Published By: Century
Pages: 400
Released On: 26/03/2026
In the seaside haven of Carmel-by-the-Sea, Willa Keane’s marriage is in a rut. As a retired interior-designer-turned-influencer, she’s sure life begins at fifty-five, whereas her husband, Marty, is more interested in watching his beloved birds.
So when Willa is invited to the opening of the chicest new cocktail bar in town, she hopes the evening will rekindle their flame. But arriving at the party, Willa is shaken to discover it’s being hosted by her charming ex-husband, Paul.
The night is thrown into even deeper chaos when the bar’s enigmatic owner is found dead on the rocks below. A suicide message suggests there’s no foul play, but Willa’s heightened senses aren’t so sure. Now she must solve the mystery together with her husband…and her ex-husband.
Can they find the killer before another victim is served their last cocktail?
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and Century for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I had heard nothing but praise for this so I was really excited to get stuck in.
I loved Willa. It’s wonderful to see an older (okay I know she’s only in the 50s but female main characters are rarely of an age) woman in this glamorous world Kelly has created. She’s stuck in a rut and a bit worried about what the second half of her life looks like. She felt so real and wonderful and I loved her. Same as with her husband Marty, he’s also stuck in a rut but he doesn’t realise it and is quite happy to just plod along, he wants a normal, relatively dull retirement They are wonderful individually and together. There’s a large cast of other characters and they are all very good.
It is irresistible from the start. The way she’s described the drinks, the setting, the characters, it’s just so rich and sumptuous.
I do have a copy of Kelly’s previous book, This Is Not a Game, but haven’t got round to reading it yet, so I had no preconceived ideas about her writing going into this.
What I love about these kind of books is how trusting everyone else. How a member of the public, not police, can just waltz into someone’s front room and practically get confessions from them. It’s so unrealistic but I love that about it.
I read a lot of crime, cosy crime, and thriller novels, and they can get a bit samey. This has all the familiar themes and feelings about it, so I got what I wanted, but she’s managed to infuse it with enough spark to keep it fresh.
One again, I did not get the whodunnit. I am so terrible at working out the ending of thrillers and crime novels – which considering the amount I read, you’d think I would have picked up some tips by now, but no.
Is it realistic? No, not really. But I don’t care. I think crime novels, thrillers, and cosy crime novels, to a certain extent, all have a level of fantasy about them and I find that very enjoyable.
This is quick to read, thrilling, exciting, funny, and just a really, really enjoyable read and I’m definitely going to have to put her previous book up my TBR list.
In my opinion, more books should come with cocktail recipes.
Books By Your Bedside 