A bed and breakfast run by vampires, in a town full of the paranormal.
This was the coziest of romps for me. If you love cozy mystery and the paranormal world, this is the perfect book for you!

You'll be invested into the partnership and love between our vampire bed and breakfast owning couple, you'll want spin offs about the others paranormals in the town, and you'll love solving this mystery along with the cast of this book.

Sal and Arthur make an amusing vampire odd couple. The former, who is much younger, longs to establish roots in the town he visited as a child, while the latter is a theatrical global traveller, full of puns and stories of dubious reality. Due in part to anti-paranormal attitude in the area, their somewhat rundown bed and breakfast is having trouble. Arthur fumbles through an investigation to clear his name when Sal is falsely accused of murder. This combines the greatest aspects of a humorous paranormal and a small-town murder mystery.

I really enjoyed Dead & Breakfast. It's a cozy vampire mystery full of humorous, lovable characters. My favorite part was how the authors took typical vampire lore and made it their own--how fun, honestly. Such a nice, refreshing take on vampire fiction. Arthur and Sal are the two new vampires in town, and have opened a bed and breakfast they hope will be successful... but when the mayor is found dead on their property, they will have to prove Sal is not guilty, and hope that the accusation doesn't ruin their reputation in town. Definitely the first book in a fun series!

This draaaaaaaaaaagged. 😭 And I hate one of the two main characters (Sal). All in all, not an enjoyable read. There might be a good story in there but it is NOT presented well. Disappointing.

A cozy mystery which didn't make more of the paranormal world building.

Salvatore and Arthur are a gay vampire couple who purchased the Iris Inn, a Bed & Breakfast in the quiet Town of Trident Falls, Oregon, in an attempt to set down roots.  Arthur has lovely memories of the town from his childhood.  They finally have their first guest and things are starting to look up for them. Then the Mayor's dead body is found dumped in their garden crushing their freshly planted begonias. Being a dump site is bad enough for business but when there are two puncture marks in the side his neck, everyone--especially the witless Sheriff--is looking at the only two vampires in town.

Admittedly not every one has been welcoming Sal and Arthur with open arms but killing the Mayor to frame them for murder seems a bit over-the-top. The Sheriff has determined Sal is guilty, even before the autopsy has been performed, and has called the PFI (Paranormal Federal Investigation) to come pick him up, so it is up to Arthur to figure out the killer before they arrive on Monday to take Sal away.

THOUGHTS:
Let's start with the positive. The story only introduced a few characters so obviously our list of suspects is small, but they did a good job keeping us guessing as to who the killer was regardless.

I liked Arthur's stoic nature in direct opposition to Sal's gregarious--quite frankly, Drama-Queen personality. The authors also have Sal, who was older by centuries, to be more modern and technologically advanced of the two. Maybe his centuries of having to conform left him more willing to keep up. Also needing to adapt to hide in plain sight before vampires were known and accepted. Arthur and Sal complemented each other well as a couple.  Sal was funny with his stories of his antics over the centuries and even Arthur wasn't certain which ones might be real and which he kept making up. He also kept changing his dress style, hopping around the centuries each day. Whether he is wearing belle bottoms and tie dyed or a ruffled shirts and a codpiece, Sal was entertaining.

But in this story, they really didn't need to be vampires. First, all of the myths are wrong. They go out in the sun (just weaker). They can eat garlic (but Sal doesn't like it). Holy water isn't a problem (Arthur is Jewish). They can eat regular food and just add blood to their diet. They don't have many awesome vampire powers since Arthur is young and Sal's maker wasn't very powerful himself. Sal can't fly but he can hover a little bit. They actually went to bed at a night when vampires are more powerful and full of energy, which didn't make sense. The only issue in this story is that the Mayor was found with two puncture wounds on his neck and no blood. Of course the Sheriff jumps right on these facts to arrest Sal, never thinking that it was pretty suspicious that a vampire who hid himself for centuries decided to drain a body and dump it on his own front lawn.

Arthur disliked the handsome and only werewolf in Town, Theo, although he had no issue with the one fae, Lore, who was the coroner. We don't hear about any other paranormal settled in town, and even Arthur says it's possible there might be another vampire around killing. We know that not everyone is happy about vampires and paranormals in their town and there are a group of teens graffiti-ing the businesses.

This was a good cozy mystery and while the gay, vampire couple makes an interesting choice for our mystery solvers, I don't think the authors did enough with the paranormal aspect of the story. Arthur and Sal didn't have any real drawbacks because they were vampires, except stakes. We don't know much about Theo or Lore and their paranormal selves. We have a scene where Arthur and Sal are trying to sneak up on Theo and he let's them know with "werewolf hearing,"  and that he knew they were there the whole time. So even vampires aren't aware of something basic like werewolves had great hearing?

I presume this is the beginning of a new series of cozy mysteries. I would like to see the authors add some world-building and lean a little harder into the paranormal aspect of this series and make it more important.

This book is GENUIS. I described it in BlueSky as “giving Birdcage with paranormal elements.” I stand by this. Arthur & Sal are the neighbors I crave. I could listen to Sal’s stories all day & Arthur could cook all the breakfasts. Bliss! Also, a werewolf barista? An elven coroner? Women in positions of political power? Always a good time! I absolutely adore how the authors touched on the ostracizing effects of “othering” (think: racism, homophobia, etc) and applied it to paranormal-ism. It was very well done.

I got this book as an ARC over on NetGalley, but I am 100% buying the physical copy upon release!

I loved this cozy mystery full of banter, found family, and small town shenanigans! Something about a cute married couple solving a murder really works for me. This was a lighthearted read and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes vampires and enjoyed Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers and The Thursday Murder Club.

This book was a cute cozy mystery. I liked the main couple, a pair of married vampires named Arthur and Sal. Arthur is our detective. Together, they run a bed & breakfast and seek to build a life in a small town in Oregon. They finally get a paying customer when the body of the mayor is found in their flower beds, drained of blood and with two tell-tale marks on the neck. Arthur, a mystery reader aficionado, takes it upon himself to prove his husband’s innocence when suspicion lands on Sal. That leads to a series of fun, if slightly bumbly, investigations.

For me, the book does have two primary weaknesses – but the amount to which they’ll affect someone’s enjoyment will largely depend on personal taste. First, I found the analogue of supernatural-to-queer was heavy handed. No problem at all with the authors’ making commentary on the state of queer acceptance, just wish it was handled less clunkily. Second, the world building was too shallow for me. We get told things, like that Arthur has a more powerful sire, or that elves don’t use gender identifiers in front of their names (e.g., Mr., Miss), but the lore is SO superficial. What worldbuilding was present (like why some vampires are allergic to garlic or hurt by holy symbols and others aren’t) were pretty well done; I just wanted more.

All that said, I’d still recommend this for any fan of cozy and/or queer mysteries. It’s a quick, fun read, and I’d be interested in reading more if this leads to a sequel or series.

📖 Bookish Moments:
Absolutely OBSESSED with Arthur and Sal! Cutest little couple ever. This was a cozy and queer vampire whodunit mystery, and obviously I was hooked from the start. Plus, I really loved that our couple is an older queer couple 😍🥰

Arthur and Sal run a charming bed and breakfast, but when the mayor turns up dead (with suspicious puncture wounds of course), they’re thrown into full investigation mode! With Sal as the number one suspect! They were both so freaking funny and maybe a little bit unhinged, and I loved every second of it. Also, shoutout to their adorable cat. We love a cat dad!

Overall, I really enjoyed this heartwarming, sweet read and really hope it becomes a series! Because I need more of their shenanigans! I also can't wait to hear the audiobook because I just KNOW it’s going to be so good!

🩷 What You Can Expect:
• Married vampire MMCs
• Cozy murder mystery vibes
• Bed & breakfast chaos
• Queer rep
• Found family
• Cottagecore vibes

Release Date: October 14, 2025
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

Cozy mystery meets cozy fantasy in this charming cream puff of a book. Cute werewolf cafes, bickering couples, waffle brunches, exsanguinations...what's not to like?

Unfortunately the cover was the best part of the book for me 🙁 it wasn’t terrible but I have to admit I was quite bored and ended up skimming a good portion of the last half. It just felt sort of hollow and lacking a richness that I think it easily could have had.

An enjoyable supernatural cozy murder mystery with an off-beat sitcom-style tone. This is a deeply silly book. Our vampiric main character, Arthur Miller (no relation), gets everywhere by tandem bicycle because he thinks cars go too fast. The actual murder plot largely takes a sideline to the cast of quirky characters. Arthur and his husband Salvatore are a lot of fun, both individually and as a couple. We don't find out much about how they first got together in this book, but I hope potential future books will fill in more details.
Fans of Alexis Hall will find a lot to like here, as will anyone looking for a light and comedic cozy murder mystery.

Well, I think that's the final nail in the coffin, so to speak. I'm not a paranormal cozy mystery gal. I could not love this–overdramatic Sal grated, I get the worst secondhand embarrassment when people try to break into a house, and the supernatural elements do nothing for me.

I would gift this book in an instant, but it wasn't for me.

If you read anything from my review let it be this: ‼️ NEVER, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, FEED MILK TO CATS ‼️ Please edit this out of the book before release.

Dead & Breakfast is a quirky paranormal whodunnit mystery where Arthur, an undead vampire and owner of the struggling Iris Inn, must solve the murder of the town's mayor to prevent his husband from being put behind bars... for eternity. It is clearly the start of a series, but thankfully avoids ending on a cliffhanger.

First, the book fully embraces its silliness, committing wholeheartedly to its over-the-top humor, even when addressing heavy topics. Its political undertones draw a clear parallel between vampirism and queerness, as Arthur and Salvatore navigate vicious bigotry in their small town. I didn't expect the book to be quite so lighthearted in tone while dealing with such serious themes, which feel relevant to our current times.

The novel's strengths lie in its laugh-out-loud moments and puns (though they may be overdone at times). The relationship between the main characters is lovely, and their few allies add charm to the story. However, the worldbuilding feels somewhat underdeveloped, leaving out many details about the paranormal universe they live in.

The mystery itself is lackluster. There's a limited cast of characters, so I was able to guess who the murderer was very early on. While a few moments briefly cast doubt, I'd argue they're more messy characterization than clever plotting by the authors. I enjoyed that Arthur took notes relating to the case in his little notebook but felt this aspect was underutilized. By the end of the book, I grew frustrated with all the ineffective red herrings: I never once believed any of them, so I was annoyed that the MCs wouldn't give up on them.

Regarding the characters, I thought the supporting cast was fine for their limited airtime. The main characters' backstory felt lacking, though I recognize their past will be expanded upon in future instalments of the series. What I found most annoying, however, was that the cat was used as a prop—a mere object to carry around or forget about—something cutesy for the background but certainly not a living being. While I understand the book aims to be a silly comedy, there are limits to what one can take at face value.

Overall, I enjoyed this funny read, the cute cottagecore vibes and lovely supporting characters. The heavy themes were touching, and the burgeoning friendships among townsfolk were heartwarming. It's a solid first book, and I can't wait to read more in this series!

In a hilarious combination of Inspector Clouseau meets What We Do in the Shaddows, two vampires (Arthur and Sal) are trying to run a Bed & Breakfast in Trident Falls, Oregon, only for the mayor of their town (a staunch anti-supernatural man) to wind up dead on their doorstep, drained of blood. A cozy, paranormal mystery, Dead & Breakfast will have you alternately face palming and ROTFLYAO. I want so many more books about Arthur and Sal. Great job at following the ten commandments for Detective Novels, even if we are technically breaking rule number two. Actually, wait, since the *redacted spoiler* I think you're safe.

Heavy on banter with a bland solution. Arthur and Sal are charming, but the world they inhabit feels like one of missed potential. Arthur is so busy accusing everyone around them of being the murderers that we cannot spend meaningful amounts of time forging genuine connections with the supporting cast. This is problematic for the narrative, which is trying to pitch itself as a kind of found-family cosy ensemble book. While reading scenes on end of a loving married couple bickering was fun, it might have been better if some more page time had been reserved for bonding with the neighbors.

This was really cute! Salvatore gave me lazlo from what we do in the shadows vibes and that was really the only thing I needed lol

Arthur and Sal are just like any other small business owners in the quaint town of Trident Falls. They're looking for a way to set down roots in their community and provide quality service to their customers. There's just one problem: Arthur and Sal are trying to do all of this while also trying to be accepted in vampires in a community led by an anti-paranormal mayor. Arthur and Sal feel some optimism when they meet Nora, the new city manager who is in the paranormal residents' corner. It's just too bad that she also stumbles upon the mayor's body in Arthur and Sal's garden, drained of its blood and with two distinctive puncture wounds in the neck.

This was a delightfully charming and perfectly cozy mystery that completely lived up to my expectations. The setting of Trident Falls provided the perfect backdrop for the story, and was well-established throughout. I could easily picture any number of towns that I've traveled through which are trying to embrace the future without completely forgetting the past that made them. The various characters we meet along the way are equally well-defined, particularly Theo, coffee shop owner and attorney at "claw." I had the biggest laugh of the book when Arthur and Sal make a late-night attempt to investigate Theo's home, and am still chuckling just thinking about the entire sequence of events.

And as for Arthur and Sal, I only wish we learned more about them! I adored their dynamic - almost a grump/sunshine, to borrow from the romance realm. Sal's personality and antics gave me Lazlo from What We Do in the Shadows vibes, which is high praise coming from me. As the more staid and serious partner, Arthur was wonderfully put-together, polite, and dedicated to his partner that you want no bad to come to him. He reminded me of a vampiric Ted Lasso in some ways, which is again, high praise.

If I had one real complaint, I left the story wanting to know more about Sal and Arthur's history together, particularly how they got together. There are mentions of the night they meet, but nothing else to flesh out the start of their relationship. But maybe that's a story for second book?? I would love to spend more time with the citizens of Trident Falls, from Lore to Nora to Rumble!

Thank you to Berkeley Publishing Group and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

A cozy mystery where the main characters are queer vampires that own a bed and breakfast??? I feel like this book was specifically written for me. First let me say, I love cozy mysteries, I read them as palate cleansers or whenever I need to get out of a reading slump. Because it is a cozy whodunit, the book isn't overly gory and very easy to follow along. I had fun with the characters and the plot was intriguing enough to keep my interest. I hope this is the start of a new series.

This is my first book by the authors; it was such a delightful read! I laughed throughout the entire thing.

Dead & Breakfast is a cozy mystery filled with humor. Arthur and Sal are both sassy, sarcastic, and sweet. I loved their banter and the way they played off each other.

The murder mystery is engaging with plenty of eccentric suspects. It's light enough to keep things cozy but with enough intrigue to keep you turning the page. The entire cast makes the book a must-read. I would love to book a night at this B&B!

Thank you, NetGalley and the Berkley Publishing Group, for this wonderful read! This was a 4.5 read for me!