This book was such a fun read. The tone is smackdab in the middle of feeling like a cozy mystery and a thriller. Set in the small town of Beach City, corruption is rampant affecting the lives of business owners and citizens alike. A handful of townspeople work together to discover motives for lawlessness, including murder.

I liked the LGBTQ rep, Jewish rep, and of course the Librarian rep. We love to see it. Something that surprised me was the very real addition of COVID-19 into the story. While I don't think it really added anything, it helped cement this in the reality of today. The author has their own perspective which undoubtedly came through in the story. Having almost lost someone in their 50s to COVID this year, I appreciated that element.

Admittedly, the first 20 percent of the book gave me character whiplash. This served to establish the town and some of its key players as well as highlight the rampant corruption. After this point, we start to focus on specific townspeople and their part in the corruption, whether that's uncovering or aiding and abetting through action or complacency.

I definitely liked the story and will be following this story more in the future. It was an easy, fun read, and I enjoy supporting small authors who write just as compelling stories as some of the bigger names out there.