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: Thanksgiving Turkey Tragedy (A Lexy Baker Holiday Novella) by Leighann Dobbs

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Cozy Mystery Book Review Thanksgiving Turkey Tragedy (A Lexy Baker Holiday Novella) by Leighann Dobbs
Thanksgiving Turkey Tragedy (A Lexy Baker Holiday Novella) by Leighann Dobbs opens at a turkey farm and various turkeys talking to one another about the one who was chosen for the Thanksgiving Dinner. When their roosting branch collapsed, it kills the owner, and the turkeys escape. Will Lexy Baker be able to find the killer?

This novella was the perfect story to read before Thanksgiving. At first, I thought the entire story was going to be told from the turkeys perspectives, but it wasn't. Right off the bat, we know the tree branch broke under the weight of the turkeys roosting on it and is the reason the farmer died. However, there are boot prints near the body, so it doesn't look like an accident.

Dobbs does an excellent job of throwing suspicion on several characters, which had me doubting myself on who might have sawed the branch to weaken it. I ended up being partially correct on who was involved.

The majority of the characters are likable, but there are a few that do get on my nerves at times. The end of the novella, closes with a scene of the escaped turkeys gathered together with some wild turkeys. I won't say more than that, but the ending was super cute.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and gave Thanksgiving Turkey Tragedy (A Lexy Baker Holiday Novella) by Leighann Dobbs four out of five stars.

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