I’m so excited to share a review of Dune Estate Murder by Marcy Blesy! This is book 1 in the Lake Michigan Seasonal House Mysteries is a prequel spin-off featuring Safia Devereaux, a fan-favorite character from the Tucson Valley Retirement Community Cozy Mystery Series. Readers can start Safia’s story here or meet her first in Tucson Valley starting in book 2! Both reading orders work, and no prior series is required. Each book is a complete mystery, with an ongoing character arc throughout the series. Enjoy Safia’s shenanigans!

147 pages, Kindle Edition
September 18, 2026 by Marcy A. Blesy, LLC

About the Book:

At thirty, Safia Devereaux never expected to be running a business. Then again, she never expected to collect ex-husbands the way some people collect Beanie Babies.

Especially not in 1995 Dune Point, Michigan , where her two failed marriages happen to involve the town’s police chief and its mayor.

In a town this small, that kind of history follows you around.

Determined to start over, Safia joins forces with her two high school best friends to launch the Lake Effect Ladies, a seasonal home service business that opens and closes houses along Lake Michigan’s windswept dunes. Armed with a color-coded filing system, a cordless phone with terrible reception, and sheer optimism, Safia is determined to prove she can make it on her own.

At least one member of the team has confidence in her.

Unfortunately, that member is Beeper, her pot-bellied pig.

When the season’s first house opening reveals something resting on top of a wealthy client’s pool cover—and it is definitely not a forgotten lawn chair—Safia finds herself tangled in a murder investigation before tourists have even finished unpacking their fanny packs.

Meanwhile, a controversial condo development splits Dune Point down the middle, tempers flare hotter than a dashboard cassette player in July, and an out-of-towner is accused of murdering the developer behind the project.

Everyone else seems convinced they’ve got the right culprit.

Safia isn’t so sure.

Partly because she’s stubborn.

Partly because she’s been wrong about important men before.

As Safia digs deeper into the town’s secrets, she discovers that some people will do anything to keep the past buried beneath Dune Point’s sandy shores.

Solving murders wasn’t part of the business plan. Neither was becoming the killer’s next target.

My Review:

I’m a big fan of Marcy Blesy’s writing, having read many of her cozy mysteries and enjoyed them all. I was so excited to be able to read and rave about her latest! This was a lot of fun!

First, we’re in 1995 which I love and found it so entertaining to escape back in time through the pages of the book. Let’s just not call it historical fiction, ok? Because then we all feel old. 

Safia is a delightful sleuth. Independent, sassy and witty – meeting her was so much fun and what a great friend to have. Speaking of friends, her pals add so much character to the story and their relationship with each other gives the story its found family vibes. And since we’re talking about relationships, Safia’s pet pig Beeper is hilarious. Never have I imagined a pig as a pet until I read this, and I have to say, I might be sold. I was so entertained. 

Clocking in under 200 pages, this is a short mystery that does not waste any time getting started without losing the cozy vibes. The mystery is clever and the cozy vibes made me feel nostalgic and wanting to travel to Lake Michigan. 

Can’t wait for book two!