First off, a big thank you to NetGalley and author Eloise Corvo for providing access to this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. This wasn’t a special approval, but one of the titles available to read freely—and I truly appreciate that option.

As a fan of cozy mysteries, the cover immediately caught my eye with its charming and mysterious vibe. Unfortunately, I struggled to get into the story, and that didn’t improve as I continued reading. The writing felt a bit unpolished, and the dialogue relied too much on telling rather than showing. While I really wanted to enjoy this one, it just wasn’t the right fit for me.

2.5 stars

Kudos to ME for correctly guessing whodunit at 52%. You would think this would lead to an anticlimactic reveal, but nay, on the contrary: I was elated to know that I was correct. Enough about myself though.

Off the Beaten Path is an easy, quick read with plenty of character, distinct voice, humor, suspense, and intrigue. The characters--especially Maudy and Martin--feel real and unforgettable. (Think Hannah Swensen and Moishe.) The author's use of character and distinctive personality really make this novel shine. The world building is also great; I can easily imagine this small Midwestern community. Corvo also does a fine job with her pacing. Chapters are just the right length to leave you saying, "Okay, one more," and leave just enough mystery to keep readers turning those pages.

I can see Stone's Throw, and, moreover, Eloise Corvo, becoming standouts in the cozy mystery genre. Despite rating Off the Beaten Path three stars and feeling neither here nor there about it, I could also easily see myself coming back and supporting another addition to the series.

Mixed feelings about this one. I'll start with the good:

• Amazing cover
• Very cozy
• Nice setting
• Marty!
• Mystery was okay

What didn't work for me: The FMC.

❗Selfish, childish, out of touch
❗❗❓Thinks the brutal murder of a man is inconvenient and bad for appearances (oh no! Not the park! Couldn't he have been murdered another time, or ever better, somewhere else!)

❗Blatantly lies and deliberately goes against police orders multiple times

❗❗Disregards detective's warning to stay away from a potential suspect literally as soon as she's told. Then says, "I ran into him on the street."
❗❗❓Constantly complains the police won't give her more information, "They're making MY job harder!"

Quite frankly, she should have been banned from coming to work or entering the area after the first incident.

❗❓She also constantly refers to Marty as "the dog". Umm, he has a name!
❗❗❗❓AND (view spoiler) 😑

Marty was the star of the show! 🐶

Off the Beaten Path follows State Park Ranger Maudy as her once calm and peaceful life and job is thrown into disarray when a man goes missing and shows up murdered in the park.

I am an enjoyer of cozy stories. This is a cozy mystery. On paper this should have been an enjoyable read for me. In execution this is one of if not the most infuriating mystery I have read in a long long time.

The key to a cozy story is the characters. Unfortunately, our heroine Maudy is extremely unlikeable, makes really stupid decisions, throws herself into danger willingly and unnecessarily and seemingly has no respect for her own life or livelihood. She could have been killed or fired at least a dozen times during this book; and honestly I don't think I would have cared if either happened. I'm also tired of authors telling us that their main character is so smart and then showing us that they're a complete imbecile.

The plot. Oh dear. If a mystery being cozy means that it is blatantly obvious then I don't want to ever read a cozy mystery again. If a reader, namely myself, is able to correctly guess the entire twist and solution, as well as the sequel bait, by the 60% mark..... then there is something empirically wrong with your story telling. I was wasting my time reading the second half of this book.

I'm going to keep this spoiler free and not talk about the ending.... but my God it made me so mad.

Thank you to NetGalley and Level Best Books for providing an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own

Goodness me, this was such a good book. Highly entertaining. Would definitely recommend to others, that's for sure!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author Eloise Corvo for giving me the opportunity to read this e-arc.

I love cozy mysteries and the cover just radiates cozy, forest and mystery. I really struggled getting into the story and it didn't get better the more I read. something about the writing style bugged me. it felt clunky and unedited. the conversations consisted of too much "telling" and not enough "showing".

I didn't connect with the main character at all. we don't really get to know her backstory, only snippets here and there. she took unnecessary risks for someone who'd been assigned ranger barely a year ago. the other characters didn't feel very developed either and the best friend/love interest aspect annoyed me, mostly because he was just rude for no reason. the presence of jeremy felt out of place and forced. there was no chemistry besides him being "super attractive" and he weirded me out the whole time.

I liked seeing maudy pick up clues here and there but the conclusion was pretty predictable. at the end, the author added a chapter that introduces a possible next book but it felt forced and out of place and I'd rather had the book as a standalone.

I first want to start and say thank you NetGalley for an E-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book was a very easy read & I think a great start to those who do not want a grisly thriller or murder mystery book. The vibes are very cozy but at times the writing felt a little too juvenile for me. I think at times Maudy tried tooooo hard to be this quirky girl and some of the things she would say would make me cringe.

Pacing was good and it was easy to follow along, didn’t give a damn about the romance subplot- found it weird but the final chapter does set us up for a possible next book and then it would make a little more sense ? But if there is no intent for another book then that final chapter was absolutely pointless.

Marty is the best character in this entire book thou and that’s how I will end this review!

Beautiful cover, interesting story, good reads. This was not given to me as a special arc for approval, but just one available to read for free. Thank you for this option!

the synopsis of this one combined with the stunning cover drew me in, I had high hopes.

I didn't love the main character enough to be truly invested in this story. It's well written and I think the right audience will absolutely eat it up

I picked this book rather randomly from NetGallery and am glad that I did. The writing is excellent and the plot well thought out. The description of the Michigan park and the character development were very well done. The main character has her share of emotional demons but copes with them while doing her job. Her canine companion is very bright and allows her a sounding board for her investigation into a murder which threatens to block the opening of the park. The ending was a bit of a cliff hanger so I am very hopeful for a sequel. This opinion is totally my own.

This is a cozy little murder mystery. I mainly enjoyed this book because of the setting - it takes place in one of the quaint towns on the shore of Lake Michigan.

The pace of the writing was a bit slow, but it fit the story and the Midwestern setting. The plot was rather predictable, but in a way that added to the coziness of the book.

I wish the characters had been developed just a little more. By the end of the book, the character I was most attached to by far was the main character’s pet dog. This is definitely going to be a series based on how the book ends, so maybe the author is saving some for the upcoming books.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to receive an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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.