A great start to a new series! Wonderful characters in an incredible setting. This book will keep you guessing until the end.

A solid start to a new series by an established cozy writer. The setting is fun and a bit unique. There is opportunity for the characters in the town to be developed more as the series progresses, and there are romance potentials without any of them becoming overmuch.

I appreciate being given the opportunity to read and review the Advanced Reader’s Edition e-copy of A Very Woodsy Murder by Ellen Byron; thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing.

A murder in the majestic California woods is what I was expecting and this story provided that and more. Charcuterie boards and very bad baked goods were as plentiful as the list of suspects and clues gathered by this amateur sleuth attempting to solve the mystery. Unfortunately, distracted and constantly detoured by the excessive vocabulary word fill, teary moments and “wows” scattered throughout this whodunit, a return trip to this Gold Rush Country vacation destination is unlikely.

This book, unfortunately, just didn't work for me. I typically really enjoy this author, so of course I am disappointed. Clearly I am in the minority here but this was just so flat and meh for me [I found myself doing other things to get out of finishing this, which is never a good sign]; of course, given how many mysteries I read every year there is bound to be ones that are just not my cup of tea and such is the case here and I am [finally] okay with it when it happens. I would think about reading a second book should it be published simply because I often have issues with book one in a new series and also because I think that everyone [especially a previously-read, well-established author] deserves a second chance.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ellen Byron, and Kensington Publishing/Kensington Cozies for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Very Woodsy Murder is the first book in a new cozy mystery series centered on a former sit-com writer who has decided to redo an old motel outside of California's gold country. Alongside her best friend and business partner Jeff, Dee can't wait to get her hands dirty tidying-up and re-decorating The Golden. With the beautiful Majestic National Park surrounding them, Dee and Jeff find easy inspiration for creative ideas to attract customers. Unfortunately, just when business is about to take off, their first guest is discovered murdered, and, since Dee had known Michael from her television days, she is one of the prime suspects. Now, in order keep herself out of jail, as well as save her new motel, Dee must do her own investigative work. However, Dee soon learns that investigating a murder and interviewing potential suspects is not as easy as it looks on television, especially when she is determined not to make enemies of the locals.

A Very Woodsy Murder has everything a good cozy mystery needs. It is the perfect debut for a new series. I will definitely be reading the next book! I loved the small-town vibes, especially when compared to Dee's past LA life. The forest setting is picturesque, and the characters are fantastic. I can't wait to get to know the locals more. I love Elmira and her store; however, Serena is likely my favorite character. I laughed every time Dee or Jeff attempted to determine who was in the baby strap: Oscar or Emmy (also, great names for a Hollywood agent's kids). I can't wait to see what Dee and team get up to next!

I might be the lone voice of dissent on this one, but this wasn’t nearly as engaging as some of Ellen Byron’s other series (which I do really enjoy). I had a very hard time getting into it and almost DNF’d about halfway through. I stuck it out, did enjoy the second half more than the first, but am not totally sure I’ll read any more of the series.

More than anything else, I just didn’t connect with any of the characters. I find the idea of an ex husband and wife now being best friends and living/working together kinda unbelievable. The lady who treated her baby and dog as if they were interchangeable pissed me off (admittedly, I’m NOT a dog person). And the dad with his cartoon character voices drove me bonkers.

And while the rustic motel setting is kinda cool, I think Diane Kelly did it better in her Mountain Lodge Mysteries series.

"A Very Woodsy Murder" is a solid cozy and a great fish-out-of-water story. Two "city slicker" ex-spouses move to the touristy backwoods and take over an old motel. When a former coworker is murdered on the property, Dee and Jeff must investigate to save their fledging business and keep themselves out of jail.

This is a new series for Ellen Byron, and isn't set in Louisiana, as some of her others have been. Our sleuths have experience with show biz and writing. What they don't have is any experience running a motel or investigating crimes. They're also learning to navigate small-town life. How they manage this makes for a good series starter.

There's wild wildlife, and even wilder townsfolk, but it's eccentricity that's true to life. Byron creates a complete world, and the environment is its own character, and just as relevant as the human ones.

Why you should read this book: If you've enjoyed any of Byron's other series, you'll like this one. It has great characters, a logical plot, and solid worldbuilding.

Why you might not want to read it: Dee and Jeff occasionally flail and maybe jump to a few conclusions they oughtn't, but that's understandable, given that they've sunk their life savings into this and are murder suspects.

I received an advance copy from Kensington via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

4 out of 5 stars. Recommended.

A VERY WOODSY MURDER by Ellen Byron
The First Golden Motel Mystery

Burned out from life as a screenwriter in Los Angeles Dee Stern is ready for a new start and finds it in a crumbling motel at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Convincing her best friend Jeff Cornetta to buy the Golden Motel with her the fledgling moteliers have their work cut out for them. Their first guest has an agenda, and it's not helping Dee's new business. When he winds up murdered, the friends are seen as pariahs...and suspects. With two law enforcement agencies battling to quickly close the case Dee and Jeff decide it's in their best interest to try to solve the murder themselves.

Friends with zero hospitality experience decide to open a motel in the middle of nowhere. What could possible go wrong? Fortunately for readers a lot goes wrong-cue in one dastardly screenwriter, murder, and bad pastries, and a lot goes right, snappy dialogue, unique characters, and a lot of humor. There are a few running gags I particularly enjoyed, the one with Emmy and Oscar in particular always made me smile. I really love the relationship between Dee and Jeff and like how they work as a team. Some of the characters are a bit over the top, but fun to have around.

I appreciate the balance between getting their motel up and running and dealing with the citizens of both towns while working with law enforcement and investigating on their own. Several suspects, lots of motives, and more than one red herring made for an enjoyable mystery.

So don't be a cidiot, grab your own copy of A VERY WOODSY MURDER.

I liked Ellen Byron's 'Cajun Country Mystery Series', set in Louisiana, so I decided to try this debut novel in the author's 'Golden Motel' series, set in California.

*****

Dee Stern was a Hollywood sitcom writer for fifteen years, but her latest job on the kids' show 'Duh!' - about tween superheroes in middle school - was the last straw. Dee admits, 'The job was hard, the pay was bad, the staff hated being there, and the writing was terrible, even my own.'

Taking a drive to get out of Los Angeles, Dee is meandering through the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains when she sees an abandoned hostelry, called the Golden Motel, for sale. On the spot, Dee decides to become a hotelier, and she and her best friend (and former husband) Jeff Cornetta pool their money to buy the motel. To get the venue going, Dee and Jeff must clean, decorate, and refurnish all the rooms and cabins; fix the welcome sign, which currently only illuminates the letters 'OLD MOTEL'; and repair the pool.

Jeff, who's a freelance website designer, will also create a webpage to advertise the venue and describe things to do in the area. The local attractions include the nearby Majestic National Park and two quaint towns called Foundgold and Goldsgone. These odd names hark back to the gold rush days of the mid-1800s, when would-be miners flocked to the area.

Foundgold, with a population of 68 and one general store/diner, doesn't attract many visitors. However, Goldsgone - a historic recreation town that looks almost exactly like it did 150 years ago - is a popular tourist attraction. The Goldsgondians dress in period costumes; speak in Old West lingo; and maintain old timey facades for their stores and businesses. Dee and Jeff hope to add additional activities, like a historic trail, and a sluice where families can pan for (fake) gold nuggets.

When Dee learns that the first guest of the Golden Motel will be Michael Adam Baker, she gets a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. Baker is a sitcom writer Dee worked with on her first Hollywood gig, and he's the most devious, backstabbing person Dee ever worked with. Baker claims he wants a quiet venue to pen his script for a new pilot, and Dee and Jeff are cautiously optimistic, thinking the hostelry might become a writer's retreat.

It turns out Baker has an ulterior motive for staying at the Golden Motel, and when Dee learns about it, she angrily tells Baker to leave. Soon afterward, Baker is found dead in the woods near the motel, and Dee and Jeff become the prime suspects for his murder. Two rival law enforcement officers investigate the homicide, which results in some fun hijinks. The two men are Deputy Sheriff Raul Aguilar, from Goldsgone, and Park Ranger Tom O'Bryant, from Majestic National Park.

In the meantime, Dee and Jeff, whose 'murder motel' is losing business, decide to find the killer themselves. The would-be sleuths learn that the victim, Michael Adam Baker, grew up in Goldsgone, where some people consider him a golden boy, and others think he got what he deserved. The hoteliers consider just about everyone Baker knew to be a suspect, including the victim's erstwhile agent; the agent's wife; the agent's assistant; a real estate broker; a restauranteur; a contractor; various sitcom writers; and more.

Dee and Jeff, being newly minted amateur detectives, fumble and bumble as they go around questioning people, who resent being considered suspects. Thus the sleuths are snubbed and threatened, and things escalate further when there's a drugging, a fire, a bear looking for food, and another death. Dee and Jeff keep on going, though, and carry on to success!

Ellen Byron has a deft hand with cozy mysteries, and there's lots of jollity in this one, which has a lovely setting and an entertaining group of characters. One of my favorites is Dee's father, Sam Stern, a voice actor who usually converses in the voice of a cartoon character he's acted, like Tweety Sweety, or Super String Man, or Colonel Cluck.

I look forward to Dee and Jeff's further adventures, which will (hopefully) include smoother sleuthing techniques.

Thanks to Netgalley, Ellen Byron, and Kensington Cozies for a copy of the manuscript.

A Very Woodsy Murder by Ellen Byron chronicles the moves of two city folks (citiots) to the country in northern California, where they have purchased an old motel. Thrilled by the fifties’ appearance of the motel and its rooms, they determine it needs cleaning and minor updating and they set about their task. Their first guest arrives and it’s some someone Dee knew from her life as a script writer in Los Angeles. She didn’t like him. She liked him even less when she found him snooping around her apartment. Her partner (and long-ago-ex-husband), Jeff destroyed his reason for being there. Sadly, it was not long before Michael Adam Baker was found dead in the woods. As the newcomers, they were the prime suspects. They set about investigating, well, mostly Dee did, and as she did that she started developing relationships with the locals. It was slow going on both fronts.

This is going to be a fabulous series. Byron has established the sleuths, and the sympathetic law enforcement officer, as well as clearly defining several locals who obviously will become regulars in this series. The mystery was a good one, and one we got clues to throughout the book, even if readers didn’t recognize them as clues any more than Dee and Jeff did. The setting is hilarious: an old-fashioned mining town. A scenario everyone bought into. The quirky neighbors, Mr and Mrs Ma’am and their hot son, who made appearances when there was a fire as he was part of an inmate fire crew. The requisite animal is the previous owner’s dog and maybe a bear. The whole thing was lovingly and masterfully created as the opening salvo of what I predict will become a popular cozy mystery series.

I was invited to read A Very Woodsy Murder by Kensington Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #KensingtonPublishing #EllenByron #AVeryWoodsyMurder

From Agatha Award-winning author Ellen Byron comes a new series set in a rustic getaway in the woods. A Very Woodsy Murder sees Dee Stern doing a 180 degree turn in her life from sitcom writer to the new owner of a down-on-its-luck motel in the quaint, quirky village of Foundgold, CA. With Jeff, her best friend slash first ex-husband, they purchase an old motel with the vision of turning it into a retreat for executives and families to relax and enjoy nature. Their first guest is a former coworker of Dee’s whose behavior ends up getting him murdered. When she becomes the suspect in the murder, Dee has to face her past and avoid the law enforcement officer who wants to arrest her, and figure out if the killer is a local or a tourist….and make sure she steers clear of Stoney the Bear!

I’ve been a fan of Ellen Byron for a long time, and loved this first book in the new series. I can absolutely picture the setting as I’ve been to those woods on vacation. In fact, I’ve stayed at a Redwood lodge that reminds me so much of this fictional motel - only a finished version!

Having been a sitcom writer herself, the author writes the character of Dee with absolute authority on the ins and outs of the job. Ellen Byron’s humor shines throughout the story and I was so immersed in the book that I read it in one sitting. The characters are fun and quirky - except the doyenne of Goldsgone, CA, the rival town of Foundgold. She’s just mean enough to possibly end up being a victim in a future book!

I highly recommend reading this series - actually, all of this author's works. Thank you to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for letting me read the book in advance. I loved it!

"They" say "write what you know," and Ellen Byron seems to have done just that with MC Dee Stern, former Hollywood script writer, who left the rat race that is Hollywood to invest in a rundown, make that rustic time capsule of a, motel in "them thar hills." Okay, that is my effort to mimic the old timey language that is liberally sprinkled throughout the vocabulary of residents of Foundgold, California. In this new, fun, and energetic series, we get an inside glimpse of the world of Hollywood script writers and show runners, but the goings on in the towns of Foundgold and Goldgone, two rival small towns, are much more interesting. The very platonic relationship between Dee and her business partner and ex-husband, Jeff, along with the quirky residents of the two towns make for an entertaining read. Looking beyond the run down to the what-was-and can be again of the Golden Motel brings a touch of nostalgia. So, get ready for some kitsch, some laughter, and of course, murder.

Good start to a new series. I loved the setting of a getaway in the woods just outside of the hustle and bustle of LA and the characters were just the right kiGood start to a new series. I loved the setting of a getaway in the woods just outside of the hustle and bustle of LA and the characters were just the right kind of quirky and fun. The mystery was interesting but I found some of the humor and situations a little hokey. Otherwise, I enjoyed this and am looking forward to the next in the series.nd of quirky and fun. The mystery was interesting but I found some of the humor and situations a little hokey. Otherwise, I enjoyed this and am looking forward to the next in the series.

This is a fun first installment of the Golden Motel cozy mystery series. I've always been fascinated with the Gold Country in California, so it was really interesting to read this story set there. The mystery was interesting, with a charming rustic setting and a vast array of supporting characters. It took me a little while to warm up to the main characters, which I think might have been written into the story that way, but by the end I was rooting for Dee and their successful foray into the motel business. I'll definitely read more in the series! Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Cozies for the advance digital copy.

A new cozy mystery by Ellen Byron. I enjoyed this book and look forward to additional books in the series. The characters are well developed and the murder mysteries are handled well. I loved getting to know Dee and her best friend/former spouse, Jeff. Getting to meet the people in Foundgold and Goldgone was entertaining. As they become encompassed in the community ... or fight their way into being accepted ... lots of things happen and they are off to solve a crime or two. Lots of twists and turns that will have you wondering who is guilty of murder until the very end. I love the setting of the Golden Motel and how they work together to create a woodsy home away from home for guests to visit the Majestic National Forest in Nevada. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book and look forward to spending time with Dee and Jeff and the rest of the gang.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Cozies for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

Dee is ready for a life change, so she talks her best friend/ex-husband into going in with her to buy an old motel at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains to refurbish. They have some exciting plans and even a few reservations until someone is murdered.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The setting was so captivating that it made me want to pack up and head to the mountains. The main characters felt like people I’d love to be friends with, and the plot was full of unexpected twists and turns. I look forward to more Golden Motel Mystery books.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a charming fun series with all the perfect cozy elements we readers love. The author is a favorite cozy author of readers and this is a new series that is fun and engaging. Thank you to the publisher, Net Galley and the author for the opportunity for review. My review opinions are my own.

Dee is a writer for TV who has had a unpleasant ending to her recent sitcom job. She decides she is done with TV and LA. She goes on a road trip with no destination in mind. She finds a small town in the mountains called "Foundgold" with a rich history of gold mining and a beautiful forest. She is drawn to the area and decides to buy and renovate a old motel with a long history in the area. Her ex husband Jeff is her partner and they work well together. As they renovate the motel secrets abound from the locals and the stories give Dee incentive to create a wonderful roadside motel to enhance the area. They have many comedic moments and find the renovation cost more then they anticipated and still they are determined.

They open one room for their first guest who is found dead and they are the primary suspects. With no friends to help them and suspicious townspeople pointing fingers at them they must work to clear their names and save their business. The sleuth kept me guessing to the surprise conclusion. I loved the likable supporting characters that fit the atmospheric woody setting. I loved the laugh out loud moments that Dee and Jeff have. This is a promising series I highly recommend for all cozy readers. it was fun to read about a different cozy setting and a protaganist who is self made and a strong determined woman. Well done to the author.

A Very Woodsy Murder is book #1 in the Golden Motel Mystery series by Ellen Byron.

I’ve been so excited for this book and it didn’t disappoint! Dee Stern and best friend/ex-husband Jeff buy a rundown, retro motel to fix up. Things don’t go quite as planned and Dee and Jeff find themselves being considered murder suspects. This book was so entertaining. I really enjoyed the humor in this book and the interesting characters. The mystery kept me guessing until Dee revealed the guilty party. I cannot wait to see what is in store for Dee, Jeff, and Nugget!

Thank you to the author, Kensington Cozies, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Ellen Byron’s newest mystery, A Very Woodsy Murder, so I was delighted when I was able to read an ARC from Netgalley & Kensington Publishing. Today is publication day which means you too can grab a copy of this five star mystery, the first in a new cozy series!

Sitcom writer Dee Stern and her best friend Jeff (who happens to be her first ex-husband) leave city life behind and become the new owners of a mid-century motel that has its fair share of cobwebs. They dream of the Golden Motel becoming a hiker’s oasis as it is nestled into the wilderness and in the shadow of a national park.

The quaint village of Foundgold, population 68, is the only nearby town, and townsfolk are hesitant to welcome these newcomers, especially after their very first guest (TV writer Michael Adam Baker) is found murdered on Golden Motel property. Guess who is on the top of the suspect list? You know it’s Dee and Jeff. Determined to prove their innocence and identify the true killer before their new business is murdered, Dee and Jeff dive in head first to the investigation.

Oh my gosh this was just so much fun. First of all, I’m a big fan of Ellen Byron’s writing. I love her work and this new novel did not disappoint. I was immediately pulled into the setting as the descriptions brought the hotel, small town and surrounding wilderness to life.

The characters are wonderful and some are truly quirky. This adds a lot of humor into the story which I adored. And some scenes are laugh-out-loud funny. (No spoilers, but just wait until you learn about Stoney the Bear…I’m still giggling).

The mystery is well plotted with many layers and I loved the ending reveal. I did not guess that until right before. I can’t wait for more adventures at the Golden Motel.

Dee and her ex-husband/friend Jeff buy an old motel in a small town in gold rush territory in the Sierras. The murder victim is not sympathetic, but Dee needs the murder solved so that her investment in the motel isn’t lost. Dee isn’t the most proficient investigator, but I had fun along the path to the story’s conclusion.
The descriptions and characterizations are great. I enjoyed reading A Very Woodsy Murder. I would want to visit Dee and Jeff’s motel. I recommend picking up this book.
Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington for the chance to read this book.