Smile Beach Murder: An Outer Banks Bookshop Mystery
By Alicia Bessette
Berkley
May 2022

Review by Cynthia Chow

Despite the beauty of its secluded beaches, Cattail Island has been a place that Callie Padget hoped to escape while pursuing a career in journalism. The Outer Banks peninsula holds too many memories of her late mother, whose tragic death on the island left Callie only wanting to flee from it. Being laid-off from her job at the Charlotte Times has forced her back to her mother’s favorite town though, where Callie can also work at her mother’s favorite bookstore. The MotherVine Bookshop not only houses an Instagramable cat Tinnakeet Man and a bounty of glorious tomes, its pergola protects one of the oldest vines of Tinnakeet grapes. Some of Callie’s fondest memories are of her mother sitting there and reading books by Mary Higgins Clark, whom Callie was always told by her mother to read as an always reliable source of wisdom.

Less comforting is the lighthouse on Smile Beach, where Callie’s mother fell to her death and whose final resting place is marked by a cross at the base. That is why it is all the more shocking when Eva Meeks also falls from the lighthouse, in what the police declare an act of suicide. Callie’s journalistic instincts kick in and she is unable to accept that as an answer, especially when Eva had been on a determined search for buried treasure and following clues leading her through the Outer Banks. When not worrying about the health of her cranky but adorable Uncle Hudson, Callie is infuriated by the lurid headlines of the local Cattail Crier declaring the Curse of the Cattail Lighthouse. As much as she might try to deny a connection between the women, Callie can’t help but feel empathy towards the daughter Eva left behind, especially since Summer is the same age as Callie was when she lost her own mother. That sympathetic tie, and the inability to resist solving a puzzle, has Callie enlisting her bookstore boss, uncle, and a hunky dojo instructor on a mission to solve a murder and possibly find a treasure.

This debut mystery is a lyrical novel that skillfully depicts the gorgeous beach setting and its quirky inhabitants. Callie feels the weight of the past bearing down on her the more she settles in at her uncle’s, and the urge to run lessens the more she learns to appreciate the charms of her mother’s favorite place. There is a definite divide between locals and “Dingbatters,” with festivals hoping to attract visitors for their money if not for their continual presence. The idolatry of Mary Higgins Clark and her characters makes Callie’s pursuits more understandable and relatable, especially when she is left anonymous threats telling her to mind her own business. Callie’s use of the Tin Man’s kitty Instagram account to promote the bookshop and even lure in a killer is both adorable and ingenious, leading to an unexpected but believable reveal. This is the start of an intriguing and atmospheric series, with a mystery-loving heroine whose future should be full of romance, friends, and so many books to read.

This book is full of the things that draw me into a cozy mystery. It's set in the south, it features a woman getting a fresh start, a curious death and a treasure hunt! Overall this is a really great read. I related really well to Callie and enjoyed getting to know her. The writing and pacing were well done and the mystery was very engaging. If you're a fan of cozy mysteries then this one is definitely worth reading.

Out-of-work reporter Callie returns to the Outer Banks where she grew up in search of temporary work and a fresh start. But when a family friend plummets to her death from the island's lighthouse--just as Callie's mother did decades ago--Callie isn't so sure to believe it was a suicide. Determined to figure out what really happened, Callie begins investigating...

The cover for this series starter really drew me to the book, though I must say, even weeks later, I'm still puzzling over the title which is embarrassingly literal (the book is about a murder on Smile Beach). Used to the punny titles of other cozy mysteries, I kept wondering if there was a pun I was not getting, but I could only think up replacing "Beach" with another b-word, and that didn't quite make sense. I only wondered if perhaps this book was trying NOT to be branded as a cozy for some reason? But it really is a cozy mystery--SWF, starting over in a small town, working at a small town shop, romantic interest but clean, and nothing too scary. None of this affects my star rating/review, because it's not the author's fault but I can't stop thinking about the truly weird branding of this one.

When it comes to the meat of it, it's a well-done cozy mystery with all the necessary elements. While I can't say Callie is the most unique or interesting heroine, I think the mystery itself was extremely well thought out, shown, and ultimately solved. The author was also not afraid to involve or injure characters we thought may be above reproach--perhaps because it's a series starter, and we're less attached--but it certainly makes things exciting.

Thanks to Berkley and Let's Talk Books Promo for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 8/10

I have a cozy mystery for you! This is Book One in a new series and a great one to cozy up with!
.
Callie is let go as a reporter and returns to her hometown of Cattail Island and the comfort of her job at the bookstore. Murder, lighthouses and theories galore. This is a classic whodunnit.

I am so excited to see where this series goes next!

This was a bit of an unusual cozy. It's definitely in a small town and it definitely involves a bookstore but it doesn't have that quirky cozy feeling that small town cozies frequently have. Callie isn't the most likable of main characters. She's a bit frustrated with the state her life has ended up in, she's obstinate, prickly and has a bit of a sharp edge. Despite the fact that she loves her uncle and likes where she grew up she's not particularly thrilled to be home and isn't really looking for anything.

When a friend of Callie's dies in a manner eerily similar to Callie's mother's death years before Callie can't help but be drawn in. Callie is not only looking for justice for Eva but is also hoping that if she breaks the story she will get a foothold back into the journalism world she wants to get back to. This is Callie's story. While the mystery is important and very front and center the primary focus is Callie's growth. She's not a character I particularly connected with but she is a character that I found interesting in a community that I enjoyed and that is a bit different from most other cozies I've read.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Callie Padget tragically lost her mom years ago when she fell from the top of the local lighthouse so coming home to Cattail Island after being laid off from her job was not easy. Moving back into the loft above her uncle Hudson’s garage she takes a job at the bookstore where she found solace at all those years ago until she can find another newspaper position. She has reconnected with her old friend Eva Weeks. She and her sister are now running the family hardware store.

Eve is also the island’s foremost treasure hunt junkie and Blackbeard is rumored to have buried treasure on the island. In fact, she called Callie wanting to meet up to discuss the new clue she found for a new hunt. Sadly before they could meet Eva was found dead at the foot of the lighthouse eerily on almost the same date as Callie’s mother. The police have declared the death a suicide and Callie just can’t accept that. She doesn’t believe Eva jumped anymore than she ever believed her mother did. Eva was too excited about her new treasure hunt to take her own life.

Then another young woman is killed, and again police believe she took her own life and won’t even contemplate the deaths may be related. That just pushes Callie harder to prove them wrong.

Did Eva uncover something that should have stayed buried? Are all three deaths connected? Callie knows she could end up the killer’s next victim but she really needs to find the truth and to do that she must finish the treasure hunt her friend started.

I was surprisingly drawn to reading this book when my heart was telling me to pass it by. The book has a suicide theme but I decided to lean on my cozy mystery knowledge and trust that the tables would eventually turn to the real causes of death. So there were some hard passages for me to read but I am happy I followed my brain and not my heart this time.

Alicia Bessette has a very descriptive writing style. The best vacation our family ever had was our trip to Caswell Beach, North Carolina, and her words to me right back there. I could smell the ocean air, feel the ocean breezes and the sand and water between my toes. While we didn’t have a murder to solve in addition to our wonderful cottage on the ocean we visited several local shops and a bookstore that had a resident cat so this book brought back some wonderful memories that were nice to have.

I wouldn’t call the characters in this book quirky but they are really interesting. They all seem to either have a secret or have dealt with or are still dealing with something from their past.

Callie is in a tough place because finding another job in her field is going to be hard as the news business is changing. But she uses her skills to ferret out a killer when the police aren’t of the same mindset for most of the book. She also used the bookstore to her advantage and her and her mother’s love of Mary Higgins Clark – “Good old MHC never lets you down.” While My Pretty One Sleeps was Callie’s mother’s favorite book and Callie reads it again as she tries to solve the mysteries in this story.

Callie meets Toby Dodge while saving an Instagram star and their lives quickly mesh together as he teaches her some self-defense options. He already knows her well enough that he knows she is not going to stop trying to find the killer. He is really easy on the eyes and super friendly too so Callie doesn’t mind spending time with him one bit.

We also meet several other residents of Cattail Island and all are cleverly created and serve a purpose in the story. I enjoyed that the supporting characters had so much depth for the first book in the series.

Ms. Bessette has written a complex mystery with a lot of moving parts. She serves up some delightful twists and drops clues tactfully throughout the story. Callie is an active amateur sleuth who refuses to give up. I especially liked that completing Eva’s treasure hunt was part of her process. Even when she hit a bump in the road to solving it she was always thinking of how to get the answers she needed. I admire her perseverance. All of her digging led up to a very gritty reveal that had me almost off the edge of my seat.

The story does not end though with catching the killer. There is some unfinished business that needs to take place. I found the ending to be extremely heartwarming and completely satisfying.

Smile Beach Murder was a Perfect Escape and would be a perfect beach read for everyone this summer. A captivating mystery filled with intriguing characters set on a wonderful island in the Outer Banks. This series is off to a great start!

4⭐️ for Smile Beach Murder by @aliciabessettebooks

Thank you to @netgalley, @letstalkbookspromo, @berkleypub, & @aliciabessettebooks for having me as part of this tour & allowing me to read an advanced copy!

Blurb from Penguin: When Callie is laid off from her reporting job, she returns to her hometown of Cattail Island and lands a gig at the local bookstore—the same one where she found comfort after her mother died. In fact, the anniversary of her mother’s infamous death is approaching. Years ago, Teri Padget tumbled from the top of the lighthouse. As islanders are once again gossiping about the tragedy, devastating news strikes: the lighthouse has claimed another victim. Eva Meeks, of Meeks Hardware. The police are calling it suicide, but Callie does not believe Eva jumped any more than she believes her mother did—especially because Callie knows that before her death, Eva had dug up a long-forgotten treasure hunt that could have put a target on Eva’s back. In Callie’s search for answers, she enlists the help of some beloved books and several new friends, including the handsome local martial arts instructor, Toby Dodge. But when another death rocks Cattail Island, Callie must face her fears alone. As she earns enemies in pursuit of the truth, Callie knows she will either uncover the killer or become a victim herself.

Smile Beach Murder was another comfy, cozy mystery that did have me guessing for quite a bit of the book. I found Callie to be a really relatable character & I was rooting for her from the get go. I loved the secondary characters, especially Tin Man the instafamous cat! Toby was a fun character to meet & I am definitely rooting for him & Callie. Overall, I thought that this one set up the @aliciabessettebooks’s new series really well! Go get your copy today!

3.5 Stars

Callie Padgett returns home to Cattail Island after being laid off from her job as a newspaper reporter and gets a job working at the local bookstore. Callie ends up investigating the death of an old acquaintance, Eva Meeks, who fell from the top of Cattail Lighthouse. The local police department thinks her death was a suicide, and although she hasn’t seen the woman in years, Callie is sure Eva wouldn’t have taken her own life. Eva had everything to live for, including her twelve-year-old daughter, her community causes, and her obsession to locate a pirate’s treasure. Callie relates to Eva’s situation because of a tragedy in her own past and is determined to find out the truth about the woman’s death.

Smile Beach Murder is the first in the new Outer Banks Bookstore Mystery series. I like the premise of a bookstore on a North Carolina island . However, Callie, the main character, doesn’t want to be on the island, much less working in the bookstore. The fun of having a cozy mystery set in a bookstore is to share the love of reading with characters in the book. Callie’s attitude of not really wanting to be there didn’t make her a pleasant character to spend time with and no joy of reading came through.

The positive part about the bookstore setting is there are several shoutouts to some great books and authors, like Agatha Christie and Mary Higgins Clark. Although Callie’s heart is in the right place looking into what really happened to Eva, I didn’t connect with her character. Callie has good instincts, but when asking questions about Eva’s death, Callie often does it in a pushy way that sets people on edge and it didn’t endear her to me, either. There is a dramatic confrontation with the killer at the end and I was surprised by who it was, but the motive was a bit of a letdown to me as was the final conclusion of the book.

On the positive side, I like that the book was broken into many short chapters which helps move the story along at a steady pace. Hopefully, Callie will feel more comfortable being back in her hometown and open up more to potential friends in future books. I also liked the victim’s daughter, Summer, and the talks Callie had with her. I think with the beach setting and the bookstore whose cat has lots of personality, there is a lot of potential to this series.

~ Christine

This was my first time reading a cozy mystery book like this one! There were a lot of things I liked about this type of book. The local bookshop (with a cat), the small town feels, the cute budding romance, and of course, the classic question of whodunnit.

I liked Callie, the main character. She was a bit nosy for my liking, but she was also the one that took it upon herself to solve the mystery, so I guess you have to be nosy in order to do that. I also loved the relationship she had with her uncle. Something about a tight-knit bond with extended family gets me every time.

I did find that this was a slower read for me. It didn’t take me long to read it, but my interest was never really peaked that much. I also found that the tone was pretty mellow considering the subject matter. But that might just have to do with the fact that it’s a cozy mystery.

Overall, I liked this one but didn’t love it. There were some things missing for me to give it a higher rating. BUT I do think that if this genre is your thing, you should definitely give it a try!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for my digital copy! This has been posted on my Goodreads and my Bookstagram account (@janinesbookcorner).

I thought this book was so cute! The genre for this book is ‘cozy mystery’s but it’s not one of those sickly sweet cozies. Smile Beach Murder leans more towards mystery than cozy. Which is perfectly fine with me! This book did follow the ‘clean’ or ‘wholesomeness’ of cozies. I really like when I can enjoy a good mystery that I don’t feel like I can’t read in public due to sex scenes. This book was great without all of that extraness.
This book did pull at my heartstrings several times. I loved how the author wove everything together so intricately. In the end, everything made sense.
The Outer Banks are such a beautiful area. I enjoyed reading about it and feeling like I was back in that area.
Also - I just loved Callie! She was so tenacious. Hoping to see big things for her in the future.

This was THE perfect beach read. I wish I had a beach nearby 🤣😂
I absolutely loved the setting and I loved Callie! This book has it all. Murder, mystery, a book store, and a treasure hunt!
The author did an excellent job of transporting me to the island just off the coast of North Carolina with the well written, descriptive narrative.
Great humor mixed in, suspense, and a whole lot of fun!

Smile Beach Murder, by Alicia Bessette is a cozy mystery with a bit edgier vibe and I liked it. It is the first in the Outer Banks Bookstore Mystery series and I think it set things up well for the books that follow.
⠀
The characters on this island are the best kind, a little quirky and essential to the story. It is no surprise that the island bookstore has a cat. The fun thing is that this cat is Instafamous!
⠀
It was very realistic that the main character, Callie, would use her reporter skills to help solve a mystery that is personal to her. She seemed like a grown up Nancy Drew. The treasure hunt was an added bonus that helped keep me turning the pages. Not only did I want to know whodunnit, but I wanted to know about the treasure too.
⠀
A local girl retuning home to a small community, a lighthouse, two similar deaths, a quaint bookstore (with that fun cat), interesting characters, and the possibility of romance sure add up to a cozy read for me. Many references to Mary Higgins Clark, her books, other popular authors and a little free library made this feel comfortable and hit right in this book lovers happy place.

⠀

The cover drew my attention and once I started reading this book I couldn't put it down. The small town beach setting, the interesting characters, the mystery, the treasure hunt and the relationships between the characters, this book had it all. I loved the descriptions of the town and the small businesses. I could picture them as I was reading. Callie was a great main character with a back story that made you care about her as a reader. This is a perfect beach read that will keep you guessing until the end.

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Callie Padget is back home. For now. After losing her news reporter job in Charlotte and then her apartment, she packed up and moved back in with her uncle on Cattail Island in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. But she doesn’t plan on staying.

She’s in front of the MotherVine Bookshop when she sees a car coming down the street a little too fast. The cat in the middle of the street feasting on an abandoned fish taco doesn’t notice, but Callie does, and swoops down to pick up the cat just in time. The cat belongs to Antoinette, the bookshop owner and Callie’s mother’s former best friend and business partner. Callie’s mother had worked there before she died, and the shelf of books by Mary Higgins Clark still exists, just where it used to be. MHC had been Callie’s mother’s favorite author, and her books were the ones Callie turned to when she was 12 and grieving.

Antoinette offers Callie a job at the bookshop for the summer, and Callie decides to take it. She hadn’t been able to find any other jobs, and the bookshop suits her fine. Books are old friends, and making deliveries around town will give her a chance to reconnect with those she knew growing up. And then Eva Meeks comes rushing in, looking for books about local history, and Callie finds herself drawn back into old friendships.

In school. Callie had been friends with Eva’s younger sister Georgia, since they were in the same class, but she certainly knew Eva too. And now, Eva was on the hunt for treasure. There had always been rumors that Blackbeard had buried treasure nearby, and Eva was excited about treasure hunting. Later that night, Eva had called Callie, asking if she wanted to come to the lighthouse with her. Eva was on to something. But Calle stayed in. It wasn’t until the next morning that she heard the news.

She was back in the bookstore, about to learn how to use the cantankerous cash register, when she overheard a customer talking about a woman who had jumped from the lighthouse overnight. This, almost 26 years to the day when another woman had jumped. Callie froze as she heard this. She immediately left for the lighthouse, where it was confirmed that it had been Eva who had been found at the base of the lighthouse, not too far from the white cross that had symbolized the other woman who had died there, Teri Padgett. Callie’s mom.

The police immediately decide that Eva’s death had been a suicide, but Callie has doubts. Eva had seemed full of life and excitement, especially yesterday when Callie had seen her in the bookstore and when she had called from the lighthouse. What could have happened at the top of the lighthouse to change her mind? Or was it someone else who had made that decision for her?

Callie isn’t a reporter anymore, but she still has that curiosity. She wants to find out what happened to her friend and to get answers for Eva’s 12-year-old daughter Summer. And then, when she is attacked coming home one night, a note left for her saying, “Back Off,” and a figure in black charging at her with the same message, she knows that she is right in believing that Eva didn’t commit suicide. But that also means she is chasing a killer who knows exactly who she is while she’s still trying to figure out who they are.

Smile Beach Murder is the first in a new mystery series, Outer Banks Bookshop Mysteries, from Alicia Bessette, herself a reporter turned North Carolina coastal resident. This series brings to life a strong main character, several warm and funny supporting characters, and an intriguing mystery. But I think the best part of this book is the setting. Cattail Island, with its beaches and small town flavor, with the Cattaillers and the Dingbatters, and the grapes. The mother vine of MotherVine Bookshop is an actual grapevine which creates a canopy over the back porch, where customers can sit and read and try the grapes.

I wasn’t entirely sure what I would find in the pages of Smile Beach Murder. There was something about the title of the cover that made me feel a little off balance. But I opened it up and started reading, and almost immediately I was completely charmed by Callie and by Cattail Island. This book is funny and filled with the kind of quirky characters I would hope to find in a small town. I loved the treasure hunt story line and the Cattillion to fundraise for the dilapidated pier. I really enjoyed my time on Cattail Island, and I look forward to taking another trip and solving more mysteries.

Egalleys for Smile Beach Murder were provided by Berkley through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Overall: Despite being a bit darker in nature, this has the right level of twists and location based mystery.

Pros:
Location. A beach bookshop is the perfect setting for this story.
Mystery. The balance between cozy and puzzle mystery is wonderful and keeps you guessing.
Twists. Enough twists and turns to make you fully invested.

Cons:
Genre. This can be a bit darker for a standard cozy mystery.

Callie returns to her hometown of Cattail Island in the Outer Banks, North Carolina after being laid off from her job as a reporter. She settles back into her old room at her uncle’s and quickly realizes the town is almost exactly as she left it. Callie takes a job at the local bookstore, where she found solace after her mother’s untimely and tragic death. Now, tragedy strikes again, and it seems eerily similar to her mother’s death. The police don’t suspect foul play, but Callie believes otherwise and sets out to uncover the truth before it’s too late.

Smile Beach Murder, the first book in the Outer Banks Bookstore Mystery series by Alicia Bessette, is my idea of a perfect cozy mystery! It’s set in a small beach town with a lighthouse, quirky characters, a cozy bookstore complete with an Instagram famous cat, and even an LFL! There’s obviously a mystery surrounding the death of one of the locals, but there’s also a treasure hunt. So fun! The detailed descriptions and perfect pacing kept me completely immersed in this story as I followed Callie on her investigation to find out whodunnit and her quest to complete the treasure hunt. Callie was an extremely likable MC with excellent sleuthing skills, thanks to her background as a reporter. As someone who used to devour Mary Higgins Clark books, I loved the references! The ending also made me smile! I just loved everything about this book! Needless to say, I am dying (bad pun intended) to read the next book in this series!!

Callie is home, though reluctant to say or even believe she is going to stay. Add in a murder that is eerily similar to how her mother died years ago and she is yanked in to attempting to find answers - not only in the present but also for the past. A good read, although a bit predictable at times. A fun town with some quirky characters, so an overall good start to a cozy series.

Callie left her hometown and all the bad memories behind several years ago. That is, until she gets laid off from her job as a reporter and she needs somewhere to collect her thoughts and decide what she wants her future to look like.
Most of the quirky residents that she knew growing up still live there, and they are all aware of the fact that Callie is coming home on the anniversary of her mother’s death from a fall from the lighthouse, which most say was an accident, but Callie still questions whether or not there’s more to it. So when another tragedy strikes the town and the lighthouse again, Callie is convinced more than ever that there’s more to the story. Especially when they find the first clue in a series that may lead her to her answers.
This was a cute cozy mystery perfect for fans of murder she wrote or Nancy drew. The people in the town really added so many layers to the story especially the cat that lives in the bookstore.
Thanks to Berkley Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

Callie isn't happy about having to move back to her uncle's house on Cattail Island. It was home long ago, but once her mother died, she couldn't wait to get far away. Things didn't work out too well for her career-wise, and now she views this as a temporary living arrangement until she can find another job away from here.
Luckily though, she does get a job for the summer so on top of everything else, at least she won't be unemployed and broke. After applying and being rejected at almost every business on the island, she gets hired at MotherVine bookstore. It was a place her mother loved, so it is full of both good and painful memories. Just when things are looking up, tragedy strikes. Eva Meeks is found dead outside the Cattail Lighthouse.
This place haunts Callie since it was where she lost her mother. Callie doesn't agree with the official ruling, and she promises Eva's daughter that she will uncover the truth. A stroll down memory lane and a current mystery where the body count continues to rise means that Callie will have to figure out the identity of the killer before she is the next victim.
I have to say I did correctly guess the killer( yeah me)but not for the right reasons. Here I go being cryptic because of spoilers, but I was absolutely 100% positive that something from the past was related to what was happening now. More than just the old scavenger hunt that Eva discovered and more than just the seemingly tragic lighthouse location. I don't know if that was the author's intent, but either she reeled me in or I was just all alone on my misguided hunt for the truth! I enjoyed the supporting characters, at least the one's that I didn't give major side-eye to because I thought they might have been the killer. I felt like I was on a hard to get to the island during tourist season, and who can resist a bookstore Instagram famous cat named Tin Man. I am not sure if this was standalone or if Callie has more amateur sleuthing in her future, but I for one would be alright with the second scenario.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4/5 stars

Smile Beach Murder is a fun introduction to a new cozy mystery series. Callie Padget is a reporter turned bookshop clerk in Cattail Island. When a woman is found dead at the lighthouse that was part of Callie’s mom’s mysterious death, Callie is determined to find answers. Helping her in her investigation is local martial arts instructor, Toby Dodge. The two are in more and more danger as they begin to find answers on who is terrorizing Cattail Island.

This was action-packed and entertaining. I love Callie and her budding romance with Toby is sweet. The setting of Cattail Island is perfect with many interesting residents. Summer Beach Murder is full of twists, turns, classic mystery novel references, bookstores, cats, and summer vibes. I can’t wait to return to Cattail Island.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Full review to be posted on publication date.