Murder at Pirate's Cove

Secrets and Scrabble, Book 1

By: Josh Lanyon

Narrated by: Matt Haynes

Length: 6 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

First in an adorable new cozy series!

Ellery Page, aspiring screenwriter, Scrabble champion, and guy with worst luck in the world when it comes to dating, is ready to make a change. So, when he learns he's inherited both a failing bookstore and a falling-down mansion in the quaint seaside village of Pirate's Cove on Buck Island, Rhode Island, it's full steam ahead!

Sure enough, the village is charming, its residents amusingly eccentric, and widowed police chief Jack Carson is decidedly yummy (though, probably, as straight as he is stern).

However, the bookstore is failing, the mansion is falling down, and there's that little drawback of finding rival bookseller and head of the unwelcoming committee Trevor Maples dead during the annual Buccaneer Days celebration.

Still, it could be worse. And once police chief Carson learns Trevor was killed with the cutlass hanging over the door of Ellery's bookstore, it is.

Note: This story contains no sex or violence.

©2020 Josh Lanyon (P)2020 Josh Lanyon

Murder at Pirate’s Cove

This was a good first book in this mystery series. I’m not the biggest fan of the narrator. He breathes loud which is horrible to listen to and his female characters aren’t the best. The narration isn’t bad enough that I won’t continue listening.

Great cozy mystery!

M/M cozy-mystery, law-enforcement, family-dynamics, friendship, bookseller, small-business, small-town, island-life, amateur-sleuth, murder, murder-investigation, verbal-humor, situational-humor*****

I had gotten book three in the series from NetGalley and liked it so much that I got this and the next one in audio. The story truly follows all the cozy criteria and has a great plot, fascinating characters, and laughs. It also has a police detective, a bookshop owner (and former professional TV actor) named Ellery (like Ellery Queen mystery writer!), a frenetic puppy named Watson (is there any other kind?), the Scallywags, and the Silver Sleuths. It's set in an island off New Jersey (USA) that's accessible by ferry (that's why they can have cars). Ellery inherited the bookshop and rundown Dutch Colonial from an ancient of his father and has only been a resident for three months when he finds the first murder victim in his store. And then he gets convicted in the local press, so what else can be done but learn to become a sleuth? Loved it!
Matt Haynes is the laid back voice actor who really knows how to underplay the laughs.

very cozy

This book has all the hallmarks of a cozy mystery. It's a fun one and I can't wait to listen to the next book!

Great opening to a new series!

Enjoyed every bit of it! it is a great start to a new series that I look forward reading more! i think this wad based off a short story Josh Lanyon wrote that I really enjoyed.

A Model Cozy MM Mystery

Many have strong feelings regarding JL, but this is stand out cozy mystery, and spot on narrating.

Not bad

While this is far from my favorite cozy or even one I think had excellent writing what it did have is a gay character who has a story that’s not about being gay.

As a gay male I don’t see any main characters in books who are gay and have a story not centered around their sexuality.

Thank you for writing this, I will be listening to the rest of the books.

Representation is important

Exactly what I wanted!

Was looking for something reminiscent of Murder, She Wrote; but also craving something I could relate to with a more modern queer lens. A wonderful listen, can’t wait for the rest.

Cozy indeed

Story: 7
Writing: 8
First MC: 9
Second MC: 7
Secondary characters: 6
Mystery: 6
Sexual tension: 3
Humor: 5
Hotness: 1
Product placement: 5
Ridiculousness: 5
Annoying: 1
Audio: 10
To re-read: 10

Light like a summer read, loved the secondary colorful characters...The Chief? we basically know nothing about the dude

loved it!

a great start to a new series. I love Josh Lanyon's mysteries, and can't wait until the next one!

So Good

Glad to get a good deal on this little gem by Josh Lanyon. Ellery is the perfect addition to quirky Pirates Cove and I’m off to read the next in this cozy mystery series.