First Chapter Review: Cruel Candy by Mildred Abbot

I'm reviewing the first chapter of Cruel Candy by Mildred Abbot, which is the first book of her Cozy Corgi Mysteries.

BLURB:  Estes Park, Colorado: picturesque mountains, charming shops, delightful bakeries, a cozy bookstore… and murder.

Winifred Page and her corgi, Watson, move to Estes Park to hit the Reset button on life. Fred is about to open her dream bookshop, and the only challenges she anticipates are adjusting to small-town life, tourists, and living close to her loveable mother, Phyllis, and hippy stepfather, Barry.

When Fred steps into her soon-to-be-bookshop for the first time, she expects dust bunnies and spiders… not the dead body in the upstairs kitchen. The local police have an easy suspect—Barry.

Determined to prove quirky Barry innocent of murder, Fred puts on her detective hat, and with Watson by her side, she explores her new town and gets acquainted with her fellow shopkeepers. Could one of her friendly neighbors be the real culprit? And what would be the motive for killing the owner of the Sinful Bites candy store? The secrets Fred discover put her at odds with the local police sergeant and threaten her cozy future in Estes.

With snow falling outside, all Fred wants to do is curl up by the fire with a good book and Watson snuggled at her feet. But before she can begin her new life and put her plans for her bookshop into action, Fred and Watson have a mystery to solve…

COVER: Is there anything cuter than a dog on a cover? Well, maybe a kitten, but certainly a cute dog is just as adorable. The candy-striped wallpaper and sweet treats let you know this will be a fun cozy.

FIRST CHAPTER: Fred arrives in Estes Park with Watson to make a fresh start and winds up meeting the neighbors on either side of her new bookshop.

KEEP READING: How could I not? Fred is funny and Watson adorable. The reader is drawn into how Fred feels starting over and her apprehension over the whole thing. Then she meets the owners of the two stores on the other side of what will be her bookstore and it turns weird. Definitely need to keep reading to see what happens next.

Series: Cozy Corgi Mysteries (Book 1)
Paperback: 280 pages
Publisher: Independently published (December 5, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1973449293
ISBN-13: 978-1973449294

The author provided me with a free digital copy of the book. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.