"The Corpse at the Cottage" By Kathleen Bridge: Review/Giveaway

Review by Tracy Condie

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a Kindle copy of the book and a link to purchase it. 

In book 9 of the Hampton Home & Gardens cozy series there is DRAMA, lots and lots of drama, and I don’t mean the theatrical type although a home is being used as a TV series set. In fact, that is the reason that Meg Barrett ends up stumbling upon the dead body of her former boss who is also her former fiancé’s father-in-law. See what I mean about drama.

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Needless to say, you get all that information right away making this a great stand-alone mystery that gives plenty of backstory without including spoilers for the previous eight books. I appreciate the lack of spoilers because this is my first time reading the Hampton Home & Gardens series, but it won’t be my last. The characters come in three varieties, the good, the bad, and the ugly, and none of that is related to physical beauty. Meg is a very good character who has overcome a hearing problem and uses her ability to read lips to her advantage. Not to mention that she is a good person, just ask her boyfriend, successful mystery writer Patrick Seaton. She is supported by her best friend Elle Broder who is VERY pregnant and not able to take part in the sleuthing as much as usual, but she does pass along bits of info that she picks up from her police officer husband, Aurthur. Meg’s dad, Jeff, retired Detroit detective and his buddy Doc aka Marshall Heckler, a retired coroner, are good for bouncing suspect scenarios off of. To round out the good is Annabelle, Elle’s mature neighbor and green witch. I love all the herbal information that is shared in the book and am thinking of tinkering in tea making.

That brings us to the bad and the ugly, in other words, the suspects. Rudolph did not kill himself; he had a bit of help. Was it because of business fraud? Was it his wife Bunny who was filing for divorce? Maybe his daughter was enraged because she wasn’t going to be able to live the posh lifestyle anymore, not with what her husband Michael makes for a salary. The mysterious horror writer Storm Stoddard, cousin to Bunny and her sister Grace, swooped in and bought the Stoddard family mansion unbeknownst to the cousins. Storm, formerly known as Stuart, has some serious animosity for Rodney that has not dissipated even with the death. Remember what I said about Meg being a good character? Well, her good heart gets her involved in this mystery because Michael looks beyond hound dog haggard and pleads with her to look into the murder. There is something about this murder mystery that niggles at the very curious and plucky amateur sleuth.

This was an enjoyable story with all the cozy feels. The characters are well created and the interactions are compelling. I was drawn into the story and did not want to put the books down. I also enjoyed reading about the various antique odds and ends. I have always said that cozy mysteries are both entertaining and educational. I look forward to making the top-secret cheeseball recipe as well as going back over my odds and ends to determine if I am displaying them with intention or if they are just collecting dust in a box.

To enter to win a Kindle copy of The Corpse at the Cottage, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line "corpse,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen August 1, 2026. US residents only and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via comment please include your email address so we can contact you. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section in Kings River Life and in our mystery category here on KRL News & Reviews. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. And check out our new mystery podcast which features mystery short stories and first chapters read by local actors!

You can click here to purchase this book.

Tracy Condie is a paralegal by day and cozy armchair sleuth by night. When she is not working or reading, she enjoys preparing the recipes found in culinary cozies or researching recipes of meal items described therein and sharing reviews of both books and food on Instagram and on KRL. She lives in Corona, California with her husband and dog Zoolie, and looks forward to visiting with their grown sons when their time permits.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.