Kelly and the Silver Sentinels are at it again in the 5th installment of the Kelly Jackson mystery series. Kelly is the manager of the Redwood Cove B&B and is fond of all of the Silver Sentinels a group of senior citizens that help the police solve crimes. This time around Kelly goes to the marina to see Ivan and Rudy Doblinsky’s boat the Nadia. When she arrives they brothers are not there but she sees what looks like a rare knife covered in blood. She calls the police and Sheriff Bill Stanton arrives then the brothers. The knife looks familiar to Rudy but it is not his. He shares with both Kelly and Bill the backstory of how he and Rudy came to America from Russia. Rudy was the son of a Russian prince and as trouble was brewing in Russia in the 1940’s the family split up with Rudy and Ivan coming with their Uncle and their half sister and half brother traveling with their Mother and the prince. All three siblings of the prince have a knife but Rudy cannot explain how it ended up on his boat as they had searched for their family forever. Could they still be alive? Well this occurs at the same time as the Russian Heritage festival is about to begin and tensions are running high amongst the organizers. One of the organizers Alexander who was instrumental in moving the festival from the Fort to Redwood Cove and closer to his Russian store. Alexander buys and sells Russian antiques and the next day his body if found dead on the Nadia and Ivan and Rudy are suspects in his murder as Rudy had sold gold coins to him. Kelly and the sentinels begin their investigation and Rudy and Ivan’s lost family is found and there are links to the Russian Mob to Alexander as well as some of the other organizers of the festival. This was a great read and I enjoyed all the history of Ivan and Rudy’s family as well as the description of the Cossack Riding team. You could just imagine you were there with Kelly watching their performance. The ending is fantastic and the love of all the silver sentinels and Kelly is so apparent. A strong mystery with lots of red herrings and the love of friends of family makes this a 5 star winner.

Cosy mysteries hold a special place in my heart. I love them all equally! Or so I though, till I read this one.
From the first pages I quickly found myself swept up in the story, eager to find out who could be trying to frame these sweet Russian brothers. Kelly was a great main character, tough and yet normal in a good way, making it so easy to feel like her adventures were mine!
This was such a good book, I've already started to recommend it to people!
One of the best cozy mysteries out there and I can't wait to read the next one!

It's always a guaranteed fun read to return to the Redwood Cove and our group of senior sleuths. This is the 5th installment and a fun exciting mystery . I highly recommend the entire series. The author has a well crafted fun style of writing with likable fun charcters. This series has a great dose of humor and witty repartee between the senior sleuths and our savvy protagonist.
I loved the whodunit with clues that kept me guessing to the end. The setting is sublime and all the supporting characters add fun and depth to the series. I look forward to the next installment in this fun series. Thank you for the ARC which does not influence my review. This is a fun cozy mystery series with all the right elements for a long standing successful cozy mystery series. Cannot wait for the next book !

This book is one in a series of "Kelly Jackson Mysteries," though it was the first one I'd encountered. Kelly manages a bed and breakfast in Northern California. She solves mysteries with a group of senior citizens, and this one surrounds a pair of brothers of Russian ancestry. The culture of Russian immigrants in this region was an interesting part of the book.

I found the mystery storyline and the setting quite interesting, though it seems like Kelly doesn't really do much to manage the B&B--she always seems to be handing off the work to someone else. It might be nice to see her doing a little more of her job. That said, I'd like to read more books in this series.

Murder at the Marina by Janet Finsilver is the 5th book in the Kelly Jackson Mystery, and another fun addition. Kelly Jackson is the manager of the Redwood Cove Bed and Breakfast in Northern California. Kelly has become close to the crime-solving seniors, Silver Sentinels. In this adventure Ivan and Rudy tell Kelly stories about their childhood in Russia, as the town gets ready for the Russian Heritage Festival. This book was great. It has so many twists and turns. The author did an excellent job. I was hooked from the start. It had a very unique plot line. I could connect with the characters. I would definitely recommend this book.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Kensington Publishing. Thank you.

As a mystery, this is very well written, with a good plot and very good characters. The history of Russia is a little off timewise, but this is fiction after all. Good book!

It's the first book I read in this series. It's well written, likable cast of characters and a solid plot but unfortunately it's not my cup of tea as I didn't feel involved in the story.
Many thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Fun, exciting, fast-reading cozy mystery. Lots of interesting Russian facts. Familiar characters plus some new ones added to the story.

The 5th book in the Kelly Jackson Mystery series by Janet Finsilver. Kelly Jackson is the manager of Redwood Cove Bed and Breakfast. With her job, she has had the opportunity to meet many of the locals and get involved with events in the community. Some of her favorite people are members of the Silver Sentinels, a group of crime-solving senior citizens. Kelly has has gotten to know the members when she was also sleuthing in various local crimes.

In this book, a mystery first arises when a jewel encrusted knife is found aboard the boat belonging to two of the Silver Sentinels, brothers Ivan and Rudy. As Kelly helps the brothers, she learns about their family history. Also, the mystery gets more complex when a dead body is found.

A delightful cozy mystery series. Charming setting. Interesting characters. Entertaining plot. A nice addition to this series.

I received a free eARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the last book in this mystery series, and I know authors put their heart and souls in keeping their stories going with the characters we love. Unfortunately this entry didn't feel as strong to me. As we were able to visit with Kelly and our favorite Redwood Cove Bed and Breakfast in the lovely San Francisco Bay Area again, I just felt like this storyline was a bit forced and not as strong of a plotline as in past stories. This won't keep me from continuing to read, but I just didn't connect to the characters as much in this russian themed storyline. I'm sure many faithful readers will enjoy. Thanks for allowing me an early review through NetGalley.

Murder at the NoCal Russian Festival
This is the fifth book in a series and the first that I have read. This stands alone well and it was a smooth transition for a new reader. This story is so interesting! I was aware of the Russian history along the Pacific coast and have visited some of the forts. This story filled in more of that history. It is also a nicely complicated murder mystery. There is a nicely tangled pool of suspects and many are intertwined through business. It is a sweet and clean cozy with dogs, horses, the ocean and good friends. I will be reading the rest of this series soon! I received the ARC of this book for free from Net Galley. This is my honest review.

Kelly is adjusting to life in Redwood Cove and spending time with the Doblinsky brothers getting to visit them on their boat the Nadia. While waiting for them Kelly finds a dagger with something on it. Obviously someone is out to cause trouble from Ivan and Rudy.

As the Russian Heritage Festival preparations get underway another mishap happens when a body is found on the Nadia. It turns out to be a local store owner Alexander Koskov who also helps Russians get money for rare valuables. Who killed Alexander and why?

Kelly decides it's time to rally The Professor, Rudy, Ivan, Gertie, Mary the notorious Silver Sentinels. The group has solved a slew of murders up to this point so why not help out on of their own? They jump right in to help one of their own!

What I love about this series is there really isn't a thing wrong with the series. It pulls you in and has you gripping until the story is over. The group works fabulous and they get things done in their own way!

This book also was great for those who love Russian History especially those of royal stature. It had you pulled hearing Ivan and Rudy's story. There was so much to enjoy with it. Another fabulous adventure for anyone who loves this series and cozies in general!

Murder at the Marina is the fifth installment in the Kelly Jackson Mystery series set in Northern California and featuring Kelly Jackson, Manager of the Redwood Cove Bed and Breakfast. The town is gearing up for Russian Heritage Week and with several wealthy Russian businessmen staying at the B & B, Kelly is quick to learn that tensions are running high between some of the organizers.

Kelly is invited to visit the fishing boat of Ivan and Rudy Doblinsky, two of the members of the Silver Sentinel group, the small group of Redwood senior citizens devoted to solving crimes. When Kelly arrives at the Nadia, she decides to wait on deck for the brothers and is shocked when looking through the cabin window she sees a jewel encrusted dagger covered in what appears to be blood.

Not long after the dagger is discovered, a body is found on the boat with a valuable Russian coin.
Teaming up with the other members of the Silver Sentinels, Deputy Bill Stanton and his bloodhound, Gus - Kelly sets out to clear the brothers and soon discovers the family secret Ivan and Rudy have kept hidden.

A fast paced plot with well developed returning characters. It's always a pleasure to spend an afternoon with Kelly, the Redwood Cove staff and the Silver Sentinels. In addition to the mystery the author also weaves in interesting facts about Russian culture.

I received an advanced copy of Murder at the Marina from NetGalley via Lyrical Underground, a division of Kensington Publishing. While not required to write a review I am more than happy to offer my honest opinion.

A Russian Heritage festival in Redwood Cove opens a can of worms for Kelly and the Silver Sentinels, a band of "mature" sleuths. Who knew Rudy and Ivan Doblinsky are members of Russian nobility? Well, everyone does when a Russian businessman in town for the festival is found dead on their boat. Oh, and he was staying at Kelly's B&B. And there's the dagger! Then there's another murder. You'll be fine reading this as a standalone. The Silver Sentinels are a hoot and it's good to see a group of seniors figure so prominently. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A little light Russian history, a good series of twists, and fun characters make this a good read.

law-enforcement, amateur-sleuth, senior-citizens, family-dynamics, friendship, Russian-heritage, cozy-mystery

***** Strange things are happening in Redwood Cove and it will take both law enforcement and a group of local sleuths to get to the bottom of things. First there's a jewel encrusted dagger that looks like one kept by two gray haired brothers who were smuggled out of Russia as young children, and later a dead body has ties to the old men. Along the way the reader learns about the Russian aristocracy, Russian heritage celebrations, Cossack riding skills, and how a real Russian samovar is properly used. The mystery itself is well done and has just enough twists and red herrings, the characters are interesting and engaging, and the scenery and activities are clearly depicted. I loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Lyrical Underground via NetGalley. Thank you!

This was my favorite of Janet Finsilver's Kelly Jackson Mystery series so far. I was so intrigued with the Russian Heritage festival and aspects of Russian history. I had to suspend some belief to fit Ivan and Rudy's lives into a timeline that made sense, but other than that it was wonderful. I was completely wrong in my guess as to who was the guilty party, and I loved that about the book. I am invested in all of the characters and look happily forward to spending more time in Redwood Cove.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I received a free digital ARC of Murder in the Marina in exchange for an honest review. Love this series.

However, the dates are a bit off. In earlier novels, I thought that Ivan and Rudy were in their eighties. Then in this novel, they talk about being young children during the Russian Revolution. The Russian Revolution was in 1917-1918. If they were young children, then they would have to be over 100 years old now!

Other than that, the novel was wonderful. For me, it was a quick read.

Light but interesting plot. I enjoyed the Russian heritage info but the ‘Silver’ group weren’t as quirky this time around. I like a little more quirk

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing an advanced digital copy of MURDER AT THE MARINA by Janet Finsilver in exchange for a fair and honest review. This is the fifth book in the series and my first read. The mystery is complete within this book, although there are secondary relationships among characters which seem to have been developed and embellished over the series.
Kelly, who is the central character in this series and the manager of a bed and breakfast in town has joined forces with a group of senior citizens who have named themselves the Silver Sentinels. They work together to solve crimes, particularly murder in the area, meeting to discuss what they know, develop tasks for what to do next, and assign jobs to members of their group based on individual talents. In addition to the Silver Sentinels there are recurring characters including a possible love interest for Kelly and the b&b’s chef along with her son who, we are told,, is autistic.
The mystery unfolds with lots of clues and red herrings. The Silver Sentinels are most concerned because there seems to be a rather clumsy attempt to implicate two of their members, Russian brothers Rudy and Ivan. Information about Russian royal families who fled Russia to avoid execution by the masses is peppered throughout the book. Ivan and Rudy are brothers who were members of one such family. They were successful in escaping to the United States, but have failed to find any other members of their family. That all changes when a dagger left on their boat is found and a search for its owner is begun. The dagger is part of a set of three that and it leads them to two Russians emigres who are discovered to live nearby. When Kelly, Itvan, and Rudy pursue the dagger’s owner they find Ivan’s brother and sister which sets off book a family reunion.
While the reuniting of the family is a strong secondary part of the story, the primary action centers around the Russian history festival taking place that weekend. Numerous visiting people have arrived, including a team of Cossacks and their horses, and beautiful woman who is related to a man reputed to be in the Russian mafia. These characters represent only a portion of those possible for the murder and the Silver Sentinels are focused on solving the case in an attempt to clear Ivan and Rudy from suspicion,
While suspects abound, along with possible motives, the book moves at a steady pace to solve the mystery. There are numerous clues and red herrings leaving the reader to determine which is which. I found it easy to determine the guilty party and enjoyable to continue reading to learn if I was correct.
This is a reasonably engaging mystery, although I found it difficult to connect with the different characters. Because I had not read earlier books in the series, I was somewhat behind the curve determining relationships, but I was not sufficiently engaged to hurry out and buy the first four books in the series. If I discovered more books in the series, I would definitely read them and hope to develop more of an interest in the individuals featured. If possible, I would probably read them in order, starting with the first book of the series, as I believe that would allow me to become more fully invested in relationships.

I absolutely adore this series. With each book there's a subject that the Silver Sentinels delve into that's almost like a history lesson, only fun!
Great mystery with characters that are like old friends made this a 5 star read.