Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Cabana Bay by Ruben D. Gonzales

Solving a mystery is like cleaning a toilet, only easier.

About the Book:  Moli Soto and her three-year-old son relocate from Los Angeles to Florida’s Gulf Coast, taking refuge with her Uncle Manny, a retired ex-cop who is revitalizing a run-down Florida motel. There, mother and son share the spare room with a one-hundred-pound Bordeaux Mastiff, “the Dude”.

While earning her keep by cleaning toilets, making beds and running the check-in/check-out desk, Moli finds a semi-comatose guest in Cottage Fourteen and realizes her everyday routine will be turned on its head. After the local police threaten to close the motel down, Moli has to solve the mystery in the sun, sand, and salt of Cabana Bay, before the new place is forced to close, her uncle loses his retirement savings, and she is homeless.

Our Review: Fans of cozy mysteries will glom onto this fun, entertaining story. All is not what it’s cracked up to be in the retirement communities of Florida’s Gulf Coast. The sun can be brutal, the heat sticky and oppressive—and relaxation is at a premium. The diverse characters are well written, own their own set of mysterious histories, and sparkle with sharp, crisp dialogue. Best of all is “the Dude”, the best au pair in the biz. Author Ruben Gonzales has a bright future ahead of him in this genre. 

On a scale of 1-5, Cabana Bay merits a 7.

Kat Henry Doran, Wild Women Reviews 


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