I really enjoyed this one! The family dynamic was lovely, the mystery was entertaining and all of the musical call outs via songs, albums and concerts tees made me happy throughout.

I am so happy that cozy mysteries seem to be returning. This new series features three sisters who decide to reopen the family record business in a small town outside Austin, Texas, Juniper, the protagonist, has just returned after living on the west coast. At the grand opening of their record store/coffee shop, they discover a dead body in the supply closet. As if this isn't inauspicious enough, their uncle Calvin is arrested and they use the shop as collateral for his bond. And he promptly disappears.

As Juni and her sisters try to prove Calvin's innocence--as well as just find him--Juni finds herself unable to avoid her high school boyfriend who is now a detective. And her old platonic buddy has reinvented himself as a hot mail carrier.

This is a fun book. I look forward to the next entry in the series. #VinylRestingPlace #NetGalley

This is a delightful family-centered cozy mystery! I loved Juni, her sisters, and their relationships to one another, and thought the small-town Texas setting was perfect for the story. I am very much looking forward to reading more cozies from Blacke!

Three chapters in, and I didn't care about any of these characters or who killed whom. Everyone sounds the same, and the writing is flat, with no sense of style. I like the idea of the shop, but that was the only thing I found interesting about this book.

I will definitely be adding this new cozy mystery series to my pile of cozy mysteries in which I read every new book in the series, every year! This was fun and set outside of Austin, Texas, where the Jessup family continues the family business of a record shop but has added coffee to the mix, too. I feel I still have a lot to learn about Juni, the MC, but I really liked her world, the store and will look forward to her solving more mysteries in future books. Definitely add this one to your TBR pile!

Vinyl Resting Place comes out next week on December 27, 2022 and you can purchase HERE.

The best part about working for the family business is that they can't fire me without causing all sorts of unwanted drama. The worst part is I can't ever quit, not unless I want to hear about it every single Thanksgiving for the rest of my life—although I would put up with a whole lot for a plateful of Uncle Calvin's deep-fried turkey. And as a bonus, at the family record shop I get to work with my two older sisters.

What a delightful cozy mystery set at the Sip & Spin Records, owned by the Jessup Sisters Tansy, Maggie, and Juni. At the Grand Opening of the Sip & Spin Records, a dead body is found in a closet and the Jessup Sister’s Uncle Calvin is the prime suspect. The sisters use their shop as collateral to help Calvin make bail. Shortly after making bail, Calvin disappears and the Jessup sisters set out to find Calvin, solve the murder to clear their uncle’s name and save their store, much to the chagrin of local cop Beau who is Juni’s ex-boyfriend and J.T., their lawyer and Maggie’s husband. Juni’s involvement gets a bit too close and puts her life at risk. But there are delightful twists and turns as the story spins forward where connections are made that are unexpected. A bit predictable at the end, but still a story that keeps you engaged from the first page to the last. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I look forward to more music store mysteries.

Many thanks to #netgalley, #vinylrestingplace #oliviablacke #st.martinspress for the to read and review this book.

I had read and enjoyed Olivia Blacke's other series (Brooklyn Murder mystery series) and was glad to have the chance to read an ARC of her new series. I'm a fan of vinyl records and the setting was something new. I was ready for something other than libraries, bookstores, craft shops, etc. though I do enjoy those, too. Combining vinyl records and coffee was just right.
Juni (Juniper) and her two sisters, Tansy and Maggie (don't ever call her Magnolia, she hates it big time) have sunk every cent they had into opening Sip and Spin, getting the extra needed from family. They have a lot riding on this venture and it's got a lot of family history behind it. Fate has made it possible for the sisters to open their business in the exact same store front that their grandparents had when they owned a vinyl record shop. The space holds many joyful memories for them but, if they can't catch a killer. their dream will go up in a puff of smoke along with their money and their planned future. Juni isn't about to let that happen and it turns out she's a pretty good amateur sleuth. The dead body in their store room is shocking enough but when their uncle Calvin is arrested for the murder and then vanishes - leaving the sisters on the hook for the bail bond (aka The Sip and Spin) - it's a race to find the answers.
The Jessup family sticks together and the Sip and Spin sounds like a great place to get lost in. Add to that some well developed main characters and a good puzzle to solve and I know I want to read the next in the series, A Fatal Groove - July 25, 2023) There is a spot on my TBR list waiting for it.
My thanks to the publisher St. Martin's Press and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this book. This is a series debut. Junior Jessup has returned to Texas to open record shop/cafe with her sisters in a building full of family history. Their grand opening celebration is less grand after June finds a dead girl in the supply closet! A local detective that happens to be Juni's ex believes Juni's uncle is responsible so Juni and her sisters step in to save their uncle.

The underlying theme here is family. It's done well. The characters are interesting, likeable. The pace is nice without being too slow. The mystery unravels in a nice way.

All in all, an enjoyable read and a great start to what seems to be a fun series. Lots of great music references and tons of great puns.

This is a great start to a new series. This a great cozy mystery that hooks you on the first page and keeps you guessing until the end. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
I received a complimentary copy from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

DNF @20%
There was just so much wrong with this book that I ended up not finishing it. I will say that there were a couple things that initially drew me to the book and I will highlight them here. First, the cover is awesome. I have been a lover of vinyl before it was cool [because THAT was all there was! LOL] and that is what initially drew me to the book [along with the amazing title]. I loved how there were three sisters who grew up loving music, in their grandparents and parents music store and that they have come back together to purchase the neglected building and once again run a music store and coffee shop. WHAT could be better??

Unfortunately, that is all that was good in regards to this book.

First, there is a love triangle. Please. Please. Please. stop writing stupid love triangles. They rarely happen in real life and when they do, there are NO HAPPY ENDINGS. I have watched two people I know [in separate situations] go through the whole "love triangle" thing and all it did was make three people extremely unhappy. It is not a realistic outcome and people get truly hurt in these instances. PLEASE STOP WRITING THEM. Plus. it is just lazy writing. Its easier to write crap relationship garbage than to write deep meaningful relationships. Plus, why in the world would Juni EVER think about the stupid crappy, cocky, cop who has already broke her heart once. He is a player plain and simple and too cocky for words and seriously, HE needs to be taken down a peg. UGH.

Then, there is the writing itself. Its disjointed and abrupt and very, very, juvenile. Glitter bombs? Seriously? Are we 12 [and that is doing a serious disservice to really good middle-grade and YA books out there that don't rely on gimmicks to smooth over an uneven story-line]? Ugh.

I have now come to the biggest reason I am not finishing this book and truly, this is the true reason. Because all the other stuff that I previously wrote could be overlooked. I have done it before with other books [and disliked those book and never read another one], but this reason is a deal-breaker for me.
Flat out race identifiers. 4 times before you hit 7%. It continues with each person of a different ethnicity, even if they have been introduced before. When introducing a character, it is NOT needed to talk about what race or ethnicity they are. It is racist subtext and racist shading and it is absolutely unnecessary in ANY BOOKS. And it certainly doesn't need to be done over and over and over again, especially with characters that have already been introduced. The author isn't telling the reader who all the WHITE people are, just pointing out all the "different" people in the story. UGH. It was offensive and racists and the absolute BIGGEST deal-breaker for me. I will absolutely NOT be reading any more of this authors work or this series. There is absolutely no place for this kind of writing in a world today where racism and antisemitism is raging; if ANYTHING, authors should be working against that, and if they cannot, then I cannot read their work.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this mystery and cannot wait for book two in the series!! SUCH a good cozy mystery with all the key pieces I love in this genre! Juni and her sisters are celebrating the opening of their new record & coffee shop in their small hometown outside of Austin, Texas when a dead body is found. Juni's uncle become suspect #1 so OF COURSE she has to ask questions around town to gather info to prove her uncle's innocence. To top it off, the local detective is Juni's highly attractive high school boyfriend who broke her heart. Her feelings toward him are still raw and she really doesn't trust him in his current position. I read this book really quickly (for me) because it was a blast to follow Juni in her escapades to track down clues! I also loved the family dynamics between Juni, her sisters, and her mom. The nosy neighbor who seems to see everything was just icing on the cake. Looking forward to book two to join Juni in more murder mystery solving!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for my e-galley!! This book is out next week, Tuesday, December 27th!

Juni Jessup leaves her job in Oregon to go back home to Cedar River, Texas. Juni and her two sisters have decided to resurrect their family’s record shop and re-open it under the new name, Sip & Spin. Their grand opening turns into a disaster when a dead body turns up in their supply closet. It’s an even bigger disaster when their Uncle Calvin goes missing and he’s the number one suspect.

The Jessups love their family, and that includes Uncle Calvin. They will do anything to clear his name including putting up their new store as bail. With Uncle Calvin missing, the Jessups could lose their new store before it even gets started.

Juni isn’t going to sit quietly at home. She’s throwing herself right into the investigation despite the opposition from her former boyfriend, who happens to be police officer in charge.

This is the first book in this new series and I absolutely loved it. Using a record shop as the setting is quite unique for cozy mysteries. It’s always a joy when an author comes up with something new. The story shows the strength and love of family. Juni’s relationship with her sisters and the rest of the family is beautiful. They aren’t always in agreement, but what family is? It’s portrayed realistically in this book.

Juni’s strength is carried throughout the book. She’s a wonderful amateur sleuth and leading character. The storyline is fast-paced and truly captivating. I couldn’t wait to find out “whodunit” and I was totally wrong. The author did an excellent job of keeping this reader guessing until the very end.

It’s so much fun getting onto the ground floor of a new series. I enjoyed my time in Cedar River and I want another visit and I want it soon! This one is a complete winner for me!








FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

At the grand opening party at their new record store three sister are not expecting to find a dead body in their closet. As the days go on and they don't seem to have an answer, things keep getting shadier. THis book keeps you guessing and it is very entertaining. I did feel it had some slow spots as well.

I received an Advanced Reader copy from Netgalley. This is the first in a series by an author I am unfamiliar with. I enjoyed this novel and tried to figure out who did it before it was revealed. Then two “boy” friends from high school are spending a lot of time with Juniper, aka Juni, it takes place in a small town outside Austin. Sip & Spin is a coffee shop and store that sells vinyl albums and record players. Many albums are mentioned which is a fun way to reminisce. The characters range from a postal worker, lawyers, community volunteers, and nosy neighbors. I look forward to reading this series! I really enjoyed this book, and the cover rocks!

I enjoyed this cozy mystery set in a record shop. This is the most original cozy mystery idea I have read in a while and I got to say I loved it. And Olivia Blacke is quickly becoming a favorite cozy mystery author.

This new cozy mystery series is off to a great start. The action takes place in a small town outside Austin, Texas, and the author has done a great job of making you feel the local color, from the ever-present cowboy hats to the lively live music scene. I enjoyed the focus on the three sisters, all with “flower names”: Juni (Juniper), Maggie (Magnolia) and Tansy. Their relationship is wonderful and realistic. Juni is the youngest and has just moved home from Oregon, where her tech job fizzled, to help open and run a record shop/coffee bar. The sisters are restarting this family business in the same location as the record shop run by their parents and grandparents years ago. Of course, there’s a dead body or this wouldn’t be a cozy mystery! The sisters’ uncle was arrested and then disappeared, endangering their new store, since they had put it up for bail collateral. Juni works hard to find their uncle, which effort forms the core of the story. There’s a hint of possible romance between Juni and her ex-beau, Beau (ha!), the local detective and her old friend, Ted. I’m rooting for Ted, personally. There were some great flashes of humor throughout, including the punny names for some of their coffee and tea drinks, such as Friends in Mocha Places, All The Single Lattes, and You Shook Me All Night Oolong. The mystery was solid and I look forward to seeing how the author extends this series.

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient. The audiobook was narrated well by Nicol Zanzarella.

Thank you to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook and to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Featuring another group of sisters, this time the Juniper sisters, this book is set in a record store/coffee shop, and is the first in the series. When someone is murdered during their opening night party, the Juniper sisters, especially Juni, set out to discover who among the townspeople could possibly have committed this crime.

The Juniper sisters are all strong women with unique personalities, and like many other successful cozy mysteries, they are surrounded by a strong supporting cast. Juni has a past romance and a possibly future romance to sweetly juggle, and the setting of the record store is a fun one. The ending was a real surprise as well. I would like to read the next book in the series when it comes out.

Well this was a fun read! This is the first book in a new cozy series featuring Juni (short for Juniper) Jessup and her two sisters who are reopening the family record store. The grand opening ends on a bit of a sour note when Juni discovers a dead body in a supply closet and the sisters' Uncle Calvin is the prime suspect.

Juni is still adjusting to being back in her hometown, running her own business, and working with her sisters. Now she's thrown into regular contact with her ex-boyfriend who happens to be the detective in charge of the investigation and desperately trying to save the store.

The mystery and the characters kept me engaged from start to finish. The author did good a job of balancing character development with plot advancement as well as having a convincing reason to bring Juni and her sisters into the investigation.

I'm looking forward to seeing how this series develops and to seeing Juni getting a bit more comfortable in her new life.

Good start to a new series. Interesting family. Coffee and music. Love triangle and a cat add to the fun. Clever mystery that kept me guessing. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

This was a fun read which brought me back to my youth when record stores were common. I found the setting unique and entertaining. The characters were entertaining and the plot kept me reading. Looking forward to more in this series.