This is a very enjoyable cozy mystery. The location and characters really make this book a winner for me. It’s a must read.

While I do my best to ensure my reviews are spoiler-free, I may inadvertently reveal information that could help you connect plot points. So, here’s my TL;DR spoiler-free review: Super cute cozy mystery set at a B&B in New York, reminiscent of a classic whodunnit.

Peril in Pink is the debut novel by Sydney Leigh and the first book in her Hudson Valley B&B series. Best friends Jess and Kat have both left their careers to open The Pearl B&B in their hometown. The Pearl aims to be a destination for influencers and those looking to capture the perfect aesthetic for their Instagram. The girls plan to kick off their opening weekend with an acoustic set from hometown hero Lars, Jess’s ex, who also happens to be a rock megastar now. Her brother Nate and his wife Sarah own the Cool Vibes Cafe on the inn’s property, which has already proven to be the town’s new hotspot. Everything looks amazing, with happy guests checking in and everything going according to plan.

That is until everything starts to unravel. Dead bodies begin to turn up, and all signs seem to point to Lars as the culprit. Even Detective James seems to think Lars is guilty, but Jess is unwavering in her belief that he couldn’t have murdered anyone. Kat and Jess channel their love of murder podcasts and begin working to clear Lars’ name, though Kat is more reluctant than Jess would like.

I love this book on so many levels. It’s a quick, cozy mystery with a whodunnit feel, very similar to the Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes types of stories. Jess is loyal to Lars not because she’s still in love with him but because she knows he’s a good person. I did half an eye-roll when a hot rockstar ex-boyfriend showed up, but I rescinded it when I realized he wasn’t the love interest. (Fist pumps!)

There is an amazing cast of side characters, from Jess’s retired school superintendent mom to the momfia, her hippie pot-smoking Aunt Em, a super cute police officer who may or may not be Jess’s love interest, to Jess’s brother Nate and his annoying AF wife Sarah.

Having grown up just north of the Hudson Valley in the Catskill Mountains, seeing a book set close to my hometown always makes me happy. The writing was quick and funny, while the mystery is well-thought-out and paced, with good red herrings and a nice twist at the end. I could have done with a few less hashtag mentions and kitschy sayings, but it was just short of overdone and fit the overall tone of the book. It sounds like there are going to be more books in the series, and I’m interested to see if they continue to focus on Jess and her relationship with Detective James, or if Leigh will branch off into the lives of the other characters. Either way, I’m excited to read what’s coming next. Keep reading below if you’ve already read the book and don’t mind a spoiler.

On sale now, you can grab your copy here.

Thank you to the author Sydney Leigh, the publisher Crooked Lane Press, and NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book.

**spoiler alert**

Still here? Cool.

Sarah sucks. I kind of wished she was the killer. How does she end up being friends with Brit? They’re both annoying, and I maybe hope she disappears in one of the future books.

As a debut novel, this one is hopeful.

I really enjoyed this cozy, Scooby Doo like mystery. The plot was cute, well except for the murders, but even they weren’t good people so I wasn’t even sad when they died. The slew of characters were each unique though there were a ton to keep track of. The only thing I struggled with was the dialogue and the overwhelming use of cliche sayings. It took away from the point and made it feel over done.

Add this to your cozy mystery TBR! Peril in Pink is set in a bright Bread & Breakfast (B&B) called The Pearl during its opening weekend. The owner is the main character, Jess Byrne who runs the B&B with her best friend Kat. Unfortunately, following the first night's events someone turns up dead and Jess's ex is the prime suspect. Not gonna lie, this sounds like a place I would love to visit and wish it were real! -- well minus the murder part of course.

True to its genre, this is cozy-- there's little gore, and Jess and Kat take on the role of amateur sleuths (with the aid of the local detective -- or is that supposed to be the other way around? Haha!).

This is a quick, fun read and I can't wait to read more in this series!

Everything is coming up rosé for innkeeper Jess Byrne until a murder on opening weekend gives her B&B’s killer vibe a whole new meaning.

Schitt’s Creek meets Only Murders in the Building in Sydney Leigh’s sparkling debut mystery, Peril in Pink.

About the Book | Peril in Pink

Jess Byrne and her best friend Kat were on their annual girls’ trip when they realized they were both burned out and unfulfilled by their careers. Jess and Kat decided to transform an old boarding house that Jess’s grandmother ran in the 1960s and 1970s into an Instagram-worthy Bed and Breakfast. The property already featured a Queen-Anne style building, a huge property, and a large bool. Her brother Nate had already transformed the old garage into a café and bar called the Cool Vibes Café.

It's opening weekend and Jess and Kat have pulled out all the stops to have a buzzworthy success. Jess invited her ex-boyfriend and musician Lars Armstrong to perform at the event. Unfortunately Lars arrives with his skeezy stepfather-turned-manager, Bob Strapp. Jess has never understood why Lars let his stepfather manage him, especially since he never liked him and his mother passed away years earlier.

When Bob is found dead hours after arriving, Lars is pinpointed as the prime suspect for the murder. Lars turns to Jess to help him prove his innocence. Jess can’t really envision Lars as a murderer, so she agrees to help. Unfortunately the media coverage her B&B is receiving isn’t exactly the kind she envisioned to promote her new business. The murder opening weekend threatens to smear The Pearl B&B with a bad reputation. Jess starts digging into the case, and is surprised to turn up evidence that suggests Lars may not be as innocent as she thought. Her unfortunate findings seem all but confirmed when Lars turns up at the scene of a second murder.

Jess enlists Kat, determined to get to the bottom of the murders—after all, they are fans of the hit true crime podcast My Favorite Murder. Things get more complicated the deeper they get into their investigation. Jess and Kat worry that if they don’t uncover the truth before the police arrest Lars for the murder, it might mean the end of their B&B dreams!

Review | Peril in Pink

I thought Peril in Pink was such a fun, breezy read. Leigh adds just the right amount of humor to keep it funny and light without being ridiculous. I love a cozy mystery—its fun to see what the author has dreamt up as the setting, the crime, and who the amateur sleuth is. The B&B setting was a blast and the book is peppered with descriptions of the B&B that made me want to book a stay there! As long as they can clear up these pesky murders, though.

True Crime fans will find the references to My Favorite Murder and other pop culture fun. I admit that I identify as a Murderino myself, though I don’t catch the podcast every week any more. A new cozy mystery series (and I’m assuming this is the first in a series, but could be wrong) needs great characters that keep the reader coming back, and Leigh delivered on that aspect

Jess and Kat were wonderful—I loved their friendship, it almost felt like they had a special language the way they knew what the other was thinking sometimes. It’s helpful to have two of them pursuing the case because it felt more natural for them to run ideas, theories, and suspects past one another. Sometimes these interactions can be awkward, but that wasn’t the case here.

The mystery was engaging and moved along at a good pace (another things that can derail an otherwise good cozy mystery). There were plenty of suspects, potential motives, and red herrings to go around. Bob wasn’t exactly known for his likability, which meant plenty of people might want him dead. The second murder definitely through a wrench into things and it seemed hard to imagine someone wanted both of those individuals dead. The solution to the mystery was unexpected but made perfect sense once it was revealed.

This is a fantastic mystery if you’re looking for something fun to break up darker thrillers. Jess and Kat are stars, but don’t underestimate the side characters. This is a fresh and memorable mystery that had a brilliantly fun setting and delivered with compelling characters and a good whodunnit. I hope that this ends up as a series! Now that those murders are solved, I wouldn’t mind a stay at The Pearl B&B!

Thank you to Crooked Lane for my copy. Opinions are my own.

Peril in Pink by Sydney Leigh sounded reallty good when I read the premise.

Execution however wasn't all that great. In theory it checked all the marks but it just didn't work for me.
I liked the setting, I enjoyed reading about the hospitality business, I liked the MC, she was smart, professional and pleasure to read about. She was down to earth and relatable.
The mystery was well presented though a bit slow. i didn't have feeling that much was going on and it took long time for some type of investigation to start.

I think it would be a good choice for those just starting with this genre.

This is a decent series starter with a nice millennial bent. However, I'm not sure that there is a unique enough viewpoint in this one to sustain a long series in the cozy world. I would absolutely read another in this series to see if it can carry through!

Jessica and her best friend Katie are co-partners of a new flamingo-themed B&B. Jessica invites her ex highschool sweetheart turned into a celebrity to perform on the open night. He can along with his stepdad/manager who's a creep and an assistant who hates his stepdad. Sarah, Jessica's sister-in-law, finds a dead body the next morning resulting in the B&B being swarmed by the police. Jessica takes it into her hands to help prove that her ex has nothing to do with the murder as he gets blamed.

This is such a quick read, keeps you engaged throughout the whole story. The plot didn't put me on edge at all. Did I figure out who did it? Kind of, I had my suspicions on those people. The characters weren't taking the murder seriously, they were celebrating that the stepdad got murdered. I feel like the detective hasn't really been involved with the case enough, it seems like Jessica was doing all the work.

Some of the characters weren't likeable, while some others just shouldn't have been included since they don't add anything to the story. I especially hate how James was literally going at Lars for what happened in high school, which is petty.

I did enjoy reading this book, I had a fun time and I do recommend this book if you like a cosy mystery. I'm excited to see what the second book will bring!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I love the fun atmosphere that the book gives off – this is a trendy boutique B&B that is leaning into the snap-worthy lifestyle of the younger generation. There are hashtags galore and I’m here for it. Who hasn’t seen those beautiful, fun vacation spots on Instagram and wanted to grab a drink and dive in?

While there are two dead bodies that turn up during the course of the story, this is still a fun, light mystery for anyone looking for a good summer read. The pacing never slows down and there are enough storylines – from old high school mean girl feuds to family secrets – running alongside the main mystery that there seems to be more than enough to keep the reader engaged.

One difficult job that the first book in a new series always has is to introduce a lot of characters. Peril in Pink does a great job of debuting the core characters – The Pearl’s staff, family members, police detective James Holloway – and the characters I’m assuming will only be around for this instalment.

There are plenty of characters, but the story never feels crowded and I had absolutely no problem keeping track of who was who and how they fit into the story. I often have to keep notes to keep track of people but everyone was clearly defined and had such specific roles and identities that I was never confused about who was doing what.

Jess is a fun character and her and Kat make a good team. They’re both crime podcast lovers so it’s not hard to see why they would want to try and solve the murders themselves, but they also don’t seem to take too many reckless risks.

All in all, I had a great time reading this one and it will be interesting to see how the next book plays out as I’m sure a B&B can only survive so many murders before people start staying away, no matter how pretty and pink it is!

*** Thank you to the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, for providing me with an e-copy of this book via Netgalley for review purposes.

Big thank you to the author and Crooked Lane books for the early review copy of Peril in Pink!

A quirky and fun read, this book combines the elements of murder mystery, comedy, and a cozy feel that keeps you hooked for the entirety of the story. The author does a great job of describing the B&B feeling - really setting up the scene describing the world. From a twist of murder to being desperate to protect her B&B's reputation, our FMC was fun to read about and relatable in ways you probably did not expect.

An excellent beach read and something to take you on that vacation feel, Peril in Pink is a wonderful read!

Thank you
@thrillerbookloverspromotions @sydneyleighmystery for my complimentary copy. My thoughts are my own.

This is a fast-paced and quite enjoyable cozy mystery! I loved the colorful characters and the dynamics between them.

When JESS opens a new bed and breakfast inn, she has every detail planned, including having her ex-boyfriend turned rock star, LARS, sing on opening night. However, when Lars’s cringy manager-stepdad is found murdered, Lars is at the top of the suspect list.

Jess finds herself agreeing to help clear Lars’s name and she does a bit of amateur sleuthing. But Lars really looks guilty, especially when there is a second murder!

I enjoyed both the print and audio versions. I will definitely read the next book in the series!

Read (or listen to) this if you enjoy:
*cozy mysteries
*old high school rivalries
*amateur sleuth
*humor that will make you laugh out loud

Another attempt by me to read cozy mystery. Maybe the genre isn't for me... I don't get attached to the story and it takes me a while to get into the rhythm. So, it wasn't the book, it was me

Rating: 3,5 stars

Thanks to #netgalley and #thrillerloverspromotions for this ALC which is out today.

𝑴𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔:
This was quite something different from what I usually read so it took me a while to get out of my comfort zone of heinous serial killers and gory crimes.. 🤪 and immerse myself in a cosy mystery story!

But in the end, the exchange of banter between Jess, her business partner Kat and her sophisticated and highly judgmental mother as they try to find the killer on the opening weekend of their new B&B was very entertaining.
Amazing that this is a debut! The writing style is very smooth and the tongue-in-cheek dialogues made me smile!

I received an audio arc of this book and will be leaving my full review on that copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Peril in Pink is a fun and easy read and is the 1st part of a series. The narrator done really well in this book on not giving away the Mystery.As we are following Jess and her best mate Kate as they are opening up there bed and breakfast which is cocidentaily pink hence the books cover . We then have someone turn up dead upon the opening and ensure some amature sleuting to see who the actual suspect is. A fun small town resident with a ton of pop culture references to make you laugh out loud.

Such a cute story with a twist of murder. I loved the idea of the family owned bed and breakfast. It was for sure a modern day Clue feeling while reading the story. I didn’t have any idea who the murderer was literally until the last page! Thank you for letting me be one of your ARC readers! Really enjoyed this story.

Jess and her friend and business partner, Kat, embark on an exciting new adventure, opening a cozy bed and breakfast. Their quaint establishment promises warm hospitality and delightful memories for guests. In addition, Jess manages to secure hometown heartthrob and renowned singer, Lars, for a special performance but then things quickly make a change for the worse. Now Jess finds herself trying to help Lars, her self-involved ex-boyfriend, and save the reputation of the B&B.

I really enjoyed this story. The pairing of the loyal and trusting Jess with the sassy Kat made a great combination. Then add Lars the sometimes jerk that you cannot help but like, hippie Aunt Marnie, Jess's brother Nate owner of the cafe/bar in the B&B, Duke the husky and hot cop Detective Holloway. All together a great cast of characters.

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an ARC. The opinions expressed are mine,

Peril in Pink was a witty, easy-reading B&B mystery. The aesthetic of The Pearl B&B was alive through every page and I really enjoyed reading about all of their luxury details. Definitely a place I'd want to stay, even with the murder mystery.

The book itself dragged on just a bit for me - it took till about the 60% mark for the investigation to really pick up. There were so many characters and potential suspects - there were a lot of options to go through and backstories to flesh out. Felt like just a tad too much. Jess herself was a lovable main character and I enjoyed her friendship and partnership with Kat. They were a good team.

It was a bit heavy on the My Favorite Murder podcast references - sometimes that can take me out of story, but overall the writing was solid. It was set up like a real whodunit and in the end, the outcome was an interesting twist with enough of a hint to it previously that it felt plausible. Lots of witty banter and genuinely humorous moments sprinkled in with the mystery. Definitely recommend for modern cozy mystery fans!

Thank you NetGalley for my copy!

I want to thank @thrillerbookloverspromotions and @sydneyleighauthor for this fun ARC!

Peril in Pink was my first #cozymystery , and was exactly what I was looking for in a #mysterythriller ! It will definitely not be my last Sydney Leigh book, or cozy mystery! It is a fun, easy read, with a few good curveballs!

3.5 ⭐️, rounded up! (I went back and forth with the ebook and audiobook, and preferred the audio! Great narration!)

I’d just like to start by saying that the author reached out to me last year and absolutely made my day. I’m grateful for this opportunity - Thank you to the author (& for helping me with all the technical difficulties i faced), Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books

This was a cozy enjoyable page turner thriller book. It kept me on the edge of my seat because I literally couldn’t guess who it was. Jess took it into her own hands to investigate and go around and ask the questions; she probably was asking the wrong people though. Things felt missing to her AND to me. I had to pause reading to think because of how perplexed I was

I enjoyed the overall feel of the setting, and this was a perfect example of amateur detective work. Even though there was an actual detective on the case and taking suspects to the station for questioning, I loved Jess and Kats’ reactions and them snooping around was so entertaining to read

I didn’t really like Lars to be honest. His character was very immature and the way he kept calling Jess “babe” and “baby” when they weren’t together was so cringy, and he’s very disrespectful. Even though he was the one who hurt her in the past, she’s the one who dodged a bullet

Every character was distinct. Everyone was a suspect and the fact that most of them had their own clandestine, made the book even more mysterious and it made it feel like a book you’d take with you to the beach and read it there! I know some people are saying it’s a cozy autumn read, but it felt very summer-y to me 🫣

If you follow me and read my reviews you know that I love details and descriptions. I loved how the B&B was effortlessly exemplified, I could visually see the whole setting of the book

I didn’t believe that this is Sydney Leigh’s debut novel because the writing was spectacular and the expressions were so funny. The writing was great! It was a really good book for her first published book! I’m telling you there’s something about Canadian authors ❤️‍🩹