Killer Content by Olivia Blacke is the first A Brooklyn Murder Mystery. Odessa Dean is from Piney Island, Louisiana who finds Brooklyn amazing and overwhelming. She is cat and apartment sitting for her Aunt Melanie who is traveling through Europe. Killer Content is written in the first person allowing us to see things from Odessa’s point-of-view. We learn what she thinks about Brooklyn, the food, the microbrews, the people, etc. Izzy Wilson is a co-worker and Odessa’s friend who ends up living with Odessa when the schoolhouse where she squats is being fumigated. Izzy has a larger personality than Odessa and she could overshadow her. Odessa is an okay character. I just felt she faded into the background at times. She let people take advantage of her (from her boss to Izzy). The contradiction comes with Bethany’s death. Odessa is positive that Bethany was murdered, and she will not stop until she proves it. I felt that the whodunit was not the focus of the story. More time seems devoted to Untapped Books & Café (the people, the food, the brews served). There are a limited number of suspects. Odessa questioned people and dug through trash looking for clues. One piece of information is all that is needed to solve the case. If you are like me and read cozies for the mystery, then you will be disappointed. This is a character driven cozy mystery with the focus on Odessa. I felt there were details that we did not need to know such what Odessa ate for each meal, the weather (it is hot as we are told a few times), the mess Izzy left in the bedroom, the amount of luggage Izzy brought with her). I just felt that some of this minute details were not needed, and they slowed down the progress of the story. There was a repetition of information as well. I believe Killer Content will appeal to those readers in their twenties and thirties (obtain a sample to see if this story suits you). The author did take the time to give needed background information on Odessa as well as the neighborhood (where Odessa lives and works). I liked Rufus Talliwhacker (Aunt Melanie’s cat) plus the bookstore dog. Killer Content is a lighthearted cozy mystery with distasteful trash, flash mob fiasco, nasty neon green, a disobliging detective, a capricious roommate, and mouthwatering microbrews. ( )

Odessa’s on a grand adventure cat sitting for her aunt in a posh NYC apartment for a summer. But when a viral video shows her coffee shop coworker Bethany falling off a bridge, Odessa gets obsessed. She’s convinced the police aren’t doing enough to solve it. Even though she’s only known Bethany for a few weeks, she visits her roommates, ends up being the one who informs her ex-boyfriend, and even claims her personal possessions from her apartment and hosts her wake.

Pros: This book introduces you to a full cast of quirky New Yorkers. They were the best part of the book.

Cons: I think this book may have been a bit too “cozy” for me. The mystery didn’t keep me as engaged as I’d hoped.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Odessa Dean is housesitting for her Aunt in Brooklyn. She comes from a very small town in Louisiana so there is culture shock with her new environment. She is lucky enough that her Aunt lives in an awesome apartment. And she finds a job as a waitress in a cafe/book shop. It sounds like she has a charmed life.

The mystery begins when her coworker, Bethany, dies in a near by park. The cops rule it an accident, but Odessa believes there is something suspicious about her death. She begins digging into Bethany's life.

I like that Odessa was not as irritating a sleuth as some cozy mystery protagonists. She asks a lot of questions, but goes about it in a nice way. The reveal of the murderer is believable and makes sense. I like it when the murderer doesn't come entirely out of left field. My only complaint of Odessa as a character is that she seems too nice and lets too many people take advantage of her. I felt annoyed on her behalf.

This is a fun book and Odessa is a great character. I enjoyed reading it and I’m looking forward to reading more in this series.

I received an ARC fron NetGalley and the publisher. ( )

Brooklyn, law-enforcement, family, friendship, cozy-mystery, situational-humor, verbal-humor, amateur-sleuth*****

I've just found my new favorite character, Odessa Dean! It doesn't hurt that she's from the Bayou and the story takes place in Brooklyn, either. In this story she hasn't been in NYC very long, is cat sitting for her aunt in a posh apartment, works in a bookshop/cafe (with the manager from Hades), and firmly believes that one of her new work friends was murdered (in spite of what the police and the coroner say). Now the sleuthing begins complete with plot twists and red herrings! The imagery is terrific, the characters are marvelous, and the humor is just my style.
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley. Thank you! ( )