The first in the Piper and Porter Mystery, Dead-End Detective is a good start to this promising series. I enjoyed the story and the characters and will definitely look to recommend and read more.

Good start to a new series. The Premise: two friends own a detective agency - one dies under suspicious circumstances and the other is a main suspect (though she maintains her innocence). Lots of fun and likeable characters. If Darby didn't commit murder, who did? Definitely kept me guessing.
I little different from Ms. Flower's usual cozy mysteries, but still quite enjoyable.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor

3 stars. Dead-End Detective is the first book in the Piper and Porter Mystery series by Amanda Flowers. The book is set in a small, idyllic upstate New York town. The main character, Darby Piper, is a private investigator with her friend. Early on in the book, however, her partner at Two Girls Detective Agency, is murdered. Darby pairs up with her murdered partner's nephew to try to solve the case. I hoped to enjoy this book more than I did - I love Hallmark movies and this seemed like a great option to watching a Hallmark Mystery movie. Unfortunately, it kind of fell flat at points. The story itself is good and I enjoyed the interest and potential flirting between Piper and the nephew. I kind of wish there'd been more of that. It was a fun read overall, so, 3 stars from me.

The start of a good cozy mystery series! Set in the fall season in Seneca Lake. Two friends own a Detective agency: one of them turns up dead while the other is the main suspect. We are introduced to a handful of fun characters but which one is the killer? The character development is well done and strong so some will play re-occurring roles in the future. The story is entertaining and can be read quickly. I look forward to reading more from this series.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author Amanda Flowers and Hallmark Publishing for giving me an arc of this book.

What I Loved:

The Setting. Reading Dead-End Detective felt exactly as it felt to be on Seneca Lake – strong lake wind, beautiful foliage, sharp curving roads, and charming Victorian homes. I love that this is set in the autumn right before the freeze, and (morbidly speaking) that the murder occurred on one of those crazy turns on a wet night. Darby’s runs really highlight the town, and her observations about the town bring so much color to the book.

Tate and Darby. I don’t normally like any hint of a love triangle, and I generally kind of hate the broody ex-Army type of love interest (been there, done that), but Tate and Darcy just work. Darcy is a short feisty private eye who will stop at nothing to get to the truth, Tate is the funny drifter who everyone likes and has a dark past, and they go together like bread and butter. Tate brings a sense of humor to the book that Darby sometimes lacks, and Darby brings a passion for the job that Tate needs for direction. I would love to see them blossom into an actual romance.

Mrs. Berger and Romi the cat. Mrs. Berger is the neighbor I have always wanted and never had: Protector of wild lands, fighter of bureaucracy, wonderful cat mom, and kick ass wielder of the deadly cane. Her and Darcy’s interactions are some of my favorites, mostly because I love that Darcy has an actual procedure for getting the cat out of the tree with minimal injury to herself. Mrs. Berger and Romi really “sold” the small town feel of Dead-End Detective, and they were almost more realistic than the main characters.

What Didn’t Work *As* Well

The Murder Mystery. Okay so here is a caveat – I think the mystery was “built” really well. There were breadcrumbs, and I could follow the linear progression of the mystery to eventually finding the killer. However, I did feel like there were a whole bunch of loose ends that were kind of left floating because the “Aha!” moment didn’t require them to be tied up. While this is a minor gripe, it did leave me feeling slightly less satisfied. I also felt like the police, while not shown as incompetent, weren’t shown much at all except in the context of Darby’s ex-boyfriend trying to keep her out of jail. I would have liked a little more face time to juxtapose their procedure with Darby’s, especially since she is literally a PI.

First Person Narrative. This is a pretty normal gripe for me, especially with cozies, but the trend still hasn’t died. I am guessing the first person narrative is popular because it is “easy,” but it is just a cheap way to tell instead of show without it seeming as obvious. However, no one talks or internally monologues about themselves as much as a cozy heroine does, and Darcy is no exception. While I like that Darcy is short, feisty, and passionate about her job, I would have rather seen that in her actions instead of by reading her intensely self aware thoughts. Can we all come together and stop the spread of first person narratives?
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A different type of mystery by Amanda Flower but still has some of that cozy feel. A fabulous start to a new series. I really enjoyed getting to know Piper and the gang! So many twists and turns!! Classic Amanda Flower structure but with an edge! Looking forward to more books in this series!

Darby and Samantha are partners at the Two Girl Detective Agency when Samantha is killed in a car crash that does not look like an accident and Darby is considered a possible suspect. This was a very good, fast paced mystery and the audiobook narration kept my attention throughout.

I have been a fan of Amanda Flower’s books for quite awhile now, and I was delighted to see this first book in a new series. This author knows how to right an interesting cozy mystery, and this may be one of her best books yet.

I immediately liked Darby, the main character in this story. She’s bright, spunky, and I enjoyed viewing this story from her point of view. She is also a dedicated private detective who suddenly finds herself a suspect in murder of her mentor and business partner, Samantha. Things get even more complicated when Samantha’s nephew, Tate, shows up and decides to investigative his aunt’s murder, too. It was difficult on this one to figure out the murderer’s identity, and this mystery held my interest all the way to the end, if you like light, entertaining mysteries, you’ll enjoy this one, too.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Well done to the author ! I loved this debut of the new series by award winning cozy author Amanda Flower . This is a exciting new series with great charcters and fun sleuthing to please every cozy reader. Thank you to the author, to Net Galley and to the publisher for the opportunity My review opinion is my own.

We are introduced to Darby who has owned a investigative agency "Two Girls Detective Agency" with her friend Samantha for 10 years. Samantha and Darby are at a crossroads as Samantha wants to sell the agency. Darby does not. Samantha has been lying to Darby and already has a new business partner . Darby is a very kind person and even devoted to her elderly neighbor who she helps with her cat. She is a devoted friend even with Samantha is unfair to her. Right away I liked Darby for the kind of person she is.

Darby is suspect number one to the police when Darby is killed in Samantha's car. In fear for her life Darby turns to Samantha's new partner to help save herself and her business. The mystery kept me intrigued and turning pages. to conclusion. I was pleasingly surprised at the ending. The charcters are well matched to the story and Darby is a smart and savvy investigator I look forward to reading about in the next books. I loved this debut mystery series.

Amanda Flower is one of my favourite Cozy Mystery Authors. I was quite excited to see that she was writing a new series, and was ready to read or listen to this one. Darby Piper and Samantha Porter are the owners of Two Girls Detective Agency. Darby is upset that Samantha has decided to sell the company as being the 60% partner, she has the right to do so. She is still stewing when she gets the call that Samantha has been killed in a car accident. It is quickly determined that it wasn't an accident but she was run off the road, and all evidence points to it being done by Darby's car. When Darby checks her garage, her car is missing. She last drove it three weeks earlier, but will the police believe her. She needs to find out who wanted Samantha dead and why. As she is grieving, she visits Samantha's lawyer only to find out that her estate, including her share of the agency has been left to her nephew Tate Porter.

Dead-End Detective is an easy and enjoyable read. The story was well-written with an interesting mystery. There were just enough red herrings and suspects to keep you guessing. I enjoyed the small-town setting and characters, with Darby and Tate developing a friendship and partnership that has some chemistry. This was a great first book in a new series and I will definitely be watching for the next Piper and Porter Mystery.

This book was a great start to a new series. I liked the small town setting and the characters. There were many clues and suspects to choose from. I hope to see a relationship develop between Darby and Tate.
Many thanks to Hallmark Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Darby Piper and her business partner and friend, Samantha Porter, are at odds over the future of their investigation business, Two Girls Detective, when Samantha is killed. Worse yet, the detectives suspect murder and Darby is the prime suspect. Darby will have to team up with Tate Porter, Samantha’s owner and her new business partner, if she hopes to have any chance of finding the real killer, saving her business, and staying out of jail. Can Darby save her own self as well as she rescues Mrs. Berger’s cat, Romy, from the tree he’s always getting stuck in?

I fell in love with DEAD-END DETECTIVE from the very first scene! Who can’t help but love a book that starts off with a private investigator rescuing an ornery cat from a tree? The story quickly develops in complexity, however, as we begin to see the relationships grow and change. I’m still mad at Samantha for all the things she did without Darby’s knowledge as it feels like that friendship was taken advantage of in so many ways. However, I love Darby’s approach to things and how she is willing to overlook and still love and cherish the memory of a friendship even after the revelations are exposed.

Oh, what a fun start to a new series! Amanda Flower is one of my favorite cozy mystery authors and DEAD-END DETECTIVE is yet another fun and engaging hit from her. The characters are superb, the mystery is intriguing, and there’s even a budding romance in the making. More importantly, there’s an ornery cat who quickly jumps in and grabs our hearts and makes the small town of Herrington come alive with personality. I look forward to each and every book I read by Amanda Flower! If you haven’t read anything by Amanda Flower, DEAD-END DETECTIVE is the perfect place to start!

*Review is in the editing queue at Fresh Fiction*

*Book also featured in an article this month- see link in links section*

I really enjoyed this new series. Darby is trying to decide what to do next as her detective business is on hold due to her partner dying. She soon finds a new partner in the form of her former partner's nephew. She wants to continue working and living in her home, but has to find out exactly what happened before she can continue to what is next.
I look forward to the next one.

This new series is sure to be headed down a one way road, the road to success. Darby Piper is the first wage earning professional PI that I have encountered yet. Be sure to buckle up because this is going to be a wild ride as Darby has to not only solve the crime of who killed her partner/mentor but to also discover who is trying to frame her for that very crime. It seems that partner Samantha had left her portion of the agency to her globe trotting nephew, who happens to be very close to Darby's age. Tate, the nephew, was in town the night before Samantha is found dead in a ditch, could he have something to do with it. Of course Tate could be wondering the same thing about Piper (as he likes to call her). There is more to this story than meets the eye as Darby learns that Samantha wasn't just driven to do her job well but to use those skills to determine who had killed her father all those years ago, There are twists and turns plus a few red herring detours before you get to the conclusion. Did I mention that there was a recipe? OH YES, a yummy trifle that pairs wonderfully with this story not to mention lasagna like in the story.

Dead-End Detective by Amanda Flower
Book #1: Piper and Porter Mystery Series
Source: NetGalley and Hallmark Publishing
Rating: 3/5 stars

Darby Porter has her life in order. She lives where she works, she enjoys her work as a private detective, and she has even resigned herself to the fact, she is her elderly neighbor’s go-to girl for retrieving her scaredy cat from the tallest tree in the yard. OK, maybe that last bit isn’t exactly what Darby saw for her life, but she’s happy with her life and the people (and felines) in it.

For ten years, Darby and her best friend have run their own small detective agency. Though they aren’t cracking the huge cases or tracking down killers, they do alright with their workload and clientele. Though the women don’t often go looking for trouble, sometimes, it finds them. Unfortunately, the biggest trouble that has ever come knocking comes calling in the form of the death of Darby’s partner. Reeling from the loss of her partner and best-friend, Darby can’t imagine anything worse coming her way. Worse does come in the form of her innocence being questioned, the loss of her inheritance, and the reappearance of her partner’s nephew. Coincidentally, the nephew is now Darby’s new boss.

In the days following Samantha’s death, Darby finds herself looking ever more guilty, at least in the eyes of the police. Every new clue that surfaces seemingly points straight to Darby and she’s running out of time to solve the crime. Frustrating her efforts at every turn is the nephew, Tate Porter, a man who has spent the better part of his adult life wandering the world and shouldering little in the way of responsibility. Tate insists on being involved in the investigation into his aunt’s death and pestering Darby in the process. While investigating Samantha’s death, Darby . . . and Tate, also tie up some other mysterious loose ends around town. To Darby’s great displeasure, Tate seems to have a knack for investigating and some of his ideas aren’t half bad.

The Bottom Line: I generally liked this book, but feel it needs another book or two to really find its feet as a series. There’s a great deal going on in this book and I’m not sure it all got dealt with satisfactorily in the end. With that said, Amanda Flower writes another series I simply adore (Magical Bookshop series), and I know there is a great deal of untapped potential in this current series. Darby and Tate are both interesting characters, the small town is just right for a load of quirkiness, and the townspeople, especially the little elderly lady, are ripe for entertainment. I’m interested to see how this series develops and sincerely hope it lives up to its potential.

“Dead-End Detective“ by Amanda Flower the first instalment in “A Piper and Porter Mystery” series. What a great start to a new cozy mystery series! I really enjoyed this book and I can’t wait for the next instalment! I adore Amanda Flower and her other cozy series so I was pretty sure I would like this but I think it is my new favourite.

I loved Mrs. Berger and her cat Romi, who constantly got stuck in the tree. I also enjoyed the tension between Darby, her ex Austin and Tate Porter. I can see the love triangle forming, part of me wonders if Tate liked Darby back in school and that’s the friction between him and Austin.

The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and I loved the characters which are well developed.
I kept guessing and second-guessing myself on whodunnit right to the very end.

I recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends.

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Hallmark Publishing and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I thought this is an delightful and wonderful read. I enjoyed the characters. Its wonderful written. It has a really good storyline. Its a page turn and will keep you on edge of your sit. I look forward to reading more stories by this author.
I was provided a copy of this book by NetGalley and Hallmark Publishing. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A cozy mystery filled with familial love. I agree with another reviewer that in most cozies the murdered character was often disliked but in Dead-End Detective, the murdered Samantha was well-loved by many and her murder is felt deeply. I didn't cry but my heart ached for those left behind.

Darby Piper is going to be a fun sleuth to follow and Nate will keep her on her toes. In a way, it reminded me of series I fell in love with over the summer, The Liz Talbot series by Susan M. Boyer. Both are private investigators with a loving but nosy family. I love the fact that one is set in upper New York and the other in South Carolina.

I was shocked when the killer was revealed. I missed the clues pointing to the killer. The red herrings were perfectly placed throughout. Let me know if you were quicker to the draw in finding out the killer.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Hallmark, through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Darby is happy with The Two Girls Detective Agency. She is baffled why her partner and mentor Samantha is even considering shutting up shop and going to work for a posh resort as head of security. Darby is not afforded the luxury of asking her as Samantha is driven off the road and killed soon after the two had a heated argument. Guilt is not the only thing plaguing Darby. The car used in the murder is hers and she has a ton of motive. As she delves deeper and deeper into the mystery in the hope of offsetting her arrest, she discovers a myriad of secrets Samantha has been keeping. Not the least of which is the fact that despite a promise, she did not leave her share of the business to Darby but to her errant nephew.

After a few false starts, Darby learns that Tate is a good guy to have in her corner especially when her former beau is being pressured to arrest her. The only thing holding him back is the residue of feelings he has towards her. She is going to need both guys to be in her corner along with her family and friends. There are a lot of complex issues Darby discovers but the one at the crux of Samantha’s murder comes as a complete surprise to her. I confess I twigged much earlier than she did but there were still quite a few twists. I didn’t know for certain until close to the end.

My only concern is the characterization of the Maine Coon whom she rescues repeatedly from a tree. Being a Maine Coon, I would never bite or scratch someone trying to help me. Gumshoe, Darcy’s cat who is a Ragdoll, gets much better press. I sincerely hope the author will rectify this “misunderstanding” in the nature of us gentle giants. I look forward to the correction in future stories.

I will forgive this small mistake and award five purrs and two paws up.

Darby Piper and Samantha Porter are the owners of Two Girls Detective Agency, until Samantha is killed. Darby is the main suspect. If that isn't enough, Darby finds out that Samantha's nephew inherited her share of the agency.
Will Darby solve Samantha's murder? Will the agency have a future with the new partner?
This was a great read and I look forward to more from this author