What a fun read! You can't help but love the main character, Odessa, a spunky waitress from Piney Island Louisiana who is cat-sitting in Brooklyn for a summer. She gets a job at a bookshop/cafe and after barely a week in the big city, is solving a murder! The secondary characters were wonderful, Odessa is sweet without being syrupy, and there was plenty of plot. Ms. Blacke has a clear and humorous voice and a gift for snappy dialogue. I hope we get to see more of Odessa and her friends very soon!

I loved Odessa!!! What a great character. I wanted to be her friend, and hang out with her around Brooklyn. The author really made Brooklyn come to life - the smells, sounds, sights. I could see the bookstore and cafe where she works perfectly. What a sweet, fun mystery that kept me guessing up until the end. I can't wait for more Odessa and am so glad that she will be staying in Brooklyn (at least I assume since this is Book #1 of the Brooklyn Murder Mysteries). I need more Odessa in my life right now!

This is such a charming mystery! I loved Odessa who is spunky and stubborn, and her fish-out-of-water relationship with NYC. The secondary characters were great, and so was the backdrop of the cafe - everything felt very real with a hilarious quirkiness. And of course the mystery kept me guessing! It was lots of fun watching Odessa be an amateur sleuth.

Odessa is a country girl from Louisiana who gets the opportunity to spend a few months living rent-free in Brooklyn, thanks to the fact that her wealthy aunt is travelling and needs someone to housesit her luxurious apartment and take care of her adorable cat. She finds a part time job in a coffee shop, and in just her first week there, a co-worker dies under somewhat mysterious circumstances. Odessa is convinced murder was involved, but the police disagree. She decides to solve the mystery on her own. This is a fun read with relatable characters and an interesting New York setting. I'd recommend it to readers who enjoy lighter women's fiction and cozy mysteries. It's kind of the best of both types.

Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Odessa Dean is house sitting for her aunt. A native of the Bayou, she is finding Brooklyn to be full of excitement and culture. To supplement some of her time, she snags a job at a local business, Untapped Books & Cafe. Things take a turn for the worse when her co-worker, Bethany, tragically dies. Her death is caught in the background of many videos of a flash-mob proposal. Odessa hadn’t known Bethany for long, but something doesn’t feel right. Rather than accept that this was a tragic accident, she takes matters into her own hands to find the truth.

This was a fun murder mystery that had me wishing I was spending the summer in Brooklyn (minus the sweltering heat). Odessa was a likable character that wouldn’t let anyone stop her from getting justice for Bethany. I do wish that the book was a bit faster paced. The timing of finding clues and being introduced to new characters felt a bit off, but overall it was still an enjoyable book.

If you are looking for a light read that has you solving mysteries with Odessa, then this is for you. It was intriguing and unlike mysteries I have previously read.