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3.34 AVERAGE
3.34 AVERAGE
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I enjoy an occasional cosy mystery and have no trouble with the caricatures of small town personalities but this one failed to hit the mark.
Madeline is an aging, failing actress who inherits her aunt's Georgia bookstore so returns to the small town she grew up in. Before she's been there 24 hours her gazebo is set alight and a young woman murdered in the store. What's going on?
Madeline, an old family friend and the new female priest vow to solve the mystery - except they don't really do anything other than interfere.
The characters are just stilted, and there's none of the lighthearted fun I expect from these kinds of books.
Madeline is an aging, failing actress who inherits her aunt's Georgia bookstore so returns to the small town she grew up in. Before she's been there 24 hours her gazebo is set alight and a young woman murdered in the store. What's going on?
Madeline, an old family friend and the new female priest vow to solve the mystery - except they don't really do anything other than interfere.
The characters are just stilted, and there's none of the lighthearted fun I expect from these kinds of books.
When she inherits her aunt's house and bookstore in Enigma, Georgia, Madeline is ready for the change. She spent years trying to get out of Enigma, but after failing in New York, and then Atlanta, to be an actress, maybe the return home is exactly what she needs. However, she's greeted by someone setting fire to the gazebo just moments after she arrives, followed by a threatening phone call telling her to clear out, or they'll burn down the house - with her in it - next.
Madeline tries to find her feet, and there are people there ready to lend a hand. Gloria, the preacher at the church down the road, Philemina who's known Maddie since she was a little girl, and a young girl named Tandy who used to help out her aunt at the bookstore. Soon she has almost no moments without one of them there to keep her company, and Tandy works her way into staying with Maddie, cooking her heavenly meals in exchange.
Days later, there's another fire at the doorstep. This time, Tandy is found stabbed, and Maddie knows she has to solve this one herself. The police officer is just a kid she used to babysit, surely he won't have the resources to solve this one, and the fire chief thinks Madeline was the one who set the first fire anyway. She'll have to rely on Philimina and Gloria to help her, because one thing they're sure of - no one would ever want to hurt Tandy. And that means the killer had intended to kill Maddie instead.
This one was so fun. I also listened to the audiobook upon it's release, and Hallie Bee Bard knocked it out of the park. She did the southern accents so well, and her pacing and emotion was nearly perfect. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for the next one in the series, and hopefully another listen as well!
Thank you to the publishers through NetGalley for the early copy of this one! All opinions are my own.
Madeline tries to find her feet, and there are people there ready to lend a hand. Gloria, the preacher at the church down the road, Philemina who's known Maddie since she was a little girl, and a young girl named Tandy who used to help out her aunt at the bookstore. Soon she has almost no moments without one of them there to keep her company, and Tandy works her way into staying with Maddie, cooking her heavenly meals in exchange.
Days later, there's another fire at the doorstep. This time, Tandy is found stabbed, and Maddie knows she has to solve this one herself. The police officer is just a kid she used to babysit, surely he won't have the resources to solve this one, and the fire chief thinks Madeline was the one who set the first fire anyway. She'll have to rely on Philimina and Gloria to help her, because one thing they're sure of - no one would ever want to hurt Tandy. And that means the killer had intended to kill Maddie instead.
This one was so fun. I also listened to the audiobook upon it's release, and Hallie Bee Bard knocked it out of the park. She did the southern accents so well, and her pacing and emotion was nearly perfect. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for the next one in the series, and hopefully another listen as well!
Thank you to the publishers through NetGalley for the early copy of this one! All opinions are my own.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
I loved this audiobook. The characters were engaging and fun and the storyline and mystery was definitely intriguing. It was very well written and the audiobook narrator was easy to listen to. I look forward to future books in this series.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I liked this one! very cozy and I didn’t expect the killer and it has a good set up for a series
All of the foolishness of a cozy mystery with none of the charms.
Is this harsh review really warranted or does it have more to do with the fact I listened to 95% of it pumping in the dark, in the middle of the night? Who's to say
Is this harsh review really warranted or does it have more to do with the fact I listened to 95% of it pumping in the dark, in the middle of the night? Who's to say
mysterious
medium-paced
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes