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shai3d's review
3.0
Ms Breen has been a well written mystery where the actual villain doesn't himself or herself known until the very end. MAGGIE DOVE held my interest even though I found it way too preachy and Christianized to be truly enjoyable for myself.
Maggie had been a mystery writer but since her husband and daughter have died, the high point in her week is teaching Sunday school. And she does her best to live by her view of Christianity. That is until Marcus Bender ends up dead under her beloved Oak tree.
I did find this book to be a lighter yet enjoyable read and a great way to while away the hours while I was sick. For my own tastes, there was far too much of the Christian mythos but I am sure that won't bother a good portion of my readers. If you are looking for a cozy mystery, MAGGIE DOVE is a great one of reach for.
*** I received this book at no charge from NetGalley and Random House. in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed within are my own.
Maggie had been a mystery writer but since her husband and daughter have died, the high point in her week is teaching Sunday school. And she does her best to live by her view of Christianity. That is until Marcus Bender ends up dead under her beloved Oak tree.
I did find this book to be a lighter yet enjoyable read and a great way to while away the hours while I was sick. For my own tastes, there was far too much of the Christian mythos but I am sure that won't bother a good portion of my readers. If you are looking for a cozy mystery, MAGGIE DOVE is a great one of reach for.
*** I received this book at no charge from NetGalley and Random House. in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed within are my own.
cj_mo_2222's review
3.0
At first, it sounded like a case on a television court show - Maggie Dove's arrogant neighbor Marcus Bender think her majestic oak tree spoils his view and want to remove it. The two have words after Maggie suspects Marcus of trying to poison her tree. The tree remains healthy, but things turn deadly when Maggie finds Marcus's body under the infamous tree. Maggie learns she is not the only one in her New York village that didn't get along with Marcus, but she is determined to find out who hated him enough to commit murder.
"Maggie Dove" is promoted as a cozy mystery and there is no graphic violence, but the characters are more complex and flawed and the tone darker than the typical light-hearted cozy. Although I appreciate the careful unfolding of the story and the flawed characters, the sad mood and slow start to the book kept me from giving a rating higher than 3 stars. It was hard to connect with Maggie and most of the other characters in the book and the sad mood touches each part of the story and makes parts of the book slow-going. Maggie's grief for her daughter and husband is strong and understandable, but almost overpowers the murder mystery. I was surprised at the identity of the murderer, as well as some of the other events that occur at the end of the book, so I did enjoy a few aspects of the book.
As the story continues, Maggie experiences even more loss, but is also given hope for the future. This new development could be the set-up for a follow-up book, which I would be willing to give a try, with hope for a lighter mood and a few more likeable characters.
I received this book from NetGalley, through the courtesy of Random House-Alibi. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.
lcubed3's review
3.0
I received Maggie Dove for free in exchange for an open and honest review from Chatterbox, Netgalley and Random House.. I have to say there are things I liked about this book but I just didn't get into it. Maggie Dove was an interesting enough character and her supporting cast was okay. The story line itself was new and refreshing and I didn't guess the villian until it was too late. Some of the issues I had- the characters flaws were so prevalent that those seemed the focus of the story not the mystery. I kept getting bogged down with Maggie's focus on acting like a good christian, Peter's inability to grow up, and Winifred's meanness to her supposed best friend.
Overall, I liked the idea of the story line but couldn't get past the characters to enjoy the story.
Overall, I liked the idea of the story line but couldn't get past the characters to enjoy the story.
shesanopenbook's review
4.0
I so enjoyed Maggie Dove: A Mystery by Susan Breen. The book is clearly the first in a planned series and I'm excited to see what adventures the Sunday school teacher-turned-private detective gets into next time.
Breen's writing style makes this book easy to read and difficult to put down. The characters are realistically flawed, each with little quirks and secrets that make the whole world seem real. Maggie Dove, for instance, could have turned out very one note; a paradigm of what a "good Christian woman" should be. That would have been boring and preachy. Instead, Dove is haunted by her losses and we see that manifest through anger at her neighbor, suspicion of her friends, judgement of an old classmate. As Maggie begins to investigate not one but two murders in her tiny village, we meet many of the residents and discover they too are not always what they appear to be. This cast of characters aren't perfect, likable people 100% of the time and that makes for more a interesting story. While I did correctly guess the killer before the big reveal, it was still a lot of fun getting to that conclusion thanks to the interesting characters.
This particular tale felt very cinematic to me. I can totally see Maggie Dove becoming a film franchise or television series akin to Murder She Wrote. I'd certainly watch, especially with the intriguing partnerships brewing in the last few pages.
I am a Chatterbox participant and you've received this book as part of my Chat Pack in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. #RHMysteryPack #Sponsored
Breen's writing style makes this book easy to read and difficult to put down. The characters are realistically flawed, each with little quirks and secrets that make the whole world seem real. Maggie Dove, for instance, could have turned out very one note; a paradigm of what a "good Christian woman" should be. That would have been boring and preachy. Instead, Dove is haunted by her losses and we see that manifest through anger at her neighbor, suspicion of her friends, judgement of an old classmate. As Maggie begins to investigate not one but two murders in her tiny village, we meet many of the residents and discover they too are not always what they appear to be. This cast of characters aren't perfect, likable people 100% of the time and that makes for more a interesting story. While I did correctly guess the killer before the big reveal, it was still a lot of fun getting to that conclusion thanks to the interesting characters.
This particular tale felt very cinematic to me. I can totally see Maggie Dove becoming a film franchise or television series akin to Murder She Wrote. I'd certainly watch, especially with the intriguing partnerships brewing in the last few pages.
I am a Chatterbox participant and you've received this book as part of my Chat Pack in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. #RHMysteryPack #Sponsored
curlyjessreads's review
3.0
I received this book free through Random House Monthly Mystery in return for my honest review.
The mystery was intriguing with a bit of a twist at the end. I had speculations early on about who done it, but not their reasoning (which is somewhat less important to me as who done it)! I felt Maggie had a conflicting personality with struggling to be her idea of the typical Sunday School teacher but still living in the community she does. Her going back and forth between wanting to throw rocks and her neighbor and feeling sorry for him. Overall it was a good read. I was kept entertained and was curious to know what happened.
The mystery was intriguing with a bit of a twist at the end. I had speculations early on about who done it, but not their reasoning (which is somewhat less important to me as who done it)! I felt Maggie had a conflicting personality with struggling to be her idea of the typical Sunday School teacher but still living in the community she does. Her going back and forth between wanting to throw rocks and her neighbor and feeling sorry for him. Overall it was a good read. I was kept entertained and was curious to know what happened.
ashley0929's review
5.0
I was able to read this book free thanks to houseparty and Random house mystery. I was so glad I was able to read it though. The story kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to solve the mystery (which I was NOT able to solve on my own!! I would make a bad detective!) But I really did enjoy the book and getting to know each character almost on a personal level. It was fun guessing who done it! I hope to be able to read another book by Susan Breen I loved her writing style as well.
klbradley's review
5.0
Cozy mystery perfect for fans
Readers who have a love for cozy mysteries should definitely give this one a go! With a sudden and strange death of a next-door neighbor, the main character in the story is forced to try to find out who the real killer is before someone close to her falls victim to the blame. This one was full of surprises and suspense without being overdone or feeling too much like a thriller. It was a rather quick read and one that can be enjoyed in a single sitting if readers get invested in the story as I did. The main character is a memorable one and leaves an impression that will make you want to read more stories involving her life. There are emotional struggles intertwined within this story as well, giving, even more, to enjoy for readers who like dramatics.
Readers who have a love for cozy mysteries should definitely give this one a go! With a sudden and strange death of a next-door neighbor, the main character in the story is forced to try to find out who the real killer is before someone close to her falls victim to the blame. This one was full of surprises and suspense without being overdone or feeling too much like a thriller. It was a rather quick read and one that can be enjoyed in a single sitting if readers get invested in the story as I did. The main character is a memorable one and leaves an impression that will make you want to read more stories involving her life. There are emotional struggles intertwined within this story as well, giving, even more, to enjoy for readers who like dramatics.
yetanothersusan's review
4.0
The first thing you need to know, because it may impact whether you choose to begin this series, is that Maggie Dove is a Sunday school teacher and that permeates the entire book. There are scattered biblical references throughout the book. She frequently questions her own decisions based on the fact that she teaches Sunday school. If you don't like that, skip the book. If you like spunky senior citizens who are involved in their community, think a cross between Jessica Fletcher and Miss Marple, then Maggie Dove might be for you. The book is very straight forward and exactly what you would expect from a well thought out cozy: a murder occurs in a small town that on the face of things is very sweet and simple. But as Maggie's investigation continues, the seedy under current of the town comes through. Ms. Dove is a well developed character with a good supporting cast that should help her solve many future mysteries.
A preview copy of this book was provided by NetGalley, Random Publishing (Alibi) and House Party in exchange for an honest review.
A preview copy of this book was provided by NetGalley, Random Publishing (Alibi) and House Party in exchange for an honest review.
imjustcupcake's review
3.0
Well. I must say that Maggie Dove was not a book I would normally pick up and read on my own. It is pretty far out of what I would normally read.
Maggie Dove is a cozy mystery about...Maggie Dove. She lives in a small town, is a widow, and her daughter died young as a result of a car accident. Maggie Dove is one of those ladies that is a strong member of the community. She knows and talks to everyone. She once upon a time was a murder mystery author (she gave it up when her daughter died). She had few grievances with other members of her community, save her neighbor.
Her neighbor wanted her to move a much beloved tree in her yard because it was in his view from his house of the Hudson river - and he wanted to paint the river without the tree in his way. And that is where the story starts. Maggie's neighbor took it upon himself to try to poison her tree because she wouldn't move/remove the tree. And then, shortly after, he was found dead underneath her tree seemingly from a heart attack.
Now, as I have already stated, this is a book that I normally reach out and grab. While I like mysteries, I do tend towards those meant for younger audiences - YA, NA, MG...or I like them to have some sort of paranormal aspect to them. Maggie Dove was none of the above. The main character was 62 years old, much older than characters that I normally read and I found it hard to connect to her. She and I had little in common, so I wasn't able to relate to her very well.
Also, the story line seemed rather one dimensional. We followed along with Maggie as she was trying to figure out what happened to her neighbor. I felt like we were categorically looking at each individual character in the story. One at a time. And I would have liked a few more twists and turns in the story....and that the ones that were in it...I wish they had been more twisty and turnier. The whole story just felt like it was on the same pace the whole way through.
While I found it pleasant enough to read, I also don't think I would have finished it except for the part where I wanted to know the "who done it and why." I had committed enough time to it, that I decided that I needed to know and I didn't want to cheat to find the answer. And while I wasn't surprised, I still was at the same time. So I will give Maggie Dove that.
My Rating
3 Stars
This review was based on an eARC copy provided by the publisher through House Party/Chatterbox in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Find more of my reviews here:
http://readingwithcupcakes.blogspot.com/
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