Booked For Murder (An Oceanside Mystery Book 1)

Who would think managing a hotel could be this interesting? A murder at the very first convention starts the action. Arson and threats follow.
It needs to be edited again. Loc 1990 should be "hose" not "house ". There were a few others.

Good christian mystery, but much to many unnecessary details. The suspense around all the suspects and the help the law needed made for interesting read. Not revealing how solved, you need to read and try to solve for yourself if you can.

I didn't find the book too badly written, despite the author's propensity for ending sentences with prepositions (something which always irks me); a few misspellings, a lot of overused commas, but not the sort of blatant editing errors that one so often finds in recent novels. The characters were entertaining, and I truly appreciated the introduction of a female detective rather than the almost-obligatory and incredibly boring plot device of the hunky-detective-love-interest. The story itself was light but enjoyable until the ending, which I found to be ridiculous and unrealistic. (SPOILER ALERT! Stop here if you don't want information on the plot!) The hubris and idiocy of a supposedly-intelligent and accomplished main character who would think that she could pull of an Agatha Christie-style dénouement, gathering all the suspects together for the big reveal and (one hopes), a confession...that was not at all believable and ruined for me what had, to that point, been a pleasant read.

Maisie has moved to Florida to manage a hotel and take care of her mother although you had better never let her mother hear that. Maisie, her mother, and her mother's Bassett hound Bingo share an apartment at the hotel. Maisie is an aspiring mystery writer.

Her hotel is hosting a comic-con and things get nasty when one of the game producers is found dead in the pool. Maisie is afraid that she will lose her job. However, her boss's good looking saner younger brother is in her corner. Maisie cannot help playing Nancy Drew to make sure the right person is arrested.

If you like cozy mysteries with quirky characters and good plots, then you're in luck because this book has both.

Louisa May Marigold Swenson, Maisie for short, is the new manager of the Oceanside Hotel in Starke Springs, Florida. One of her first duties is
overseeing a Comic-Con Convention at the hotel.

Shortly after the convention starts, there is a disturbance in the main meeting room. With the help of Norman Olsen, owner of Olsen Studios which makes one of the games for the show, Maisie is able to restore peace and quiet. Later that day, Mr. Olsen is found dead in the hotel pool and the police suspect foul play. Fortunately, the rest of the event runs fairly smoothly.

There is a Fantasy/Sci-Fi Convention scheduled for the following weekend. During the initial setup, some of the equipment catches fire. Reacting quickly, Maisie grabs a fire extinguisher and puts it out. It turns out the fire was deliberately set.

Who killed Mr. Olsen? Who started the equipment fire? Are the incidents related? Is somebody trying to sabotage Maisie in her new job?

The characters are well developed and very believable. The story has a great pace.

Booked for Murder a new first in series by CeeCee James that will be out shortly. This story is a fun one, main character Maisie moves and takes a job in a Florida hotel as manager to keep her mom from becoming homeless. She and her mom live at the hotel with their dog bingo. Maisie finds her hands full with a couple of Comic and Science Fiction Conferences, a murder, an accident and an invasion make for a busy few days at the hotel. One of the things I liked most about the main character is that when Maisie is not busy managing the hotel she is an aspiring mystery author. I found the idea of running a hotel by day but writing by night really a fun idea for a cozy. This story had some really fun elements the mystery was a good one and I think you will enjoy this mystery for sure.

I borrowed this book for free through Prime Reading. The novel features workman-like writing and decent characters. It begins quite humorously, but disappointingly, the humor is not sustained. The characters include an appealing family pet which mercifully does not fall into cozy cliché territory--it is not a cat and it does not contribute to the solution of the crime. The plot is acceptable, though somewhat unfair in that the motive and perpetrator are sprung on the reader at the last moment. This novel afforded me a couple hours of purely escapist reading, but I didn't find the protagonist or story-telling engaging enough to want pay for any further books in the series.

In the spirit of the authors Angel Lake cozy mysteries, this new series does not disappoint! I was captivated from the beginning, as I thoroughly enjoyed Maise, just as much as her counterpart, Elise.

And don't forget Momma and Bingo! As the two loyal companions help keep Maize grounded, since she has to deal with Comic-Cons and Book/Entertainment conferences.

I highly recommend this story that sets the groundwork so well for the series.

This series has a lot of possibilities, with a never ending supply of new characters with all the hotel guests. Maisie is devoted to her mother, whose character is well developed. A new home, a new job where she feels she needs to "prove" herself, and a lot of new relationships with people she'll need to rely on as part of her team. Some of these people may feel they could do her job better and maybe they should have been given her position.
The story doesn't have foul language or explicit sex. It does have a hint of flirting and romance. Maisie is a brave, determined heroine. I borrowed this book on kindle unlimited, it was a fairly fast and easy read, I read slowly. I had already read book 4 and wanted to see if I could get more back story on characters as they might have been developed over the previous books in the series. The books can be read and enjoyed in or out of order, stories are complete.

Honestly, if I based my rating on the mystery & main characters I would give this 5 stars, however, I felt that there were a few weak points. Maisie, is adorable and I enjoyed reading about the relationship with her mom but the best part was the childhood flashes which gave insight to why they live together. The author does a good job of slowly developing her characters so the reader continues to learn about them.
The mystery was good and I enjoyed the misleads that made me rethink the clues & hunt for more information. I was disappointed at the quick conclusion of who was the culprit. Also, the multiple small stories are good and not overdone allowing for development and good background stories continuing through the series. Finally, it felt as though there were some areas underdeveloped throughout the book. For example, Maisie's boss, the owner is shown as fairly demanding and ridiculous leaving her leaving insecure about her job but there really isn't any precidence set for this behavior nor is it explained well. It read a bit over dramatic and odd.

When the manager of the Oceanside Hotel is gone for several days, Maisie Swenson takes charge. Unfortunately for her, a large gathering has reservations ... the Comic-Con! At least she, her mom, and Bassett hound, Bingo, get to stay at the hotel. She's also faced with the murder of business mogul Norman Olsen who is found in the hotel swimming pool. Chaos evolves for all three of them. And Maisie's life may be in danger. This is a warm, cozy, humorous story to put some fun in your evenings. It's well written and has a great story line. Highly recommend.

If you haven’t been reading CeeCee James mysteries you have been missing out! I read a lot of mystery novels and usual I know the killer long before the book is over. Which takes some of the fun out of reading mystery novels.
I’ve now read 4 of CeeCee James novels and never once have I been able to figure out the killer.
James is an amazing author, all her characters are extremely relatable.

Cutesy little cozy. A woman has just started a new job as manager of a Florida hotel when a convention guest winds up murdered in the pool. Her boss somehow blames her and so she pokes her nose into the investigation. Lots of random things like she writes mystery novels as a hobby, her mom is half a hoot, she has a beagle. Textbook cozy but doesn't quite pull together

Maisie Swenson moves to Florida to closer her Mom & Bingo. She's hired as hotel manager at the elite Oceanside Hotel.
During a convention, business mogul Norman Olsen is murdered.
All kinds of weird things start to happen after the Sheriff's Department arrests a suspect.
There are too characters to name. So much happens & Maisie is also in danger.
Good read. Enjoy this book.

This is a "fluffy" book. Definitely enjoyable, but not one that kept me up all night wanting more. I enjoyed it enough to read the entire series, and have started another series by the same author (which I actually am liking a bit more). The characters in this book are appealing, but I felt the story line was just a bit thin, thus the 4 stars.

Maisie Swenson is a smart, funny, and nosy! I really enjoyed this first book in the series. In fact I quickly read the second and can't wait until the third comes! Maisie lives in the hotel she manages with her mom and hound dog. Her first big convention to oversee things turn deadly. It's a fun read with mystery, great characters and a handsome guy to boot!

Maisie has a new job, managing a hotel. Right away, someone is murdered; and she must find the murderer if she wants to keep her job. I enjoyed the book and recommend that you follow the plot through to its end. The ending will surprise you.

It was my first time reading from this author, and I'd say it was a pretty good mystery. Good characters and plot. It was very clean. However, there were a few editorial issues and some scenes needed more details so I could visualize it. Other than that, it was a great read. I will be reading the next book.

Fast paced and fun, this book held my attention the entire way. I'm so glad I started this series and look forward to the next book, which I already have and will start soon. Thank you Ms James for an entertaining read and series!

A new cozy series I just found through Kindle unlimited. Fast reading , yet enough plot to keep a reader interested. Likable characters in Maisie and her mom ( Bingo, too!) And set here in FL, where I'm currently awaiting H. Irma

What a delightful book. A fun clean read. I just loved this book and can't wait to read the next one.

I loved the hotel setting and the characters are well developed and likeable.
Highly recommend..

A quick enjoyable read. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series. I found the main character pleasant and appreciated the fact that she didn’t immediately have two men fawning over her.