What a fun and entertaining cozy mystery. It’s such an engaging story full of suspense and mystery! The action takes off from the very first chapter which gets the momentum going right away! I loved following along with Emily as she unexpectedly gets caught up in a murder investigation. It’s quite complicated and there are a lot of suspects as secrets come to light. Such an enjoyable story from start to finish!

Thank you to NetGalley and Level Best Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What do you do when you stumble across the body of your frenemy/local Mean Girl turned TV star? You ask your followers for tips, of course. Everyone is a suspect as Jackie seemingly has issues with entire town, but who wanted her dead? Just when you think you learn the extent of Jackie’s behaviour, you find out more tea.

Despite her efforts to recover from her people-pleasing habits, local blogger and dog-mom, Emily, can’t help but get involved in a murder investigation even though her bestie, Fitz and his hot cop brother, Noah, tell her that her involvement is a terrible idea.

Insta-Goner is a fast-paced, cozy-esque small town murder mystery with a lot suspects, twists and even more drama.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Sydney Leigh and NetGalley for my complimentary eARC of InstaGoner. All thoughts and opinions are my own

InstaGoner is the first book in the A Bark and Blog Mystery Series. At least I am hoping it’s a series (fingers crossed). I love cozy mysteries.
They are not very scary
There is usually a pet sidekick
Always a meddling wannabe detective
A hot police detective

I am always surprised when the killer is revealed. I am sure it’s a me issue. I did try really hard to figure out the killer in this one and once again I was surprised.

This is a solid mystery with plenty of relatable characters. The instagram influencer backdrop was fun and I am hoping we get to hang out more with Emily, Fitz and Noah and of course, Murray. Eliot Hill seems like a great place to hang out. Unless you end up dead.

This was an enjoyable read.
Will recommend to others.
Thanks for the opportunity to read & review it.

Cozy and comedic murder-mystery novel that I needed as we step into Fall. Just perfect for the upcoming season.

I contemplated on how should I rate it cause... won't lie I loved it. Loved the plot twist at the end. Didn't see that coming. But I just thought the plot itself wasn't that unique. Not saying it's bad or anything but this is just how I rate my books.

Thank you so much Netgalley.

2.5

this is almost 3 stars for me.

i think this is one of the most unique books i’ve ever read.

i don’t think i’ve ever read a book where i really didn’t like the writing style, but i didn’t want to stop reading. i genuinely couldn’t get into the writing, the way characters were described sometimes didn’t match how they acted, what they said, or how they were introduced to the story. there’s also so much repetition. i understand reinstating something so the reader remembers but the amount of times i heard about emily & rob being on jackie’s show & rob revealing he doesn’t want to be with emily anymore & eventually dating jackie was a bit much.

emily saying she was a recovering people pleaser later on in the book didn’t really make sense to me because of emily’s need to help becka (someone who’s not even her friend) solve her sister’s murder (someone who was awful to her & others).

i do have to say that the writing style gets better 2/3 of the way into the book. there’s less repetition, the story flows better, & at that point i really wanted to find out who killed jackie & why. i do have to say that everything worked out pretty well. everything fell together when more clues were revealed. i just wish it happened earlier on in the book.

i loved the fact that murray & emily were a duo & murray basically saved her. i just wish there was more to the characters than what was there. i feel like fitz, emily, noah & everyone else could’ve had more to them instead of just fitz always worrying about his bestie emily & being sent to walk murray & noah always being serious.

i think my biggest issue with this book is the lack of consistency in the writing, characters & flow. the last 1/3 of it was a lot better though.

thank you to level best books & netgalley
- arc provided via netgalley in exchange for an honest review

💻 This is the second book I read by miss Sidney here. Even though, Peril in Pink got 5 stars too, I liked this book sooo much more

I felt like Instagoner had so much more plot and fun and twists and turns. I couldn’t guess who it was. I had my doubts but nothing firm. Miss Leigh here knew exactly what she was doing!

I really enjoyed the fact that Emily and Fitz were the closest of friends. A ride or die duo. I also really liked how close she is with her mom and how she always features her on her blog. Love some mom and daughter time

I kinda hoped there would be some tension or more spark or just something between Noah and Emily. They’d make such a cute couple. Especially, knowing that she finds him so attractive and he really cares about her. Despite everything it shows that they trust each other and that they’re so important to each other

You still don’t have all the answers until the very last chapter. Which is nice, because you’re kept on your toes way past the point you think you know everything

Emily is such a sweetheart and I really liked that she didn’t jump to conclusions and assumptions based on trauma. She stuck to facts and to reality and gave her all and tried her best to believe the people who have hurt her the most. You don’t see that these days!

I really enjoyed this read. Everything about this book was perfect. The chapters are super short too. I read more than half in just a few hours. Highly recommended🧡

Blogging. Murder. Bikers. Caffeine. And a very sweet Murray the dog.
That’s what you get in this Murder, She Wrote-light story. Emily lives in an apartment above her best friend Fitz’s cafe. His brother Noah just happens to be the town sheriff (and the object of Emily’s affection). Both boys try to keep Emily out of trouble, whether it be after a particularly nasty break up or just getting her out into fresh air on a bike ride or for a hike. That is, until she stumbles across the dead body of her friend/enemy Jackie. After asking her followers for any help in the murder investigation Emily is now on the killers radar. Her determination to find the truth could lead her to the same fate as Jackie.
This was a great murder-lite, small town mystery with a teeny side of romance. It was a great palate cleaners for me and a break from my more dark reading choices. Overall I give it a solid 3.75/5 for story like (I didn’t see the killer coming until the very end) and a 0.5/5 on spice level.
Thank you NetGalley and publishers for allowing me to read this ARC.

Instagoner by Sydney Leigh was such a cute murder mystery. This is the second book by Sydney that I've read and loved. This book was such a quick, cozy mystery. The main characters were likable. This book follows lifestyle blogger Emily Dalle. After stumbling upon the body of her frenemy/colleague she starts investigating how Jackie's body came to be dead on the side of the wlriaf much to the dismay of her bestie, Fitz and his sheriff brother, Noah. Jackie has a lot of enemies & being known as the Queen of Mean makes for a difficult investigation. Sydney Leigh is quickly becoming an insta read author for me.

🔹️Cozy Murder Mystery
🔹️The Banter
🔹️ Juicy Secrets
🔹️Whodunit
🔹️Blogger FMC
🔹️Small Town
🔹️Amateur Sleuthing
🔹️ Fun Easy Read

I received an advance review copy, and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

Instagoner is a fast-paced, murder mystery. This was such an enjoyable book. I could not put it down. Emily is an influencer and during a morning bike ride she finds her frenemy Jackie dead.
Overall, this book was a quite enjoyable.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Sydney Leigh for the Advanced Review Copy.

Thanks for #NetGalley and #LevelBestBooks for the book #Instagoner by #SydneyLeigh. This was such an enjoyable book that I could not put down. Emily and Jackie are not friends. They both may work at the same talk show but there is not love lost. One morning on hike, Emily stumbles over Jackie’s body, someone has hit and killed her with a car. But who? Emily is very invested in finding out who did this. But at what cost?

Emily Dalle is a lifestyle blogger who finds the dead body of her nemesis and controversial talk show host, Jackie Hunter. With help from her bestie, Fitz, and her adorable dog, Murray, Emily uses her blog to try to uncover clues to Jackie’s murder.

I love a good cozy mystery every now and then, and I thoroughly enjoyed Instagoner. Leigh’s debut novel, Peril In Pink, was so much fun, and she did it again with this one.

I loved the main character, Emily! I found her relatable, spunky, and adorable. Her dog Murray was so cute, and I adored her gay best friend Fitz. He was my favorite character, and I hope there’s more of him in the series. The sheriff and Emily’s love interest, Noah was a little more serious, but I enjoyed his character too!

Sometimes when you read a cozy mystery, there are too many characters to keep track of and they’re all suspects. I thought Leigh did a nice job with balancing out the number of characters in this story. I never had to ask myself “who’s that?” which is always a good thing! There were plenty of times I suspected someone only to think it was someone else a few chapters later which made this such a fun read. Although I did figure out whodunnit, I didn’t figure everything out until the reveal at the end which was nice.

This was a fast-paced book that I read in a day. I loved the setting of a ski town, and can’t wait to see where the series takes us next. If you’re looking for an enjoyable mystery, then I highly recommend checking this one out!

Thank you to the author and Level Best Books for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

A fun cozy mystery with some predictable little twists. I enjoyed instagoner and am interested in reading more books by this author! A good read for sure and kept me engaged. I picked this one to read after a failed attempt of reading another book so really was happy when this story was fun and enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc!

Social media blogger & influencer Emily Dalle's life came crashing down a few years ago when frenemy talk show host Jackie Hunter outed her relationship with then boyfriend Rob. Emily has bounced back in her small hometown of Eliot Hill, New York, thanks to her BFF cafe owner Fitz and her lovable dog Murray. But when Emily & Fritz find Jackie's dead body on a bike trail, it's clear she died from a hit-&-run.

With police chief Noah's limited resources, Emily uses her blog's widespread audience to help find evidence of who killed Jackie. Despite getting an anonymous comment to back off, Emily doggedly continues to snoop & ask questions to find the killer.

Lots of predictable cozy tropes, this was an ok debut.
3.5 stars

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and Level Best Books. All opinions are my own.

I am so thankful that the author reached out to me to ask if I would read this one as I loved it ! It is one of the best cozy mysteries I’ve ever read ! I loved Em and her bestie and Em’s relationship with her mom and the little blooming romance with the hottie 😍 the mystery itself was fun - I definitely guessed early on but I did have my self doubting at time .

I don’t give out 5 ⭐️ very often and. I was going to give this one a 4.5 ⭐️ but considering I’m still loving it this morning ( after staying up late last night to finish it) I am giving is a 5 ⭐️ miracles do happen and this is a perfect cozy mystery with a bit of romance

Thank you to Level Best books for the ARC!

I don’t often stray beyond thrillers, but earlier this year when our fearless leader at The Buzz mentioned Peril in Pink, a cozy mystery by Sydney Leigh, something about it made me want to read the story. And after I did, I knew I would read anything this author writes!

If there is such a thing as a “feel good” mystery, Sydney Leigh has got them down.
The perfect mix of witty dialogue and cozy mystery, “Instagoner” was such a fun story to read. I love a good small town setting and add in a dog - I’m sold! After all that, there were still some twists I was not expecting (and I always love when that happens!)

If you enjoy cozy “whodunit” type mysteries, give “Instagoner” a try :)

“Instagoner” releases AUgust 27, 2024. This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

I want to start by talking about the love I have for the characters. I not only loved Emily’s witty personality but how straight forward she is. Her blogs are known to tell it like it is! She not only has a fun personality to follow through the book - she has a loving dog named Murray. I loved how Murray made an appearance a lot during the story. I loved the dog bestie energy!!! Additionally, I enjoyed the banter between Emily and her friend Fitz as they navigate the who-done-it mystery.

This book is perfect for mystery & thriller lovers. It is a slower paced thriller compared to what I have read in the past. I loved this book for that - I really was able to enjoy the characters and the plot buildup all in one. I did not expect the ending at all which is something I value in a book especially in a mystery. I highly recommend adding Instagoner to your “to be read” list! I already miss curling up at night with this book!

Instagoner is such a fun, cozy read and it even has an adorable dog! What more could a reader ask for? I can’t wait to read more by Sydney Leigh!

Thanks to the author for this fun, lovely, cozy mystery read! This is a feel good read with a likeable main character, Emily, a blogger, who gets involved in trying to solve the murder of a TV morning show host. Having been a periodic guest on the show, Emily wants to help find out who killed the host, particularly since it was Emily who literally stumbled across the host’s dead body!

There is a fun cast of characters including Fitz, a ride or die best friend, Murray, an adorable dog, Noah, a handsome sheriff, hints of romance, and an enjoyable mystery. I loved the warm, cozy feel about this book. And it’s going to be a series! I can’t wait to learn more about Emily’s backstory and to see the blossoming of Noah and Emily’s romance.

I’m very happy to have read this cute, likeable cozy mystery. I so liked the author’s writing style, that I am going to pick up her previous novel, Peril in Pink.

Thanks again to the author for this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

📚 PRE-PUBLICATION BOOK REVIEW 📚

Instagoner By Sydney Leigh
Publication Date: August 27, 2024
Publisher: Level Best Books

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

📚MY REVIEW:

If you love drama-filled cozy mysteries that blend social media with whodunnit murder mysteries, then you will absolutely LOVE this upcoming new release from Sydney Leigh!! We're all talking about it over at @thrillerbookloversthepulse and @bookloversthebuzz -- and you will be too once you get this book in your hands!

This book was SUCH a fun read, with a host of loveable characters that will feel like friends by the book's end. Instagoner has everything you want in a fun and quick read -- a murder mystery, a ton of suspects, social media drama, a little love story in the background, and Emily -- a female MC you'll love to love as you cheer her on in her amateur sleuthing as a local Instagram darling.

This felt very much like a cozy mystery with a modern vibe. I thought I knew who was going to be the killer at least two or three times, but I didn't figure it out till the very end. And the twists and turns that Leigh kept bringing to this story just added to the book's fun!

Instagoner is one of those cozy mysteries that will make you laugh out loud as you read, while also keeping your interest till the very end with its whodunnit plot. I want to say a big thank you to Thriller Book Lovers The Pulse, Book Lovers The Buzz, and Sydney Leigh for inviting me to be a part of this book tour. And thank you to NetGalley and Level Best Books for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Don't miss this one when it comes out on August 27th!

#Instagoner #SydneyLeigh #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #ARC #thrillerbookloversthepulse #bookloversthebuzz #thrilleraddict #thrillerlover #lightmysteries #cozymysteries #bookreviews #bookrecommendations #bookrecs