Closely Harbored Secrets is the fifth book in the Seaside Cafe Mystery series. I love food related cozy mysteries and this one not only has yummy sounding food but also great sounding tea blends. And you can't tell from this cover but it is actually a mystery based around Halloween. Everly and her aunts are taking part in a historic haunted walking tour when one of the actors is found deceased. And found next to the deceased is Everly's name written in the sand.

This is the first book I have read in this series and I will definitely go back to read this series from the beginning. The mystery was fun with different potential suspects that truly left me wondering who did it until just before the big reveal. I also didn't realize that there were some supernatural aspects to this series and I loved the way those elements were weaved throughout the story. My one negative of this story was that I didn't really enjoy the love triangle aspect. Although, I may have appreciated it more if I had read this series from the beginning.

If you are a cozy mystery lover than this is a series that I think you will enjoy. Baker did a great job telling a compelling mystery that kept me fully engaged. I also loved the tea and food elements and I'm looking forward to reading the first book in the series and seeing how Everly starts her tea shop.

This is one of my favorite series and this book did not disappoint. I also love Halloween cozies. Everly's aunts are hosting a haunted walking tour in Charm. When one actors is found dead and implicates Everly in the murder she sets out to solve it. I love the town of Charm, the tea shop cafe, the wonderful characters and Halloween setting. The mystery was good with lots of suspects. I look for word to reading the next book. Enjoy

Had been looking forward to reading this book. Sadly it wasn’t for me. It just lacked a good plot to get you excited and wanting more. It was very slow paced and never picked up

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. this is a interesting mystery with great characters. I can't wait to read more

Charm, North Carolina is getting ready for Halloween. Everly Swan joins her aunts Clara and Fran on the annual haunted historic walking tour. But when Everly finds performer Dixie Wetherall dead, she is worried to learn Dixie had scratched Everly's name into the ground before she died. Detective Grady wants Everly to butt out but when she starts getting threatening messages about a map and sees a phantom sailor, Everly is determined to figure out what is going on. Legends of the Sandman and the Sad Man and the hunt for lost treasure hidden in Everly's house are important clues and motives. Meanwhile, Charm's mayoral race is heating up and turning nasty with aunt Fran pitted against two candidates: snooty Mary-Grace and Grady's senator mother-in-law.

Everly makes a momentous discovery behind the bookcase in her home and comes close to losing her life again when the killer makes a final attempt to get the hidden treasure while she is at home alone on Halloween.

This was another entertaining read in the Seaside Cafe mystery series.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press/SOURCEBOOKS with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily r

This is the fifth book in Bree Baker's Seaside Café Mystery series. It's almost Halloween on the picturesque island of Charm, North Carolina, and tea shop owner Everly Swan is helping her aunts host their annual haunted historic walking tour. But what should have been a fun evening filled with some good-natured spooks quickly turns into a nightmare when an actor is murdered during the tour. To make matters worse, the victim scratched Everly's name into the ground before she died, making her a suspect. Everly is determined to get to the bottom of things, especially when someone, possibly the killer, starts following her and leaving threatening messages.

I thought this was a great addition to the Seaside Café Mystery series. This is wonderful series, with interesting characters, puzzling mysteries, and strong themes of family, friendship, and community. As always, I enjoyed catching up with the characters and spending time on the lovely little island of Charm. It was fun learning more about the town's rich history and Everly's ancestors. As for the mystery, I thought it was fast-paced and it kept me on my toes. I loved the role the supernatural played in the story.
Overall, I'm happy with the way things are going for Everly and the people in her life and can't wait to see what more is in store for these characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another excellent addition to this beloved series!
I had a lot of fun and was happy to catch up with the characters.
Good characters and plot development, lovely setting, a solid mystery that kept me guessing.
It's highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

It's hard to believe this is book 5 in the Seaside Cafe series. I like to visit with Everly in Charm, North Carolina and imagine the tourist coming into her shop for tea. it's Halloween and Everly is being stalked by a sailor that she thinks killed one of the actors on the town's ghost walk. The election for mayor is in it's final days and her aunt is looking at a vote too close to call. A good murder cozy and a good addition to the series. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I really liked Everly Swan, her aunts and the charming location of Charm, North Carolina. Everly contributes community events, owning a cafe that is very serious about its' iced tea, she often provides refreshments. This takes place at Halloween and the haunted historic walk seems just eerily enough, until one resident is found dead, which leads to a twisty, pirate-y, fun solution. I liked the bit of magic in the book and wonder if Lou, the friendly seagull, really could be a founding resident of the town.

In the latest Seaside Café cozy mystery from Bree Baker, "Closely Harbored Secrets," Halloween is drawing nigh, and tea shop café owner Everly Swan is attending a ghostly walking tour when one of its actors is found dead. In an especially spooky twist, the victim has scratched Everly's name in the ground. Was the woman fingering Everly as the culprit, or was she merely trying to tell her something?

Naturally, investigating this murder wasn't on Everly's to-do list for the week, as she would much prefer to raise funds for Charm, North Carolina's famous wild horses while baking her sweet treats and serving one of her delicious specialty iced teas. Everly’s limited-edition blend this season is called “Widow's Brew,” a crimson-hued blend of blood orange tea with hibiscus and rose hips.

Meanwhile, Aunt Fran's campaign for mayor is in full swing, and with voting just around the corner, Everly, Aunt Clara, and her aunt’s other supporters are busy trying to see that their candidate wins, but Fran's fellow candidates aren’t going down without a fight. And as if all that weren’t enough, Everly gets an emotional sucker punch when love interest (and homicide detective) Grady Hays tells her they should call things off—before their romance has really even gotten off the ground. Hurt but wasting no time, Everly accepts a date with a local paramedic who's had designs on her, and while she has a good time with the kind suitor, she instantly regrets the move. Interestingly, so does Grady.

On the home front, a tricky bookshelf repair is keeping her up at night, but her DIY efforts pale in comparison to the clean-up efforts she must undertake when someone breaks into her Victorian home and wrecks the place. The plot builds to a slow boil on Halloween night, and Everly faces her gravest danger yet when she discovers the identity of the killer.

This is just the kind of clean, cozy read that I love.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Everly manages to get herself into life threatening positions every time she gets involved in a murder. And as she says she is a murder magnet. This time she finds the body of a woman who hated her family for something that happened a century and a half ago. Even though there were plenty of witnesses to her whereabouts when the woman was being murdered, she has her finger prints all over an item that might have been the murder weapon.

It is pretty clear early on that Everly is innocent but she is drawn into the mystery. Someone, likely the killer, thinks she has something for which he or she is willing to murder. She is stalked by someone who keeps leaving scary warnings. She has no idea what this item is but figures the only way to save herself is to find out more. At the same time, she is helping her best friend launch a new book, helping her aunt run for major, and she tries to figure out her complicated love life and run the tea shop.

While she is dismissive of paranormal powers, others think she and her aunts might be witches. Just because their female ancestors came from Salem and they are very good at unusual things and Everly has two pets with whom she chats, a white cat and a seagull named Lou there is no proof.. But by the time the book ends she has good reason to believe there may be forces at work that she doesn’t understand. It is all cleverly mixed together in an exciting yet whimsical story.

What I like a lot about this series is while Everly gets herself into tight situations, she is not one to blunder blithely into danger. It finds her. She doesn’t go looking. Five purrs and two paws up.

i really enjoyed getting to read this book! it was so precious and cute and fun! i'm so glad netgalley chose me to read this before everyone else. thanks so much netgalley!!

Fun seasonal Halloween cozy mystery taking place in Charm, North Carolina.
This is the fifth book in the Seaside Cafe Mystery series. Though I haven't read the others and I do need to I don't feel like I'm not able to keep up with the story presented.
Everly Swan is closing her iced tea shop early to help her aunts with their annual haunted historic walking tour. Now Charm really gets into the Halloween spirit. Everly expects some spooky shenanigans but then a costumed actor turns up dead and she's the prime suspect because the victim scratches Everly's name into the ground before her death.
Then characters were well thought out and believable, the plot had me guessing right til the end.

Published December 29th 2020 by Poisoned Pen Press
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Closely Harbored Secrets by Bree Baker

This’d was a great read. The characters were so friendly and loved their small town. The book told how people can get carried away with the history and ancestors of their family. The plot was well-written. I recommend this book.

Thanks Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy for review.

Well... I love tea, small towns, budding romances, mystery, and murder, so this series has everything!! I love all of Everly's relationships, romantically, family, community, and even the one with a seagull lol.

The setting and characters, paired with the writing style, make you feel like you are visiting old friends when you read the next installment.

It's Halloween, and of course, a murder afoot. This installment involves going back into the town's history. Could the clues really be leading to an old treasure? Is there any truth to the legends and folklore? And, is any of this worth killing for? Hopefully Everly can figure out the mystery before she becomes part of the legend.

I highly recommend this series. It has a strong female protagonist with a very close family and a strong sense of community. This series is so much more than just a Cozy Mystery.

An entertaining and well written cozy mystery. Good plot, nice setting and believable characters. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

Fun read, very quick. Part of a series, but can be read as a stand alone if you keep in mind you won’t know and love the characters as much, know their histories and don’t mind references to pst books/mysteries.

Everly runs a tea shop and is helping to host a Halloween event in Charm. When she discovers a dead body the adventure takes off. Full of relatable characters, twists, turns and ghosts this was a great read. The recipes at the back are worth a try too!

Thank you NetGalley, Bree Baker and Marsal Literary Agency Publication for this edition and hearing my honest review. Looking forward to reading more with you
#partner

This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series. Everly is stalked by someone obsessed with a pirate map and an urban legend of the small town of Charm. I loved the pirate aspect to the story and look forward to the next book.

Another excellent edition to a wonderful series! Full of twists and turns that leaves you wanting more and enjoying each moment until the end when the killer is caught!

The characters in this series have become old friends by now, and I thoroughly enjoyed this
installment.