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claire60's review against another edition
4.0
I love Ellen Hart books, especially the Jane Lawless mysteries which is just as well as they only ever appear in hardback now but are worth £20 a year. Jane is a P.I./restaurant owner based in the twin cities who always gets caught up in some local mystery of which there is a never ending supply. Her best friend Cordelia is a large than life theatre director who also helps jane with the sleuthing and together they make a hilarious, effective team. This book centres around the mystery of some bones that are discovered when the garage of two elderly eccentric women burns down. Its a family drama as they so often are that led to a murder and illegitimate children being denied their birth rites. I should probably mention that Jane and Cordelia are also lesbians which is how and why I began reading these books. In the last few years Ellen has also included other LGBT characters which is pleasing in the stories because obviously they aren't the only gays in such a huge 'village'. Fabulously engaging light reading.
fordeverystream's review against another edition
3.0
Read for Read Harder Challenge 2019: Cozy Mystery category
readingwitherin's review against another edition
Not holding my interest after 100 pages. :/
thesapphiccelticbookworm's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Kidnapping and Death of parent
katherineep's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not sure if I wasn't in the right mood for this book or if it's just my cozy mystery reading binge had me expecting something that was a bit happier or nicer. I liked it but it wasn't one I that I couldn't wait to get back to reading.
The premise is fantastic. Britt is intelligent, logical and not particularly driven by emotion. Her memories of her cousin Timmy aren't a glowing haze of perfection. He was what made an awkward and tense trip to her mother's estranged family bearable and her memories were so real and realistic that she's sure she didn't make him up and bothered by the shrug off she gets from her aunts.
Jane is good at her job. She knows what she's doing in an investigation and isn't afraid to act on impulse at times. I did feel like her personal life got in the way a bit both for her concentration and page time. While I did like seeing her in her regular world her complicated relationship with girlfriend Julia didn't feel like it advanced the plot and took up a lot of conversation space with friends that were helping with the investigation. However, this is book #25 so I may feel different is I was a long time reader.
The mystery is good with all kinds of twisty secrets. However, I did question how possible it was for the secrets to be kept for so many years. While I did like the conclusion and the setup I questioned this little detail - especially given how dysfunctional 2 of the primary characters were.
This was a solid mystery with an interesting and diverse cast of characters. If you're not in the mood for a cozy but don't want a high intensity psychological thriller this is a perfect fit.
The premise is fantastic. Britt is intelligent, logical and not particularly driven by emotion. Her memories of her cousin Timmy aren't a glowing haze of perfection. He was what made an awkward and tense trip to her mother's estranged family bearable and her memories were so real and realistic that she's sure she didn't make him up and bothered by the shrug off she gets from her aunts.
Jane is good at her job. She knows what she's doing in an investigation and isn't afraid to act on impulse at times. I did feel like her personal life got in the way a bit both for her concentration and page time. While I did like seeing her in her regular world her complicated relationship with girlfriend Julia didn't feel like it advanced the plot and took up a lot of conversation space with friends that were helping with the investigation. However, this is book #25 so I may feel different is I was a long time reader.
The mystery is good with all kinds of twisty secrets. However, I did question how possible it was for the secrets to be kept for so many years. While I did like the conclusion and the setup I questioned this little detail - especially given how dysfunctional 2 of the primary characters were.
This was a solid mystery with an interesting and diverse cast of characters. If you're not in the mood for a cozy but don't want a high intensity psychological thriller this is a perfect fit.
shreyda's review against another edition
4.0
This story stayed with me. It's the first book by Ellen Hart I read. I read it twice and enjoyed it way more the second time when I already know where the story was going. The first time was a bit confusing, some characters felt a bit out of place, almost as if their stories were on a completely different page and didn't contribute much to the main storyline, but once you get to the end you see that it's all connected.
I was a bit disappointed that Jane didn't seem to contribute much to the resolution of the mystery, but I like her character and her development throughout the book.
The story is interesting, it will hold your interest and will surprise you even if you suspect where it's heading from the beginning.
I was a bit disappointed that Jane didn't seem to contribute much to the resolution of the mystery, but I like her character and her development throughout the book.
The story is interesting, it will hold your interest and will surprise you even if you suspect where it's heading from the beginning.
tresdem's review against another edition
3.0
Not bad. Fairly engaging. I more or less enjoyed myself, but mostly time spent with Jane.
There were one or two sticking points however.
The part with the Tim reveal could have been done with a little more ...I don't know...something more than: oh hi I'm Tim. Oh my god you're Tim? Like there are better ways to do that. But decisions are decisions.
Also I don't think they did the mental health part well. Of course he's a crazy psycho ax murderer, (I mean, not really, but) It would have been nice if the person with mental health issues (that weren't readily apparent until convenient) wasn't the killer this time. I mean he wasn't but his mom wasn't much better.]
To sum up, the characters were pretty decent but I feel things fell off a bit near the end.
There were one or two sticking points however.
Also I don't think they did the mental health part well. Of course he's a crazy psycho ax murderer, (I mean, not really, but) It would have been nice if the person with mental health issues (that weren't readily apparent until convenient) wasn't the killer this time. I mean he wasn't but his mom wasn't much better.]
To sum up, the characters were pretty decent but I feel things fell off a bit near the end.
bookslayer's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
sarah_'s review
4.0
3.5 stars. It's been years since I read a Jane Lawless mystery--I've read all of Ellen Hart's Sophie Greenway series, but I never especially got into this one. But I saw this one on NetGalley and figured, why not give it another try? If nothing else, I love reading books set in the Twin Cities, and being able to actually visualize the various locations where events are taking place. Anyway, I'm glad I read this one, and I may have to check out some of the other recent books in the series. This was a really engaging cozy mystery, with a compelling story--not really a big aha at the end, more like a slow trickle of puzzle pieces that finally came together in the end. And I really liked the characters and dialogue as well. Jane is a likeable sleuth, and Cordelia is the perfect comic relief--their banter is great, and I particularly enjoyed Cordelia's stint undercover. Recommended for anyone looking for a contemporary cozy mystery, especially if you're from Minnesota.
*Used for PopSugar 2018 Reading Challenge prompt "A book by a local author."
**I received a free pre-release copy of this ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
*Used for PopSugar 2018 Reading Challenge prompt "A book by a local author."
**I received a free pre-release copy of this ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
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