Book Tour Review! The Green Beach File by K.A. Perry

Thank you so much to Kate Rock Book Tours and K.A. Perry for having me on the Instagram tour for The Green Beach File! I posted yesterday but wanted to post a full review here because so many people were saying that they wanted to check the book out! Yay! I may be primarily a SF/F blogger but I absolutely love branching out when the opportunity presents itself!

Quick Facts:

• Title: The Green Beach File
• Series: No
• Author: K.A. Perry
• Publisher & Release: Permuted Press, July 2020
• Length: 272 pages
• Rate & Recommend: *FOUR Stars* and YES for mystery fans!

Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:

A funny, engaging legal mystery for all those who love and enjoy nature—and reading at the beach.

First, an amphibian expert is found murdered in the fancy shoreline town of Mayfield, Connecticut. Then, a second, shocking murder of a well-respected community leader occurs. Why are there murders happening in a town as peaceful as Mayfield?

Jenn isn’t the perfect clever attorney. She doesn’t love her job, has no innate ability to solve mysteries, no superpowers, and no awesome legal skills. But she does have her love and respect for nature—which tends to distract her from her legal work, yet still somehow guides her. Along with her entertaining and dysfunctional family, Jenn weaves her way into the midst of a momentous fight over land preservation.

The murders appear to be tied to the development of the largest parcel of pristine beachfront land between Boston and New York. Most folks in Mayfield want the unique beachfront preserved for the public and object to the construction of expensive homes, but are any of these folks extremist enough to murder for the environment and save coastal land? And how much will Jenn stretch the law to solve the mystery?

The book is smarter than your average cozy mystery, so I guess it’s just a mystery?  The protagonist, Jenn, is a lawyer with a love for the outdoors and multiple beverages at once.  She is quirky and feels like a real person to me. There are concerns regarding the competency and professionalism of the local detective/police force, so Jenn uses her environmental and legal expertise to help reason out the case. Her sister, community members, other lawyers, and one handsome policeman are also on the cozier side of the case.   I liked the characters a lot, I could relate to a lot of Jenn’s issues as a 30 something year old workaholic who likes her “pet trees” more than most people.  I can’t count how many people have tried to set me up with their friends or someone they know, so I feel Jenn’s pain.

The mystery itself was interesting because there were so many potential suspects.  Most locals don’t want the stretch of beach in question to be developed, and there are so many people with a stake in the profits and action.  There is one kind of obvious red herring, then at least 4 or 5 other suspects who totally could have committed the murders, with equally as many motives floating around.  It wasn’t busy though and I could easily keep track of the people and plot lines.  I made a good guess but it wasn’t the right person or motive.

I definitely recommend for fans of mysteries that are looking for a good summer read, beach book, or mystery to cozy up with next to at a winter fire.  The book is funny and on the lighter side but definitely also interesting with real life issues and a small twist of romantic interest.   Oh gosh I also love how awkward Jenn is with Matt, likening his eyes to potting soil! That’s something I would blurt out too 😀

Anyone want to recommend their favorite mystery to me? Have you read this one? Drop a comment!

Thanks again to Kate Rock Book Tours and KA Perry for my book in exchange for a feature and honest review!