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: Stage Fright by Wendy Parris

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Stage Fright by Wendy Parris is a locked room mystery for middle grade readers. It opens with twelve year old Avery returning to her old neighborhood for two weeks to visit her friends only to realize they've changed and grown up. To prove that she's grown up too, Avery suggests holding a séance at their deserted theater that has a reputation of being haunted. It starts out as all fun and games . . . until they get trapped in the building and realize they're not alone.

NetGalley, thank you for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Stage Fright by Wendy Parris.  I was intrigued by the cover and synopsis and was delighted to be approved to read this story.  I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

This book brought back a lot of memories from my childhood about how my friends and I would ride our bikes, play in the woods, and play kickball and tag.  It also made me think about all the Point Horror books I read in middle school and how much I loved them.  I can definitely say that this story ranks high with me, and kids who like suspense and horror should enjoy reading it. (And, if you know of a reluctant reader who likes to be "scared", this is a book that should be recommended.)

Wendy Parris is spot on with her descriptions of how kids act at 11-14 years of age. It surprised me to be honest but in a good way! And, honestly, the parents reactions at the end were pretty spot on as well. The writing was exceptional and made me want to keep reading throughout the night without stopping. The only thing that could have made it better was if there was a thunderstorm outside while I was reading Stage Fright. This author is such a fantastic story teller.

Even though I am an adult and not the target audience, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and would read more books by the author. I will definitely be suggesting this book to teachers and parents so they can see if this is something their kids might like. I only have positive things to say about Stage Fright by Wendy Parris and give it five out of five stars.


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