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3.21 AVERAGE
3.21 AVERAGE
This first installment in this new cozy mystery series follows Rarity, a lovable character who got through breast cancer and is now cancer-free (you gotta love that). She is now devoting her time to helping others through her bookstore, that focuses on the power of healing. So she starts a Tuesday night book club for survivors. But when one of the member goes missing, they all become sleuths to find her.
I read this in audio and loved the narration.
The story is set in a pleasant setting, with relatable characters, a lovable dog and a bookshop. All the ingredients are mixed for the perfect cozy! The ending was a bit obvious to me, but I do read a lot of cozies (and mysteries), so I am hard to impress in that front. Of course, the main character finds a love interest along the way, which I can't wait to read more about in the next books. I read this in one sitting, and I enjoyed it.
I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion from NetGalley and Tantor Audio.
I read this in audio and loved the narration.
The story is set in a pleasant setting, with relatable characters, a lovable dog and a bookshop. All the ingredients are mixed for the perfect cozy! The ending was a bit obvious to me, but I do read a lot of cozies (and mysteries), so I am hard to impress in that front. Of course, the main character finds a love interest along the way, which I can't wait to read more about in the next books. I read this in one sitting, and I enjoyed it.
I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion from NetGalley and Tantor Audio.
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Infidelity, Medical content
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Breast Cancer survivor Rarity Cole has moved to Sedona, Arizona, and opened a bookstore but her real mission is to support survivors of breast cancer and the after-effects. Friends and books are what got her through her treatments so soon after opening she set up the Tuesday Night Survivor’s Book Club. After a slow start, the group grew to include several women in different stages in their cancer journeys.
Martha seemed like a reluctant member of the group only attending one meeting. But then the group is shocked to find out the woman is missing and has left her dog, Killer, behind. Rarity quickly decides to foster the dog until Martha is found. The Tuesday Night group soon adds Sleuther’s to their name when they just can’t help themselves from doing their own investigation. Soon they have notebooks with lists and are setting up a murder board all in their efforts to find out what happened to Martha and why?
Will they be able to pull together to solve the case or will they find themselves in peril when they question the wrong person or push someone too far? Time will tell . . .
Being diagnosed with Breast Cancer at the start of the pandemic was really hard. While I had a great team of doctors, nurses, technicians, and counselors and a lot of support from my family, in-person support groups were shut down really quick. Groups that were already formed did their best with emails and Zoom meetings but none were accepting new members. I tried several online options but just couldn’t find the right fit but I got through it so maybe support groups just weren’t for me.
As soon as I started reading this book I realized The Tuesday Night Survivor’s Club would have been perfect for me now. Like Rarity, I find solace in books and after my diagnosis, I ordered a bunch of books to learn about what I was facing but after you get through your treatments you need something different. Rarity selected some great books for her group. She chose fiction books, cozy mysteries, women’s fiction, and books where women struggled with other things besides cancer. Books that would open up great discussions. I hope in future books she includes a list of the books.
Rarity Cole is an excellent protagonist I identified with her right away. I loved that she took in Martha’s dog. She has a great friend in Sam Aarons. Sam convinced Rarity to come to Sedona and she pushes and pulls Rarity is such a supportive way. Through Sam Rarity meets Archer Ender. He runs Enders Tours and leads several hikes in the area. We also meet Drew Anderson of the Sedona Police Department. He comes into the picture when Martha goes missing but his parents are also in town and playing matchmaker. They think Sam is perfect for their son. And of course, the members of the book club, Shirley, Holly, Malia, Kim, and Martha who goes missing. All Ms. Cahoon’s characters are well crafted for this first book in the series. We get to know them well enough to get invested in their lives but she has left plenty of room for growth.
The mystery was very well-plotted with serious and humorous happenings as the amateur sleuths do their best to figure out who killed Martha. Sedona is a place open to a lot of places offering “new age” or “alternative healing” cures so that part of the story was very interesting. I did have a couple of suspects firmly at the top of my list but wavered a bit as the story continued. I was happy to say I pulled myself back in line to hone in on the right person before all was revealed.
What really captured me about this story was that the author drew from her own cancer journey. Because of that, I felt like a kindred spirit especially when she stated in her dedication that a nurse gave her a bag of cozy mysteries to read during her cancer treatments and that “made all the difference”. Cozy mysteries have always been my favorites so I always made sure my Kindle was fully charged before each chemo treatment. In fact, I know I read more than one book by Lynn Cahoon during my cancer journey.
We are now both survivors but like most survivors that fear of cancer returning is always there. That is why for me escaping into a good book is so important and The Tuesday Night Survivor’s Club
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I wasn't sure what to expect with this new cozy series given the subject matter. However, I was pleasantly surprised with how positive and uplifting the story was and how hopeful the book felt. I liked our protagonist, Rarity Jones, and I love that she was portrayed in a realistic, smart way. I loved her best friend, Sam, and I thought she provided the perfect amount of comedic relief. The mystery was fun, and I enjoyed trying to solve it with the characters. Unfortunately I feel like the love interest is a bit forced, even though I adored his actions at the end of the novel, and I feel like this is set up for a potential love triangle, which I do not like. The audiobook narrator did a great job, and I am looking forward to book 2!
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Let me start of by saying that this was the first book I read (or rather, listened to) by this author, but will certainly not be my last. It’s about a Survivor’s Club of women who beat cancer who love to read. I absolutely love the idea of a bookclub in cases like this as it’s a debilitating illness where support is extremely important (during treatment and afterwards). I personally feel that the author did a good job at handling this sensitive subject by not dwelling on it too long each time. This made it so that the subject of cancer wasn’t the main plot of this book.
The plot starts picking up when one of their club members goes missing and the club decides to investigate the disappearance and help (in a way) Sedona’s police officer Drew in trying to figure out what happened.
This book is full of characters who are charming in their own way: Sam, the best friend who is a power to be reckoned with; Drew, the first potential love interest but the question is for who; Rarity, who’s a novelty in town with her new bookclub and non-southern roots; the bookclub members with each their own cancer survivor story; Archer, the hiker and old schoolmate of another of the characters; and so many more interesting characters.
For most of the story there’s also a cute dog involved which I absolutely loved! The setting of the bookshop is also a thing I adored about this story. You can never go wrong with a setting like that!
Re: Audiobook
The narrator just a variety of different voices and accents for the characters. For the most part she kept them with an occasional slip up. I personally liked it as it brough more life to the different characters, but I can imagine it’s not something everyone will like. Another note to add is that I’m not from the USA and have no clue if the accents that are portrayed are factual with the region. But alas, even without this knowledge I could enjoy the Southern twang of characters like Sam.
Thank you NetGalley, Tantor Audio, and the publisher for the opportunity to review and read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
The plot starts picking up when one of their club members goes missing and the club decides to investigate the disappearance and help (in a way) Sedona’s police officer Drew in trying to figure out what happened.
This book is full of characters who are charming in their own way: Sam, the best friend who is a power to be reckoned with; Drew, the first potential love interest but the question is for who; Rarity, who’s a novelty in town with her new bookclub and non-southern roots; the bookclub members with each their own cancer survivor story; Archer, the hiker and old schoolmate of another of the characters; and so many more interesting characters.
For most of the story there’s also a cute dog involved which I absolutely loved! The setting of the bookshop is also a thing I adored about this story. You can never go wrong with a setting like that!
Re: Audiobook
The narrator just a variety of different voices and accents for the characters. For the most part she kept them with an occasional slip up. I personally liked it as it brough more life to the different characters, but I can imagine it’s not something everyone will like. Another note to add is that I’m not from the USA and have no clue if the accents that are portrayed are factual with the region. But alas, even without this knowledge I could enjoy the Southern twang of characters like Sam.
Thank you NetGalley, Tantor Audio, and the publisher for the opportunity to review and read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.