Vinyl Resting Place

Record Shop Mysteries, Book 1

By: Olivia Blacke

Narrated by: Nicol Zanzarella

First in a new series by Olivia Blacke, Vinyl Resting Place follows three sisters who discover that opening a family business can be murder.

When Juni Jessup and her sisters Tansy and Maggie put all their beans in one basket to open Sip & Spin Records, a record-slash-coffee shop in Cedar River, Texas, they knew there could be some scratches on the track, but no one was expecting to find a body deader than disco in the supply closet.

Family is everything to the Jessups, so when their uncle is arrested by Juni's heartbreaking ex on suspicion of murder, the sisters don't skip a beat putting Sip & Spin up for bail collateral. But their tune changes abruptly when Uncle Calvin disappears, leaving them in a grind. With their uncle's freedom and the future of their small business on the line, it's up to Juni and her sisters to get in the groove and figure out whodunit before the killer's trail—and the coffee—goes cold.

Music and mocha seem like a blend that should be "Knockin' On Heaven's Door," but caught up in a murder investigation with her family and their life savings on the line, Juni wonders if she might be on the "Highway to Hell" instead.

©2023 Olivia Blacke. (P)2022 Tantor

Perfect cozy mystery

I have always enjoyed Olivia Blacke books, but this one is the best so far in my opinion

Fabulous First In New Series

Setting the Scene: The Jessup sisters pool their resources to open a vinyl record/coffee shop - Sip & Spin - in fictitious Cedar River, Texas. On the eve of their grand opening, disaster strikes when a body is found in the store and Uncle Charlie disappears, confirming his spot as suspect #1.

What I thought: This is a delightful introduction to a new series with an interesting premise and entertaining characters. The Jessup sisters are each unique in their own right, and there is both a believable and amusing ratio of friction and interplay between the sisters. If you enjoy quirky characters, Uncle Charlie and Ms. Edie have that covered. The mystery is well plotted and provides some unexpected twists. The narration was good. All in all, this is a very satisfying read that will keep you engaged and looking forward to more.

A little extra for my fellow Texans: First, let me say that I am a 5th generation Texan and, so, quite critical of books set in my state. Vinyl Resting Place meets my exacting standard from the appropriate use of "y'all" to the mention of Whataburger and Sonic - a nice touch that made me smile. I must say that cowboy hats, horses, and 4 wheelers are not quite as plentiful as indicated, but neither are they rare. Nonetheless, there is respect in the authenticity of the book.

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Okay

Pretty good plot but the character interactions are a bit annoying and the main character spends too much time inter monologing in her head about everything. This made the pace slow and frustrating.

I really wanted to like this book

I live in Austin (4th gen Texan) and really wanted to love this book (big mystery fan), but it’s just trying so hard at the Texas thing 😢 I’m too annoyed by the characters and the pace to stay for the mystery, unfortunately. Maybe the subsequent books in the series are better?

1 star - poor writing and poor story

1 star - would not recommend to anyone. Story is slow. Last chapter try’s to overfill the gaps. Overall, - poor writing and poor story