I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Secrets are unraveled and rivalries are ignited as a battle between the pickleball and tennis communities leads to deadly consequences in author Crystal Quast’s “Dinked: Serenity Acres.” 

The Synopsis

If you love cozy mysteries, welcome to Serenity Acres in the town of Southpoint, where everyone is a hot mess with a secret to hide.

Dinked: Secrets of Serenity Acres, dives deep into the deadly tensions between pickleball and tennis players in the bucolic, ball-buster neighborhood. When Margot Fields tries to push through a plan to expand the local courts, secrets start to come to the surface and residents start to unravel. It’s a death match to the end, but who will come out unscathed in this fun, feisty thriller?

The Review

This was such a compelling and engaging cozy mystery thriller. The balance of wit and charm that the story brought to life, both in the humor of the character interactions and the drama as tensions rise between them all, made this a thrilling read. The Imagery in the author’s writing allowed the reader to feel fully immersed in this small community, and the author did a great job of making sure the violence and more mature content happened off-page, leaning heavily into the cozy mystery atmosphere that the genre is known for.

What drove this narrative forward so well was the character development and the theme of change that the book embraced. The ways these characters either fought against change or tried to embrace it speak to the struggle so many communities have with adopting new approaches over time. The drama and the tension between this cast of characters, whether it was protagonist Margot and her rival Daphne, each of whom have their struggles behind closed doors, or the competitiveness of those who see pickleball as a progressive step in a new sport or those who see it as the death of tennis as a whole, these dynamic character events infuse both drama and humor into the narative, which helped elevate the overall mystery of these threats and the twisted nature of the town’s secrets. 

The Verdict

Visceral, humorous, and mysterious, author Crystal Quast’s “Dinked: Serenity Acres” is a must-read cozy mystery thriller. The twists and turns in the narrative, the shocking revelations about the town and its citizens, and the complex web of connections among the citizens of this town will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the book’s final shocking pages. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

About the Author

With over twenty years of spinning stories in corporate communications, Dinked: Serenity Acres. Where Secrets Barely Stay Hidden is Crystal Quast’s debut novel. When she’s not writing, Crystal loves playing pickleball and tennis, paddleboarding, hiking, and spending time with her family.