taking a bite out of crime

Arthur and Salvatore have started a new life as owners of a cute bed and breakfast in Trident Falls, Oregon. They have the rooms, they have the hospitality, they are ready to serve guests a comfy bed and a lovely breakfast. But business has been slow, since they’re vampires and not everyone is comfortable with that. And in the small town of Trident Falls especially, there are many people who don’t want the paranormals to be allowed to live there.

So when Nora Anderson checks in, Arthur and Sal have plenty of rooms available. She is the new city manager, just hired, and found out that the apartment she rented is actually a porta potty, the mayor suggested Arthur and Sal’s B&B. While she spends her first days in town hanging out with the couple, the mayor finds himself dead in their backyard.

On closer investigation, the coroner finds that the mayor’s body had been drained of blood, and there are two bite marks on his neck. The sheriff immediately turns to the vampires as his top suspects. While the sheriff was one of the locals who were not happy to have paranormals living with them, neither Arthur nor Sal would kill him. They might complain about him, but they would not hurt him. And they certainly wouldn’t murder him and leave his body in their own garden.

The sheriff first looks to Sal as the culprit, so Arthur decides he needs to investigate the murder himself to try and clear his partner’s name. Later, when the sheriff looks to Arthur, he knows he absolutely has to figure out who the killer is to free himself. And then, Arthur has to save himself when the killer turns his sights on him.

Dead & Breakfast is a traditional cozy murder mystery mixed with a story about a queer vampire couple running a cute little small-town B&B. There are cute animal friends, clever puns, and lots of snarky husband-and-husband true-to-life conversations. Arthur and Sal point out many of the pop culture beliefs about vampires and how they are wrong, wanting to be understood and not feared, and there are several genuinely funny scenes throughout.

However, the mystery is weak. It was easy to guess who the killer was, so that part of the book was less successful. If you are wanting to read a well plotted murder mystery, you may be disappointed. But if you’re looking for a fun read about vampires running a bed and breakfast, being bigger-than-life characters, arguing as spouses, and making puns, then grab this book as soon as you can. You will enjoy it.

Egalleys for Dead & Breakfast were provided by Berkley through NetGalley, with many thanks, but the opinions are mine.