minnesota

Review: March of Crime by Jess Lourey

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I really really love this series of mystery novels set in small town Minnesota. I’ve waited patiently (and by patiently I mean stalking NetGalley and Amazon and the author’s website) for each new release. And I’ve enjoyed every delicious moment of librarian sleuthing, senior citizen joking, boyfriend avoiding, festival attending, and the good guys overall trying to keep out of trouble while helping find the bad guys. 

But this one failed me. Lourey wrote this installment just a little too much on the other side of lewd and bawdy. I’ve gotten to know the main character over the years, and she wouldn’t forget underwear, much less deliberately go without it. I didn’t like the contrived sensuousness at all. 

The mystery was a little macabre for me as well. I just want to go back to the earlier books and enjoy a decent cozy mystery without wincing and scrinching my nose. 

Maybe my tastes are tame compared to yours. Maybe you like when things get a little crazy and you were disappointed with earlier books, waiting for more crazy to happen. If so, read March of Crime, and you’ve got your wish. 

-calliope

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Review: The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E. Reichert

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25650078I absolutely loved this book and I devoured it in less than 24 hours and really wish I could go back for more second helpings!

How refreshing it is to have an author that doesn’t feel the need to rush two people into a bed to keep the reader engaged and invested in the story. Of course we knew (or hoped!) what was going to happen, but it was a joy to read the pages until we got there. It was also refreshing to read a novel about a girl who didn’t rely on the world (or a man) to help her. She had her moments of self-pity, but instead of wallowing in it, she picked herself up and moved on. She didn’t let her disappointments and the downfalls that were happening in one part of her life prevent her from enjoying the other parts that life has to offer.

We could all learn from that.

Perhaps this isn’t my usual book that I absolutely love, but what’s not to love about a book that keeps you up late at night reading it, loving it, and wanting more like it? One mustn’t get stuck on the same old menu day after day…sometimes it really pays off to try the chef’s special and go outside your comfort zone…whether or not we’re discussing books or eating, it’s best to reserve final judgement until you’ve at least sampled the offerings…

Until next time…

Urania xx

Review copy provided by Netgalley for an honest review

buy it now The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E Reichert

Review: February Fever by Jess Lourey

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Holy Moly, Jess Lourey! Here I thought I was embarking on another cozy mystery, threaded with a teensy bit of romance and some humor. But no. Instead I got Murder on the Orient Express sends Valentine’s Day off its tracks, and Things Are Not What They Seem goes deeper than a good disguise.

I laughed a whole bunch at the beginning of Mira’s train ride with nutty Mrs. Berns. All the elements of a good mystery came into play, with Lourey’s usual wit causing me to chuckle. The writing rocks, too. My favorite line about being stuck in a snowstorm: “Overhead, snow fell heavy like dirt on a casket.” Foreshadowing at its finest.

After the halfway mark, however, things got serious. Murders needed to be solved, people’s safety was at risk, and any laughter was only from pure comic relief.

By the end of February Fever I was crying like a baby. Mira may have solved the mystery on the train, but she also brought full-circle some unresolved heartaches.

Writing a funny mystery that naturally turns serious takes talent. Ending same book with a funeral takes guts. And leaving me hanging about the next step for Johnny and Mira’s romance? Pretty clever. When can I read the next book?!

-calliope

buy FEBRUARY FEVER