Written by 
Dinked (Serenity Acres: Where Secrets Barely Stay Hidden #1)
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: 2025
Format read: Paperback
Source of book: A free copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review.
My Thoughts
I came into Dinked expecting a (somewhat) cozy mystery based on the synopsis, but realised quickly that I had actually stepped into a twisty town-wide intrigue with a side of murder. I actually think that, like the town of Serenity Acres itself, the synopsis seems quite normal, standard, and lovely. But in reality, this book is something quite different altogether.
If I could describe this novel in only one word, I would say experimental – in a good way. The current discourse in a lot of book-related spaces is about how publishing is so safe and bland these days, and I understand that frustration. Therefore, in times like these, I want to acknowledge those who are willing to go out on a limb. Those who won’t colour inside the lines, so to speak. Particularly in this case, because I didn’t expect it to turn out this way.
Storyline & Plot
The cover does not lie; in fact, “Serenity Acres: where secrets barely stay hidden” could be an understatement. The secrets are not just barely hidden; they are coming out of the town’s walls and seeping into the soil. [Literally, there are secrets in the soil.]
It’s difficult to explain the myriad twists and turns the story takes, as almost every revelation would be a spoiler. All I can say is that the pace of discoveries is relentless as the story changes perspective to each of our major characters. There are the kinds of twists you may expect (adultery, blackmail, threatening notes, and fake niceties), but there were many that took me by surprise. I realised about halfway through that I would almost need a string board to keep track of it all.
The fast pace is not just because of secrets and twists, though. Serenity Acres, as a town, is constantly moving, and the plot focuses heavily on the very active social life of the community. Each of these comes with its own chaos and drama. One standout example to me was a salsa class that featured weed gummies – and yet it wasn’t the presence of the weed gummies that creates the main drama!
Aside from the chaos and drama, the plot centres on a conflict between pickleball and tennis. Conflicts between the old guard and the new upstarts are commonplace in mystery, for good reason, because it allow for interesting interactions between characters. It’s a tried-and-true story for a reason. But, this is probably the only conventional trope that Quast plays entirely straight, as aside from that, she eschews a standard mystery structure for a more intriguing continuous build and dramatic payoff.
I mentioned at the start of my review that I expected a cozy mystery, but found this book to be something else. For potential readers of this book, I do stress: this is not a by-the-numbers mystery. Quast has played with the standard conventions in ways that surprise and shock. This includes playing with character perspective and playing with story structure. I liked the surprises. But most of all was an ending that left me agape, responding, “Oh no, she didn’t!!!!”
Characters
I would describe Dinked as having an ensemble cast. While we do have a central player – the headstrong Margot – we get in-depth descriptions for many characters who all have a major role in the story. Quast gives each of the main characters their due, providing context to the secrets that they hide. Most of them get exposition by way of flashback, depending on the circumstance. Some characters get short, but very pointed vignettes showcasing the deep challenges they are hiding beneath the surface. Whereas some characters are given more – a particular highlight is one character’s backstory being delivered in reverse (think Memento but without the amnesia).
Margot – The Pickleball Crusader
Our protagonist and introductory character is Margot. She’s a passionate pickleball player and a harbringer of change to the upper-class status quo of Serenity Acres. Her plan is to upgrade the local club’s courts to capitalise on the pickleball trend. Quast accurately shows us the initial facade of her seemingly-perfect character, but unravels her over the course of the story.
Clara, Daphne & Eve – The Girl Squad
We don’t initially know how the quartet of Margot, Clara, Daphne, and Eve is connected. But piece by piece, we learn the interconnecting threads that tie these women together. For the latter three, each of them has tension with the other in complex ways.
Brock – The Poster Boy
Margot’s confidante for the story is the hotshot realtor Brock, who provides the most snarky comebacks. But as you would expect for a realtor, his salesman facade is really a veneer. He is the character that comes the closest to playing the detective role, but Quast plays with this.
Ilonka – The Stone-Faced
Ilonka is Margot’s main barrier to the pickleball expansion plan. However, we eventually see the layers underneath the icy exterior. Ilonka gets the most development and growth over the story, as she overcomes the shame of her past and finds acceptance with herself. She’s the character I would’ve liked to have seen even more of, as I became rather invested in her story.
The Other Characters
Serenity Acres has a whole host of additional characters that I don’t have room to mention here. However, many of them get their point of view (POV) moments. There’s a particularly special character who steals the show during the murder scene, as the story shifts to their perspective. This unique take on depicting a murder was another one of Quast’s experimental deviations of storytelling. I really enjoyed this new take, but feel as though you need to read it yourself in order to truly experience it.
Writing
I’ve already mentioned that Quast has chosen an unconventional narrative, and that choice bleeds into the writing style. By combining the constant pace of the secret revelations, combined with the multitude of characters with a shifting perspective, this means the writing is overall much more focused on character building and establishment than on the mystery side of the plot, particularly in the first half. Because mystery stories can be quite procedural (particularly those that are very whodunnit focused), this is a welcome variation.
It’s not that I don’t like procedural or whodunnit mysteries! My favourite TV shows include the extremely formulaic and procedural Midsomer Murders. But I also appreciate a fresh take, particularly when someone is willing to try something bold.
It is in this section, though, that I do need to highlight the only downside I found in this book. As mentioned previously, Quast includes multiple flashbacks in order to provide insight and context to her characters. I’m fully supportive of flashback and in media res storytelling, and particularly for a story like this, whereby the past keeps coming back up for each of our characters, it makes a lot of sense for it to be told this way. However, there were some sections where it took me a few paragraphs to realise I was now in the middle of a flashback. This was because the writing focuses heavily on context clues and background information to indicate the time period of a scene. This means that in the writing, the past and the present sometimes blur together, and it can be hard to differentiate the two at first.
Finally, for those who are concerned about content, the novel does contain some graphic adult references, but no more than a few sentences. However, the violence is minimal and not described in gory detail.
TL;DR: This book is best suited for those who are looking for a bold mystery story with teeth, as “cozy” this is certainly not.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
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