I really enjoyed this. I liked the lead character (though I don't think any head chef has as much free time on their hands as this one does)--she had a wry sense of humor. I felt like I got a good taste of the Hamptons--I loved the descriptions. I appreciated that many of the characters were a mix of good and bad (unlike in the Ellie Alexander bake shop mysteries, which are similarly good on descriptions in general). I found the wrap-up a little tedious and unrealistic, but --spoiler alert--at least it wasn't a long "hero in peril" climax. ( )

Death on Windmill Way by Carrie Doyle is the first novel in A Hamptons Murder Mystery series. The cover is just lovely for this cozy mystery. Antonia Bingham bought Windmill Inn without seeing it in person on the advice of her best friend, Genevieve. Antonia was anxious for a new start after her divorce from her controlling ex-husband. The main thing that sold her on the property was the large restaurant because Antonia is a chef who loves to cook. When Antonia learns that there may be a curse attached to the inn, she decides to do a little snooping. After all, her childhood nickname was “snoop” per Genevieve and Antonia claims to be a better detective than her former husband. I had high hopes for Death on Windmill Way, but there were several things that kept me from enjoying this cozy mystery. Carrie Doyle is a detail-oriented writer. A person is described down to the color of their nail polish and a room is discussed in detail including where she obtained the fabric and the color of the lamps. Every single person is given this attention along with other properties, rooms, stores, streets, etc. I felt it was too much detail and bogged down the story. There was a discourse on bees that went on for several pages and included information that was interesting but not relevant. There were also some facts in the book that were inaccurate (an example is New York does not recognize common law marriage but a character in the book kept claiming to be Gordon’s common law wife). There were a variety of characters in Death on Windmill Way. I liked John Fowler who lives near Antonia and eats at the restaurant each night. Larry, though, was a piece of work. I really wish the author had not included the obnoxious man considering how he views women and his inappropriate comments. Antonia’s best friend, Genevieve is another unlikeable individual. She is vain and shallow. I am baffled why Antonia likes Genevieve who cares more about herself than her friend. The mystery had multiple suspects, red herrings and pointed clues. The guilty party could easily be identified early in the story. The reveal scene is reminiscent of Murder, She Wrote, but Jessica Fletcher got to the point much quicker than Antonia. The reveal scene seemed to go on forever (I lost track if it was two chapters or three) and lacked concrete facts. Unlike most cozies, this one does contain foul language. Death on Windmill Way contains 416 pages which could have easily been edited down with the elimination of repeated case details and the overly descriptive sentences. The author failed to develop the main character (I know it is shocking, but true). We are given scant details on her past. Antonia needs to be fleshed out and made more likeable. I found Antonia to be contradictory. She carefully furnishes each room in the inn paying close attention to every detail, but then she lets someone she does not know control the finances. Antonia seems to be unaware that she has overspent on renovations and not bringing in enough income to pay the number of people she has employed. I also felt the romance was too soon for Antonia after what she had been through with her husband and she seemed a little obsessed with the man (searching for him each day). A Hamptons Murder Mysteries has potential. It just needs editing and rewriting to help achieve it. The food sounded delectable and the town sounded lovely. Death on Windmill Way is a culinary cozy mystery with a curious curse, bewildering bees, a fashionista friend, bothersome bookkeeping, and a chef cooking culinary cuisine. ( )

In "Death on Windmill Way," Antonia tries to solve the mysterious deaths that seem to swirl around her newly-acquired inn and restaurant in the lovely Hamptons. Unbeknownst to Antonia, previous owners had fallen prey to a strange curse. Will Antonia be the next to succumb to death? Could the unknown killer be the gardener, the previous manager, or the girlfriend of the previous owner? Antonia risks her life and her new business to discover the truth.

The setting in the Hamptons presents a pretty background picture for the nefarious doings in the small town of this novel. I really liked the idea of the inn and restaurant as key elements of this story. The characters were interesting and intriguing. Unfortunately, this novel suffers from too much detail, which bogs down the plot. I did not really need to know the exact color and type of furniture in a home, or a minute description of Antonia examining herself in several mirrors while bemoaning her figure. The extensive details add little to the storyline. Some readers may find these details help them know the characters better, or add to the feeling of "being there" and being drawn into the novel. I found them to be tiresome.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own. ( )

cozy-mystery, family-dynamics, friendship, greed, mystery, murder-investigation****

Antonia needs a real break to get away from her abusive ex-husband so she follows a friend's advice and moves from California to The Hamptons on Long Island New York and buys a historic inn that has recently gone up for sale. She has absolutely no experience in hospitality, but she is a good chef and has former employees to help and guide. Then she overhears a conversation indicating that the previous owners all had an early suspicious death and she questions herself. Not so much when malicious happenstances begin happening to her. Let the sleuthing begin! For the very detail oriented, this is exactly the right book. I liked it but the detailed descriptions left me lukewarm.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. ( )

What an awesome mystery! I loved the setting, both being in South Hampton and a small inn. It gave it a real cozy feel and left me wishing I was running a B&B. The characters were "small-town" without being too cliche, which is a nice touch and apparently one that is hard to pull off as many authors overdue their quirky qualities sometimes. The mystery was well thought out, if not a little predictable. With about 2/3 of the book left to read, I had guessed the culprit, if not through clues, then through the simple fact that the author had done what countless other have done before. She "ignored" the murderer in hopes the of deflecting the reader's notice away from her/him.

Overall, I would love to read more by this author, and hope there is more to this series in the future.

I was provided a free copy from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for a n honest review. ( )