Murder on Bainbridge Island (Northwest Mystery #1) by Dianne Harman

Murder on Bainbridge Island (Northwest Mystery #1) Reviews

• 
  Brenda

  DeeDee Wilson was sad to sell the home she and her husband had raised their two children in. Belonging to the family for twenty-four years, now with the divorce and needing a new start, DeeDee moved from Seattle to Bainbridge Island, where she would live in her parent’s house which had been left to her some time previously. DeeDee also knew she needed an income and being an excellent cook, the thoughts of her own catering company, which she’d dreamed of for years, slowly came to fruition.
  
  Her very first event with her fledgling company “Deelish” was with members of the art society at Maureen’s home. But the death of an art gallery owner as dessert was about to be served was a terrible shock. Did it mean that "Deelish" would fail before it even got off the ground? When the victim’s death was ruled murder by the local sheriff, DeeDee and her new friend Jake, a private investigator, decided to find the murderer so she could clear her name.
  
  With DeeDee’s new dog, husky Balto (one blue eye, one brown) by her side, and Jake providing information, they searched for the killer. But was danger heading DeeDee’s way? It seemed the deeper she dug, the more secrets she found – was her life in peril?
  
  Murder on Bainbridge Island is 1st in the Northwest Cozy Mystery series by Dianne Harman and quite an enjoyable ride. With a mixture of bad guys, helpful others and the beautiful husky dogs in attendance, Murder on Bainbridge Island is one I don’t hesitate to recommend.
  
• 
  Micah

  Disappointing
  
  I enjoy cozy mysteries, and I don't expect great literary works, but this one was just bad. It read like a script from a forgettable TV series wherein the characters announce their feelings, intentions and history with almost no prompt in virtually every scene. The characters and the plot have no nuance or subtlety, and there was nothing interesting about any of it. The basic elements of a fun and lighthearted story and series are present, yet this book feels like a first draft rather than a completed piece.
• 
  Jim Thomsen

  (Full disclosure: I'm a native of Bainbridge Island.)
  
  MURDER ON BAINBRIDGE ISLAND is a victim of two self-inflicted wounds:
  
  1. The author displays ignorance about Bainbridge Island and the Seattle area, making erroneous references to "Pike's Place Market" (it's Pike Place Market, something even a casual visitor to the area would know), "Queen Ann Hill" (It's "Queen Anne"), and "oceanfront" on Bainbridge Island (it's on Puget Sound, not the Pacific Ocean). Not to mention that she refers to a "run-down area" of the island, where none exists. These displays of laziness (and poor editing) fatally undermine the novel's credibility as a representation of the area.
  
  2. The story fails Cozy Mystery 101 storycraft in one big way: it fails to establish a plausible rationale for the heroine, DeeDee Wilson, to investigate the murder of a guest at a dinner party she catered. She claims she has to do her own sleuthing to "clear her name" and keep her fledgling catering business from being fatally swamped by bad publicity, but MURDER ON BAINBRIDGE ISLAND fails to establish that either of those are legitimate issues. Further, she appears to be the only one investigating, but there's no established reason the Bainbridge Island police — or her private-investigator boyfriend — wouldn't be diligently covering all the investigative bases and finding out all the facts that DeeDee uncovers. She simply has no legitimacy as an investigator, and no plausible rationale for not leaving the investigating to others.
  
  It's clear the author has some polish and some storycraft through her diverse characterizations and brisk pacing, but MURDER ON BAINBRIDGE ISLAND is overall a poor, slipshod representation of the author's abilities. And a poor, slipshod representation of Bainbridge Island and its surroundings. Has the author spent any time here?
• 
  Laura

  This was a hot mess. It wasn’t long, but I had a hard time finishing it. The dialogue and writing were really forced, with hardly any descriptions or background. I was hoping to learn some information and scenery of Bainbridge Island! That’s really why I started the book. Immediately I realized the novel wouldn’t meet my expectations, but I was hoping for a good mystery. Nope. I have seldom met a mystery series I didn’t like. I guess we’ll call this a rarity.
• 
  Cindy Bates

  Good start to a fun series
  
  Enjoyed the first book. Quick easy read. Strong female characters. And of course a dog! Her description of the area is spot on.
• 
  Crystal

  This paperback book was intriguing, suspenseful, action packed, a page turner and so much more. Just loved this book.
  Look forward to reading the next print book in this series.
  
  Highly recommend and will read again and have.
• 
  Carol D

  I was really hoping that I had found a series about the pacific northwest that I could latch onto. I kept hoping that I was reading a short story that was leading into a bigger story. But that didn't happen. The characters were not drawn out enough for me to want to get to know them, thus the author did not get more than a 'fair' rating from me.
• 
  Ferne

  I've read multiple cozy mysteries with female entrepreneurs opening various types of businesses related to cooking from coffee shops to tea rooms to restaurants so the thought of a catering business was a welcome addition. Ready for a fresh start, DeeDee Wilson is moving to Bainbridge Island to reside in the family home willed by her parents and will begin her own business of Deelish Catering.
  
  I really enjoyed multiple aspects of this cozy. One delight was a "Prologue" providing the special event where the murder occurred rather than waiting multiple chapters for the escalation to the murder. Chapter 1 begins the lead-in that led to the special event and continues through the investigation to conclusion. All the transitions flow naturally even at the timing of the "scene of the crime" there is no repeat of the details previously provided in the "Prologue" and the story continues fluidly.
  
  I also enjoyed the protagonist as DeeDee was given a very level and natural personality from the excitement of the opportunities of her fresh start to the moments of anxiety in the multiple changes in her life all beginning simultaneously even though they were of her own creation. DeeDee is someone that one would like to have as a friend and/or hire as a caterer.
  
  I've been fascinated by the Iditarod Race since a family member was the volunteer (actually only one in the group that volunteered) for a short sled ride during a tour in Alaska. I loved the aspects of the story that created the opportunity for DeeDee to own a husky. The weave of the Iditarod and husky dogs rescued from Alaska woven into the story captivated my attention especially when DeeDee and Balto were walking or playing catch on the beach. This addition to the story also brought lovely memories of a former neighbor who owned a Siberian Husky. Huskies are beautiful animals.
  
  DeeDee is a great amateur sleuth without endlessly mulling over question after question during her private time that is often very annoying in a cozy. Due to the timing of the murder it was also possible for DeeDee to take on the investigator role without leaving her business unattended. Another frequent annoyance in a cozy is how often the new entrepreneur leaves their new business in charge of recently hired employees to go sleuthing about town.
  
  A terrific opener of the "Northwest Mystery" series. I'm looking forward to spending more time with DeeDee, Balto, and another character that will surely make more appearances in this series.
• 
  Leona

  I don't generally read "cozy" mysteries and I know why if this is an example. Fortunately, I didn't pay for this book but downloaded it because I've lived on Bainbridge Island for almost 30 years and thought a "murder" happening here would be interesting. There is absolutely nothing in this book that makes this "murder" unique to Bainbridge Island. The story could've taken place anywhere. The lovely cover doesn't even show a Washington State Ferry. While I understand that a particular store might not be mentioned in the book, there was no reference to 305, Madison, Island Center, Winslow Mall, Winslow Green, Erickson, Waterfront Park, Frog Rock, Fay Bainbridge Park - places and streets here on Bainbridge. The author clearly didn't do any research because there is no printing store "near the library" and the street looking out from our local "Starbucks" located on High School Road has very little foot traffic. I was not impressed with this author's writing or the reason for the murder.
• 
  Sue Deaton

  I was excited to see this book on Amazon and looking forward to reading it. I totally expected to love it and I really tried to love it. However, I found it very disappointing. The characters were not complex or well fleshed out. The whole book was very predictable. I was intrigued by the caterer/detective/clueless suspect aspect because I love the Goldie the Caterer books so much. This is no Goldie book. I know this is fiction, but really, DeeDee just decides on the spur of the moment that she is going to start a catering business and BOOM she is in the catering business. The characters were not believable and there were too many that were not well described that I started not caring who was who or who the murderer was! The fact that it was located in the Northwest was interesting because I thought there would be something unique or, at least, some beautiful scenery described. Nope. Could have happened in my own state or yours. I would not recommend this book really. If you want a good caterer mystery, stick with Goldie.
• 
  Julier

  It was OK. Didn't really tie into Bainbridge Island. It kept me reading until I finished it.
• 
  Julie Howard

  I enjoyed this book. This is the first book in a new series, I must admit I have heard later books so it was fun to go back and see how it all came about. The story starts with the murder and then goes back in time to explain why Dee Dee was catering the event (so all good background information for the series) and to give you motives and suspects as to why Lisa Sanders needed to die. I did work out the killer and how Dee Dee was going to work it out (a bit to obvious a clue) but it was still a lot of fun getting there. There is also a cute dog and likeable characters in the form of Dee Dee and Jake.
  After her divorce and with her grown children having left the nest Dee Dee decides to start her life over by moving to her family home she inherited after her parents death, start a new catering business and get a dog. But things go wrong on her very first job and one of the guests is killed. It is quickly proved that her cooking wasn't the cause but Dee Dee fearing that the bad publicity of a death at her event would be bad for business, especially of such a famous art gallery owner, that she takes matters into her own hands and starts to investigate. Aided by her new dog Balto and the man who sold him to her, who is also a private investigator can they narrow down the suspects and find the killer?
  The narrator was good and kept the story exciting and flowing nicely.
  I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
• 
  Mary Cokenour

  I really enjoy reading the Cedar Bay Mystery series by Dianne Harman, so when this Northwest Mystery #1 was offered for free, I downloaded it to read immediately. The Prologue jumps right into main character DeeDee Wilson catering a party for people in the artist realm. Someone is found dead and DeeDee thinks that it's the end of her newly started business.
  
  Suddenly the story jumps to DeeDee selling, and moving out of, her beloved home (divorced her hubby after catching him cheating), moving to Bainbridge Island, telling folks she is starting a catering business without even planning on it before hand. Talk about bingo - bango - boom! Suddenly, again, chapter 12 and we're back to the murder scene; DeeDee is determined to solve the murder and clear her catering business' name which isn't even mentioned in the papers.
  
  Sorry, but I had a difficult time keeping up with so many characters and their roles in the art world. With main character DeeDee, I just did not like her; the only aspects of her personality that I was drawn to was that she could cook and loved dogs. Aside from that, yeah, this series is just not for me.
• 
  Scilla

  DeeDee Wilson has recently been divorced, and she moves to her parent's old house on Bainbridge Island. She buys a dog from Jake, and they become friends. She needs a job, and decides to open a catering business. She soon gets asked to do a dinner for the Seattle Arts Center head Marlene Palmer. As DeeDee is fixing the desserts, she hears a commotion in the yard, and finds that one of the guests, a Seattle Gallery owner, is dead.
  
  The police arrive, but fortunately for DeeDee, Jake is right behind, since the police first think it must be food poisoning. To save her business, DeeDee must find the killer. However, she didn't realize the killer would also find her!
• 
  Denota

  Beautiful setting,great characters and plot, great read
  
  This book kept me guessing all the way to the solve. The actions taken were reasonable and believable. The plot was well developed and thought out. Dee Dee was a character I'd like in real life. I was rooting for her all the way. Having a chance to peek behind the high end art world was a nice.bonus. I would highly recommend this book and author well done.
  I hope others get as much enjoyment as I did. Happy trading.
• 
  J Young

  A catered event to die for…
  
  DeeDee Wilson knew that a new business needs plenty of publicity, but if the publicity is a dead guest at the dinner you just catered it may do more harm than good, especially when the local newspaper hints at food poisoning. The police think otherwise and if DeeDee wants to stay in business she is going to have to help the police solve the case fast.
  
  Diane Harmon’s books are always a treat for me; excellent mysteries plus the tasty recipes to try out at the end of the book. I loved the Shrimp Pizza Appetizers in this one.