A Killer Plot (A Books by the Bay Mystery)

Good plot but characters not all that believable. I am talking particularly about Olivia. How she could be fortunate enough to be so incredibly rich is somewhat astounding. Plus she is as cold as ice. Can't believe that a writers' club could form around her. Well, maybe it's because she IS rich and puts out nice food and drinks whenever they meet.

This is an entertaining and a well-paced murder mystery that takes place in a beach community in North Carolina. Being the first book in the series, it takes a while to get familiar with the characters and the community they live in. Some of the characters seem too detached emotionally in this book, making it hard to like or relate to them, but starting with the second book in the series, their inner worlds, backgrounds, and their vulnerabilities are described, making them more relatable and likeable. I liked the smooth story-telling, steady pace, suspenseful murder mystery, which keeps one guessing, and the small town feeling throughout the book. I liked reading this book with an upbeat mood, but the second book, “Deadly Cliché”, is even better than this one. “

I really enjoyed this book, much more than I thought I would. Ellery Adams writes with a clean, logical style that has enough character description to keep you reading. She excels with her descriptions about the location. I pictured myself in Oyster Bay standing on the beach, tasting the salt air or feeling the pressure of the humidity while I walked the shops of downtown. Olivia Limoges was an interesting character who I want to know more about, and while I'm not overly fond of the romantic triangles believing they are over-done in the cozy mystery genre that storyline didn't overshadow the main story. I was surprised almost to the end about who did which for me is very satisfying. Can't wait to read more.

Welcome to Oyster Bay, North Carolina where the living is easy and murder is on the mind.

Olivia Limoges has returned to the hometown she left as a young girl. She is rich, stunning, suffering from a case of writers block and still a mystery to the locals, and often keeping only the company of her loyal poodle Captain Haviland. She also owns the local five star restaurant and has invested a lot in local properties, becoming landlord to many of the businesses around her. While having breakfast at the local diner she overhears some people talking "book stuff." Dixie, her friend and waitress explains that they are a group called the Bayside Book Writers and encourages her to join. She hesitates until she speaks with Camden Ford, the apparent leader of the group. She finds him witty, charming and impossible to refuse. Olivia decides that she is going to fix up the lighthouse cottage on her property for their meetings.

It looks like things are improving for Olivia, particularly in the friend department, until people start showing up dead. When one of her new friends winds up dead, with of all things a Haiku poem left next to the body, Olivia and her writer friends know they will do whatever they can to find out who is responsible for the murder. But can they figure it out before more bodies start to fall? Do the murders have to do with the gossip book one of their group members is writing about a well know family, the desire to push through a new housing development no matter what the cost, or something else no one could have possibly anticipated?

A Killer Plot is a fantastic start to a new series. The characters are fun, fresh and a bit on the eccentric side. There is Dixie, the roller skating dwarf waitress, Harris the computer geek who suffers from a serious case of Rosacea, and Millay the bartender, who likes to show up with her hair a different color each time they meet. These are just a few of the fun people you will meet in this charming first book of the Books By The Bay Mystery series. The characters are believable and the author gives the reader great insight into the world of a writer. With new friendships, possible romance(s) and promises of great things to come, A Killer Plot is one book you don't want to be caught dead missing.

If Olivia Limoges were an ice cream sundae, she'd be made of three scoops of bossy drizzled with a coating of panache and a sprinkling of nuts. She was in no mood whatsoever to put up with Darlene and Sue Ellen's flapping jaws in the Oyster Bay Stop `n' Shop and when she plopped a bag of Iams dog food on Sue Ellen's chips and posies, they knew she meant business. They could say anything about her, including the fact that she was the richest woman in town, but she had no intention of being the gossip special of the week. Not very likely. Her dog Captain Haviland, a black standard poodle, was her constant companion and she was soon out the door and sitting in her Range Rover with him.

She rolled into a handicapped parking spot in front of Grumpy's Diner to relax and do a little reading. Olivia needed a bit of sympathy from her best friend Dixie, who was all of "four feet seven inches tall, including the two inches provided by a pair of roller skates and an inch of comb-teased, sun-streaked brown hair." The last thing she expected was a bunch of yappers reading from their manuscripts . . . "His eyes lingered on the heaving swell of her breasts." That did it. A few wry comments later and she found herself on the receiving end of an invite to the Bayside Book Writers club. Why not? After all she was writing a book.

She dusted off her protagonist, "Kamila," and began to enjoy the motley members of the club, including Camden Ford, a.k.a. Milano Cruise, a big time gossip columnist. Little did they know that his body would soon be found in an alleyway "slumped against the brick wall like a discarded department store mannequin." A strange Haiku had been left with the body, a clue for the literati to solve.

Chief Sawyer Rawlings stepped in to take their statements, but soon there would be another body and another literary conundrum to solve. A cemetery, a land deal, a movie star, a rock band named Blackwaters, a gossip columnist . . . how did they all tie in? Olivia walked the beach to think about it, but found a clue lying in the sand she never wanted to find. She reached out to touch some curly black fur only to find yet another piece of paper. HAVILAND! What was going on? This was a real emergency and the Bayside Book Writers had been called to action, but just how were they going to find this killer?

This exciting new, killer of a series with the Bayside Book Writers club is going to garner a LOT of fans. I loved the assortment of characters in this cozy who range from the small town quirky waitress to the more sophisticated and suave literary aficionado. A little splash of Chivas Regal anyone? The pace was relaxed, but the writing was not at all shallow. This is the type of book that you're going to be carting around with you, just hoping for a few minutes to read the next chapter. It's one of those "don't bug me, I'm reading" books you're going to savor from the first page to the last. The ending was well paced, unrushed and made me anxious to read the next in the series. If you love "Murder She Wrote," you're going to love this one because Jessica Fletcher . . . er, Olivia Limoges has now gone south!

I was torn, unfortunately they don't have halves or I'd have given it 2.5 stars. I really like this author, but this series OMG has given us one of the most unlikable main characters since.... Cruella DeVil. She has her moments where she's human, but not without great fanfare announcing as much. She was born in the Outer Banks of NC but acts as if she were the Baroness von Habsburg or something in her difficulty to relate to such things as peaches, children, North Carolina municipal laws - which she breaks as need dictates, male female relationships, and airports.

The plot was difficult for us readers to solve b/c our only clue (not to give anything away) as to the killers identity was that he/she didnt belong there.
A friend of mine who is reading the 3rd book in this series assures me that Olivia becomes more likable in Book 2 so I will give it another try b/c I do like the setting and Ellery Adams.

Olivia Limoges has returned to Oyster Bay, North Carolina, a town steeped in salt air, sea culture and bittersweet memories of Olivia's childhood past. She's gorgeous and wealthy, owning the town's five star restaurant and several properties in town. She keeps everything running with the help of her brilliant and very un-dog-like black poodle, Captain Haviland. She overhears a group of writers at a local diner one morning and, as she's working on a manuscript herself, is persuaded to join by Camden Ford, a young gossip blogger and writer oozing with charisma. When Camden doesn't show up to Olivia's first meeting, the group starts to worry. He's found dead in an alleyway with a haiku, of all things, spray painted above him. Olivia and Captain Haviland investigate and find Camden's manuscript, a thinly-veiled expose of a famous family may be the killer's motive. Can Olivia figure out which family tie was angry enough to kill before they strike again?
This was an excellent debut novel. I loved the vivid setting (you know I like a little Southern flair), the dog, and I felt like the author had a lot of fun writing it especially working in the excerpts of the writers' manuscripts of all different genres. For me it's always a good sign when an author seems to have had a great time working on a book. I think this series has great things in store for it, but for me the first half of the book was perfectly paced and the last half was rushed through. Olivia's love interests muddled things a little for me and the climax was confusing because there was so much going on that I hadn't had time to work out in my head. Then, the final wrap-up seemed to drag and give us a little too much unnecessary information. As an experienced author, she writes several other series under the names J.B. Stanley and Jennifer Stanley as well as another as Ellery Adams, I thought she did much better with this debut than the average cozy first-novelist, and I'm confident she can weave wonderful tales now that these exciting new characters have been introduced.

The Real Mystery?

How Ellery Adams created such an incredibly human-like canine that absolutely stands out as a main character despite his inability to talk!

As often occurs, the denouement isn't quite up to the standards set by the remainder of the book. None the less, this is a solidly constructed plot with an interesting set of characters. I don't know that I would classify this as a 'cozy' but I would recommend
it to most not addicted to Stephen King or Mickey Spillane sub-genres of mystery hook readers. Surprisingly, the heroine, though somewhat arrogant and assertive, does not grate, but comes across as sensitive and just a bit in need of the book-writers club she joins to
give and take advice and criticism. She does have a dog over whom she is dotty, and two suitors who would like to fill that lacunae in her life. The other club members, assorted types, as usual, are appealing character.
All-in-all, better than average reading for crime fans.

A plot synopsis is unnecessary but what is necessary is to say how enjoyable I found this new series. This is a mystery you can sink your teeth into and debate long and hard over 'whodunit'. I could not put this book down and stayed up late to finish it.

Ellery Adams pulls no punches with her characters. If some are annoying at first, well you just have to get to know them just like real life. If she kills off a character you're enjoying, well, life's not fair. But this book is truly absorbing and it satisfies on many levels. I identified greatly with the main character. You may not but you will respect her and come to appreciate her. She's a smart lady with a good heart.This is not a fluffy cozy (Not that there's anything wrong with those books. I enjoy them too). You will feel things, this book will affect you. But you will be glad it did.

I can't wait for the next in this series.

As a young child Olivia Limoges left the coastal town of Oyster Bay, North Carolina after the mysterious disappearance of her fisherman father. Years later, still haunted by his disappearance, Olivia returns to her hometown. No longer the unhappy child found abandoned in a floating boat, Olivia is now a mysterious, sophisticate and wealthy woman working on her first novel. Olivia is convinced the only companion she needs is her faithful poodle, Captain Haviland. However, after joining the local writer's group, Olivia begins to make friends only to have one brutally murdered. Devastated, Olivia and her fellow writers take it upon themselves to assist the police chief, Sawyer Rawlings (a potential love interest for Olivia) in solving the murder.

I'm a huge mystery fan of all kinds, but I'm particularly fond of cozy mysteries, especially those with a theme. I picked up A Killer Plot because Olivia is a writer. (Something I dream of myself.) It sounded just like the kind of book I would enjoy. I was not disappointed. Adams has created well-developed characters that the reader will enjoy getting to know. Each one is diverse and interesting, from feisty waitress Dixie, who insists on being referred to as "dwarf" rather than "little person" to Millay who changes her color highlights often and feels very protective of the rough and tumble fishermen who hang at Fish Nets, the bar where she works.

Often when a series debuts, the main character is not as well developed as Olivia. But Adams has created a character of great depth. There is more to Olivia than just her money, sophistication and aloofness. The fact that she is a woman of mystery is introduced early on and we get to see her grow. She is my favorite character and I'm looking forward to learning more about her.

One final reason I found this book so entertaining goes back to the theme: writers. I've read other stories where one or more of the characters are writers. Some have even belonged to writer's groups just like the Oyster Bay Writers. What singles out Adams' book from the others is that reader gets a glimpse of what it's like to be a writer. We get to see some of the process and we get to see how a real writing group operates (though granted, most real life groups don't get involved in solving crimes). I enjoyed reading their works in progress almost as much as the main story. This is a series that has a lot to offer and I can't wait for the next one.

Loved reading about the NC town & meeting it's characters - book club group very diverse & interesting can't wai to see who Olivia will hook up with. Can picture the town so clearly. Had a lot of twists & turns to the plot. Really enjoyed it.

I love this book! The location-so well described by the author I can smell the salt air, the people-funny, quirky, annoying, loveable, and the writing-smooth, vivid, laugh out loud funny. I love the main character and her sidekick dog. She is smart, patient, dogged and funny-as we all do, she seems to get involved in things despite herself. The mystery is quite engaging and well thought out. To be honest, there is nothing about this book I don't like and I can't wait for more.

The setting for this writing themed cozy mystery series, Oyster Bay, NC, is just about as close to perfect as you can get. Lovely seaside setting, quaint little town, and characters you'd love to sit down and have lunch with. There's just one tiny problem. People keep turning up dead with haikus nearby. When the killer makes the mistake of drugging the spunky protagonist's dog, the murders become personal to Olivia Limoges. Now, she and her small group of friends are on the case, trying to figure out the messages in the haikus, unofficially assisting the police chief, and hoping to find the killer before another member of their small coastal community become his next victim.

With well-crafted and likable characters and a plot that moves along nicely, you can't miss with "A Killer Plot."

A great start to a new series. Can't wait to read the next installment of "Books by the Bay.'

Oyster Bay, North Carolina better be careful, or it's going to fall off of Time's Top "Ten Best Kept Vacation Secrets" list! Wealthy Olivia Limoges has returned to the town and is part of the re-vitalization of town by being a restaurant owner and a landlord to many of the new businesses in town. Olivia's poodle, Captain Haviland, seems to be her best friend in life until the Bayside Book Writers group invite her to join them. A murder in town, coupled with haiku clue, get the writers group involved in some detecting. I liked that the story was challenging, characters from outside the quaint town help shape the story as much as those from Oyster Bay. Adams secondary characters, like rollerskating Dixie, gentle, yet deep police chief Rawlings and all of the Bayside writers shine in this debut novel. I definitely look forward to their next mystery.

I stumbled on this series with the third book, and enjoyed that one so much that I had to go back to the beginning. Olivia Limoges starts out as a fish out of water, although she spent her childhood in Oyster Bay, and part of the charm of the series lies in how she makes amends with the town, and how the townspeople gradually let her back into their good graces. The sheer escapism of Olivia's luxurious life--the lady knows how to wrangle a Visa card, and has impeccable taste--combined with the care given to setting and relationships, makes this series and this first book in it, reading to savor! Highly recommended.

What a wonderful new series. With all the best of what makes you love mysteries. The heroine is well defined, yet multi-dimensional leaving us more to find out as the series progresses. A hint of romance without being way too over done, especially in a new series. The heroine is smart enough to consider and take her time. The friends/support group are again well defined and leave you knowing there is much more to be found out as the series progresses. The murder of a much loved member of a writer's group leaves them naturally curious and the perfect people to look for details. The writing group talks of their craft in interesting and informative ways just giving you enough information to hope for more detail in the next books. This book is the kind of wonderful writing that makes you fall into the pages and forget for a while that you are not one of the people involved in the story..not to mention.. paying bills...going to sleep...cooking. Read, relax and enjoy. You will be waiting anxiously for the follow up, but that can't be helped.

I enjoyed the entire book. It was well-written and intriguing. I never anticipated the murderer was in town all along and that he was a lunatic. Very good read. Olivia's character was perfect. I can't wait for the next book in this series.

Sadly, this book did not contain a killer plot.

It did however contain unbelievable dialogue, unlikeable characters, and some of the worst pacing I've ever seen. Definitely will not be reading the rest of the series.

Enjoyable cozy mystery. The main character is a strong, independent woman who befriends a select group of people who slowly change her life. The characters are entertaining and colorful. I appreciated the couple of big twists and turns in this series.

I downloaded this book from my library to my Kindle touch. It is the first book in the Bay Mystery series. The story was a little slow at first. But the more I read, the better it got. I loved the main character, Olivia Limoges as well as her dog, Captain Haviland. There are several murders that take place and Olivia and her writer friends try to solve the murders. The author keeps you guessing until near the end. This book was so good, I couldn't put it down. Looking forward to checking out the next book in the Bay Mystery series.

A new series set in Oyster Bay, North Carolina, where Olivia Limoges returns to her home town after many years away, her return as mysterious as her leaving has everyone in town is talking about her. She keeps to herself, with her talented dog Captain Haviland and is working on her unfinished manuscript, unfortunately at the moment she is suffering from a severe case of "writer's block". At the local diner she meets charming young man, Camden Ford, and with a little help from diminutive Dixie the waitress, she agrees to join The Bayside Book Writers where she actually makes a few friends.

Sadly one of her new friends ends up dead in an alley with an obscure Haiku poem left with his body and his will not be the only body found before this mystery is solved. Olivia enlists the help of The Bayside Book Writers to help the police find the killer.
This is a really fun mystery, there are so many quirky characters, and a captivating plot. We learn enough about Olivia's past and her potential romances that will keep us wanting more stories from Oyster Bay. I am terribly jealous of Captain Haviland as my 2 dogs can barely sit still for a minute let alone help sniff out a killer. Please Ellery don't make us wait too long for another visit with Olivia and the people of Oyster Bay.

[...]

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from The Berkley Publishing Group a division of Penguin Publishing. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

This boook is so good. Caught my attention from the very first page. and the dog Captain Havailand. i just love..... cant wait for the next book. and i am going to be getting this book in my kindle so i can read it again and again and again. More books please ellery This is fantastic

Like the lighthouse , Ellery Adams is a beacon of light, but on the cozy mystery scene. This series debut has a plot that is deeply intriguing and full of surprises. The characters are so well developed that I took my time reading the book so I could get to really know them. Watching Olivia as the book progresses is comparable to watching a bud turn into a flower. Her other characters are just as delightful, including Olivia's pet/best friend, Captain Haviland. Ms. Adams refers to two of her male characters as "preferring pastels", which delighted me as I had two friends years ago who were just like them and they were very near and dear to me. The Killer Plot is not just a cozy mystery, it is a literary work of art. Ms. Adams use of dynamic imagery makes this a book that you can literally read with all of your senses and I savored every page.

This shoreline mystery is definitely a great beach read--others have recapped the plot, so I'll just say it's fun, it's fresh, the characters are real people (not cardboard cutouts bound to the plot and nothing else) and the dialogue rings true. This is a terrific debut, and it promises much, much more to come! We want more Olivia!

Budding author Olivia Limoges is rich and determinedly single. But tentatively participating in a local writers' group turns into a high-priority hunt when one of the members is killed.

Adams avoided the first-book trap of drowning the reader in backstory, cleverly doling it out here and there after involving the reader in Olivia's life. Her poodle Haviland is a real drawback to the story, just too too precious and all-knowing. The title was appropriate if generic. But the bottom line is that the story never really caught my interest. I got halfway through and realized I didn't care what happened next, so I quit - I didn't even care enough to skip to the end.

Olivia Limoges grew up in Oyster Bay, NC, but went to live with her grandmother after her mother was killed in an accident and her father disappeared. She returns after an extended absence and is the subject of much gossip surrounding the circumstances of her departure from, and return to, Oyster Bay. Olivia pretty much keeps to herself aside from her dog, Captain Haviland (Yeah, the dog's a captain.) and her restaurant and other real estate holdings. She ends up being cajoled into joining a fledgling book writers club begun by Camden Ford, a visitor to the area. A shy programmer, a bartender with multiple piercings and an attitude and a housewife round out the group. However, shortly after Olivia joins, one of their own is murdered. This prompts the remaining members of the writers group to take it upon themselves to help the sheriff find the killer, who may have acted because of a novel being written that's a thinly disguised autobiography of a real rock star.

The biggest problem this book had was that the main character was really unlikeable. One would think that her childhood losses might make her compassionate, but Olivia seemed to think that her stacks of money and privileged upbringing entitled her to do anything she wanted without reprisal. One of the most annoying things, which the author seemed to want to set up as a cute, quirky trait, was her habit of parking anywhere she wanted to, regardless of the rules or, I should say, laws. Olivia parked in handicapped spots (and was later jokingly reprimanded by the sheriff), reserved spots and fire zones. She disregarded leash laws, saying she would prefer to pay a fine rather than subject her dog to the indignity of a harness. She came off as very aloof and cold and, aside from her chef, she barely acknowledged the existence her restaurant staff. She only ever had very casual relationships, apparently stemming from her tragic childhood, and if any man ever wanted to get emotionally close, she'd break off all contact. And none of the other characters ever called her out on her behavior. Instead, everyone seemed to kowtow to her.

Though Olivia was my biggest complaint, there were plenty of other problems. The dog...look, I love animals and don't think they get nearly enough respect, but this dog seemed to understand everything and practically gave Olivia advice. It was just too much. Then, there were the two men who were supposed to be Olivia's potential love interests. There was zero chemistry between anyone and I couldn't have cared less if she ended up with either man. Actually, I didn't feel a connection to any of the other characters in the book, and the only person I really liked was the first one killed.

I stuck with this book until the end thinking the resolution would make it worth it, or Olivia would somehow become likeable. I was wrong on both counts. I don't want to be specific in case this review doesn't discourage you from reading A Killer Plot, but the murderer and the reason for the killings were really weak and forced. Though the writing was good, the flimsy storyline and character problems were too much to overcome and I definitely won't be reading the sequel. If you're looking for a good cozy series, I'd recommend Jenn McKinlay's Cupcake Bakery mysteries.

I finished A Killer Plot yesterday and loved it! The characters are so well written, especially Olivia. I wasn't sure I was going to like her at first, but I ended up loving her. I look forward to learning more about her and the other characters. And I love her dog!

Yet another enjoyable book by a very talented author, Ellery Adams here (a.k.a. Jennifer Stanley and J.B. Stanley). Can't wait to read the next one in the series. I would also highly recommend her "Supper Club" series to anyone who likes Ellery/J.B.'s writing style and excellent, region-ified prose. Stiffs and Swines is my personal favorite.

Olivia Limoges (with her sidekick Captain Haviland, a black standard poodle) takes this almost "cozy" mystery to intriguing depths of character. Author Ellery Adams brings to the debut of this series a skill set honed under other pen names, and like Olivia, Adams hints at the way both an author and a sleuth must dig more deeply into their hearts and minds in order to discover a strong narrative.

I finished A Killer Plot yesterday and loved it! The characters are so well written, especially Olivia. I wasn't sure I was going to like her at first, but I ended up loving her. I look forward to learning more about her and the other characters. And I love her dog!

Yet another enjoyable book by a very talented author, Ellery Adams here (a.k.a. Jennifer Stanley and J.B. Stanley). Can't wait to read the next one in the series. I would also highly recommend her "Supper Club" series to anyone who likes Ellery/J.B.'s writing style and excellent, region-ified prose. Stiffs and Swines is my personal favorite.

Olivia Limoges (with her sidekick Captain Haviland, a black standard poodle) takes this almost "cozy" mystery to intriguing depths of character. Author Ellery Adams brings to the debut of this series a skill set honed under other pen names, and like Olivia, Adams hints at the way both an author and a sleuth must dig more deeply into their hearts and minds in order to discover a strong narrative.

Ellery Adams has created an irresistable story. The characters are people I would want to know, the place is somewhere I would want to be. I can't wait for more from Olivia, Sawyer and of course the Captain. Great book to escape from the everyday.

I very much enjoyed this cozy mystery, and look forward to reading the next in the series. The setting was inviting, and the characters were enjoyable. I found myself not liking the main character very much in the beginning, but she grew on me as the book continued. I am interested to see if she is able to open up with the help of her new relationships and become more of a 'whole' person.

I realize the author was taking this aloof and uncaring person and bring her "out" to the town, but as the town people didn't like her, I didn't like her either. Very prissy and somewhat of a snob who thought more of her dog than any person in the story. She lets her dog run free off a leash lest he suffer the indignity because he was so well trained and he got poisoned once and lost a couple of times. When the killer was revealed, even if you hadn't already guessed it, I didn't care. We had no vested interest in the characters at all. I just skipped through the reasoning as to why he was the killer--who cared? Too bad the killer didn't take out the heroine to prevent more of these books.

If you like your heroines to pull into handicapped spaces because they can't be bothered to find a legal spot, this one is for you. Otherwise, this book appears to be have been written to appeal to a specific demongraphic without anyone ever bothering to do the *** truely minimal *** research needed to make it work. I'd love to live in a world where dogs are allowed into restaurants; our heroine gets to take her standard poodle into restaurants in defiance of every health department regulation I ever ran across. Other editing and writing gaffes abound. The dog puts his "snout" -- not his muzzle -- on our heroine's shoe, etc. etc. Ugh. Felt this one was a waste of money.