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emianner's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
buddinbookworm's review
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-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
1.0
the_book_blossom's review
3.0
It was enjoyable.What I did not like was the constant mention of her husband and her constant struggle with everyday normal supplies like for example the gas stove.Other than that I enjoyed reading it.
figgyflake's review
5.0
I really liked this book and now look forward to reading the entire series.
Doreen is 35 and starting over and has some fumbles as she learns how to do even the most simple of tasks, as she is leaving a marriage where all her needs and wants were taken care of for her. I find her ambition heartwarming as she is learning who she really is as a person and to help along she has her Nan, her adorable dog Mugs, a cat and a parrot who has a way with words. There of course is a good-looking detective that does not appreciate Doreen's detective skills as much as he should.
The only thing I didn't like is the constant mention of Mission and Kelowna and how the author makes them seems to be part of one metro-type area, when in reality these two towns are nearly 5hrs apart. My assumption is that is this was done for creative purposes.
All in all I recommend this book if you love a cozy murder mystery.
Doreen is 35 and starting over and has some fumbles as she learns how to do even the most simple of tasks, as she is leaving a marriage where all her needs and wants were taken care of for her. I find her ambition heartwarming as she is learning who she really is as a person and to help along she has her Nan, her adorable dog Mugs, a cat and a parrot who has a way with words. There of course is a good-looking detective that does not appreciate Doreen's detective skills as much as he should.
The only thing I didn't like is the constant mention of Mission and Kelowna and how the author makes them seems to be part of one metro-type area, when in reality these two towns are nearly 5hrs apart. My assumption is that is this was done for creative purposes.
All in all I recommend this book if you love a cozy murder mystery.
jigsawgirl's review against another edition
3.0
This was a decent cozy mystery. I listened to the audiobook. If I had one wish, it would have been for a male and female narrator. The difference between Doreen's voice and Mac's voice was interesting. I usually listen to audiobooks between 1.2 and 1.3 speed. I had to reduce the speed because Doreen's voice became irritating at higher levels.
I thought the mystery was good. Just convoluted enough to make it intriguing. I also liked the slight cluelessness Doreen displayed in solving the mystery. I didn't like that same trait when it came to things like cooking or grocery shopping.
I understood she didn't know how, but couldn't she have asked Nan? Was Nan locked up in the placed where she moved? I'm sorry, but I was not buying difficulty with a tea bag and boiling water. I'll give her not knowing how to make a decent cup of coffee.
I will definitely continue with the series, but I will probably move over to the ebooks.
I thought the mystery was good. Just convoluted enough to make it intriguing. I also liked the slight cluelessness Doreen displayed in solving the mystery. I didn't like that same trait when it came to things like cooking or grocery shopping.
I understood she didn't know how, but couldn't she have asked Nan? Was Nan locked up in the placed where she moved? I'm sorry, but I was not buying difficulty with a tea bag and boiling water. I'll give her not knowing how to make a decent cup of coffee.
I will definitely continue with the series, but I will probably move over to the ebooks.
ameserole's review against another edition
4.0
Arsenic in the Azaleas was a pretty fun book to jump into. Not sure why it was never truly on my radar until recently but I'm sort of pissed about that. In this, you will meet Doreen Montgomery. She is just about to be divorced at the ripe age of 35. Her life hasn't been all rainbows and sunshine since she lost a lot of money to her horrible ex-husband.
You'd think once she reached her Nana's house that everything would sort of start to feel a bit normal in her life. Yeah, no, you'd be dead wrong. Mostly because Goliath, the cat, and Mugs, the dog, find a bone and basically play keep away with it. Of course, it doesn't take her long to realize it's a human skeleton bone and start to slightly freak out.
Okay, it was mostly me freaking out because she's holding a piece of human bone here people! Anyhoo, back to the book, this is when her crime solving mystery tingles start to happen and she dives into detective mode. Was she ever one before? No, not really but I was going along with it anyways.
When the bodies keep piling up, though, it's hard to not see who the number one suspect was going to be. It was super obvious that her Nana was suspect number one, but I didn't think she did it. I also really enjoyed her relationship with police officer Mack. Especially when he chastised her every now and then.
In the end, I'm kind of excited to jump into the sequel. Mostly for the animals but I wouldn't mind more of Mack either.
You'd think once she reached her Nana's house that everything would sort of start to feel a bit normal in her life. Yeah, no, you'd be dead wrong. Mostly because Goliath, the cat, and Mugs, the dog, find a bone and basically play keep away with it. Of course, it doesn't take her long to realize it's a human skeleton bone and start to slightly freak out.
Okay, it was mostly me freaking out because she's holding a piece of human bone here people! Anyhoo, back to the book, this is when her crime solving mystery tingles start to happen and she dives into detective mode. Was she ever one before? No, not really but I was going along with it anyways.
When the bodies keep piling up, though, it's hard to not see who the number one suspect was going to be. It was super obvious that her Nana was suspect number one, but I didn't think she did it. I also really enjoyed her relationship with police officer Mack. Especially when he chastised her every now and then.
In the end, I'm kind of excited to jump into the sequel. Mostly for the animals but I wouldn't mind more of Mack either.
marybooklover1979's review
2.5
more of a low 2.5 really. I was laughing with come of the animal antics. But I didn't really love the main character. And there seem to be some mistakes not sure if that was because I was reading the kindle edition or what. There was a lot of repetition and sometimes a characters name was changed in the next line. Like one time they where talking about Cindy and a couple of lines later they called her Ella. It was very confusing and jarring to be honest. Not sure if I will continue the series or not. This was my first ever cozy mystery too.
myameegirl's review against another edition
3.0
2.75⭐️(rounded up to 3) - Just based on the cover, I really wanted to like this one, but especially since it was set in Kelowna, BC. Unfortunately, for me, the protagonist was just totally unlikable and useless. She didn't know how to do anything. Can't work a stove, has to be shown how to make coffee. I mean, come on. She was also super inappropriate and humorless. It was just TOO much for me. I really liked the dog, cat, and bird though, and I liked her probable love interest Mack too, but she's just too obnoxious for me. I doubt I will pick up book 2. I will, however, watch the videos that BooksandLala did where she plays detective and went around Kelowna trying to find the different areas in town that she thinks the book references. THAT sounds like fun! :0)
stitching_ghost's review against another edition
4.0
Fun and quick read. The main character is endearing and the "romance" (not quite yet a romance to be exact) isn't central to the plot. Would recommend if you're looking for a cozy mystery but tend to get annoyed with how focused on romance they tend to be.