrounding her. Also mixing the past and the present made the mystery twice as interesting to follow. Will definitely be interested in returning to the series with book two!

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

When Callie Padget loses her job at the Charlotte Times after a round of layoffs, she returns to the Cattail Island in the North Carolina Outer Banks where she grew up. She doesn’t have the best memories—when she was a child, her mother died after falling from the island’s light house. And she certainly can’t work at the local paper. Not only is it unable to support another employee, the owner/editor, her mother’s former best friend, is Callie’s nemesis.

She finds a job at MotherVine, the local bookstore where she found solace after her mother’s death, and the bookstore scenes are among my favorite, especially when Callie manages the Instagram page speaking in the voice of the store cat!

One evening, Eva Meeks, just a couple of years older than Callie, comes into the store looking for information. A fan of puzzles and hunts, she intimates she knows the location of a treasure on the island. Later that night, Eva calls Callie and asks if she wants to come along but Callie declines, a decision she regrets. The next morning, she learns that Eva died from a fall off the lighthouse just like her mother. The police dismiss it as a suicide, but Callie disagrees and decides to investigate. But there are some who don’t want the truth to come out and try to scare Callie into silence.

Callie is aided by Toby Dodge, a local martial arts instructor who gives her self-defense lessons, and Eva’s daughter, Summer, a precocious tween who sees more than she’s given credit for.

The book is charming—and I loved that it included a Little Free Library. While it contains the traditional elements of a cozy mystery—an amateur sleuth, an animal sidekick, and a lack of gore, it also felt a little more serious. At times, Callie seemed to be in significant danger. Plus, the murders were high stakes—I really felt the loss of the characters. There are multiple viable suspects, and I liked how the mystery came together.

After being laid off from her job as a reporter, Callie Padget has returned home to Cattail Island in the Outer Banks of North Carolina and landed a job at the local bookstore. She is forced to face a tragedy from her past when a friend falls from the island’s lighthouse almost on the anniversary of her own mother’s tragic death at the lighthouse. Callie doesn’t buy the official police ruling of suicide, especially since the victim had just found the first clue to a treasure hunt. Can Callie figure out what really happened? Is the treasure hunt related to the death?

Despite the vacation island setting, this book does have a bit of a more serious tone thanks to Callie’s own past and how the current death impacts some of the characters. It’s a delicate balance that this book handles well. I quickly came to love the characters, and I can only see that love growing as the series progresses. The plot has a bit of a relaxed pace, but it does get us to a logical conclusion. I loved the setting; I can see myself spending a week on the island on vacation. I also appreciated how this book used all the senses to bring the setting to life. This book would be fun on a vacation, but if you are looking for a virtual vacation, you’ll be extra glad you picked this one up.

Oh man, Smile Beach Murder was the cozy mystery read I needed! Alicia Bessette masterfully evoked the feel of Cattail Island and the locals living there, and I almost felt like I was part of the crew. From Mother Vine Books to the lighthouse, everything was layered together in the rich narrative that felt more like Nancy Drew for grownups than anything else. The mystery was satisfying, and Callie was a great lead. Definitely recommend.