Author Kim Griswell gives readers a delightful first book in a new series. I'm a fan of cozy mysteries for the settings and the characters first and foremost. This author delivered on both. Murder at the Last Chance Cove is set in a picturesque town in the Pacific Northwest with all the charm and small town feel that a reader could want. Coupled with the setting, Ms. Griswell provides her readers with a fun and interesting main character and plenty of quirky secondary characters. The story is engaging and fun. There are plenty of red herrings to keep the reader guessing. I very much enjoyed my introduction to this author and this first book in her new series.

First in a new mystery series.

Saffi Graywood is a writer who travels the countryside looking for interesting topics to write up and publish in Aunt Saffi's Bedside Reader. She arrives at Last Chance Cove to find her three month booking at the RV park is not what she wished and then finds the body of the Park Manager. Of course she has to try and help discover what has happened.

This is a twisty mystery with a heap of red herrings, a cute dog and a possible romance for Saffi in future books. All good. Four stars.

Set on the Pacific Northwest coast, the aptly named Last Chance Cover has a host of quirky characters who provide a vibrant community for this cosy crime mystery. Saffi is still grieving the loss of her husband Levi, who died suddenly just when they were finally spending quality time together. To come to terms with her loss and to honour his memory, Saffi has continued her RV journey, writing successful books about mysterious creatures and happenings and a travel-oriented blog. When she arrives in the cove, the weather changes for the worse, and a woman goes missing. Not satisfied with the accidental status the police give the incident, she decides to investigate something which draws in the whole community and propagates an increasingly menacing ethos. The characterisation is spot on in this story, and that's what makes it so good. It's easy to visualise them and the vivid setting, and the mystical twist of the ravens adds a lovely twist to the tale. I quickly invested in Saffi, and the story proved to be an entertaining read.
I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

The first book in a series has a rather long "To Do" list - establish the who, what, when, where and why of the main character, give us an engaging setting chock-full of interesting folks, set up a situation where a murder or mystery happens and the main character either feels called to help or is engaged to assist, keep our interest as the mystery slowly develops, toss in a few red herrings, and then bring it all together at the end by solving the first case and then setting up the main character for a hopefully long series of more cozy mysteries. Whew.

The author gives us an engaging main character in Saffi Graywood, "Writer. Roamer, And all-around klutz" and recent widow mourning her beloved Levi, who now travels in an RV. She arrives in Last Chance Cove, a picturesque small town with a great coffee shop and quirky barista, a hunky potential love interest Troy who runs a charter fishing service out of the harbor, and a murder right off the bat. After being woken in the night by a raven's cry (Saffi's spirit animal and guide) Saffi finds a dead body, Linda the manager of the RV park.

The author, who like Saffi is a rambling RV writer, has a good feel for people and gives us some interesting well-developed characters, but perhaps a few too many? (I'm still not sure exactly who Walter and Martin are ...) And with so much characters and situations fighting for coverage, about 2/3rds of the way through, I wasn't sure how it would all come together. But we do get an answer, and we also get a good sense of a small community and characters with a lot of potential for a series that I look foward to reading. 3.5 stars.

"Murder at Last Chance Cove (Pacific Northwest Cozy Mystery #1)" by Kim Griswell is a good start to a new cozy mystery series. This book sets up a series that could either stay put in Last Chance Cove or travel. The main character is a nomadic bedside reader author named Saffi Graywood. She took to the RV life after the sudden passing of her husband since she writes factual articles that get accumulated in bedside reader style books. She also has a regular blog about stories she picks up in her travels. She may even have a stalker via the blog.

While at her summer camp ground spot, Last Chance Cove, some serious drama goes on. First, she may have had her monthly camp spot stolen out from under her by a misogynistic campground host and bribing Texans. Then, the campground manager's dog has to be rescued and the manager has gone missing. Saffie can't help but investigate when things just aren't adding up.

Everything is and isn't tied together. All the little things are like a my scrap bin of yarn. You don't know what's connected to what or what one clue will lead you to.

This is a fun new series following Saffi Graywood, a RVer? Who travels the country writing about all kinds of things in the places she visits. Cryptids, folktales, and any interesting facts or stories she comes across.
She has found her way to Last Chance Cove, and in the middle of a murder investigation. I thought the town, as well as the people she met along the way, like Delilah and Troy, were great. Even though at some point or another, I think almost everyone we met was a suspect.

Saffi did a great job of stumbling along investigating herself, hearing, seeing, and guessing at a few things that pointed her and us in different directions throughout the story. There are twists, turns, and red herrings everywhere, and I was entertained from beginning to end.
This is a series I will absolutely continue.

Murder at Last Chance Cove is the debut cozy mystery for Kim Griswell's Pacific Northwest Cozy Mysteries series. This is an enjoyable cozy mystery with likable characters and a mystery that kept me guessing and although I suspected the culprit I wasn't sure. Saffi Graywood is a writer of short stories about odd and interesting history or every day things. She is a widow (and wants to be called Mrs Graywood for whatever reason) and is traveling around in a RV. She arrives at Last Chance Cove RV Park to find out she only has a spot for 3 days instead of 3 months like she planned. The Park Manager isn't very well liked and ends up dead. Saffi follows ravens who help her find clues which is a bit different. She tends to show up whenever there is a problem so she is on the suspect list. Being new she doesn't know anyone else in the RV. Park so she suspects them all of murder. That gets a little repetitive but there are other things going on and as Saffi gets to know the locals the story progresses. Some characters I liked and some not so much. I imagine the next book will showcase the characters in a better light now that the initial introductions have been.made and hopefully friendships will be stronger. Overall this was an enjoyable cozy mystery with a lot of potential. #MurderAtLastChanceCove #PacificNorthwestCozyMystery #StormPublishing #KimGriswell

Murder at Last Chance Cove by Kim Griswell is a fun and engaging start to a new cozy mystery series set in the Pacific Northwest. Three years after her husband's death, Saffi Graywood is living life on the road in her RV, writing and enjoying a quiet, nomadic lifestyle. But her arrival at Last Chance Cove takes a turn when she discovers a nearly drowned dog—and later, the body of the RV park manager. Though the police call it an accident, Saffi is convinced it's murder and begins her own investigation.

Full of charm, humor, and classic cozy mystery twists, this story features a likable, self-proclaimed klutz of a heroine who can’t help but ruffle feathers, especially those of the local police chief. With plenty of suspects and unexpected turns, it's a highly enjoyable read. Bonus points for the adorable dog, Archie, and a lovely coastal setting. Highly recommended for cozy mystery fans!

Cannot wait to read the next one in this series!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Murder at Last Chance Cove is the first book in a new series by Kim Griswell. Ms. Griswell is also a new-to-me author. I found this cozy mystery to be well-written and easy to read. The beautiful descriptive made me want to ride shotgun with Saffi Graywood, though never the driver of the RV she in which she drove. I found Saffi not only to be likable but also one that is relatable. Admirable since she was traveling alone after the lost of her husband. By chance she is drawn into a murder investigation in the park that she plans to stay in for a few months.

An easy but extremely enjoyable read. The character is one of maturity that I like meeting in this story and would want to read more of her adventures. This book is for those readers who enjoy stories with a touch of romance in quirky small-town located in magnificent places.

Kim Griswell is a "new to me" author who has penned a very entertaining cozy mystery. I was pulled into the story from the first chapter and the swift pacing of the story kept me engaged.

Saffi Graywood was a strong yet vulnerable character. Being a widow who feels as if she's lost her "home", she travels in her Rambler RV around the country researching interesting stories of places and people for her book series. However in Last Chance Cove, she now faces a new challenge - investigating a murder. Descriptive writing of both the town and the quirky inhabitants made Last Chance Cove come to life for me. There are some really great red herrings that kept me sure of my wrong conclusions while the twists kept me turning the pages until the reveal. I will be watching for the next one in this series as well as other books by this author.

Murder at Last Chance Cove has everything I love in a cozy mystery — a charming small-town setting, quirky characters, and a heroine you can root for. Saffi Graywood’s journey from grieving widow to reluctant sleuth made her easy to connect with, and the Oregon coast setting added just the right amount of atmosphere and mystery.

The RV park and tight-knit community gave strong cozy vibes, but the murder mystery itself had enough twists to keep me guessing. I liked how Saffi’s background as a writer played into the plot, and how the secrets of Last Chance Cove slowly unfolded. Some side characters were especially fun — the kind that make you want to move into town just to join the gossip circle.

It’s a solid first book in what promises to be an engaging series. I’ll definitely be picking up the next one!

Murder at Last Chance Cove is book #1 in the Pacific Northwest Cozy Mysteries series by Kim Griswell.

Saffi is a widow who travels around in an RV. She writes stories about weird, wicked, and wonderful things. She is spending the summer at Last Chance Cove where unexpectedly finds the body of the RV park manager. She goes from writing about strange things to investigating a murder that’s being considered an accident. This is a really fun book. It’s full of interesting characters and the descriptions of the locations make you feel like you’re actually there. I definitely want more of this series.

Thank you to the author, Storm Publishing, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Murder at Last Chance Cove is book one in the new Pacific Northwest Cozy Mysteries series by Kim Griswell.
I absolutely loved the plot. It was entertaining, engaging, thoughtful and fun!
I thought the storyline was intelligently done, a great mystery with lovable characters.
I will definitely be watching for the next book to come out.

The first book of a new series sees writer Saffi Graywood discover the body of a park manager at the park where she is staying, Last Chance Cove. The chance to solve the mystery is inspiring for this thriller writer. An enjoyable easy to read book. Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

Three years after her husband's unexpected death, Saffi Graywood still thanked him for his instruction on their RV. Now it was her home and she travelled from town to town, enjoying the peace and serenity, while writing and keeping her editor, Poppy, happy. Arriving at Last Chance Cove after the hair raising journey through Oregon's winding coastline, she was grateful when she pulled up at the RV park where she'd booked for three months. Overlooking the ocean; the breath of salty sea breeze had her sighing with delight.

But discovering first a bedraggled and almost drowned little dog, then later the body of the RV park's manager, Saffi was shocked, but immediately drawn into finding out who had killed her. Because even with the local police chief saying it was accidental, Saffi knew from the brief glimpse she'd had, that it was murder. Would her questions - of people she didn't even know yet - cause her to be the next one on the killer's list?

I really enjoyed Murder at Last Chance Cove by new to me author Kim Griswell. First in a new cosy series (Pacific North West Mysteries) it was fun and entertaining, with some laugh out loud moments at Saffi and her antics. She was - in her own words - a klutz, and proved that often! She was also a clever sleuth, and of course, annoyed the local policeman running the "ongoing investigation". There were many suspects, twists and turns aplenty, and a frustrated Saffi who couldn't concentrate on her writing... Highly recommended. I love the cover too, with Archie proudly showing off his red bandanna.

With thanks to NetGalley & Storm Publishing for my digital ARC to read and review.

Saffi Graywood is a widowed writer and travels in her RV looking for tidbits and inspirations for her books. She has come to Last Chance Cove for three months to finish her latest book, which she is behind schedule. She also finds the office guy has just rented her 3-month space out from under her and she has only three days. She is going to have to take that up with the park manager, Linda. Unfortunately, that night she finds the park manager 's body washed ashore. At first blush, its thought an accident but Saffi is not convinced. She now has a book to finish, decide what she is going to do about a place to stay and try figure out who killed Linda and not becoming a suspect or the next victim.

I enjoyed the story. I liked it being located in the Pacific Northwest and having an older sleuth. This was the first in the series and so there were a lot of characters to get to know...which also gave you a lot of suspects. My only critique was the at times the story slowed (for me) due to a lot of descriptive information which I didn't think was always necessary to the story. I also didn't blame the detective in the story for getting annoyed with Saffi due to her penchant at times for calling him about another new suspect with little to back it up.

I truly wasn't sure who did it, so the mystery was very good. I liked the community of folks and look forward to seeing them again in the next book.

Thanks, NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the chance to read this ARC.

Saffi finds herself all alone after the sudden death of her husband. She decides to take the RV they had bought together and travel to help ease the pain of his passing. She finds Last Chance Cove and feels like this is where she wants to spend a few months. Saffi is an author, and the Oregon coastline is a perfect place to work on her book.
That was her plan until one day shortly after she is out for a walk and finds a dead body. The combination of the location, the small town and all the people she meets this makes the first book Murder at Last Chance Cove an excellent start in the new series Pacific Northwest Cozy Mysteries one that I look forward to reading more in this series.
Thank you NetGalley, Kim Griswell and Storm Publishing for the ARC of Murder at Last Chance Cove.
This is my personal review.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and author Kim Griswell for providing me with the eARC of “Murder at Last Chance Cove”, in exchange for my honest review.

Publication date: 6th August 2025

First Book in the Pacific Northwest Cozy Mysteries Series

Saffi Graywood, a writer looking for inspiration for her latest book, as well as recent widower, is battling to find a new place to call home. After moving from place to place in her RV, she funds herself settling into Last Chance Cove for the summer, where she hopes to spend her time exploring and finishing her latest book. Things do not go according to plan when Saffi finds the dead body of the RV park manager, and is lead into a tangle of sleuthing to find out who dunnit.

Saffi is not your normal cozy mystery heroine as she is a little older, but not so much wiser and she finds herself tangled up in a murder mystery, where she may even be a suspect.

As cozy murder mysteries go, this was enjoyable, although a little convoluted as there was a lot going on and it was sometimes hard to keep up. There was also a lot of characters introduced throughout the novel, all of whom were suspects at some point, making it hard to almost keep up with. However, this is the first in a series, and as we get more titles, it will become easier to distinguish between the characters, who are all very entertaining in their own right.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the chance to read this first book of a new series. Saffi has a deadline coming up for her new book and has decided to spend time in Last Chance Cove. When she arrives at the RV park she finds that her spot she thought she had reserved for the 3 months was only for 3 days. Definitely not the way she thought her stay would start. That night she is awakened by a scream and she goes out to investigate. While looking along the shoreline she finds a half drowned dog, which she finds out belongs to a missing park manager. The mystery begins and Saffi finds herself trying to solve a murder while evading a killer and to top it all off she still needs to do research for her book and send off pages to her publisher. I really enjoyed this book and the characters. I look forward to reading more from this series.

I love the Pacific Northwest, and Murder at Last Chance Cove hit the spot. Saffi Graywood (yes, THE Aunt Saffi), arrives in Last Chance Cove to write her next installments for her Aunt Saffi Bedside Reader series. Instead, she finds herself embroiled in a murder mystery! The characters are well drawn, and the pace keeps you turning pages until regrettably, you reach the end. I hope there will be more Saffi books in my future!