Reviews

Mindful of Murder, by Susan Juby

Only show reviews with written explanations

jhurdman's review against another edition

Go to review page

mysterious

5.0

catechism's review

Go to review page

3.0

3.5, rounded down. Mainly this book made me miss my Vancouver BFF, whom I haven't seen since Before. As for the book itself, I enjoyed a lot of the characters despite the self-conscious Quirkiness but the pacing of the mystery was a bit frustrating. Having lived with Buddhist nuns, it does seem to me like having one of them trying to investigate a crime would go pretty much like this, but "I don't ask questions and instead remain open to possibility" is a hard sell for the MC of a mystery. I think it can be done, but this book wasn't quite there. Enjoyable enough for mornings with coffee and a cat, though.

toadstool11's review

Go to review page

mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

anjreading's review

Go to review page

4.0

A refreshing cozy mystery featuring an unflappable main character, Helen, who is newly graduated from butler school and is a former Buddhist nun. When Edna, the owner of a spiritual retreat Helen previously worked at, dies unexpectedly, Helen fulfills Edna's wishes by hosting four of Edna's relatives at the retreat, putting them through the three most popular courses (flower-arranging, dance, and meditation) to determine who is best suited to take over running the retreat. Helen is a remote yet very likable character as she tries to solve the mystery of Edna's death, and the large supporting cast is outstanding. There are funny and poignant moments in the book, and I found myself thinking about mindfulness and equanimity much more than usual while I was reading it.

booksnacks's review

Go to review page

3.0

I'm finding myself waffling between a 2.5-3 for this one. Mindful of Murder is a cozy crime that really focuses on the cozy- we have a wealthy older woman who dies mysteriously, leaving behind even more mysterious instructions for her former butler Helen. Helen was an interesting and fun character to read from. She remains calm at almost all times, and her candor is impeccable. When she finds out her former employer has passed away, she gathers her two other recent graduate butler friends and whisks them away to a remote British Columbia island to vet an heir to a retreat Edna loved.

There are a wide variety of characters and I was charmed for the first while, enraptured by Helen and the introduction of the retreat. However, I found myself bored about halfway through until almost the end once the classes the potential heirs were partaking in began. We read from multiple character perspectives, and I didn't really enjoy any but Helen's. The mystery aspect was also very slow, and I was more intrigued in that than anything else happening.

Overall, a great idea for a cozy crime, but the execution didn't enthrall me throughout. I'd definitely try some of the author's other books though as others seem to really enjoy them.