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A review by blogginboutbooks
To Kill a Mocking Girl by Harper Kincaid
4.0
I'm picky about the cozy mysteries I read and, to be honest, I'm still on the fence about this series. There are definitely things I liked about the first installment, including the charming setting and the warmth I felt between the main characters. I love that the Cains are a strong family that can tease, support, and count on each other. That was, by far, my favorite part of TO KILL A MOCKING GIRL.
As for irritants ... I'm pretty lukewarm when it comes to our heroine. She's not very convincing as a book binder or a person with "encyclopedic" knowledge. She seems like an immature ditz to me. Quinn IS likable, but she's also just ... annoying. Her leading man is easier to take although he suffers from a nice-guy blandness that is common in cozy mysteries. Plot-wise, the story is far-fetched (also common in a cozy—genre lovers know you've got to seriously suspend your disbelief in order to enjoy them), contrived in places, and overall rather slow. The characters' relationships take precedence over the mystery, which isn't a bad thing, but it doesn't exactly make for edge-of-your-seat action. I guessed the cause of death right off the bat—it seemed pretty obvious. The killer, however, came as a surprise, but only because there were no real clues pointing to him/her. I actually hate that in a mystery since it feels like the author is cheating instead of taking the time to carefully craft a clever plot.
So, like I said, I'm feeling so-so about this one. I'll probably continue with the series because the opener was upbeat and entertaining enough to keep me reading. I'm not chomping at the bit, though. If I could, I would give this book 3 1/2 stars. Since I can't, I'm rounding up.
As for irritants ... I'm pretty lukewarm when it comes to our heroine. She's not very convincing as a book binder or a person with "encyclopedic" knowledge. She seems like an immature ditz to me. Quinn IS likable, but she's also just ... annoying. Her leading man is easier to take although he suffers from a nice-guy blandness that is common in cozy mysteries. Plot-wise, the story is far-fetched (also common in a cozy—genre lovers know you've got to seriously suspend your disbelief in order to enjoy them), contrived in places, and overall rather slow. The characters' relationships take precedence over the mystery, which isn't a bad thing, but it doesn't exactly make for edge-of-your-seat action. I guessed the cause of death right off the bat—it seemed pretty obvious. The killer, however, came as a surprise, but only because there were no real clues pointing to him/her. I actually hate that in a mystery since it feels like the author is cheating instead of taking the time to carefully craft a clever plot.
So, like I said, I'm feeling so-so about this one. I'll probably continue with the series because the opener was upbeat and entertaining enough to keep me reading. I'm not chomping at the bit, though. If I could, I would give this book 3 1/2 stars. Since I can't, I'm rounding up.