Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds
A Novel
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4.3 • 47 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
"The literary escape I didn't know I needed—a luxurious private resort, a steamy romance, and a captivating cast of sleuths and suspects . . . Allison Brennan has crafted the perfect summer read." —Elle Cosimano, New York Times bestselling author of the Finlay Donovan mysteries
Featured on Katie Couric Media's "10 Books to Read Once You’ve Finished Watching 'The White Lotus'"!
In this sun-dappled mystery from New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan, a risk-averse bibliophile gets in over her head when strange notes in a book draw her into a real-life investigation.
Mia Crawford is responsible to a fault. She has to be. Between her high-demand job and taking care of her grandmother and her cats, she has little time for anything else. What time she does have, she pours into reading. Mysteries, romances, thrillers…books filled with women who are far more impulsive than she would ever dream of being. Now, forced into taking a long-overdue vacation, she finds herself on a luxurious private island where she just might have a chance to reinvent herself—for a little while, anyway. She can explore the island. Flirt shamelessly with a cute bartender. Have a vacation fling. Live like a heroine in one of her favorite novels.
Or she can curl up with a good book on the beach. Turns out reinventing yourself is easier planned than done. But when gossipy notes written in the margins of an old book turn out to be clues to the disappearance of another guest, Mia finds herself diving headfirst into a dangerous adventure. With everyone at the resort hiding secrets of their own, she’ll have to solve this real-life mystery before she becomes the next target.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Bestseller Brennan (the Quinn & Costa series) delivers a breezy standalone about a book-loving accountant who gets ensnared in a murder investigation. After years of dedication to her job at a New York City accounting firm, 29-year-old Mia Crawford is offered a partnership. To sweeten the deal, her employers insist she take a two-week, all-expenses-paid vacation to a private island in the Caribbean. All modest Mia wants is to curl up with a book and, at most, carry on a quick and casual fling. In the resort's gift shop, she spots an intriguing, water-damaged paperback on a table of books left behind by previous guests. After scooping it up, she notices messages scribbled in the margins that allude to some sort of criminal activity. When a guest's body washes up on the beach, Mia fears she's stumbled into something dangerous. As she investigates with the aid of her mysterious notes, she strikes up a romance with resort bartender Jason, and Brennan weaves in the personal dramas of other guests and employees. Some of the reveals are predictable, but Brennan smooths things over with plenty of beachy atmosphere and steamy sex. It's solid summertime fare.
Customer Reviews
A Breezy Mystery with Just the Right Bite
Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds is the ideal companion for a sunny afternoon. The plot moves at a great pace, with just enough twists to keep things interesting without feeling over the top. The beachside setting is so vivid, it almost feels like a mini vacation. If you’re into mysteries that are clever but not too heavy, this one’s a gem.
Always trust Allison Brennan
A really good read! I enjoyed this different book of her’s immensely! The island of St. Claire was captivating and the people too. The characters seemed all too real and like you really knew them.
The twists were well thought out and believable.
I hope there might be a future return to the island in the works. All her other series are my favorites too.
Thank you very much for the years of great entertainment your writing has provided me. Really special.