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Gray Whale Inn Mystery #1
Murder on the Rocks
Natalie Barnes buys the Gray Whale Inn, a bed and breakfast in Maine, and publicly opposes Bernard Katz's proposed resort development, which threatens a colony of black-chinned terns, and when Katz is found dead, Natalie must find the true killer in order to clear her own name.
281 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2006
936 people are currently reading
3812 people want to read
About the author
Karen MacInerney
50 books1,133 followersI'm the author of the Agatha-nominated Gray Whale Inn mystery series, Tales of an Urban Werewolf. the Margie Peterson mysteries and the Dewberry Farm mysteries (plus a new fantasy in the works). My reading is like my writing: eclectic!
I grew up in the Northeast, but I currently live in Austin with my husband, two kids, and a houserabbit named Bunny. Feel free to visit me online at www.karenmacinerney.com; I love connecting with readers.
I grew up in the Northeast, but I currently live in Austin with my husband, two kids, and a houserabbit named Bunny. Feel free to visit me online at www.karenmacinerney.com; I love connecting with readers.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 603 reviews
wishlist-mystery
February 6, 2018The bird standing on the dead guy's foot cracks me up. It's like a morbid art piece I can't look away from. Cozy mysteries has some of the funniest, most morbid cover art.
May 24, 2012
This is the first book in a cozy mystery series built around the life of the heroine, Natalie, running an idyllic bed n' breakfast, The Gray Whale Inn, on fictional Cranberry Island off the coast of Maine. I am definitely not the target audience for this book, but once I started reading it the setting soothed me and I became interested in seeing what sort of fantasy escapism it offered mature women, whom I am guessing are the target demographic. It made me think of that old commercial catch phrase: "Calgon, take me away!" I say that because this is, if you will excuse the analogy, soft porn for women. I don't mean porn in a sexual sense, but for them the fantasy lure of just moving to a scenic island where you run a cute and quaint inn, where you bake fattening snacks and desserts constantly and everybody loves you for it. The fantasy includes a hunky handyman who keeps dropping strong hints that he desires the heroine (substitute yourself, lady readers) and conveniently lives in the carriage house nearby (you're his landlady, ladies, and he drops by whenever you need help or attention but sensibly makes himself scarce before he becomes irritating). Sure, there's a murder, and a series of increasingly troubling attempts on the heroine, but it never gets too scary because there's always a best friend forever with a cup of tea and those yummy cookies, and the serenity the Gray Whale Inn evokes overpowers all the nasties.
A series of recipes based on delightful (and high calorie--and sugar) desserts mentioned in the tale follows the text itself. Well to be fair, there might be a fruit composte recipe too, but overall, say goodbye to dieting concerns if you check into the Gray Whale Inn.
A series of recipes based on delightful (and high calorie--and sugar) desserts mentioned in the tale follows the text itself. Well to be fair, there might be a fruit composte recipe too, but overall, say goodbye to dieting concerns if you check into the Gray Whale Inn.
April 1, 2025
Natalie Barnes had only lived on Cranberry Island for a few months, owning the Gray Whale Inn which was a B&B. She loved the lifestyle, cooked delicious food for her guests and relaxed in the hope things would continue as they had for a long while to come. But when Bernard Katz checked into her B&B, he had trouble in mind. A developer who planned a huge resort on the island, upsetting the environment for the tern population, as well the locals themselves. Natalie's stand against the project saw the board side with Katz. It wasn't long after that that Natalie found Katz's body, mangled on the rocks below the cliff. The investigating officer from the mainland believed Nat guilty of his murder - she had to prove otherwise. But could she before she became the next victim?
Murder on the Rocks is the 1st in the Gray Whale Inn series by Karen MacInerney, set in Maine, and I enjoyed it very much. Nat was a bit of a risk taker, going solo often. But she was a courageous and determined woman as well. Also, the recipes of her popular foods are at the end! Yum! I'm looking forward to #2. Recommended.
Murder on the Rocks is the 1st in the Gray Whale Inn series by Karen MacInerney, set in Maine, and I enjoyed it very much. Nat was a bit of a risk taker, going solo often. But she was a courageous and determined woman as well. Also, the recipes of her popular foods are at the end! Yum! I'm looking forward to #2. Recommended.
January 25, 2014
This one was just OK for me. The protagonist and setting were likable enough, which is important to me in a cozy, but it all felt remarkably inconsistent. For example, in the beginning Natalie is set up as a fairly mature, professional character who's willing to work hard to make her B&B a success. But then you find out she doesn't have a website, maybe it's just me but that seems like the first thing you'd set up if your business is dependent on people from out of the area, even if it was just very basic, and even in 2006. Then when there's a storm and the power goes out she gives the guests candles, no flashlights, and leaves the inn. I realize that she was worried about a personal situation, but really, no telling the guests what's going on? Just leave them with flammable objects? And then there was a cat who appeared in the first couple of chapters, and was mentioned by name a number of times, who is then never mentioned again. Maybe it's because I'm an animal lover but I'd think if bad things started happening around your home and that home contained a pet you'd worry about it and mention it. But he (or she) was never mentioned again, like the author just forgot about it. For all that, I didn't dislike the book, I liked the characters and the setting. But I've definitely read better cozies as well.
August 8, 2014
A third of the way through the book I'm telling our heroine to call the police. "Call the police you stupid get!"
A little later I'm wondering why in the world she's not telling her niece, supposedly there for the summer to help her run the inn, to stop flouncing about looking gorgeous and eating everything in sight and straighten the guest rooms.
What is this trend for cozy heroines to be so prone to injury, so determined to solve it before the police, and stupid enough to walk into dark places alone when they hear a bump in the night? Take a tip from Marple, ladies.
Almost done and I'm thinking "And thus stupidity reigns." Our heroine needs a sidekick. Or commonsense.
Injury tally: Fall down a cliff, hit over the head by an intruder, foot cut on glass from window broken when rock tossed through, bicycle accident, hit with a shovel deep enough to cut an artery, nearly drowned.
Number of times called the police: Zero. Zip. Zilch.
Despite the extremely stupid actions of the heroine, I loved the descriptions of the Maine coastal island area. I've been in love with the area since spending a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with a boyfriend's family in Kennebunkport, ME in the early 80's. It's a shame to see what development has done, so this book really hit home for me in that area.
I would hope that Natalie smartens up a bit.
A little later I'm wondering why in the world she's not telling her niece, supposedly there for the summer to help her run the inn, to stop flouncing about looking gorgeous and eating everything in sight and straighten the guest rooms.
What is this trend for cozy heroines to be so prone to injury, so determined to solve it before the police, and stupid enough to walk into dark places alone when they hear a bump in the night? Take a tip from Marple, ladies.
Almost done and I'm thinking "And thus stupidity reigns." Our heroine needs a sidekick. Or commonsense.
Injury tally: Fall down a cliff, hit over the head by an intruder, foot cut on glass from window broken when rock tossed through, bicycle accident, hit with a shovel deep enough to cut an artery, nearly drowned.
Number of times called the police: Zero. Zip. Zilch.
Despite the extremely stupid actions of the heroine, I loved the descriptions of the Maine coastal island area. I've been in love with the area since spending a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with a boyfriend's family in Kennebunkport, ME in the early 80's. It's a shame to see what development has done, so this book really hit home for me in that area.
I would hope that Natalie smartens up a bit.
May 17, 2025
A great start to a new series. Can't wait to read the next one.
June 24, 2019
I remembered reading this before but somehow I missed reviewing it or even marking it as read. The story was familiar as I read it this time. Luckily I'd forgotten who the killer was!
Natalie Barnes bought an old bed and breakfast on Cranberry Island but soon found out that a developer named Bernard Katz was planning a huge resort for the area. This would be competition for her B&B, so it was no surprise that when Nat found Katz dead on the rocks, she was the primary suspect. Her friend and neighbor John who was also the island deputy tried to give her as much help and support as he could, but he still didn't approve when Nat and her friend Charlene decided to investigate.
I had no idea who the killer would be since it didn't seem directly related to the guy who was killed but it all wrapped up and made total sense later. I hope that Natalie and John have a nice future ahead of them, but they're just starting out liking each other. I really liked Nat's friend Charlene. She was funny but really helpful and a loyal friend to Nat. Nat's niece Gwen who was staying at the B&B while she took art classes also turned out to be a really nice girl. She surprised her aunt sometimes by cleaning the rooms or doing little things without her asking.
I loved the setting of this book since it was an island with mainly one store and restaurant--and one B&B. At the end of the book you'll find some of the yummy-sounding recipes that Natalie made. The Acknowledgements section is interesting too since it points out that while the Cranberry Isles are real, everything else, including the type of tern mentioned was part of the author's imagination. Yes, I'm an acknowledgements nerd!
Natalie Barnes bought an old bed and breakfast on Cranberry Island but soon found out that a developer named Bernard Katz was planning a huge resort for the area. This would be competition for her B&B, so it was no surprise that when Nat found Katz dead on the rocks, she was the primary suspect. Her friend and neighbor John who was also the island deputy tried to give her as much help and support as he could, but he still didn't approve when Nat and her friend Charlene decided to investigate.
I had no idea who the killer would be since it didn't seem directly related to the guy who was killed but it all wrapped up and made total sense later. I hope that Natalie and John have a nice future ahead of them, but they're just starting out liking each other. I really liked Nat's friend Charlene. She was funny but really helpful and a loyal friend to Nat. Nat's niece Gwen who was staying at the B&B while she took art classes also turned out to be a really nice girl. She surprised her aunt sometimes by cleaning the rooms or doing little things without her asking.
I loved the setting of this book since it was an island with mainly one store and restaurant--and one B&B. At the end of the book you'll find some of the yummy-sounding recipes that Natalie made. The Acknowledgements section is interesting too since it points out that while the Cranberry Isles are real, everything else, including the type of tern mentioned was part of the author's imagination. Yes, I'm an acknowledgements nerd!
August 10, 2012
Adapted from a review originally published at The Bookwyrm's Hoard.
Murder on the Rocks, the first in Karen MacInerney's "Gray Whale Inn Mystery" series, should have a lot going for it. MacInerney's writing is competent, if not inspired, and all the necessary elements are in place for a typical cozy mystery, including several delicious-sounding recipes in the back of the book. Sadly, it ultimately proves a disappointment.
The heroine/amateur sleuth, Natalie Barnes, is the new owner of a bed-and-breakfast in Maine's Cranberry Islands. Her handsome, charming neighbor (and tenant) carves toy sailboats and driftwood artwork while serving as the island's deputy. The cast of characters also includes a bevy of likable-but-eccentric and not-so-likable island residents, Natalie's close friend and her college-age niece, and, of course, the inn's current residents. The inevitable threat to both the island and Nat's inn surfaces immediately, in the form of an obnoxious developer with plans to build a glitzy golf resort regardless of the impact on the island's character or its endangered terns. I'm sure you can figure out what happens next.
So why did I find the book disappointing -- no, to be completely honest, annoying? Chiefly because there's no way an intelligent woman would act as stupidly as Natalie does. [several sentences removed to avoid spoilers] It's true that the investigating officer has it in for her, but Nat keeps digging herself a deeper and deeper hole, with no apparent sense of self-preservation. She makes one poor decision after another. Of course, I also couldn't figure out why the investigating officer didn't just arrest her for tampering with evidence; he believes her guilty of murder, and he certainly had the evidence to prove the lesser charge. In other words, the characters' actions simply don't ring true, given who and what they are.
I realize that a certain suspension of disbelief is required for most cozies, which inherently lack realism to begin with. In real life the police usually do a decent job of investigating crimes, and amateurs are rarely in a position to solve one, let alone a string of them. Then there's the alarming frequency with which dead bodies turn up in a small community, often discovered by the same person. (Seriously, would you want to live in St. Mary Mead, or in any of the small towns featured in American cozies? Or be friends with the amateur sleuth? I used to think that if I saw Jessica Fletcher coming, I'd run for the hills. As soon as she showed up, someone would drop dead within hours, and I would much rather it wasn't me.*) What distinguishes a good cozy mystery from a merely mediocre one stems in part from how well the author handles that dichotomy by providing enough believability to buoy up that suspension of disbelief. Unfortunately, MacInerney falls short on that front in this novel.
* I'm showing my age a bit. Murder, She Wrote was quite popular when I was young.
FCC disclosure: I borrowed this from the public library.
You can read more of my reviews at The Bookwyrm’s Hoard.
Murder on the Rocks, the first in Karen MacInerney's "Gray Whale Inn Mystery" series, should have a lot going for it. MacInerney's writing is competent, if not inspired, and all the necessary elements are in place for a typical cozy mystery, including several delicious-sounding recipes in the back of the book. Sadly, it ultimately proves a disappointment.
The heroine/amateur sleuth, Natalie Barnes, is the new owner of a bed-and-breakfast in Maine's Cranberry Islands. Her handsome, charming neighbor (and tenant) carves toy sailboats and driftwood artwork while serving as the island's deputy. The cast of characters also includes a bevy of likable-but-eccentric and not-so-likable island residents, Natalie's close friend and her college-age niece, and, of course, the inn's current residents. The inevitable threat to both the island and Nat's inn surfaces immediately, in the form of an obnoxious developer with plans to build a glitzy golf resort regardless of the impact on the island's character or its endangered terns. I'm sure you can figure out what happens next.
So why did I find the book disappointing -- no, to be completely honest, annoying? Chiefly because there's no way an intelligent woman would act as stupidly as Natalie does. [several sentences removed to avoid spoilers] It's true that the investigating officer has it in for her, but Nat keeps digging herself a deeper and deeper hole, with no apparent sense of self-preservation. She makes one poor decision after another. Of course, I also couldn't figure out why the investigating officer didn't just arrest her for tampering with evidence; he believes her guilty of murder, and he certainly had the evidence to prove the lesser charge. In other words, the characters' actions simply don't ring true, given who and what they are.
I realize that a certain suspension of disbelief is required for most cozies, which inherently lack realism to begin with. In real life the police usually do a decent job of investigating crimes, and amateurs are rarely in a position to solve one, let alone a string of them. Then there's the alarming frequency with which dead bodies turn up in a small community, often discovered by the same person. (Seriously, would you want to live in St. Mary Mead, or in any of the small towns featured in American cozies? Or be friends with the amateur sleuth? I used to think that if I saw Jessica Fletcher coming, I'd run for the hills. As soon as she showed up, someone would drop dead within hours, and I would much rather it wasn't me.*) What distinguishes a good cozy mystery from a merely mediocre one stems in part from how well the author handles that dichotomy by providing enough believability to buoy up that suspension of disbelief. Unfortunately, MacInerney falls short on that front in this novel.
* I'm showing my age a bit. Murder, She Wrote was quite popular when I was young.
FCC disclosure: I borrowed this from the public library.
You can read more of my reviews at The Bookwyrm’s Hoard.
April 17, 2012
Murder on the Rocks is the first book I have read written by Karen MacInerney. It was a cute little book that I enjoyed. I was totally in the mood to read something light. I really liked the characters and the locale. Maine seems like a perfect place for a bed and breakfast. I will read more of the series.
June 11, 2011
Cranberry Island sounds like a nice place to visit and based on the food descriptions, I certainly wouldn't mind staying at the Gray Whale Inn. I like Natalie for the most part, but I think she got beat up even more than Harry Dresden does in one of his books and she just kept on going.
What I enjoyed:
* The food sounded heavenly and I was happy there were some recipes included.
* The islanders seem interesting.
* The mystery was decent. I didn't guess all the motive.
What could have been better:
* Some of Natalie's action were a bit stupid.
*
What I enjoyed:
* The food sounded heavenly and I was happy there were some recipes included.
* The islanders seem interesting.
* The mystery was decent. I didn't guess all the motive.
What could have been better:
* Some of Natalie's action were a bit stupid.
*
October 6, 2016
Let me start by saying I love all books Maine and this was no exception. Natalie has relocated from Texas to Maine and is now running The Gray Whale Inn, a small B&B on the small Cranberry Island. She has only been going for a couple months when a big developer named Bernard Katz shows up on the island wanting to build a massive resort which will put the Gray Whale out of business. Natalie is heading up the committee to stop Katz so when he is found dead on the island Natalie becomes the prime suspect. Since the primary detective on the case has it out for her and refuses to check out any clues that may prove her innocence, Natalie sets out to prove her own!
May 2, 2023
A B&B owner located in Maine is getting by, starting to get some business, and sell food items to the local stores. Then some obnoxious boarders arrive. Turns out the patriarch of the jerks is going to build a golf course. The parking lot will be right were the B&B is located. Holy John Mayer!
Of course, the developer is soon murdered, and our amateur sleuth discovers the body, putting her at the top of the suspect's list. Somebody starts trying to murder the sleuth as well.
Pretty gripping as these things go.
Of course, the developer is soon murdered, and our amateur sleuth discovers the body, putting her at the top of the suspect's list. Somebody starts trying to murder the sleuth as well.
Pretty gripping as these things go.
August 29, 2025
Surprising
This is a fun, first in the series cozy mystery. You feel like you really get to know the characters on Cranberry Island. There are a few surprising twists at the end as the mystery unfolds and the murder is revealed. I’m ready for the next one in the series!
This is a fun, first in the series cozy mystery. You feel like you really get to know the characters on Cranberry Island. There are a few surprising twists at the end as the mystery unfolds and the murder is revealed. I’m ready for the next one in the series!
March 25, 2021
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. It’s a murder mystery, but before the murder occurs, the characters are well established. The main character Natalie, is a strong, likeable, independent woman trying to run a guesthouse and be involved with bird conservation. No swearing, sex or gratuitous violence.
March 29, 2018
Very fun to read.
February 16, 2015
What I liked about this book: the setting, the observations about running a bed and breakfast, the main character, Natalie (who moved from working in the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife to being her own boss on the rocky coast of Maine) and her niece Gwen. Yes, they both make bad decisions, but they show promise.
What I tolerated: the pedestrian whodunit and the irregular pace of the quest to figure it out.
What I disliked: the stereotyping. MacInerney has to make the murder victim and his immediate family unlikeable, so she takes the easy way out for a Yankee and makes them rich New York Jews. Meanwhile, the love interest is a hunk out of a middle-aged woman's romance novel. I will probably read more of this series, but I hope she can do better than that!
What I tolerated: the pedestrian whodunit and the irregular pace of the quest to figure it out.
What I disliked: the stereotyping. MacInerney has to make the murder victim and his immediate family unlikeable, so she takes the easy way out for a Yankee and makes them rich New York Jews. Meanwhile, the love interest is a hunk out of a middle-aged woman's romance novel. I will probably read more of this series, but I hope she can do better than that!
October 28, 2016
Since I am a big fan of Karen MacInerney's Dewberry Farm series I had to give her older Gray Whale Inn series a try....and boy am I glad that I did! Even though the characters are not quite as vivid and I didn't get sucked in quite as much as in her new series I thoroughly enjoyed Murder on the Rocks. Natalie Barnes the owner of the inn and murder suspect number one makes a few unwise decisions in investigating and trying to clear her name but who makes always the smartest decisions if they find themselves suddenly between a rock and a hard place.
Loved her friends and the people living in the village. It will be fun coming back and visiting with everyone.
Loved her friends and the people living in the village. It will be fun coming back and visiting with everyone.
September 27, 2023
This one did a great job of keeping me from being able to figure out a few things by throwing some unexpected twists in there. That left me going, "Well... it can't be. Except it is. But no..." through most of it.
I liked the characters, I enjoyed the setting and the conflict. The murders made sense even when they didn't (because come on, murder does NOT make sense!) and it was mostly clean.
What I didn't like? Not a big fan of a father flirting with his son's wife (and vice versa), other infidelities, and the occasional (very very occasional) mild epithet. Everything is off page, though. That's a blessing.
I also like that everything doesn't come easy for our sleuth... didn't like the "bad cop" thing going on. I'm sick of police ineptitude and bashing in books. That's not the author's fault. But it's a thing for me. I will probably continue the series.
I liked the characters, I enjoyed the setting and the conflict. The murders made sense even when they didn't (because come on, murder does NOT make sense!) and it was mostly clean.
What I didn't like? Not a big fan of a father flirting with his son's wife (and vice versa), other infidelities, and the occasional (very very occasional) mild epithet. Everything is off page, though. That's a blessing.
I also like that everything doesn't come easy for our sleuth... didn't like the "bad cop" thing going on. I'm sick of police ineptitude and bashing in books. That's not the author's fault. But it's a thing for me. I will probably continue the series.
June 4, 2021
I did not think I would like Murder on the Rocks as much as I did since I picked it on a whim. The plot was coherent and well-paced, and the characters were well-written. The only thing that I did not like was the ending since it felt like the end of a Scooby Doo episode. The murderer, Ogden, spends way too long discussing what he did and why he did it. I feel like the main character should have figured more of this out on her own, but oh well. I'll have to check the rest of the series out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2021
3.75. Ever since my daughter-in-law, the Mainer, joined the family, and I visited Maine for the wedding, I have been fascinated! This is a well written mystery , with a glimpse into Maine life!
December 14, 2023
It was okay but I doubt I'll continue the series. It took me a while to get invested in the story, the book was easy to put down. And the detective was all the negative cliches embodied in one character, no depth or characterization whatsoever.
January 9, 2020
The alarm rang at 6 am, jolting me out from under my down comforter and into a pair of slippers.
Natalie Barnes has moved from Texas to Cranberry Island, Maine to run a bed and breakfast. Just before her third month in business a real estate tycoon is trying to buy the land near the B&B to put in a high end resort. The land happens to be the breeding ground of a protected sea tern and some of the village is up in arms about the possibility of destroying the bird nests. Natalie misses her footing near a dangerous cliff one morning and discovers the body of the obnoxious businessman, Bernard Katz. Mainland police immediately peg her as the murderer and don't do a very good job of following up leads.
I'm not sure why it took me so long to start this series. The first book is engaging and the characters are well thought out. The descriptions of locations were so real that I was freaking out being on the cliff with Natalie. I really enjoyed getting to know the residents of Cranberry Island.
The recipes alone are worth the cost of the book! I found myself drooling as I read the scenes in the kitchen. Natalie thinks well on her feet and was able to overcome a variety of shortages of food.
The mystery had twists and turns that kept providing new information about Bernard's family.
I enjoyed the book so much that I read it in one sitting starting around midnight. I look forward to visiting the Gray Whale Inn again soon.
Natalie Barnes has moved from Texas to Cranberry Island, Maine to run a bed and breakfast. Just before her third month in business a real estate tycoon is trying to buy the land near the B&B to put in a high end resort. The land happens to be the breeding ground of a protected sea tern and some of the village is up in arms about the possibility of destroying the bird nests. Natalie misses her footing near a dangerous cliff one morning and discovers the body of the obnoxious businessman, Bernard Katz. Mainland police immediately peg her as the murderer and don't do a very good job of following up leads.
I'm not sure why it took me so long to start this series. The first book is engaging and the characters are well thought out. The descriptions of locations were so real that I was freaking out being on the cliff with Natalie. I really enjoyed getting to know the residents of Cranberry Island.
The recipes alone are worth the cost of the book! I found myself drooling as I read the scenes in the kitchen. Natalie thinks well on her feet and was able to overcome a variety of shortages of food.
The mystery had twists and turns that kept providing new information about Bernard's family.
I enjoyed the book so much that I read it in one sitting starting around midnight. I look forward to visiting the Gray Whale Inn again soon.
June 6, 2011
I did enjoy this book. First in the series and I read the subsequent books before this one. It seemed a bit familiar at first, like I read it a long time ago. I'm not sure, though that I ever read this, as much as it is similar to another series located in Maine that I started.
As much as I enjoy these cozy mysteries, I do really get tired of plot devices at times. Some are starting to become almost cliches - like developers/large development on small islands or communities. I don't mean to make light of this. I realize this goes on in the real world. While progress and development can be good; unchecked and rampant development is not good.
So, we have a new owners of an inn on an island off Maine, threatened by a resort development that is threatening to go through right next to her inn and destroying habitat breeding grounds for terns. Of course, the new inn owner, the main character, becomes the lead suspect for the death of the developer; and we have a chief investigator, also a bit of a cliche, that focuses solely on the heroine and refuses to consider anyone else.
I do get tired of these plot devices, but the heroine is human, believable and likable, which makes up for the tired devices. Also, I just love mysteries - a beginning, a middle, an end an solution. If the story is good, the character believable and likable, I can get over cliches.
As much as I enjoy these cozy mysteries, I do really get tired of plot devices at times. Some are starting to become almost cliches - like developers/large development on small islands or communities. I don't mean to make light of this. I realize this goes on in the real world. While progress and development can be good; unchecked and rampant development is not good.
So, we have a new owners of an inn on an island off Maine, threatened by a resort development that is threatening to go through right next to her inn and destroying habitat breeding grounds for terns. Of course, the new inn owner, the main character, becomes the lead suspect for the death of the developer; and we have a chief investigator, also a bit of a cliche, that focuses solely on the heroine and refuses to consider anyone else.
I do get tired of these plot devices, but the heroine is human, believable and likable, which makes up for the tired devices. Also, I just love mysteries - a beginning, a middle, an end an solution. If the story is good, the character believable and likable, I can get over cliches.
January 20, 2011
This was a fun read. It was a Culinary Mystery (though it isn't really advertised as such). A lady from Texas buys an Inn in Maine and is trying to keep it afloat. Unfortunate events keep occurring though, which are threatening her livelihood. A luxury resort threatening to build next door, dead bodies, vandalism to the Inn. There's also a mix of romance and recipes.
I've read culinary mysteries before, like the ones with Goldie of Goldilocks Catering (by Dianne Mott Davidson), and I thought they were kind of silly. This one wasn't though. The main character, Natalie, was (mostly)sensible acting and very likable.
Very clean too. No sex or language. A warning though, Do Not Read if You're Trying to Diet. I couldn't stop thinking about Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies or Cranberry Walnut Scones, the whole time I read. I'm totally serious. In fact, I think I'm heading in to make cookies right now. : )
I've read culinary mysteries before, like the ones with Goldie of Goldilocks Catering (by Dianne Mott Davidson), and I thought they were kind of silly. This one wasn't though. The main character, Natalie, was (mostly)sensible acting and very likable.
Very clean too. No sex or language. A warning though, Do Not Read if You're Trying to Diet. I couldn't stop thinking about Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies or Cranberry Walnut Scones, the whole time I read. I'm totally serious. In fact, I think I'm heading in to make cookies right now. : )
July 6, 2019
This is the first in the Gray Whale Inn series by Karen MacInerney , I have read books of Karen's before but not this series. It was chosen for our book discussion and I'm so glad as I loved it!
The protagonist Natalie is a strong, intelligent, and likeable. The characters are well developed with some quirkiness thrown in. The setting of Cranberry Island was perfect and the descriptions made you feel like you were there. Not to mention the breakfast food described in the book was mouth watering, good thing there's a recipe for the blueberry coffee cake.
I enjoyed the pace thought it moved along at a steadily. I was so engrossed that I read it practically in one sitting and want more! I did think I knew who was the killer early on and ended up being correct. The were lots of twists and turns and few red herrings to keep you guessing.
Great start to a wonderful cozy mystery series!
The protagonist Natalie is a strong, intelligent, and likeable. The characters are well developed with some quirkiness thrown in. The setting of Cranberry Island was perfect and the descriptions made you feel like you were there. Not to mention the breakfast food described in the book was mouth watering, good thing there's a recipe for the blueberry coffee cake.
I enjoyed the pace thought it moved along at a steadily. I was so engrossed that I read it practically in one sitting and want more! I did think I knew who was the killer early on and ended up being correct. The were lots of twists and turns and few red herrings to keep you guessing.
Great start to a wonderful cozy mystery series!
March 20, 2017
It's competently written, the plot is good, and the setting lovely. It's just that the protagonist is so stupid, she caused me actual physical pain. There is no physical evidence she doesn't deliberately touch, no lie she doesn't tell. And then I'm supposed to feel sorry for her because a cop is targeting her? No. Just no. For example, at one point, she sees what she thinks is the murder weapon, so what does she do? She grabs it, looks at it, then puts it down again. ACTUAL PHYSICAL PAIN.
January 26, 2016
this seems like an okay start to a cozy series centered on a maine b'n'b. but, there were times when i seriously wanted to thump our heroine over the head for stupidity and some of the leaps in logic displayed by many of the characters were eye-rolling. but, i do like the evocation of coastal maine and i'll probably give other books in the series a try.
June 6, 2010
First (and only at this point) Fray Whale Inn Mystery. Set on an island in Maine. It was a quick diversion. Neither particularly well nor particularly poorly written. It did have a good sense of location, but the characters were more caricatures. I’d read another, mainly to see if the author gets better at characterization. The mystery itself was pretty formulaic.
October 12, 2017
Pretty good book and very much the same as Rose Harbor Inn series (printed after) by Debbie Macomber with murder. A charming bed and breakfast, small town, nice people. How can you dislike a book with alot of good food.
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