Dru’s Short Musing:
When her BFF’s mother is arrested for murder, Leo gets involved in the murder investigation while dealing with her estrangement from her own mother.

This was a cleverly well-written drama that I could not put down, quickly becoming a page turner. The mystery was nicely staged with a solidly wicked multi-plot storyline that kept me both intrigued and in suspense throughout. When I thought I knew what was going on, the author planted clues here and there that kept me in the game, especially those that left me wondering who was doing what to whom and what secrets are being hidden. With visually descriptive narrative, engaging dialogue and an eclectic and diverse cast of characters, the action-packed tale came alive as the story progressed and I couldn’t stop reading until all was said and done. Overall, this was an enjoyable and excellent read and with that ending…I do hope there is another book coming out with these characters.

Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: May 5, 2026
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Purchase Link

Book Synopsis:
A fiction debut filled with heart and humor, A ZOOM WITH A VIEW will make you want to move to Blue Oak—if only the annual Fourth of July festivities didn’t end with a dead body.

Leo can’t believe she’s back in Blue Oak. Her small, quirky Texas hometown feels suffocating after trying to make it big as an English professor in New York—especially due to her strained relationship with her overly hair-sprayed mother, Karina. But with Leo’s career in academia in shambles, at least she’s able to work as a photographer for her godmother’s real estate business. And her best friend, Emily, is around to help her navigate through the mess—and maybe force her to reconnect with her old high school boyfriend, Mack.

But while at work, Leo makes a grisly discovery at one of her godmother’s properties: the dead body of rival real estate agent and social media influencer Chaz. Even worse, Leo and Emily have been secretly running a snarky Reddit page making fun of Chaz’s cringe-inducing advice and duck-faced selfies. When someone she loves is accused of the murder, Leo finds herself flung headfirst into a dangerous investigation, teaming up with a local detective who is a lot more attractive than she remembered when they were both teenagers. Meanwhile, Karina has been acting stranger and stranger, as if all her hair hides a big secret.

FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.