Kindle Unlimited
Unlimited reading. Over 4 million titles. Learn more
Read for Free
OR
Kindle Price: $3.99

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Buy for others

Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group.
Learn more

Buying and sending eBooks to others

  1. Select quantity
  2. Buy and send eBooks
  3. Recipients can read on any device

These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs

Follow the author

Megan Mayfair
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Murder by Numbers: a small town romantic mystery (The Lemon Tree Bay Mysteries Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Megan Mayfair (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 474 ratings
See all formats and editions
This is one murder that doesn’t add up…

Following a spectacular business failure, Clara Mitchell returns to her coastal hometown, Lemon Tree Bay, with an inglorious thud. Living with her mum and working in a hair salon, she’s determined to repay her debts and get back to glamorous city living.

When she meets poker-faced accountant Lucas Pepper, sparks fly, however, their blossoming romance slips into the red as he becomes the prime suspect in the murder of his uncle.

Convinced of Lucas's innocence, Clara locks horns with her ex-boyfriend - local bad boy turned police officer, Senior Constable Adam Billings. He's desperate to prove Lucas guilty and protect Clara at all costs.

With evidence threatening to sink Lucas, Clara must unravel the mystery using a trusty grapevine of local gossip and her somewhat unreliable intuition. Will she save Lucas from mounting charges in time, or was Adam right all along?

Murder by Numbers is the first book in the Lemon Tree Bay Mysteries – a romantic and cosy whodunnit series by award-winning author, Megan Mayfair.
Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 4
    The Lemon Tree Bay Mysteries
  2. Print length
    256 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    September 24, 2021
  6. File size
    1972 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
Next page
All 4 for you in this series See full series
See included books
Total Price: $12.96
By clicking on above button, you agree to the Kindle Store Terms of Use
More like Murder by Numbers: a small town romantic mystery (The Lemon Tree Bay Mysteries Book 1)
Page 1 of 1Start overPage 1 of 1
Previous page
Next page
Loading...

From the Publisher

Lemon Tree Bay banner

woman

Clara Mitchell

Reviews

Editorial Reviews

Review

Finalist, Australian Romance Readers Awards 2021 - Favourite Romantic Suspense

Finalist, Australian Romance Readers Awards 2021 - Favourite Australian-set Romance

Finalist, Carolyn Readers Choice Award 2022 - Romantic Suspense

"This start to a new cozy mystery series is fun, captivating, and well worth your time." Reedsy Discovery.

"This is the first book I have read by Megan Mayfair and it definitely won't be my last! I love mysteries with humor and this book delivers." ★★★★★ Julie, Goodreads Reviewer.

"The story is captivating. One of those "can't put down" books." ★★★★★ Katherine, Goodreads Reviewer.

"I loved this cozy mystery/romance! I could not put it down and can't wait till the next installment of the series." ★★★★★ April, Goodreads Reviewer.

"The twists were teased out until the surprise ending was revealed."★★★★★ Tanya, Goodreads Reviewer.

"...this won't be the last book I read by Megan Mayfair. I really enjoyed it, from the first page to the last." ★★★★★ Ulrika, Goodreads Review.

"The characters are endearing and fun..." ★★★★★ Katy, Goodreads Review.

"...an enjoyable cozy mystery." ★★★★★ Delphia, Goodreads Review.

"Nothing can get cuter from this sweet cozy mystery." ★★★★★ Rose, Goodreads Reviewer.

"A fun and interesting cozy set in a beautiful seaside town down under, with strong main characters, gorgeous backdrop and a host of quirky small town inhabitants, all around a puzzling mystery." ★★★★★ Carol, Goodreads Reviewer.

"Murder by Numbers is a great start to the new series and I can't wait to return to Lemon Tree Bay again!" ★★★★★ Yuu, Goodreads Reviewer.

"You'll meet many interesting characters, which will have you flipping the pages until the end." ★★★★★ Penny, Bookbub Reviewer.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09B5BWT3Z
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Montauk Bay; 1st edition (September 24, 2021)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 24, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1972 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0648766497
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 474 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Megan Mayfair

Megan Mayfair

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Megan Mayfair writes stories of love, mystery, friendship, family secrets and second chances.

Her series include The Tangled Vines Saga and The Lemon Tree Bay Romantic Mysteries. Tangled Vines won the 2019 Romance Writers of Australia Ruby (Romantic Book of the Year) Award in the romantic elements category.

Megan lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband and three young children, and works in public relations. When not writing fiction or press releases, she enjoys spending time with her family, drinking coffee, and searching for the perfect shade of red lipstick.

Visit her website www.meganmayfair.com or subscribe to her newsletter at www.meganmayfair.com/subscribe

Customer reviews

3.8 out of 5 stars
3.8 out of 5
474 global ratings
Mystery with just the right splash of romance
4 Stars
Mystery with just the right splash of romance
Murder by Numbers is a fun mystery with a splash of romance. Megan Mayfair did a great job of keeping you guessing by throwing in plenty of twists and turns and giving you romance and drama at just the right moments. This was my first book by the author, and it has me wanting to read more of her books now and I definitely plan to. This book has everything you want: quirky and big personality characters, mystery, a hint of romance, humor, and gorgeous scenery....oh and we can't forget some amazingly fun town traditions (I just want to live there already, well besides the murders haha I'll stick with my real life small town on that side of things haha).The only thing I had a difficult time with in this story is getting attached to some of the relationships/romance aspects. I loved how each one turned out and who everyone was with. However, I just felt like some of the couples (don't want to say who) just needed more to them as they seemed to not want to be together, even though they do want to. I'm hoping (fingers crossed) there is more explanation for it in future books, like seriously way excited to find out. However, even with that slight issue I had, the book was overall amazing and I highly recommend it. I love that this book is going to be the first in a series, and I can't wait for the next one to be released, so make sure to read this before more comes out.
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

Beth
3.0 out of 5 stars A decent cozy mystery
Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2023
Verified Purchase
I probably wouldn't have chosen this had the blurb been honest. "Somewhat unreliable intuition" is code for visions, and what makes it worse, for me, is that they barely played a part.

I have more complaints about Clara's actual intuition, but they contain major spoilers.

I did like the small town representation and the gossip being spread. It fit in with how I always imagine small, tight-knit communities.

There are quite a few plot-holes that I feel were either poorly fixed or left wide open, though. Or were some potentially missed opportunities in terms of plot points.

Overall, it was a decent enough cozy mystery that I will continue the series, despite the mediocre rating. Because in terms of it being a cozy, it works. I just felt it could have been better.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Mrs. Helen Sibbritt
4.0 out of 5 stars This is such a great start to a series
Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2021
Verified Purchase
This is a great start to a new series, I love a good cosy mystery and I love the setting, the beach is always a good place to be except when murder happens, it is fun, it has a lovely romance and Clara Mitchell is one fabulous heroine I loved getting to meet her and the characters who live in Lemon Tree Bay, I hope you come along for the journey.

Clara is back in her home town after a business failure, she is a great hairdresser and is now working at The Wave Length salon in town to get her debts paid off and get back to the city, for now she is living with her mum Willow. A new customer Lucas Pepper comes in for a haircut and there is an instant attraction to this handsome accountant, here to help his uncle sort his business out ready to sell, the only problem Lucas finds his uncle dead and of course all points to Lucas as the murderer and Clara’s ex, police officer Adam Billings is determined to prove it and keep Clara safe.

Clara knows in her soul that Lucas is not guilty of murder and sets out to prove his innocence which causes a struggle between her and Adam, and puts Clara in danger, is Lucas hiding secrets, who else in the town could have done it?

This is such a great story there are lots of fabulous characters that add so much to the story and it moves quickly, Clara has a battle on her hands to prove that the man she is falling for is innocent while fighting her ex along the way, Clara is good at sorting out the gossip from the truth and finds out some truths from the past as well. This is a story that I would highly recommend and I can’t wait till the next book in the series and go for another visit to Lemon Tree Bay and the fabulous events they hold.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Carly
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it
Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2024
Verified Purchase
Great mystery, great characters, plot and storytelling! Will there be a sequel? Look forward to reading another Megan Mayfair mystery.
Helpful
 Report
Sarah Percy
3.0 out of 5 stars Is Lemon Tree Bay real, and if so, can I visit?
Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2021
This super cute mystery entertained me from the start, with a lovely small beach town setting, relatable characters, and even a hot romance! Clara was such an earnest protagonist, I was with her from the beginning. The author artfully folded in each additional character, adding in interesting quirks without going over the top. The mystery was well conceived and carried the story, with enough details to keep in interesting and believable, without being too technical.

Overall, this book was a fun, quick read, with a sweet mix of romance, characters, and intrigue. I can't wait to see what happens in book #2! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
World Traveller
4.0 out of 5 stars Cute story
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2023
Verified Purchase
Enjoyed reading. Now I'm planning a trip to lemon tree bay, haha. Can't wait to read the rest of the series.
Helpful
 Report
GH
5.0 out of 5 stars Murder by Numbers
Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2023
Verified Purchase
Clara met Lucas when she cut his hair and then she found him over his uncles body and her old boy friend made him the prime suspect but Clara kept searching and found the real killer and the cause A good story and a sweet romantic mystery
Helpful
 Report
Asteroula T
3.0 out of 5 stars Cozy mystery and new series
Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2021
It was cute as a cozy mystery should be.

I would have appreciated a bit more spark and spank from our main female character, Clara. I'm not so sure what it was missing but I didn't feel satisfied after finishing it.

Since it's the first book of the series, it might get better afterwards.

It is a fun read, don't let me deter you from reading it!!!
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
ScaryAnn
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable
Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2023
Verified Purchase
I enjoyed reading this one. The characters were believable and I really didn't want to strangle the heroine. Thank you for that by the way.
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Danae Tesch
5.0 out of 5 stars Cute murder mystery
Reviewed in Canada on September 24, 2021
Verified Purchase
I received a free copy from the author via Booksprout in exchange for an honest review.
Murder by Numbers is a cute murder mystery that will have you guessing until the end. I had so much fun guessing who the killer was although part of me wished it was a certain character because how dare he come between Clara and Lucas.
I loved the relationship between Clara and Lucas as they try so hard to prove his innocence, but everything is stacked against them.
You won't regret reading this if you are into clean romances and cozy murder mysteries nestled in a small town.
5 out of 5 stars.
One person found this helpful
 Report
Ian
3.0 out of 5 stars Took a bit of getting in to
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 13, 2024
Verified Purchase
I found this book took a while to get into. The romance side of things seems to be more prominent than the murder mystery. I expected Clara to play a bigger role at trying to solve the mystery throughout. I wasn't a fan of her 'dreams', I find that sort of stuff a bit unnecessary. A good cast of characters.

Overall it was OK. I much preferred the second book in the series though.
Report
Jayne
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect mix of cosy mystery and small town romance
Reviewed in Australia on September 24, 2021
Verified Purchase
This is the first cosy mystery I've ever read, though not my first Megan Mayfair book. What a cracker! I absolutely loved it, and was hooked from the first page. It's small town feel was perfect, along with characters that I just fell in love with. I didn't want it to end, and can't wait for the next instalment of Clara's adventures. It was the perfect mix of light mystery/murder (I mean, someone dies but its not dark and scary!) meets small town romance. If you're a fan of Hart of Dixie, Gilmore Girls, Agatha Cristie and/or Death in Paradise then this book is for you. Another great read from Megan Mayfair.
Report
Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely brilliant!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 28, 2021
Verified Purchase
I'm a huge Megan Mayfair fan so I was very intrigued to devour her first foray into cosy mystery... And what a success story! Lemon Tree Bay has it all; quirky characters, hot males, the best coffee outside of Melbourne... and one heck of a puzzling crime to solve. We are introduced to so many colourful community members throughout the book and the finale really had me on the edge of my seat. Shot through with the romantic narrative associated with this extremely talented author, all the elements meld together perfectly, and I can't wait for the next book in the series to see what Clara gets herself mixed up in next!
Report
Penny
4.0 out of 5 stars Nice summer read
Reviewed in Australia on January 19, 2022
Verified Purchase
Megan Mayfair is a new author to me. Her writing is great.
Loved this seaside town with its local coffee shop & fish n chip truck.
Clara is an amateur sleuth who can't help but investigate when she gets a hunch, its going to get her in some trouble. Loved this cozy mystery ☺
Report
Report an issue

Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report