Author: Reluctant Retiree

A heartwarming cozy mystery series about losing everything, taking a chance, and starting again.

After suffering a personal tragedy Abby Sullivan buys a huge old seaside mansion she has never even seen, packs up her life in San Francisco, and moves to Holiday Bay Maine, where she is adopted, quite against her will, by a huge Maine Coon Cat named Rufus, a drifter with her own tragic past named Georgia, and a giant dog with an inferiority complex named Ramos. What Abby thought she needed was alone time to heal. What she ended up with was, an inn she never knew she wanted, a cat she couldn’t seem to convince to leave, and a new family she’d never be able to live without.

In book 6 in the series Abby and Georgia are readying the inn for the Thanksgiving Holiday, when tragedy strikes and one of the guests turns up dead.

Meanwhile, a new group of guests have checked in, each with their own story to tell. Jeremy and Annabelle have moved into the basement apartment, Abby takes a walk down memory lane, Velma has a decision to make, and Georgia must come to grips with her own fear and doubt relating to her relationship with Tanner.

The Reviews

Kay Monk
5.0 out of 5 stars Thanksgiving plans are underway . . . fall leaves and pumpkins on the hearth!
Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2019
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
Pilgrim in the Parlor is the sixth book in the exciting The Inn at Holiday Bay cozy mystery series by Kathi Daley. The elements of a cozy mystery are present including suspense, romance, humor, love, friends and family, and a sense of community.

This story takes place in the charming tourist town of Holiday Bay, Maine. The main character is Abby Sullivan, a mystery writer from San Francisco who, after suffering a devastating personal tragedy, sold her condo, packed up all her belongings, bought a huge old house she had never seen in a town she had never been to, and moved to Holiday Bay. The story starts with the investigation of a dead man, an actor in town to direct the annual Thanksgiving pageant, who is found lying on the floor in the parlor of the inn. Again, Abby and friends work to find answers to the many questions they encounter in three or four different mysterious circumstances, including shocking information about her late husband.

There is a theme of second chances in this series and in many of Mrs. Daley’s stories. I love the way she writes in a continuing saga fashion with hints and clues to stories in the future (and red herrings). I love that not all questions are resolved in each book. I enjoy the character development and the expansion of Abby’s friend set. As always, this author’s writing flows smoothly, and her setting and relatable characters make for an extremely enjoyable and quick read. I really look forward to reading the next book in this series.