Open for Murder by Mary Angela was an intriguing read from start to finish. Ms. Angela is a "new to me" author and I was impressed by her descriptive writing throughout the story. Spirit Canyon and South Dakota came alive for me while I was reading and I was totally immersed in the story.

The plot was well-crafted and moved in and out of the twists and turns that kept me engaged while Zo searched for clues to clear her friend of murder charges. The secondary characters, Cunningham, Hattie and Max, not only supported Zo but added dimension to Zo's character as I got to know her. I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.

Thanks netgalley and the publisher for letting me read.

This cozy mystery is set in South Dakota. A murder happens at the newly opened/reopened lodge that is owned by Zo's childhood friend, Beth, who has moved back after years living in Chicago. Zo is determined to find out what happened because it looks like Beth is the number one suspect.

There were quite a few things that I liked. First, Zo has an adopted cat named George. He's not a cozy, curl up on your lap cat and I enjoyed reading about him. I also liked a lot of the side characters like her Professor neighbor and Beth's Mom, Vi. Max, the forest ranger, is also a good character. There is a lot of potential for these characters in future books, including a mystery surrounding Zo's parents.

The mystery part wasn't completely satisfying. It made sense for Zo to have a personal interest in it and yet things never felt that dire. There wasn't a whole lot for the police to focus on Beth besides the officer in charge being a jerk. I felt a little detached from the murder. The reader doesn't see much of the murder scene. Everyone stands outside the door looking at the body. And while Zo had some good ideas I didn't see that much of her investigating led her closer to the truth. Some points concerning the evidence should have been discussed more thoroughly.

I would read another book in the series.

Zo Jones left the newsroom behind and is running her gift shop, Happy Camper, in Spirit Canyon. She loves the quirky and upbeat merchandise she sells and is happy with her change in careers. When her best friend moves back to town to reopen the family lodge, she’s thrilled to have her best friend back. When a rival lodging owner is murdered during the grand reopening, Zo realizes she misses the thrill of the hunt as she works to find the murderer before Beth is convicted of a crime she didn’t commit and the lodge has to close before the grand opening is even over.

This was a fun read. New series sometimes take more than a book for me to find the groover, but this one clicked from the get go. I see lots of potential for the series and characters to grow and develop as the series moves forward. I’ll be looking for the next release…because I need to know how George and Zo’s relationship builds over time.