By: Christena
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Seaside Cozy Mystery – My Book Review

GRAND OPENINGS
CAN BE MURDER
Bean to Bar Mysteries Book 1
by
AMBER ROYER
Categories: Cozy Mystery / Woman Sleuth / Romance
Publisher: Golden Tip Press
Date of Publication: February 2, 2021
Number of Pages: 266 pages
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Felicity Koerber has had a rough year. She’s moving back to Galveston Island and opening a bean to bar chocolate factory, fulfilling a dream she and her late husband, Kevin, had shared. Craft chocolate means a chance to travel the world, meeting with farmers and bringing back beans she can turn into little blocks of happiness, right close to home and family. She thinks trouble has walked into her carefully re-built world when puddle-jump pilot Logan Hanlon shows up at her grand opening to order custom chocolates. Then one of her employees drops dead at the party, and Felicity’s one-who-got-away ex-boyfriend – who’s now a cop – thinks Felicity is a suspect.
As the murder victim’s life becomes more and more of a mystery, Felicity realizes that if she’s going to clear her name in time to save her business, she might need Logan’s help. Though she’s not sure if she’s ready to let anyone into her life – even if it is to protect her from being the killer’s next victim. For Felicity, Galveston is all about history, and a love-hate relationship with the ocean, which keeps threatening to deliver another hurricane – right into the middle of her investigation. Can she figure it out before all the clues get washed away? FIRST IN A NEW SERIES!

PRAISE FOR GRAND OPENINGS CAN BE MURDER:

“With as many unpredictable twists and turns as the hurricane approaching Galveston, Grand Openings Can Be Murder is an intriguing cozy mystery set in a new chocolate shop along the island’s historic Strand. Readers will love learning about the bean-to-bar chocolate-making process while the store’s owner, Felicity, pursues truth, justice, and the perfect chocolate bar.”

— Diane Kelly, Award-winning author of the Death & Taxes, Paw Enforcement, House Flipper, and Busted mystery series.

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Seaside Cozy Mystery – My Book Review

I love Galveston, Texas. I have been through a hurricane or two on the Texas Gulf Coast. Plus, I love delectable chocolate. Grand Openings Can Be Murder by Texas author Amber Royer combines my love of Galveston, chocolate, and the suspense of living through a hurricane.

Grand Openings Can Be Murder is unquestionably a cozy murder mystery. Set in Galveston, the main character has just opened a chocolate shop on The Strand after the loss of her husband. What ensues are two murders and a bit of an emerging love story. The story is carried with the main character becoming a sleuth at finding out who and why one of her employees is murdered. Then the story really turns when someone tries to murder Felicity the main character.

Royer’s writing is conversational, and it moves this murder mystery along swimmingly. There are a few instances where the back story was a little too much on Felicity. I noticed a few typos, but they were not distractive from the story.

Now to all that chocolate… What I loved the most about this book is that I wish I could have reached through the words and pages to taste every single piece of chocolate being written about. I was introduced to horchata while living in south Texas. It is a drink of rice, milk, and cinnamon. I must try that dirty horchata mentioned in this book sounds. It sounds quite tasty with coffee.

Royer’s words spun a fabulous, fast story around murder, chocolate, and a hurricane. The setting was exceptional and brought Galveston to life. If you love the seaside and cozy murder mysteries, then check out Grand Openings Can Be Murder. Looking forward to this series continuing!

Amber Royer writes the CHOCOVERSE comic telenovela-style foodie-inspired space opera series, and the BEAN TO BAR MYSTERIES. She is also the author of STORY LIKE A JOURNALIST: A WORKBOOK FOR NOVELISTS, which boils down her writing knowledge into an actionable plan involving over 100 worksheets to build a comprehensive story plan for your novel. She blogs about creative writing technique and all things chocolate at www.amberroyer.com. She also teaches creative writing for both UT Arlington Continuing Education and Writing Workshops Dallas. If you are very nice to her, she might make you cupcakes.
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Autographed copy of GRAND OPENINGS CAN BE MURDER
and a $25 Gift Card to Dandelion Chocolate
(US only. Ends Midnight, CST, February 19, 2021)

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FOR DIRECT LINKS TO EACH POST ON THIS TOUR, UPDATED DAILY,
or visit the blogs directly:
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2/18/21 Review It’s Not All Gravy
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