I enjoyed this book just as much as the first one in this series, Kirsten Bird has written a murder mystery that is slightly tongue in cheek, with likeable, well rounded characters.
Trainee vet, Dakota Green was back in her hometown of Aubergine, Virginia to attend a school reunion, The Rose room was decorated and all the people that she had grown up with and counted as her friends, some more friendly than others were there, they had all gone their separate ways, some had been more successful than others.
This wasn't really Dakota's scene, although her best friend, Lacy, seemed to be really into it, Dakota was wondering when she could sneak away and spend some time with Charlie when suddenly, Brett Brinkley, now a TV star, started choking and stopped breathing. Dakota, being the only one with any medical knowledge even though Brett was neither a horse or a dog, started CPR whilst humming "Staying Alive. Relief was shrouded with something else when her boyfriend Charlie, who was the town sheriff, walked in with his very attractive deputy clinging possessively to his arm.
As this story unfolds, Dakota and Charlie work both independently and together to find out who had murdered Brett, Dakota was determined to knock her best friend off the long list of suspects. It finally took a bit of woo woo to find the unexpected answer.
Will they find the Rose diamond ?
Will Dakota get her man or will she take up the offer of a scholarship in a far away city.
I look forward to reading more of Dakota Green.
Thank you Storm Publishing and Net Gallery for this ARC, my review is totally voluntary.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Kristen Bird for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for An Heiress's Guide to Death and Diamonds coming out June 10, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I really enjoyed it. I thought it was a fun cozy mystery. The characters were really interesting. I’d check out other books by this author!

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC!
An Heiress's Guide to Death and Diamonds was such a fun cozy mystery! The characters were so fun to connect with and the large, old palace setting provided a fun but spooky setting. Although I did not read the first book, I look forward to going back and reading that one next!

Characters:
Charlie
At the beginning I have to admit I was not a fan of Charlie and Dakota together, Charlie came across as distant and cold towards his "girlfriend" and I don't know if this is because we got to know his character more in the first book or if this was in preparation for the change in the middle of the second book.
Aunt DeeDee
Aunt DeeDee was so sweet, she felt like a cute grandma who was always there with a shoulder to cry on and definitely helped give hint into people's true character.
Savilla
Cant wait to see more of Savilla and Dakota's relationship develop in the next book. Savilla was not at all what I would have expected from a rich girl who lives in a palace, but I think she will bring out a fun side of Dakota.

Dakota has some big decisions to make in the next book and I can't wait to see where she ends up. I had a long list of suspects at the beginning of the book and even though I figured out the murderer half way through, Kristen Bird still made the story engaging and fun to puzzle the how and why together till the last page. Highly recommend this cozy mystery.
P.S. The seance scene was so funny, definitely my favorite part!

💎 ARC REVIEW 💎 AN HEIRESS'S GUIDE TO DEATH AND DIAMONDS (DAKOTA GREEN #2)💎 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Murder, missing diamonds, and a high school reunion? Dakota Green is back!

Kristen Bird serves up a sparkling sequel with "An Heiress's Guide to Death and Diamonds," and it might just outshine the first book (though that debut cover still has my heart 😍). Dakota's back in her unconventional Virginia hometown for what's supposed to be a drama-free high school reunion. Surprise—someone ends up dead on the dance floor🕺. And the search begins for a missing diamond!

Dakota's plate is overflowing: she's tackling vet school, navigating a long-distance relationship with her adorable sheriff boyfriend, and hunting down a priceless gem. But it's her lovable sass, charm, and knack for finding trouble that make her a character you can't help but love.

The cast remains delightfully eccentric, and the mystery is twisty without being overly complicated. The pacing was smoother this time, with fun subplots that kept things engaging. It was a refreshing change from my typical fast-paced and intense thrillers!

The inheritance, a key element in the story, sometimes takes center stage, but Dakota's voice and her sleuthing shenanigans, which are so entertaining, always bring it back home.

If you enjoy witty heroines and small-town mysteries with a touch of Southern charm, you'll want "Heiress's Guide to Death and Diamonds" on your TBR list. This book shows that cozy mysteries aren't always predictable, and Dakota Green is a sleuth you'll want to keep your eye on!

Thanks to the author and Storm Publishing for this gifted ARC provided via NetGalley! All opinions are my own.

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This series is proving to be full of mystery and humor. I guessed early who dunnit, but the reveals of the why's were jaw dropping. I enjoy Dakota so much. I also really love the small town feel of the story. I'm interested to see more with Charlie because as of now he's the only character I don't care for. Its fun when the author creates a character you want to reach into the pages to shake!

The first book in this series was great, and the second one is even better. The author added so much in this book that is made for a perfect cozy murder mystery!

Dakota is brilliant, adventurous, sassy, and very smart. So when she attends her high school reunion and someone drops dead, it is up to Dakota ( yet again!) to solve the mystery before an innocent person is blamed for the murder.

An Heiress's Guide to Death And Diamonds brings murder and mayhem and yes diamonds too, to an amazing story with loveable characters that you won't want to miss. 💫💫💫💫💫

Thank you, Netgalley and Storm Publishing, for this ARC. All opinions are entirely my own.

I love this book so much! It was funny and fresh. Makes me reminisce of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. I loved the characters, the plot, the pace. A really good book!

4⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an advanced copy of An Heiress’s Guide To Death And Diamonds.

Dakota Green returns home for her ten year high school reunion. It is being held at Rose Palace and she is counting down the minutes until she can leave. Then a commotion on the dance floor catches her attention and alum and tv star Brett seems to be choking. Dakota tries to do cpr but it is too late Brett is gone. Small town sheriff and Dakota’s boyfriend Charlie is called to investigate. It seems that Brett did not choke he was murdered. Charlie and Dakota team up once again to investigate another murder at Rose Palace.

This is the second book in this series and the series gives me Miss Congeniality vibes. They are very quick easy reads!

Glad to be back in Aubergine, reading about another murder!
I really am enjoying the Dakota Green series. These are such fun, fast-paced murder mysteries that just hit the spot every time.

Dakota is back in town for her High School reunion, and boy do things go off the rails.
It's a classic small-town murder mystery - everyone has a motive, things get twisty, Dakota gets quippy and then comes up with some zany way to get the killer to confess. what more could you want?

I will say that some of the relationship bits between Dakota and Charlie were a little annoying, mainly that we get told sort of anecdotally what happened between them since book one; and as a romance lover, I would have loved to read about the sweet romance happening on the page!!

That aside, this is another fun installment in the series, and I can't wait to keep reading!

Thank you Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC. This is such a great read. I received the ARC before knowing that this book was the second in a series. I took the time to read book 1, A Beauty Queen's Guide to Murder and Mayhem, which is available on Kindle Unlimited, and I had such a fun time getting to know Dakota Green and her old and new circle of relatives and friends. This is not just a small town contemporary cozy mystery, but also an exploration of grief, friendship, family secrets, rebuilding one’s life after loss, and the charm of a new romance, all wrapped up in a low stakes murder mystery. The writing was smooth and easy to read.
I highly recommend this series and will happily read more in the future.

A murder at her high school reunion throws Dakota into a race against time to solve a crime involving a missing diamond and to uncover deadly family secrets in her small Virginia town.

I love this fast-paced and fun cozy mystery series. I enjoy spending time with Dakota and her friends. They’re likable and relatable, giving the story a heartwarming feel. The dialogue is snappy and the plot kept me guessing.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

BOOK: AN HEIRESS'S GUIDE TO DEATH AND DIAMONDS
AUTHOR: KRISTEN BIRD @kristenbirdwrites
PUB DATE: JUNE 2025
👩🏽‍⚕️💰🕵🏼‍♀️
REVIEW
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
🕵🏼‍♀️💰👩🏽‍⚕️
First of all, the amazing cover! Then, the amazing FMC, Dakota Green, is the kind of character that makes a cozy mystery pop! Dakota was a veterinary student, dating the town's sheriff going through a massive change after her mother's death, a newfound father, sister and a boatload of money. Anyway, she had enough personal baggage and amateur sleuth skills to keep me turning the pages.
👩🏽‍⚕️💰🕵🏼‍♀️
The victim here, Brent died in front of the FMC and the suspects were close to home, so Dakota rose to the occasion to save her friends. At first, I wondered how she might do that, but she has a talent for snooping around, eavesdropping, perfect skills for an amateur sleuth. She did a good job turning over the stones, looking for suspects and their motives.
🕵🏼‍♀️💰👩🏽‍⚕️
She had help from the town's sheriff who was also her boyfriend and her new sister, Savilla. Savilla was an amazing, bubbly, enthusiastic character and made Dakota get out of her funk and familial confusion. On the other hand, I was apprehensive about the boyfriend, Charlie, at first it felt like he was a scum. However, my view changed when he got Dakota to talk to him. Turns out he was actually okay.
👩🏽‍⚕️💰🕵🏼‍♀️
I didn't expect the culprit to be who they were, but it was nice that the usual suspects were innocent so they could go on with their lives. The book was fast-paced with amazing characters and a good ending, I would definitely recommend it. I didn't read the first book in the series, but I had no problem reading and understanding this.

This book had me guessing who the culprit was from start to finish! At one point or another, I trusted NOONE 👀💎 I actually really enjoyed it!

The story was original and had moments of humor, romance (although not nearly enough 😭), and grieving. All of the characters were quite multilayered and were very well developed.

There were moments, though, where certain reveals felt very anticlimactic and happened very quickly. I wish more time would have been spent on better execution but that really is the only complaint I have!

A good cozy mystery 🥰

Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for this ARC 🙌🏼

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and author Kristen Bird for this eARC

Another fun instalment in the Dakota Green Series.

I enjoyed An Heiress’s Guide to Death and Diamonds more than I did book one.
I’m still not a fan of Dakota’s character (she’s still got some pick-me vibes) but there is definitely character growth since book one and we are moving in the right direction. My absolute favourite is still Sevilla - you never know what she is going to say or do and she is a fun character.
The mystery was fine, entertaining but not all that hard to figure out.

Solid 3.25 stars, I will be continuing with this series.

The second book in the series and I thought I had read the first one - I should have checked because it turned out I had not! However there were enough explanations of relationships etc for me to catch on to the current story.

The MC, Dakota Green, is attending her High School reunion when one of the attendees, who is now a TV star, dies on the dance floor. The circumstances are suspicious and one of Dakota's friends is a suspect so Dakota is keen to help find out the truth. Dakota's boyfriend is the town Sheriff which causes problems between them as they try to work out how much information they should be passing to each other.

I really liked the character of Dakota Green until she unilaterally decided that her boyfriend was having thoughts about his attractive police partner and, instead of talking to him about it, talked herself into all sorts of nonsense. This aspect of the proceedings lost the book a whole star for me. However the mystery was intriguing and the murderer very hard to spot. The method of death was rather unusual too. Overall three stars.

3.75 stars

I absolutely LOVED the first book in the Dakota Green series. I was over the moon when Storm Publishing reached out and offered me an eARC of An Heiress's Guide to Death and Diamonds. I don't know if my expectations were a bit too high but this one had some growing pains.

Kristen Bird constructs some really puzzling mysteries. The complexity of the case compared to other cozy mysteries was one of the reasons I fell so hard for A Beauty Queen's Guide to Murder and Mayhem. AHGtDaD absolutely lives up to that legacy. I was fully engaged in the whodunnit and while I didn't guess the culprit correctly, it's satisfying to look back and see all the clues were there if I'd been smart enough to spot them!

Another aspect that drew me to Dakota Green was the strong women-supporting-women theme of the first book. Maybe it was the beauty pageant setting that brought it out in the characters but it was great. It gave the whole book a slumber party/sorority get together vibe that was so fun. In contrast, this second book is quite dour. Dakota's unfounded jealousy is like a whole extra (unfun) character tagging along in the first three-quarters of the book. It seemed to come out of nowhere and is totally at odds with who she is in the first book. The narrative lampshades it with asides like 'this isn't who Momma raised me to be' - and I get we all have thoughts we're not proud of - but jeez, jealousy became Dakota's only character trait for awhile. It was too much. I liked how the situation was eventually resolved. You know, when they finally used words instead of Dakota's patented deep conversations via meaningful looks... but it was frustrating that she never owned how much she was keeping back from Charlie while being mad he was being cold. (He wasn't really being cold. He was doing his job.)

Which brings me to my biggest disappointment. I loved how the ABQGtMaM ended. I was excited for Charlie and Dakota to get together. But reading AHGtDaD felt like I'd somehow skipped an entire novel, or least a novella's worth of their relationship developing. Because we were thrown into their first major fight without experiencing all the cute early relationship building, half the time I was rooting for them to break up. It felt, at times, like Dakota didn't even like Charlie and was looking for an excuse to ditch him.

I'll continue the series because I do like the characters when they're not acting fools, and the small town setting is great. I'll give this one grace that it has some teething problems while the author rearranges the world to keep the series going. But I hope the next book returns to the fun, friendship is forever charm of A Beauty Queen's Guide to Murder and Mayhem, and I hope Deputy Wright isn't pigeonholed as a perpetual rival.

I loved this book so much! I love how this continued on from the first book. I love all the new characters as well and I just love this series and hope that there are more to come as it’s such a great cozy mystery that is very heartwarming as well.

I would highly recommend reading this book if you love a good cozy mystery that is heartwarming as well.

I would like to thank Storm Publishing and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book early.

I enjoyed this murder mystery novel. When Dakota Green returns to her hometown for a high school reunion, she expects it to be awkward. What she doesn’t expect, is someone to drop dead on the dance floor. When her best friend since childhood is accused of the crime, Dakota has to go into sleuth mode to prove her best friend is innocent. Dakota has so much already going on in her life, so there’s never a dull moment.
I liked how much was going on in this book, it made it very interesting and kept me entertained. I did not read the first book in the series before reading this one, but I will definitely be picking it up at some point.

Dakota Green comes home to Aubergine, Virginia to attend her ten year high school reunion. All Dakota wants to do is stay for an hour, some small talk and warm beer. She is hoping to spend time with Sheriff Charlie Strong, her "boyfriend" after the reunion. What she isn't expecting is to be a witness to a murder! Brett Brinkley, a former classmate, now reality star collapses on the dance floor. If that isn't enough to get Dakota's sleuthing gene going, her best friend, Lacy, becomes a suspect. Oh and there is a missing diamond, a possible inheritance and an amazing job offer all for Dakota to sort out!

This is a fun cozy that will make you laugh. Although this is the second book, the author provides enough background that it can be read as a stand-alone. (I will say that I enjoyed the first book, A Beauty Queen's Guide to Murder and Mayhem, a little more.) There are twists and turns to keep the reader engaged. The characters are well developed and the plot moves along. The author leaves enough threads unanswered so we can expect another book, I hope.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Storm Publishing, for an ARC. The opinions in this review are my own.

The second Dakota Green book by author Kristen Bird I have read this year. Another amusing quick read completed in a day. Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.