Brenda H. (booksinvt) -
Helpful Score: 1
Murder at Redwood Cove is the first in a new cozy mystery series. Kelly Jackson works as an Executive Administrator for Resorts International and has been sent on temporary assignment to oversee the management of Redwood Cove Bed & Breakfast in the heart of Mendocino County, CA.
Previous Innkeeper Bob Phillips slipped and fell while hiking along the cliffs and plunged to his death and his wife subsequently suffered a massive heart attack and is recovering in the nearby intensive care. The Inn is busy preparing for the upcoming Taste of Wine and Chocolate Festival and Kelly's boss Michael Corrigan needs someone to make sure things run smoothly until he can hire a replacement for Bob.
Upon arrival at the B&B, Kelly is greeted by handyman Daniel Stevens and his young daughter Allie, Housekeeper/Cook Helen Rogers, her rambunctious son Tommy and his faithful basset hound, Fred. Soon Kelly stumbles upon a group of elderly men and women meeting in the Inn conference room who call themselves the Silver Sentinels. It seems that everyone except Deputy Sheriff Bill Stanton doubts that the loveable, experienced hiker accidentally slipped and fell to his death and the Silver Sentinels have taken up the cause to prove the man was murdered.
A terrific, fast paced storyline that kept the pages turning. A beautiful setting and a great cast of characters oozing with genuine warmth for each other. It was refreshing to see young Allie stick up for her best friend Tommy against the schoolyard bullies and the love between the boy and his dog left me begging for more. An amazing first in a series and I will definitely be looking forward to the release of the second, Murder at the Mansion.
I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley via Kensington Publishing. While I was not required to write a review I am more than happy to give my honest opinion.
Previous Innkeeper Bob Phillips slipped and fell while hiking along the cliffs and plunged to his death and his wife subsequently suffered a massive heart attack and is recovering in the nearby intensive care. The Inn is busy preparing for the upcoming Taste of Wine and Chocolate Festival and Kelly's boss Michael Corrigan needs someone to make sure things run smoothly until he can hire a replacement for Bob.
Upon arrival at the B&B, Kelly is greeted by handyman Daniel Stevens and his young daughter Allie, Housekeeper/Cook Helen Rogers, her rambunctious son Tommy and his faithful basset hound, Fred. Soon Kelly stumbles upon a group of elderly men and women meeting in the Inn conference room who call themselves the Silver Sentinels. It seems that everyone except Deputy Sheriff Bill Stanton doubts that the loveable, experienced hiker accidentally slipped and fell to his death and the Silver Sentinels have taken up the cause to prove the man was murdered.
A terrific, fast paced storyline that kept the pages turning. A beautiful setting and a great cast of characters oozing with genuine warmth for each other. It was refreshing to see young Allie stick up for her best friend Tommy against the schoolyard bullies and the love between the boy and his dog left me begging for more. An amazing first in a series and I will definitely be looking forward to the release of the second, Murder at the Mansion.
I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley via Kensington Publishing. While I was not required to write a review I am more than happy to give my honest opinion.
Dollycas's Thoughts
Kelly Jackson is an executive administrator of Resorts International. That means when needed she travels to a resort property to troubleshoot the problem and fill in where necessary. She is sent to the Redwood Cove Bed and Breakfast in Northern California when the manager is found dead at the bottom of a cliff. The police have determined that it was an accident but The "Silver Sentinels" do not agree. This group of senior citizens think their friend Bob was murdered. They draw Kelly into their confidence and she wonders if they are right. When she is attacked, she knows that wasn't an accident, so maybe Bob's fall wasn't either. So in addition to stepping into Bob's shoes at the B&B she finds herself nosing around to find his killer.
Kelly Jackson is a very engaging character. Her boss believes all the employees at all their resorts are family. That is just how Kelly treats everyone she meets at Redwood Cove B&B. From Helen, the cook, and her son Tommy, that leave in a small guest house on the property, to Daniel, the handyman along with his daughter Allie, and all the wonderful "Silver Sentinels", she treats them all as genuine friends. I liked them all too!
I loved Fred, Tommy's adorable basset hound. There is a heartwarming back story on how they came together.
The setting is absolutely gorgeous and Kelly has a wonderful view from her room. Even the morning fog sounds absolutely delightful.
It seems that Bob Phillips was an extraordinary man with a big heart. He was very eco-conscious and believed in protecting all parts of the environment. Could this have gotten him killed? The story takes several twists as Kelly tries to eliminate suspects. This twists were very well written. The ending was full of suspense and a complete surprise.
The characters are what really stand out to me in this story. From youngsters to oldsters they are an amazing group. I want to pack my bags and head for the Redwood Cove Bed and Breakfast and meet up with them today. There should be any more trouble there right?? Well, I will be starting the next book in the series right away. I will keep you posted!
Kelly Jackson is an executive administrator of Resorts International. That means when needed she travels to a resort property to troubleshoot the problem and fill in where necessary. She is sent to the Redwood Cove Bed and Breakfast in Northern California when the manager is found dead at the bottom of a cliff. The police have determined that it was an accident but The "Silver Sentinels" do not agree. This group of senior citizens think their friend Bob was murdered. They draw Kelly into their confidence and she wonders if they are right. When she is attacked, she knows that wasn't an accident, so maybe Bob's fall wasn't either. So in addition to stepping into Bob's shoes at the B&B she finds herself nosing around to find his killer.
Kelly Jackson is a very engaging character. Her boss believes all the employees at all their resorts are family. That is just how Kelly treats everyone she meets at Redwood Cove B&B. From Helen, the cook, and her son Tommy, that leave in a small guest house on the property, to Daniel, the handyman along with his daughter Allie, and all the wonderful "Silver Sentinels", she treats them all as genuine friends. I liked them all too!
I loved Fred, Tommy's adorable basset hound. There is a heartwarming back story on how they came together.
The setting is absolutely gorgeous and Kelly has a wonderful view from her room. Even the morning fog sounds absolutely delightful.
It seems that Bob Phillips was an extraordinary man with a big heart. He was very eco-conscious and believed in protecting all parts of the environment. Could this have gotten him killed? The story takes several twists as Kelly tries to eliminate suspects. This twists were very well written. The ending was full of suspense and a complete surprise.
The characters are what really stand out to me in this story. From youngsters to oldsters they are an amazing group. I want to pack my bags and head for the Redwood Cove Bed and Breakfast and meet up with them today. There should be any more trouble there right?? Well, I will be starting the next book in the series right away. I will keep you posted!
Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
I was really impressed by a presentation author Janet Finsilver did during Left Coast Crime, and I just couldn't resist buying a copy of her first Kelly Jackson mystery set in northern California. Murder at Redwood Cove is every bit as good as Finsilver's talk.
The northern California setting is put to good use in this book, and I also learned a bit about running a bed and breakfast as well as a foodie festival. In fact, by book's end I was wishing I could book a room at the Redwood Cove B&B.
Finsilver has assembled a strong, interesting cast, led by Kelly Jackson, a young woman who's smart, sassy, brave, and definitely not lacking in common sense. She wants to solve the mystery, but first and foremost in her mind is the safety of everyone involved. That's such a refreshing change from heroines with out-of-control curiosity. The retired "posse" calling themselves the Silver Sentinels are good folks to join an investigation because they each have their own special skill set-- even if it's sometimes just being in the immediate vicinity to keep an eye on someone who's in danger. Old folks just blend into the woodwork, don't you know?
Another part that I really appreciated in this book was the young boy Tommy and his basset hound Fred. Even though Fred was considered to be a reject from a class that works with dogs to show them how to detect cancer, he's the best sort of buddy for Tommy, who feels like a bit of a reject himself. After finishing Murder at Redwood Cove, I had a big smile on my face, and I had to see if there was another Kelly Jackson mystery available. There is. Murder at the Mansion, and it features two beagles trained to sniff out bedbugs and termites.
I like dogs with special abilities being featured in the series, but that's not the only reason why I'll be reading the author's books. Janet Finsilver weaves a gorgeous location with an intriguing mystery and a strong cast into a book so enjoyable it puts a smile on my face. Give Murder at Redwood Cove a try. You just might be smiling, too.
The northern California setting is put to good use in this book, and I also learned a bit about running a bed and breakfast as well as a foodie festival. In fact, by book's end I was wishing I could book a room at the Redwood Cove B&B.
Finsilver has assembled a strong, interesting cast, led by Kelly Jackson, a young woman who's smart, sassy, brave, and definitely not lacking in common sense. She wants to solve the mystery, but first and foremost in her mind is the safety of everyone involved. That's such a refreshing change from heroines with out-of-control curiosity. The retired "posse" calling themselves the Silver Sentinels are good folks to join an investigation because they each have their own special skill set-- even if it's sometimes just being in the immediate vicinity to keep an eye on someone who's in danger. Old folks just blend into the woodwork, don't you know?
Another part that I really appreciated in this book was the young boy Tommy and his basset hound Fred. Even though Fred was considered to be a reject from a class that works with dogs to show them how to detect cancer, he's the best sort of buddy for Tommy, who feels like a bit of a reject himself. After finishing Murder at Redwood Cove, I had a big smile on my face, and I had to see if there was another Kelly Jackson mystery available. There is. Murder at the Mansion, and it features two beagles trained to sniff out bedbugs and termites.
I like dogs with special abilities being featured in the series, but that's not the only reason why I'll be reading the author's books. Janet Finsilver weaves a gorgeous location with an intriguing mystery and a strong cast into a book so enjoyable it puts a smile on my face. Give Murder at Redwood Cove a try. You just might be smiling, too.
