The death of Emmaline McCoy’s beloved aunt Lydie in a hit-an-run accident shatters her world. Granted two weeks of bereavement leave from her corporate Los Angeles job, Emma heads to the small Northern California coastal town of Justice Bay to settle Lydie’s estate and sell her waterfront cottage. As Emma navigates grief and lookie-loo home buyers, she opens a popup store in town to re-home the antiques and collectibles accumulated from her aunt’s travels. The sluggish pace of the police investigation and a growing belief that her aunt’s death was not an accident compel her to search for clues on her own. Her investigation uncovers alarming information and stimulates the onset of bizarre paranormal visions! This book is sort of like a cozy mystery but with some bite! It had great suspense, thrilling mystery, murder, intrigue, and very interesting characters! The story was very interesting! I definitely recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Very interesting read I enjoyed it keep me going till the last page just when I thought I had it figured out I really didn’t but the twist came swinging!! Thank you for this read

3.5 stars. A DARK SEPTEMBER NIGHT follows Emmaline (Emma) as she navigates through settling her aunt’s estate after her aunt’s unexpected death. Once Emma reaches her aunt’s house in Justice Bay, she discovers some unusual circumstances surrounding her aunt’s death which leads her to investigate what happened.

The setting is nicely described, as are the supporting characters. Emma’s aunt’s neighbor, Walter, is a bit cagey, but he warms up to her over time. I really liked her friend, Maddie, as well as Walter’s nephew, Cooper. And of course, Arthur, her employee at the pop-up shop, was adorable. I liked Emma, too, but I felt she was a bit slow to pick up on some of the clues.

The pacing was a bit lethargic in the beginning, but it did pick up after the halfway mark. I especially enjoyed the supernatural element and hope to see more of it in the next book.

Overall, I enjoyed A DARK SEPTEMBER NIGHT, and am looking forward to continuing the series.

A Dark September Night by Patricia Smiley is a really interesting and easy to read mystery. I had never heard of this author before so finding this arc on NetGalley and reading a brief description about the book was why I decided to give it a try. And I’m really glad that I did because I really enjoyed it and I’ve now found a new author to read and follow. The location of the story takes place in Justice Bay which I believe is probably a fictional place but it sounds absolutely beautiful and breathtaking there. The main character, Emmaline McCoy, inherits her aunts home and all her assets after she is run down in a hit and run accident not far from her property and left there dead. Emma, as she goes by in the book, travels to Justice Bay to sell her aunts home and her many collections with plans of returning to Los Angeles where she works at Fortuna Cruise Lines as a Marketing Director. But once back in Justice Bay around all of her aunts belongings and in the cottage where so many wonderful memories were made, Emma decides she’d really like to stay. With absolutely zero help from the local police, Emma decides to investigate her aunts death since she feels it wasn’t just an accident and that fowl play was involved. What added a little extra spice to the storyline is that her aunt was believed to be a little psychic and that just maybe Emma is too. On a couple of incidents, she spaces out and is able to get glances at things that others around her don’t see. It was a nice touch that added an extra something special to the story. I thought Emma was an exceptionally smart and caring individual who wouldn’t give up until she learned the truth and could bring peace to her deceased aunts spirit. I’d like to thank Level Best Books and NetGalley for the arc that I found on the Read Now section. This was a really great mystery and it’s one I’d recommend to other readers. I’m giving this a 5 star rating and would be very interested in reading more by this author in the future.

5 stars are not enough.

Emma McCoy has to leave LA behind to go to Justice Bay to handle everything after her beloved Aunt is a victim in a hit and run.
Thankfully there are a lot of helpful new friends to stand by Emma because the sheriff doesn't do much.

This book had everything, spies, town weirdos, funny characters, cozy settings, a little bit of the supernatural. So it is a perfect read to lounge on the sofa on a rainy day, or like I did, out on my balcony while it's gloomy.

The author describes everything perfectly which helps you be right in the middle of the story.

From beginning to the end this was fantastic and I do hope we can return to Justice Bay sometime.

A new series by Patricia Smiley makes me happy. I look forward to more. The characters are all interesting, place, and plot - just right.

#ADarkSeptemberNight #NetGalley is a wonderful cozy mystery that grabbed my attention from the beginning and I could not put it down.
Emmaline returns to Justice Bay after receiving the news of her Aunt Lydie's tragic death.
Lydie was a world traveler who loved Emma as if she were her own.
Emmaline has a lot of questions regarding her aunt's death, but the police chief brushes off her concerns, eager to close the case and label it accidental.
Emma refuses to be ignored, even though her boss is pushing her to return to work, even threatening to replace her.
Emma will not back down and she refuses to believe her aunt's death a simple accident.
I really liked this book, it hooked my interest immediately and I hope there will be more in this new, unique series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.