Deadly Summer Nights by Vicki Delany

Deadly Summer Nights (A Catskill Summer Resort Mystery, #1)

by Vicki Delany

"An immersive setting with details of running a Catskillsresort in the 1950s (think Kellerman’s in Dirty Dancing) beautifully frame a story with plot twists and a cast of well-delineated characters."--Booklist

A summer of fun at a Catskills resort comes to an abrupt end when a guest is found murdered, in this new 1950s set mystery series.
 
It’s the summer of 1953, and Elizabeth Grady is settling into Haggerman’s Catskills Resort. As a vacation getaway, Haggerman’s is ideal, and although Elizabeth’s ostentatious but well-meaning mother is new to running the resort, Elizabeth is eager to help her organize the guests and the entertainment acts. But Elizabeth will have to resort to untested abilities if she wants to save her mother’s business.

When a reclusive guest is found dead in a lake on the grounds, and a copy of The Communist Manifesto is found in his cabin, the local police chief is convinced that the man was a Russian spy. But Elizabeth isn’t so sure, and with the fate of the resort hanging in the balance, she’ll need to dodge red herrings, withstand the Red Scare, and catch a killer red-handed.

Reviewed by Baroness Book Trove on

5 of 5 stars

Share
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Deadly Summer Nights by Vicki Delany is about a mom and daughter duo trying to run a summer resort at the Catskills.

Will Elizabeth figure out who killed Harold Westenham?


Elizabeth Grady


Elizabeth Grady is our main character, along with the point of view character, and she is a great character. She is the hotel manager and basically runs the place. At the same time, her mom Olivia Peters, a Russian ballerina that changed her name from Olga to Olivia, is the draw to their hotel for people to come to them instead of any of the other Catskills hotels in the area. Elizabeth is a widower who lost her husband to the war. As a character, I like Elizabeth a lot, and I feel bad for her about some things that her mom makes her do. Then again, it's what moms do best. Elizabeth seems to be an awesome person who has a good head on her shoulders and is trying to make this hotel venture work for both of them.

The Mystery/Victim


Elizabeth, Randy, and Velvet find the murder victim named Harold Westenham. He is a recluse guest who only went out when the cabin he was renting needed to be cleaned. Elizabeth has been tasked by herself and her mom to figure out who would have killed him since the chief is stating that not only is Harold, but Elizabeth and her mom are communists. To save their livelihood, Elizabeth is trying to figure out who could have killed him and why. She finds out a lot, and I have to say that I fell for a red herring until something happened that made me switch to another suspect that turned out to be the culprit. There are many red herrings, and I do love the way that Ms. Delany wove them in to make it seem like they had a better motive.

Five Stars


I am giving Deadly Summer Nights by Vicki Delany five stars and recommending it to everyone that likes to read historical cozy mysteries. I don't normally read books set near D-Day, and I'm glad that I gave this one a chance. The timing is set far enough away that it allowed me to enjoy reading it without worrying about the war. I love this historical book, and I can't wait to read the next one. Ms. Delany has done a fantastic job, and I love everything. Sure, I had to look up some stuff, but I'm not sure what to think about an Egg Cream drink.



Giveaway


Prize: (1) Print Copy - Deadly Summer Nights (A Catskill Summer Resort Mystery) by Vicki Delany - U.S. / CANADA ONLY

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Tour Organized by:




To find all the tour information, click the banner at the top of the page.

Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?   Click Here to Find Details and Sign Up Today!



Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Deadly Summer Nights by Vicki Delany. Check out the other stops and giveaway if you have time.

Until the next time,



Happy Reading!



Victim/Toe Tag: Harold Westenham (D)

Beachcomber Weapons: rock

Beachcomber Crime Scene: lake

Detectives: Elizabeth Grady (E)

This review was originally posted on Baroness' Book Trove

Last modified on

Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 3 September, 2021: Finished reading
  • 3 September, 2021: Reviewed