Married odd couple Arthur and Sal are totally normal. They wear sunscreen, not because the sun can kill them, but because even the undead need a skincare regimen. They eat garlic whenever they want, though it gives Sal indigestion. They can talk to creatures of the night, but only the raccoons that rifle through their garbage. Really, they don’t bite… except into delicious baked goods.
Ready to settle down and stay out of trouble, the two have opened a bed & breakfast in the idyllic, if not-so-paranormal-friendly, town of Trident Falls, Oregon. But trouble finds them when the mayor is discovered dead in their begonias with two puncture wounds in his neck. With the help of a werewolf barista, the elven town coroner, and a very human city manager, Arthur and Sal will need to prove they aren’t literally out for blood by catching a killer…
I was immediately drawn to this book by the cover & title, & learning that Daniel Henning narrated the audio—one of my fave cozy mystery/fantasy narrators—I had to pair it with my physical copy. This one’s really original! Its MMCs are two retired gay vampires, Arthur & Salvatore, who’ve been together for decades & move to the town of Trident Falls & open a B&B. The story gets off to a quick start when the mayor is found murdered in their garden & Sal is arrested b/c he doesn’t have an alibi.
It’s told from a 3rd-person POV, mostly following Arthur as he investigates the murder & tries to clear Sal’s names. The mystery turned out to be more intricate than I expected, with twists, multiple possible motives, & many suspicious characters in town. Some people seemed way too friendly to Arthur, & I suspected them early on, only to be completely wrong most of the time! I also loved how different paranormal beings became involved, including an elven coroner & a werewolf lawyer and barista!😍
For a book of 336 pages, a lot happens, & I was never bored! The chapters aren’t the shortest, but they fly by because of the fast pacing & ridiculously fun banter. I loved the dynamic between Arthur & Sal—they are SO different, with Arthur being more cautious while Sal is flamboyant & eccentric and made me laugh so many times! There’s some great commentary about prejudice & finding acceptance in a place that doesn’t get you which I found relatable.
The climax has action & surprises, including Arthur discovering a cool supernatural ability! This is the first book in the series, & b/c I’m invested in these eccentric, lovable characters, I’ll be reading the next one!
Narrator Performance
Dead and Breakfast is narrated by award-winning narrator Daniel Henning. He’s always so good with cozy mysteries, & I was thrilled to hear that he’s narrating the 2nd book in this series, releasing later this month!
What I loved right away was how Henning distinguishes MCs Arthur & Sal, as they have such contrasting personalities. He gives Arthur a more reserved voice that fits his cautious personality, while Sal is given a more flamboyant and vampire-sounding voice that makes him stand out. Henning makes their banter so entertaining throughout, and I laughed out loud several times. You can hear Arthur’s exasperation with Sal at times, even though there’s warmth underneath because they’ve been together for so long. Henning subtly shifts his performance of Arthur as he has to take on the investigation & begins interacting with and becoming suspicious of other paranormals in town.
Another highlight for me was the dialogue between Arthur and Theodore Park. You can hear Arthur’s disdain and suspicion of Theodore at times, while Theodore’s delivery makes him come across as almost too helpful, making me question his motives. Henning also gives the wide variety of eccentric characters distinct voices and personalities, including particularly entertaining performances for Nora, Lore, Brody, and Dr. Trip Young. With a fast-paced story and so many characters as part of the investigation, Henning did an impeccable job making everything easy to follow.
Overall, Henning’s performance really elevates this story to another level—definitely a 5⭐️ audio! If you’re looking for a quirky, original, unpredictable, and completely entertaining cozy mystery audiobook, don’t hesitate to pick this one up!
Narrator Performance
Dead and Breakfast is narrated by award-winning narrator Daniel Henning. He’s always so good with cozy mysteries, & I was thrilled to hear that he’s narrating the 2nd book in this series, releasing later this month!
What I loved right away was how Henning distinguishes MCs Arthur & Sal, as they have such contrasting personalities. He gives Arthur a more reserved voice that fits his cautious personality, while Sal is given a more flamboyant and vampire-sounding voice that makes him stand out. Henning makes their banter so entertaining throughout, and I laughed out loud several times. You can hear Arthur’s exasperation with Sal at times, even though there’s warmth underneath because they’ve been together for so long. Henning subtly shifts his performance of Arthur as he has to take on the investigation & begins interacting with and becoming suspicious of other paranormals in town.
Another highlight for me was the dialogue between Arthur and Theodore Park. You can hear Arthur’s disdain and suspicion of Theodore at times, while Theodore’s delivery makes him come across as almost too helpful, making me question his motives. Henning also gives the wide variety of eccentric characters distinct voices and personalities, including particularly entertaining performances for Nora, Lore, Brody, and Dr. Trip Young. With a fast-paced story and so many characters as part of the investigation, Henning did an impeccable job making everything easy to follow.
Overall, Henning’s performance really elevates this story to another level—definitely a 5⭐️ audio! If you’re looking for a quirky, original, unpredictable, and completely entertaining cozy mystery audiobook, don’t hesitate to pick this one up!
Dead and Breakfast is narrated by award-winning narrator Daniel Henning. He’s always so good with cozy mysteries, & I was thrilled to hear that he’s narrating the 2nd book in this series, releasing later this month!
What I loved right away was how Henning distinguishes MCs Arthur & Sal, as they have such contrasting personalities. He gives Arthur a more reserved voice that fits his cautious personality, while Sal is given a more flamboyant and vampire-sounding voice that makes him stand out. Henning makes their banter so entertaining throughout, and I laughed out loud several times. You can hear Arthur’s exasperation with Sal at times, even though there’s warmth underneath because they’ve been together for so long. Henning subtly shifts his performance of Arthur as he has to take on the investigation & begins interacting with and becoming suspicious of other paranormals in town.
Another highlight for me was the dialogue between Arthur and Theodore Park. You can hear Arthur’s disdain and suspicion of Theodore at times, while Theodore’s delivery makes him come across as almost too helpful, making me question his motives. Henning also gives the wide variety of eccentric characters distinct voices and personalities, including particularly entertaining performances for Nora, Lore, Brody, and Dr. Trip Young. With a fast-paced story and so many characters as part of the investigation, Henning did an impeccable job making everything easy to follow.
Overall, Henning’s performance really elevates this story to another level—definitely a 5⭐️ audio! If you’re looking for a quirky, original, unpredictable, and completely entertaining cozy mystery audiobook, don’t hesitate to pick this one up!
