I’ve long been a fan of Ellen Byron’s books, so I jumped at the chance to review Solid Gold Murder. This is the second in Byron’s Golden Motel Mysteries. It read fine as a stand-alone, but I’d like to go back and read the first because this one was really good!

The Golden Motel is a family affair. Dee, her dad, and her ex turned business partner, Jeff, are all invested in making it work. Panning for gold is one of the touristy activities the hotel offers, but it’s never turned up much more than pyrite – sparkly, but worth very little. When real gold turns up in the sluice, though, it’s a second California gold rush for the aptly named little town of Foundgold, California (and its neighboring town, Goldgone), and Dee and Jeff find themselves booked solid.

But with all that business comes trouble. When a young tech mogul and his so-called friends roll into town, they seem to rub everyone the wrong way. And when his body is found at the bottom of a mine shaft, Dee has her hands full trying to make sure her motel’s nickname of “Murder Motel” doesn’t stick.

This book was delightful! As always, Byron gives us a likeable protagonist in Dee. She’s traded in the bright lights and big city for small-town entrepreneurship, and I’d say she’s learning pretty quickly. She and Jeff have a good relationship full of banter and snark, and Dee’s dad is a hoot when he’s in character as an old-timey prospector helping with the sluice.

The story is also full of small-town antics, both good and bad. There are longstanding feuds and fast friendships, colorful characters, and enough twists and turns to make your head spin. Dee gets herself into some sticky situations, and they make for some entertaining reading. I chuckled, snorted, and laughed out loud a time or two. I want more of this series – well worth the read!

I loved that Dee’s dad Sam was staying at the motel grounds and helping out. It was hilarious to think of him as the character Prospector Pete and imagine the funny voices he was doing. I liked his character a lot in the first book and hope he’ll stick around closer to Dee. He’s a lotta fun!

When a body was found in one of the mines, there was no shortage of suspects, which was good for anyone who’d made the comment they hoped the person ended up at the bottom of a mine, but it made it hard for law enforcement and nosy amateur sleuths to find the real killer. But Dee came through once again, although she had to face the killer and live to tell about it.

There were some good comic relief moments that may or may not’ve included Bud the Bear (formerly known as Stoney the Bear). Dee and Jeff’s senses of humor and banter was always good for a laugh or two as well. Can’t wait for the next book!

I voluntarily read and reviewed and ARC of this book provided by Kensington Cozies via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Ellen Byron never disappoints. This series is no exception. Well written with characters that come to life, you won’t be able to put it down until you turn the last page. A quick and fun cozy read.

Ellen Byron brings us another intriguing murder with Solid Gold Murder, the 2nd release in her Golden Motel Mysteries. Dee's connection to the Hollywood writing scene, something Ms. Byron knows well, creates a sense of realism as her humor about it keeps us laughing.
When real gold flakes and tiny nuggets show up in the just-for-fun sluice at the Golden Motel, a new gold rush begins bringing with it arrogant tech billionaires and murder. The motel that Dee Stern and her married-for-a-minute and forever best friend Jeff have recently started is just getting on its feet and another murder is likely to kill the motel before it is fully renovated. It sure doesn't help that the self-proclaimed leader of the next town is dedicated to destroying any positive publicity that the little town of Gold Found can raise, constantly reminding anyone who will listen of the nickname she gave Dee's business, Murder Motel. A history of greed, complex relationships, and a sense of superiority complicates the search for the killer.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for allow me to read Solid Gold Murder and share the fun with my friends and followers.
#NetGalley #Kensington #EllenByron #GoldenMotelMysteries #SolidGoldMurder

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Ellen Byron for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Solid Gold Murder coming out July 29, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I really love this author. I loved the first book in the series so I was excited to receive this book. I think it’s a really good addition. I’m loving the setting and the characters. I will definitely check out more books in the series.

In this second book of the series (Long may it continue.) Dee Stern and partner Jeff Cornetta are premiering their new gold sluice at the Golden Motel. After a rocky start, things are going well and they hope panning for gold (iron pyrite or "fool's gold) is a draw for more guests, but when their initial panners find REAL gold and Dee accidentally posts it to social media, it sets off a new "gold rush".
The quartet of rich techies and the discouraged older couple are among the guests. Of course, one of the obnoxious guests is found dead and the rival town of Goldgone pushes the narrative of "murder motel".
I really enjoyed this series. The characters are quirky without being caricatures. With the setting in a motel, new characters are natural and the regulars develop organically. The "escape from the madness of Hollywood" theme is fun and the "go from one uncertain job to an equally uncertain job" is relatable to most people.
Dee's Bud the Bear cartoons are great.
Highly recommend this series and you CAN start with this book as enough background is given to make sense of references to what came before without giving spoilers..

This one sounds like such fun. My brother-in-law lives in the Gold Country in Northern California, and I've visited a few abandoned gold mines, in fact he has one in his backyard! This series is a lot of fun, and I love Dee and Jeff and how they are making a rundown motel their home and livelihood. Their adventures with the "Murder Motel" are fun to experience and Dee's ongoing feud with the "mayor" of Goldsgone is continuing and I can't wait to see who does what next.

It's summer and the Golden Motel in Foundgold is gearing up for the season with a lot of new and special activities to draw in families and introduce them to the wonders of the Northern California Gold Country. One of those activities is panning for gold, of course the mines have long been played out, but small flakes of gold can still be found in the streams and with the heavy rains of the past winter, a lot more gold is in the runoff. This kicks off a "Second Gold Rush" which brings to town a lot of people and a group of rich techies from Silicon Valley and their own problems. Sylvan Burr, a billionaire before he's 30, is not a nice dude. He is condescending to everyone around him, even his "friends". He has come to explore his family's history in the area, but that history was not a pretty one.

Dee is again in a standoff with the "mayor" of Goldsgone, Verity. Goldsgone has a crafts fair, and Dee wants a table, but Verity is doing everything she can to keep Dee from selling her merchandise there. When Sylvan Barr winds up at the bottom of a mine shaft, the fair takes second place because this is yet another murder that is going to be linked to the Golden Motel and Dee is determined to solve it.

My thanks to the Publisher and the Author for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.

Solid Gold Murder is the second book in the Golden Motel Mystery series by Ellen Byron. I loved returning to Foundgold, CA and the Golden Motel run by best friends (who were married for a very short time when they were younger) Dee Stern and Jeff Cornetta. In the first book, I got to know the characters, but in the second, I feel like I’m returning to old friends.

When Dee accidentally posts a video showing a guest panning for gold in the motel’s makeshift sluice, and actually finding some real gold, she sets off Gold Rush 2.0! Sure, this is great for business, but it’s not so great for law enforcement. Small skirmishes among gold hunters are easy to handle, but when a billionaire tech mogul is found at the bottom of an abandoned mineshaft, Dee is concerned that her motel will once again be dubbed the Murder Motel. After all, the victim and his three friends were staying at The Golden!

This was such a fun, well-plotted cozy mystery! Ellen Byron has a talent for bringing lots of humor into her books. As in her other books, Solid Gold Murder is made up of an eclectic bunch of quirky characters. Though you can easily read this on its own, if you really want to get a feel for the main characters, I recommend you read A Very Woodsy Murder first. I liked that one, but I loved this one! I’m really looking forward to what the future books have in store for them. The mystery has plenty of suspects since the victim was really not a likable guy! I didn’t guess whodunit until close to the end!

I highly recommend Solid Gold Murder for its wonderful cast of characters, laugh out loud humor, unique setting, and complex mystery! 5 stars!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

Ok, so I liked that I didn't know who the murderer was till the end which was nice. I hadn't guessed it, which is always a plus. The setting was fun, the characters were corky and interesting. For me this was a quick, cozy read. It was okay, not my favorite cozy but it wasn't by any means bad. Will I pick up the first one or any others in this series... ehh we'll see. Not a priority, but if the mood strikes, maybe.

I am definitely happy I came back to book two in this series. After book one, I couldn't decide if it was too over the top for me but this second adventure was much more enjoyable even though I still think Dee pushes things a little too much at times, however the story definitely flows better in this tale! There are a lot of fun characters in this series, I was happy to see more of Dee's dad in this one, characters you can love and characters not so much but that's part of the charm! When Dee and Jeff set off a second Gold Rush by mistake, all heck breaks lose with all kinds of interesting folks showing up to try and take advantage, including some super rich tech geeks. When one is murdered through a fall into an old mine, can our friends figure out what happened before the motel is negatively affected? Come along for a wild ride through woods, mines, and streams looking for gold and the answer to an interesting mystery while avoiding bears and cross town rivalries. Thanks to #Netgally, #Kensingtonbooks, and the author for an opportunity to read! #SolidGoldMurder #GoldenMotelMysteries #EllenBryon #bookreviews #bookideas #retiredreaders

When you think the second book cannot be better than the first, but then it is....

The setting and premise are so original, it's unlike any other Cozy Mystery out there. The characters have such chemistry and personality, you forget you are reading instead of hanging out with old friends. And when I say Dee IS Ellen, I mean the sass, humor, and determination is soooo Ellen!

Being dubbed "Murder Motel" isn't good for business and Bud the Bear merch isn't quite bringing in the revenue needed, a faux gold rush idea forms. When real gold is discovered, chaos ensues. When one of the guests turns up dead, Dee is ready to jump on the case to save the motel's reputation. With so many suspects, she has her work cut out for her.

The setting of these books is such a focal point, it's like a paid actor. The small-town vibes are so fun, and the characters are just phenomenal. I also really enjoy the history lessons thrown in there.

I have read every book that Ellen has written, and I really start running out of things to say. It's difficult and I have trouble coming up with words to express how truly amazing she and her books are!! Maybe my next book purchase should be a Thesaurus.

This woman is simply the best!!!

This was a quick read with a bit of a twist that I wasn't expecting. The gold rush idea was a good way to go, and the influx of visitors can only help with suspects! Jeff, Sam and the residents of the towns are back. And if it's a sport, Jeff is hilariously bad at it. I was here for that, it was a good bit. The Bud the bear comics - along with the TV show sub-plot, were enjoyable.

But I also found Dee to be a little more annoying in this book. She does the things she accuses others of - breaking and entering to find out what secrets people might have (but it's okay, she's only trying to help), assaulting someone with bear spray because she didn't like the look on his face when a persons name was mentioned, getting fired from a job she didn't need so that she could snoop - FOR SNOOPING. Like what are we doing here? It's not cute and it's not quirky. Also, the whole sleeping in a tent thing, by the time she was like "why and I doing this" I was wondering why she didn't think that on day 1. Sometimes it's okay to just act like the grown person you are.

This series has one of the more unique & fun premises. A former sitcom wrote Dee, decides to buy, restore & run a motel in the mountains. She’s also doing this with her friend/ex-husband! This is the sophomore book & it proves just as fun as the previous one. Dee accidentally sets off a Gold Rush frenzy when guests find actual gold in their for fun sluicing pan, that the motel provides. Then an annoying young billionaire winds up dead & Dee has to solve another murder on/near her property!

This is a perfect summer read. Outdoorsy & full of lush descriptions of the foliage, water & mountains surrounding the motel. The victim is extremely unlikable & there’s no shortage of suspects both in town & visiting. Dee is a wonderful & relatable main character. And the town is full of quirky personalities that add a lot to the charm of the series. This is the perfect book to pick up for a summer read!

🐻

Read if you like:
* By the Book series by Tamara Berry
* Beacon Bakeshop series by Darci Hannah

Solid Gold Murder is the second book in the Golden Motel Mystery Series by Ellen Byron. The amateur sleuth is Dee Stern a former sitcom writer who purchased a retro motel in the wilds of California.

In Solid Gold Murder, Dee is eager to shake the moniker of "Murder Motel." She comes up with a gold panning activity to draw tourists to the motel. However, when someone discovers a genuine gold nugget, it triggers a modern-day gold rush that attracts all kinds of people to Dee's motel and the local community. Things take a deadly and sinister turn, and Dee ends up with a new mystery on her hands.

Solid Gold Murder is a solid cozy mystery. The sleuth, Dee, and her best buddy/ex-husband make a great investigative team. There are lots of interesting characters that "guest star" in this installment, along with recurring characters like Serena and Elmira.

The mystery is well-plotted and contains enough twists and red herrings to keep you guessing throughout. Author Ellen Byron is an experienced cozy mystery writer, and as a former sitcom writer herself, knows how to interject enough good humor to keep things funny and lighthearted.

The gold country setting is the perfect backdrop for the storyline. I love the vintage motel concept. I also really enjoyed the Bud the Bear cartoons, which are new to this installment.

This book is the second in the series but could easily be read as a stand-alone book.

I am hoping this series keeps going for a long time to come. I am already looking forward to reading book three!

Thanks to Net Galley and Kensington Books for the ARC.

4.5 stars
The main character in this book, Dee Stern, was a sitcom writer who left the cutthroat entertainment industry to open a motel in the rural town of Foundgold, California. Her business partner is her ex-husband and current best friend, Jeff Cornetta. For fun, Dee has started creating fun cartoons starring the local bear, Bud. (I love that some of the cartoons are included in the book!) The suspicious death of a wealthy, high-profile motel guest puts the Golden Motel on the map for all the wrong reasons.

This humorous book is the second in a new series, but would also work as a standalone. I liked the first book, but I really loved this one. While Dee is trying to sell Bud-related merchandise at a neighboring town's flea market run by her nemesis, a modern-day gold rush comes to Foundgold after a viral video shows a discovery of gold. The victim is a jerk, so there's no shortage of suspects. Dee is a clever investigator, but has a knack for getting into awkward situations which is bad for her but fun for the reader. Even though they're no longer a couple, Dee and Jeff make a great team. Like Dee, the author has extensive experience in television, so the book gives an inside look at the industry. All in all, this is an entertaining book and I can't wait for Dee's next adventure.

I received an advance copy of this ebook for review purposes from Kensington Books, Kensington Cozies, and NetGalley. My review is voluntary and unbiased.

This book was a cute, fun, and fast-paced read—an excellent cozy mystery. I enjoyed it more than the first in the series. The returning characters were given more depth, and the new additions brought fresh energy to the story. Bud the bear is still my favorite! I’ll definitely be picking up book three if the author continues the series.

I received the ebook version from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review. I also won a hard copy in a Goodreads giveaway so I was doubly lucky on this one!

Changing your job can be a bit of a gamble. When it means moving location, renovating a small holiday village, and going into partnership with your ex-husband, that gamble is even greater! Add the recently aquired moniker of murder motel to the mix, following the death of a guest just after their grand reopening, and, as Dee Stern is finding out, things are even tougher! So, when the Golden Motel-of-the-Mountains' new panning activity finds real gold, the subsequent rush of bookings is very welcome. Less welcome is the discovery of another body, this time at one of the abandoned local gold mines, and the subsequent attention, once again, of the world's media! Dee is determined to discover the killer’s identity before her business and reputation disappear along with everything else she treasures about her new life, that is if the killer doesn't take that too!

The second book in Ellen Byron's new series is a delight. The humour is infectious, and Dee, once again, is a main protagonist it's easy to cheer for. The various storylines intertwine seamlessly, and red herrings hint at various suspects before the big reveal, which tied everything together extremely satisfactorily. I will definitely be on the lookout for book three in this new series, which has already found its place amongst the author’s other very popular cozy mysteries.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Kensington Publishing, Kensington Cozies, but the opinions expressed are my own. I thoroughly enjoyed this, and the addition of Dee's dad to the main protagonists was a great move. This is easy to recommend.

Solid Gold Murder is the 2nd fun book starring Bud the Bear in Ellen Byron's Golden Motel Mystery series. The characters are wonderful and the cozy mystery kept me guessing. Dee Stern and best friend/ex husband Jeff Cornetta co-own Golden Motel. To increase reservations they decide to have an activity for the tourists to pan for fool's gold except someone finds real gold! The motel fills up quickly. There is a group of 4 wealthy Silicon Valley techies, an older couple on a tight budget and a couple of families staying at the motel.. Dee's father Sam is visiting and helps out with panning for gold. The techie group causes a lot of problems resulting in locals fighting and visitors competing to find gold. One of the techies ends up dead and Dee, Jeff and Detective Raul need to find the culprit before someone else ends up dead. There is humor, friendship, and escapades that make the book so enjoyable. And don't forget Bud the Bear! I really enjoyed both books in the series and I can't wait for the next one! #SolidGoldMurder #GoldenMotelMystery #KensingtonCozies

Byron is one of my favorite cozy mystery authors, so I greatly anticipated this book. It did not disappoint!

Set in beautiful Northern California Gold Rush country, former sitcom writer Dee and her ex-husband, turned best friend and business partner, Jeff, have recently taken over a mid-century motel and are trying to make a go of it. There are rugged forests, abandoned gold mines, lively townsfolk, and a bear to contend with when real gold is found in the area. They are swarmed with visitors looking to find more gold, including some Silicon Valley techies. It isn't long before a body turns up. Dee must get to the bottom of it to save her motel's reputation, as some have already dubbed it "Murder Motel."

Like the FMC, the author was also a sitcom writer, so this book is packed with humor and great dialogue. The characters are well-developed and vibrant, becoming even more well-rounded with this second installment. I like Dee. She's spirited, smart, and kind-hearted. She and Jeff have an endearing dynamic, and it looks like new romances are on the horizon for both of them. The secondary characters are quirky and interesting, my faves being Ma'am and Mr. Ma'am, who steal every scene they're in.

The mystery is well-plotted and intriguing, and the pacing keeps the investigation rolling at a nice clip and adds to the suspense. I was kept on my toes and guessing. I love how Byron integrates the setting into the mystery. The terrain isn't just picturesque. It presents challenges and opportunities to the culprit and amateur sleuth alike. Plus, it's so beautifully described, I'm ready to pack my bags.

This book is pure fun! I love visiting this world and laughing along with Dee and friends as she solves another compelling mystery.

Thank you to Kensington Books and Netgalley for the gifted eARC

Gold Rush 2.0 brings a host of new guests to The Golden Motel. Dee and Jeff are happy to have a full house, but there are new problems afoot.
4 techies come to town and with the way they flaunt their wealth they aren’t very popular. The leader of the pack, Sylvan Burr, is murdered.
Dee gets involved in the investigation, which leads to a number of snooping shenanigans.
This book has a great humorous side while also bringing human issues into focus.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Solid Gold Murder. Bud the bear gets quite a bit of action in the story, and I love Dee’s cartoons of Bud.
Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington for the opportunity to read this book.