The Obituary Society (The Obituary Society, #1) by Jessica L. Randall

The Obituary Society

By: Jessica L. Randall 

Published: 2014

Published By: Kindle Edition

Format Read: Kindle for PC

Genre: Mystery, Chick-Lit, Contemporary

Date Read: August 16, 2016

Rating: 3.5/5

At twenty-four years old Lila Moore is left to plan her beloved Grandfather’s funeral, which brings her to his hometown of Auburn Nebraska. The very same hometown in which he abruptly left many years prior. Although a charming place where everybody knows each other, Auburn holds some dark secrets that shroud Lila’s family and their home the she inherits. While she begins to renovate the Depression era house she begins to get to know the townsfolk, including a group of her Great-Aunt Ada’s friends who call themselves the Obituary Society. She also befriends a local handsome lawyer and an awkward single father. When strange occurrences begin happening to Lila at the old house, she learns that not all her new friends have the best of intentions.

I was initially attracted to this novel by its title; The Obituary Society and the eye catching cover image of a woman holding a delicious-looking dessert.

Jessica L. Randall’s humorous writing style and the descriptions of Auburn immediately drew me in. I loved the cozy tight-knit community and its colourful case of characters. Great-Aunt Ada’s friends in the Obituary Society were among my favourite characters and they sure proved the devotion to their friendship. I only wish they would have had a bigger part in the story.

Although I found the mystery interesting, I didn’t particularly like the supernatural occurrences and felt it took away from my enjoyment in this novel. There were also a couple of instances involving bird attacks that made me feel very uncomfortable.

Setting those specific points aside, I found The Obituary Society to be a quick and engaging novel that I would recommend to fans of chick-lit. 

Innocent in Las Vegas (Tiffany Black Mystery #1) by A.R. Winters

Title: Innocent in Las Vegas (Tiffany Black #1)
Author: A.R. Winters
Published: September 2013
Format Read: Kindle for PC, eBook
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Chick Lit
Date Read: August 5 2015
Rating: 3/5

When a Las Vegas casino owner is found dead in his car, his wife (a former stripper) is charged. With everyone turned against her, Sophia is adamant that she didn’t kill her husband. Out on bail and desperate to clear her name, she hires a Private Investigator-in training Tiffany Black to uncover the truth. Readers follow the 28 year old cupcake loving Tiffany as she pieces together what really happened and finds herself in danger along the way.

Innocent in Las Vegas is a contemporary chick lit mystery that got straight to the point of the story early on. The author didn’t waste any time introducing our heroine Tiffany and the details of the murder she is to solve.

As a fan of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series, I was able to pick up on several similarities between her character and Winter’s character. Their writing style also shares the same sarcastic humour, which is something that I enjoy. However as I read along I couldn’t help but make note of these similarities and at times it became a bit irritating for me; the single woman living alone, meddling mother nearby, spunky grandmother just to name a few. Thankfully there were some notable differences that made the reading experience more enjoyable for me. For example: the fact that Tiffany was in training to be a P.I. a career that she was determined to be successful in, the Las Vegas setting and her eagerness to learn and grow despite her fears. All these traits made for an admirable main character.

The mystery itself with the casinos, strippers and money is what I would expect from one set in Las Vegas. It kept my interest throughout and was a quick read. Although I did find it hard to keep the suspects straight because there was so many of them. It was difficult to remember who was who and how they related to the murder victim.

Although I find Winter’s writing style to be enjoyable I am undecided if I will continue with this series. I would recommend it to other fans of this genre. However I think that it would be more enjoyed by someone who has not yet read the Stephanie Plum series.    

Deadly Magic (A Grace Holliday Mystery #1) by Elisabeth Crabtree

Title: Deadly Magic (A Grace Holliday Mystery)
Author: Elisabeth Crabtree
Published: November 2012
Published By: Amazon Digital Services
Format Read: Kindle for PC, eBook
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Contemporary, Chick Lit
Date Read: July 9 2015
Rating: 2.5/5

After working for Straker Toy Company for ten years Grace Holliday never would have imagined that magic (the attraction keeping the company afloat) would take such a deadly turn. To celebrate boss Franklin Straker’s birthday a big party is thrown at a local theater called the Dragon’s Lair, home to world famous magician Ilya Dragovich. As a surprise to her husband, Lily Straker was to return from Europe with a surprise performance which involved being lowered onto the stage from the rafters in silks. Unfortunately things didn’t go as planned and she ended up being hung by the very silks she was suspended from. With an office full of suspects, Grace takes up the task of investigating the suspicious circumstances behind Lily’s death.

There were far too many accidents in too short of a time to be mere coincidences.

Crabtree, Elisabeth (2014-01-10). Deadly Magic (A Grace Holliday Cozy Mystery Book 1) (p. 2).  . Kindle Edition.

This quote alone gives readers a pretty good idea of the direction author Elisabeth Crabtree will take with Deadly Magic. The premise of a magic related mystery caught my attention when I read the synopsis. I looked forward to getting somewhat of a behind the scenes look into how different tricks and illusions are performed. Although we do get a bit of a glimpse the author was careful not to give away too many secrets of the trade. The ugly side of office politics and relationships is also highlighted, adding to the drama and confusion of the storyline.

For a cozy mystery, Deadly Magic had a large cast of characters and suspects. At times this was slightly overwhelming, especially when there was mention of people from the past, who weren’t necessarily featured in the forefront of the plot. Following the main character Grace throughout I had hoped to have a better understanding of who she was and learn more about her background, family and personality. However the focus is more set on the mystery itself and the inner workings of Straker Toy Company. I was able to come to the conclusion that she makes for a terrible investigator. Her loose tongue and trust in everyone blinded her from realizing that the truth was right in front of her the entire time. The longer she took to solve the mystery the more I became exasperated with this character.

Although lacking character development the plot line seemed to go on and on, passing over 300 pages. In my own personal opinion, I feel that it could have been effectively solved in less and perhaps I might have enjoyed it more.

I had a hard time rating this book because it did keep my interest and I wanted to see the mystery solved, yet I didn’t feel a connection to any of the characters. As this is book one in the Grace Holliday series I can only hope that there will be more character development in the next installments. Unfortunately I don’t think my curiosity is strong enough to continue on with the second book.  

Summer at Sea by Beth Labonte

Title: Summer at Sea
Author: Beth Labonte
Published: April 2015
Format Read: Kindle for PC, eBook
Genre: Chick Lit, Comedy, Contemporary Romance
Date Read: June 11 2015
Rating: 5/5

Four jackets of varying weights, enough socks for the entire Confederate Army, three umbrellas, most of the antacid aisle from the local pharmacy, and six pairs of old people sneakers that all look exactly the same.

Have you ever helped your parents pack for a weeklong cruise?

No? I didn't think so. So shut it.

26 year-old Summer Hartwell, is a single school librarian living a home with her over protective parents, without a romantic prospect in sight. To celebrate the success of the fart app that made him a millionaire, her older brother arranges a cruise for the family. Thinking that the only way she will be able to move out of her parent’s house is if she gets married, Summer is determined to find a man on the week long cruise. However, big brother Eric backs out at the last minute and Summer is stuck sharing a suite with his childhood best friend and business partner Graham. Feeling obligated to take care of her senior citizen parents (and not give her mother a nervous breakdown), Summer is certain this trip will be a bust. Meanwhile Graham takes it upon himself to convince her to live a little and try new things, even if her parents won’t approve. After all she is an adult and should feel free to make her own decisions. 

Summer’s parents were older when she was born and raised her to be very sheltered. As a result she was always too afraid to try anything wild or fun, because she knew they wouldn’t approve. From making her wear a sweater on the beach to thinking they will get some sort of illness from the boats buffet, it was just one thing after another. I burst out laughing every time Mrs. Hartwell would refer to people who do certain things (like ride jet skis or get tattoos) as assholes. Meanwhile Summer beings to learn that deep down her father would really like to live a little and Graham helps to encourage him to do things he’s never done before.   I found myself rooting as Mr Hartwell came out of his shell, much to his wife’s dismay. 

I haven’t had this much fun reading a book in a long time. Between Summer’s complete lack of judgement with men to her parents paranoid escapades, Beth Labonte had me laughing from page one. Although there is some romance, this story is more about Summer’s journey to independence. It was interesting learning how much she is sacrificed for her parents and how she learns to be more independent.  

Summer at Sea is the second book by Beth Labonte, I have read. The previous book I read is called What Stays in Vegas. After reading these two different stories, one thing I found to be similar was the fact that both main characters were very relatable to me. I definitely share a sarcastic sense of humour with Summer. However the most ironic thing of all Is that fact that I am getting ready to go on vacation with my own parents.. and we are going on a boat! Thankfully my parents are very different and not as paranoid as Summer’s. 

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a funny beach (or cruise) read. Summer at Sea is a book I would read again and again. I’m looking forward to seeing what this author comes up with next.