Cozy Mystery

Date Published: September 23, 2014

When Leah Norwood finds the body of Isabel Meeks in the dumpster behind her store, she can’t believe the police consider her a suspect. Sure, she didn’t like Isabel, but then again, neither did anyone else. Isabel had a condescending attitude and a bad reputation. As manager of the antique store, Patina, she had made a lot of enemies.

There is Patina’s assistant manager, the handsome and charming Trent. Isabel was blackmailing him. There is Patina’s owner, the aloof and influential Anthony Thorpe. Isabel was smuggling drugs through his store. And there is the entire drug dealing Cantono family. Isabel had lost a box containing heroin from one of their shipments. That is just to name a few and didn’t even include the stranger who was seen arguing with Isabel just hours before her death.

The police have too many suspects and too many soft alibis. Leah needs to prove to the sexy new chief of police that she had nothing to do with Isabel’s death.

Leah loves a good mystery. Can she find the killer before the police arrest her for murder?

My Review
Dead in a Dumpster is the first book in the Leah Norwood Mysteries series, and it does a great job of setting things up and introducing readers to Leah, her friends/co-workers, and the small town she lives in. It's definitely a fun little cozy mystery.
Leah owns a bath & body type store that sells lotions, soaps, and perfumes in custom made scents done by her college friend Olivia, who studied chemistry and understands how these things work. Olivia's husband Gabe manufactures the products at his family's company, and Leah handles the day-to-day operations of running the store and selling the products. 
Leah's neighbor is a nasty woman named Isabel. She runs an antique store. No one likes her because of her attitude and reputation. But when she winds up dead in a dumpster behind the store, Leah is the prime suspect. Why? Because earlier in the day, Isabel's delivery truck was blocking Leah's delivery space, and Leah just happened to comment about teaching Isabel a lesson. Whoops.
With new police chief Griggs hot on her heels, Leah must do whatever it takes to uncover the truth behind Isabel's death...even if it kills her.
I really enjoyed this book. It's fast-paced and easy to get sucked into. Leah is likable, as are her friends. And Griggs is definitely someone readers will want to see Leah end up with, although romance is the least important thing within these pages. 
The mystery is intriguing, and I found myself trying to put things together along with Leah to hopefully figure out who was behind the murders. While the suspect was a little obvious, I still had my doubts about them on a few occasions. 
I'm definitely invested in this series now and would gladly read the other books to see what other crazy mysteries come along and mess up Leah's life yet again. 
4.5 stars!

About the Author

B. L. Blair writes mystery/romance stories. Like most authors, she has been writing most of her life and has dozens of books started. She just needs the time to finish them.

She is the author of the Leah Norwood Mysteries and the Lost and Found Pets Mystery Novellas. She loves reading books, writing books, and traveling wherever and as often as time and money allows. She is currently working on her latest book set in Texas, where she lives with her family.

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Blog

Goodreads

Pinterest

Instagram

BookBub

Purchase Links

Amazon

Barnes and Noble (Paperback only)

Giveaway