My Rating: 4*

I love a good cozy mystery and that’s exactly what I got when I dove into this book. Maudy is a likeable yet flawed character with enough facets to prevent her from being a flat character. I love the fact she has a dog who accompanies her to work frequently, and a small group of friends in her town.

Maudy is the local park ranger and someone visiting her town has gone missing. When the body is found inside the park, she is asked by the sheriff to consult on the case. However, AMaudy gets a bit invested in the case as she is intrigued by one of the possible suspects and she is curious as to why someone would put the body in the woods if he wasn’t killed there. Maudy has so many questions and she is desperate to solve the mystery before peak tourist season rolls into town.

I will admit the story isn’t perfect and the mystery is a bit flimsy but overall I found this story to be fun and enjoyable. The atmosphere created by being in or near a national park, in a small town, feels so picturesque and enticing. If you enjoy coffee shop mysteries, or library mysteries, why not take a walk on the natural side and enjoy a series based around the outdoors. IT’s quick and fun, which is exactly what I needed when I picked it up.

I'm not a fan of "cozy" books, and I think that's what this was going for. I picked it up to read something set in the Midwest but it ultimately wasn't my speed.

#OffTheBeatenPath by #EloiseCorvo starts well. It’s quirky and cute and even with a murder, I found myself laughing at a few turns of phrase. But there are so many characters it almost feels like you're reading a cozy Charles Dickens but without the storytelling skill. I know that sounds harsh, but I frequently had to pause to figure out who was who. As for the dialogue. It was overdone and kind of annoying. I really wanted to love Stones Throw but I don't think ill be back.

Off the Beaten Path was such a lovely read from beginning to end. Eloise Corvo has a real talent for immersing you in the setting—every page transported me back to my own memories of summer camp and long, winding hikes. The way she described each character made them feel fully real, and the pacing was spot on. I especially loved how each chapter ended with just enough suspense or emotional pull that I had to keep going.

This book blends contemporary themes with a touch of mystery, and it does so seamlessly. If you’re someone who enjoys getting lost in vivid settings and well-drawn characters, this one’s definitely for you. Highly recommend!

This cozy mystery was a light, enjoyable read with charming characters and a quaint setting that made it easy to sink into. The writing style was simple and accessible—perfect for a relaxing weekend read. While the pacing dragged a bit in the middle, the surprise twist at the end definitely caught me off guard in a good way. I just wish the buildup had been a bit more engaging. Overall, it’s a decent pick if you’re looking for something easy and comforting with a little jolt at the end.

A cozy small town murder mystery!
I really liked the sense of community in stones throw. It kind of reminded me of Gilmore girls!

However I didn’t care for the romantic subplot at all:(

𝙈𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙜𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙇𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬!

This was such a cozy mystery story, I absolutely loved the small town setting and the animal sidekick. It wasn’t a heavy read and would be nice for those who like cozy, small town vibes with a not so complicated mystery. However, the writing seemed a bit awkward as a few passages had grammatical errors and recurring phrases. The main character was a bit inconsistent and the mystery itself was very predictable, also I couldn’t care less about the romance. Still there’s potential here, especially if future books focus more on gradual character and relationship development. All in all I wouldn’t mind revisiting this world if the author decides to continue the series.

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for this ARC.

A tourist has gone missing the town of Stone's Throw. Maudy, the park ranger, is tasked to find the missing guy, and help solve the mystery of what exactly happened.

“...we need to make sure every inch of that park is clear, off the beaten path.”

The intriguing premise in combination with the stunning cover made me pick this book up. I struggled to get into the story being confronted with stilted, awkward prose from the get-go. Corvo is (overly) direct and descriptive when it comes to characters and environments. We get to know what every major or minor character is wearing immediately when we meet them. This plus the sheer size of the cast took me out of the story several times. I myself prefer more subtlely and artistry in prose and storytelling.

Once we get to the mystery itself the story starts to take off. We get a little bit of intrigue and snippets of promise. However it's quite early on that it's obvious who the perpetrator is. There are few red herrings or diversions to be found here. Which leads to a disappointingly predictable conclusion to the main mystery covered in this book. Corvo then decides to tack on an extra 'gotcha' chapter which seems to be set-up for a subsequent book, but I could have done without that. I would have preferred for this to be a contained story.

While there were some characters that I liked in this book, like the dog Marty and the enthusiastic colleague Zach, the main character and law enforcement got on my nerves. Maudy is uncooperative, has horrible intuition and takes unbelievably stupid risks. On top of that cop Kelly seems to not be too fussed about solving the case. The romance aspect in this novel felt out of place and forced to me.

Off the Beaten Path will appeal to people who love cozy, small town vibes and predictably comfortable mystery stories. If the combination of chicklit meets cozy mystery appeals to you, then you might want to give this book a try.

3.5 stars for this book.

This book is a fluffy murder mistery set in a small town with cosy vibes (I'd never thought I'd say that). Okay, so basically Maudy our main female character and her fluffy buddy Martin are solving a murder that happened in the Stone Throw. I loved how the story was easygoing but still very interesting, Martin is our star show diva and we love him so much. The plot twist was truly amazing because I didn't suspected a thing until it happened and that last chapter? absolutely had me gasping.

Overall a great book, with easygoing story and a nice plot twist, with very likable and relatable characters.

Drawn in by the title and in a bit of a reading slump, I needed something to pull me out. Hiking? Furry friend? Dead body? Yes please. I finished it in a weekend but only because I kept on getting outdoors FOMO and had to relocate from home to a trail. Maudy and Marty’s dynamic and cozy life (despite the circumstances) were a comfort and it was the light read I needed. It was enjoyable and easy to pick up, a little slow and a little obvious in places but that last chapter won me over.

I loved the small town cosy setting for this story. The excellent descriptive text allowed me to imagine every place and person in detail which helped me to paint a whole world view. The murder mystery plot itself was interesting and well thought out. It felt original to other murder mystery’s I have read due to the setting and the set up of different characters. I thought the pacing was good, it slowed a little in the middle but picked almost immediately back up. I felt at some points there were too many characters, leaving no space to fully develop their motives and flaws that left them feeling a bit 2D in some parts. I felt in the beginning the romance plot point was a bit underdeveloped and could have been left out, but the ending tipped the scales for me and has left me wanting more! I’ll definitely be reading more of Eloise’s books and look forward to hopefully returning to ‘A Stone’s Throw’ in the future.

Park Ranger Maudy might be in over her head when a body is discovered, threatening to close the camp & dissolve her position for good. With her four-legged side kick, she’s able to solve the murder, all while getting entangled with someone dangerous.

Eloise Corvo provided grand descriptions of the characters & location, but more time could have been spent on the meat of the story — the murder. While I would not recommend this book for true thrill seekers, it is a soft option for those who think they might enjoy the genre.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Off the Beaten Path.

A quick, cozy murder mystery! Exactly what I need after reading some deep Fantasy novels lately!

The author doesn't mess around, she is quick to the point of the story, and something is always happening, in a cozy small town kind of way.

Maudy and her doggo Martin Short were really nicely written characters, and I enjoyed the adventure they took me on!

I really wanted to like this book due to the state park setting. Unfortunately I never connected with Maudy or any of the other characters which made it difficult to care about the story.

🩷 Book Review 🩷
📚 Off the Beaten Path
🗓 29.4.2025
💫💫💫.5

Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a cute and fun read. I devoured it in a span of a day and the mystery was super cosy and not heavy. The little town was well depicted, the plot simple to follow.

Unfortunately I struggled a bit with Maudy and her yo-yo ability to make connections in the murder mystery and then suddenly not have a clue which hand was her left or right. I found the whole 'who done it' a bit meh.

The epilogue however hooked me again and I will read more of Eloise's books.

I really love a good cozy mystery, so I was disappointed that this one just didn’t seem to capture my interest. First of all I truly LOVED the setting this story takes place in and I could be comfortable for many books in this setting. However, the story itself just never truly got me invested and there were several grammatical issues as well as 1 or 2 sentence structure issues. The characters themselves might have become endearing to me but I feel like the author introduced too many too quickly so I constantly lost the thread of the story having to go back to remind myself who the character was. I really prefer to “get to know” characters throughout a series not a whole town all at once. I hope in future books of this series that the incessant “tapping” reference is deleted and the word “Merda” retired as they quickly became annoying and a stumbling block to a natural rhythm for me. This series could gain a lot just by a bit more character development at a slower pace. Many thanks to @Netgalley and @EloiseCorvo for the ARC.

I’ve always enjoyed books that focus on State and Federal park land employees. For example, I love Paul Doiron’s Mike Bowditch series. This mystery is also set in my home state of MI, which was another big plus. The ending hints strongly at this becoming a series, and I really hope it does.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

This cozy mystery offers a charming setting and an enjoyable mix of small-town vibes and light suspense. The plot is engaging enough to keep you reading, with a few twists that add intrigue, though nothing too surprising. The characters are likable, but some felt a bit underdeveloped, and the mystery itself could’ve used a bit more depth.

The pacing is decent, though it slows in places, and some scenes feel more like filler than progress. Still, it’s a pleasant read overall perfect if you're in the mood for something light with just a touch of danger.

A solid 3.5 stars cozy, fun, and easy to enjoy, but it doesn’t dig quite deep enough to stand out.

"Off the Beaten Path" follows a state park ranger who doesn't quit. She loves her job, and has to solve a murder in order to keep it. I loved this book, especially the ending, and am looking forward to book 2. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this review copy.

3.5
This book is a quick cozy read. Living in a small tourist town myself, where condos are being slammed in left and right. I found myself often relating to the residents of Stones Throw.
The main character really irked me for most of the book. It's mentioned that she's of italian descent but that doesn't add anything to the story other than her muttering a few words here and there in italian to herself. I didn't find this to add any sort of character development or even add to the plot.
Maybe if something needed to be translated from italian, something to tie in why it would even be mentioned. I digress...

Her choice of who she ends up with in the end is the walking red flag!? The entire books she's pining for a MURDER SUSPECT. for Like girl, even though he was actually innocent, why are you involving yourself with that??
Maudy doesn't seem like a girls girl if you know what I mean.
That being said, the author really keeps you on your toes.
She introduces new shady behaviour and motive's from residents of stones throw. This keeps you guessing who the murderer could be and keeps you turning the page.



https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/229261433-off-the-beaten-path