Reviews

Board to Death by C.J. Connor is the first A Board Game Shop Mystery. This cozy mystery departs from the standard cozy mystery formula by having a male protagonist in a big city instead of a female main character in a small town. I was not a fan of Ben Rosencrantz. He is recovering from a divorce and a lackluster career. He has a woe-is-me attitude (it gets old quickly). I would expect someone who interacts with students on a daily basis to be friendly and able to speak with customers at his father’s game shop. Ben would rather hide behind the cash register with his arms crossed and a do not bother me expression on his face. Instead of helping his father’s business, Ben is going to run it into the ground. I like the game shop concept, but I felt it was not handled well (it should have been fun with interesting trivia). I like the diverse cast with developed characters. The story starts off slowly and the pacing does not improve. There are many inconsistencies in the book. Most of the irregularities are with the timeline. The mystery was straightforward. It was obvious who would die. There is no reason for Ben and Ezra (he owns the shop next door, and Ben is attracted to him) to get involved in the whodunit. I was happy that the details of the crime were not endlessly repeated. The reveal was a letdown. The romance between Ben and Ezra felt off. I did not understand why Ben, who is having a big pity party because his marriage failed, would want to start a new romance. There were times when Ezra could tell that Ben was feeling morose (weary or feeble) and he would take care of Ben. This made it seem like they had been partners for a long time, not two people who were just getting to know each other. Then there were times when Ben would wonder if Ezra liked him (because Ben had those tingly feelings inside whenever he saw Ezra). I struggled to get through Board to Death. I was not a fan of the main character nor the author’s writing style (it was too detailed with awkward dialogue). While Board to Death was not for me, I do suggest you download a sample to judge for yourself.

corvuseve's review against another edition

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medium-paced

3.0

jigsaw's review

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lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

4.0

meganpbennett's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

An interesting novel, with a couple of good twists. I found that it had a slow start, and I figured out who the murderer was before we were supposed to.

Content Warnings

aktreich's review

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funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

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