M.V. Byrne

When I saw the cover of this cozy mystery, I knew it would be absolutelly perfect for my Anglophile mother. And because we believe in "pre-enjoying" book gifts, I immediately cracked it open myself. It is a nice story with an interesting cast of characters on two sides of the Atlantic. It is the third book in the Mitten State Mystery series, and it might be best to have the background from the first two books before diving into this one.

Isabel Puddles is a widow from Gull Harbor, Michigan. She has a comfortable life and friends in her small town but there are things she's always wanted to do and places she's always wanted to see that she now has time for. One of those things is going to England to visit her penpal and friend, well known mystery author (and professor) Teddy Mansfield. He's invited her to stay in the carriage house at his home in the Cornish village of Mousehole. Isabel is excited by her trip both to see a friend and for the budding potential for more but really she's just delighted to live her life a little bigger than she has in the past. When she gets to England, she gets to know Teddy's sister Matilde, his housekeeper Tuppence, and the people in the village as well as all of the petty squabbles, long histories, and rivalries amongst them. Not surprisingly, when a cantankerous villager is found murdered and buried in her own garden after possibly sabotaging her competition in the village bake-off so she could win for yet another year, as an outsider, Isabel can make and see connections between people that others can't, while she works to solve the murder.

Isabel is a congenial character who easily and unconsciously wins over most of the other characters immediately. Since she has a history of successfully solving other murders in her own town, her credentials as an amateur sleuth are accepted without question in Mousehole. The police keep her abreast of the investigation and people answer her questions with few or no reservations. The whole novel is gentle and easy to read. The story is a slow meander through quirky characters and village politics (with a small p) and the murder doesn't happen until quite far into the book. It's a quaint read filled with delicious sounding scones, inquisitive corgis, and appealing British scenery to the point it's almost a cliche. For those times that you need an easy and uncomplicated read, or if you're a lover of cozy mysteries, this might be the read for you.… (plus d'informations)

verbal-humor, England, family, family-dynamics, famous-author, small-town, siblings****

Isabel is a widow (and amateur sleuth) with grown children who live on opposite coasts while she chooses to stay in her hometown in downstate Michigan with all her friends and cousins. But she's always wanted to see London. Now she has been invited by her friend/mystery author/professor for a visit. Her family makes arrangements and off she goes. But friend has a mix-up with his work schedule, so she spends most of the visit in beautiful Cornwall with Teddy's friends and family. It's all so different (that line about two countries separated by a common language comes to mind) with squabbles and such. But then an obnoxious neighbor is found planted in her own garden and Isabel's prowess as a sleuth is proven once again! Loved this laugh riot!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Kensington Books/Kensington Cozies via NetGalley. Thank you!… (plus d'informations)

situational-humor, verbal-humor, sly-humor, sleuthing-seniors, small-town, Michigan, private-investigators*****

I laughed my sox off with all the Milwaukee bashing! Sounds like us bashing Chicago! Teeheehee.
Isabel is a widow with grown children living on opposite coasts while she chooses to stay in her home town with all her friends and cousins. Most of the characters in the town are just plain folks but there is the snooty estate on the edge of town that looms large in size and local lore. Because she solved a murder before, she followed the encouragement of others, got her PI license, and is working on a degree in criminal justice while also working part-time in cousin's hardware store.
Enter the eccentric and very wealthy recluse from that estate nearby who actively encourages odd gossip to keep people away. The woman wants Isabel to do a bit of sleuthing, and it's very unusual. The whole is very Midwest small town with great characters, plot twists, and more (but no spoilers). Loved this laugh riot!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!… (plus d'informations)

Meet Isabel Puddles by M.V. Byrne is a new cozy mystery featuring widow Isabel Puddles. She is active in her community and knows everyone (along with their stories). We get detailed information on Isabel and what seems like everyone she knows. It felt like an information dump in the beginning with all the details. I did not feel we needed a life history on Isabel (not in the first book) and anyone who lived or worked nearby (it was too much). There are some interesting and quirky characters in the story. I enjoyed the humorous moments which had me laughing. The vivid depictions of the town allowed me to visualize it. It took a bit to get to the mystery (we are busy getting to know Isabel). There are multiple suspects in the whodunit. Isabel works her way through each one. I wish the whodunit had been more of a challenge. Identifying the guilty party is a piece of cake even with the number of suspects. The mystery is not at the forefront of the story. Just when I would start to get into the whodunit, Isabel would launch into one of her tales (she has so many of them). We follow Isabel and the sheriff as they investigate Carl’s death. I do like how it all comes together at the end. The author needs to find a balance between too much information and too little. I cannot imagine what else there is to learn about Isabel. It seems that we know everything about her. I thought the pacing of the story was slow and the story felt like it dragged on forever. I really struggled to finish Meet Isabel Puddles. There were some bright moments that I truly enjoyed. I hope there are more of them in future books. This is just the first book in A Mitten State Mystery series. We must wait to see how the series develops as well as the author’s writing. Meet Isabel Puddles has potential with its interesting main character, quirky residents, and charming town.… (plus d'informations)