I will start out by saying that this isn’t my “normal” genre. I read anything that seems interesting to me, regardless of genre though.

The storyline had me hooked from the start. A family owned record and coffee shop? Sign me up. A dead body found opening night? Yes please! The dead body clutching a business card from the uncle? Oh my! The uncle disappearing despite his perceived innocence? Weird.

The storytelling was a bit much for me. The main character spent a ton of time describing everyone’s outfits…in detail. Maybe it’s a personal preference, but I don’t care if the dress is white with purple and blue flowers or blue with white and purple flowers. I also don’t see how it moves the story along to point out that your sister might have worn the same dress two days in a row even though she “would never”!

Another off putting part for me was Juni’s constant reminders that she was from Texas. She might have moved away, but by golly she loved being back. Cowboy boots…all Texans have them…they have to! Bbq? Yes that was included too. More cowboy boots? Yes! And this time in an all too lengthy (and unnecessary) description of a man’s outfit!

Overall I loved the storyline. The plot moved quickly and kept me intrigued. The constant soliloquies about loving Texas life and descriptions of outfits took me out of the story way too often.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the characters in this book and how the book centered around a family owned record shop. This was a quick read and was a great thrilling ride. I look forward to more books with these characters.

This new cozy mystery series is off to a great start. The action takes place in a small town outside Austin, Texas, and the author has done a great job of making you feel the local color, from the ever-present cowboy hats to the lively live music scene. I enjoyed the focus on the three sisters, all with “flower names”: Juni (Juniper), Maggie (Magnolia) and Tansy. Their relationship is wonderful and realistic. Juni is the youngest and has just moved home from Oregon, where her tech job fizzled, to help open and run a record shop/coffee bar. The sisters are restarting this family business in the same location as the record shop run by their parents and grandparents years ago. Of course, there’s a dead body or this wouldn’t be a cozy mystery! The sisters’ uncle was arrested and then disappeared, endangering their new store, since they had put it up for bail collateral. Juni works hard to find their uncle, which effort forms the core of the story. There’s a hint of possible romance between Juni and her ex-beau, Beau (ha!), the local detective and her old friend, Ted. I’m rooting for Ted, personally. There were some great flashes of humor throughout, including the punny names for some of their coffee and tea drinks, such as Friends in Mocha Places, All The Single Lattes, and You Shook Me All Night Oolong. The mystery was solid and I look forward to seeing how the author extends this series.

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient. The audiobook was narrated well by Nicol Zanzarella.

Thank you to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook and to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Vinyl Resting Place by Olivia Blacke, a new cozy mystery, Record Shop Mystery #1 with a cat!

Juni Jessup with her two older sisters, Tansy and Maggie want to reopen our parent record shop in a small town in Texas. On the party night of opening Sip & Spin Records, a record-slash-coffee shop, things get more complex than they were ever imagined!

A dead body was found in the supply closet, Juni’s uncle is arrested and Juni’s ex is in charge of the murder investigation.

How this can be worse? let me tell you a little, their uncle gets on the run, and they are out of money because of investment for opening the record shop which is now temporarily closed.

This was an entertaining story and I presume it will be better in the next books as we already know the cool and funny characters, then maybe get deeper into the story next time.
I listened to the Audio version and must say that was excellent, Nicol Zanzarella's performance was awesome!

Thanks to Tantor Audio via NetGalley for ARC, I have given my honest review.
Duration 9 Hours, 15 Minutes
Pub Date 27 Dec 2022

This was an entertaining, fun, and enjoyable cozy mystery with a focus on sisterly and family relationships. Even with the romantic elements, I really enjoyed the family and small town dynamics. The pacing was good, the story was interesting, and nothing about it was too twee or unbelievable. Looking forward to the next in the series!

Thank you to NetGallery, St. Martin's Press, and Olivia Blacke for the ARC!!

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery and highly recommend this book! I'm excited to see that this will be a series and can't wait to read the next one! The characters are funny, coffee sounds delish, and the record store setting is perfect. I was hooked from the title Vinyl Resting Place.

Juni is laid off from her IT job in Oregon and goes home to Texas to open a record store/ coffee shop with her sisters. During the grand opening a dead body is found in the store and their Uncle Calvin is accused of murder. Juni and her sisters put their store up as collateral to get their beloved uncle out of jail but are shocked to find out he disappeared! To complicate things Juni's ex boyfriend is the lead cop on the case and is set on proving Calvin is guilty, and on getting Juni back (but he has some competition). Juni must uncover who the killer is and find Calvin before she loses the family store for good.

I love cozy mysteries and especially starting new series. I ended up finishing reading the book before I was approved for the audiobook. I listened to the first chapter and wish I had waited to read! The narrator was great and even though it was my second time reading, I was captivated by their telling! The setting of this one was new to me and the characters were fun! I loved the mystery and especially the author’s writing style. I can’t wait to read the next in the series!!

3.5? I’ve never understood what a cozy mystery is and then this made it all click. So quaint, small southern town, family owned store, sisters working together, light love and an amateur sleuth…adorable. I really liked it at first but after a while I just wanted some more excitement and this wasn’t it. It’s an easy read, nice if you want something light

*Thank you so much for a copy!*

This was so good! I loved the record store atmosphere, the sister relationships, the casual feeling, and excellent storytelling. As a born and raised Texan, I'm always hesitant to read stories set in Texas because the stereotypes usually are so cringe and wrong. But the setting of this book being right outside of Austin, it really felt like home.

I don't usually read cozy mysteries, but this was perfect! No complaints!

And since this was audio, obviously I need to comment on the narration. She was perfect! I loved her voice and it wasn't cringy listening to her do different voices! And oh my goodness, thank you for NOT doing a deep southern accent for Texas. 👏👏

A warm, fun and entertaining cozy murder mystery. I enjoyed the quirky family dynamic and strong female characters.
There was a good pace to the story and intriguing plot line interwoven with humour and plenty of music related puns.
4.5/5 stars
Thanks to Netgalley and RB Media for access to the audiobook.

I tried reading the ARC of this one earlier this year, and while I was intrigued by the concept found myself struggling with the book. Still, something about it called me back when I saw the audiobook version, and I thought it might be just the kind of cozy mystery I enjoy listening to.

I was absolutely correct.

I don't know if it was the way the narrator brought the characters to life or if this type of story just works well for me as a listen, but I really enjoyed it and was delighted that I gave it a second chance. The narrator is excellent, managing to imbue each character with her own unique personality through voice, while never devolving into melodrama or overly done accents or tenors. The story is a cute one and the family is endearing, as is their small town.

The relationship between the sisters was fun, as were the various love interests . I'm not a fan of romance, but have come to expect at least some elements of it in cozies of this kind and I liked the way the author managed it here. It was a fun component of the story without ever taking over and overwhelming the mystery. I also really loved the idea of the record shop / coffee shop and wish we had one in our small town!

I will definitely be on the lookout for the next in the series...

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an audio copy to listen to in exchange for an honest review.

This is a new cozy mystery based in Texas. Juni moves home to open a record shop with her sisters. On opening night a body is discovered in the shop and the sisters' uncle is the main suspect. We are introduced to many characters throughout the book; hopefully setting up for future books in the series.

I love seeing a blurb that this was a new cozy for a new generation… I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! So much so I have already preordered a physical copy. The audio was great! In this fresh setting of record/ coffee shop. You get to hang out with three sisters and help sleuth your way to find out how a body ended up in their supply closet on opening night of Sip and Spin records…

A few of my favorite things…
A family record shop
Sisters
Punny coffee names
Lime green trikes
Maybe one? Possibly two romances
Band tees
Taco trucks
Family drama

I’m ready for book 2 and the first isn’t even out yet!!!

This is a wholesome and fun murder mystery. I had a blast listening to this one. The narration was perfect.
What a fun experience!

I loved everything about this cozy – the setting, the characters, the writing, the pace of the story; my only concern is an eventual love triangle but I’m not borrowing trouble. I enjoyed getting to know Juni Jessup and her quirky family and friends and really liked the reviving the old record shop idea. Most of the music they mentioned is the stuff I grew up listening to so now I feel a little old, too, but this was a great start to a new series. Highly recommended for those who love cozies, particularly ones without too many silly antics and characters.

There is no better time of year for a cozy mystery and I loved the first book in this new series. Vinyl Resting place is really a hit for me- I love vinyl records and love solving mysteries. 

I love the set up- three sisters, named after flowers (I love a theme) reopen their family's record store...but on opening night a body is found in the closet. All signs point to their uncle Calvin and its made even more complicated when Calvin skips bail. 

I really enjoyed this one. It was a fun mystery with a great cast of characters. I am anxious to see where this series goes and what other trouble these sisters can get into. 

The audio was great. The narrator really brought the story to life.

I had the pleasure of reviewing this book a couple of months ago when it was an ebook on here and I LOVED the story and fell in love with the Jessup girls. Being able to listen to it now makes the book that much better. I though the narrator did a fantastic job. The production quality is clear and crisp. It help the story seem more seamless and I’m so glad that an audio book with be offered for this series.

I highly recommend checking out this book and I can’t wait to read the next one that comes out in mid-2023.

Thank you Netgalley and Tantor Audio for the early Audiobook!

Records, lattes and murder…oh my!
Vinyl Resting Place is a new cozy mystery series debut by Olivia Blacke filled with sisterhood, pranks, coffee, small town drama, music and of course - a murder. 4/5⭐️! Super excited to see what adventure the next book takes us on!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor for the complementary copy in exchange for my honest review.

3.75 stars

This cozy mystery is a quick and fun listen, and it will shower you with some very cute puns from cover to cover (Look! I caught the bug!).

Juni, the m.c., has major little sister energy, and this makes her an ideal cozy heroine! She works with her sisters at a record store + coffee bar (just wait until you hear the names of their drinks), and so it's not ideal when they come upon a BODY in their storage closet. Don't worry; Juni is on the case!

The narrative and characters don't get particularly deep at any point, but in true cozy fashion, the characters are quirky and eclectic, the family relationships are amusing and charming (mostly), and the resolution is not shocking but it *is* satisfying! Overall, this one gave me what I most need from a cozy, and I can't wait to take the next installment for a spin in the near future.

This is starting off as a fun series, and I'm excited to see what Juni gets up to next!