Book Review (and a Giveaway!): Something Fishy This Way Comes by Gabby Allan

SOMETHING FISHY THIS WAY COMES by Gabby Allan
SERIES: Whit and Whiskers Mystery #2
GENRE: Cozy Mystery
PUBLISHER: Kensington
RELEASE DATE: July 26, 2022
PAGES: 240

Take in the wild beauty of Santa Catalina Island with tour guide and eclectic gift shop owner Whitney Dagner. On the itinerary: dramatic Pacific coastlines, diverse marine life, and murder!

Since returning home from mainland California and finding her groove with the family tourism business, Whitney Dagner’s daily routine has become a wonderfully chaotic adventure. She and her nimble kitty, Whiskers, often find themselves at the center of the action on Catalina, from staged treasure hunts to gossipy birdwatchers. But before Whit can get too comfortable in the place where she grew up, a gift shop order leads to a stunning discovery—someone’s dead body . . .

One of Whit’s best boat tour client’s, Leo Franklin was young and newly engaged when he unceremoniously took his own life. Only it doesn’t seem like that’s what really happened—not after the suspicious activity displayed by his family’s old rivals at the scene of his death. As a bitter, generations-long feud between Leo’s kin and the local Ahern clan comes to a head, Whit and her police diver not-so-ex-boyfriend must lead a dangerous investigation into years of scandal and bad blood to figure out who’s innocent . . .  and who’s covering a killer’s tracks.

Other Books In This Series

One of the things I enjoy so much about the Whit & Whiskers Mystery series is how closely the sense of humor mirrors my own. With Whit’s first person narration, we get a front row seat for her dry humor, and I love it. But it’s not just Whit that has a delightful wit (sorry … couldn’t resist … that pun was just begging to be used) – her family does too, and boyfriend Felix fits right in. I find myself chuckling a lot at their conversations and at Whit’s reactions & asides.

Move over, Hatfields & McCoys. The Franklins & Aherns have the floor now. The mystery in Something Fishy This Way Comes is a complex pretzel of a murder case made all the twistier by a feud between two prominent families on Catalina Island and a Romeo-Julietish romance. When a young man from the Franklin clan dies before he can run off & marry a young woman from the Ahern clan, Whit must deal with one side trying to cover up a murder and the other side demanding she investigate. I enjoyed following along as Whit, her police diver boyfriend Felix, and her roommate Maribel (who is the perfect sidekick) wrangle a group of birdwatchers, dodge not-so-cleverly-veiled threats, and stumble onto clues.

My favorite part of this mystery, though, was peeking over Whit’s shoulder as she dug into the archives to see if she could find out once and for all what this doggoned feud was all about. The reason it was my favorite is because, in the process, she unearthed some other interesting tidbits of history that open up some possibilities for future cases (are there secrets behind the other businesses that were housed where Whit’s gift shop is now??) and maybe a job that would give her the personal fulfillment she still hasn’t quite found. I’d love to see Whit a bit more settled and at peace – given the beautiful setting she lives in and the endearing group of family and friends around her, she deserves to be content.

Bottom Line: Something Fishy This Way Comes by Gabby Allan delivered all the things I enjoyed about book one, with some added twists that give this book its own flavor. Dry humor, warm relationships, colorful characters, and a quaint paradise setting draw readers into the story and the well-crafted mystery keeps them turning pages until the end. I’m looking forward to visiting Catalina, Whit, and her enigmatic feline sidekick Whiskers again!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)

My Rating: 4 stars / enjoyed it!

Reviewer’s Note: Readers may want to be aware that there is scattered usage of mild curse words throughout this book, including a couple instances of a stronger expletive.

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After writing plays for her friends to act out as a kid, bad poetry in high school, and her high school Alma Mater song, GABBY ALLAN finally found her true passion—cozy mysteries. Being able to share her world with readers, one laugh at a time, and touch people’s hearts with her down-to-earth characters makes for the best job ever. This California girl now lives with her husband, daughter, and two insane dogs in Central Pennsylvania where she is hard at work on her next novel.

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