Patrick Kelly has done an excellent job of making me want to move Wintergreen, Virginia. His desciptions of the mountain and the surrounding areas make them come alive visually as well as on the page.

The story starts with a hit and run murder. This town's population leans heavily towards the elderly. A retired policeman who really loved being retired is asked to assist the town's local law enforcement with the investigation, since a murder investigation is not in their skill set. What he finds is a domino effect of small crime that grow larger as they fall. I enjoyed watching....err reading....the town scramble to keep their secrets.

The characters were well-developed, and I found myself invested in their lives. The plot was well thought out and had enough twists and turns to keep me on the edge of my seat. I appreciated the attention to detail, and the author did a great job of creating a vivid world that was easy to picture in my mind.
The themes explored in the book were thought-provoking and gave me a lot to consider. The story had a great message and was inspiring, leaving me feeling uplifted and motivated. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story with well-developed characters and a powerful message.
Overall, I was thoroughly impressed with this book and would definitely read it again. It was a great addition to my reading collection, and I can't wait to see what else this author has in store.

I loved the setting of this story but did not like the romance piece. I am not a romance novel reader at all so it was a little disappointing to me even though it was only a small piece of the story.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this opportunity.

Another day, another book post! Continuing with my streak of posting my views on all the books I read, here’s my 8th one from this year. You can find more of such posts from me here.

A short note on reading habit before the actual review: Remember this post? A lot of you appreciated it and while I barely continued this practice, at least it initiated me into reading articles more mindfully. As for books, I already used to savor what I read but I mostly forget what I read. Hence, going forward, you will see a structure to my book opinions. I also maintain a book journal for my notes now and I love doing that. You’ll also see me writing why I chose to read a book. It will sort of help me take a mental picture of the time I was reading that book in. I want to clarify here that I don’t read for ROI (not that that’s a bad thing) but the note-taking may sound like tedious to some of you and that’s totally understandable, but I do it to savor the book reading experience. Goes without saying that I only do it when I like to.

And now, here are my thoughts on The Mountain View Murder:

Why I chose this book?

I was browsing Netgalley for the first time when I came across this book. Yes, it has been more than a year since Netgalley let me take this book. I think its fairly obvious why I chose this book, its name screams cozy, mountain murder mystery. That was it, then. That itself was the reason.

What I liked:

Everything. There, I completed the opinion before even saying anything! This book is about a retired detective Bill O’Shea who moves to Wintergreen, a mountain resort in North Carolina, to spend his life post retirement. The police chief there, Alex, is a temporary chief who doesn’t have a lot of experience with this sort of work when someone dies. So, he ropes in Bill to help him solve the case. Alex, rest of the team and almost everyone in the story believes that its an accident, but Bill wants to track every clue to figure out what it actually is – murder or accident. What then ensues is your typical whodunnit and all the characters are very enjoyable in the story. The suspects, of course, with their motives keep giving the book fun dimensions with every flashback into their lives. However, the main character, i.e., our detective Bill and his supporting characters add a lot to the experience. There’s Bill’s new love interest, Cindy, who approaches Bill right when he moves to his condo, Mitch, the young policeman who works with Bill, Krista, the policewoman who has a very fun, outgoing and charming side to her while being amazing at her job, Kim, the Wintergreen gossip journal who also adds to the whodunnit once giving it a fun twist!

To top it all, the setting of the book, i.e. a mountain resort from where multiple hiking trails pass through, make for a fun ride. I enjoyed reading this so much and after this I downloaded so many mystery books on my Kindle!

What I didn’t like:

I really don’t have anything, except I wish the book went on for longer! 😀

A huge thanks to Netgalley for giving me the chance to read this book!

Engaging Mystery…
Lou Thorpe’s death is a mystery. When Bill O’Shea is called out of retirement to help investigate, he falls easily back into investigation mode but can he crack the case? Gentle and engaging mystery set in Wintergreen in the Virginian mountains. Some deftly drawn characters and a good sense of place make this an enjoyable read.

Bill’s retirement was turning out to be a good one, with the peacefulness and beautiful creatures of nature right before him, notwithstanding his new neighbor, who had his romantic juices flowing once again. With every turn of the page, the plot thickens as you immerse yourself deep within this story. It is an enjoyable, intriguing, and captivating read.

Mountain View Murder is the first novel set in the Virginian mountain community of Wintergreen to feature retired detective Bill O’Shea. Retired and loving the new lifestyle Bill finds himself caught up in the old routine once again when Lou Thorpe ended up being killed in a hit and run with no clues in sight.

The author does a great job of character development and each person is introduced and as a reader I was transported to the little town of Wintergreen along with all of its residents.

I enjoyed this book and the writing was very engaging and easy to follow. Special thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy for review purposes.

A hit and run in a resort town becomes a mystery to be solved. So many suspects but who did it? Nice setting, interesting character interactions and even a bit of romance. Made for a good story. I enjoyed the book.

Thank you NetGalley, Patrick Kelly and BooksGoSocial for the book Mountain View Murder. This is my personal review.
Small town mystery with a fabulous setting makes this a book to pick up and read. The small-town setting was perfect for this story. The mystery solving felt right without having huge surprises but instead the way a town this size would handle the case. It was an easy read.

4.5 Stars

This is what I can only assume is the first book in the Bill O’Shea/Wintergreen mystery series by by Patrick Kelley.

I really liked this story. I resonated with the character of Bill and how this ex-cop was trying to find a less stressful live in Wintergreen. But then circumstances happened and higher cops were unavailable and that left a newbie in charge and asking for Bill’s expert assistance.

I liked how the author handled the budding romance between Bill and his next door neighbor. But then the village gossip mill about broke them up before they even got started. Small town grapevines are mega fast.

I enjoyed following the mystery as Bill did the job and schooled the younger cop on how to be in charge. Such a well written book. Definitely going to check out more from this author!

If you love a cozy mystery, definitely check this one out. Great new must read book great series too!

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title. Opinions are completely my own.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Books Go Social for a review copy of The Mountain View Murder, the first novel set in the Virginian mountain community of Wintergreen to feature retired detective Bill O’Shea.

On his regular morning early morning walk retired lobbyist Lou Thorne is killed in a hit and run. Lou wasn’t the nicest guy and had a few secrets, so there are several suspects. Bill O’Shea is asked to help the police department in their investigation.

I enjoyed The Mountain View Murder, which has a baffling mystery at its heart. In terms of conception the novel is relatively simple. It is told from Bill’s point of view as he adjusts to life in a small community, finds romance and asks a lot of questions. There are no cutting edge forensics or investigative techniques, just good old shoe leather and nous. It has a slow pace and apart from the initial hit and run and an unusual ending no action and, yet, because of the well concealed perpetrator it is strangely compulsive.

It must be admitted that there is a fair amount of padding in the novel with extraneous detail about what he eats and how he navigates his new romance, but hidden in there is a strong picture of location and life in a small community.

The Mountain View Murder is an easy read.

My thanks to NetGalley, publisher BooksGoSocial, and author Patrick Kelly for the electronic copy.

This is a well-written easy-read of a criminal investigation, set amongst the Appalachian mountains around the mountain resort community of Wintergreen. I quite enjoyed it.

Bill O'Shea, a retired senior detective from South Carolina, lives in his recently-purchased condo and enjoys the mountain views. He'd introduced himself to the small local police department when he moved in but in the midst of him considering how he would spend his retirement days he gets a call for help from Alex Sharp, acting chief of the department. Alex's two senior officers were unavailable and he needed Bill's experience to guide him through an investigation:

In the early hours of the morning 74yr-old Lou Thorpe was killed by a hit and run driver whilst taking his morning exercise on the mountain road. Bill refuses to be paid and works as a police adviser for the local department. State and County police, as well as the National Parks Service all become involved - because the only clues they have to go on is the fact that the vehicle must have suffered damage, and a clear print of a running shoe near the body. The vehicle could be miles away and if they couldn't find it there is no chance to find the driver. A lengthy and meticulous search of the resort ensues amongst the community and the various trails of the Appalachian Trail. The consensus of opinion is that a "thru-hiker" was somehow responsible - but Bill really doesn't believe it and determines to find out everything he can about the victim. As his investigation continues along the lines of means, motive and opportunity, his list of suspects for this being a murder grows longer, but there is no actual evidence to prove it. Lots of people had reason to hate Lou Thorpe - but enough to kill him?

This is an unusual and intriguing plot and produces twists and surprises as long-held secrets begin to emerge.
I liked the characterisations and easy-going dialogue, as well as Bill's emerging love interest with a near-neighbour. Will we hear more from Bill O'Shea? I do hope so.

Bill, a retired police officer has been asked to help with the investigation into the death of Lou.
Lou was not a well liked man in the community even though he was tolerated. Now as Bill begins to dig into who did this he finds that there are a number of suspects, all having a reason to want Lou dead.
Will Bill find out what happened and why are should he just let it go to the officers paid to find out?
All the while he's hoping to build more then just friendship with his new neighbor.

Interesting story.

Bill O'Shea is a retired police officer from Columbia, SC. He decides to retire in Wintergreen, VA which is a mountainous town famous for its skiing. An elderly man is hit and run and the local police believe its murder. They bring in Bill to help as they are short staffed.

This book did a good job of setting up for a literary mystery series. I enjoyed getting to know Bill, his romantic interest Cindy and the locals. This was a slow pace and I was able to enjoy the character development.

Fantastic book!
A brilliant rollercoaster of a ride… I read this book in one sitting in less than a day and loved every minute of it

Liked this book. Good story line, and well developed, interesting characters, The book was well written., and had a good mystery. I have read lots of mysteries, but I did not guess "who done it." and the ending was very satisfactory.
The romantic interest between older characters was an added plus. There are hints of another story for these characters, and if there is, I will definitely read it. Full disclosure--I received a review copy, but that did not affect my review.


Ramona Thompson

The cast of characters in this fun, readable story are all likable and interesting, as well as keeping a lot of secrets. A seemingly random hit and run murder turns out to be the result of lies, dalliances, and betrayal. Luckily, a retired detective moves into the area and reluctantly (at first) begins to investigate as a favor to a friend. Just when you think you know who did it, a curve makes you doubt yourself. Very enjoyable!

This book was enthralling from the very first. If you enjoy reading mysteries with personable characters, a small town atmosphere and fast paced action, then you'll like this book. I highly recommend this book to other mystery readers.

I have not previously read any Patrick Kelly books but I plan to fix that soon. I love a good who done it, but I really liked the description of the mountain town and the people in it. I kept thinking to myself that I would figure out who did it a couple chapters in, you know lots of mysteries expose themselves quickly not so with this book it kept me on the edge of my seat. There was a good, steady pace throughout the story. Great book!

(3.5 stars from me)
I flew through this book. It was light and pleasant (despite the murder..) and there was a good, steady pace throughout the story.

We’re following Bill O’Shea, a recently retired detective who just moved to a picturesque town of Wintergreen, nestled into the mountains and bordering the Appalachian Trail. While Bill is settling into the retired life, enjoying the views from his new condo and getting to know his lovely neighbour, Cindy, the tragedy strikes. One of the Wintegreen residents has been found dead and Bill is asked to assist with the investigation. From then on we’re following the newly baked retiree/police volunteer as he begins to uncover the details of the case.

If you’re looking for a dark, tense and atmospheric read, this is NOT a book for you. There is a murder investigation, but there are no curfews imposed, no media scandal, no bloody, shocking discoveries or claustrophobic vibes. This felt more like what has to be a day-to-day of an experienced, small town cop. There is a mystery to solve and people to question, but I also have a private life and some small pleasures to get to. Since Bill is not actually employed by the police, there is little pressure on him to bring this case to a close, and you can feel that throughout the novel (I enjoyed it, felt like a nice break from the usual scarred, traumatised, addicted, socially inept detectives we see in crime books these days.)
What I’m not convinced about is the romance (do we really need it?), though it was light and a slow-burn, so can’t be too critical, and the ending, which felt a bit too out there and not entirely convincing for me.
All in all it was a quick, fun read and I’ll probably pick up the next book if the author continues on with the series.