Tag: Cozy-mystery

I ::Loved:: this book! I never say that about firsts-in-series; most of them are a bit clunky and awkward, as the author is getting to know their characters on paper for the first time.

 

This book was just excellent and I felt like it took off from the first page. I love the setting – an island 12 miles into Lake Michigan. That just invites quirky characters and eccentricities. And the location allows for weather of all kinds – like a spring blizzard in this book, allowing the setup to work perfectly.

 

The POV is first person, but it’s set up in a way that’s a tiny bit like Bea is talking directly to you – not irritatingly so – just enough that her personality really comes through, and I love her personality. She’s smart, accomplished, wealthy AND she has a past. But instead of dumping it all out on you right at the beginning, there are just small comments; reactions to things that hint at bigger things and again, not in an irritating fashion; the action is fast paced and interesting so you aren’t feeling like you’re being teased (too much) or led around by a hook. I’m pretty sure I know what her former career was, and she comes right out and eventually shares what brought her to the island and a new life, but there’s still so much to learn!

 

The other characters are all introduced almost at once, but each is so unique I didn’t have any trouble keeping them straight. I like Kate’s character; Chandra is just a wee bit too much of a caricature at points, but she shows a streak of mischief I really like! And oh my heaven, Levi. Ms. Logan’s other series (which I genuinely like a LOT) has a sweet romance sub-plot that you find yourself cheering for. But this series and Levi – HOT! Love the banter between him and Bea; the author does an excellent job making the tension between those two vivid. And he just screams ‘man with a past!’ to me – I hope I’m not wrong. Kate has a possible love interest as well who intrigues me – I want to know more about him as well – and Chandra is too busy revisiting her past to care much about future love interests.  

 

Finally, the plot – well done Ms. Logan, well done. I never had a clue who the villain was – lots of suspects, disparate clues – and when it was revealed, well, I read a lot of cozies, and I’m not saying it’s never been done before, but this is the first time I’ve seen it. I can’t wait to read more about these three. Ms. Logan has set the bar high for herself with this one; I hope it’s a sign of things to come. I found this book to be a breath of fresh air in a genre that’s been threatening to stale for some time now. I’ll be eagerly awaiting word of book two!

Meh. The main character, while not unappealing, isn’t really three dimensional enough to be appealing. No hint of spark, or humour – even her ‘temper’ isn’t really much of anything to make one sit up and take notice. She’s terribly earnest and has a hint of wounded bird about her that makes me want to tell her to suck it up and get over it.

 

Comments about her biological clock were about three too many. The ‘romance’ is rather tepid as well, although the men are likeable and appealing enough. If all the characters were 20-30 years older, the whole character dynamic would work better, I think. (ok, maybe not the biological clock bit.)

 

The plot was, well, I don’t know. I pegged the villain very early on in the book so the whole thing felt predictable.  I want to like this series – there are themes and bits that appeal to me, but I just don’t know that I’ll be continuing on with it beyond this book.

Well, this book was the one that decided whether I continued with the series or not. I was left feeling disappointed by the first two – the main character was just scatter-brained and a bit of a mess. Not the heroine I want to rally behind. So I figured, one more book, if it’s as disappointing as the first two, the series goes into the donation bag.

 

I’m happy to say this book is a marked improvement over the first two. Marked. Hayley isn’t a ditz and she’s finding her groove and her backbone. The plot was very well laid out with no clear path to who the killer was until then end. Some might not appreciate the lack of ‘clues’, but it does make for an ending I personally didn’t see coming.

 

I’ll admit to being bone dead tired when I read most of this book, so there might have been a fourth star had I been more alert, BUT, the lack of any kind of romantic tension and the over-usage of internal dialogue/introspection would have taken that fourth star away anyway. So, definite signs of improvement, and I’m actually curious about the fourth book and what it will bring. So, we’ll see.

I just couldn’t get into this book at all. I liked the first book well enough that I looked forward to this one, but it just fell flat. I had a hard time remembering who was who from the first book at first, so it took me a while to sort it all out. Then, well, meh.

 

The characters are all likeable, the plot was serpentine and convoluted and almost too complicated, but it kept you guessing. It was well written. And beyond the pageant stuff – which I have zero interest in on a good day – I like the gardening talk. So I can’t really say why this book fell so short for me.

 

I’ll wait for the next book before deciding whether or not to drop this series – it could be just a sophomore slump.

WHY WHY WHY do cozy author’s suddenly think love triangles are the way to go?!?!?!?! They are an annoying, irritating turn-off. Ugh!

 

Honestly, if I had to read the otherwise-likeable protagonist, Toni, go on one more time about ‘I’ll never trust a man again…’ blah blah blah, I was going to toss the book down and walk away.

 

OTHERWISE…A very good first in a new series with an excellent plot – I had a major part figured out pretty early on, but it didn’t matter at all because the ending was excellent. Seriously, this is not your normal cozy climax.

 

The characters were well written – likeable, quirky. I’d like the author not to make grandma’s smoking habit so front and centre like it’s a badge of coolness or something, because it diminishes what would otherwise be a delightfully eccentric, quirky character. Best friend Tasha seems likeable enough as well. And BOTH romantic interests sound hot and lovely, but Ms. Parra – don’t do it!!! Give one to Tasha or something, but NO LOVE TRIANGLES!!!

 

Look forward to the next one.

A much better book than the first in this series. Fun, quirky characters and a much more plausible reason for investigating: clearing her friend of murder charges.

 

I love the inclusion of the 17th street gang and I hope they become permanent cast members – they’re a hoot! Cloud computing and HMO plans… lol.

 

Very little of the ex-husband in this book, but his appearances are as stupid and asinine as ever and I really don’t understand why the author feels he’s necessary to the story line at all. I liked the scene at the pizza place, but him coming by to threaten her about selling her house? What the hell is the point?

 

Kudos to the author though, for a plot most excellently crafted. I was as much a spectator at the denouement as I could be and certainly didn’t see the end coming at all. As is usual anymore with books, I saw quite a few editing errors – the kind where someone relies on spell check and not on an eagle-eyed proof-reader. But Ms. Brown’s book gets the award for Most Humorous Editing Error for this description of the hotter-than-hades-every-woman-wants-him lawyer and possible love interest, Walker Boone:

 

‘He was a head taller than me with perpetual scruff, buzz-length back hair, black eyes, a hard lean body….’ (pg. 30, 2nd para..)

 

At least, I certainly hope that’s an error…. 

This first in an older series is excellent! Snappy, witty writing with a fast paced mystery. The author does an excellent job with setting and characterisations. It’s a series I enjoy returning to again and again.

A very strong first book. Excellent, vivid characters. Almost-tropical island setting. A sprinkle of humour, and a bit of sexual tension to keep things fun.

 

The mystery was very well crafted and I think the author did an excellent job of hiding the murderer in plain sight. There were a few slapstick moments in the book – you either like slapstick or you don’t. The only moment I found I could have done without involved getting into a poker game, and I’ll leave it at that. It all turned out well, but it just seemed too over-the-top. I’m also not loving the possibility of a love triangle – no thank you, they never end up being written to be interesting (unless your last name is Evanovich, and frankly, I can’t figure out how she manages to pull it off).

 

All in all a very fun read – it kept my interest from beginning to end and I only had to skip about a page of internal dialogue. I rate that as a success!  I’ll be looking for the next book and hope Ransom is in for the long haul.