Dead and Breakfast is the first book in the Merry Ghost Inn series by Kate Kingsbury. Melanie West is getting her life back on track after a messy divorce when her grandmother, Liza Harris, asks her to open a B&B with her. Together, Liza and Melanie purchase a purportedly haunted mansion on the Oregon coast and jump right into clearing out the cobwebs. But while attempting to remove wallpaper in an upstairs bedroom, the new B&B owners stumble upon a very real skeleton in their closet. The police suspect the skeleton is that of the wife of the previous owner of the B&B, but no one in town seems to want to say much about her. As the inn owners try to juggle renovations with their own amateur investigations, their grand opening looms closer and closer--and a friendly ghost in their walls starts playing tricks. But it all comes crashing to a halt when a new body is found stabbed to death on the beach below the inn--the victim chillingly close in resemblance to Melanie herself. It seems someone doesn't appreciate newcomers prying into the small town's past, and now it's up to Melanie and Liza to get to the bottom of these murders to save their business and their lives.

Dead and Breakfast is a cozy mystery with lots of charm. Melanie is getting her life back on track, with the help of her grandmother. They are working hard together on the venture of remodeling and running a bed and breakfast. As you might imagine, things do not go quite as planned. I liked that our main characters never really wallow in the delays and problems those delays bring to them. Instead they work on making the changes and put in the effort necessary to help themselves. I also like that while the possibility of future romance, and the threatening ex-husband make an appearance- the guys are really a minor part of the story. It is more about the character development and setting building needed for a series starter, and the murder mystery at hand. I still think my favorite part of the story was the inclusion of the dog, while it could be seen as a little trite, it worked with the story and character development so much that it worked. I liked the combination of independence, intelligence, and vulnerability in both Melanie and Liza and look forward to what every mysteries await them in the future.

Dead and Breakfast is a fun and entertaining read, and a series that I am likely to continue. I liked the characters and the set up, and think there is room for many interesting adventures and character growth in the future.

A cozy mystery filled with intrigue, murder and the beginnings of a romance. Along with the somberness of the mystery, there were plenty of lighthearted moments, especially between Melanie and her grandmother Liza. The first in the series of a haunted...by a chuckling ghost no less...and new Bed & Breakfast promises to be a success with its unique premise and wonderfully entertaining writing.

This book was provided by the Publisher and Netgalley, I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

A real page turner...I was on the edge of my seat the entire book and was definitely surprised when it all was solved. Is there another book coming, I'm dying to know what happened to Melanie's mother?

Dead and Breakfast is the first entry in a new series, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. The story combined an old case with a new one, something that I have always liked, and the old house Melanie and her grandmother, Liza, are turning into a bread and breakfast has a ghost. What else could you want?

The plot starts off with a bang when the two women find a skeleton in a room hidden away in one of the bedrooms. I liked how the action began immediately and I thought it amusing how the women reacted upon seeing the skeleton in the closet; it actually made me like them immediately. What I especially liked is that the women weren't deliberately snoopy, but chose to investigate on the side because the police had put their case on the back burner as it was an old case, and they wouldn't be able to open their inn until the police could get to their investigation, which could take months, something that wasn't financially viable, especially after being turned down for a loan to see them through several months. To me, there was actually a purpose behind the women's investigation and they didn't interfere with the police in any way, which has always been one of my beefs in other cozy mysteries. The women always made sure they kept the police informed, and when they were told not to do something, they actually followed instructions. This made the mystery a bit simpler than others, and definitely predictable, but I didn't mind in the least. And there were some things that were left unresolved. Having the setting be a huge house full of mystery and history is great and I can't wait to learn more about it; I think having Melanie and Liza hear the laughing ghost is setting us up for a future story and I can't wait to learn more. It should be interesting. And I couldn't help but laugh when Liza nicknamed the ghost 'Orville'. All I craved when I heard the name was buttered popcorn, something I rarely eat.

I enjoyed the characters very much, especially spunky Liza, whose witty dialogue often cracked me up. She is just one of those grandmothers everyone wished they had, spunky, fiery, but so loving and caring to Melanie all of the time. I liked Melanie as well, but as with many of the characters in this book, there was little character development and very little background information on any of them. I am sure we will get to know many of them better in future books.

Dead and Breakfast is a fun first entry into the Merry Ghost Inn series. While the mystery itself was kind of simply and easy to figure out, I enjoyed the characters and the setting very much. There were several threads left unresolved, which didn't interfere with the conclusion of this novel, but it left you wondering where the author was heading next in the series, and I am looking forward to learning more about Melanie and Liza and the other characters around town. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in this series.

Although I enjoyed Dead and Breakfast it seemed to roll a little slower than I wanted. It could have just been me but it took me a bit to get into it and that doesn’t happen very often in cozy mysteries.

I loved Melanie and her grandmother Liza, they are great characters. They go in as partners and buy a large house that they plan on opening as an Inn. They find out it’s suppose to be haunted so Liza wants to call it the Merry Ghost Inn because their ghost is always laughing.

While renovating they find a body in a secret room and it throws off all their plans for renovating. Liza doesn’t want to wait on the police because they have been put on hold, so they decide to do a bit of investigating which gets Melanie in some rough scraps as someone is doing their best to warn them off.

I am interested in seeing if the potential love interest for both Melanie and her grandmother pan out as it was a real subtle start.

Though it took me a bit to get into it I really did enjoy it and I am curious what will happen next. As like I said I really enjoyed the two main characters. It has it’s flaws but it was also a decent start to a series.

It was good. I enjoyed the relationship between Liza and Melanie. Liza is by far the best character. The story was pretty interesting. There was a ton of character building for Melanie and that's my only real complaint. There was too much. Should I focus on her ex, her finding her mom, the murder mystery? And she was a bit of a downer. Other than that, I look forward to reading anymore books that come out for this series.

As I hoped, this is a light, enjoyable cozy mystery. My rating 4.25.

Melanie has moved away from the city and a stressful divorce. She has joined her grandmother, Liza, to open a B&B in a purportedly haunted mansion in a small town on the Oregon coast. Rumor is the ghost is a laughing ghost, causing Liza to pick the name: The Merry Ghost Inn. There is plenty of remodeling to complete but as they begin to remove wallpaper they discover a hidden closet with a skeleton.

The police think the victim might be the wife of the previous owner, a woman who has been missing for many years. Before the lead detective can get very far into the investigation he is called away to a current day murder. Melanie and Liza are juggling the renovations hoping they can complete them within their tight budget and in time to open for the upcoming season. The closed off room is off limits and might impede their efforts to have the Inn ready on time.

Liza and Melanie decide to do some sleuthing on their own. They discover that the town folk are rather tight lipped about the missing woman. Still, when they discover one lead, it leads into more and before long they have several suspects. The situation becomes more difficult as Melanie spies her ex-husband driving in town and runs into him at a party where he makes it clear he wants her back. Melanie begins to have some near miss accidents from a car that is suspiciously like her ex’s. Then a woman who looks a lot like Melanie from the back is killed on the beach near the Inn.

Melanie adopts the murdered woman’s dog, Max, who was with his mistress on the beach and now has his own traumas to recover from. It appears that someone may be trying to scare the ladies off the investigation, and if that doesn’t work maybe fire will. Meanwhile someone -- or maybe the merry ghost -- is laughing and playing tricks by moving objects in the house.

Liza, in her mid-fifties, and Melanie, in her early thirties, make a good pair and likeable characters. Max is a nice addition and there may be some romance in the future as Liza is playing at a little match making.

The story moves along at a quick pace, with light humor and hints of the ghost mystery. The killer was not my first (or second) guess, which I thought was well done by the author. This is a fine example of “cozy mystery” and I recommend it to those who enjoy the genre. I would like to read more in the series and learn more about the Merry Ghost.

I received this title from the publisher through NetGalley.

It’s been a minute since I’ve shared a new cozy with y’all and I’m so glad to be back! Especially since it means I get to introduce one of the best cozies I’ve read in ages, Dead and Breakfast: A Merry Ghost Inn Mystery by Kate Kingsbury. Dead and Breakfast kicks off a new cozy series, which is great because I was so disappointed when the story ended. I just wanted more!
In Dead and Breakfast, we are introduced to Melanie, a recent divorcee and her delightful grandmother, Liza. Together, these two firecrackers purchase an old home by the sea with the intention to turn it into the bed and breakfast of their dreams. Of course, not all goes as planned.

This mystery just pulled me in from page one! Within the first hour of reading, there was the discovery of the skeleton of a previous owner in a secret room in the old house, the introduction of a ghost with a wicked sense of humor and a menacing ex-husband that reappears at the worst time possible.

With the stalled police investigation keeping the inn from opening and a second murder victim, who looks startling like Melanie, found near the inn, the ladies step in and try to solve the whodunit themselves. I don’t want to give away too much, but I truly didn’t see the killer coming in this charming cozy.

This is the strongest start to a series I’ve read in years. Not only are the main two characters interesting and realistic, but they are humorous and warm. There are several mysteries presented in this first book, with the central mystery being wrapped up in a burst of excitement by the end of the book. The mystery arc that I’m excited to read about in the second Merry Ghost Inn book is that of the disappearance of Melanie’s mother/ Liza’s daughter.

This was an excellent novel. With brilliant main characters and a wonderful plot, this book is a real page turner. I would highly recommend this book.

I finished and loved Dead and Breakfast a new cozy by Kate Kingsbury that is based on the Oregon Coast. I love a West Coast mystery, and this one made me feel right at home. Great start in this series, an accident, end of a marriage but from loss an opportunity. Couple that with a missing mother, a grandmother and granddaughter team, small town, Victorian reno and a very brave dog, so much to love in this mystery. Kept me guessing until the end. I loved it.

When Melanie & her grandmother, Liza, begin to renovate their newly acquired house into a bed and breakfast, they discover a skeleton locked in a secret room. As if that wasn't bad enough, they appear to have a ghost who likes to laugh to make his presence known. Melanie doesn't believe in ghosts but goes along with Liza in naming it The Merry Ghost Inn. They desperately need the inn to open on time in order to pay their bills. When local police have to put the investigation on a back burner, they decide to do some investigating themselves to speed things up. Unfortunately, Melanie starts having some close calls & an unwanted run in with her ex husband. It seems someone doesn't want the mystery to be solved.

This is the first book in the new Merry Ghost Murder series by longtime writer, Kate Kingsbury. I very much enjoyed it. There was a strong mystery with several suspects. There weren't too many secondary characters. I'm sure the ones introduced will be included in book two along with guests of the inn. It will be interesting to see how the author develops the series once the inn is open & has guests who are likely to be involved in the next mystery. I'll definitely be reading it to find out.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

What a fun cozy! The book starts with Melanie and her grandmother (who she is now to call Liza) beginning on the massive task of stripping wallpaper in one of the soon-to-be bedrooms in their soon-to-be inn and discovering a hidden room with a very real skeleton in it. From there the mystery unfolds as the identity of the skeleton quickly becomes obvious but the police have it seven year old murder way down on their priority list. In order to get things moving Liza and Melanie start investigating on their own all while trying to get the renovation work for the inn completed.

There was so much I liked about this story. I enjoyed Liza and Melanie's relationship and that they worried about each other and worked well as a team. There's hints of a potential relationship in both of their futures that seem pretty fun. I love the house and that some of the actual complications (like bathrooms, table options, etc) about turning it into an inn were discussed. The town seems interesting with lots of little shops and restaurants and will make a great setting for future books. I also am really intrigued but the open ended subplot involving Melanie's mother. I'm looking forward to seeing where that will go. The mystery was very well done and super fast paced. I flew through the book and was happy to see that not only did the murderer make sense but it wasn't flashing red warning sign obvious.

Unfortunately, there were a few things I didn't like quite as much. While I have no doubt that a fairly rural area would have one major crime team that all the little towns share I didn't believe that the primary detective being called away would mean that the entire second floor of the inn would be closed off until his return. There were also a few vague things that I didn't quite understand. The timeline that Melanie and Liza were working under was never really explained - were they weeks off from opening or months? There was definitely a feel of deadline looming but I was never sure if that was because there was just so much work to be done or because guests were literally going to be arriving suitcase in hand in just a few days. Also, as much as I love a secret room this one kind of bothered me because it was so unexplained. Was it an actual room? What else was in it? Or was it a closest which would make more sense and also be easier to hide? These are all minor issues and will definitely not keep me from continuing with the series.

Overall, I found this to be a fun, fast paced cozy mystery read with lots of potential for a really great series. While there were a few minor flaws I'm looking forward to seeing where the series goes and will definitely be keeping a look out for the next book about Melanie and Liza.

Melanie has moved in with her grandmother, Liza, and they are going to rehab a big home and turn it into a bed and breakfast. They have their grand opening date set and are working on completing the rooms for their customers. They certainly don't expect to find a secret room that has a skeleton in it...

Crooked Lane Books and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It will be published January 10th.

This is a new series and it has caught my attention. It's a good cozy mystery and there's a bit of romance for both main characters. Granny is a matchmaker but Melanie won't have it. However, she notices that Liza still knows how to flirt.

The victim was female and turns out to be the woman of the house. Word about was that she had moved away but it wasn't true. As they snoop around trying to find out more, they find out she was pregnant. She was also having affairs with more than one person since her husband was disabled.

They're warned not to get involved with the investigation but other cases are more important than a cold case. Their problem is that the grand opening is coming up and they have the upper story closed to work on the murder. With no one working on it, what are they to do?

The killer was unusual, everyone in the community had clues, some lied and when Melanie suddenly puts it together, she finds herself all alone with the killer.

They got sidetracked a lot but they did manage to solve the case. It also appears that Melanie might be willing to go on a date. I'll just have to read the next book and see.