I enjoyed this book. It played very standard for a cozy mystery. As the first installment, the main character (in this case Piper) is loosely accused of murder. It all gets rectified with the assistance of a cop with whom she has a romantic history and a new man who swoops in to spice things up. It's formulaic, but it's a formula that works and why cozy mysteries are what they are.

My one big grip was that as part of the mystery, Piper's car was stolen. There seems to be very limited concern with a stolen car that was involved in a possible murder. I also thought that the chapters in the 20s dragged and were somewhat irrelevant, but it stared strong and I enjoyed the ending and how things wrapped up. I'd definitely pick up a next installment to see how things develop.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hallmark Publishing for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Author Amanda Flowers' new book Dead End Detective, is the start of something beautiful … again.
Dead-End Detective: A Piper and Porter Mystery from Hallmark Publishing is the first in her new series featuring Darby Porter, a young, sparky, single detective who co-owns Two Girls Detective Agency with her close friend, Samantha Porter.
And Darby is happily enjoying a wonderful life and career until her business partner announces she is dissolving their company.
Less than 24-hours later, Darby's partner is dead, and she is the most likely suspect for Samantha's murder.
Though Darby is devastated by her life's tragic turn and uncertain future, it is Samantha who proves she's always known what is best for Darby's future.
Motivation, opportunity, and method could not be more fun.
Amanda Flowers' cozies are among my favorite series' in the 150-plus cozy mystery books I've consumed in the past two years. Her story-telling is easy, amusing, and always keeps me guessing. I like her perky characters and am always hungry for more at the end of her reads.
It was my special pleasure to listen to this book on audio, which was narrated by Laura Faye Smith and produced by Dreamscape Media.
Smith's portrayal of Darby and her co-cast members was right on target. I was focused on Flowers' storytelling and not Smiths' voice the entire time, which in my opinion is exactly what a narrator should do; disappear into the story and allow the author to work her magic.
Flower and several other authors in her genre continue to further solidify why cozy mysteries are so much fun, and why, in three years, I will write my own cozy mystery series on the market. What writer can read this genre and not want to jump into this pool?
I give Dead End Detective a 5 on my Color Commentary scale.
I cannot wait to get my hands on Flowers' next title.
Dead End Detective: A Piper Porter Mystery hit the shelves Aug. 25, 2020. Her next title, Candy Cane Crime: An Amish Candy Shop Mystery will be released Oct. 27.
For more information about Flowers' books, visit her website at www.amandaflowers.com. You will not be disappointed. See my reviews at michellelovatosbookreviews.wordpress.com.

This is a wonderful cozy mystery!

I really like both of the main characters. Both Darby and Tate are very well developed. Then there is a whole cast of supporting characters. Some of them have some definite quirks that make them very fun to meet. One of my favorites has to be Darby’s mother, the librarian. I loved how she was always encouraging everyone to read.

The mystery is very well crafted. Plenty of twists and turns. Enough suspects to keep the reader guessing. Then a revelation very near the end of the book that completely caught me by surprise.

The narrator was absolutely fabulous! She did an incredible job of switching voices and accents as each character was talking. I was amazed at how well she did then voices of the men too. She truly made the story come to life. I hope that she narrates a lot more audiobooks.

I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook from the publisher, through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All of the opinions expressed are my own.

I read and totally enjoyed the ebook of Dead-End Detective by the wonderful Amanda Flower so when I had a chance to get the audiobook, I grabbed it! There are not many books I reread (my To Read pile is too long) but this is one! Darby Piper and Samantha.Porter own 2 Girls Detective Agency together. Out of the blue, Samantha wants to sell the agency and go to work for a fancy resort and she has the majority share. Then Samantha dies in a car accident.. There are a few suspects including Samantha's nephew, Tate Porter, and of course Darby. Darby and Tate don't trust each other but decide to work together to find out what happened to Samantha. The characters in this book is what makes it so enjoyable! The audiobook is good. The men's voices aren't great but I imagine with quite a few men in the story it is difficult. Once I got into the book, I was so wrapped up, I didn't think about it as much. It is such an enjoyable cozy mystery both in ebook and audiobook!

I really enjoyed this fast-paced, easy and enjoyable cozy mystery. I was automatically intrigued by the PI career. I loved the chemistry between Darby and Tate and I think they will be a great combo for future books. I enjoyed the unveiling of the red herrings to find the whodunit. I listened to the audio version and the narration was great and super easy to follow along. It had all the elements of a cozy wrapped up in the perfect box. Can't wait to read more.

cozy-mystery, murder, private-investigators, greed, family-dynamics, friendship, law-enforcement, exmilitary, small-business, small-town
Read 2 times. Last read October 22, 2020.

It was the start of a very bad week for Darby. First she finds out that her best friend and business partner of over ten years has sold the business out from under her. Then said friend is dead, Darby is chief suspect, then finds out that their earlier agreement on passage of ownership goes to the nephew, and it was absolutely stunning. What more could go wrong?! Great characters and plot twists made this a really fun read that kept me guessing to the end. Loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Hallmark Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you!
This time Dreamscape Media and NetGalley allowed me to listen to the audio performed by Laura Faye Smith. She does a great job of adding to her tone so that it fits the character. She does an inspired job with the narration and dialogue. Great voices that are distinct and consistent, but the male voices need more work. Even so, I think that the story is better in audio. Besides, it is hard to read print while doing mindless things!

For a cozy mystery, this is one of the better books I have listened to lately. I enjoyed reading about the characters and learning their habits and personalities. I liked the initial conflict between Darby and Tate. I think they will make a great team in future books.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. I liked the narrator. The characters were well developed, but still a hint of mystery about them. and they were likeable and fun. The supporting characters were well developed, too. It fits the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries vibe. It was just a fun, quick story, that kept you guessing on who done it. I look forward to reading more in this series.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for a free audio-book ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Dead-End Detective is a good wholesome read. It captured and held my attention. The publisher is Hallmark Publishing; it seems like a perfect fit for this book. This is a book that you can enjoy and also share with your mother (or daughter) without embarrassment. I really enjoyed it.

I was surprised to realize how many books have been written by Amanda Flower, dozens! I believe this was my first read with this author, I'll look for other books by this author and for future books in this series.

Thank you NetGalley, Hallmark Publishing and the author/Amanda Flower for an advance read copy of Dead-End Detective in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for this audiobook.
Maybe because I have read several of the Amish Candy Shop series and the first book in the Amish Matchmaker series and enjoyed them so much that it was hard for me to get into this book since it a very different milieu.
It was a good story with likable characters and an interesting location. The culprit was pretty obvious but that was okay.
I would likely give the next book a try.

3.8

Thank you to NetGalley and Hallmark Publishing for an advanced audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review.

Darby Piper and Samantha Porter own Two Girls Detective Agency when Samantha dies. Darby is the main suspect and she and Samantha’s nephew Tate work together to solve the case. I liked the town and the locals.

I enjoyed listening to the narrator.

Dead-End Detective: A Piper and Porter Mystery from Hallmark Publishing by Amanda Flower
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
Release Date: August 25, 2020
🔍🔍🔍🔍🔍
I absolutely LOVED this book! I read it in about 4 hours because I could not put it down!

The characters in this book are so likable and relatable and the story moves quickly. I loved the small town setting and the relationships within the community. There is depth to this book.

The author writes in a way that makes you feel like you are there watching everything unfold.

I really hope this becomes a long series because I can't wait for the next book! I love Piper and Porter! ❤️

The mystery was great and kept you guessing until the very end.

The audiobook was narrated by Laura Faye Smith and I loved it! She does an incredible job capturing the different characters and bringing the story to life!

I'm so grateful for Amanda Flower, Hallmark Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with a free advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.