Synopsis:

First in a new series featuring California landscape architect Tory Benning!

Landscape architect Tory Benning knows the lay of the land, but she’ll have to dig through the clues to unearth a killer . . .

After a whirlwind romance and a glorious wedding at the luxurious Hotel Santa Sofia, Tory Benning is ready to let down her hair, slip into her dancing shoes, and celebrate—until she discovers that her newly minted husband has vanished. The police suspect cold feet and second thoughts are behind Milo’s disappearance, but Tory’s certain he’s met with foul play. And since she designed the plush resort, she knows every nook and cranny of the grounds and adjoining secret maze, and wastes no time delving into her search.

As clues begin to emerge that Milo may have taken his last breath in the maze, Tory steps up her sleuthing, even as she learns she’s the prime suspect of a cop with a chip on his shoulder and is squarely in the sights of a menacing stalker. And when a second body is found on the grounds, Tory fears she’s up against a killer determined to silence any and all who get in the way.

Not to be deterred, Tory forges ahead, navigating a case with more twists and turns than the maze itself, until the labyrinth of clues leads her to shocking revelations about her husband, her family, and the identity of a killer who’s dead set on making her the next victim . . . (Goodreads)

Review:

The characters are well developed and well rounded. Tory loses her husband shortly after they are married. She decides that she has to help figure out the killer, so with the help of her friend, Ashley, that is what she tries to do. You could tell that Tory felt bad, but I did not think that her reaction was very realistic. If that had been me, I would have been incapacitated. But Tori was able to put that beside and get on with her life. That is only my opinion and other readers may not agree with me. Adrian, one of the police involved in the case, seems like a good guy. And Ernie Gomez, another officer that is involved, is a jerk and I dislike him greatly.

The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and the descriptions pulled me into the story from the beginning. The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. I thought that the mystery was well plotted and there were enough twists and turns and red herrings thrown in, and it was not easily solved.

I really like the premise of the book and the fact that the Secret Maze exists. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series and finding out what is in store for Tory.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Beyond The Page Publishing, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.

Dollycas’s Thoughts –

Shortly after the wedding in the idyllic garden at the Hotel Santa Sofia that was designed by the bride, her groom goes missing. Many suspect the had second thoughts but bride Tory Benning knows it is something more nefarious. The wonderful garden grounds of the hotel also include a secret maze and that is where Tory begins her search. Clues appear to show her husband may have lost his life there. When a second body is found Tory knows she is on the right track but she may lose her own life as she continues down the deadly path.

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This story starts immediately with the missing groom and tells us Milo’s and Tory had a whirlwind romance. I really wish we could have gotten to know more about Milo in advance so we could have been more invested in his life. I had issues with Tory as well. Her reactions just seemed off to me. Yes, she was upset, but not upset in a way that she lost the love of her life. She didn’t rush into the reception and ask for help or even explain what was going on. Instead, she grabs her best friend and starts her own investigation. She makes some scary discoveries and still hesitated to call the police. I wish it would have been her best friend as the lead sleuth, so I immediately had to suspend reality to continue reading because Tory’s actions and reactions were just so off for a woman’s who just lost her husband and her father just a couple of weeks earlier.

Ms. Gonda did offer a vast variety of suspects including Tory. There were plenty of twists with two officers running their own investigations. Sergeant Adrian Ramirez is working with Tory while Sergeant Ernie Gomez thinks Tory is the guilty party. There is also a Private Investigator involved which adds to the diversion and drama. Romantic tension between him and Tory was evident but also felt off to me, just too soon. The investigations play out over a longer period of time than I am used to but a push by Tory starts to things moving again.

I think Tory would be a great protagonist and I liked the way she teamed up with her friend Ashley. This time the case was just too close and too personal. Had they been guests at the wedding or bridesmaids I think this story would have worked much better.

I do love that Tory is a Landscape Architect and the garden she created at Hotel Santa Sofia sounds like a marvelous venue. She is very creative and smart which will play very well in upcoming stories and investigations. I also loved that Tory has a Pomeranian, Iris that was even included in her wedding.

This story, in my opinion, has a few missteps, but it has good bones and it is well written with a lot of good ideas, maybe just too many for the first book in the series. I am interested to see where Ms. Gorda takes her characters next.

Tory is in a quandary her husband of a few hours ago has disappeared and it looks like something sinister has occurred. She is confused and afraid at the sametime, but with her best friend Ashley they set out following the mismatch clues. I guess Tory got a bit blindsided with her emotions, for she wasn't doing a very good job of sleuthing. Having just lost her husband Milo of just a couple hours can do that. Although the storyline is a good one, It felt a bit rushed to me, I felt like I missed some parts, and had to backtrack and read over to get what was happening.

Suspects abound and the body count rises in the aftermath of the "I do's" and not-reception. Tory Benning designed the landscaping of the Hotel Santa Sofia, including the very eerie secret maze. She knows her way in the maze more than the average person. While that helps her in her search for her husband of only minutes, it also adds to the suspicion cast her way. Something is definitely not as it seems and at each turn information contradicts what she thinks and knows.

First off, I would love to see the grounds Tory so meticulously brought to life. The grounds sound beautiful. I tend to agree with her friend, though, about the maze's creepiness in the darkness. This story is well developed with many twists that eventually come together in a believable, yet surprising, way.

Tory is a likable character. Unfortunately, Milo, now dead, also was a highly likable character. However, there are many other supporting characters, including an investigator looking into the case for her and her best friend. On the other hand, there's the cop who Tory rebuked in high school who has her in his sights for the murderer, with hopes of the arrest getting him promoted.

The story moves along well, with enough tension and action to maintain attention. This is the first in the series. I'll be looking for the next installment.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.

I almost never give negative reviews, but I was so upset by this book, that I feel I have to prepare you for the content. Then you can make your own decision.

I cannot give this book a good review or recommend it. The further I read, the more unbelievably unrealistic this got. The premise would be fine if it were not the bride looking for the missing groom who has presumably met with foul play based on the evidence..

I read a different book where the groom is murdered on the wedding day., but it certainly wasn't the bride investigating! She was a wreck! I loved that book because someone else was the sleuth. As a widow, I know that even if I'd been married even for only a few hours (and I found a smashed phone, bloody rock, boutonniere leading me to suspect foul play), I (would) have been a wreck! I'd have called 911...not taken the phone (even if I were going to give it to the police) or disturbed evidence.

The day after the wedding, the bride is at Starbucks with her best friend (they stop on the way to the police station) and they're discussing the friend's lip gloss brand. Within a matter of days, the bride is at a party with "gorgeous" men. Like she literally bumps into a guy and thinks wow, he's gorgeous.

The book just gave me an uncomfortable feeling because the bride's actions do not reflect reality. So, if you can suspend your disbelief, you may be able to enjoy the mystery, but I couldn't.

"Murder in the Secret Maze" starts out most unusually - in the middle of a wedding day, where we meet the bride but not the groom. Then, right after the ceremony, the groom disappears. It felt like a part of the book was missing as we are dropped into these dramatic events. It was hard to care about the missing Milo since we never get to know him. It didn't help that his bride, Tory, bounced back very quickly and was even flirting after about a month. She just never seemed upset about his disappearance or her father's recent death. I warmed up to Tory after a bit though,and appreciated her perseverance in determining what happened to her missing husband. Is he dead? Did he abandon her? Tory, aided by her best friend Ashley and a friendly cop Adrian, and a mysterious PI, Jake, sets about finding the truth. The murder is not solved in a matter of days; approximately a month passes. This seemed realistic to me but didn't slow down the story. Gonda kept the story moving at a good clip.

Despite the story's pacing, it was slow to draw me in, given the odd and abrupt beginning but slowly I was lured in. There were twists, turns, and red herrings aplenty that kept me guessing, along with enough connections and interconnections to fill a soap opera. Along the way, there's a lot of family drama. I felt for Tory by the end, with all that she goes through during the story. She needs some fleshing out but she, and her friend Ashley, have potential as amateur sleuths. "Murder in the Secret Maze" was ultimately entertaining and a good start to a new series.

MURDER IN THE SECRET MAZE by Judith Gonda
The First Tory Benning Mystery

A picture perfect wedding ceremony leads to a nightmare of a reception when the groom vanishes. Landscape architect Tory Benning is worried about what could have possibly happened to her husband. Surely he hasn't jilted her mere minutes after their wedding. Searching the maze she designed with her best friend, she finds Milo's cell phone, smashed to pieces. Could Milo have been kidnapped? Or worse? When a police officer with a grudge tries to implicate Tory, she determines to find answers herself. Is Milo OK, or is the new bride a widow?

The first Tory Benning Mystery gets off to a great start. There's humor with an over the top hair stylist preparing Tory for her wedding, banter with the best friend serving as maid of honor, and a beautiful wedding which leads to a non-reception as the groom disappears. From this point on, however, things get weird. With the love of her life missing, mere days later Tory and Ashley are gaping over good looking men. Shortly after that Tory is getting all gooey over the private investigator. Sure a comment on good looking men wouldn't be amiss, but this had the makings of the start of a romance! While she believes her husband of mere minutes is dead, and it certainly seems that is the case, she doesn't know it. Then all manner of family secrets come out. Maybe one or two would be believable, but the amount here is staggering. Even Tory comments that it's like a soap opera.

The writing style was good and the penultimate confrontation was exciting, but I found it difficult to get past the behavior of the protagonist, who I found I didn't really like. In fact, I didn't like the majority of the characters or their relationships with each other.

MURDER IN THE SECRET MAZE, while well written with an interesting plot, was laden down with too many unbelievable twists.

It is always so exciting to start at the beginning of a new cozy mystery series and Murder in the Secret Maze is the first in a number of books set on the California coast and featuring landscape architect Tory Benning.

Kicking things off, after a whirlwind romance, Tory has just married the love of her life Milo Spinelli, a fellow architect at the prestigious Hotel Santa Sofia. Shortly after, Tory receives a text informing her that Milo has taken Iris, their Pomeranian dog, back to their home. But there is a problem - Katie Omstead, a neighbour, still has Iris with her. Along with her best friend and maid of honour Ashley Payne, Tory goes in search of her husband. As she designed the plush resort, she knows every part, in minute detail of the grounds and its adjoining secret maze, thus she wastes no time embarking on the trail of her beloved. But all she finds are indications that a fight has occurred, and there is no sign of Milo...

As is usual in a new series, this first book sets up the characters as well as providing some background on Benning Brothers, the company that Tory works for. Judith Gonda’s descriptions of the luxurious Hotel Santa Sofia were impressive and the pacing was spot on. There was always plenty going on and there was certainly never a dull moment!

Judith Gonda clearly knows how to write a story that is compelling, entertaining and fun, with characters that were not necessarily easy to love but fitted with the story really well. I really enjoyed Tory's personality traits - particularly her spirit and astuteness. Then there was the supportive and caring Ashley and the amiable Sergeant Adrian Ramirez, who didn't seem to mind Tory and Ashley muscling in on his case. All of the characters had a great part to play, whether or not they were likeable and all had plenty of drive and resolve. The plot was brilliantly executed and I was desperate to find out what was going to happen next.

The combination of description and dialogue was great and I had plenty of opportunities to play armchair detective as the suspect list was a long one. I was definitely surprised with the final denouement. All things considered, I loved this fascinating mystery and I highly recommend this humorous, easy to read cozy. I am already looking forward to reading the next book in the series. A well-deserved five stars!

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Great Escapes Book Tours at my request and this review is my unbiased opinion.

Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley and Beyond the Page Publishing.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

In this new series we meet Tory Benning a California landscape architect who recently married in a glamorous wedding. All she wanted was to enjoy her honeymoon with her new husband and relax. But things do not go her way when her husband disappears.

Police does not think it serious, a case of cold feet but she gets suspicious. She knows the place well as she designed it herself as she suspects foul play and the secret make nearby that she designed.

Will she become the next victim as secrets unwind about her husband and her family? A promising start to a new series.

Murder in the Secret Maze by Judith Gonda has Tory Benning marrying Milo Spinelli at the Hotel Santa Sofia. After the ceremony, Tory heads off to change into her dancing dress and shoes. She returns to enter the reception with Milo, but no one can find the groom. It is soon apparent that something has gone awry. Tory with her best friend, Ashley begin searching for Milo. Some believe that Milo changed his mind and took off. Tory believes her hubby is the victim of foul play after finding disturbing clues in the secret maze she designed for the hotel. After a month, the police have made no progress, so Tory decides to take matters into her hands. At a fundraiser at the hotel, Tory speaks with a fortune teller who suggests she might find answers in the secret maze. When Tory goes to search, she finds the fortune teller on the ground with a knife to her chest. Tory knows she needs to work quickly, or she could be the next victim. Murder in the Secret Maze is the debut of A Tory Benning Mystery series. Tory Benning is a landscape designer working at her families’ firm. She lost her father two weeks prior to a strange accident, but Milo felt her father would want them to go through with the nuptials. The book opens with Milo missing and Tory posting a notice about the incident on Instagram. I wish we could have met Milo before he was murdered. I would have liked to see Tory and Milo together (to understand their relationship and how they felt about each other). I was also baffled as to why Tory did not grieve for her father or her groom. The emotion was not there. However, I could tell how much she loved her Pomeranian, Iris. Murder in the Secret Maze has a multifaceted mystery. There is family drama, secrets, good clues and unexpected revelations. There are numerous suspects, speculation and misdirection. I did, though, find it a cinch to identify the guilty party and I was left with unanswered questions at the end of the book. I was confused about the police investigation. Sergeant Adrian Ramirez is who Tory dealt with regarding Milo’s disappearance. But then we have Sergeant Ernie Gomez conducting his own investigation. He hounds Tory because he believes she is the guilty party. I did not like Ernie and wish he had been eliminated from the story. We also have Jake Logan, a private investigator working for the insurance company. There are sparks between Tory and Jake which I found odd since her husband was just murdered (too soon to flirt or think about a new relationship). Murder in the Secret Maze contained good writing with varied pacing. I liked that Tory and her best friend Ashley are spunky women. They are careful investigators which I appreciated. I also liked Tory’s unique profession and the information about water conservation landscaping. This is a good beginning for Judith Gonda. Murder in the Secret Maze is a multidimensional cozy mystery with wedding woes, a mysterious maze, curious clues, a perky Pomeranian, lush landscapes and a perplexing puzzle.

Three unrelated murders, or are they? Tory Benning’s father died in an accident two weeks before her wedding. Her husband disappeared an hour after taking his vows. The fortuneteller at a fundraiser sponsored by Benning Brothers, Tory’s family business, is murdered. The link between the deaths seems to be Tory herself.

The mystery surrounding the deaths is well thought out with just enough red herrings to be interesting. My only quibble is Tory’s apparent lack of grief over the death of the father that had raised her and her quick recovery from her pain from her new husband’s disappearance. Secrets abound and a surprise ending make this book a good read, even with my “quibble.”

Thank you to NetGalley, Beyond the Page Publishing and the author for the chance to read and provide my unbiased review of this book.

Murder in the Secret Maze truly delivers a maze of clues that makes it a challenge to figure out "who done it". The characters are well-developed and interesting, as are the descriptions of the world around them. Much is learned about the landscaping profession, which is rarely done in a cozy-like mystery.

Overall, I thought the story was entertaining. I'll be watching for more adventures with Tori Benning!

Tory has just gotten married to the love of her life. It should be the happiest day of her life, but her new husband Milo has disappeared. They didn't even get to start their life together. Tory is afraid that she might be the chief suspect. She is afraid so might be arrested at any time. Along her best friend, she decides to find out what happened. This is a fun who-dunnit. The girls find clues but work closes with Adrian, Ashley's crush. I like that they are smart and don't feel they know more than the police. There are plenty of suspects. This is easy to read, but it kept me turning the pages. Very enjoyable.

How awful would you feel to find your husband missing a couple of hours after the wedding.
I would be devastated.
They must gather her courage and move on and try not to get into trouble by trying to help solve the case.
Quick fun cozy mystery

This is the first in a new cozy series and it's off to a very good start. Tory is a landscape architect and this is her wedding day. The day already has a cloud over it as her father isn't there to walk her down the aisle, having died not long ago in an accident. Milo, her husband to be, sounds like a great guy and there seems to be a lovely wedding and happy married life for Tory and Milo. The wedding does, indeed, go off without a hitch and everybody is preparing to start the party to celebrate the new couple. Time passes and the question on everyone's mind is where is the groom? If he didn't want to be married, well, he would have left her standing at the alter. Last time she spoke to him, all was well.
The police are called to the venue, the search begins and some suspicion lands on Tory.
For a cozy this first in series had everything that I expect - believable characters, interesting setting, a crime at the beginning and enough twists, turns and red herrings to keep me engaged. Plus, I learned about the landscaping business. I will be looking forward to the next in the series.
My thanks to the publisher, Beyond the Page and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Murder in the Secret Maze by Judith Gonda is the 1st book in A Tory Benning Mystery series This is a excellent cozy mystery debut. I loved the main charcter Tory and the mystery was excellent. This is a book I was unable to put down and read it to the end in one sitting. I highly recommend this book for your reading enjoyment for all who love cozy mysteries.
Tory is a landscape architect, who recently lost her father in a accident. Tory and Milo are newly married when Milo disappears after the vows. Tory has a interesting career new to cozy mysteries that I enjoyed learning about. The sleuth was well crafted and sure kept me guessing to completion. Very well done to the author ! I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity.

I  received a free digital copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

This is my first time reading this author. It was a decent start to the series. I wish we would have gotten to know the victim a little more before he was murdered. It fell a little flat that we had no information on him before we find his body. I'm interested in seeing where this series goes.

Murder in the Secret Maze by Judith Gonda is the 1st book in A Tory Benning Mystery series, and it's off to a good start. Tory Benning, a landscape architect, who recently lost her father in a bizarre accident. Tory and Milo get married, than Milo disappears right after the vows. This book kept me reading, I could not put it down and ended up reading it in one day. The only issue that bothered me is Tory didn't seem to grieve for her father or missing husband like I would expect. I still enjoyed Tory's character and the mystery itself. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. I highly recommend this book, for cozy mystery lovers.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A first in a new series! A wedding, a missing groom, and murder is the winning combination for this story. Full of engaging characters, a well executed plot, and mystery that will keep you guessing.

It was a fun read even if some parts were a bit unbelievable.
It's a good start for a new series and I appreciated the cast of characters and the solid mystery.
I look forward to reading the next instalment.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.