I struggled to like #PerilinPink #NetGalley. I don't think the book was bad, I just couldn't find anything to connect with.
For me, if I'm not captivated by the second or third page, it most likely won't happen.
I'm sure there are others out there who will enjoy this story.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of the book.

Peril in Pink is a quick and fun "who done it". Although this didn't blow me away, the plot and writing style reminded me a lot of Agatha Christie's mysteries, which I really enjoy and I found the characters to be engaging with an interesting premise. Overall I feel like I wouldn't go out of my way to read a sequel but I do recommend for a fast read.

Peril in Pink has a fun premise, but I didn't connect with the story or the characters. The dialogue and narration felt a bit forced, particularly in how the characters banter. (I recognize this is a very hard thing to pull off, but it didn't work here.) Maybe I would enjoy it more as a beach read, but for now, it's in my DNF pile.

Book Review
Peril in Pink
By: Sydney Leigh
Pub Date: March 19, 2024
Spice Level: 0
Thank you @netgalley and @crookedlanebooks for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
The book opens with the opening weekend of The Pearl, Hudson Valley’s newest B&B. Owners Jess and Kat have worked endlessly decorating and preparing for the weekend. They even have Sing This winner Lars Armstrong performing over the weekend. Lars is not only the latest rock sensation, but he is also Jess’ high school boyfriend. All the guests are arriving and excited to see Lars, but when it comes time for him to perform, he backs out. The next morning, Bob, Lars’ manager (and stepdad) is found dead on the property. Of course, everyone is suspecting Lars of killing Bob they didn’t have the best relationship. Jess has a hard time believing Lars can be the killer. If it’s not Lars, then who could it be?
This book reminded me of the White Lotus in that most of the activity is in and around the hotel. Some characters are likable, and others aren’t. There’re weird things happening behind the scenes as much as in front of everyone. The storyline was great, and I had my suspicions of who the killer was, but I was wrong! The writing flows nicely and it’s a quick read. Nice, neat ending, which is good because I don’t like cliff hangers.
Read if you enjoy : cozy mysteries with a touch of humor, small town feel

This book reminds me of Agatha Christie style murder-mysteries. It was a light and fun read with a plot that wasn't overly complex. Each character is unique to the situation as Jess works her way as an amateur sleuth to figure out "who dun it." Although I found the plot moved fairly fast and this was a quick read for me. I also found myself to dislike Lars a lot and some of his interactions were cringey. Overall I give this book 3.5 stars.

Overall I think that this book was just not for me. It reminded me a lot of Arsenic and Adobo, the same small town returnee murder mystery action. Except Peril in Pink's stakes never felt as real. Lars' reputation never actually taking a hit, there were barely any consequences of the owner running off opening weekend to play detective, Instead of Arsenic and Adobo's cultural lean, Peril in Pink is very heavily focused on aesthetics over substance.

There were some bright moments of intrigue and the plot focused on the mystery was well-crafted. But there were just generally aspects that I didn't like. My biggest gripe was the inorganic dialogue. For example, the siblings calling each other sibling monikers and constantly reminding each other who was the big sister and who was the little brother. It just didn't feel like the kind of dialogue actual siblings would have. Same with the random characters ending their plans by saying hashtags out loud. It's funny when a few people do it as a character quirk, but a LARGE amount of other characters do it as well. Also, a lot of the dialogue came off as very expositional. There were other aspects of the writing here and there that didn't gel with me: the dialogue and narration often did not have a clear stylistic difference, tidbits of internal inconsistency (the main character is a vegetarian, but got really judgy about her SIL wanting to avoid gelatin, a meat byproduct). The main character's friendship with her best friend and business partner didn't come off right to me (why did she mention how Kat looked being what Jess hated most about her), and all the characters acted so juvenile that I often forgot they were in their late 20s.

"Peril in Pink" by Sydney Leigh is a good stand alone, or possible first of a series, book. The mystery did keep me guessing and I honestly can't say I had any one suspect in mind. It was very cozy in content, which is a big plus for me.

I do have to say, I'm not all for the wine scene but it wasn't as over powering a subject as some wine/alcohol themes can go. This was just a bit much at the beginning but was much less of a thing as the mystery got going. So, if you do mind phrases like "rosé all day" and the mindset that goes with that, push past the first few chapters.

‘Peril in Pink’ is a cosy ‘who done it’ mystery. It’s opening weekend of The Pearl B&B, and owner Jess is greeting quirky guests into the B&B; twins, a singing superstar (and ex lover) and his posse, and high school frenemies with their own agendas. After opening night, Bob Strapp, step-father to singing super star, Lars, is found dead. With a wound to the head and found lying near a pond, Jess’ opening weekend is beginning to turn into a disaster. As any ‘True Crime’ podcast enthusiast would do, Jess takes it into her own hands to solve the murder of who done it, in order to save the reputation of The Pearl B&B.
Sydney Leigh’s cosy murder mystery is one that reminds me of ‘Knives Out’ and ‘Only Murders in the Building’. Her writing is fantastic and takes us through many avenues of suspects, as they each have had their own run ins with the murdered. The plot is well paced and includes twists we do not see coming. We are kept guessing throughout the book of who the murderer can be, as we suspect everyone, their motives and coincidental appearances throughout the book.
Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC of this book.
Rating: 4/5 stars

3.5 but I’m giving 4 🌟s because I think the format I read this in threw off the book for me.

This was such a fun and fast paced who did it thriller! I enjoyed most of the characters, although after 60% of the way through all of the names got a little confusing and again maybe the format, but I would really reccomend this book to anyone that would love a who done it book you can pick up and just dive right into.

I’m going to keep my eyes out for more work from this author.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC of this book

Who sun it at the B&B? Jess takes it into her own hands to figure out who murdered her ex’s stepfather. There were a lot of characters to keep track of though it kept me on my toes. Will definitely recommend this fun read to my friends!

Pink pink pink. Loved the story very much! I would read this book for the first time if I could, thats how much I liked it

What a freaking fantastic book!!! I have laughed way too hard (NEVER) and really enjoyed this debut novel.

So fun! This was such an enjoyable mystery that I honestly could not guess. Peril in Pink follows a woman named Jess who has opened up a stylish bed and breakfast and had curated everything to go perfectly opening weekend, however the sudden murder of her ex’s stepfather derails everything and in order to salvage the weekend, she attempts to solve the murder herself. This was a classic case of amateur sleuth and I loved the vibes of the setting. It felt like a summer read and each character was unique, many having something they were trying to hide. Admittedly I did find a few scenes a bit cringy and the way Lars acted with Jess annoyed me because it felt a bit disrespectful. Other than that, I enjoyed reading this book! 4/5 stars. Thank you netgalley and crooked lane books for the copy.