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Mission Inn-Possible #1
Vanilla Vendetta
Murder is a dish best served cold, sweet and vanilla…
The last thing spy extraordinaire Charlotte Mission wanted was an early retirement in Gossip, Texas. As an ex-spy, the inn is about as exciting as runny cupcake batter. But Charlie’s got no choice. It’s hideout in her grandmother’s inn or risk discovery by the rogue spy who’s out to make her pay.
Her ex-husband.
Being a maid and waiter at the Gossip Inn isn’t as simple as Charlie anticipated, even with a superstar ex-agent granny for company. Her first day on the job is a total disaster made even worse when one of the guests drops dead on the dining room floor.
It’s murder, and Charlie’s the prime suspect.
Can she find the truth or will her ex find her first?
The last thing spy extraordinaire Charlotte Mission wanted was an early retirement in Gossip, Texas. As an ex-spy, the inn is about as exciting as runny cupcake batter. But Charlie’s got no choice. It’s hideout in her grandmother’s inn or risk discovery by the rogue spy who’s out to make her pay.
Her ex-husband.
Being a maid and waiter at the Gossip Inn isn’t as simple as Charlie anticipated, even with a superstar ex-agent granny for company. Her first day on the job is a total disaster made even worse when one of the guests drops dead on the dining room floor.
It’s murder, and Charlie’s the prime suspect.
Can she find the truth or will her ex find her first?
328 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 22, 2020
450 people are currently reading
505 people want to read
About the author
Rosie A. Point
138 books597 followersRosie A. Point is a USA Today Bestselling cozy mystery author who loves writing about food, small towns, and cats. Her favorite books are ones you can snuggle up with under a cozy blanket on a winter's day. Born and raised in South Africa, her books are all set in small towns in the United States. She dreams of visiting the places she writes about in her books.
Rosie wants to hear from you. Whether it’s about a recipe or one of her books, you can contact her on her website. Join her reader club today!
https://www.rosiepointbooks.com/
Rosie wants to hear from you. Whether it’s about a recipe or one of her books, you can contact her on her website. Join her reader club today!
https://www.rosiepointbooks.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
April 24, 2020
Both the plot and characters were undeveloped. I have read vastly better works of fiction from my grade 9 Honor students. The main character is supposed to be a highly trained spy, but she spends the entire story telling herself the "think" so that she can solve the mystery. The book is entirely too repetitive. I love cozy mysteries, but only when the plot and characters are engaging. Ms Point needed some very serious critical readers before publication to tell her to quit incessantly repeating the same content and to develop plot and characters. Don't waste your money on her books.
August 18, 2025
Clever mystery with humour and the heroine Charlie forced to swap being a top agent to being a maid at her Grandma’s Inn.
January 6, 2023
A cute cozy mystery. I did like the aspect of having a spy undercover because her ex-husband was a double agent, and her grandmother was an ex-spy. The Mystery went differently than I thought it was going to go. A little slow in parts, but I am pretty new to cozy mysteries. I'd like to continue the series and see how it goes.
December 22, 2020
Binge-worthy❣️
Very anxious to read more . . .
Next please⁉️ More and more difficult to put down . . .
Very anxious to read more . . .
Next please⁉️ More and more difficult to put down . . .
February 1, 2020
Government spy Charlotte Mission has been placed into hiding in Gossip, Texas. She is itching to get back in the field but first her department must locate her ex-husband, himself a former spy, who is out to get her. Charlie finds herself hiding out in the home of another former spy, her grandmother Georgina Mission.
With a new identity Charlie takes on the jobs of maid, waitress and assistant at the Gossip Inn. She misses the action of her real job, and when she finds herself in the middle of a murder Charlie struggles not to get involved, even when she finds herself the prime suspect.
This is the first book in the Mission Inn-possible Cozy Mystery series. I did like this book and recommend it, but I did have some problems with the book.
I was a little disappointed in the character development. You don’t learn enough about Charlie’s past to be worried for her, and for someone who is hiding out she doesn’t seem that vigilant. Her grandmother is also in hiding, but again we only know someone from her past is out to get her.
The setting is interesting. I am only familiar with the panhandle of Texas so that is where I pictured the town.
The plot did not move steadily, but I remained engaged for the most part. I do wonder what will happen next and the next book in the series is going to be released in February 2020. I may read it just to see how the arc develops.
With a new identity Charlie takes on the jobs of maid, waitress and assistant at the Gossip Inn. She misses the action of her real job, and when she finds herself in the middle of a murder Charlie struggles not to get involved, even when she finds herself the prime suspect.
This is the first book in the Mission Inn-possible Cozy Mystery series. I did like this book and recommend it, but I did have some problems with the book.
I was a little disappointed in the character development. You don’t learn enough about Charlie’s past to be worried for her, and for someone who is hiding out she doesn’t seem that vigilant. Her grandmother is also in hiding, but again we only know someone from her past is out to get her.
The setting is interesting. I am only familiar with the panhandle of Texas so that is where I pictured the town.
The plot did not move steadily, but I remained engaged for the most part. I do wonder what will happen next and the next book in the series is going to be released in February 2020. I may read it just to see how the arc develops.
June 1, 2021
Promising premise, but a bit lacking in execution
This series will apparently revolve around Charlie, her Gamma, and the family business...undercover spying! While Charlie hides out from her double-agent ex at her retired grandmother's inn the duo has a murder and a series of thefts to solve. The murder mystery is engaging; however, Charlie is a most inept agent who can't seem to remember her cover, and the resolution of the murder is ridiculous. The series has promise.
This series will apparently revolve around Charlie, her Gamma, and the family business...undercover spying! While Charlie hides out from her double-agent ex at her retired grandmother's inn the duo has a murder and a series of thefts to solve. The murder mystery is engaging; however, Charlie is a most inept agent who can't seem to remember her cover, and the resolution of the murder is ridiculous. The series has promise.
April 23, 2022
Agent Mission? Agent Smulder? Grandma Spy? The author tried really hard to be humorous, but it just came of as ridiculous. The plot was unbelievable, the killer rather pathetic. The heroine was supposed to be a highly trained spy but this was stretched my imagination beyond the breaking point. I wish it was possible to give a negative rating.
March 24, 2023
Vanilla Vendetta by Rosie A. Point
Mission Inn-Possible #1
4h 33m narrated by Caitlin White, 328 pages
Genre: Mystery > Cozy Mystery
Featuring: Texas, Former Spies, Witness Protection, Cats, Food, Inn, Maid, Small-Town, Murder, Ridiculousness
Rating as a movie: PG-13 for suggestive language and adult situations
My rating: ⭐️½
My thoughts: 📱32% 1:26:42 Ch. 10 - This plot is ridiculous. I only stayed so long because I only had 2 audiobooks to choose from a needed to do chores. I'm switching to my errands. I'm not sure I'll continue this series based on what I've heard so far.
This story was lacking in every area. I get that most cozy sleuths aren't the brightest bulbs, but this book features 2 spies as the sleuths and they were terrible investigators. The plot was equally ludicrous and made little sense. I will be removing all of these books from my TBR list. The covers are the best thing going for this series.
Recommend to others?: No. This series makes Hannah Swenson look like Harry Bosch.
Mission Inn-Possible #1
4h 33m narrated by Caitlin White, 328 pages
Genre: Mystery > Cozy Mystery
Featuring: Texas, Former Spies, Witness Protection, Cats, Food, Inn, Maid, Small-Town, Murder, Ridiculousness
Rating as a movie: PG-13 for suggestive language and adult situations
My rating: ⭐️½
My thoughts: 📱32% 1:26:42 Ch. 10 - This plot is ridiculous. I only stayed so long because I only had 2 audiobooks to choose from a needed to do chores. I'm switching to my errands. I'm not sure I'll continue this series based on what I've heard so far.
This story was lacking in every area. I get that most cozy sleuths aren't the brightest bulbs, but this book features 2 spies as the sleuths and they were terrible investigators. The plot was equally ludicrous and made little sense. I will be removing all of these books from my TBR list. The covers are the best thing going for this series.
Recommend to others?: No. This series makes Hannah Swenson look like Harry Bosch.
January 26, 2020
Tremendous fun with two great heroines
A fabulous read. Filled with spies (that are trying to be inconspicuous), murder, thefts, kittens and so much more. Humour, action, great dialogue and characters that you will love as they lead you from one crazy scene to another.
She's had to go undercover after outing her husband as an enemy agent. From being on active duty she now a maid at her Gran's Inn with a new identity and background. However things start to unravel when on her first morning one of the guest's drops dead after she's given him a cupcake. Add in kittens, rivalry with a cattery owner, thefts, assaults, a missing jewellery box, a besotted restaurateur, her picture in the local paper and one week to close the case or being moved. Can she and her Gran (a celebrated former spy) close the case and keep her identity safe?
Terrific!
A fabulous read. Filled with spies (that are trying to be inconspicuous), murder, thefts, kittens and so much more. Humour, action, great dialogue and characters that you will love as they lead you from one crazy scene to another.
She's had to go undercover after outing her husband as an enemy agent. From being on active duty she now a maid at her Gran's Inn with a new identity and background. However things start to unravel when on her first morning one of the guest's drops dead after she's given him a cupcake. Add in kittens, rivalry with a cattery owner, thefts, assaults, a missing jewellery box, a besotted restaurateur, her picture in the local paper and one week to close the case or being moved. Can she and her Gran (a celebrated former spy) close the case and keep her identity safe?
Terrific!
November 26, 2025
It’s a cozy mystery. By definition you are not talking complex story lines, characters, or prose. But it was very engaging and I did not anticipate who the killer was. I listened to this book and I need to be honest, the narrator did not do it for me. She just didn’t voice the characters as well as others have done.
This is probably more of a 3.5 star than 4.
This is probably more of a 3.5 star than 4.
February 1, 2020
Love this new series! Nice to see a younger woman and an older woman investigating together. Small town location is my favorite. Ms. Point did a great job with the different storylines. It kept my attention throughout. Would recommend!
April 27, 2020
Delicious and fast-paced
Fun ensues as our heroine has to go under cover in her Gamma's inn while her ex husband is hunted in Europe. Many red herrings crop up and Charlie and her Gamma make a powerful team.
Fun ensues as our heroine has to go under cover in her Gamma's inn while her ex husband is hunted in Europe. Many red herrings crop up and Charlie and her Gamma make a powerful team.
May 9, 2022
Interesting cozy with some twists and a good narration. I didn’t guess the baddie in this one either (always a good thing).
March 12, 2025
Loved the story, the characters were.awesome. excited for next book
September 6, 2021
I had good company, all the food I could eat, and a place to rest my head until my ex-husband was found and eliminated. And for the first time in a long time, I was happy. I was settled.
What more could a secret-agent undercover ask for?
What more could a secret-agent undercover ask for?
March 19, 2021
A good start to a new series of cozy mysteries. Mission Inn in Gossip, Texas, owned by retired spy, Georgina, and undercover for her safety spy and Georgina’s granddaughter, Charlotte, finds itself embroiled in some messy crimes. The who, how, and why will keep you guessing along with Georgina and Charlotte. One word of warning, don’t read while hungry, I am now starving for a vanilla cupcake. Rosie A. Point will find me back for the next installment of her story.
November 18, 2020
Very cute. I want to bake cupcakes now!
April 20, 2021
Well that was an interesting mystery. It's pretty clear that the author was heavily inspired by the Miss Fortune series by Jana DeLeon. Fortune is an amazing character. Charlotte isn't bad, she just suffers because of the comparison. The author should have made her more distinct instead of a weak copy.
The author did a good job with the red herrings and misdirection. There are plenty of viable suspects, it could have been any number of characters that committed the murder. The pace was fast, it held my interest for the majority of the book. That is once I got over the "inspiration".
I had some pretty big issues with the concept. Like Fortune, Charlotte has been outed and needs to hide out. Unlike Fortune, Charlotte does nothing to disguise herself. NOTHING. I was stunned. She goes to her grandmother's house, who coincidentally was also a spy *sigh*. Her hair is the same and she even has the same first name! Her identification has been "photoshopped" with dark long hair but she didn't put on the disguise before arriving. Nobody questions that her ID looks different, I'm assuming since she was a suspect that the police looked at her ID.
Oh and something that really bothered me is that she looks like Fortune. Same short, light blonde hair, same love of wearing active wear. It was kind of off-putting.
Anyways, back to her not changing her looks. Not only did she not change her looks, she meets all the guests at the inn. She meets the townspeople. She meets the local detective and many members of the police force. All without a disguise! Then she suddenly realizes that "oopsy, maybe she should get one." Nobody, not one single person, not even the detective, comments on her changed appearance.
Then there is the fact that she was so troubled by her grandmother, the former spy, keeping a "weapons cache". She even muses about turning her in once she's no longer in hiding. Charlotte is a snitch, ugh. She bills herself as a top spy, yet she doesn't really act like it.
Oh, I did love the grandmother! I would love to read a series about her from her spy days.
I'm going to give this series a 3-star because it's not bad. However, there are a ton of grammatical errors; missing words and wrong words used. There is also the issue of Charlotte not having a disguise and yet she's supposed to be in hiding when she first appeared. Finally, that this book is so heavily inspired by another series prevents me from giving it a higher rating.
The author did a good job with the red herrings and misdirection. There are plenty of viable suspects, it could have been any number of characters that committed the murder. The pace was fast, it held my interest for the majority of the book. That is once I got over the "inspiration".
I had some pretty big issues with the concept. Like Fortune, Charlotte has been outed and needs to hide out. Unlike Fortune, Charlotte does nothing to disguise herself. NOTHING. I was stunned. She goes to her grandmother's house, who coincidentally was also a spy *sigh*. Her hair is the same and she even has the same first name! Her identification has been "photoshopped" with dark long hair but she didn't put on the disguise before arriving. Nobody questions that her ID looks different, I'm assuming since she was a suspect that the police looked at her ID.
Oh and something that really bothered me is that she looks like Fortune. Same short, light blonde hair, same love of wearing active wear. It was kind of off-putting.
Anyways, back to her not changing her looks. Not only did she not change her looks, she meets all the guests at the inn. She meets the townspeople. She meets the local detective and many members of the police force. All without a disguise! Then she suddenly realizes that "oopsy, maybe she should get one." Nobody, not one single person, not even the detective, comments on her changed appearance.
Then there is the fact that she was so troubled by her grandmother, the former spy, keeping a "weapons cache". She even muses about turning her in once she's no longer in hiding. Charlotte is a snitch, ugh. She bills herself as a top spy, yet she doesn't really act like it.
Oh, I did love the grandmother! I would love to read a series about her from her spy days.
I'm going to give this series a 3-star because it's not bad. However, there are a ton of grammatical errors; missing words and wrong words used. There is also the issue of Charlotte not having a disguise and yet she's supposed to be in hiding when she first appeared. Finally, that this book is so heavily inspired by another series prevents me from giving it a higher rating.
October 28, 2021
My verdict is still out on this series. While I ended up liking the mystery and the characters, the premise behind our main character's arrival in Gossip, TX seemed a bit fanciful. The spy in hiding felt a bit over the top for me but Ms. Point did a wonderful job of progressing Charlie from a high strung spy to settling into her role as a maid at a B&B. The guilty party was a bit of a surprise so that will keep the reader guessing. If you don't mind a cozy with a bit of a stretch on the back story of the main detective then this is a good series to try.
March 17, 2021
I will say you can tell this is the first in a new series, the main character told her self WAY to often that she is a trained agent but the idea and mystery was worth the read. I enjoyed the side characters and how her grandmother was also a hiding spy. I wish we knew more about the main character, and her grandmother. I will read the second one and hope to learn more about Charlie and her Grandmother.
August 6, 2020
Cat Lady, Restaurant owner or ??
Intriguing story of former spys, murder and mayhem. Fierce competitiveness around food and cats. Will the killer be caught in time?
Intriguing story of former spys, murder and mayhem. Fierce competitiveness around food and cats. Will the killer be caught in time?
October 23, 2020
Couldn't get into
I tried really hard to like this book. I made myself read half. I just didn't care to read the rest. Sorry
I tried really hard to like this book. I made myself read half. I just didn't care to read the rest. Sorry
April 21, 2021
It's okay. I got book 1 and 2 on their free days. I don't plan to read the rest of the series.
For being professional spies, they're not that good at it.
For being professional spies, they're not that good at it.
January 30, 2020
Agent Charlie Mission, now in hiding as “Charlotte Jean Smith”, is an active spy working for the National Security Investigative Bureau, and she is already not happy to be hiding out in Gossip, Texas. She had revealed that her ex-husband, Kyle Turner, went rogue and was a double agent who is now coming after her for revenge. Her boss sends her to her grandmother’s Bed and Breakfast, Gossip Inn, to blend in by working as a maid. Her grandmother is actually a retired agent herself! Using her impressive skills to scale the building and lift herself to an upstairs window, she rolled into the hall and stood up – and found herself looking into the barrel of her grandmother’s shotgun!
Waking in the dark, Charlie was pinned to the bed and a strange rumbling sound was nearby. Two yellow orbs were above her face! By the time her brain decoded it as a cat, her grandmother entered her room. It was 4 a.m. and time to get a tour of the Inn, she said! The Chef started her off baking and frosting the cupcakes.
But when a guest keels over dead after eating one of the cupcakes, and Charlie becomes the prime suspect, she and her grandmother will need to find out who the real murderer is before the media “blows her cover” with a hot story and gives her husband the information he needs to track her down. Can her identity be kept secret? Can they close the case in time to stop the information from spreading further and keep Charlie from being arrested?
This is a wonderful cozy mystery with tons of action interspersed with humor. The story line is well-paced, the characters are delightful and make the book fun to read. Grab your copy and see how our super-spy copes with a murderer (who should probably just confess before Gamma Georgina and her granddaughter get ahold of them)!
Waking in the dark, Charlie was pinned to the bed and a strange rumbling sound was nearby. Two yellow orbs were above her face! By the time her brain decoded it as a cat, her grandmother entered her room. It was 4 a.m. and time to get a tour of the Inn, she said! The Chef started her off baking and frosting the cupcakes.
But when a guest keels over dead after eating one of the cupcakes, and Charlie becomes the prime suspect, she and her grandmother will need to find out who the real murderer is before the media “blows her cover” with a hot story and gives her husband the information he needs to track her down. Can her identity be kept secret? Can they close the case in time to stop the information from spreading further and keep Charlie from being arrested?
This is a wonderful cozy mystery with tons of action interspersed with humor. The story line is well-paced, the characters are delightful and make the book fun to read. Grab your copy and see how our super-spy copes with a murderer (who should probably just confess before Gamma Georgina and her granddaughter get ahold of them)!
December 3, 2022
I wanted to like this book, but I just can’t. First off, I love a good cozy mystery and part of the joy is the “innocence” of the genre, but if you’re going to make your main character a spy at least make her a good one. The majn character comes to town to hide out from her ex-husband by pretending to be a maid at her grandmother’s inn. Well, if you’re going to hide out somewhere, your family’s house would be the last place you’d go. Secondly, she waits to disguise herself until she knows if she’s going to have to be undercover for a while?!? What?!? No, if you’re really going to hide out you’d change your appearance before ever stepping foot in town.
Also, this is a minor nuisance, but they serve vanilla cupcakes at every breakfast. People don’t regularly eat cupcakes at breakfast, and if they do they’d at least mix up the flavors every once in a while.
The writing is OKAY but definitely a first time novelist. She keeps having to tell us how great the spy is and how she can do all these things but she never really shows us that. Also, the spy talks out loud to herself to solve the crime, which really annoys me because that gives too much chance to be overheard by others which a true spy wouldn’t never risk.
I’m glad others enjoyed this, but this is a series I feel no need to finish.
Also, this is a minor nuisance, but they serve vanilla cupcakes at every breakfast. People don’t regularly eat cupcakes at breakfast, and if they do they’d at least mix up the flavors every once in a while.
The writing is OKAY but definitely a first time novelist. She keeps having to tell us how great the spy is and how she can do all these things but she never really shows us that. Also, the spy talks out loud to herself to solve the crime, which really annoys me because that gives too much chance to be overheard by others which a true spy wouldn’t never risk.
I’m glad others enjoyed this, but this is a series I feel no need to finish.
January 31, 2020
This was a cute cozy mystery. I was not sure how the spy angle was going to work but it did especially when Gamma was the James Bond type character instead of Charlotte. I loved the proper English lady having a full armoury in her basement! Charlotte Mission has to hide out from her ex husband who has become a rogue spy out to make her pay. The agency sends her to Gossip Texas, a little town where her grandmother owns an inn. Her cover is to be a maid/kitchen assistant. First day on the job one of the visitors, Pete Bell, falls over dead after eating one of the vanilla cupcakes she made. She has to get involved in the investigation in order to clear her name and stay under the radar. She and Gamma are able to solve the mystery and all is back to normal at the inn, which is a good thing as her ex is still on the loose.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 8, 2022
This is a different type of cozy in that the main characters include a young spy who is ordered by her organization to hide out, under an assumed identity, in a small town to hide out from her traitorous husband who wants to kill her. Her new identity has her working in a local B & B that happens to be owned by her grandmother who is a retired spy. On her first day on the job, one of the guests is murdered. In addition someone is robbing the guests. She must stay under the radar as she reports in to her handler. To stay under the radar and not face accusations that could blow her cover, she and her grandmother must solve the murders and robberies before her identity gets out.
There are some very interesting characters that I enjoyed, including the cat. The story is well developed with several comical elements.
I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narration.
There are some very interesting characters that I enjoyed, including the cat. The story is well developed with several comical elements.
I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narration.
February 1, 2020
A great start to a promising new series! I enjoyed getting to know Charlie and her Gammy, both experienced spies masquerading as mild-mannered women in a small town. Both are hiding from dangerous people in their pasts and working in Gammy's spacious Texas inn. When a guest suddenly dies unexpectedly, the women are compelled to solve the mystery as soon as possible, to stay under the radar and maintain the inn's good reputation. The plot was easy to read and provided several strong suspects, and I didn't solve the mystery until it was revealed toward the end. I'm looking forward to reading more about Charlie and Gammy and their cook Lauren in the next book!
I received an advance copy of this book. This review contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
I received an advance copy of this book. This review contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
June 29, 2020
I really liked this first book in the series! I love the idea of a secret agent going undercover and that her grandma is one too. It was kind of hilarious when Charlie's handler would get upset at her investigating a murder (it was ingrained in her, she couldn't help it) at the inn where she was stationed undercover. It was fun how it went from all secret-agent-y and clandestine to something as cute and simple as Gamma wanting to build a cat rescue center.
The killer came as a surprise to me, and the showdown was a good one. I'm anxious to read the next book now. I can't binge this series too fast, since there are only three so far.
The killer came as a surprise to me, and the showdown was a good one. I'm anxious to read the next book now. I can't binge this series too fast, since there are only three so far.
October 2, 2021
Good series starter!
Charlotte “Charlie” Mission aka Charlotte Smith is in the NSIB agent protection program; hiding from her enemies. Instead of being a skilled agent she is now an unassuming maid in her ex-spy grandmother’s inn and staying out of the public eye. That would normally be easy in the tiny town of Gossip, Texas but when one of the Inn’s guests drops dead in the dining room, Charlie becomes a person of interest. Charlie and her grandmother need to solve this case before her cover is blown.
This is a good series starter. I love the grandmother's spunky character and all her spy gear surprises. This is a fun cozy mystery with humor, action, and a good mystery to solve.
Charlotte “Charlie” Mission aka Charlotte Smith is in the NSIB agent protection program; hiding from her enemies. Instead of being a skilled agent she is now an unassuming maid in her ex-spy grandmother’s inn and staying out of the public eye. That would normally be easy in the tiny town of Gossip, Texas but when one of the Inn’s guests drops dead in the dining room, Charlie becomes a person of interest. Charlie and her grandmother need to solve this case before her cover is blown.
This is a good series starter. I love the grandmother's spunky character and all her spy gear surprises. This is a fun cozy mystery with humor, action, and a good mystery to solve.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews