This is the first book in a brand new series. If you like cozy mysteries, pick this one up. It is very-well-written, and has a delightful mix of characters. There are friendly shop owners who look out for each other, a homeless man who does odd jobs and an assistant to the main character who could have have her own series, because she likes to dress like characters from past books and movies.

The setting for the book, Keepsake Cove, on the Eastern Shore of Maryland brings to mind images of vacationers and enjoyable experiences. Unfortunately, Callie’s aunt Melodie is found dead in her shop the morning after Callie arrives for a visit. Although the death was ruled accidental, Callie thinks her aunt was murdered and she has lots of suspects in mind.

The author, Mary Ellen Hughes, does such a spectacular job of describing people, what they are wearing, their facial expressions and the setting, that by the end of the book, I felt as if I knew everyone. Also by the end, the mystery was neatly wrapped up.

I can’t say enough good things about this book. It definitely deserves 5 stars.

If you enjoy a formulaic style, tepid writing, and a killer you can see a mile away, then this is the book for you.

Almost from the first page I found this to be tepid, gimmicky and just meh.I was never invested in any of the characters and didn't feel a connection or a pull to any of them. I read a lot of cozy mysteries [almost 100 of the 180 books I have read this year were cozy mysteries] and so I know a little bit about the genre and what it takes to make a good read. THIS was not one of them.

The "ghostly" music box scenario was gimmicky and unneeded. All it did was drag down the story. The killer really needed to be masked more [it really was obvious almost from the first moment you meet them] and I am not sure that the whole Duane/Laurie/Audit arc worked either - it muddied the waters to to speak and not in a good or productive way.

I was really excited to discover a new [to me] author and series - I am truly disappointed in how this book was written and sadly, will not be purchasing any more.

This first book in the Keepsake Cove mystery series is off to a promising start. This was my first book by this author and I enjoyed her writing style. I'm looking forward to reading future books by this author.

Callie was enjoyable as a character, though she was a little annoying at times. I liked all of the different shops that were described and getting to know the people that ran them. The mystery in this book was enjoyable and kept me guessing since I wasn't able to figure out who the killer was until it was revealed.

This is an excellent start to a new cozy mystery series and now I find myself really looking forward to the next one. The setting of pretty much a small town in a town is a great concept that I found fascinating. Letting each shop have its own unique character added a layer of detail to the story that I found myself looking forward to wondering what kind would pop up next. The music box shop was a neat idea and the author really adds some depth to details that worked well with clues being found by Callie. The mystery solving has a different route to it with no police involved at all which was a refreshing change. I highly recommend this to fans of cozy mysteries. I really enjoyed so it gets 4/5 stars.

I really enjoyed this first book in a new series. It was well written with characters and a story that drew me in and kept me reading. Callie is a very likeable heroine. And the descriptions of the shops and area made me feel like I was there. Everything I enjoy in a good book was here. I can’t wait to see where the author goes in the next book.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

This was such a beautiful start to a new series. The setting was so quaint and I really wish I could go visit. The mystery was good, although slightly predictable.

2.5 stars. I have read lots of cozies this year, and this one just pales in comparison to so many of them. The beginning feels completely formulaic, and any interesting parts fail to gain any real traction. The reveal is well-done, and the book wraps up smoothly.

Really enjoyed this book and it kept me engaged throughout the story. That is critical for me as reading is entertainment and should not be a chore to read something. lots of twists and turns. I definitely recommend.

A Fatal Collection is book one in what is a promising new series. When problems arise for Callie, she decides to pay a long overdue visit to her aunt Melodie. When she finds her aunt's body on her shop floor, Callie is thrown into proving it was no accident all the while finding her true calling.
This story was very well written and definitely easy to get into. The book was well plot out, the imagery through words perfectly enchanting, and a strong cast of characters that the author makes you yearn to know more about.
This is a wonderful book you can curl up with and forgot about your life for a while because you are so invested in the story. A mystery you can read again and again.

I am always excited when favored authors begin a new series.
This one has so many elements that I love including a community of shop keepers with specialty items, making them a small town to themselves. The shops have personalities as do the shopkeepers.
I felt all started out innocent enough, giving a gentle introduction when wham! On the first night, dear Aunt Mel is murdered. Callie's life is disrupted and she is given a fresh start, just not one she was prepared for.
The readers get to know the community alongside Callie as she deals with her aunt's death, some suspicious and antagonistic behaviors from various community members, and maybe a couple of eligible bachelors. I suspected several people of being capable of murder.
When all is revealed in the end I was satisfied with the results but I can't say I have a clear vision of where this series is headed. And that is fine as I eagerly anticipate being surprised.

Oh I really enjoyed this one! The book starts with Callie coming to visit her Aunt Mel though the visit doesn't last very long as Callie finds her aunt's body shortly after her arrival. I liked that Callie didn't go immediately on a mission from the start. Something about her aunt's death didn't sit quite right with her but she didn't immediately decide to interrogate everyone her aunt ever knew. Her reaction felt very natural and was one of the reasons she was so easy to like.

This is the first book in the series so there's a decent amount of setup but it's such fun setup! There are a lot of characters in Keepsake Cove. I love the idea of a little cove of collectible shops and it sounds like it'd be so fun to explore for a few days. Each shop has an owner and each owner has their own distinct personality. As well there are Shop Owner's Association politics and the usual rumor mill. However, while sometimes the setup can overwhelm the book and feel a little tedious this never feels anything but delightful. I loved getting to know everyone in Keepsake Cove and getting a feel of the community and I'm already really excited to visit again.

The mystery was entertaining and well done. There are plenty of suspects and so much of what happens could be explained away by less sinister explanations which has Callie wondering if there really is anything to worry about. There are several suspects and while I had a pretty good idea on the "Who" I had no clue on the "Why".

This is a cozy mystery in the very best sense of the word. Callie is someone I'd like to be friends with, Keepsake Cove is a place I'd love to visit, and the mystery was well paced and entertaining. This was a delightful and fast paced read and perfect for a cozy evening.

What an enjoyable read! A Fatal Collection is the first in Mary Ellen Hughes's new Keepsake Cove series, and thank goodness that there will be more.
We join our protagonist, Callie Reed, in Keepsake Cove as she reunites with her Aunt Melodie. The reunion is cut short when Melodie dies suspiciously, and Callie inherits the music box shop and Melodie's cottage.
Hughes does a fantastic job is presenting and developing a cast of engaging characters and suspects as well as a quaint setting. The mystery is well paced, the relationships between the characters are nicely developed and add to the story, and it is well written. I cannot wait for more books in this series - such a delight!
Thank you to Netgalley and Midnight Ink for an advanced copy to review.

A FATAL COLLECTION is the story of a young woman, Callie, who visits her aunt with a planned short vacation, in an attempt to sort out questions she has about the direction of her life. The first night of her trip, though, her aunt accidentally falls and hits her head, dying from the impact. Callie is suddenly left the sole inherited in her aunt's will, leaving her not only her aunt's tiny cottage but also her music box store.
The idea that her aunt's fall was accidental never sets right with Callie, and as she begins to meet the other shop owners in Keepsake Cove, she continues to feel plagued by the idea that she must figure out what really happened that night.
For the first in a cozy mystery series, A FATAL COLLECTION definitely draws a reader to Keepsake Cove and assures return visits with future books. The characters and their stores, as well as general town dynamic left much room for further exploration. Very excited to see what comes next.

It's hard to review a book supposedly set in an area you know well- especially when the author creates a town out of thin cloth. There's nothing like Keepsake Cove on the Eastern Shore of Maryland but more power to Hughes for assuming a vibrant tourist trade willing to keep a small town like this going. The merchants of the Eastern Shore would love it if this was true. That said, this is a nicely done cozy which is more about Callie's quest for truth than a classic of the genre. Finding her aunt dead the morning after they reconnected after many years was a shock; the impact of changing her life once she inherits the store is also a shock. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Try this one if you like the idea of a tourist town and an intrepid amateur.

In this book Callie Reed needing a break from her boyfriend goes and visits her aunt Melodie her only connection to her father's family. Melodie lives in quaint Keepsake Cove in a cottage where she sells in her shop music boxes inheriting her love of them from Callie's grandfather. Including a music box he handed down to Melodie who will someday hand in down to Callie.

Later the same night Callie finds Melodie dead and can't buy the cops theory of accidental death. She doesn't buy that her aunt would slip and fall and that would be the end. In a town where Callie doesn't really know anyone how can Callie determine who the real murderer is and why?

Along the way Callie makes friends with the other shop owners in town like Brian the man who runs a cafe and finds Callie in their frequently. Along with a lovely girl who becomes Callie's assistant as she decides to continue running her aunts store and moving her things to Keepsake Cove. Determined this was the push she needed to make decisions in her life. Delia who works in the shop next to Callie becomes a good friend to Callie and helps her where she can.

This book was great and led to meeting so many shop owners. Callie really has her work cut out for her and it was a great ride to go one. I loved learning about each shop owner what they sold and how they came to sell said trinkets. Callie definitely is in a learning process in this book which is great because Callie just didn't excel at everything she does makes her a more connectable character. I can't wait to see what is next in this series!

If this little town was real, I'd be shopping there!
I loved this story about how Callie Reed starts phase 2 of her young life as the proprietor of a music box shop, and as an amateur sleuth as well.
Nice light reading. Loved the many shop owners on her street. Can't wait for the second in the series.

When a visit to her aunt is cut tragically short by the older woman's unexpected death, Callie Reed inherits a shop full of music boxes and the charming little cottage behind it. She's quick to step into her new life, but as she learns more about Keepsake Cove and its residents, she begins to wonder if her aunt's death was an accident at all. We barely get a chance to meet Aunt Melodie, just long enough to get the impression that she was a really nice lady. I really enjoyed this book. The mystery kept me guessing until the end and the solution left me satisfied. The residents of Keepsake Cove are three-dimensional and I'm excited to see where the series goes with them. There's also a little hint of what might be the paranormal, which is always something I'm happy to read. While I'm waiting for book #2, I think I'll check out the author's other two series.

This is a good debut novel in the Keepsake Cove Mystery series. The small town is made up of stores that feature items that folks like to collect. This story starts in the music box store when Callie goes to the Eastern Shore of Maryland to visit her Aunt Melody. The story is interesting with a hint of magic as a music box helps Callie solve the murder of her aunt. Will keep an eye out for book two to see how Ms Hughes continues the series.

I finished A Fatal Collection on October 20th, and I really enjoyed it. I requested to review this book based first on its cover and then when I read the discription i wanted to read it even more. I enjoyed this book which is the first in a new series about Keepsake Cove, a town that is made up of touristy type specialty shops and has a very cozy feel, that is when the neighbors are all getting along. I was surprised at the twists and turns and neighborhood mishaps & drama. I was intrigued by each shop and their purpose. Everyone bringing something so unique to the community. I was so sad for main character Callie who finds her purpose and true calling after the very sudden death of her aunt. This is a good start to what I think will be a good series. This one is out November 8th and is published by Midnight Ink.

A Fatal Collection is the first book in the new Keepsake Cove Mystery series. Taking its lead from Lorna Barrett’s Booktown series, Keepsake Cove, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore is the home to small specialty shops, with descriptive names, that cater to tourists looking to add to their hobbies and collections.

Callie Reed has returned to Keepsake Cove, which is a little town within a town, and her Aunt Melodie’s “House of Melody” music box store to take a breather from her relationship with Hank and to figure out what she wants and to come to terms with the fact that their relationship is just is not working out. When Melodie is found dead in the shop the next morning, no one is more surprised than Callie to find out that she is the sole beneficiary of both the home and shop.

From all outward appearances, her aunt suffered from a simple accident, but what does not make sense was why she there in the middle of the night. What had also been kept from Callie was that Melodie was fighting with her business neighbor. Karl Eggars wanted the music box shop, so he could expand his business for his nephew but Melodie would not sell. Was this accident, no accident at all?

There appears to be a couple of strange goings on in Keepsake Cove and with the business owners up in arms over the association treasurer having such an expensive and elaborate lifestyle, there is a very public outcry for an independent audit to see if he is stealing from them. Between the infighting and Melodie’s death hanging over them, everyone seems to be a bit out of sorts.

Between shop assistant Tabitha and her costume of the day, psychic abilities, tarot cards and Grandpa Reed’s music box going off at odd times, Callie is in for an adventure when she stumbles across the reason why Melodie was in the shop at 3am, not to mention what secrets a shop patron holds, and a surprise or two that Melodie herself, may have had.

There is a great deal thrown into this first book and quite a few names and business to get to know. Hopefully, the second book will calm down a bit and readers can take their time strolling through Keepsake Cove with their “brick walkways, ornamental street lights, hanging flower baskets, and Dickensian shop front” and slowly get to know the people and place that their clientele have come to love.