Book Reviews

Book Reviews.

I love getting book reviews (usually) because I learn something about my own writing. I learn:

• What works
• What doesn't
• New discoveries

I got such a review today that took me through all of these ideas and I'd like to share them with you.

Scrambled (A Susan Sleuth Mystery)

Kathryn Elizabeth Jones

Ideacreationspress

2012

Cozy Mystery Genre

5 stars

Sometimes we think the grass is always greener on the other side and that’s exactly what Jenny (AKA Susan) thought. Unable to have children, adoption not working and a controlling husband that just kept gaining weight, Susan takes off to start a new life. Instead of getting out of a mess that her life was in she steps into a bigger one, this one involving murder. Renting a room in an old rundown hotel she becomes the house keeper in it. Now she is involved in the middle of a murder and she is being accused. Now who can she trust. Who is trying to pin the murder on her. Out of all the residents that live there there is one she thinks she can trust – Mrs Boaz or can she. Receiving threating notes and things showing up in her room to implicate her, does Susan dare stay here or flee for her life.

I really enjoyed the book once I got into it and understood the characters. It was a little slow in the beginning but then it picked up pace and I kept reading to find out who was who. The cover picture of the book at first threw me and I wondered what scrambled eggs had to do with the  story line but then I finally found out. When you get upset you scramble eggs. I feel anyone who loves  the cozy mystery genre will enjoy this debut book of the Susan Sleuth Mysteries. I would like to see more of her  detective work in progress.

I would like to thank Ms. Jones for the review copy and giving me the chance to read her book. Excellent start to a new series.

 

http://misslynnsbooks-n-more.blogspot.com/2012/09/scrambled-susan-sleuth-mysterykathryn.html

I have heard from other reviewers that this book is a little bit difficult to get in to. And I am reminded again that starting a novel with action is often preferable to narration. In the second book, "Sunny Side-Up," coming out next year, the first line is action.

I like that this reviewer mentions that the main character struggles with heavy issues, and thinks that life can be better if she leaves home. This is one of the reasons my cozy isn't found in the traditional cozy stack. The back story is important to this cozy as is also the depth of the main character.  

What surprised me was the mention of the cover and the thought, "When you get upset you scramble eggs." While this is true, the use of the word "Scrambled" also represents the people living in the old hotel.

Thank you, Lynn, for the review.