A very fun read. I highly recommended it. Love that the main character is a grown, woman. The plot was good and the mystery kept me turning the pages.

This is the first in a series. Sophie Kimball works as account clerk for a Minnesota police department and her mother thinks Phee (her nickname) is the one to help solve the mystery of a cursed book. Harriet her mother is convinced that the book is cursed as four members of her book club have been “struck” down. Phee talks to a detective she knows and she decides to head down to her Mother’s retirement community in Arizona to check things out. I liked Sophie and could relate as she is older than a lot of other heroines in mystery series. Her mother and dog were hilarious and I found this to be a fast and engaging read. On to the next in the series.

I read this book for a facebook bookclub I am in, and am so glad I did. Sophie, aka Phee, gets a frantic call from her mother. The book they are reading for their bookclub is cursed and she wants Sophie to come out to Arizona and help her find out what is going on. Sophie is not a cop, but works for the Mankao Minnesota police department. With reluctance, off she goes. Phee didn't really know where to begin, but using the information her mother has already gathered, she was able to make a plan. Occasionally getting help from her friend Nate, who is a police detective, she stumbles onto clues, and begins to figure out what is going on.

I loved the relationship between Phee and her mom, Harriet. They still had the mom/daughter thing going on, some times with her mom treating her like a child. Harriet was a senior who had moved to Arizona and all the stereotypes of retirees moving south were there. She lived in a community with other seniors, ate early, had a schedule that she did not want to change, and knew everything about everyone else. She was a hoot. I loved how Nate and Phee would share information long distance and that he would be the one to pull in his contacts. He was also 20 years older and a mentor, not a love interest, in fact, there is no romantic overtones in the book at all, which was refreshing. The end of the book where the reveal came about was pretty funny in itself and not the person I though was involved, in fact, not the person Phee thought either. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series. If you like cozy mysteries with quirky characters and humor, then you will enjoy this book.

I liked this first book in a new series. Phee's mother is sure the book her book club is reading is cursed and killing members of the club. Phee works in the police station in Minnesota as a accountant, but her mother is sure she can come to Arizona and solve the crimes. Since she has some vacation she visits her mother and sets out investigating. I enjoyed the characters and the Sun City West, Arizona setting. I liked the relationship between Phee and her mother. It is not a perfect relationship but they do care about each other. The authors do a good job with the setting. You can practically feel the desert heat. Even though it takes place in a retirement the characters are not cliches. The mystery was good and it did make sense. The ending and revelation did get a little unbelievable. I look for word to reading the next one. Enjoy

I enjoyed the plot, characters, and location of the story. This is a first in the series of the Sofie Kimball Mystery series. Sofie, a.k.a. Phee is an accountant at a police department in Minnesota that gets roped into investigating recent deaths among her mother's book club in a suburb of Phoenix, Arizona. Even though, Phee didn't get it solved correctly, she did uncover what happened by the end of the story. The authors were able to capture the Arizona retirement community lifestyle and thought processes of many that have relocated to that state. No one wants to return to the snow for any given amount of time. I am looking forward to the next installment in December. Thank-you netgalley.

Sophie “Phee” Kimball works in accounts payable for the police department in Minnesota. The only investigating she does is hunting down receipts for expense reports, but that doesn't stop her mother from assuming that she can solve the curse that is killing her fellow book club members. She begs Phee to come to Sun City West, Arizona before any more members wind up dead. Phee tries to calm her mother and put off the visit until the holidays but Harriet demands she come to Arizona immediately. After to talking to Nate, one of the local detectives she heads to Arizona, knowing he's willing to help her over the phone when she finds any clues or needs his help.

The story is well written with lots of red herrings. The story took several different twists and turns on the route to the big public reveal. This was a fun fast paced mystery with captivating characters.

I got an ARC of this book from netgalley and Kensington Publishing.

The relationship between the main character Sophie and her mum Harriet is so much fun! I found myself chuckling along at their interactions and not wanting the story to end.

Any book involving books will always be on my list of books I WILL get to very soon and I thoroughly enjoyed this wander to Arizona, settling in to pretend I'm with them in the warmth but knowing I ain't gonna get murdered and if I am, they can help find the killer.

Book 2 is waiting on my kindle, yay!

*Huge thanks to J.C. Eaton, Kensington Books and NetGalley for this copy which I chose to read and all opinions are my own*

Sophie Kimball lives in Minnesota and her mother lives in Arizona. When members of her mother's book club start to die, the group thinks the book they are reading is cursed. Sophie goes to Arizona to investigate and manages to find out some of the pieces of the puzzle.
The story is interesting, but the book goes on too long. I got to a point where I was skimming because I wanted to find out the ending but I was tired of the slow pace and the drama.

Loved Sophie Kimball! Great first book in a series. Having to go to Arizona on the crazy whim of her mother is not Sophie's idea of a vacation. Her mother is convinced there is a book curse causing members of her book club to die. Now Sophie has to play sleuth to find out. A wonderful story that mystery readers will want to read. The next one is on my must-read list.

Sophie (Phee) Kimball works at a small police department in Minnesota. Her mom, Harriet, situated in a common snowbird area of Arizona, begs her to come down and help investigate a deadly curse. I really liked Phee and Harriet's relationship and how even though it sounds nutty on the surface, Phee was willing to head down to Sun City West to help her out.

Sophie "Phee" Kimball works at a Minnesota police department. She might just be in accounting, but that doesn't stop her mother, Harriet, from begging Phee to investigate a case. Harriet resides in Sun City West, Arizona and is convinced that the members of her book group are currently reading a cursed novel. In fact, a few of them have unfortunately already passed away. Knowing she will never hear the end of it and slightly intrigued by the circumstances, Phee heads down to put her mother's mind at ease. Little does she know that this active retirement community is home to quite a few secrets.

I was excited when I first heard about this new cozy series. You don't find many that take place in Arizona nor do you come across a lot that involve senior citizens. Both aspects were represented well in this book. I also enjoyed the fact that the main character is slightly older than the normal sleuth. There also wasn't any storyline that revolved around a love interest. I know that is a huge plus for some readers. The residents were definitely unique and fun throughout the entire book. The typical quirks and characteristics of retirement communities was used as a great comic relief and had me chuckling numerous times.

I was a tad let down by the mystery. There were a lot of characters to keep straight and the storyline might have come across better if the focus would have been narrowed down a bit. It also tended to be a bit repetitive. Phee went to the pool and the dog park a lot!! I found it odd that the police weren't involved until the very end too.

The sequel, Ditched 4 Murder, is set up nicely at the end of the story and the book does include a sneak peek at the first chapter.

Synopsis

Sophie “Phee” Kimball is not a cop. She’s a divorced, middle-aged mom who works as an account clerk for the police department in a small city in Minnesota. But her retired mother, Harriet Plunkett, is convinced Phee is the only one who can solve the mystery of a cursed book. According to Harriet, four members of her book club have already succumbed to the deadly curse. Harriet insists Phee catch the next plane to her retirement community in Sun City West, Arizona, to investigate.

Phee is certain that their book club selection isn’t cursed, but is somebody really knocking off the ladies? As Phee starts to uncover dark secrets hidden in plain sight under the blazing Arizona sun, she’ll need to read between the lines before it’s someone else’s final chapter....

Book Review  

This book is perfect for the over 55 crowd and anyone connected with them. The authors nailed it. Lots of twists and the culprit I guessed early on, turned out to be someone totally different. If you're to know what goes on in a senior community anywhere in the country, this is the book to read. Great first book in a series. I truly enjoyed it, especially since the MC is from Minnesota.  This is book I could relate to, understand and truly get.  You will love it!!

New cozy series set in a retirement community in Arizona. Is the unknown book cursed or is it murder?
Goodreads

First I would like to thank Netgalley and Kensington books for this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

I really enjoyed this cute, cozy mystery. Phee flies to Arizona to check on her Mom after hearing that book club members are dying from reading a cursed book. With good instincts and help from her detective friend back home she figures out who dun it.
I loved the play between Phee and her Mom, and I think there is something brewing between Phee and her friend back home.

This was a delightful story and I will definitely look for more books from this author.

Eaton's new series explores a series of accidental deaths - or are they murders? - in a southwestern retirement community. Sophie's administrative job in her town's police department convinces her mother that she is the one to come and solve the crimes surrounding a mysterious "cursed" book club. This novel had lots of twists and turns, and Eaton did an excellent job creating a conclusion that satisfactorily connected all the dots. There were lots of outrageous characters and scenarios, which lent character to the novel.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Oh my word! This is a wonderful debut!

Sophie “Phee” Kimball works for the police department in Minnesota in the office. The only detecting she does is hunting down receipts for expense reports but her dear mother assumes that she can kill the curse that is killing members of her book club. She begs her daughter to come to Sun City West, Arizona before another member ends up dead. Phee tries to calm her mother and put her off until the holidays but Harriet demands her presence immediately. After to talking to one of the local detectives she decides to head to Arizona, knowing he will be able to sort out any details she does find. Hopefully she can close the book on this mystery and get back to her own life in the “star of the north”.

I liked Phee right away but it took a bit for Harriet to grow on me. The way she expected her daughter to drop everything to do something she had no experience in was a little off putting but truthfully there are many moms in the world that expect their children to do the same, maybe not solve murders but handle many other issues. After the first couple of chapters some of Harriet’s requests were pretty funny. But that woman is PUSHY and extremely demanding.

Sun City West, Arizona is a retirement community and made for a very interesting setting. The early dinners, bingo games, clubs, and movies all ring true to the lives of the some senior citizens I know. It also gave Phee places to meet the suspects on her growing list as she tried to disprove all her mother’s theories. I found it delightful that she came up with her own version of a “murder board” to keep tracks of everyone and how they were connected as she tried to figure out what was really going on.

The story was very well written with a plethora of red herrings. I figured out a tiny part of the mystery early on but I uncovered the rest right along with Phee. I appreciated the fact that she knew she needed help to tie all the loose ends together and reached out to the detective and his techy friend back home. Even long distance the three of them made a great team. This story took several different tangents in the route to the big reveal and it truly was a very big public reveal.

The authors have laid a great foundation for this series. Plenty of room for the main characters to become more fully defined. The setting also gives the possibility of many supporting characters and mysteries.

A fine mystery filled with captivating characters and just enough humor to tickle your funny bone. I am very excited for the next installment, Ditched 4 Murder will be out November 28, 2017.

J.C. Eaton's Booked 4 Murder is the first book in the Sophie Kimball Mystery series. Sophie/Phee is an accountant for a police department in Minnosota. Her mother calls asking her to come to Arizona and help her book club with a "cursed" book that causing the deaths of those who read it. Phee's mother is a handful to put it nicely so Phee has little choice but to give in. This is a nice start to a new cozy series. I would like to see Phee become a stronger character and her mother toned down a notch or two. It has potential, and I look forward to the second book.

Booked 4 Murder by J. C. Eaton is the first book in A Sophie Kimball Mystery series. Sophie “Phee” Kimball is at work (Accounts Receivable Department at the Mankato Police Department) when she receives a call from her mother, Harriet Plunkett. Phee’s mother claims that the book, The Twelfth Arrondissement is cursed. It is the current selection being read by her book club, Booked 4 Murder. Three members of the book group have already died. She wants Phee to fly to Arizona and figure out what is happening (and she will not take no for an answer) before the curse kills off more of the group. Before Phee can decide, Harriet calls about a fourth woman succumbing to the “curse”. After consulting with her friend, Detective Nate Williams, Phee heads to Sun City West, Arizona. Phee arrives and hears about a fifth member of the book club who almost died from carbon monoxide poisoning. What is going on? Phee hits the ground running with her investigation. She digs into the various members deaths, queries the local librarian on how the books are chosen for the book club, and searches for information on the author of The Twelfth Arrondissement. Phee only has one week before she needs to return to work (if she can survive the heat). Can Phee discover what is happening to the members of Booked 4 Death before someone else is hurt and curse fever takes over the town?

Booked 4 Murder sounded entertaining, but I had a hard time wading through it. I found the pace slow (glacial) and the writing flat. The characters were not fleshed out and given life. Phee’s characters do not go with her profession (that are mentioned early in the book about her). Normally, an accountant is organized and detail oriented (good at taking notes). Phee’s character seemed contradictory. The only character I cared about was Detective Nate Williams (shame he was not featured more prominently). The mother was over-the-top and annoying (her dog, Streetman was obnoxious). I found items to be repeated several times throughout the story. Mentioned most frequently is that Phee is not a detective and how she cannot stand the heat (it was exasperating). There are also a couple of outdated references in the book. I did enjoy the Agatha Christie references throughout the story. My rating for Booked 4 Murder is 2.5 out of 5 stars (I am being a little generous since this is a first book by these writers). The mystery had several moving parts. I would say more but that would spoil it for readers. I believe the author was trying to make a complicated mystery that would bewilder readers. The whodunit can be solved effortlessly (I kept hoping for a surprise twist). The ending is expected and disappointing (and a little shocked that Phee would consider it—she has issues). Personally, I would have preferred that Phee work mysteries with Nate in Mankato. An accountant and a detective teaming up to solve crimes (a unique combo). There is a preview of Ditched 4 Murder at the end of the book (the next book in A Sophie Kimball Mystery series). I will not be continuing with the series as it is not the right type of cozy mystery series for me.

This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. The story flowed very well and was very enjoyable. This book will keep you reading long into the night and you will not want to put this book down until you finish. This was such a great read and full of surprises. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

Booked 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton, the first book in the Sophie Kimball Mystery series, is amazing. Let me tell you why.

Booked 4 Murder is such a fun book, thanks to the zany situations that Phee finds herself in. How does she get in these situations? That's all because of Phee's mother. Harriet is a hoot! The relationship between Phee and Harriet is well-written, and wonderful to read about. Their repartee is filled with memorable wit and humor.

The clever, fast-moving plot of Booked 4 Murder quickly drew me in and kept me guessing. The mystery is imaginative, intricately plausible, and filled with twists and turns. I was so excited by Phee's sleuthing, and especially her big reveal, that I couldn't stop reading until I learned whodunit. I finished Booked 4 Murder in one sitting.

I will definitely continue with the Sophie Kimball Mysteries. The second book in the series, Ditched 4 Murder, has a release date of November 28, 2017. Book #3 is titled Staged 4 Murder. I'm looking forward to reading both of them.

I recommend Booked 4 Murder to all cozy mystery fans, especially ones who like to read about mother/daughter relationships and active seniors. If you're a fan of the Jolene Jackson Mystery Series by Paula Boyd, I think you will particularly enjoy reading about Sophie Kimball in Booked 4 Murder.

I absolutely love Booked 4 Murder, which has earned my highest rating of Five Stars!


Note: I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of Booked 4 Murder. All opinions shared are 100% my own.

Originally published on my blog Jane Reads.