4.5 out of 5 stars

Smugglers and Scones is the 1st book in a new series, Moorehaven Mysteries, by Morgan Talbot and what a great beginning to the series it is! I cannot wait for the 2nd installment, even tho' this one was just released on January 31!

I absolutely loved this first book in the Moorehaven Mysteries series! I was hooked from the start and it didn't take me that long to read it. I started it late Thursday night and was finished by early Saturday morning. Not bad, considering that I did work on Friday!

I love the characters in this series. Pippa, Uncle Hilt, Lake, Jordan, and all the rest are just delightful. They're well-rounded characters, complex, likeable and believable. I'm really looking forward to learning more about them and seeing where Pippa and Lake's relationship leads them, if anywhere!

The setting descriptions were rich without being too over the top. The town sounds like a lovely place to visit or live. The story line moved along at a good pace. I never guessed who the villain was until Pippa figured it out herself. I had considered someone close to the villain, but not the villain himself.

I have to admit being a bit amazed at all the back story Ms. Talbot created for the author, A. Raymond Moore, his family, and the house that now houses the Bed & Breakfast. I've read a few books where authors have written things like "journal entries" by other characters and such, but I think this is the most complete back story I've ever seen. I'm very impressed.

I loved this book and I highly recommend it! I cannot wait for the second one to come out!

** I received a free ecopy of this book from the author. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions and conclusions expressed are my own. **

Originally posted on: Valerie's Musings ( )

I am a fan of cozy mysteries and when the opportunity to read this book fell into my lap I, of course, jumped at the chance.

The main character is Pippa and she runs Moorehaven, which is a quirky bed-and-breakfast that had been the home of a world-famous mystery writer. The B&B attracts writers who want to find their own fame of writing crime novels.

The book was filled with some mystery, a little suspense, a possibility of a love connection, funny situations, and of course a murder to solve. This was a fun new mystery and I feel other readers like myself will be jumping at the chance to read more in the series.

I volunteered to review an ARC of this book. ( )

Moorehaven Bed and Breakfast is a fascinating retreat for mystery authors on the Oregon coast and now has Pippa Winterbourne at the helm to take over more of the day-to-day activities from her Great-Uncle Hilt. The origin of the B&B dates back to home ownership by Felicity Moore and aunt to best-selling crime novelist Raymond Moore. As Felicity passed the home to her nephew via gift of inheritance, the author then entrusted the care of his former home to trust thanks to the trust set up to take care of the finances by author Raymond Moore and a gift at his death to friend and former police chief Hilt by inheritance.

Delightfully, there are also 2 cats in residence at Moorehaven - pure white Svetlana and gray tabby Rex. They add interesting vocalizations during key parts of the storyline and it was particularly fun to learn of Svetlana's "Paw of Justice."

One of the treasures of this cozy mystery are the quotes at the beginning of each chapter and presented as though written and/or said by the infamous author Raymond Moore. I'll share my top three (3) favorites - The 1st favorite at the beginning of Chapter 4 - "That's the difference between real people and fictional characters. Real people are allowed to be boring." ~ Raymond Moore, 1952. The 2nd favorite at the beginning of Chapter 17 - "Felicity Moore didn't raise me, but she taught me everything I needed to know. She taught me that people are like gems: multifaceted, with deep color and unexpected flashes of brilliance. That the beautiful can also be hard. And that those who have been cut can be sharp enough to cut others." ~ Raymond Moore, 1949. The 3rd favorite at the beginning of Chapter 19 - "The best adventures are the ones you're not looking for, the ones that grab you before you can come to your senses and run away." ~ Raymond Moore, 1944.

This cozy mystery has a beautiful dedication to the author's sophomore and senior English teacher, Patricia Eiseman. I can only guess this teacher's delight to enjoy the opening dedication by a former student with such wonderful descriptive treats by the author's artistic use of language that catapult the reader not only into the extraordinary old Victorian home filled with art treasures and 'novel' treasures from the late author Raymond Moore but also for the mystery and mayhem explored by the multi-faceted and sleuth Pippa. I can't wait to read more of this series! I think the adventures have only just begun! ( )

This was the first Morgan Talbot book I’ve read and I was pleasantly surprised to find a charming author to add to my Must Keep an Eye on List. It’s a sweet little mystery to help you pass the time without getting bored. The kind of book you need when there’s nothing good on TV, the weather sucks, you’re stuck in a waiting room, or you want to slip into a luxurious bath to while away the hours.

She has an interesting style to her writing that gives the reader conflict packed plot lines, unpredictable characters and plenty of humor. Her character development provides realistically written people who are complex enough to keep the story moving in the right direction while entertaining you through conversationalist dialogue.

The mystery will capture your sense of curiosity to the point you won’t see the conclusion until it hits you but the journey you will go on is encased in evocative imagery, believable incidents and humorously terrifying drama.

She even threw in a bit of romance just to keep your attention from drifting. It’s the perfect book to read this winter as you escape from the cold and dive into a story that will keep you warm from the adrenaline rush. ( )

Actual Rating: 3.75

The first thing I noticed about this book was that the cover was very artistic, creative, and "cute" - it may seem odd to have this sort of cover for a mystery novel, but believe me, it definitely fits. Some people on Goodreads have placed this book into the cozy mystery genre, and I have to agree.

Smugglers & Scones details the adventure of Pippa Winterbourne, who runs Moorehaven, a bed-and-breakfast that specializes in allowing mystery authors to visit and write their own crime novels in the place where the famous author, A. Raymond Moore, lived. One day Pippa comes across an overturned boat and a handsome pilot named Lake enters her life. But things are changing and when people begin getting murdered, Pippa must hurry to stop them before another victim is added to the list.

I think the setting was a very strong part of this novel; because of the setting, the story had a unique tone to it and the way the author describes the visuals really helps. Smugglers & Scones takes place on the coast of Oregon, and the author describes different scenes, such as cliffs, lighthouses, abandoned structures, and rocky coastlines. For me, I think this really allowed the story come to life, because I could imagine the view that the characters themselves could see.

Right off the bat, I felt like Pippa would be a character that I could definitely relate to, since I too (obviously) love to read. The idea of a bed-and-breakfast specifically for mystery authors is very unique, and Pippa was definitely the right kind of character for this setting. She was not wildly outspoken like the typical female main characters in young adult novels, but she had sort of quiet and intellectual strength about her that made her even more likable. In addition, I really enjoyed her interactions with the other characters, such as the authors that stayed at her inn. Her relationship dynamic with Lake was adorable (and I have no words to describe how much I ship them); it was very curious to read about how they got to know each other under such odd circumstances, but I think the author planned the progression very well. However, in terms of characters, I do wish that I learned and read more about some of the side characters. Lake and Pippa definitely are in the spotlight throughout the entire book, and I wish that I had more background about the others, such as Chloe or Pippa's best friend.

The story itself is definitely very strong and curiously rooted in history. It was interesting to see how the Prohibition - an important part of history - played a part; this also contributed to how the story had a much different atmosphere than mysteries typically do.

For me, the story was a little slow at the beginning, but it definitely sped up around the halfway mark and became hard to put down. The writing style itself was very engaging. I really enjoyed the gentle balance between romance, humor, and the mystery itself. Overall, I would say that the story was very was light and happy for me (despite it being about murders), but it sort of felt like the type of book that I could curl up with on a rainy Sunday afternoon. ( )