Witty, warm, and unexpectedly twisty, this small-town mystery follows park ranger Maudy Lorso as she fights to save her job—and her peace of mind—while unraveling a murder in her beloved dunes. A charming blend of humor, heart, and suspense.

3.5!

This book grabbed my attention because I was looking for something a little different to read right now and a new cozy mystery series is exactly what I needed! And it definitely delivered. Corvo has a great way of painting a vivid settings and making her characters relatable. I liked how the story didn’t stick to the usual formula, it was refreshing to follow a narrative that felt a little less predictable.

That said, there were a few stretches where the pacing slowed down more than I would have liked, and I found myself losing a bit of momentum. It wasn’t a perfect read for me, but it was still good overall!

In the end, I’m glad I picked this one up. Off the Beaten Path might not be for everyone, but if you’re in the mood for a fun cozy mystery this one might be right up your alley!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

2.5/5
I honestly wanted to love this book but sadly had to DNF. I couldn’t connect with any of the characters. I felt like the story was dragging and I found myself bored at times.

The writing was a bit clunky in the beginning but evened out as the story continued. I liked the idea of a mystery-solving park ranger. Maudy was a bit much at times. The mystery was interesting enough and the solution typical of the genre. It was a fun little cozy, and I would check out the next book in the series. 3.25 stars

Off the Beaten Path by Eloise Corvo starts off a bit confusing, like jumping into the middle of a conversation. The book could have benefited from a slower-paced, descriptive first chapter to better establish the setting and characters. However, as I continued reading, the story picked up and kept me engaged. The language is playful, conversational, and easy to read, providing a great framework for the story.

I love the small-town life in Stone’s Throw, the beautiful descriptions of the national park, the hiking lifestyle, and the main character, Maudy. The setting is cozy-mystery, and Maudy’s sidekick, the dog Martin, makes this a delightful reading experience. I have no complaints about the mystery; I enjoyed the story’s twists and turns and how the author combined murder-mystery with everyday life in the national park. I hope to read more about Maudy and Martin very, very soon.

I was intrigued by the plot of this book, but was ultimately disappointed. The story is clunky and bogged down by unnecessary descriptions. I appreciate a fully fleshed out setting and characters, but I don’t need to know what every character is wearing and their background. The murder almost felt like an afterthought. I loved the town and some of the characters, but I think this book should’ve been condensed down or the focus redirected to the murder.

Off the Beaten Path has everything you'd want from your cozy mystery - a small town setting, a sense of community, secrets, and of course, lots of food. The addition to the setting is the Stone Throw's State Park with a backdrop of Lake Michigan, both of which give the author a great chance to add wonderful descriptions. To be honest, I found the outdoors vibe of the book perfect for a summer read.

Maudy Lorso, our protagonist, works at the park. With the state of the park up in the air, and a dead body found on its grounds right before opening weekend, she feels the pressure to solve the murder before it's too late. For the most part, the mystery moved as I was expecting, yet remaining entertaining. Even though I had guessed the murderer, I still found it a very interesting read.

My main complaint about this book is Maudy's behaviour. Of course, we have red herrings in all mystery books, cozy or not. However, Maudy was so fixated on one of the suspects - and the one that was the least plausible. And the reason why she was so determined to prove their guilt was simply because they didn't get along. In addition to this, I found some of her actions a bit reckless and weird, as they would hinder the investigation (i.e. taking evidence without notifying the police, or confronting suspects without enough evidence). Sidenote: if you hate pop culture references in book, be warned that Maudy is always talking about Veronica Mars and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

As far as the rest of the cast goes, Maudy's dog, Martin Short, was by far my favourite. He was the best boy, and one that I couldn't get enough of. And Maudy also finds a black cat at the park, and I am a proud black cat owner. When it comes to the human characters, I really liked Eli and I would definitely want to see more of him. We also get mentions of other people from the small town, but no one played a significant role to see them long enough in the book.

By the end of the book, we also have a romance developing, but it's never the main focus of the story. I'm not sure how I feel about it on its own. However, I do have to say that the epilogue seems to imply that this romance is going to lead to the mystery in the following installment of the series, and I would be curious to find out more about it.

All in all, Off the Beaten Path is an enjoyable and quick read. It is a perfect book for the summer due to its settings, and it feels so cozy and light that it would be great after something darker and more challenging. Since it's just a debut novel, I would expect that the author will find her voice and improve in future installments.

Okay, first of all, we LOVE a book set in Michigan and the main character is a park ranger?! That sounds more than okay to me! Really though, our main character, Maudy Lorso, is a park ranger at Stone's Throw State Park and she is just out here doing her best. Her adorable dog, Martin Short, also needs to be given a shoutout because Marty is one of the bestest boys around and deserves all of the treats.

Amidst dealing with state park budget cuts, preparing to open the park up for the season, and general anxiety that has been plaguing Maudy, she discovers the dead body of a missing tourist. When I tell you, this book had me questioning everything and everybody. I was ready to settle down with a nice, small town murder mystery and then BAM, plot twist after plot twist. Maudy may be a park ranger, but she can solve crimes with the best of them.

I had to sit back and really think about everything that was uncovered throughout the book once I finished. So much happened. The ending, however, really took me by surprise. I immediately need more answers. Really well done.

This ARC was provided by Level Best Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My Rating: 4*

I love a good cozy mystery and that’s exactly what I got when I dove into this book. Maudy is a likeable yet flawed character with enough facets to prevent her from being a flat character. I love the fact she has a dog who accompanies her to work frequently, and a small group of friends in her town.

Maudy is the local park ranger and someone visiting her town has gone missing. When the body is found inside the park, she is asked by the sheriff to consult on the case. However, AMaudy gets a bit invested in the case as she is intrigued by one of the possible suspects and she is curious as to why someone would put the body in the woods if he wasn’t killed there. Maudy has so many questions and she is desperate to solve the mystery before peak tourist season rolls into town.

I will admit the story isn’t perfect and the mystery is a bit flimsy but overall I found this story to be fun and enjoyable. The atmosphere created by being in or near a national park, in a small town, feels so picturesque and enticing. If you enjoy coffee shop mysteries, or library mysteries, why not take a walk on the natural side and enjoy a series based around the outdoors. IT’s quick and fun, which is exactly what I needed when I picked it up.

I'm not a fan of "cozy" books, and I think that's what this was going for. I picked it up to read something set in the Midwest but it ultimately wasn't my speed.

#OffTheBeatenPath by #EloiseCorvo starts well. It’s quirky and cute and even with a murder, I found myself laughing at a few turns of phrase. But there are so many characters it almost feels like you're reading a cozy Charles Dickens but without the storytelling skill. I know that sounds harsh, but I frequently had to pause to figure out who was who. As for the dialogue. It was overdone and kind of annoying. I really wanted to love Stones Throw but I don't think ill be back.

Off the Beaten Path was such a lovely read from beginning to end. Eloise Corvo has a real talent for immersing you in the setting—every page transported me back to my own memories of summer camp and long, winding hikes. The way she described each character made them feel fully real, and the pacing was spot on. I especially loved how each chapter ended with just enough suspense or emotional pull that I had to keep going.

This book blends contemporary themes with a touch of mystery, and it does so seamlessly. If you’re someone who enjoys getting lost in vivid settings and well-drawn characters, this one’s definitely for you. Highly recommend!

This cozy mystery was a light, enjoyable read with charming characters and a quaint setting that made it easy to sink into. The writing style was simple and accessible—perfect for a relaxing weekend read. While the pacing dragged a bit in the middle, the surprise twist at the end definitely caught me off guard in a good way. I just wish the buildup had been a bit more engaging. Overall, it’s a decent pick if you’re looking for something easy and comforting with a little jolt at the end.

A cozy small town murder mystery!
I really liked the sense of community in stones throw. It kind of reminded me of Gilmore girls!

However I didn’t care for the romantic subplot at all:(

𝙈𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙜𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙇𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬!

This was such a cozy mystery story, I absolutely loved the small town setting and the animal sidekick. It wasn’t a heavy read and would be nice for those who like cozy, small town vibes with a not so complicated mystery. However, the writing seemed a bit awkward as a few passages had grammatical errors and recurring phrases. The main character was a bit inconsistent and the mystery itself was very predictable, also I couldn’t care less about the romance. Still there’s potential here, especially if future books focus more on gradual character and relationship development. All in all I wouldn’t mind revisiting this world if the author decides to continue the series.

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for this ARC.

A tourist has gone missing the town of Stone's Throw. Maudy, the park ranger, is tasked to find the missing guy, and help solve the mystery of what exactly happened.

“...we need to make sure every inch of that park is clear, off the beaten path.”

The intriguing premise in combination with the stunning cover made me pick this book up. I struggled to get into the story being confronted with stilted, awkward prose from the get-go. Corvo is (overly) direct and descriptive when it comes to characters and environments. We get to know what every major or minor character is wearing immediately when we meet them. This plus the sheer size of the cast took me out of the story several times. I myself prefer more subtlely and artistry in prose and storytelling.

Once we get to the mystery itself the story starts to take off. We get a little bit of intrigue and snippets of promise. However it's quite early on that it's obvious who the perpetrator is. There are few red herrings or diversions to be found here. Which leads to a disappointingly predictable conclusion to the main mystery covered in this book. Corvo then decides to tack on an extra 'gotcha' chapter which seems to be set-up for a subsequent book, but I could have done without that. I would have preferred for this to be a contained story.

While there were some characters that I liked in this book, like the dog Marty and the enthusiastic colleague Zach, the main character and law enforcement got on my nerves. Maudy is uncooperative, has horrible intuition and takes unbelievably stupid risks. On top of that cop Kelly seems to not be too fussed about solving the case. The romance aspect in this novel felt out of place and forced to me.

Off the Beaten Path will appeal to people who love cozy, small town vibes and predictably comfortable mystery stories. If the combination of chicklit meets cozy mystery appeals to you, then you might want to give this book a try.

3.5 stars for this book.

This book is a fluffy murder mistery set in a small town with cosy vibes (I'd never thought I'd say that). Okay, so basically Maudy our main female character and her fluffy buddy Martin are solving a murder that happened in the Stone Throw. I loved how the story was easygoing but still very interesting, Martin is our star show diva and we love him so much. The plot twist was truly amazing because I didn't suspected a thing until it happened and that last chapter? absolutely had me gasping.

Overall a great book, with easygoing story and a nice plot twist, with very likable and relatable characters.

Drawn in by the title and in a bit of a reading slump, I needed something to pull me out. Hiking? Furry friend? Dead body? Yes please. I finished it in a weekend but only because I kept on getting outdoors FOMO and had to relocate from home to a trail. Maudy and Marty’s dynamic and cozy life (despite the circumstances) were a comfort and it was the light read I needed. It was enjoyable and easy to pick up, a little slow and a little obvious in places but that last chapter won me over.

I loved the small town cosy setting for this story. The excellent descriptive text allowed me to imagine every place and person in detail which helped me to paint a whole world view. The murder mystery plot itself was interesting and well thought out. It felt original to other murder mystery’s I have read due to the setting and the set up of different characters. I thought the pacing was good, it slowed a little in the middle but picked almost immediately back up. I felt at some points there were too many characters, leaving no space to fully develop their motives and flaws that left them feeling a bit 2D in some parts. I felt in the beginning the romance plot point was a bit underdeveloped and could have been left out, but the ending tipped the scales for me and has left me wanting more! I’ll definitely be reading more of Eloise’s books and look forward to hopefully returning to ‘A Stone’s Throw’ in the future.

Park Ranger Maudy might be in over her head when a body is discovered, threatening to close the camp & dissolve her position for good. With her four-legged side kick, she’s able to solve the murder, all while getting entangled with someone dangerous.

Eloise Corvo provided grand descriptions of the characters & location, but more time could have been spent on the meat of the story — the murder. While I would not recommend this book for true thrill seekers, it is a soft option for those who think they might enjoy the genre.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Off the Beaten Path.