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theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition
2.0
A Most Curious Murder by Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli is the first book in A Little Library Mystery series. Jenny Weston has just moved back to Bear Falls, Michigan following her acrimonious divorce. One thing she has always loved is the Little Library her father built for her mother in front of their home. Her mother was a librarian before she married, but the town had no library. This was a way for her to be a librarian and help people picks books (it works a little differently from your traditional little library). But then they find the little library smashed to pieces. Who would do this? Everyone (well, almost everyone) loved the little library. Their neighbor, grumpy Adam Cane did not like it. He felt it caused extra traffic on their street. But when Adam Cane is found dead in Zoe Zola’s (another neighbor) backyard, it does not look good for Zoe. Zoe is a little odd, but she is no murderer. Zoe is a Little Person who loves fairies and has little fairy houses (with fairies inside) scattered around her yard (Adam Cane’s body really stood out). Zoe also quotes from the works of Lewis Carroll (and other stories) frequently (it is annoying) and is a writer (and a dreamer). Jenny needs to find the culprit for Zoe and her mother, Dora (who is upset over all this hoopla). Can Jenny solve the crimes and clear Zoe’s name? Will the unexpected appearance of her ex-husband hinder her investigation? Then there is Jenny’s infatuation with her old high school boyfriend!
A Most Curious Murder was inspired by Alice in Wonderland, but the author did not pull it off. The novel came across more odd than fantastical, magical, and intriguing. I had just started the book and all these characters are thrown at you. I found Zoe Zola to be overdone. The author tried to put all too many zany character traits in one person and it did not work (if I met this person I would run the other way). The constant quotes from Zoe Zola was not an endearing quality. They made absolutely no sense (despite my reading the same pages several times) and were a hindrance to my enjoyment of the novel. I found the writing to slightly awkward or stilted which severely lessened my enjoyment (I never got into this book) and the dialogue was stale (flat). The mystery was simple and easily solved (you need less than 50 pages to figure it out). I give A Most Curious Murder 2.5 out of 5 stars. Jenny’s fascination with her old high school boyfriend who cheated on her and got another girl pregnant was just absurd (the writer could have found another way to include the character). The idea or premise has possibilities. With work this could be an interesting and enjoyable series. A Most Curious Murder was just not for me (and I really wanted to like it).
I received a complimentary copy of A Most Curious Murder from NetGalley in exchange for an honest evaluation of the novel. The opinions and comments expressed above are strictly my own.
A Most Curious Murder was inspired by Alice in Wonderland, but the author did not pull it off. The novel came across more odd than fantastical, magical, and intriguing. I had just started the book and all these characters are thrown at you. I found Zoe Zola to be overdone. The author tried to put all too many zany character traits in one person and it did not work (if I met this person I would run the other way). The constant quotes from Zoe Zola was not an endearing quality. They made absolutely no sense (despite my reading the same pages several times) and were a hindrance to my enjoyment of the novel. I found the writing to slightly awkward or stilted which severely lessened my enjoyment (I never got into this book) and the dialogue was stale (flat). The mystery was simple and easily solved (you need less than 50 pages to figure it out). I give A Most Curious Murder 2.5 out of 5 stars. Jenny’s fascination with her old high school boyfriend who cheated on her and got another girl pregnant was just absurd (the writer could have found another way to include the character). The idea or premise has possibilities. With work this could be an interesting and enjoyable series. A Most Curious Murder was just not for me (and I really wanted to like it).
I received a complimentary copy of A Most Curious Murder from NetGalley in exchange for an honest evaluation of the novel. The opinions and comments expressed above are strictly my own.
rissatheninja's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars.
I don’t think this was a bad book, per se, just not for me.
I like cozy murder mysteries. But I’m not a big Alice in Wonderland fan. I tried to like it, I wanted to dearly, but it was kind of a slog for me to get through.
If you like Alice and you like cozy mysteries then this book is for you.
I don’t think this was a bad book, per se, just not for me.
I like cozy murder mysteries. But I’m not a big Alice in Wonderland fan. I tried to like it, I wanted to dearly, but it was kind of a slog for me to get through.
If you like Alice and you like cozy mysteries then this book is for you.
syringaflower's review against another edition
4.0
This cozy was a bit more dense to get through than others, but that gave it a lot more 'body' (...) both literally and figuratively.
annevere01's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I didn’t really enjoy this book even though it is my favorite genre. The writing style wasn’t for me.
chelle493's review against another edition
The character Zoe was so annoying, I could only get past 3% of the book.
kimdavishb's review against another edition
5.0
I enjoy reading cozy mysteries for a variety of reasons: good character development, happy endings, and of course they are a source of wonderful entertainment. A MOST CURIOUS MURDER: A Little Library Mystery, by Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli, fits my criteria for what makes a book good, but then the author went a step further and made it great! A MOST CURIOUS MURDER has a strong plot with plenty of twists, turns, and falls into the rabbit hole which kept me up late at night turning pages. But what made this book stand out in my mind is the intertwining of emotions in the subplots that pulled me in, made me relate, and made me think about the story and the characters long after I had finished the book. Ms. Buzzelli has a lyrical cadence to her writing which fit the theme of Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland and enhanced the settings so I felt like I was experiencing the book instead of just reading a story.
Jenny Westson has returned home to Bear Falls, Michigan after driving all night from Chicago. She hasn't been home in five years but with a bitter divorce and the loss of her job and friends, she needs somewhere to lick her wounds and decide what to do with her life. When she pulls up to her mother's house in the early morning hour, she finds her mother's Little Library broken into smithereens with the books destroyed. Sick at heart, her deceased father had built the Little Library as an anniversary gift just months before he was killed in a hit and run accident, Jenny tries to clean up the mess before her mother sees it.
She's interrupted by her mom's "little person" neighbor, Zoe Zola, who loves to quote Lewis Carroll. With her exhaustion and emotional heartache, Jenny doesn't care for Zoe all that much, but despite her attitude, Zoe pitches in to clean up and help break the news to Jenny's mom, Dora. When the police tell them it's probably just a hit and run, Zoe points out all the evidence which indicated it was something much more malicious. She thinks it could be one of their neighbors, Adam Cane, who destroyed the Little Library since he hated it and her dog, Fida. When Fida disappears Zoe points the police in the direction of Adam again, but when he turns up dead in Zoe's fairy garden, she's suddenly suspected of murder.
Evidence is even more incriminating when Adam's brother, Aaron, is found murdered with Zoe's dog locked in his impoverished cabin. Jenny knows Zoe is innocent, despite her quirks, and decides she has to find some answers before the small-town police railroad Zoe right into prison. With the madness of murders going on around her, Jenny is also faced with issues from her late teen years that have never been resolved and could be holding her back from finding happiness. Can she find the answers to why the two murdered brothers were living in poverty while their sister lives in a luxurious mansion? Who would want the two lonely men dead and why did they try to frame Zoe? When Jenny and Zoe find an antique key taped to the abducted Fida's collar, Jenny knows it could hold the answers that they and the killer are looking for but time may be running out for another innocent victim.
One of the quotes Zoe shares with Jenny that I thought was quite appropriate for my review is "....words and words and words - until the words sort themselves out and everything is clear, or it becomes completely unclear and it doesn't matter anymore." Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli's words are perfectly clear and come together to make a delightful, thought provoking read. Well done!
I was provided an ARC of A MOST CURIOUS MURDER in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Jenny Westson has returned home to Bear Falls, Michigan after driving all night from Chicago. She hasn't been home in five years but with a bitter divorce and the loss of her job and friends, she needs somewhere to lick her wounds and decide what to do with her life. When she pulls up to her mother's house in the early morning hour, she finds her mother's Little Library broken into smithereens with the books destroyed. Sick at heart, her deceased father had built the Little Library as an anniversary gift just months before he was killed in a hit and run accident, Jenny tries to clean up the mess before her mother sees it.
She's interrupted by her mom's "little person" neighbor, Zoe Zola, who loves to quote Lewis Carroll. With her exhaustion and emotional heartache, Jenny doesn't care for Zoe all that much, but despite her attitude, Zoe pitches in to clean up and help break the news to Jenny's mom, Dora. When the police tell them it's probably just a hit and run, Zoe points out all the evidence which indicated it was something much more malicious. She thinks it could be one of their neighbors, Adam Cane, who destroyed the Little Library since he hated it and her dog, Fida. When Fida disappears Zoe points the police in the direction of Adam again, but when he turns up dead in Zoe's fairy garden, she's suddenly suspected of murder.
Evidence is even more incriminating when Adam's brother, Aaron, is found murdered with Zoe's dog locked in his impoverished cabin. Jenny knows Zoe is innocent, despite her quirks, and decides she has to find some answers before the small-town police railroad Zoe right into prison. With the madness of murders going on around her, Jenny is also faced with issues from her late teen years that have never been resolved and could be holding her back from finding happiness. Can she find the answers to why the two murdered brothers were living in poverty while their sister lives in a luxurious mansion? Who would want the two lonely men dead and why did they try to frame Zoe? When Jenny and Zoe find an antique key taped to the abducted Fida's collar, Jenny knows it could hold the answers that they and the killer are looking for but time may be running out for another innocent victim.
One of the quotes Zoe shares with Jenny that I thought was quite appropriate for my review is "....words and words and words - until the words sort themselves out and everything is clear, or it becomes completely unclear and it doesn't matter anymore." Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli's words are perfectly clear and come together to make a delightful, thought provoking read. Well done!
I was provided an ARC of A MOST CURIOUS MURDER in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
tle_1994's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
romanici's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars. Audiobook - did not care for the narrator. Disliked almost all of the characters. Kept reading because I wanted to find out who the murderer was, which was a surprise. Will not read any more of the series.
melanietalksbooks's review against another edition
1.0
I’m from Guatemala, and no one has monkeys around their house unless they live in one of the few houses that are allowed in our vast rainforest. Aside from that, you can’t really get a tan around that time of the year since it is hurricane season. The author just grabbed a country and made up stuff without even trying to do her research. The poor description of my country is why I ducked it one star, and the fact that I hated the main character and all the other characters is why I’m giving it only one star. This book was terrible, much like wherever the author is from, it was a nightmare, people are hateful, and I was attacked by a polar bear which live in ALL of the US much like monkeys living in all of Guatemala according to this author 😂.