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If you love a good cozy mystery with a supernatural twist, Sinister Summer by Colleen Gleason is an absolute gem that deserves a spot on your Kindle. This is Book 1 in the Wicks Hollow series, so you are getting the perfect entry point into a world that has hooked thousands of readers across six books and counting.
The premise is irresistible. Diana Iverson is a stressed-out professional who desperately needs a break from her demanding job and her philandering boyfriend. When she inherits her eccentric Aunt Jeans lakeside home in Wicks Hollow, a quirky little town on the shores of Lake Michigan, Diana decides to take a much-needed vacation in the cozy little town. But this retreat is not quite as peaceful as she expected. The old lake house is full of surprises, not least of which is a determined ghost who seems to have unfinished business. When break-ins and other unsettling events start plaguing the house, Diana begins to suspect that Aunt Jeans death was not the simple accident everyone assumed it was. As she digs deeper into the mystery, Diana discovers that Wicks Hollow is filled with eccentric characters, hidden secrets, and a dark history that someone is willing to kill to keep buried. There is also a sexy professor and a logical lawyer thrown into the mix, making for a wonderfully entertaining cast of characters.
What makes this book so compelling is the way Gleason weaves together multiple genres seamlessly. It is part cozy mystery, part ghost story, part romance, and part small-town drama, and it works beautifully. The setting of Wicks Hollow is richly drawn, one of those fictional towns that feels so real you almost want to look it up on a map. The characters are layered and likeable, and the mystery has enough twists and red herrings to keep you guessing right up to the end. If you enjoy authors like Heather Graham, Amanda Stevens, or Victoria Laurie, writers who blend paranormal elements with compelling mysteries, you will absolutely love this. It is also a great pick if you are a fan of cozy mysteries set in atmospheric lakeside or small-town settings, similar to books by Ellery Adams or Mary Kay Andrews. The series runs to six books, so if this one hooks you, there is plenty more to dive into.
Colleen Gleason is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has written over fifty novels across a wide range of genres. She is perhaps best known for her Gardella Vampire Hunters series, which reimagines vampire hunting through a historical lens, and the Stoker and Holmes series for young adults. Writing under the pen name Colleen Cambridge, she has also earned critical acclaim for her Phyllida Bright Mysteries and An American in Paris Mysteries. The Wicks Hollow series has become one of her most popular works, with readers praising how she balances supernatural intrigue with warm, witty storytelling. Gleason has a real gift for creating atmospheric settings and building suspense while keeping the tone light and enjoyable, a balance that is harder to achieve than it looks.
With over 3,100 reviews on Amazon and a strong 4.4-star rating, Sinister Summer has been exceptionally well received by readers. It is currently ranked number 4 in Cozy Mystery in the Kindle Store, which speaks to just how popular this title is right now. Readers have consistently praised the engaging storyline, the supernatural twists, and the charming cast of characters that bring Wicks Hollow to life.
This is a fantastic freebie well worth grabbing. The Kindle edition usually sells for 4.99 and the paperback costs 10.95, so picking this up for free is a brilliant deal. The book has been sitting at its regular price consistently since 2023, and this is the first time it has dropped to free in nearly three years. This is not one of those titles that cycles free every other week. If you have been meaning to try a cozy mystery with a paranormal twist, or if you are already a fan of the genre and somehow missed this one, now is the time to grab it before the price goes back up.
