Publication Date: April 21, 2026
She used to be the sidekick. Now she might be the only one who can survive.
As teens, Harlow Drake and Lainey Piper built an online fandom solving small-town crimes. Harlow was the star, Lainey the behind-the-scenes genius (and often, Harlow’s scapegoat). Years later, Harlow’s hosting a hit true crime tv show. Lainey? She’s working in forensics. Well, forensic accounting . . . from home. In pajamas. With her cat.
But when Harlow faces significant backlash over fumbling a case, she needs a quick win—like a special investigation into the decades-old disappearance of a starlet from a once-glamorous, now decrepit island hotel. The catch? It’s bankrolled by Deke and Bryce of DBag Games, who are looking to shed their “frat bro” reputations. As long-time fans, they have one requirement for their funding: Lainey has to play the sidekick again.
Lainey is wary, but the offer is a lifeline in a sea of unpaid student loans. After reaching the Crossings Hotel, she realizes she’s not content to be Harlow’s helper anymore. As the cold case heats up, a crew member falls over dead, presenting Harlow and Lainey with a more modern mystery: what secrets does this hotel hide within its walls?
With sabotage, hidden staircases, and a killer in their midst, Lainey steps into the spotlight and takes charge of the investigation. It’s up to her to crack the case—as long as she can stay alive.
A Cute Little Murder by Molly Harper was not the southern cozy mystery I was expecting. Instead, it was edgy, with over-the-top characters and so many true-crime podcasts and secrets just waiting to be revealed.
The story moves from Harlow and Lainey’s high school days and antics to their current time on Murder Island, where they’re trying to solve a cold case and find some riches. Throughout, deaths and crimes are being committed, and the duo tries to find the culprit of the current crimes taking place at a run-down hotel with a huge ick factor. They worked well together in high school on their podcasts, but weren’t really friends. When they reconnect many years later, they are working together temporarily for totally different reasons.
The author paints vivid descriptions, with lots of detail, along with clues, red herrings, and many methods for committing the crimes. The story has many twists and turns, including flashbacks to Harlow and Lainey’s teenage years, and it’s not always pretty. Harlow has had an enormous ego since high school, but needs other people’s attention to fulfill her goals and dreams.
When the whodunnit is revealed, I found it an interesting choice. The epilogue, which takes place a year later, tied up some loose ends, giving closure, but I hoped it would have gone on a little longer.
A Cute Little Murder has a lot more going on than one murder and takes us on a roller coaster ride.
Molly Harper is the author of more than forty paranormal romance, contemporary romance, women’s fiction, and young adult titles. A lifelong romance reader, she graduated with a Masters of Fine Arts from Seton Hill University, focusing on writing popular fiction. She lived in Kentucky for most of her life before recently moving to Michigan with her family…and she’s still figuring out how to choose outerwear and play complicated winter card games.
