Thank you to NetGalley as well as Sydney Leigh for the opportunity to read and review "Peril in Pink" in exchange for my honest feedback. A tell-tale whodunnit mystery with infinite numbers of possibilities, Sydney Leigh's novel "Peril in Pink" was a thrilling and entertaining read.

I’m very picky about my cozy Murder mystery’s and this one was perfect.

I don’t like when the book feels too cheesy for the storyline with the plot. I was very entertained with Jess and the characters that helped run the B & B.

This is a medium paced book that is character focus. I did not get the twist or the murder so that was a big win in my book!

I also love when the Amateur sleuths love is the cop.

Genre: Cozy Mystery
APK: Ebook
Pages: 304
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Okay this book was freakin fantastic! It had a bunch of LOL moments and the murder mystery was very intriguing. Also I love the fact that the My Favorite Murder podcast was involved with the story! I absolutely love that podcast!

I’m not gonna go into to much of the story because I believe this is a book you need to go in blind for. I did and I throughly enjoyed it. I loved the characters and the B&B subplot. There’s also a tiny bit of romance sprinkled in there as well. I’m not gonna lie, the cover is what drew me in on this one. I’m obsessed with pick and murder 🫢

If you’re looking for a binge-worthy murder mystery then I highly recommend picking this one up on March 19th! This would be the perfect spring break read.

Thank you so much to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for the e-arc!

This book had me hooked from the get go and I finished it in one sitting! It's an entertaining read with a few twists along the way! A nice and easy read and would definitely recommend!

3.25 star

Pub Date: March 19th

Peril in Pink is a funny and lighthearted cozy mystery set in Hudson Valley, New York at a very cute and very pink B&B called The Pearl. The B&B is run by a friendship duo, Jess and Kat, who both needed a fresh start.

The B&B attracted quite a few quirky characters for the opening weekend, including a few famous singers and Jess’s old high school nemesis, Britt, who seemingly has not lost any of her disdain for Jess over the years. Seeing as this is a cozy mystery, there is of course an apparent murderer at the B&B for opening weekend. Bad for business, right? Jess is trying to solve the mysteries as quickly as she can so that her B&B isn’t doomed right when it opened.

Peril in Pink is funny and cute, which is part of what makes a good cozy mystery. You have to lean into the cheesiness, yknow? I did find that it leaned a bit toooooo much into the cheesy factor and it had a few too many pop culture references, which made it seem like it was trying too hard. Definitely a few eye roll moments. However, overall this one was cute and I would recommend it to fans of the Finlay Donovan series for sure!

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books for my copy of this!

I love Schitts Creek and OMIB so I was super excited for the setting of this book! I enjoyed the mystery and the characters!

pretty much guessed it when the corkscrew was pulled out of the purse when they were checking in which doesn’t ruin the book for me but I wish it hooked me more from the start and that it picked up quicker. Didn’t really love the back and forth between the fmc and Lars

What a fun, cozy thriller! I found myself chucking so much to myself. Tha banter among the characters was top notch. And even though I don't love pink, an all pink b&b is so cute and fun. I'm now craving rose all day....

This is my first mystery book and I think I’m in love! I can’t wait for this one to be published and I can push all my reader friends to read it!

This is my first book by the author. It was entertaining, fast paced and fun. I enjoy these lighter thriller stories.

This book is different to any other murder mystery I’ve ever read.
It’s an interesting concept, sometimes the characters could get a little bit annoying but I enjoyed it a lot.

Jess and Kat have just opened their Instagram worthy BnB, with a promising opening weekend of events bringing in a local musician and Jess’s ex. The only thing they hadn’t planned on was a murder. It’s up to Jess to help absolve her ex and save her opening weekend from disaster.

The blurb for this book describes it as Schitts creek meets Only Murders in the Building and I would say that’s pretty accurate. It’s the lightheartedness and small town vibes of schitts creek and the cozy mystery of Only Murders. Although the mystery wasn’t super complex there was enough red herrings and interesting characters to keep me guessing. I also read the whole book in one sitting so I was definitely intrigued. The vibes were cozy and there were so many fun pop culture references that I really enjoyed. Overall this is a nice, light mystery. It’s pretty fast paced and an easy read so definitely one to pick up.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the eARC!

The idea of a ‘cosy murder mystery’ intrigued me, but it did lower my expectations for Peril in Pink slightly. I ended up giving this book three stars because a lot of the characters, especially the side characters, felt like they were just there to be the usual suspects in a mystery. I also thought the main character’s obsession with true crime was a bit off-putting, especially with how it seemed to make her react to the literal murder that happened at her BnB. While the book was overall fine, there were just a few moments that dragged the rating down.

Let’s start with what I liked about the book. I think the setting was interesting, and having so many characters with intersecting backgrounds meant there were plenty of possibilities about who could have committed the murder. It was also a quick and easy read, which makes sense, considering it’s advertised as cosy. I think it definitely fits into the genre since it did, at times, feel like the murder took a bit of a backseat to what the characters were doing.

And now, what I wasn’t so much of a fan of. There are really only two main complaints I have, which is the way the characters are written, and how dated the book feels already.

A lot of the characters feel like very flat archetypes rather than actual characters, even towards the end of the book. There were the mean girls, the ex-boyfriend, the sleazy manager, and the crime-solving main character. Unfortunately, that meant a lot of the drama that happened between characters felt a bit boring and overdone, especially when Jess kept mentioning things that happened in high school. It’s like no one moved on since then. Having so many characters coming and going also meant that it was a bit harder to actually care when things happened to any of the characters, even when some of them got murdered or arrested. But maybe that was just me.

The book is told from the perspective of the main character, so we get a lot of her negative opinions about people, including her own sister-in-law. Sure, not everyone is going to be the biggest fans of their own family, but it felt like every time Sarah was mentioned, it was in some negative way, whether that was to denigrate her interest in yoga or to immediately assume that she had murdered someone. For someone who listened to so many true crime podcasts, Jess sure did get easily led to believe anything at the drop of a hat. It felt like she was changing her mind about other characters whenever anything new happened.

Finally, this book felt like it should have been published quite a few years ago. I think the characters constantly using hashtags mid-sentence like they’re normal words ages the book enormously, and it was kind of hard to read over and over again. It was just one of the few things that kept getting repeated. Characters were constantly pulling themselves up to their full height whenever there was an opportunity, like the author couldn’t think of any other way to describe someone standing differently. Maybe this would be a fun nostalgia read if it felt like it was set a bit further back than the mid-2010s.

That’s basically everything I had to say about the book. Do I think this is a bad book? No, not by a long shot. I just think that I’m not really the right person for cosy mysteries, or Crooked Lane Books. If you’re into light mysteries that have a big focus on vibes, this is probably the book for you. The book doesn’t deserve a low rating, which is why I gave it three stars, but I won’t be coming back for a reread any time soon.

i felt that this was not very well written, the character's actions and dialogue felt very fake and forced

This was a great first book in the series. Jess Bryne has opened a B and B in Hudson Valley. Her ex-boyfriend is in attendance with his stepdad when his stepdad is murdered. Jess doesn't believe he is a killer and wants to prove his innocence. I really enjoyed the characters in this book. The story was great and I loved the location of the book.

Set at the gorgeously pink new B&B, the Pearl, Peril in Pink follows Jess and her best friend/business partner Kat as they try to solve a murder before it ruins their brand new business. There are suspects galore, a handsome detective working the case, and so many pink drinks I was constantly wishing I could be there!
My favorite aspect of this story were the characters. Both Jess and Kat seemed like the kind of friends you'd love to have -- loyal, smart, innovative, and fans of a good true crime podcast. I also loved Detective James Holloway -- handsome, smart, and willing to let two amateur sleuths tag along his investigation (to a point). I really hope there are more books following these characters because I'd definitely like to spend more time with them all!
And the mystery itself was a wild ride! I guessed early on one of the elements, but the vast majority of it was a huge surprise for me, which I always appreciate. I'll admit I fell for more than one red herring along the way.
The writing and pacing were well-structured. While not a fast-paced novel, nothing felt like it dragged or ran by too fast to follow. Overall an enjoyable read and would definitely pair well with a sparkling drink or something pink 🩷

Peril In Pink was exactly what i was expecting and hoping for when I picked it up -- a well-written cozy mystery with a lovely setting and an entertaining set of characters.

The town of Fletcher Lake and the B&B owned by Jess and Kat was reminiscent of Stars Hollow from the TV series Gilmore Girls while Jess herself reminded me of Jessica Fletcher from Murder She Wrote. (I just put it together! Jess of Fletcher Lake -- love it.) I could picture it in my head and I wanted to stay at the B&B and bike around the town, stopping for coffee, baked goods and books during my excursions.

The mystery itself was enjoyable. I didn't guess the identity of the killer but I also was not surprised when it was revealed which is how I like it. I like to try to figure out the mystery but ultimately, I want the author to be smarter than me. However, I also like it to be plausible and set up in such a way that when I look back, it all makes sense. Leigh set it up perfectly.

Perfect touch of romance.

I was also pleasantly surprised at how funny this book was. I giggles out loud several times during the reading.

Overall, a very enjoyable book and i would be more than happy to have the opportunity to revisit Fletcher Lake and its quirky cast of characters in future books.

Overall this was a fun cozy mystery, though some twists were predictable. I liked the characters but they felt a little one dimensional

Reading this book felt like watching The White Lotus, and I loved the fun atmosphere!

The murder mystery was fun to follow, although I wasn't really sold on the reason why the main character was involved in it so much. She kept thinking how she needs to keep her guests entertained, but there was not much interaction with those who weren't on her suspect list. Also, I didn't really like her back and forth with Lars.

There are a lot of side characters and possible murderers, and I thought their involvement had good reasoning behind it. There's a lot of complexity behind these characters, which has made this a skilfully written debut. I did guess the ending, but the author shifts the focus from one suspect to another making you rethink quite often. The small town setting is very well described. It's lovely and cozy. There's a lot of pop culture references and slang, which added to the perky atmosphere of the story.

It was very fun and cozy but I don't think I will remember much of it after some time. I'd recommend it as a light beach read or something easy on a Sunday morning with a cup of coffee. It was very enjoyable though, and it's a debut novel, so I will definitely keep an eye out for this author in the future!

This is a sort of gen Z cozy mystery and it is a good thing that cozy mysteries are becoming more up to date and there's less twenty-something acting like they were fifty.
I enjoyed the characters and the setting and had fun in reading the mystery. There's a lot of of reference to current net culture and sometimes it's a bit too much as this force the mystery on the backside.
I think this will become a good series and I appreciated this novel
3.5 upped to 4
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine