sarah_of_bramblewood's review against another edition
1.0
If I wasn’t compelled to finish every book I start, I would have given up on this one.
This was such a weird “cozy”. It seemed like it was written by someone who doesn’t really get the genre. It was set by a quaint lake in a small town, but didn’t have any of the cozy vibes you’d expect. The characters were often nasty and unlikeable. They broke the law repeatedly to gather information. The mystery itself was weird and thin.
SPOILERS AHEAD
There just weren’t many characters other than the main cast of sleuths so who was left to be the villain? Partially, the one they suspected all along (along with his coworker). Where’s the fun in that?? And then they try to redeem him? Just so odd.
The main character decides the victim was murdered because she was wearing a color she wouldn’t be caught dead in. Ok, whatever. Cheesy but I let it pass. Then it turns out the murderer changed the victim’s clothes because she’d stabbed her in the heart and there was blood all over. She thought if she got rid of the blood they wouldn’t do an autopsy so wouldn’t know there was foul play. Ok wait. So they’re just going to bury her in those clothes when they inevitably find the body floating in the lake? Of course someone will remove the clothes, see a puncture wound and know she was murdered! So stupid!
Then this cast of sleuths turns up in a cabin when their friend is in trouble, but did they call the cops first? No. Of course not. They all just show up with no plan and end up getting (briefly) held hostage in this cabin. I’m not even going to go into the justification for the murder or the idiotic love triangle (or maybe it was a square?).
It was all just too stupid for words. I couldn’t wait to be done with this book. Definitely won’t be reading any more.
This was such a weird “cozy”. It seemed like it was written by someone who doesn’t really get the genre. It was set by a quaint lake in a small town, but didn’t have any of the cozy vibes you’d expect. The characters were often nasty and unlikeable. They broke the law repeatedly to gather information. The mystery itself was weird and thin.
SPOILERS AHEAD
There just weren’t many characters other than the main cast of sleuths so who was left to be the villain? Partially, the one they suspected all along (along with his coworker). Where’s the fun in that?? And then they try to redeem him? Just so odd.
The main character decides the victim was murdered because she was wearing a color she wouldn’t be caught dead in. Ok, whatever. Cheesy but I let it pass. Then it turns out the murderer changed the victim’s clothes because she’d stabbed her in the heart and there was blood all over. She thought if she got rid of the blood they wouldn’t do an autopsy so wouldn’t know there was foul play. Ok wait. So they’re just going to bury her in those clothes when they inevitably find the body floating in the lake? Of course someone will remove the clothes, see a puncture wound and know she was murdered! So stupid!
Then this cast of sleuths turns up in a cabin when their friend is in trouble, but did they call the cops first? No. Of course not. They all just show up with no plan and end up getting (briefly) held hostage in this cabin. I’m not even going to go into the justification for the murder or the idiotic love triangle (or maybe it was a square?).
It was all just too stupid for words. I couldn’t wait to be done with this book. Definitely won’t be reading any more.
diannel_04's review against another edition
1.0
The quote is what made me stop reading this book. They are spoken by a lawyer with an Italian name but practicing in the US. "I canna explain to you everything atta the reading of the will, but assa I said to you it's a substantial sum of money. Plussa you have the house."
There was much more like this in the first 15 pages but that was the one that ended it for me. I have a real problem with bad stereotyping and this feels like the author is almost racist in her depictions. Anyway, I got 15 pages in and knew I could read no more.
There was much more like this in the first 15 pages but that was the one that ended it for me. I have a real problem with bad stereotyping and this feels like the author is almost racist in her depictions. Anyway, I got 15 pages in and knew I could read no more.
swt's review against another edition
2.0
Not a great cozy. Audio version wasn’t enjoyable at all. Wasn’t crazy about characters or plot.
ssejig's review against another edition
1.0
I saw this book as an ebook in my local library and thought I'd start a new series. I gave it 50 pages and then had to put it down. The writing style was just uncomfortable for me. I'm not sure if it was translated from another language but it just didn't flow well with alternating long, flowing sentences and then very short simple sentences. Over and over again and it just made it too hard to keep going.
annarella's review against another edition
5.0
It was a very enjoyable and fun read and I laughed loud a lot of time. I look forward to reading further instalment in this series.
This book is a page turner, it's a bit slow at the beginning but when it starts going it's fast paced and full of funny situations.
I loved the realistic description of the family and the Italians involved in the plot. It's not easy to describe and Italian family in a humorous way without turning everything into a caricature.
There's a mix of mystery and women's fiction and I appreciated the tender look on the characters.
The plot is sound, no plot hole, and it kept me guessing till the end.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for this ARC
This book is a page turner, it's a bit slow at the beginning but when it starts going it's fast paced and full of funny situations.
I loved the realistic description of the family and the Italians involved in the plot. It's not easy to describe and Italian family in a humorous way without turning everything into a caricature.
There's a mix of mystery and women's fiction and I appreciated the tender look on the characters.
The plot is sound, no plot hole, and it kept me guessing till the end.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for this ARC
dollycas's review against another edition
4.0
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Most of us hope we have a long lost relative that will leave us a fortune. Well, Alberta Scaglione thought she knew her aunt quite well, but was totally surprised to find she had quite a nest egg and a house on the lake in Tranquility, New Jersey. Even more surprising was she left it all to Alberta. Alberta and her cat quickly moved to the house on Memory Lake. The view was idyllic until it was marred by a dead body in the lake. The dead body of someone she knows.
Alberta’s relationship with her daughter has always been strained. Her daughter and her family moved to Florida several years ago and have never come back, even for a visit, so Alberta is thrilled when her granddaughter accepts a job nearby as a journalist. Her dream is to be a hard news crime reporter so she jumps at the chance to team up with her grandmother on a little murder investigation of their own. But will they take it a step too far and put themselves in danger??
Our protagonist is an Italian grandmother and she doesn’t let her age get in the way of doing what she wants. Alberta and her granddaughter Jinx take on a lot to solve this murder mystery. Alberta knew it was murder way before the police did, she even had to point out the clues to her old friend, Chief Vinny D’Angelo. To get close to her suspects and to get information Alberta takes a job where the victim worked. She and Jinx come up with some zany ideas. They even get Alberta’s sister, a former nun, and sister-in-law, who they like much more than their brother, involved in their plans. This is a wonderful group of core characters. They have depth but the author has left them plenty of room to grow as the series continues.
Mr. Griffo has written an elaborate mystery with twists and turns and a unique motive. Several characters seem to have had means and opportunity but the motive seems to be the same. Watching the ladies try to figure out the victim’s “collection” was so enjoyable and at times really funny and sometimes scary. I liked that they sometimes split up or worked in pairs to do their inquiries and they met around the kitchen table to share their findings and theories. Like any Italian family food and drink was also involved, but Jinx trying to make Alberta’s recipes more health conscious was an epic fail 🙂 Sometimes their ideas were pretty out there. I had zeroed in on the killer just before Alberta but the way the ending played out was very exciting.
I liked the bits of Italian we learn throughout the story. The dialogue ran true and always had a nice flow.
Tranquility, New Jersey sounds like a really nice place to vacay. I sure enjoyed my first visit.
Most of us hope we have a long lost relative that will leave us a fortune. Well, Alberta Scaglione thought she knew her aunt quite well, but was totally surprised to find she had quite a nest egg and a house on the lake in Tranquility, New Jersey. Even more surprising was she left it all to Alberta. Alberta and her cat quickly moved to the house on Memory Lake. The view was idyllic until it was marred by a dead body in the lake. The dead body of someone she knows.
Alberta’s relationship with her daughter has always been strained. Her daughter and her family moved to Florida several years ago and have never come back, even for a visit, so Alberta is thrilled when her granddaughter accepts a job nearby as a journalist. Her dream is to be a hard news crime reporter so she jumps at the chance to team up with her grandmother on a little murder investigation of their own. But will they take it a step too far and put themselves in danger??
Our protagonist is an Italian grandmother and she doesn’t let her age get in the way of doing what she wants. Alberta and her granddaughter Jinx take on a lot to solve this murder mystery. Alberta knew it was murder way before the police did, she even had to point out the clues to her old friend, Chief Vinny D’Angelo. To get close to her suspects and to get information Alberta takes a job where the victim worked. She and Jinx come up with some zany ideas. They even get Alberta’s sister, a former nun, and sister-in-law, who they like much more than their brother, involved in their plans. This is a wonderful group of core characters. They have depth but the author has left them plenty of room to grow as the series continues.
Mr. Griffo has written an elaborate mystery with twists and turns and a unique motive. Several characters seem to have had means and opportunity but the motive seems to be the same. Watching the ladies try to figure out the victim’s “collection” was so enjoyable and at times really funny and sometimes scary. I liked that they sometimes split up or worked in pairs to do their inquiries and they met around the kitchen table to share their findings and theories. Like any Italian family food and drink was also involved, but Jinx trying to make Alberta’s recipes more health conscious was an epic fail 🙂 Sometimes their ideas were pretty out there. I had zeroed in on the killer just before Alberta but the way the ending played out was very exciting.
I liked the bits of Italian we learn throughout the story. The dialogue ran true and always had a nice flow.
Tranquility, New Jersey sounds like a really nice place to vacay. I sure enjoyed my first visit.
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