Murder at Pirate's Cove is the first book in the Secrets and Scrabble series by Josh Lanyon. 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 bookshop and a falling-down mansion in the quaint seaside village of Pirate’s Cove in 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 possibly 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.
Murder at Pirate's Cove is a cozy mystery that grabbed me from the start. I liked Ellery as a character, he is smart and thoughtful with a curious mind and the ability to admit his mistakes. I did think the blurb was a little misleading, since he is a Scrabble player but that only plays a minimal role in the story, although I think it will mean more as the series continues. I liked the set up, and thought the characters and town building was well paced and well done. The mystery was layered with plenty of twists, and I liked the way it was built and revealed in small portions to keep interest and attention. I did not want to step away from the book at any point during the read, wanting to see how things would play out in the next moment. I am interested to see where the series goes from here, and if the promised connections continue to grow in the future.
Murder at Pirate's Cove is an engaging read and I look forward to continuing the series.
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