New Cozy Mystery Series Holds Promise of Good Reads to Come!

Not only does Julianna Deering's new release Rules of Murder take place in the thirties, but the story is written in the style of English mysteries from that period. Not to mention that the cover absolutely invites you to settle in with a spot of tea and get lost in the story.

As an avid mystery reader from the time I first learned to read chapter books and feasted on Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden mysteries, I've loved a good mystery. When I grew older I started reading mysteries that were penned in the thirties and forties from Agatha Christie and Mary Roberts Rhinehart. Thus, I picked up this book with great anticipation.

I found the beginning to be a bit slower paced than I generally like and the opening chapter had so many characters that I became confused more than once and found myself going back to double-check who someone was. For that reason I'd give the book 4 stars if I used the star system here.

But once the dead body (don't all cozy mysteries require a dead body??) was discovered the pace picked up, the cast became less confusing. The main character named Drew Farthing partners up with an American named Madeline and together they try to get to the bottom of the mystery - who is the murderer?

I recommend this read for anyone who likes a good mystery of the cozy variety.

The book was provided to me by the publisher for review purposes. The opinions are completely my ow

 JULIANNA DEERING has always been an avid reader and a lover of storytelling, whether on the page, the screen or the stage. This, along with her keen interest in history and her Christian faith, shows in her tales of love, forgiveness and triumph over adversity. A fifth-generation Texan, she makes her home north of Dallas with three spoiled cats and, when not writing, spends her free time quilting, cross stitching and watching NHL hockey. Her new series of Drew Farthering mysteries set in 1930s England debuts with Rules of Murder (Bethany House, Summer 2013) and will be followed by Death by the Book (Bethany House, Spring 2014) and Murder at the Mikado (Bethany House, Summer 2014). She is represented by Wendy Lawton of the Books & Such Literary Agency

Dying to Read Something Good? Try Dying to Read!

I love cozy mysteries, and when I’m not writing historical romance or women’s fiction, I’m writing cozies as well as reading them.

When I received the opportunity to review Dying to Read, author Lorena McCortney’s first book in a new cozy series called The Cate Kinkaid Files, I was on board faster than I could say “yes.”

And I wasn’t disappointed.

The tagline for the story reads: 

“All she wanted was a paycheck. What she got was murder.” 

Love. It.

With her life seeming to be out of control thanks to a job history as long as her arm and a failed romance, Cate Kincaid takes up her Uncle Joe’s offer to act as his assistant PI while he undergoes some surgery. No violence, he promises. Easy peasy stuff.

Her first assignment is to locate the niece an elderly client is trying to find. But, as soon as she arrives at the dark Victorian, the person’s last known address, she runs into a group of mystery-loving ladies known as the Who-Done-It Book Club and she realizes this is not going to be an ordinary case. Suffice it to say the Who-Done-It’s are only the beginning of a mystery that requires more time to unravel than a knotted ball of old yarn. Certainly more time than simply looking up a person to deliver a message would take. I had a couple quibbles with the storyline in places, but they were only minor compared to the entertainment that Dying to Read provided. A great way to spend the last hazy, crazy days of summer.

McCortney spins a tale that keeps the reader turning pages, wondering if Cate will ever get out of her latest predicament. A lot of humor, some pathos, and even a smattering of romance makes this a delightful read. Now I can’t wait to see what Cate gets into in the next book.

You can get a copy on line or at your favorite book and mortar store. Either way, you won’t want to miss this one.

About the Author:

Lorena McCourtney is the award-winning author of dozens of novels, including Invisible (which won the Daphne du Maurier Award from Romance Writers of America), In Plain Sight, On the Run, and Stranded. She resides in Oregon. 

Note: I received a copy of Dying to Read from Revell Publishers for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own and no one else’s.