This was such a good read! . This is the third book in the series, but I had no problems keeping up with the fantastic characters. Sophie "Phee" Kimball works at a local detective agency. Phee's mother belongs to a murder mystery group of seniors who are pretty dramatic (which, honestly, makes them pretty fun!). The seniors get involved with an Agatha Christie play and the lead actress is found dead! Who killed her? 100% recommend this little page turner!

A good book. Well written with great characters and a good plot. The storyline flows and the mystery is enjoyable. I highly recommend.,

Sophie Kimball, or Phee as her friends and her Mom's friends call her, is more than just a pretty face in Nate William's detective agency. The same agency that just hired her secret crush from her Mankato Minneapolis Police Department days. If that isn't enough to fluster a gal, how about Mom's book club made up of murder mystery enthusiasts getting involved in the local theater group rendition of Agatha Christie's Mousetrap. Of course there has to be a murder but was it by vengeful spirit or vengeful senior citizens (as it seems to be the vast majority of the theater crowd). Phee is a phenomenal character with a great attitude towards life, love, and her pursuit of a normal life with her Mom's crazy book club friends!

Sophie (Phee) Kimball is back in the 3rd mystery in this series. I have finally caught up on Sophie and her Mother’s antics. In this installment, Sophie finds herself a little distracted at work as Marshall Gregory a former co-worker (who she had a crush on) from the Mankato police department has moved to Arizona and joined the investigation firm. Will have to see how this develops in the long run. Harriet and her book club friends are all trying out for the local production of Agatha Christie’s Mousetrap. Harriet is constantly filling in Phee on all the antics going on with the production, however, the lead actress is found murdered on the catwalk and the mystery solving begins. This was an enjoyable read and it is so easy to feel part of the gang. I have finally caught up on this series and am looking forward to the next installment.

I like this series set in a retirement community in Arizona. Phee works for a PI doing the books and is near her mother. Mom lives in a gated community with a bunch of older women who belong to the murder book club and drag Phee kicking and screaming into all their adventures. Not Phee's old flame from Minnesota has retired and is working at the same agency. With the ladies in the middle of a play where the leading lady is killed, Phee and Marshall are offered many theories as to who the killer might be. This is book 3 in the Sophie Kimball series and it is a great addition. Can be read as a stand alone but you don't want to miss the antics of the senior citizens in previous books. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This most recent installment of the series is very good. It kept me turning pages until the end. Sophie's Mom and her book club, Booked4Murder, decide to try out for a play. The main character is murdered and the hope of finding the killer is the theme of the book. With a new investigator in the firm, Sophie is busy getting him used to the craziness of the book club and her mother and all their demands and ideas of what is happening. There are ghosts, accidents, an almost hit and run, and lots of trips to the Bagel place. A fun read!

Staged 4 Murder

by J.C. Eaton

Sophie Kimball really just wants to do her job as an accountant and bookkeeper for the Williams investigations firm. She gets roped again, however, into doing some sleuthing on her own as the members of her mother’s book club in Sun City West, a retirement community in Arizona, recruit her to help discover the murderer of a member of a community acting troupe. Avid readers, they branch out as performers and crew in a production of Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap.

There are lots of twists and turns to the plot of Staged 4 Murder with suspicion cast like a shotgun blast in multiple directions. Just when you (and Sophie) think the murderer has been found, new evidence comes to light. Sophie is an interesting main character, and the interactions with her mother are humorous. This book is not destined to be a classic for the ages, but it is an enjoyable cozy mystery, and I look forward to the next in this series written by a husband-wife team under the pen name J.C. Eaton.

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


Rating: 5/5

Category: Mystery

Notes: #3 in the Sophie Kimball Mystery Series, but delightfully fun as a standalone

Publication: June 26, 2018 — Kensington Books

Memorable Lines:

I got up from my chair, took the list from my mother, and muttered six regrettable words before heading home for the night. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“My God! Now you’re sounding like my mother. Next thing I know you’ll be reusing paper plates.” “Whoa. That was unfair.”

My mother tried calling the dog, but he ignored her. Selective hearing must apparently run in our family.

This was an enjoyable read. Although this was the third book in the series, I had no problems getting to know the characters. Sophie "Phee" Kimball works at a local detective agency. She just wants to do the accounting and mind her own business, but her mother has other plans. Phee's mother belongs to a murder mystery group of seniors who are typically hysterical and dramatic. The seniors get involved with a play, Agatha Christie's Mousetrap, and in the course of the play rehearsals, the lead actress is found dead.

Chaos and hilarity ensue, and Phee is enlisted by her mother and their friends to get to the bottom of the mystery. Add in Phee's former crush Marshall, who has relocated to town and starts working at the detective agency. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good cozy mystery.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review from NetGalley.

Sophie “Phee” Kimball wants to get some work done at the private investigation company she's employed at in Arizona, and she’s distracted already by her old crush Marshall Gregory, who’s arriving from Minnesota to join the staff. The last thing she needs are the constant updates from her mom about the local production of Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap.” Practically everyone from her mom’s book club and retirement community, with the possible exception of her mom's chiweenie, Streetman, wants to join the cast and crew. But someone’s playing the role of the killer for real. After a much despised cast member is found dead on the theaters catwalk, Phee has no choice but to be drawn into all the backstabbing and backstage gossip. Especially if her drama queen mother is right about the vaguely threatening note that was left on her windshield, which could mean curtains for another victim.

The retired characters all seem to live to have excitement in their lives, and have very few worries about what they are doing or what people seem to think about them which makes them odd but lovable. All of the characters are well developed and well written and very likeable. The mystery is full of twists and turns with some humor thrown in to help keep it from being to suspenseful, while keeping the reader guessing who the killer is until the final reveal.

I liked that Phee is finally getting a chance to have a relationship with Marshall since they both have a crush on each other. I would have liked Phee to spend more time with her new friends so we'd get some more new characters instead of always spending time with her mom and her mom's friends. I hope that sometime during the series we get to meet Phee's daughter since she is always mentioned in the books. I would also like to see the series get a mystery that doesn't have a member of Phee's family being somehow connected to the case. I'm looking forward to book 4 to see what will happen with Phee and Marshall's new relationship and to see what kind of mystery Phee will be involved in.

I got an ARC of this book from Netgalley and Kensington for my honest opinion and review.

This is the 3rd book in the series and it is as humorous as the others. Sophie Kimball works at a detective agency and as such her mother (Harriet constantly asks her to get involved in the crazy situations Harriet’s book club gets into. This time the book club joins the theater, and a dead body shows up very quickly. Sophie and Marshall Gregory (the newest P.I. and co-worker from the past, who Sophie is interested in) are hired by the book club and work to solve the mystery. Harriet is very pushy and calls Sophie numerous times a day to tell Sophie what is going on with the theater situation.

Staged 4 Murder is the 3rd book in the Sophie Kimball Mystery series. Sophie has stumbled upon another murder mystery. Sophie’s mother and her "colorful" friends are involved in a local theater production of Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap” and while on set, one of their cast members is found dead. Sophie is already nervous enough since her old crush is joining the staff at the detective agency.

I really enjoyed the story. It is well written and flows smoothly from beginning to end. I am looking forward to reading more in this exciting series by J. C. Eaton

I volunteered to read and review an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGallley

Staged 4 Murder by JC Eaton is the third book in the Sophie Kimball Mystery series. Phee is hoping to focus on her work at the private investigation company even though her crush has arrived from Minnesota. Her mom insists on daily updates from the local theater company's production of Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap. Phee's mom and the members of her mother's book club are all taking part. When Miranda, the lead actress, is found murdered, the suspect list is long. Miranda was no one's favorite person. Other members of the cast start receiving threatening notes, Phee and her co-workers are in the middle of another mystery. I enjoy this series. Phee's mom is quite a character. The mystery was strong and kept me guessing until the end. This is another hit from the husband and wife writing team that are among my favorite authors!

I really enjoyed the eccentric characters and the mystery in this book. The humor was the icing on the cake, so to speak. I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

This has been one of my favorite series from the very beginning and this one didn't let me down. There's an Agatha Christie play being put on, a murder with more people with motives than not, and a ghost in the theater - oh and just a smidge of romantic possibility! I loved seeing Phee again and the Booked 4 Murder book club are up to their usual hijinks and hysteria - this time with a theatrical twist. I enjoyed having the PI firm that Phee works for being up and running and really liked the addition of Marshall to the cast. The mystery was well done and really had me guessing. There were all kinds of red herrings and any mystery that involves a background check is a winner for me. You can jump into the series here without any trouble though I think it would probably be slightly more enjoyable if you started from the beginning just so you can get to know the book club a bit better. My Rating: Very Good

Staged 4 Murder is the 3rd book in the Sophie Kimball Mystery series. I enjoy the mix of humor and mystery in this series. The characters are kooky, intelligent and just plain entertaining. I love how Sophie's rag-tag mix of retirement community senior citizens help her go after the bad guys. It always makes for a fun reading experience.

This time around all the seniors are involved in a local production of Agatha Christie's Mousetrap. Phee is tired of hearing about the play and she's a bit distracted by the newest staff member at her detective agency, Marshall Gregory. She had a major crush on Marshall when she worked for the Mankato, MN police department....and now they are working together again. Major distraction. Phee has to put her thoughts of Marshall on the back burner when conflicts on the set of the play her mother and book club cronies are involved in causes problems. It starts out with diva behavior and a suspicious case of food poisoning but escalates into murder. Miranda Lee is found dead on the theater catwalk. Miranda was difficult and many of the cast did not like her. But who was upset enough to murder her?

I enjoyed this newest book just as much as I did the first two books in this series. The seniors are feisty and funny as usual. The mystery is well paced with plenty of suspects and surprises. Marshall is a nice addition to the crew. Overall, an entertaining and enjoyable cozy mystery. I can't wait to see what trouble the gang gets into next! It won't be a long wait....the next book, Botched for Murder, comes out in January 2019.

J.C. Eaton also writes The Wine Trail Mysteries series.

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

Another great entry into the Sophie Kimball Mystery series! This cozy mystery moved fast and had a well thought out, well put together murder plot. While Sophie's mother and friends are staring in a local Agatha Christie play, murder takes the stage. It's up to Sophie and friends to unravel the goings-on in the local theatre before anyone else loses their life! The romance between Sophie and Marshall is well hinted at and Sophie's mother is wound up as always! Be sure to add this entertaining story on your to be read list, you don't want to miss it!

This is such a delightful cozy mystery series. I have read the entire series and recommend the series to all cozy mystery fans. I received a ARC for my honest opinion.
Staged 4 Murder is the third installment in the Sophie Kimball Mystery series set in the retirement community of Sun City West, Arizona and featuring private investigation/ bookkeeper Sophie. As this next in series opens Sophie is nervous that Detective Marshall Gregory, her crush from her previous job is coming to work full time at their newly opened Williams Investigations. She is adamant that he will not affect her work and her new life .
Her Mother, Harriet, and her group of friends "The Booked 4 Murder book club" have decided to try out for the local community theater production of Agatha Christie's, The Mousetrap. Harriet lands one of the three female roles and the other ladies take roles behind the scenes. Soon after Harriet and her best fried Myrna Mittleson receive threatening notes on their windshields reminiscent of Agatha Christie's, And Then There Were None.

The women are convinced that someone is plotting to kill them and their main suspect is leading lady Miranda Lee. Miranda is not well liked in the retirement community. Harriet and her friends are adamant that Sophie look into this strange series of events. When the director is hospitalized with food poisoning, the ladies are scared, then a main character is found dead on the lighting catwalk, and a ghost is said to be haunting the theater. The production is in chaos and all involved are running scared.

This was such a fun mystery and the setting of the retirement community is perfection. I loved the funny humorous charcters that all add to the mix well. The sleuth was well crafted and kept me guessing. This was a fun read and a great addition to this series.
Thank you for the ARC. I look forward to the next in series. Well done to the author !

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Sun City West is launching a production of Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap and because all the members of Phee’s mom’s book club love mysteries they all just have to be part of the play. Sophie “Phee” Kimball has other things on her mind, like the new private investigator joining the firm where she works. Someone from her past and she just doesn’t know how she can see him every day without telling him how she feels.

But of course, her mother has to interrupt her at work several times a day with all the happenings at the theater. When Phee receives a call saying a cast member was dead she rushes to the theater to find her mother and her friends uninjured but the star of the play dead up on the catwalk. Phee finds herself in the middle of another investigation along with the new P.I., Marshall Gregory because the Booked 4 Murder Book Club doesn’t think the police have a clue so they have hired the firm to solve the case. Curtain up, light the lights. there is a murder mystery to solve if Phee survives both her mother and the killer.

Thankfully Phee’s Aunt Ina is out of town, so she only needs to be at her mother’s beck and call. Harriet is a real force, says what she thinks, interrupts in the most inopportune moments, and demands her daughter do what she tells her to do, right now! If Harriet was my mother I would either be in jail or live far, far, away. Sophie has the patience of a saint and so does Marshall Gregory. Phee had warned him about her mother and her friends, who aren’t as demanding as Harriet but are pretty manipulative in their own right. Marshall doesn’t back off but takes them all with a grain of salt. He does have feelings for Phee, I just hope whatever relationship they try to have can survive one of the pushiest women on the planet.

After you get used to Harriet’s boldness we are treated to an exceptionable mystery. Twists, threats, “ghosts”, secrets, trapdoors, spotlights, and murder all collide to keep readers glued to the pages. The police really dropped the ball at the beginning of the investigation. It took some digging for the real suspects to come into focus. As all the clues start to fall into place and the mouse is almost trapped the suspense ramps up. I did think after learning all about the mechanisms around and under the stage that Phee would surprise the killer in a different way with to set up the ending. The approach used by the authors did bring the story to a satisfactory conclusion with some chilling moments too.

The Booked 4 Murder ladies do bring a lot of humor to the story. I do have hope for the budding romance between Marcus and Phee, but with Aunt Ina back in town, heaven only knows what the next book will bring.

A fast-paced entertaining read. I should be recovered from Harriet by the time the next book is released. 🙂 All three books in this series have been pleasures to read. I am looking forward to my next visit with Sophie “Phee” Kimball!

Sophie ("Phee") is an accountant for a PI firm in Arizona. Her retired mom, who lives nearby, has gotten a role in a local theater's production of "The Mousetrap." She and her friends are heavily involved in the production when one of the actors is found murdered. Phee is recruited to help discover the murderer, among rumors of the dead woman's ghost appearing backstage. Phee is distracted by a handsome new detective at the firm, who hails from her home state of Minnesota.

This mystery is a typical cozy mystery, involving an accountant who gets involved in solving a crime. The characters are interesting, but somewhat stereotypical. I'd like to see Phee have some other interests (hobbies? a pet?) besides just work and fielding her mother's calls. The mystery itself, however, has lots of twists and is sure to keep you wondering.

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

“Phee” Kimball is back in Arizona, and the livin’ is HOT! She is an accountant and bookkeeper for Williams Investigations, owned by a former cop she worked with in Mankato, Minnesota. Business is going so well that owner Nate Williams has hired Marshall Gregory, another former Mankato cop. He is really good looking, according to Phee, and she had a crush on him the entire time they both worked at the Mankato PD. Now he is joining their little office, and temperatures just might be turned up a few notches.

Harriet Plunkett, Phee’s mom, is very active in her Sun City West home. She is in an upcoming Agatha Christie play, The Mousetrap. She and her friends in the Booked 4 Murder book club are part of the play, either on stage or behind the scenes. Harriet is also actively trying to find a hubby for her divorced daughter with oh-so-unsubtle hints, but Phee is content as she is, Well, until she sees Marshall again.

Harriet and her friend Myrna panic when finding notes on their vehicles stating only the title of another Christie novel, And Then There Were None, but at first it seems like a prank. Then, when Miranda, the female lead of the play is found murdered on the catwalk, Harriet and Booked 4 Murder ladies hire the PI’s where Phee works to find the killer. As Nate and Marshall work on their cases, Phee gets involved when her mother calls with daily rehearsal updates, strange occurrences, and invitations to watch the rehearsals. When autopsy results show Miranda could have passed from any one or more of three injuries, Phee’s curiosity lead her to see more of the theater. When “accidents” multiply, those she suspects are either added or eliminated. Miranda wasn’t anyone’s favorite person, so there isn’t a shortage of suspects.

Since the director of the play, Ellowina, is in the hospital after getting food poisoning, a director is filling in from another theater. It is hard for the cast and crew to get used to someone else, but at least it is only for this play. Panic ensues when some ladies think they see Miranda’s ghost; they have to find the real bad guy/ gal before the cast and theatergoers are spooked away.

I like Phee, as she is settled enough to think through events as they occur rather than react immediately. We learn more about Phee, her mother, and members of the book club who have been cornerstones of the earlier novels. Marshall is a great add to the series, especially when Phee’s long-term crush on him gets stronger. They make a great team as they work through the challenges of this case.

Plot twists and turns kept this reader on her toes! The authors are adept at building suspense while building a hard-to-solve mystery. They also include a healthy dose of humor. I enjoyed recognizing names of Sun City attractions and streets, even including a service company and the snowbird arrival. Intrigue increases as the investigation reveals more and more of Miranda’s – and other people’s – pasts. While I had a sneaking suspicion who the real killer was, I didn’t know the reason until much later. This is an exciting, edge of one’s seat cozy mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed! There are several surprises at the end, and I appreciate how all of the loose ends are tied up. I highly recommend Staged 4 Murder, and the rest of the series, to those who enjoy well-written cozy mysteries, local theater groups, and the atmosphere of Sun City West, Arizona, and the neighboring towns.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*