Too Many Crooks Spoil the Plot by Sarah Osborne is the 1st book in A Ditie Brown Mystery series, and my first book by this author. Dr. Mabel, Ditie, Brown is a pediatrician. When Ditie's childhood friend asked her to take care of her two kids for a couple of days, she agrees. Unfortunately the children's mother is murdered, and Ditie vows to find the murderer. I really enjoyed this book, it was unique, and filled with twists and turns. I found this book a little more serious than most cozy, but very enjoyable. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series. I recommended this book for mystery lovers.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I loved this book. It was well written and the plot was flawless.
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Too Many Crooks Spoil the Plot by Sarah Osborne is the first A Ditie Brown Mystery. Mabel “Ditie” Brown is a pediatrician who works and lives in Atlanta, Georgia. She is surprised when Ellie Winston, who she has not seen in two years, show up at her house. Ellie only shows up when she is in trouble and this time is no exception. She asks if Ditie can watch her two children for a few days while she handles a matter. Ditie picks up the kids from a rundown apartment that evening and Ellie is not in residence (she left them alone). After 12 a.m. Mabel gets a call from Detective Mason Garrett. Ellie was found murdered in midtown with a note that Ditie is take care of her kids if something happens to her. What had Ellie been up to this time? The killer believes the kids or Ditie have something they want, and they will do whatever it takes to get it. They only way to protect the children is to track down the guilty party. Ditie and the kids are in for a harrowing time in Too Many Crooks Spoil the Plot.

Too Many Crooks Spoil the Plot is not your traditional cozy mystery. The main character, Mabel “Ditie” Brown is a pediatrician who works at a refugee clinic. Some of her patient stories are shared in the book (sad situations). Then we have Ellie Winston who frequently leaves her two kids (under nine) alone at home and has questionable ways of raising money. Ellie is then murdered and Ditie is left with two children to raise. It is distressing that Lucie Winston (age 9) has been responsible for caring for her brother, Jason (age 5). The tales from the children are just heartbreaking. The mystery has some good components and there is action that helps move the story forward. I do wish it had been harder to solve. The responsible party can easily be singled out (if you have not solved this one by the time you are halfway through the book, you need to turn in your deerstalker cap). The small-town charm and some light-hearted humor (a little levity) is missing from Too Many Crooks Spoil the Plot. The background on Ditie was lacking as well. The writing lacked an ease to it and the pace was slow (the book seemed long when it was only 244 pages). There is romance (of course) between Ditie and Detective Garrett. Detective Garrett should have focused more on his job instead of Ditie and fewer errors would have been made. There are cozy moments with cooking, eating, baking, and the kids. I felt that the author missed the mark with Too Many Crooks Spoil the Plot. My rating is 3 out of 5 for Too Many Crooks Spoil the Plot.

Too Many Crooks Spoil the Plot

by Sarah Osborne


Too Many Crooks Spoil the Plot begins with “Nothing warned me that my world was about to tilt on its axis and never tilt back again,” a sentence full of promise for a good cozy mystery. Author Sarah Osborne manages to pack a lot of background into her opening chapter. We are introduced to the main character, Dr. Ditie Brown, a pediatrician who works in a refugee clinic, her two pets, and her brother Tommy. There are hints of family troubles. Ditie reunites with her old friend Ellie whose emotions bounce all over the place. She asks a huge favor: “Do you think the kids could stay with you for a few days?” Unfortunately someone was gunning for Ellie—literally.

The plot is quite complex with lots of threads that seemingly don’t connect…until they do. Meanwhile, who are the good guys and who are the bad guys? What do Ellie’s children have that is worth killing for? Through all of this we watch Ditie, her friend Lurleen (with an interesting faux French background and accent), Detective Garrett, P.I. Dan, and Garrett’s mother, a retired cop, work diligently to solve the mystery and keep the children, Lucie and Jason, safe.

I see in Lucie a level of responsibility that a former student of mine had. In my student’s case, the mother was an alcoholic and my first grader got herself and her kindergarten brother ready for school and on the bus each day. Therefore, I find realism in Lucie, a fictional child whose mother is erratic; Lucie has to step in and be the “adult” for her brother.

Initially I felt that the two romances in the books happen way too quickly. On the other hand, extreme circumstances can cause extreme emotional reactions. I quickly got over my hesitation with that aspect of the story and enjoyed watching the two couples grow in their relationships as the story progresses.

This book is a winner. I’m looking forward to the next cozy mystery in this series.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Lyrical Underground (Kensington Press) for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Mystery

Notes: #1 in the Ditie Brown Mystery Series

Publication: May 29, 2018—Lyrical Underground (Kensington Press)

Memorable Lines:

It’s not every dog that can smile, but when you find one who does, you know you have a treasure.

He could hide behind the lights, the glitter, so that no one, least of all his sister, ever knew who he really was.

I felt uneasy. The murders felt so neatly solved. It was just the murderers that didn’t quite fit.

I can’t recommend this book enough! If you are a cozy mystery fan who likes smart, warm and complex characters, I suggest you read, Too Many Crooks Spoil the Plot. It starts off cozy, engaging and delightful. It quickly becomes absorbing and suspenseful. Who was Ellie, really? What was she involved in? Why did she take that risk the day she dropped her children off with Mabel? What did Phil want? You’ll find yourself asking all these questions and more by chapter three! The pacing is perfect and the story-line enjoyable. Five Stars.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars, I really liked it.

Book 1 in a new series.

This book was a great start to the series. Ditie is a genuine, loving character, and the kids were a sweet addition that made me actually cry a few times.

Unlike most cozies, where you don't get too into the emotional effects of a murder on the family, this book was a bit emotionally heavy at times, with the young kids mourning their mother and afraid of what was happening to them. It was well written though, and wasn't too solemn, there were the usual lighthearted moments, as well.

I really liked that about this book, it felt quite realistic and I look forward to seeing more of Ditie, Lucie and Jason.

*I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

I don't know if the genre romantic suspence cozy mystery exists but that's the way I'd classify this book.
That said the book is great.
It's more complex and a bit darker than the usual cozy and there's more suspence. It also misses most of the cliche of the average cozy: no small town, no shopkeeper but a pediatrician who works for charities, and the relationship and the characters are complex and multifaceted.
There's a mystery but there're also broken families and relationship to be mended.
I really like the female characters, the heroine above all, so human and so clever.
I cannot wait to read the next instalment in this series.
Many thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for this ARC

Don't think of this as a cozy- it's got a sad angle to it as the plot turns on Ditie agreeing to watch Ellie's, an old friend, young children and then discovering, when Ellie is murdered, that she will be their guardian. Of course, Ditie and her friend Lurleen, will investigate the murder. There's a lot going on here and perhaps it's a bit much. Ditie is a pediatrician who works at a clinic, she's got family problems of her own, there's corporate espionage and so on. Any two of these plot threads would have made a fine book once braided together. As it is, none gets enough attention. That said, its notable to me at least that I wanted to know more about each of the elements- and just the story of Ditie, the kids, and the clinic would have been enough. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Too Many Crooks Spoil the Plot is the first book in Ditie Brown Mystery series.
Judging by the cover I was under the impression that it is a cozy but it started as no cozy should, with one friend asking another for a favor and two small children losing their mother. For the moment I was taken aback but as I continued to read I must say that this is one of the best written mysteries I have read in a long time.
It is a real page turner, very fast paced, something is happening on every page and there is not a single dull moment. I appreicate how to realistically shows the grieving process and what children go through when they loose a close family member.
I really liked all main characters, even the quirky ones and how intelligently the story unrevels. It is very captivating and very hard to figure out the culprit.
I can't wait for the next book.

I definitely wouldn't advertise this as a "cozy" mystery. It does not have the feel most cozies have and does have some curse words in there. This mystery has a more serious feel but not too scary or graphic. That being said, I did enjoy it and will try to read more in the series.

Cute title. Expected a lighthearted cozy. It is actually a heartwarming, suspenseful, surprising, and exciting story. I enjoyed getting to know the characters. Sweet children and animals play a big role in the tale. I look forward to the further adventures of Ditie Brown.

Too Many Crooks Spoil the Plot by Sarah Osborne is the first book in the new A Ditie Brown Mystery series. Now from the cover and title of this book I was going into this one expecting a lighthearted fun cozy read but unfortunately that wasn’t the case with this one which is the reason I dropped my rating to 2.5 stars.

The story begins with Mabel Aphrodite Brown, or Ditie as she’s known by her friends, being contacted by an old friend whom she hadn’t seen in a couple of years despite them being very close in the past. Ellie is actually now living nearby and she has a favor to ask of Ditie, she’d like her to watch her kids for a few days and “keep them safe” and they really miss Aunt Ditie.

Ditie agrees to take the kids and thinks it will be fun having the little ones around for a few days, that is until the police arrive to tell Ditie that Ellen has been killed. With two grieving children in her care the last thing Ditie expected was to be pulled into whatever danger Ellie had been involved in and she needs answers before it’s too late.

Now, Sarah Osborne obviously has talent as a writer as she wrote a decent mystery with likable characters but the story missed the mark with me since it was such a downer and when I pick up a book of this nature I’m looking for fun. It’s not supposed to be a young mother leaving her children behind that gets killed, it’s supposed to be the annoying “bad” guy of the book. It’s not supposed to bring readers down when we learn that the mother in question was leaving a lot of the child care to her nine year old.

To top of the gloominess the main character works around a lot of other heartbreaking things that get mentions in the book. Gone was the humor and quirkiness that I crave from a cozy so my rating is really a reflection of this simply not being a cozy read that would make me smile and laugh while trying to figure out the mystery although if interested in a more serious tone to that type of book it may be for you.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is the first book in the Ditie Brown series, and it has great potential. I really liked it, but didn't love it. The mystery was just a bit too convoluted in my opinion, and the main character Ditie seemed a little naive. I really liked the characters though, and the writing was very good. I would recommend this book, and I will be looking for the next in the series!

Too Many Crooks Spoil the Pot is the first edition in Sarah Osborne’s new Ditie Brown Mystery series. Mabel Aphrodite Brown, an Iowa transplant, is a pediatrician working with the Refugee Clinic in Atlanta. Hardworking, single Ditie is dedicated to her career and the patients that depend upon her.

However, when her childhood friend Ellie Winston comes to her asking her to care for her two small children for a few days, Ditie’s life is turned upside down. When Detective Mason Garrett visits her to tell her of Ellie’s death, her world is further and forever changed. In Ditie’s quest to protect the children, who her heart has claimed as her own, she and her friend Lurleen become embroiled in a story of industrial espionage orchestrated from within and resulting in multiple lives lost.

Detective Garrett hides Ditie, Lurleen, and the kids away at his family home with his mother, retired police officer Edwina “Eddie” Garrett. With Mason, Eddie, and private investigator Danny Devalle on the case it is just a matter of time until the case is brought to a close. What they didn’t count on was opposition from within the police department or that the main villain was at the highest levels of Sandler Sodas.

A well written fast paced story, this new series is one to watch. The characters are real yet complex and the plot twists, turns, and empties the reader onto unexpected planes. I did enjoy this book and I do recommend it!

Too Many Crooks Spoil the Plot is the debut of the A Ditie Brown Mystery series set in Atlanta and featuring pediatrician Mabel Aphrodite "Ditie" Brown. Not one to stay in any one place for too long, Ditie is settling into her position at the Children's Refugee Clinic and is trying hard to get along with her brother Tommy who is constantly badgering her to sell the family dairy farm in Iowa.

When Tommy's ex high school girlfriend Eleanor "Ellie" Winston appears on her sidewalk and needs a favor, Ditie knows that since Ellie only surfaces when she needs help getting out of a jam, she should really say no. But, Ellie only wants her to watch her two small children, Lucie and Jason, for the weekend so she agrees and asks best friend Lurleen du Trois to help out. Unfortunately, Ellie turns up dead and Ditie discovers that she's been named as the children's full time guardian.

Determined to find out who killed her friend and ripped apart the lives of the children, Ditie sets out with the help of Lurleen and Detective Mason Garrett to track down a killer. Her investigation turns up a shady, baby daddy, uncovers corporate espionage at Sandler's Soda, Ellie's place of employment, and also discovers that Tommy might be somehow be involved and hiding something.

I really enjoyed the book from start to finish although the subject matter is a little darker than the traditional cozy. The mystery was very well planned out and I didn't suspect whodunit until close to the end and the author's writing style in describing Ditie's relationship with the kids was very touching and thought provoking. For a minute it seemed as though the author was going to introduce the dreaded love triangle but fortunately squashed it in the bud. I will definitely be tuning into the next in series to see what adventures are in store for Ditie, her friends and new found family.

I received an advanced copy of Too Many Crooks Spoil the Plot from NetGalley via Lyrical Underground, a division of Kensington Publishing. While not required to write a review I am more than happy to offer my honest opinion.

Too Many Crooks Spoil the Plot is the first book in Sarah Osborne’s Ditie Brown Mystery series. The characters are three dimensional and likeable and the storyline is well plotted and complex. This book is more absorbing and suspenseful than most cozies. There’s a lot of emotion on the pages of this book, with both tear jerking and laugh aloud moments, and romance in the air. There’s no shortage of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged and guessing. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series and seeing how the characters develop.

Mabel Aphrodite Brown, whose nickname Ditie, is a pediatrician in Atlanta, who is currently working in a refugee clinic. She has two fur babies; Hermoine, a half German shepherd, half collie dog, and Majestic, a large orange cat. She has one sibling, Tommy, who wants her to agree to sell the family dairy farm in Iowa, but she wants to hold on to it. Ellie Winston, a childhood friend who Ditie hasn’t seen in two years, shows up at Ditie’s house unannounced, needing a big favor. Ellie asks her to watch her children, eight-year-old Lucie and almost five-year-old Jason, for a few days. Even though Ditie had doubts about what Ellie has gotten herself into this time, she agrees to watch Lucie and Jason and enlists the help of her best friend, Lurleen de Trois, to watch them when she’s scheduled to work. After seven years of no contact, Ditie’s old flame who she’s never really gotten over, Phil Brockton, contacts her and wants to get together. A call wakes her up at midnight the first night the children are with her and she thinks it might be Ellie, but it turns out the caller was Detective Mason Garrett who asked if he could come talk with her. Ellie had been found, shot in the head, and they found Ditie’s address in her purse, along with a note that she was to take care of the children should anything happen to her. After a break-in occurs and the children are threatened if an unidentified object isn’t handed over, Mason has his friend and private investigator, Dan Devalle, stay at Ditie’s to protect them. After more threats are made, they move into Lurleen’s house and finally end up staying with Mason’s mother, Eddie, who is a retired policewoman and the force’s first female sharpshooter. Mason, who shares a mutual attraction with Ditie, shows signs of jealousy when Phil leaves a yellow rose at Ditie’s door and wants to get together with her. When Mason is removed from the case, Ditie wonders who can be trusted and if she’ll be able to protect the children. The group works together, caring for Lucie and Jason, searching for clues, and investigating leads.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

This is another book that I discovered after the author did a guest post on my blog and I liked the piece she wrote, so of course I had to read it and boy am I glad I did.

This was an enjoyable story that I could not put down quickly becoming a page-turner. A friend leaves Ditie with her two children and when she is found murdered, Ditie with the help of her friend and a handsome detective and PI seek out clues to find a murdered. What a tangled web that was weaved as the drama takes hold with a slew of suspects and clues left for this reader to uncover. The author did a great job in telling this lighthearted whodunit with great aplomb, creating a sequence of events that had me glued to the pages as I had to know how this was going to end. This was well-written and I liked how she developed the characters giving us just enough for a repeat visit to Atlanta, Georgia with Ditie and the gang. From Ditie to Lurleen (who I can’t wait to hear her backstory) to Mason to Eddie to Dan to Tommy to Lucie and to Jason who were both adorable, all played pivotal roles in how well this story was being told and delivered. This was a fun book and I can’t wait to read the next book in this delightfully engaging series.

I absolutely adored this first in a series set in Atlanta. Twists and turns, lots of suspense and a budding romance. The protagonist takes two children under get wing and tries to keep them protected while solving their mother's murder. An entertaining cast of characters.

'Too Many Crooks Spoil the Plot' instantly engaged me and didn't let up. I was totally invested in the characters, who were all multi-layered and believable. It is billed as a 'cozy' with kid friendly recipes, but I was completely surprised by how intense the suspense was, so much so that I couldn't put it down. I am appreciative that the second in the series is already in the works, and the flow to the second in the series was well set up in the first. I loved it, and highly recommend it.

A strong story that completely had me hooked from the first chapter. I loved how the main character wasn't perfect. Life threw her curve balls and she just handled business. Also, what really had me on the edge of my seat was not really knowing what was going on or why is was going on. Then after reading and reading, everything finally made sense in a perfectly unperfect way. The characters were strong and quirky, the plot well written. I loved this book and cannot wait for more!