What I thought would be a cozy, quick fun read similar to the style of Joanne Fluke, this one didn't quite hit that mark for me. I was looking for a lighthearted read to break up my month, but this particular book left me a bit disappointed even though it had potential. I think I just didn't connect with the main character, Antonia and how she was written, I would have loved to have read more about the character herself rather than her trying to just jump in and become a detective.

Death on Windmill Way is an entertaining and well written cozy mystery. I highly recommend to mystery fans. I received an arc from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

I enjoyed the story and mystery in Death on Windmill Way. Buying an inn in East Hampton, renovating and reinventing it? I’m there. Finding out the former owners have died under suspicious circumstances? Nope. I think I’ll let someone else buy it! Well, Antonia had no idea about the former owners when she bought the inn though she did know that the former owner died of a heart attack. Or so they said. When she finds out that he may have been murdered, Antonia has to find out the truth for her own peace of mind.

While the book has a lot going for it story wise, there are some things that weren’t for me. Antonia judges people based on their outward appearance. Antonia describes exactly what each person looks like, and what they’re wearing. She lets us know if someone is overweight, too thin, looks like a bird, has acne, looks old, youngish, oldish, dowdy, well-dressed, etc. Then, the next time we meet the character, Antonia lets us know what they’re wearing then. Those things are not important to me as a reader, and all of the negative commentary on the characters’ looks left me with a bad feeling towards Antonia. Antonia also thinks she’s too fat herself. It’s okay for an author to tell us a little bit about what a person might look like or how old they are, but in Antonia’s case, it felt like she was a mean girl.

I love the setting of this cozy mystery, and the descriptions about it, though a little overly descriptive at times, make East Hampton feel like a place I’d love to be. My favorite character would probably be the least well-liked of the bunch if the book were real life. He thinks very highly of himself, but he reminds me of a typical newspaper man from maybe the 40s or 50s…gotta get the story! My second favorite is an older gentleman who is very kind and father-like.

Honestly though, I think that someone who feels that they’re always judged by their appearance would be hurt by the way Antonia judges her fellow characters. If that could just be x’d out of the book, I’d feel a lot better about it myself. Maybe in the following books, Antonia will refrain from caring so much about how a person looks on the outside. Now, if that doesn’t bother you, then I suggest you give this a read. I’d love to hear what you think!

I’m giving Death on Windmill Way 3.5 stars since I did enjoy the story.

Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for providing a copy of this book free for my honest review.

Death on Windmill way by Carrie Doyle is the 1st book in the Hamptons Murder Mysteries series, and my first book by this author. Antonia Bingham, a gourmet chef, has recently bought the Windmill Inn in the Hamptons. Unfortunately all the previous innkeepers of the Windmill has died suspicious deaths. Antonia is determined to find out the truth. Once I started this book I could not stop reading it. It was a quick read that kept me guessing. I look forward to the next book in the series. I recommend this book for all cozy mystery book lovers, you will not be disappointed.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Death on Wind Mill Way is the first book in the Hampton Murder Mysteries. Four books in the series were published between 2016 and 2018. Hopefully more books will follow these four. Antonia Bingham is looking for some peace and quiet after leaving an abusive husband so she buys an inn and restaurant in the Hamptons. She finds out that things aren’t quite what they seem when she finds outs that the majority of the inn’s previous owners have died under mysterious circumstances. Then the only innkeeper to survive her time at the inn dies under mysterious circumstances.

I liked the plot, the characters, and the setting. Another bonus is that we don’t too long to see Antonia in action again. Looking forward to read the next book in the series.

Thirty five year old chef extraordinaire and California native Antonia Bingham is looking for a change of pace. After a nasty, but needed divorce from her abusive ex husband and the death of her father, Antonia moves to the Hamptons and purchases an inn, sight unseen, based on the recommendation of a friend. After a lengthy, and costly renovation, Antonia begins to learn the ropes of running an inn, though she is still running in the red. Things take an interesting turn when local gossip surrounding the deaths of past owners of the Windmill inn reach Antonia. Though unsubstantiated, the rumors are shocking to say the least and start making Antonia view her beautiful new inn in a new and more sinister light. Although Antonia believes the previous owner of the inn died from a heart attack, rumors hint that past owners died under mysterious, and unnatural circumstances. With a distrust in police, as her abusive ex-husband was a cop, Antonia starts an investigation of her own to find some answers before she becomes the next victim.
Death on Windmill Way is a promising start to a charming new cozy mystery series set in the East Hamptons. With plenty of scrumptious food and beautiful beach scenery, the author's uniquely descriptive tone shines through, deftly pulling readers into the narrative. Antonia is a strong protagonist with a highly inquisitive nature and a strong sense of justice. Antonia's dark background makes for a unique premise and offers an avenue to discuss domestic violence in a careful manner. There is much to love in terms of supporting characters, with a colorful cast of comical new faces, from sleazy crime reporters to hunky movie stars. The mystery was nicely paced with plenty of promising suspects to sift through. I highly recommend this new mystery for those looking for a fun, new, satisfying read with a beach setting perfect for the summer months.

A charming and engaging cozy mystery. A nice start to a series. Lots of potential for several characters. I look forward to getting to know them better and following their adventures. Loved the dinner party ending. Kept me guessing throughout.

This caught my eye (that cover is wholly responsible) and I'm always a fan of reading about small communities that are "off-season" (resort or college towns). This was set during autumn and gave a very good feel for the pace and also a look in at the shops and the inn Antonia (our amateur sleuth) owns and runs. I was about even on what I liked and what I found didn't quite work for me (pretty usual for a first in a series) so first what I liked.

The setting was perfect and very well described. The detail of the Inn, the town, and the food everywhere was inviting. The recitations of meals were so well done, I was a bit disappointed there were no recipes included at the end. This was a longer cozy and quite a lot was taken up with such descriptions. As such, it did take away from the pace of the mystery.

The characters were a bit of a mixed bag. Antonia, the main character had some grating tendencies that I'm attributing to first book quirks and hoping resolves as the series continues. Her almost complete abdication of responsibility for the finances of her business was jarring. I have a peeve about this with cozies in particular. I have little patience for the shopkeeper (innkeeper, in this instance) who sleuths to the exclusion of taking care of their business, gives away all their wares or has a shady employee emptying the coffers (because no oversight) and then is completely surprised when the ledger is screaming red and the business is on the brink of the brink. It's a credibility dasher for me and Antonia personified it and it hits in chapter 13 (of 36 chapters). I admit, I held it against her throughout and found that this held for the main of the story. She brings together all of the suspects in the vein of Poirot and Marple to out the murderer and I felt it was an unearned affectation on her part. I actually cheered on a character who challenged her with "Let's get to the point here, Bingham." while she was doing her interrogations of everyone. So, not a great feeling to have toward a main character one is supposed to want to follow. She had other flaws but none of those were as off-putting.

I thought Larry, the town reporter was the most vividly drawn character and while he's probably not around to be a liked character, I enjoyed his presence. He was interesting and often, the perfect skewer to Antonia's personality quirks. I hope there's more of him in subsequent books because he's worth it. Joseph was another stand out character. I loved how his relationship with Antonia was portrayed and how they worked as a team. The very end of the story was heartwarming and made me smile. I look forward to more of him also. Genevieve, Antonia's BFF is almost a non-entity and I was never quite sure why she existed unless she was just there to give us information about Antonia's past. Nick is probably going to be Antonia's love interest but for the time being, he's basically a boyfriend blank. He had no real purpose in this story. Hopefully, Genevieve and Nick come more into focus as characters and purpose as the series continues.

As mentioned before, the pace of the mystery was a bit slow additionally, the killer was easy to call early on. Sadly, the path to the reveal didn't make up for the early realization. It could be a first book quirk so I'm hoping that doesn't happen with the next, which I will be on the lookout for.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an Advance Reader Copy.

This was published in 2016 and I read it back then. I renewed my opinion of Antonia's spirit to rebuild her life... and also solve this mystery. I enjoyed this book again and hope another is coming soon.

Ignore the cover and go for the tasty innkeeper mystery that Carrie Doyle's whipped out -- newly reprinted in a mass market paperback, with two more in the series releasing this summer. Full review here: http://kingdombks.blogspot.com/2020/06/murder-in-hamptons-carrie-doyles-series.html

When you put together a cozy mystery involving someone who owns a restaurant and an Inn and is a chef...well, I’m already hooked. Add beaches, pretty homes and a murder and I have a curl up in my chair and read book.
You know this had all the “pieces” of a cozy. You have your female running from a bad relationship trying to open a new business. Then there’s the pretty town. Add a dead body and you’ve got it.
Except...this one was a little different. It had the mysterious demise of all the previous innkeepers. Strange or just bad luck? It had interesting and well-developed side characters.

Most of all it had an amateur sleuth who just admitted she was nosy. No more trying to explain away why someone would try to solve a crime instead of calling the police. Oh Antonia had some concern as she was the new Innkeeper and wanted to know if the previous deaths were natural or not, but...she also just admitted being snoopy. I loved it. Made it seem more real if you can imagine that.

This is Book 1 of a series titled “Hamptons Murder Mysteries”. So far there are three books in the series. Better hope Carrie Doyle is working on Book 4. This is fun reading.

4.5 stars

This is the first book in the Hamptons Murder Mysteries series by Carrie Doyle.

After the sudden death of her father and a messy divorce, Antonia Bingham moved to the other side of the country and opened an Inn in the Hamptons. She is a bit oblivious to how much it costs to run an inn and also have a restaurant too. She is leaching money like crazy. Her book keeper asks her to find ways to cut back but she is a bit bull headed about it. I think she has a bit of blinders on.

Not long after arriving, she learns that a lot of the Windmill Inn owners have died mysterious deaths. She splits her time between being the head chef, running the inn and solving the mystery. This story had a bit of a cold case feeling to it since the murder didn’t happen recently.

I can see that the author is still building her world since some of the characters had no real part to play in the actual mystery element of the book. I thought adding movie star Nick Darrow was a nice touch and I look forward to seeing how the author plans to use him in the future.

Overall, it was a pretty good book. I enjoyed myself and found the mystery interesting and fulfilling.

If you love a good cozy mystery, definitely check this one out. What a fun read!

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Antonia didn't do much research- she really didn't do any at all- before buying the Windmill Inn in the Hamptons. She's surprised, therefore, to learn that Gordon, the last owner, died of a heart attack that might not have been entirely natural. Then there's another murder (no spoilers). This is a cozy so you know that she's going to find out what really happened and that there was more than one person who didn't like Gordon. This has a great setting, some twists, some good characters, and some big plot holes but go for it. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

DEATH ON WINDMILL WAY by Carrie Doyle is the first book in the Hamptons Murder Mysteries series and the first book by this author that I have read. The novel is set in the Hamptons in New York. Antonia Bingham moved there about six months ago to buy the run-down Windmill Inn. She has now renovated it and is open for business in both the inn and restaurant. However, life here is not all beaches and luxurious living. Besides the hard work of running her business, including functioning as a chef, previous owners of the inn have died. Some believe there is a curse, others think it is natural. Of course, Antonia decides to investigate.

Antonia is someone you can root for, but I did not really connect with her. She did not seem to have done her research on the inn before she purchased it. However, she did have a distinct voice with flaws and virtues. Additionally, her goals were clear and her motivations seemed believable. The author does a great job of painting a picture of the inn, the people, the beach, and the food. The story line was interesting and had plenty of red herrings. However, the mystery was too easy for me to solve.

Overall, this book was enjoyable and entertaining. If you enjoy cozy mysteries and beautiful settings, then this may be the series for you.

Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and Carrie Doyle for a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.

Death on Windmill Way introduces the reader to Antonia as she learns running an inn and restaurant may not be as easy or fun as she anticipated. In addition to the daily grind she learns the previous owner of the inn may have indeed been murdered, but before she can contemplate that revelation too much, odd things begin happening to her that make her wonder if someone is indeed out to get her. Death on Windmill Way has murder, mystery, a movie star among the interesting character and humor to name but a few of it's selling points. I highly recommend Death on Windmill Way

Six weeks after opening - after many months of renovations - Antonia is very pleased her inn and restaurant are attracting a nice client base. Then one of her guests tells her that many of the previous owners of the inn have died suddenly. Antonia tries to shrug this off, but then strange things start to happen around her. She decides she must find out who killed the previous owner, before she is killed herself.

There is a long-running program on Dutch television that is called <em>Ik Vertrek</em> (I’m leaving) where people are followed that decide to turn their whole life upside down, move to another country and start a hotel, B&B or restaurant. Antonia could have been a participant in that program; she shares many of the qualities with the actual participants:
- moves to another country ==> Antonia moved to another state across country, so check;
- is ill prepared and/or bought a property sight unseen ==> Antonia bought the property unseen and on the suggestion of her friend Genevieve whom she later calls immature, check;
- has no experience whatsoever running a hotel/camping site/B&B ==> She has some experience as a caterer, but mainly phantasies about how to run in inn, check;
- the property needs a lot of renovation work ==> check;
- the set opening date is rather optimistic considering the state of the property ==> Antonia had to move her opening date and lost the lucrative summer season, check;
- in the end it all turns out well ==> check.

Whereas the program on TV is always a bit uncomfortable to watch, a train wrack waiting to happen, the participants are usually so charming in their naivety that you actually want them to succeed. Not so much with Antonia. She was so sure of herself that at some point I started cheering for any mishap to come her way. Or maybe it was because she was plain dumb. If you’re five foot five and your ceilings are high and a lightbulb needs to be replaced, it’s not a joke if you ask a taller person with a better ladder to do it for you. That is actually a smart move as most accidents happen around the house when people stand on rickety ladders and over-reach to change a lightbulb. (The ladder, apparently, is about the only thing Antonia did not buy new when she started refurbishing her inn.)

I didn’t like Antonia much, didn’t like the side characters much, didn’t like the mystery much. When Antonia is changing the lightbulb, she manages to pull her self up off the ladder and someone moves the ladder. There can only be a limited number of people who could have moved the ladder, but Antonia doesn’t investigate (which is rather odd considering the tenacity with which she decides to investigate Gordon’s death). It annoyed me that Antonia never talks to Lucy and Connie about what it was like for them to work with Gordon. Another investigative angle lost.

In the end Antonia gathers all the suspects and other useful characters in a room and discloses who the murderer is. Where some clues are shared that were previously hidden from the reader. I always hate that. Particularly in a book that is rather overdescriptive.

A cute and fun cosy mystery. Loved the main character, Antonia. The location, the Hamptons, was depicted perfectly. The writing style seemed a bit odd but it was well plotted and I would enjoy reading more with this character or other books by this author. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

Death on Windmill Way is a middle of the road cozy mystery - not the best of the genre and yet not the worst.

The story revolves around Antonio a newish innkeeper in the town of East Hampton, Long Island. She purchased and renovated her inn after escaping/divorcing her ex-husband moving to the East Coast. It is only months last that she find out the curse of the innkeeper, as the former had a suspicious death and his predecessor dies mid-story. There are plenty of suspects that circle back into the frame. The story culminates in a larger dinner party where the murderer is revealed. I liked the premise of the book and descriptions of food and interior design.

Things that made me go "blah" include Larry Lipper, report who constantly sexually harasses the main character who never once knocks him in the mouth, not crossing characters firmly off the list of murderer and bringing them back, the main character's awkward descriptions of other characters, and the non-romance (that seemed promising) with the movie star Nick.

I received a free copy of the ebook from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

The writing feels incredibly dated for a modern series. This author is using descriptors and turns of phrase I would expect to see in a book from 10-15 years ago. It’s clumsy and cliche. I expect better.


I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not paid for this review.

The previous owners of Antonia’s inn have died suspicious deaths. Curious about a potential curse, Antonia begins to dig into the circumstances around the death of the previous owner. But is she digging her own grave? Or is a homicidal maniac about to be uncovered? The reveal in Death in Windmill Way is both entertaining and satisfying. This is a nice light read.