The Overlook Murder

Wealthy Damian Susskind, having recently survived a heart attack, is having guests over for the day. When he suddenly dies there is a whole house of suspects including retired cop Bill O'Shea. Local police are short handed so they ask Bill to investigate. Good story keeps you interested.

I very much enjoyed the cast of characters and the intrigue in this small town whodunit. The depth of character development really added to the story and highlighted the motives of all, turning small players into potential suspects. The discovery process ensured an enthralling progression of the storyline. The geographical descriptions were expansive enough to make you feel the layout of the town. I found the book very entertaining, and it is a great whodunit if you like mysteries with a surprise ending. I hope to read more about these characters that I have come know and like so much!

The rich entrepreneur Damian Susskind has recently survived a heart attack and quintuple bypass surgery. Suddenly aware of his own mortality, Damian summons his family and friends to Wintergreen to share the latest plans for his will. Unfortunately for Damian, one of those in attendance bears him malicious intent, and by the end of the day, Damian is dead. This is the second in the Bill O’Shea mystery series but reads well as a stand alone. There are lots of characters and at times they are a bit hard to keep track of but this is a well plotted mystery that held me all the way to the end. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

This is kind of hard to rate. It took me awhile to get into the story, but then I wanted to keep reading. Bill is a retired detective with a new love who runs a catering business. While he is helping her cater a day of meals to a wealthy client and his company, he suddenly drops dead (I mean, literally, drops).

There are a plethora of causes and a plethora of suspects. Even though I figured out who was responsible, I still enjoyed reading it. And kudos for a clean book without sex or profanity!

It's an entertaining and enjoyable cozy mystery that kept me hooked and guessing.
I liked Bill and I think that the characters are fleshed out. The mystery is solid and well plotted.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Rich entrepreneur Damian Susskind falls from the Overlook. It's recorded as an accidental death. Forensic evidence suggests to retired police detective Bill O’Shea that it was murder. There are many suspects as they all have motive - money. Will Bill solve the investigation?

I really enjoyed this murder mystery by Patrick Kelly. This was the first book I read in the series, so I need to go and get the others. If you like cozy murder mysteries, then this book is for you.

When a rich businessman falls to his death from the overlook, there are no shortage of suspects each with a reason to see him die sooner rather than later. For the second time, retired policeman Bill O'Shea is asked to help out and bring his experience to bear in solving the murder. An added twist is that he and girlfriend Cindy are possible suspects as the victim appears to have been fed a poisonous substance whilst a guest of Cindy's catering company. This novel has a cosy feel which reminded me a little of the Lilian Jackson Braun's 'The Cat Who...' series in the way the story is routed in the locality with members of the neighbourhood taking significant roles in the outcome. Although I had no read the first in the series, it was easy to follow the developing relationships between key characters which were woven into the plot. This is a very enjoyable novel and would make an excellent holiday read.

What could happen when a wealthy man, who has survived a health scare, decides to give away quite a bit of his money? He might end up dead and a fall from a ledge could cause that death. Retired detective Bill O’Shea has been helping his girlfriend with her catering jobs. While at the residence of a local millionaire, Damian Susskind, Bill is called to the scene of the man’s death. Was it an accident or did someone make sure that he fell? The Wintergreen Police Department is not only short on personnel, but the interim chief has no police experience. Bill methodically investigates the people surrounding the dead man and possible reasons on who might want him dead. Could it be the stepdaughter, his personal assistant, the COO of his company, his attorney or the man who left the company to begin his own business? Will the final attempt to trap the killer be a success? I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

The second book in this mystery series does not disappoint. Wealthy Damian Susskind decides to have a gathering of friends and family to discuss the latest changes to his will. Retired detective Bill O'Shea was helping his girlfriend Cindy cater the dinner for the gathering and witnesses first hand the tensions among the guests. When Damian dies after falling off a hiking trail, Bill doesn't think it was an accident. The Wintergreen police department are short staffed and ask Bill for his assistance. Everyone at the dinner are suspects. Including the catering staff. This was a good book that had me hooked from the first page. Thank you for the advance copy Netgalley!

law-enforcement, retired-cop, small-town, small-business, catering, murder, murder-investigation, poisons, Virginia, family, family-business, family-drama, family-dynamics, consultant, closed-circle-mystery, due-diligence, masseuse*****

Did he fall or was he pushed? He was poisoned?!
Damien, the wealthy entrepreneur behaved oddly just before going on a hike with other guests at his home despite recently having had a major coronary and bypass surgery.
Bill is a retired homicide detective who has connections with the local law and was at the man's house working alongside (Bill's girlfriend) the caterer. That theoretically makes him a suspect when the autopsy comes in with a diagnosis of poison. Even so, Bill gets in on the due diligence as a consultant. Smart policework wins again!
Engaging characters, beautiful imagery of places in the mountains, surprising twists, and diverting red herrings. Great read!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from BooksGoSocial via NetGalley. Thank you!

This was an interesting story whilst at the same time painting a very descriptive account of the area and scenery. The story centres around the death of a wealthy millionaire Damian Susskind and the efforts of the local police together with the help of retired detective Bill O'Shea to determine whether the death was an accident or murder.
Lots of suspect to keep the story ticking along with a page turning climax. This was a very enjoyable read.

I received a copy of The Overlook Murder from NetGalley and the Publishers in exchange for honest feedback.

I didn't realize this book was the second in a series at first, however I was able to appreciate it as a stand alone mystery. There were a lot of characters introduced right in the beginning that were a little hard to follow, but once I got them straight, it was no problem at all.

The story was engaging and jumped right into the action. I would definitely be interested in reading the rest of the series!

Well crafted characters, an underlying sense of menace and an immersive narrative combine for a suspenseful, one sit read.

This was a great book to read. Clean language and just a plain, old whodunit. With loads of twists and turns.
Every time one thought you had it figured out, there was another twist ahead that left your theory in pieces.
Although this book appears to be the second one in the series, it doesn't need the first to be read for the second to be enjoyed.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book.

The Overlook Murder

by Patrick Kelly

Bill O’Shea was a big-city police detective. He has retired and is settling into his new home in the mountain resort of Wintergreen. His condominium is near the condo of Cindy, his new girlfriend. In The Overlook Murder by Patrick Kelly, Bill is helping Cindy with her catering business. She has been hired to provide meals and refreshments for a small group event for a wealthy businessman, Damian Susskind, at his mountain retreat.

All goes well until some of the guests go on a hike, starting a spiral of deadly events. Was the fall off a cliff an accident, the result of a medical event, or a murder? Everyone at the house that day is a suspect including Bill. Bill, nevertheless, is asked to assist in the investigation that becomes a combination of medical forensics, intense interviews, old-fashioned searches, and astute reasoning.

The book is written in short chapters, and the author excels in providing hooks that draw the reader into the next chapter. It is a page turner. The author is also skillful in descriptive writing that makes you feel you are in the scene.

As Bill and the local officers dive into the investigation with interviews and research, we learn more about the backgrounds and personalities of the guests and of the investigators. By the end of the book you know details about Bill and Cindy and their ex-spouses. Cindy’s son Justin has a major career decision as does his new girlfriend Maggie. All of the guests have complicated relationships with the host and motivations for murder. A little humor is added with Bill’s efforts to befriend Mr. Chips, a groundhog.

I have not read the first book in the series. It was referred to a number of times in The Overlook Murder as many of the characters had met in The Mountain View Murder. I did not feel I missed anything in the current book. I’m looking forward to reading about the adventures Bill encounters in the next police procedural Murder in White.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Mystery

Notes: #2 in the Wintergreen Mystery Series, but can be read as a standalone.

Publication: June 4, 2022—Chaparral Press

Memorable Lines:

But if the prosecuting attorney couldn’t make a case, the true cause of death would remain a mystery, perhaps for all time. Which was part of the job. If you couldn’t deal with uncertainty, you shouldn’t become a homicide detective.

After a quick dinner, Bill strolled onto his balcony to watch the approaching storm. Wind rushed up the mountain and eerily moaned as it fought for entrance to closed windows and doors. Lightning flashed in the Rockfish Valley.

Bill wrestled with where to take the conversation. Secrets were like hidden fruit in a tree. Sometimes if you shook the trunk, the juicy facts would fall out.

This is book 2 in the Wintergreen series and can be read as a stand alone. Bill is a retired detective working for his friends catering company. While they are serving a wealthy client’s day long meeting, he dies during a hiking accident. The local police have used Bill as a consultant previously and are happy he’s nearby to help out again. With several potential murder’s attending the event it becomes apparent that Damian had made a few enemies in the past. A nice clean cozy mystery that I enjoyed.