Bayou transplant Odessa Dean has a lot to learn about life in Brooklyn. So far she's scored a rent free apartment in one of the nicest neighborhoods around by cat-sitting, and has a new job working at Untapped Books & Café. Hand-selling books and craft beers is easy for Odessa, but making new friends and learning how to ride the subway? Well, that might take her a little extra time.
But things turn more sour than an IPA when the death of a fellow waitress goes viral, caught on camera in the background of a couple's flash-mob proposal video. Nothing about Bethany's death feels right to Odessa--neither her sudden departure mid-shift nor the clues that only Odessa seems to catch. As an up-and-coming YouTube star, Bethany had more than one viewer waiting for her to fall from grace.
Determined to prove there's a killer on the loose, Odessa takes matters into her own hands. But can she pin down Bethany's killer before they take Odessa offline for good?
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ASIN : B08817HQXT
Publisher : Berkley
Publication date : February 2, 2021
Print length : 298 pages
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My Review:
Odessa Dean is in Brooklyn, NY, apartment- and cat-sitting for her aunt. As a lifelong resident of Louisiana, New York is a culture shock. The pace is faster, the patience is thinner, and her southern manners don't mean a thing. To keep her busy, and with some spending money, she finds employment as a waitress at a local café. When one of the other waitresses races out of Untapped Books & Café and asks Odessa to cover for her, Odessa chalks it up to an urgent appointment. Unfortunately, as Odessa is watching a flash-mob proposal on social media, she sees the unmistakable shirt of the Café's uniform on a body in the background. Ruled an accident by police, Odessa knows Bethany's death is anything but.
Odessa takes it upon herself to investigate the mysterious demise of Bethany since no one at the police station will listen to her. As Odessa dives further into her own investigation, she ends up with a list of suspects but no real proof. She resorts to hiding evidence from the police, dumpster diving, and porch-surfing in the middle of the night. Not a good way to convince the police they are wrong, and you are right, Odessa!
Killer Content was an interesting and fast read. The cozy concept of a craft being at the forefront of the book didn't really occur in this story and it was refreshing. Sure, Odessa liked to sew but her hobby wasn't front and center. We were able to learn more about Odessa than her favorite patterns and sewing machine settings. Don't get me wrong, I love the themes of cozy mysteries, but the lack of a concrete hobby/craft/artistic lifestyle was a nice change.
Let's talk a little bit about Odessa. She's new to New York and is southern to the bone. She was born of manners and kindness. Those she meets in New York, and who appear in this story, not so much. She gives into rude people, lets people talk down to her, and doesn't defend herself. I found those traits very off-putting about her character. You can be nice, polite, and have manners, and still not let people take advantage of you. As much as I liked Odessa's fierceness with finding out the truth about Bethany, I didn't like her meek and mousiness. I hope her character gets a little stronger in the next book. I liked her despite all that, though.
The author created some strong secondary characters. Izzy, Odessa's friend, is fun and I found her interesting. Parker is a likeable co-worker. Huckleberry, the Untapped Books & Café doggy mascot, is entertaining in his own right. Todd, Odessa's boss, is a strong character but in a very unlikable way. I didn't like him and that's exactly how the author created him. The character development was done well, and I enjoyed the setting for Killer Content. I look forward to the next book.
I was provided a copy of this book read.
My Rating:
ASIN : B08817HQXT
Publisher : Berkley
Publication date : February 2, 2021
Print length : 298 pages
Purchase from Amazon
Add to Goodreads
My Review:
Odessa Dean is in Brooklyn, NY, apartment- and cat-sitting for her aunt. As a lifelong resident of Louisiana, New York is a culture shock. The pace is faster, the patience is thinner, and her southern manners don't mean a thing. To keep her busy, and with some spending money, she finds employment as a waitress at a local café. When one of the other waitresses races out of Untapped Books & Café and asks Odessa to cover for her, Odessa chalks it up to an urgent appointment. Unfortunately, as Odessa is watching a flash-mob proposal on social media, she sees the unmistakable shirt of the Café's uniform on a body in the background. Ruled an accident by police, Odessa knows Bethany's death is anything but.
Odessa takes it upon herself to investigate the mysterious demise of Bethany since no one at the police station will listen to her. As Odessa dives further into her own investigation, she ends up with a list of suspects but no real proof. She resorts to hiding evidence from the police, dumpster diving, and porch-surfing in the middle of the night. Not a good way to convince the police they are wrong, and you are right, Odessa!
Killer Content was an interesting and fast read. The cozy concept of a craft being at the forefront of the book didn't really occur in this story and it was refreshing. Sure, Odessa liked to sew but her hobby wasn't front and center. We were able to learn more about Odessa than her favorite patterns and sewing machine settings. Don't get me wrong, I love the themes of cozy mysteries, but the lack of a concrete hobby/craft/artistic lifestyle was a nice change.
Let's talk a little bit about Odessa. She's new to New York and is southern to the bone. She was born of manners and kindness. Those she meets in New York, and who appear in this story, not so much. She gives into rude people, lets people talk down to her, and doesn't defend herself. I found those traits very off-putting about her character. You can be nice, polite, and have manners, and still not let people take advantage of you. As much as I liked Odessa's fierceness with finding out the truth about Bethany, I didn't like her meek and mousiness. I hope her character gets a little stronger in the next book. I liked her despite all that, though.
The author created some strong secondary characters. Izzy, Odessa's friend, is fun and I found her interesting. Parker is a likeable co-worker. Huckleberry, the Untapped Books & Café doggy mascot, is entertaining in his own right. Todd, Odessa's boss, is a strong character but in a very unlikable way. I didn't like him and that's exactly how the author created him. The character development was done well, and I enjoyed the setting for Killer Content. I look forward to the next book.
I was provided a copy of this book read.
My Rating:
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