This cozy mystery was easy enough to listen to, but it didn't pull me in to search out more. Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audio ARC.

Murder in Devil’s Pond is a new cozy mystery series staring Hannah, a thirty something trying to make a go of running an inn and starting a pollinator garden. A tight budget, family trouble, and old hometown neighbors are not enough to get Hannah down. But the murdered body of the town recluse showing up on her property might just push her over the edge. Determined to get to the bottom of her old friend’s murder, Hannah discovers how much she didn’t know about the people she grew up around.

This is a great first for a cozy mystery series. There’s a range of family drama, a handsome love interest, and a protagonist who won’t give up once she’s set her mind of something. Any cozy mystery lover will be right at home in Hannah’s inn uncovering twists and turns along with her.

This was a cozy mystery and was really good, I loved the relationship between Hannah and her niece it reminds me of my niece and nephews and how close we are. The mystery it's self was good and not one you would just guess quickly at the beginning. I'm exciting to see what's next in the series and hope we have some of the same characters because I think they were very well written and would love to see how those characters and relationships progress.

This was a good listen and I would recommend.

The narrator was easy to follow and the pace of the book was good. Not too slow and enough pace in the story to keep you engaged.

The plot was interesting and I liked the main characters.
A couple of twists I didn’t see coming as well.

Loved this one! I am a big cozy fan and this is a wonderful start to a new series. The characters were all so well described that I could practically see them, the setting is interesting and the mystery was entertaining. I will definitely read the next books in this series and hope the second comes out soon! I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was great, she added a lot to the story and I highly recommend not only the book but the audiobook as well.

Thank you #NetGalley and #DreamscapeMedia for the ARC. I can not wait for book 2 of this series. Our main character Hannah is the owner of the local AirBnB. When her grumpy, old, neighbor is murdered she feels compelled to find who did it. Unfortunately it looks like it could be one of her guest. A great read.

Hannah Solace has returned home to renovate and manage Hummingbird Hollow B&B, which she owns with her sister, Reggie. The plan is to make the inn a haven for their guests and the gardens a haven for pollinators. She has become close to the neighbor, elderly Ezra Grayson, who knows all there is to know about the flowers and plants she’s trying to grow. to be a fount of information regarding any plant, tree, or flower. Hannah is devastated when when she finds his body and realizes he was murdered. She feels like she is the prime suspect for a number of reasons, so starts snooping around on her own.

I liked Hannah and can appreciate what she’s trying to do at the B&B. She’s been gone from town for ages and was a bit of a troublemaker when she was young and that gives a bit of nuance to her relationships. The detective investigating the case, Ezra’s lawyer, the landscaper, the local pastor, her estranged father, all knew her when she was in high school but don’t necessarily know her now.

Ezra had his own fair share of secrets and we have plenty of suspects in his murder, most of whom want the valuable land his run down house sits on. There were several turns in the story and Hannah has to dig into the past to find some of the answers.

I listened to the audio and the narrator did a great job. The characters voices were all distinct and fit their ages and personalities well.

I truly got caught up in the mystery and the characters were well-developed, even if some of them were not nice people. I’m looking forward to the next in the series.

Is there a term for a cozy mystery but just a shade darker? Because that’s what this is.
I enjoyed the concept, and Hannah - and I really enjoyed the atmosphere. Enough that is prompted me to finally get started on my backyard garden.

I do wish there was a little more character development but hopefully that will come in future books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook version.

Murder on Devil’s Pond is the first novel in the Hummingbird Hollow B&B series by Ayla Rose. Both Solace sisters, Hannah and Reggie, have had tumultuous past relationships that each is still recovering from. Single mother Reggie is a successful real estate broker raising her six year old daughter Peach. Hannah is successfully running the family inn, Hummingbird Hollow B&B, as well as redoing the grounds to make it an environmentally friendly habitat for pollinators. Her cranky elderly neighbor Ezra Grayson is guiding her as to what to plant and where to plant for the conditions including the marshland that lies by the pond. In fact, Hannah visits Ezra most days and makes sure he has food to eat as well as company.

Both the inn and Ezra’s property are along Devil’s Pond as well as a wildlife area. At one time Ezra owned most of the Devil’s Mountain area on the other side of the pond but in what appears to have been a bad deal on Ezra’s part he sold the land to John Solace, the sisters’ estranged father, who made a fortune developing the ski resort on the mountain. Both Hannah and Reggie are estranged from John for different reasons.

Now Ezra’s nephews and niece, who he calls the vultures, are staying at the inn as they try to convince him to sell his home and go to a senior living center. Ezra has no interest in the idea or the cousins themselves. But the cousins appear to be trying to make deals behind his back for the valuable land. When Ezra doesn’t arrive at the inn when he says he’s coming Hannah finds it unusual but not necessarily worrisome until she finds him face down in the marsh a few hours later. As Hannah is the one who finds him on her land and when other things come to light, she is on the suspect short list.

This is such a well plotted mystery! With multiple twists, well drawn characters, and a mystery that turns into many, I found this book to be a real page turner. I very much enjoyed this book and look forward to seeing what lies ahead in the series. I do recommend this book!

A really excellent cozy mystery. The main character, Hannah, had a very troubled childhood. She has returned to her childhood town in Vermont to run her sister’s inn and prove she’s not the delinquent she used to be. Part of her return involved befriending an isolated, crotchety old man. When that man turns up dead, Hannah is suspect number one. I love the setting and this series has a real melancholy tone that adds depth to the characters and the story. Lots of forgiveness and remorse. I’m really loving it.

This was a great first book in a new cozy mystery series. The mystery itself was really interesting and twisty with a whole other subplot mystery about Ezra's past. I found it to be well-written and the characters were great to follow. And of course, I loved Moose, Esra's rescue dog.

Overall, this was a fun read and I'll continue on with the series as they come out.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the audio arc of this book!

Murder on Devil's Pond is a great start to a new series. It was a bit slow to start but it was apparent that Rose was setting the scene for more books. The ancillary characters are unique and well-developed providing a variety of suspects for the investigation. Hannah Solace, Rose's protagonist is likeable and the small town Vermont setting is sweet but with a lot of opportunity for unveiling secrets in future mysteries. I was surprised by the ending and the finale pulled together a lot of the pieces that initially appeared to be unnecessary details.
The narrator was excellent and fit really well with the feel of the story.
I'll be looking forward to the second audiobook in Ayla Rose's new Hummingbird Hollow cozy mystery series.
Thanks to Dreamscape Media for the Advanced Listening Copy of Murder on Devil's Pond.

Great start to a new series! I enjoyed the setting and the characters (except for Hannah’s sister), especially Hannah, who is smart and savvy enough to keep herself out of trouble for the most part, and Moose, who quickly learns who he should be loyal to. This is much darker than your typical cozy and has more mature language than I’m used to in them but overall, this was a good read and I look forward to more adventures in the future.

Murder on Devil’s Pond
Hummingbird Hollow B&B Mystery #1
Ayla Rose
Hannah returned to her hometown after a 15-year absence; she co-owns an old Victorian house with her sister Reggie. Hannah had great plans for renovating, reopening, and operating the inn. She planned to weave plants that draw honeybees in with the native plants and trees throughout the property. Progress on the renovations was slow due to Reggie’s delaying tactics, a very tight budget and unreliable contractors. Ezra Grayson and his dog Moose lived in the old Victorian house behind Hannah’s property. Hannah and Ezra were close friends despite the age difference; Hannah saw Ezra as a father figure, a neighbor, a sounding board and an encourager. Ezra could be a grouchy old man. His nephews and niece were like vultures waiting for him to die or give up, so they could sell Ezra’s home, send him to a retirement home and build an apartment house. He refused to allow anyone to dictate his life, he would not sell his home. He liked his Victorian house where he and his dog Moose reside.
Hannah is on Devil’s Pond when she sees Moose on shore obviously upset. She discovers the body of Ezra and turns to the police for help. Detective Noah Booker is assigned to the case.
Ezra’s niece, Maura Hamilton, and nephews Rob Long, are staying on the Inn’s property, they are expecting to inherit Ezra’s estate. The property is very valuable. Surprise! Ezra left everything to Hannah making her the main suspect in his death. To clear her name, she must find the person responsible for his death. Three of Ezra’s extended family were staying at the B&B; they left Hannah feeling disquieted. Hannah began by investigating Ezra’s past; what she found left her feeling anxious. Could Ezra’s past
Kudos to author Ayla Rose, great start to what promises to be a great series.
Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for review.

Thank you to Ayla Rose, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was okay. It wasn't bad, but it also didn't make much of an impression. The characters were fine, the mystery was fine. I didn't quite understand if Hannah inherited in the end or not; I struggled to follow the legal and business back-and-forth, who screwed over who, who bought what. Perhaps there too many suspects---these people wanted Ezra's land, these people had business dealings with him, these people came out of nowhere with past revelations. By the end I was kinda over sorting it all out and trying to remember who was who and why I was supposed to care.

Murder on Devil's Pond is a new village cozy(ish) series starter by Ayla Rose. Released 9th June 2024 by Crooked Lane, it's 304 pages and is available in hardcover, audiobook, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links.

This is a fairly standard village cozy with the requisite cast of eccentric town oddballs hiding things from one another, irascible grumpy old man (who sadly exits stage left quite quickly), a moderately large cast of suspects, and the main character, 30something Hannah, back in town to open/refurbish a Victorian B&B with her sister.

It's an enjoyable read, if trope-y (but that's why hotel/B&B cozies are such a popular niche genre). It's not at all derivative, and fans of Ellery Adams, Kate Carlisle, and Lynn Cahoon will find a lot to like here. It's marketed as a cozy, but fair warning for sensitive readers, the language is considerably stronger than the usual cozy fare, and there's a wood chipper featured in a murder (it's not graphic, but *yikes*). There are also some issues with the clues in the mystery and the local official police need to be rounded up and stripped of their authority (they share confidential info and are generally mind-blowingly incompetent). Especially surprising since the author is apparently an attorney in real life.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 9 hours 53 minutes and is read by Maria Ru-Djen. She has a full, well modulated alto voice and does a good job of delineating the characters of a range of ages and both sexes. She has a sort of neutral generic eastern US accent which doesn't overpower the read. Sound and production quality are high throughout.

Three and a half stars. It will be interesting to see how the characters develop over the next few books. Recommended for cozy readers who don't especially mind rougher-than-average language and some more graphic violence than average.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Fresh off a breakup Hannah Solace returns to her hometown to reopen and inn that she owns with her sister. During the difficult process of renovation Hannah becomes friends with town grump Ezra. He was formerly a friend of her father's but is now a recluse in an old home that is falling apart around him. Ezra is also facing challenges from family that are eager for him to sell his property to increase their potential inheritances. One day Hannah stumbles upon Ezra's dead body. It soon becomes apparent that he was murdered. Hannah begins to look into the death when she becomes one of the potential suspects.

I had a very fun time with this book. It has a really great cozy mystery town set up. Hannah is a great main character. I really enjoyed everything related to getting the inn reopened and the visitors. Her family history was also a really good back story. I will be looking forward to seeing where this goes in the future. I think it has the potential to be a great series.

I really enjoyed Maria Ru-Djen's narration.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

A cozy mystery with an adorable dog in beautiful Vermont? 100% sold!

Murder on Devil’s Pond is the first installment of the Hummingbird Hollow B&B Mystery series and it was absolutely fantastic! I loved the complex family dynamics, buried secrets, unexpected twists, beautiful gardens, wonderful friendships, small town drama and of course - a perfect pup named Moose!

📚 Series Debut
🍁 Vermont
🫎 Loyal Pup
🔨 Inn Renovations
🏘️ Land Developers
🔍 Cozy Mystery
🔐 Secrets
🏡 Small Town

Ayla Rose kept me guessing until the very last page and I honestly didn’t see the big reveal coming! This was such an enjoyable series debut and I’m so excited to see where the series will go from here!

Method Read: 📖 & 🎧

Thank you so much Ayla Rose for the gifted ARC (and maple syrup!) and to Dreamscape Media for the ALC!

Murder on Devil’s Pond AUDIO by Ayla Rose is a pleasant (if murder can be pleasant) cozy mystery investigating the death of Ezra Grayson, an elderly man who lived in town. His only friend was Hannah Solace, who ran a B&B in this small Vermont town. She took him food every day and they became friends. They shared a love of plants. Hannah was trying to get the meadow behind the B&B back to its natural as a habitat for animals, bugs, and birds. There was a pond there already. As Hannah was going to the pond to kayak she came across Ezra’s dog, and then Ezra, in the pond, dead. She called 911 and then sat waiting, stunned. Thus began an investigation by both the police and by Hannah, who was in for another shock when she discovered she was Ezra’s heir, to the tune of several million dollars. This would leave Ezra’s two nephews and a niece very unhappy.

Hannah is new to this and like many amateur sleuths only gets involved because she is a suspect. Ezra didn’t have many friends, mostly because very few knew him and he was cranky. They only knew his house which was a wreck and sat prominently on Main Street. During the course of the investigation, Hannah met many people and learned much about Ezra’s past. Most of it pretty sad. She proved to be a good investigator and was so pleasant that people opened up to her, mostly. This was a good, multi-pronged mystery, well-thought-out and engaging. Good characters.

The narrator is Maria Ru-Djen who did a credible job with all the personalities in the story. She kept it on an even keel and moved along at a good pace. She was quite good, not making most of her female characters sound like mindless teens. Ru-Djen was easy to listen to.

I was invited to listen to Murder on Devil’s Pond by Dreamscape Media. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #DreamscapeMedia #AlyaRose #MariaRuDjen #MurderOnDevilsPond

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery! It was a little slow but I really like switching up what I read and so I loved the pacing! There were a lot of characters and different plots so at times it was a bit confusing to keep up with but sometimes I struggle with that while listening to audio books since I’m not reading it so it might just be me! I would definitely recommend this!