Bundle of Trouble (Maternal Instincts Mystery, 1) by Diana Orgain

Published: July 2015
Published by: Kindle Edition
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Series
Rating: 2.5/5

Synopsis

From Publishers Weekly

In Orgain’s charming debut thriller, office manager Kate Connolly becomes a supersleuth and a new mom in the same week. From the moment she and newborn Laurie lock eyes, Kate can’t imagine returning to work after her six-week maternity leave, but in expensive San Francisco, she and her ad exec husband, Jim, need every bit of both incomes. Then a dead body is fished out of the bay and linked to Jim’s estranged brother, George. Both the police and PI Albert Galigani, hired by the dead man’s mother, believe that Jim and Kate know more than they’re revealing. Kate is determined to find the elusive George and get some answers, but she soon gets in over her head. Galigani serves as a charming mentor as Kate navigates the twists of motherhood and an uncomplicated but engaging plot. (Aug.)

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

-Goodreads

My Thoughts

Bundle of Trouble is the first book in the cozy mystery series Maternal Instincts by Diana Orgain. It follows new mom Kate, as she uses her maternity leave to investigate a murder that is connected to her brother in-law George. I was initially attracted to this novel as I am both a mystery fan and a first-time Mom. I was eager to see how the author would pair the two.

Overall the plot was enjoyable and quick to read. However there were some inconsistencies and less than smooth transitions from one part to another, which prevented me from giving this book a higher rating. I have yet to decide if I will continue with the series.

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A High-End Finish (A Fixer-Upper Mystery #1) by Kate Carlisle

Published: November 2014
Published by: NAL
Format Read: Kobo, eBook
Genre: Cozy Mystery

Rating: 2.5/5
♥♥.5

Synopsis

In the seaside town of Lighthouse Cove in northern California, everyone knows the best man for the job is actually a woman—contractor Shannon Hammer. But while Shannon can do wonders with a power drill and a little elbow grease, she’s about to discover that some problems aren’t so easily fixed….

Shannon’s home-renovation and repair business is booming, but her love life needs work. On a blind date with real estate agent Jerry Saxton, she has to whip out a pair of pliers to keep Jerry from getting too hands on. Shannon is happy to put her rotten date behind her, but when Jerry’s found dead in a run-down Victorian home that she’s been hired to restore, the town’s attractive new police chief suspects that her threats may have laid the foundation for murder.

Determined to clear her name, Shannon conducts her own investigation—with the help of her four best friends, her eccentric father, a nosy neighbor or two, and a handsome crime writer who’s just moved to town. But as they get closer to prying out the murderer’s identity, Shannon is viciously attacked. Now she’ll have to nail down the truth—or end up in permanent foreclosure.…

My Thoughts

I decided to pick up Kate Carlisle’s A High-End Finish because of my interest in cozy mysteries and home renovations. Shannon’s business restoring and building Victorian style homes was quite interesting to me as I’ve been a long time fan of anything on HGTV. The descriptions of Lighthouse Cove made it sound like a beautiful place.

Although the story kept my attention, I felt there were some aspects of the plot that lacked detail. While there were others that unnecessarily took up too much detail. I have yet to decide if I will continue on with the Fixer-Upper Mystery series.