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.

Cute, fun, and full of lovable characters. This series makes me happy. The premise in this book of gold being found on the motel’s property is a hoot. My favorite thing is the conversations and interactions, whether between Dee and her friends/family or her and her nemesis, Verity. If you are looking for a true cozy series that will bring a smile to your face, this is the one.

The discovery of REAL gold throws everything up in the air at Dee and Jeff's motel in Golden. Before they know it they've become a must destination even for the kinda loathsome Sylvan who ends up dead at the bottom of a mine shaft. Dee and Jeff find themselves navigating murder (again) and working through the rather lengthy list of people who did not like Sylvan. This has all the feels of a cozy and a fun setting (two competing towns! a bear!) but it's the lead charactrers of Dee and Jeff that make it. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. The second in a series but will be enjoyable as a standalone.

Dee Stern is loving life at the retro California motel that she runs with her best friend (and ex-boyfriend) Jeff Cornetta. They have set up a sluice for guests to pan for gold, prepared to give away fool's gold, and are surprised when real gold is found. Tourists descend upon the motel, including an obnoxious group of four wealthy tech wizards. When one of those tourists ends up dead, Dee sets out to solve the murder.

I wanted to read Solid Gold Murder because I love cozy mysteries, enjoy Ellen Byron's writing (her vintage cookbook series is another favorite), and love this new Golden Motel Mystery series.

This is such a fun book - and a perfect summer read! I absolutely love the retro motel setting, the small town craft fair drama, and the local gold rush history of Foundgold and Goldsgone. Dee is a smart, funny, and resourceful amateur detective. I enjoyed her friendships and of course her lovable hound dog Nugget. There are even cute cartoons that Dee draws of a bear who likes to visit the motel!

The mystery aspects of the story are well done. The killer surprised me! I enjoyed sleuthing along with Dee as she worked to solve the mystery.

I highly recommend Solid Gold Murder - and this fun series - for cozy mystery fans.

Dee and Jeff are trying hard to make a go as moteliers, especially after their motel is dubbed "Murder Motel" after the events in the last book, but it's not to be. After gold is found nearby, gold fever strikes; billionaire techies show up to cash in on what is touted as the second gold rush - unfortunately things go awry and instead of gold, someone finds a dead body.

I really enjoyed the second book in this series! I hope to see more of Bud the Bear in the books to come - read the book and you'll see! There are a few budding relationships I'm looking forward to seeing through.

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

4.8*

Small town gold mining meeting big city tech money made for a fun story in this one. I enjoyed this second book in the series more than the first, and I think the characters are being well established (and I really enjoy the feud and back and forth between Goldsgone and Foundgold).

I absolutely adore this cozy mystery series. Dee is plucky and relatable. And Bud the Bear? Well, I think every good cozy needs an animal sidekick.

The Golden Motel is a rustic camp experience, in a rustic mountain town, which is just fine with Dee, as long as she has visitors to keep it open. She definitely wasn't planning on gold fever though.

This book (and its predecessor] is a perfect summer retreat read. If you're camping or hiking on vacation instead of needing a beach read, grab this one! I mean, you could definitely read it at the beach too!

"Go run your motel. Get hobbies. Ones that don't include snooping. Make some more Bud the Bear swag. Learn how to canoe. Do anything but try and figure out who offed him."

Love Dee, love these books, love this author.

I LOVED this book! I devoured it, I could not put it down. I love Dee and her sass and savvyness and also her passion for making her new dreams work. I would visit The Golden in a heartbeat and love the atmosphere with the trails, rivers, old mines, and two "rival" towns. I probably wouldn't camp because if the adorably named and honestly hilarious Bud the bear. This book had danger around each twist and turn and I was SHOCKED by the ending. I loved the mix of poignant moments where we learn about people's past and sometimes their struggles, the hilarious moments, and the drama. This is cozy with a kick and the only thing missing was a little more budding romance, though I kind of did not notice until the end. I love how Dee's dad helped investigate and all her interactions with her bestie Jeff had me smiling.

I already cannot wait for more!

Trying to entice guests to stay at their motel and drawing on the history of Foundgold and its surroundings, Dee and Jeff introduce gold-panning, complete with fool’s gold. When a real gold nugget is found, though, people from all over flock to the motel, many of whom intent on checking out the abandoned mines located in the surrounding woods. When a particularly unpleasant guest is found at the bottom of a mineshaft, they are determined to solve the crime and prevent the public relations disaster that could destroy their business for good.

This author writes a few other series that I enjoy, and I liked the first book in this series, so it’s not surprising that I liked this book too. I like both Dee and Jeff, who could be an awkward couple, given that they were once married, but they’ve become good friends who work well together. I like most of the townspeople, but my favorites are probably Ma’am and Mr. Ma’am. I also appreciate that the local law enforcement isn’t portrayed as bumbling idiots, but competent at their jobs.

The murder victim was arrogant, entitled, smug and snide (and I’m probably missing a few adjectives), so there were quite a few suspects to consider. I fell for some of the red herrings along the way because they were so logical, but wasn’t especially surprised when the killer was revealed. Although it was a bit sad, given that person, the motive made complete sense.

I look forward to reading the next book in this series but am glad I have a few other books by this author to read while I wait :)

Dee unexpectedly turns a panning for gold experience at their motel into a gold rush when a nugget is discovered. But all turns deadly when someone ends up at the bottom of a mine shaft dead. Lots of supects. Great character development. Thanks#Netgalley and #Kensington for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

Dee Stern and her ex-husband, Jeff Cornetta, have embarked on a new adventure by purchasing a hotel in California’s gold country. To escape their infamous reputation as the “Murder Hotel,” Dee introduces a panning for gold feature at the hotel. A viral video of a customer finding gold sparks a new gold rush, attracting potential prospectors, including four wealthy tech moguls. However, the festivities take a dark turn when one of the tech bros is murdered, forcing Dee to help solve the crime.

The quirky characters of the small towns of Foundgold and Goldsgone add a delightful layer of humor to the story. The engaging mystery keeps the reader guessing until the very end. I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy mystery, and I highly recommend it. I eagerly anticipate the next book in the series. I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for my honest review.

The second book in the series is great! The Motel is filled with would be gold hunters, including four tech moguls, who want to buy an entire town as well as seek gold. When one of the tech guys is found dead in an abandoned mine, Dee, Jeff and Sam work to find the killer. The fun Bud the Bear cartoons add to the book and provide some comic relief to the search for the murderer.. Great characters, an interesting story and a surprise twist keel readers guessing who really committed the murder.
I received an advanced copy of the book in exchange for a review. # ellenbyron, #kensingtknbooks

I enjoyed this return trip to Foundsgold and the Golden Motel but unfortunately, I did not enjoy it as much as the first book. I did not find it as funny and I was a bit disappointed by that.

Dee Stern is determined to make the Golden Motel a success and so adds a sluice for panning for "gold" for her guests. When two actually find real gold and thanks to a social media blunder on Dee's part, she accidentally starts a second gold rush. Please that her motel is now full, even if it is for the wrong reasons, she gets a surprise visit from a tech genius young billionaire, who thinks he is untouchable. When he winds up dead at the bottom of a mine, Dee steps in to investigate and hopefully spare a reprisal of "The Murder Motel" label from the first book. She gets more than she bargained for in the adventure, including sleeping in a tent to participate in a craft fair hosted by her nemesis, Verity Yes-that-Donner Gillespie.

This book has great quirky characters (though the techies left something to be desired) and Bud the Bear is quite the star. I loved the addition of the Bud comics and illustrations in the story. To me, this plot seemed to go on a tad longer than needed but other than that I really liked the book.

My thanks to Kensington Cozies and Netgalley for this ARC.

In this second book in the Golden Motel series, Dee’s father Sam inadvertently sets off gold rush 2.0. A full motel is good for business until one of the guests turns up dead. This is a fun read with lots of quirky characters - including Bud the bear. The historical section about gold mining were interesting, I would have enjoyed more of that.

Dee Stern and her ex-husband-turned-business-partner Jeff Cornetta left the fast paced Hollywood life behind. They now own the Golden Motel located in the scenic Californian village of Foundgold.  They have invested everything in this venture and are determined to see it succeed.

Their latest addition is a family-friendly panning activity complete with fool’s gold. Dee's dad is helping guests with their first panning experience when the family unexpectedly finds a real gold nugget. Dee had been recording their experience for their motel website and is advised by a local to delete the video so they don't have a rush of crazy people trying to find gold. Unfortunately, she was so startled by the find that she accidentally loaded the film to her website. The video triggered a media frenzy and wanna be gold prospectors started arriving in full force.

The gold rush was great for business. Unfortunately it drew thrill seekers to the abandoned mines scattered around the woods, creating potential dangerous situations. One of those thrill seekers was Sylvan Burr, a retired CEO who sold his startup before age 30. He and his friends arrived on his private helicopter and began making demands. Soon Dee was calling in local police to search for the missing CEO. His body was found at the bottom of an abandoned mine, but this was not an accident. It was murder.

Dee and Jeff need to identify the killer before The Golden Motel becomes known as The Murder Motel.

#SolidGoldMurder

Hoping to salvage her motel’s reputation and make people forget the unfortunate nickname of the nickname of “the Murder Motel,” Dee Stern and her partner, Jeff Cornetta, introduce a gold-panning sluice as a family-friendly amenity. The sluice is more successful than anticipated when guests find real gold alongside the fool’s gold. The discovery starts a modern day goldrush, and the Golden Motel is soon booked with prospectors. Everything is going well until the insanely rich and extremely arrogant Sylvan Burr is found dead at the bottom of an old, abandoned mineshaft. Sylvan had plenty of enemies—even among his group of friends—and Dee takes it upon herself to figure out which one is the killer.

SOLID GOLD MURDER was an enjoyable read. The setting is unique and picturesque. I wouldn’t mind vacationing at the Golden Motel so I can visit the towns of Foundgold and Goldsgone. Dee Stern is a likeable and relatable main character, as are most of the secondary characters. The only unlikable aspect of the book (aside from Verity Yes-that-Donner Gillespie) is the murder victim. I was cheering for Dee to solve the murder mainly to save the reputation of her motel over getting justice for the dead guy. I also enjoyed the various subplots that added to the overall story.

The Golden Motel is the epicenter of Gold Rush 2.0. With so many people converging on the village of Foundgold, it's only a matter of time before gold fever strikes.

I'm a big fan of Ellen Byron's books and this series is a fun departure from her Louisiana series. The setting of this series is very picturesque, I love the mountains and the state park and how everyone is devoted to maintaining the old-fashioned charm of the place. The discovery of gold and the crowds it brings to town were a fun plot line but it was a relief to see them all going home at the end of the book.

This series is a great read for anyone who is interested in reading about the old west, mountains, retro settings, hiking, close family and friend groups, but beware! Verity Yes-that-Donner Gillespie is lurking around every corner, ready to poo on everyone's parade without a moment's notice!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.