Dru’s Short Musing:
When a neighbor asks for her help, Emersyn reluctantly plays detective with an unexpected assist from a stranger.

The author is adept at telling this story in this fast-paced and well-written whodunit that I could not put down until all was said and done. The mystery was nicely executed with a solid multi-plot storyline, a quirky and eclectic cast of characters which included Emersyn, her BFF, her adorable niece, an entrepreneur teenager, a building full of suspects, and Wyatt who bears the name of the phony detective agency that was created. I liked the camaraderie between the residents in the building and how one by one, the clues were exposed to ferret out the killer and their motive. With visually descriptive narrative and engaging dialogue, the story comes alive off the pages and I’m there rooting for Emersyn and her friends. The budding romance did not take away anything from the delightfully charming mystery. I’m looking forward to seeing where we go next with all that encompasses Emersyn’s life. Overall, a terrific read and a nice entre into the cozy mystery genre.

Series Name: A Wyatt Investigations Mystery, Book 1
Genre: Rom-Com Mystery
Release: January 6, 2026
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Purchase Link

In this delightfully charming rom-com mystery, a woman becomes accidentally entangled in a murder investigation (and with a handsome stranger) when her fake detective agency is enlisted to solve a real homicide.

Emersyn Gray is definitely not a detective.

Really, she’s an unemployed twenty-eight-year-old raising her beloved niece in the only place she can afford after her ex-boyfriend ran off with her life savings: a run-down, seniors-only apartment complex that was desperate for tenants. But never fear—her wild best friend has the perfect plan to get Emersyn back on her feet and stick it to her thieving ex: scare him into returning her money by hiring a private investigator to prove he stole it. Only, there won’t be an actual detective, just a fabricated business card from Wyatt Investigations . . . and a ridiculously hot stranger, who steps in to play the part—a stranger whose name is, coincidentally, Wyatt.

Emersyn can’t help but notice the real-life Wyatt is capital H-O-T hot, even though she’s wary of his intentions. But her ex does seem flustered, and if she can get her money back and regain control of her life, maybe it’ll finally prove to her parents that she can be a responsible caregiver to her niece.

But the day after they set their plan in motion, the superintendent of Emersyn’s apartment building winds up dead, and her neighbors turn to her fake detective agency for help after finding one of the phony business cards. With so many eyes on them—or maybe just their eyes on each other—Emersyn and Wyatt agree to take on the case. Now the question is, Can they solve the murder without getting tangled up in their own fictions—or each other?

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