Murder with a Hint of Pumpkin Spice is the first book in author Laura M. Drake’s Whisper Hollow Mysteries series. Looking for a fun clean cozy mystery novel perfect for fall? Look no further than this novel.
Murder with a Hint of Pumpkin Spice kicks things off with an eye-catching cover. It’s a beautiful scene laid out for the eye to devour. Top to bottom you have golden leaves clinging to tree branches while leaves that are variety of colors drift down. Below is a beautiful depiction of a block of Whisper Hollow that we will become very familiar with through this novel. You’ll see three storefronts with Whispering Pages, Harper’s store, and center stage.
On either side of Whispering Pages are two other storefronts. Neighbors of Harper’s that you’ll meet as the story unfolds. In the forefront is a black cat taking a nap on a book with a coffee drink sitting nearby on a pile of leaves. The cover gives a sense of coziness and invites readers to pick the book up and dive into what awaits inside.
Murder with a Hint of Pumpkin Spice is a cozy mystery novel that takes readers to Whisper Hollow. Here is where we meet Harper. She’s looking to start over after a bad break-up from her now ex-fiance. Harper has taken over her deceased grandmother’s bookstore. A bookstore in a small town sounds rather ideal. However, Harper can’t escape drama and trouble...even here.
Mr. James owns the building that Whispering Pages is housed in. Mr. James? Well, he is making frequent stops at Whispering Pages. He’s not there for a book or just to make sure that business is good. Whether business is good or not, he wants Harper to know that he wants her out. Sounds like trouble brewing, right?
Well, trouble absolutely breaks out when Mr. James...winds up dead...in Whispering Pages. Harper quickly becomes suspect #1 thanks to her employee, Kyle. Dang it Kyle! LOL! Of course, we all know that Harper didn’t do it. Why would she? Yeah, she and Mr. James spoke the day before the murder. Yeah, he was pressuring her to break the lease. But that doesn’t mean that she did it! Turns out...there are more suspects waiting to be added to the pool.
As Murder with a Hint of Pumpkin Spice unfolds author Drake introduces a variety of characters one at a time. Harper has a murder to solve but on top of that mystery? Is another mystery! The mystery of her Nana’s missing money! That particular mystery paired with the murder will have Harper making the rounds and analyzing suspects. Expect her to...get things wrong...a time or two.
Murder with a Hint of Pumpkin Spice is an engaging cozy mystery that immediately draws you in. Set around the time for Halloween this story gives readers a small town feel with enough of a nod to the upcoming holiday to make sure you remember it’s there.
Harper is portrayed as a flawed character. She’s still hung up on her ex, Tate. She’s an introvert running a book store, and she’s sworn off dating. Cue up two handsome brothers who just so happen to work next door and whom her Nana took a liking to before she passed away. Sounds like an interesting recipe brewing, right?
Murder with a Hint of Pumpkin Spice is a well-orchestrated whodunit cozy mystery. Author Drake keeps readers engaged in the storyline as Harper suspects and accuses a person or two in her quest to solve this case.
All Harper wants is to make her Nana’s bookshop successful and to find some peace. Finding out who the killer is isn’t going to be easy. Especially when Harper basically suspects almost every one of having done the deed. Some of her suspicions will be merited, evidence...is key...and that is one thing she’s lacking.
Readers who love “nerd” nods will absolutely love this book. The black cat on the cover? Yeah, she’s a “side” character of the story. But what readers will love will be the nod to a specific character from a famous movie. Harper is a “nerd” and readers will enjoy the random quotes and mentions linked to specific movies and books throughout. They definitely made us smile.
Not going to mince words here – Harper did get on our nerves a time or two. The whole situation with her ex? We didn’t get why she refused to just do the basic – block and delete his number. Why cling to that when he hurt her so badly? Don’t worry – you’re going to get some backstory on that drama-rama.
The big reveal of the killer...is okay. If you’re hoping for something big and dramatic, you’re going to find yourself disappointed. All in all though, it makes sense why there is a lack of drama.
As Murder with a Hint of Pumpkin Spice draws to a close it teases readers of what a potential future will be like in Whispering Hollow. Will the next book see romance in Harper’s future? Will Harper’s ex make an appearance despite her trying to cut him out of her life? It’ll be interesting for sure to see where things go from here.
