Book Review: Murder at the PTA (Maya and Sandra Mystery, #1) by Lee Hollis

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Murder at the PTA (Maya and Sandra Mystery, #1) by Lee Hollis is the first installment in the Maya and Sandra Mystery series, a cozy mystery series centered on private investigators. The story follows Sandra Wallage , the wife of a U.S. senator and the newly elected president of Portland High School’s PTA, who becomes the latest target of a vicious gossip website called Dirty Laundry . After a heated PTA meeting, Sandra crosses paths with Maya Kendrick , a private investigator who has uncovered the identity of the person behind the gossip site. When the two women attempt to confront the culprit, they instead discover a dead body. Was it really a suicide, or did someone have a motive for murder? I’m a longtime fan of books by Lee Hollis , which is actually the pen name for sibling writing duo Rick Copp and Holly Simason . They’ve written several cozy mystery series, and what I appreciate most about their books is that they aren’t overly kitschy, unlike some other cozy mysteries I’ve ...
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Book Review: Public Anchovy #1 (Deep Dish Mysteries, #3) by Mindy Quigley

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netgalley book review public anchovy #1 deep dish mysteries 3 mindy quigley
Public Anchovy #1 (Deep Dish Mysteries, #3) by Mindy Quigley was published on December 26, 2023 and opens with Delilah O'Leary on her way to a library fundraiser where she's providing the catering.  Of course, everything that can go wrong does go wrong . . . a last minute guest has a special dietary request . . . no gluten, no dairy, and no nightshade foods.  Upon arriving at the Prohibition themed dinner, one of the guests falls down the stairs and dies.  Then, a storm takes out the power, causing most of the guests and staff to be trapped in the remote mansion.  Can Delilah use her skills to deduce what happened?

I received an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Public Anchovy #1 from NetGalley for free in exchange for my honest review.  Thrilled, excited, and delighted were just a few of the words I can use to describe how I felt when I found out I was approved to receive this advanced copy.

Although the story started off a bit slow, it picked up quickly when the first person dies in the book.  I found myself rushing through the story trying to figure out who the culprit was, and I was delightfully surprised.  The author had quite a few red herrings and did a fabulous job of throwing me off.  Mindy Quigley actually reminded me a bit of a modern day Agatha Christie in her writing of Public Anchovy #1, which made the story even more interesting to me.  When the big reveal came about, I thought I should have realized who the killer, or killers, were.

When I requested this book, I didn't realize that it was the third book in a series.  Had I known, I would've made sure to read the first two books in the series before reading this installment.  It would've helped me understand the backstory a bit more.  Don't get me wrong, the author does provide some of the backstory, but I wish there had been a little more of that in the beginning.

All in all, I loved this story and can't wait to read more in the series.  In fact, I plan on reading the first two books to tie me over until the author comes out with a fourth installment, which I do see coming because there was a minor cliffhanger . . . don't worry, all the ends were tied up with the mystery.  Four out of five stars is what I give Public Anchovy #1 (Deep Dish Mysteries, #3) by Mindy Quigley.

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