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A review by paperbackstash
A Mother's Day Murder: A Mt. Abrams Mystery by Dee Ernst
5.0
4.5 stars
MUCH better than most small-sized KU independent mysteries tend to be. Writing style, characterization, and small town charm make it a slice above the rest.
While the mystery part didn't start heating up more intensely until later, I was enchanted with the main character, a mother who has come off weight loss with daughters after a mid-life change. It almost felt like the comedy The Burbs, where a group of friends start getting nosy about weird neighbors. Fun stuff.
Her friends and their health walks with the wine and dogs felt absolutely natural. The conflict of still being hung up on her ex-husband who bailed was also natural but not usually touched upon with this kind of novel that usually keeps it simpler, but the new relationship felt mixed between downright cute/funny and warming. Sometimes kids can be annoying in these, but that wasn't the case here - instead the mother has to start letting an older daughter go when she wants to move on with her life, while consoling a younger daughter who doesn't feel the same. Even the dog had a convincing personality.
Mystery wise it was good. There were some small twists. The strength of the story didn't like in a complex mystery, but how the small town was woven up into this tragedy under their noses.
Another thing was a surprisingly dark and gritty finale mixed in with standard cozy mystery fare. Despite convincing humor this book didn't keep it so light and fluffy that it was airy as some cozies tend to be. This helped put it a pace above the rest, with the mental illness coming across chilling, and the final dream sobering - hard to forget.
Highly recommended for cozy mystery fans.
MUCH better than most small-sized KU independent mysteries tend to be. Writing style, characterization, and small town charm make it a slice above the rest.
While the mystery part didn't start heating up more intensely until later, I was enchanted with the main character, a mother who has come off weight loss with daughters after a mid-life change. It almost felt like the comedy The Burbs, where a group of friends start getting nosy about weird neighbors. Fun stuff.
Her friends and their health walks with the wine and dogs felt absolutely natural. The conflict of still being hung up on her ex-husband who bailed was also natural but not usually touched upon with this kind of novel that usually keeps it simpler, but the new relationship felt mixed between downright cute/funny and warming. Sometimes kids can be annoying in these, but that wasn't the case here - instead the mother has to start letting an older daughter go when she wants to move on with her life, while consoling a younger daughter who doesn't feel the same. Even the dog had a convincing personality.
Mystery wise it was good. There were some small twists. The strength of the story didn't like in a complex mystery, but how the small town was woven up into this tragedy under their noses.
Another thing was a surprisingly dark and gritty finale mixed in with standard cozy mystery fare. Despite convincing humor this book didn't keep it so light and fluffy that it was airy as some cozies tend to be. This helped put it a pace above the rest, with the mental illness coming across chilling, and the final dream sobering - hard to forget.
Highly recommended for cozy mystery fans.