Kelly Jackson, manager of the Redwood Cove Bed and Breakfast, arranges to meet the Doblinsky brothers at their boat but when she gets there early she sees a dagger which appears to be covered in blood so she calls the sheriff. When the brothers arrive and explain that the dagger looks like one that they own, the sheriff requests to see theirs. This dagger brings to light the back story of two aristocratic brothers who fled Russia in their childhood.

After examination, the dagger it is determined not to be blood, so the Sheriff holds on to the dagger since apparently someone trespassed on the boat. Several days later, the body of an antique dealer is found on the boat murdered.

The Doblinsky Brothers seem to be in the thick whatever brought about the murder, so Kelly calls on the Silver Sentinels, a group elderly amateur detectives to find out what happened and why thereby helping their friends be freed from suspicion.

Love the Silver Sentinels! It is so encouraging to have characters that are past retirement age but still show the intelligence and determination that we baby boomers have. The mystery was very interesting with the background of the Russian Aristocracy and as always the characters did not disappoint. ( )

Murder at the Marina may be the fifth A Kelly Jackson Mystery, but it can be read as a standalone. The author provides the necessary background information for new readers. Kelly Jackson loves her job as the manager of the Redwood Cove Bed and Breakfast. She has made some good friends and has a budding romance with Scott Thompson who manages the Redwood Cove Community Center. Kelly is a friendly character who continues to develop in each story. She is trying to get over her trust issues with men and she is learning how to cook. Scott decides to give her a baking lesson which gave me the giggles. After an incident with flour, she tells Scott that he “would make a very distinguished Silver Sentinel”. The Silver Sentinels are a diverse group of older men and women who each bring a different talent to the group. I hope we get to learn more about each member as the series progresses. I thought Murder at the Marina was well-written with steady pacing which made for an easy to read story. I enjoyed getting to know more about Rudy and Ivan Doblinsky. I believe readers will be surprised at their heritage. I found the Russian aspects of the story very interesting. I delighted in the descriptions of the Cossack riders and their demonstration. I thought the mystery in this edition was more complex. The conclusion of the whodunit was just fabulous and had me quickly flipping the pages of my e-reader. It is an action packed reveal which I just loved. Helen, Tommy, Allie and the dogs add to this charming cozy mystery. Gus and Fred, the two dogs, are adorable and clever. I could have done without the case details being repeated (seems like Kelly would get information, share with Deputy Bill Stanton, then with Silver Sentinels). Murder at the Marina combines murder, a Russian dagger, senior sleuths, a nosy B&B manager, Cossack riders and a helpful hound into one diverting cozy mystery. ( )

law-enforcement, amateur-sleuth, senior-citizens, family-dynamics, friendship, Russian-heritage, cozy-mystery *****

Strange things are happening in Redwood Cove and it will take both law enforcement and a group of local sleuths to get to the bottom of things. First there's a jewel encrusted dagger that looks like one kept by two gray haired brothers who were smuggled out of Russia as young children, and later a dead body has ties to the old men. Along the way the reader learns about the Russian aristocracy, Russian heritage celebrations, Cossack riding skills, and how a real Russian samovar is properly used. The mystery itself is well done and has just enough twists and red herrings, the characters are interesting and engaging, and the scenery and activities are clearly depicted. I loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Lyrical Underground via NetGalley. Thank you! ( )