Bowled Over Americano by Carolyn Arnold Series: A Sara and Sean Cozy Mystery Book 1
Published by Hibbert & Stiles Publishing Inc. on April 11, 2023
Genres: Fiction / Humorous / General, Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Cozy / Animals, Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Cozy / Crafts, Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Cozy / Culinary, Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Cozy / General, Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Private Investigators, Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths, Fiction / Romance / Police & Law Enforcement, Fiction / Women
Pages: 266
Format: ARC
Source: NetGalley
Sara Cain isn't your typical thirty-two-year-old woman. Murder detective by day, writer and… sleuth by night? Just as long as there’s enough coffee to keep her going…
When her first novel gives her trouble, Sara goes for a walk to clear her writer’s block and ends up stumbling right into a real-life murder mystery. Magnum, an adventurous beagle, comes running off leash toward her in the local park, and she returns him home only to find his master dead on the entry floor.
Cliff Cunningham was a championship bowler with a mean streak and a temper, and police are pegging his Golden Pin bowling trophy as the murder weapon. While any number of people could have clocked a strike by knocking him on the noggin, the prime suspect is a friend of Sara’s mother—and she expects Sara to prove the woman’s innocence. A tall order, as the case isn’t officially hers and belongs to a rival detective.
But a promise is a promise, and Sara soon finds herself sleuthing undercover—and off the clock—in a world of polyester shirts and rental shoes. It’s not all bad, though, as she’s taking her friend and partner Sean McKinley along for the ride. They are better together than they’ve ever been split, and they’re not amateurs at finding killers.
Despite being up against small-town hijinks and colorful characters who threaten to roll their efforts into the gutter, they are having fun. That is, until they get close to the killer and a dangerous twist puts their lives at risk.
A completely addictive caper full of twists that offers up a serving of murder, a dollop of romance, and a dash of humor. This perfect blend of robust and sweet is bound to hit the spot with readers who are fans of Verity Bright, Tonya Kappes, and Agatha Frost.
Readers love Carolyn Arnold!
“Arnold hooks me early and keeps me flipping pages. I am just going along for the ride, eager to go wherever the story takes me.” ~ Fundinmental
“Carolyn Arnold does such an amazing job creating a mystery that grips the reader right from the start and keeps the reader engaged through the entire book.” ~ Life as Leels
“I like Carolyn Arnold’s writing whether it’s a cozy mystery or an FBI thriller or something in between. Her writing flows well and her characters are realistic.” ~ Bound 4 Escape
“Arnold is one of the many authors whose work I will never tire of reading. Her writing pulls you in and before you know it, the story is complete.” ~ Totally Addicted to Reading
My Review
This is the first book that I have ever read by Carolyn Arnold and I am sure it will not be the last. I found this book to be an absolute delight. I am relatively new to cozy mystery books but from what I have gathered from Booktube this hits all the marks of a good cozy mystery. There is the female sleuth/cop, small-town feel, and super cute animal companion. I found this book to be a comfort and a joy to read. Bowled Over Americano had me flying through the pages, I just could not seem to put it down. I am happy to say that I am eager for the next one in the series to come out. I just need to know how these characters get on including the four-legged one.
Bowled Over Americano opens with Sara taking a break from writing her novel and going out for a walk in her neighborhood. As she is walking along and lost in thought she spots her neighbor’s dog, Magnum running loose in the park with no owner in sight. Sara eventually catches Magnum and returns him to his home only to discover that the owner Cliff has been murdered in his own home. Sara soon calls the police and low and behold Detective Davenport enters the scene. Davenport is not one of Sara’s favorite people, he is a detective who has been at it for a long time and is often times lazy and sloppy in his work. Davenport gives Sara two options for the dog and that is to take him to a shelter or bring him home with her. She is completely disgusted by Davenport’s lack of caring and ends up taking Magnum home with her.
Sara receives a call soon after Cliff’s death from her mother who informs Sara that Gladys who happens to be Cliff’s long-time girlfriend has been accused of murder. Gladys happens to be Sara’s mother’s friend who swears up and down that her friend is innocent. Sare eventually meets with her mom and after speaking with both her mother and Gladys she decides that she is going to do some snooping around in the case during her free time. She knows Davenport’s reputation and truly feels that Gladys is innocent. It is not long before Sara gets her partner/boss of two years Sean involved in trying to discover who murdered Cliff.
This is the start of two cops becoming evening Sleuths. I really enjoyed the relationship that these two characters have with each other both in their real jobs and now their side job. They work really well together and are just different enough that they complement each other well. The side sleuthing that they do I found to be entertaining, they will go to any length to discover who killed Cliff, from crazy costumes to creeping around bowling alleys it doesn’t matter to them and often times Magnum is involved.
If you are looking for a fun, light-hearted cozy mystery with an adorable four-legged character then please pick this one up. Bowled Over Americano comes out on April 11th, 2023. I received an advanced reader copy from Netgalley and the author Carolyn Arnold in return for an honest review. I want to thank Netgalley and Carolyn Arnold for the opportunity to read this book before it hits store shelves. I very much enjoyed the story and recommend it to anyone who loves a cozy mystery with a touch of romance. All the thoughts and opinions written above are entirely my own.