I am delighted to share a review of A Dead Giveaway: An Unputdownable Small Town Cozy Murder Mystery, the newest entry to the Magnolia Manor Mystery series by Joy Patrick! 

172 pages, Kindle Edition

October 15, 2024

About the Book:

Have your eyes ever deceived you? They’re about to…

In sleepy Drifter’s Cove, a fall town raffle to restore the old Starlight Lounge and Theater brings an eclectic crowd—and deadly consequences.

Still haunted by a recent car bomb that killed a guest instead of her, amateur sleuth Lilly Livingston tries to juggle managing busy Magnolia Manor with her role as a civilian FBI cold case consultant.

Just as the inn’s charming reputation had finally been established, an impossibly demanding elite guest arrives—as well as a mysterious job applicant who seems to have risen from the grave.

When a raffle attendee turns up dead, the cozy small-town vibe goes south, and indisputable evidence points exactly where Lilly dreads it will.

Refusing to believe her own eyes, she races against the clock to unravel both the local and FBI cases, finding herself entangled in a cryptic web far more sinister than she’d ever imagined—and her own life hanging in the balance.

My Review:

What an entertaining read! This was my first in the Magnolia Manor series and while this read easily as a standalone, I enjoyed it so much that I’ve added the previous titles to my TBR. 

Lilly is an admirable character who works hard both owning and running her five star inn (Magnolia Manor) AND as a civilian consultant for an arm of the FBI devoted to cold cases. In desperate need of a housekeeper, she hires Gerturde (or Gert) – without checking references and fueled by a little guilt for Gert’s connection to a victim in a previous story. Gert is a hoot! She’s a straight-shooter, telling it like it is, even when it probably would be better for her not to do so. I loved her scenes and rooted for her the entire story. The other characters who Lilly seems to have collected over the years give the mystery a lovely found-family feeling and add so much life to the story. 

And I was certainly impressed that there were not one but two mysteries contained in this novel!  Joy’s skill as a writer shines as she gets a lot in this shorter mystery without overwhelming readers. The humor and tension mix perfectly and kept me turning the pages. I would have read this in one sitting if adulting hadn’t got in the way. 5 stars!

For a list of all books by Joy Patrick, visit this Cozy Mystery Website 

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