Peril in Pink by Sydney Leigh [review]

Peril in Pink is the first book in a new series, the Hudson Valley B&B mysteries, by Sydney Leigh featuring innkeeper Jess Byrne.

Title: Peril in Pink
Author: Sydney Leigh
Series: Hudson Valley B&B Mysteries #1
First Published: March 19, 2024
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Genres: Mystery
Acquired: from the publisher via Netgalley

*** Thank you to the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, for providing me with an e-copy of this book via Netgalley for review purposes. ***

It’s the grand opening of The Pearl B&B in Hudson Valley, and owner Jess Byrne has prepared the ultimate launch weekend, complete with her ex-boyfriend—reality singing sensation Lars Armstrong—performing live. As guests check in and mimosas are poured, Lars arrives with his stepdad-turned-manager Bob in tow. But things go south when Bob is found dead, and Lars is the prime suspect.

After a desperate plea from Lars, and knowing the reputation of her B&B is at stake, Jess agrees to help clear Lars’ name, but the more she digs, the less sure she is that he’s innocent. Especially when he’s found at the scene of another murder.

A fun, light murder mystery

Jess is realising her dream to own a gorgeous B&B that she’s created from an old boarding house she inherited and everything seems to be falling into place – her best friend, Kat, who has a head for numbers, is her business partner; her brother Nate and his wife Sarah own a trendy bar that’s attached to The Pearl; and The Pearl itself is attracting the attention of media and Instagram influencers who are loving the trendy look and social-media friendly vibes.

Add to that Lars, Jess’ old high school boyfriend and newly minted reality singing star has agreed to perform live for the launch weekend and Jess couldn’t be happier. That is until everything falls apart (of course it does!)

I love the fun atmosphere that the book gives off – this is a trendy boutique B&B that is leaning into the snap-worthy lifestyle of the younger generation. There are hashtags galore and I’m here for it. Who hasn’t seen those beautiful, fun vacation spots on Instagram and wanted to grab a drink and dive in?

While there are two dead bodies that turn up during the course of the story, this is still a fun, light mystery for anyone looking for a good summer read. The pacing never slows down and there are enough storylines – from old high school mean girl feuds to family secrets – running alongside the main mystery that there seems to be more than enough to keep the reader engaged.

A memorable cast of characters

One difficult job that the first book in a new series always has is to introduce a lot of characters. Peril in Pink does a great job of debuting the core characters – The Pearl’s staff, family members, police detective James Holloway – and the characters I’m assuming will only be around for this instalment.

There are plenty of characters, but the story never feels crowded and I had absolutely no problem keeping track of who was who and how they fit into the story. I often have to keep notes to keep track of people but everyone was clearly defined and had such specific roles and identities that I was never confused about who was doing what.

Jess is a fun character and her and Kat make a good team. They’re both crime podcast lovers so it’s not hard to see why they would want to try and solve the murders themselves, but they also don’t seem to take too many reckless risks.

All in all, I had a great time reading this one and it will be interesting to see how the next book plays out as I’m sure a B&B can only survive so many murders before people start staying away, no matter how pretty and pink it is!

Quote from Peril in Pink