Coached to Death (The Life Coach Mysteries #1) by Victoria Laurie

Coached to Death

(The Life Coach Mysteries #1)

by Victoria Laurie 

Hardcover, 352 pages

Published October 29th 2019 by Kensington Publishing Corporation

Goodreads synopsis: 

When Catherine Cooper settles in the Hamptons on the heels of a nasty split from her long-time husband, the luxurious coastal community seems like the perfect place to get back on track in style. But as Cat soon discovers, starting fresh on the East End can be deadly . . .

Cat Cooper never imagined selling off her in-demand marketing firm would mean going from the pinnacle of success to a walking hot mess. Gouged from an unexpected divorce, Cat suddenly finds herself struggling through a new career as a business-savvy life coach for the hopelessly adrift in East Hampton and contending with Heather Holland--a spiteful neighbor who will do anything to bully her out of town. But her second act may very well continue behind bars when Heather's dead body turns up next to a shattered punchbowl . . . and Cat's pinned as the murderer.

But given Heather's mean girl reputation, any one of the guests at her invite-only luncheon could have committed the crime before planting Cat's punchbowl next to the body. Determined not to trade designer duds for an unflattering prison jumpsuit, Cat sides with her best friend Gilley to scour chic boutiques and oceanfront mansions in search of the criminal who framed her. With a stoic detective looking to get her in cuffs, it's up to Cat to catch the real killer and land on her feet once again . . .

***

5 Stars 

This is the first book in the Life Coach Mystery series by Victoria Laurie.

I have to say I loved everything about this. There was the strong-willed female lead, the quirky best friend, the mysterious stranger who you don’t know is good or evil and the detective who is a bit of a curmudgeon but has a heart of gold under his badge.

I am not sure why I have not picked up a Victoria Laurie book before. I have a few in my physical paperback/hardbound collection but I think they are from her P-Eye series. There are a lot of references to characters from her other series throughout but it doesn’t detract from the overall message.

I love the AI enhanced she-shed with the digital butler Sebastian who calls Cat Lady Catherine. That comes in quite handy when you need a reliable alibi.

Cat and Detective Steve Shephard get off to a rough start but I like how the entire relationship unfolded. I think it will help to make a stronger bond in the future.

The victim, Heather Holland was not a nice lady at all. I did not have one ounce of sympathy for her when she ended up dead after her dinner party. However, I thought it interesting none the less since I knew a gal in high school with the same name. But she was not dastardly like this character was, thank goodness.

There will be lots to work with as the series progresses and I look forward to all the fun and adventure awaiting us! Book two can’t come soon enough!

If you love a good cozy mystery, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.