Brooklyn, New York is a far cry from the bayou in Piney Island, Louisiana, but smart and spunky Odessa Dean can handle it. She’s got her cowboy boots, her handmade fashions, and a job waitressing at the local ultra-cool Untapped Books & Cafe. Everything is looking up for Odessa, but when a coworker meets a tragic ending, can the crime-podcast-loving Odessa use her savvy sleuthing skills to find the clues and convince the authorities her coworker’s death was no accident? The first Brooklyn Murder Mystery, KILLER CONTENT, is a fun and fast-paced cozy with wit and charm that will appeal to those who love a good fish-out-of-water story.

Twenty-three-year-old Odessa Dean has agreed to stay in her Aunt Melanie’s swanky Williamsburg, Brooklyn apartment and watch her cat while her aunt is vacationing. New York is a lot different than Louisiana and as Odessa waitresses at a local cafe, she starts making friends with her coworkers and the regulars. The hours are good and the tips aren’t bad, but when a fellow coworker ditches her shift halfway through to attend a flash mob proposal in the park, Odessa isn’t too thrilled with the extra work. Later, Odessa watches the viral video of the proposal that went horribly wrong when a young woman fell to her death from an elevated walkway. Could it be? With a flash of the Cafe’s uniform catching her attention, Odessa realizes the woman who fell may be the missing waitress, Bethany.  When Bethany’s death is confirmed and ruled an accident, it doesn’t sit quite right with Odessa. The authorities don’t want to hear Odessa’s theories, especially handsome Detective Vincent Castillo, so Odessa decides to put her investigative skills to work. First on the agenda, is locating the dead girl’s phone and missing bracelet. Next, is talking to Bethany’s ex-boyfriend, ex-roommates, and a soap-making YouTube frenemy. Odessa doesn't miss an opportunity to find a clue even if it means dumpster diving in Domino Park, creeping around Bethany’s shoebox apartment in the middle of the night, or tracking down a cryptic stalker on social media. Can Odessa catch the elusive killer? Or has the guilty party been sitting right under her nose all this time?

KILLER CONTENT is a great beginning to a new series. Odessa Dean is fabulous as a young woman finding her way in a big city.  She is smart and intuitive and she chases down clues without hesitation. The descriptions of her waitressing job and her coworkers are fun and entertaining. There is a great sense of place and you can feel the camaraderie between the characters. The mystery evolves nicely with good clues and obstacles. Odessa’s friend, Izzy Wilson, is a great secondary character who brings a unique background into the mix. With cute social media posts thrown in and clever hashtags, this new series feels like a fun combination of Sex and the City and Murder She Wrote.