Minotaur
Published February 17, 2026
Reviewed by Meredith Frazier
Winning the Minotaur Books First Crime Novel Award, Murder Will Out features an interesting cast of characters, a complicated mystery, and plenty of unexpected twists and turns.
Set on an island off the coast of Maine, Jennifer K. Breedlove’s debut novel centers around Willow Stone who returns after a 15-year absence when she hears of her godmother’s death. Willow quickly begins to suspect that death was not the accident it appeared to be, which then calls into questions other recent deaths of the heirs of Cameron House. Willow and her new-found friends begin to investigate the deaths, and Willow soon finds herself caught up in a tangled—and dangerous—web of lies, greed, and, of course, murder.
But this isn’t just another island cozy. In fact, although the island setting does keep the suspect list fairly small, there is a helpful Corgi, and there’s a hint of romance, the novel tends more toward Gothic than cozy. The first hint that there’s more going on than might meet the eye is in the prologue when Cameron House itself witnesses a murder, and as the story progresses, the reader and Willow come to realize that ghosts aren’t figments of Willow’s imagination: they play pivotal roles in the plot and the solution.
A number of elements beyond the ghosts require a bit more suspension of disbelief than might ordinarily be expected, beginning with Willow’s return to the island. While that is set up to some extent, it isn’t entirely believable, nor are some reconciliations, coincidences, and discoveries. However, if you are willing to play along to get along, the novel is an entertaining read. The characters are likable and fun to spend time with, the red herrings will keep you guessing, and, while you might be ahead of Willow in some of the solutions, there are still plenty of surprises.