Your typical straightforward cozy mystery. I liked Tommy and Fred. The rest of the characters were alright. Easy enough read. ( )

Kelly Jackson has a new job. She is an executive for a company called Resorts International. Her job is to go to the various resorts owned by the company if there is a problem and to solve the problem. This problem is a big one; the former manager has died, and it looks like murder.

Kelly finds herself working with a group of senior citizens who call themselves the Silver Sentinels who are using their retirement to assist the police. She, and they, need to convince the local deputy sheriff that the former manager's death was not an accident.

There were a lot of characters who could have done the deed, and Kelly manages to question them all regarding their alibis and possible motives for wanting Bob Phillips dead. There is also a cute ten-year-old character whose mother works at the B & B who knows more than the killer wants him to know.

I enjoyed the setting and the story. Kelly herself is an interesting character. She's setting off on a new adventure after a divorce that has left her determined not to get involved with another man. She needs to build up her confidence that she got the job on her own merits and not just because Resorts International's owner is a friend of her father's.

Reba Buhr does a nice job narrating and making all of the various characters distinct.

Fans of cozies with great settings and interesting characters will enjoy this start to a series. ( )

Kelly Jackson's family runs a ranch in Wyoming that's also open to guests in the summer, but she's decided she wants something else out of life, so she's now working for a corporation that owns the Redwood Cove Bed and Breakfast, among others. She's temporarily working as the manager since the last one accidentally fell to his death off a nearby cliff. But one morning, she comes across a group of senior citizens in the conference room who call themselves the "Silver Sentinels" and they're sure it was murder.

Unfortunately, the deputy sheriff doesn't share their opinion. But still, Kelly begins to wonder...and when she's attacked in Bob's office, she informs the sheriff, yet he doesn't take it seriously, telling her it was probably some kid looking for stuff to sell. It's not before there's a serious incident that the sheriff finally believes her, and now Kelly, with the help of others and the sheriff, who asks her to be careful, is on the search for a killer who doesn't care who gets in their way...

This is the first book in the series and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. The protagonist, Kelly, isn't stupid enough to go off searching for clues without telling anyone, and she shares information with the sheriff instead of keeping it to herself. (Even when he doesn't listen, she still tells him of her suspicions). It's a nice change from the usual cozy mystery. (She also actually wears makeup and tries to look her best instead of 'throwing on a little lip gloss' and whatever clothing she can find that hasn't been worn more than two days in a row - they may not seem like big things, but I don't know anyone who just throws on lip gloss, wears 'not too wrinkled' clothing, and 'runs fingers' through their hair before declaring themselves ready - just a personal opinion.)

The mystery itself was done well, with several suspects that Kelly was able to figure out in a short period of time. She wasn't invasive in her questioning, and never accused anyone; actually trying not to let them know she was questioning them.

While many of the characters weren't fleshed out, this is a first book, and we're given time to have that occur over the next in the series. Kelly herself was given enough of a background that we knew about her upbringing, but I would have liked to have known more about what caused her rift with her ex-boyfriend. Perhaps in the next book. We did learn the background of several other characters, so that helps in the pleasure of reading this book.

When the ending comes and the murderer is caught, it wasn't a complete surprise (I read a lot of these) but I would have liked to have known more about the killer themselves; however, it didn't stop me from enjoying it and I found it quite satisfactory. I will certainly continue with this series. Recommended. ( )

Murder at Redwood Cove by Janet Finsilver is a perplexing whodunit set in the fictional town of Redwood Cove, CA. A warmly inviting bed and breakfast is the perfect backdrop for this cozy mystery and the novel features a delightful cast of well-drawn and likable characters.

An administrative executive for Resorts International, Kelly Jackson has the sad task of filling in temporarily at the Redwood Cove B&B following the tragic death of previous manager, Bob Phillips. Tasked with ensuring the property is safe for guests, Kelly is immediately welcomed by the B&B's handyman Daniel Stevens and housekeeper/cook Helen Rogers. She is also quite charmed by the "Silver Sentinels", a group of elderly men and women who keep themselves busy with a little sleuthing. They were also good friends with Bob and they are convinced his death was no accident. Keeping their suspicions in mind, Kelly decides to dig a little deeper into Bob's death and after a series of strange occurrences, she is almost certain the Sentinels might be right.

Kelly does not waste any time poking around in Bob's death in between her duties at the B&B. Helen is instrumental in introducing her to many of the inn's vendors and fellow B&B managers. When it appears someone ransacked Bob's office, Kelly becomes convinced there is more to his death than just an accident. She narrows her suspect pool to a handful of possibilities and she soon sets off on her investigation to track their movements on the day in question. Unable to completely rule anyone in or out, she, along with the Sentinels, try to figure out a possible motive for Bob's death. With the Sentinels hard at work trying to decipher Bob's cryptic notes, Kelly continues her investigation into her list of suspects.

Murder at Redwood Cove is a cleverly written mystery and Janet Finsilver does an excellent job obscuring the perpetrator's identity right up until the novel's dramatic and action-packed conclusion. With an all star cast of brilliantly developed characters, engaging storyline and idyllic setting, this riveting whodunit will appeal to fans of cozy mysteries. ( )

Charming cozy, very likable characters, and a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Kelly parachutes in to help save the day after a tragedy at a Bed and Breakfast in her company's network. She soon discovers that the Inn and the people surrounding it need her help, each for their own reasons. Although there is the mysterious death, and other peril throughout, this story oozes a warm, fuzzy and satisfied feeling.

**eARC netgalley** ( )