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

This is turning into quite the long running series, I love visiting Maine, but really the Scottish Emporium is always such a draw. This one is set during the days leading up to the busy holiday season, so when the local hotel comes up with a unique way to draw people to town, it was intriguing. Has a good current event feel to it too.

Set in Maine, this is book 12 in the Liss MacCrimmon series. The town is preparing for Thanksgiving and Liss and her staff at the Scottish Emporium are getting ready for the Christmas shoppers. The local in has decided to advertise that people without families could enjoy Thanksgiving at the Inn with like individuals. A local cult starts to picket the Inn for encouraging immoral folks with no children to gather in town. Now the cult leader is dead and Liss's best friend is being framed for the murder. Can be read as a stand alone cozy. Also great interaction between Liss and her mother since her parents have returned to Moosetookalook. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I am weary of everything being politicized. The last place I want to see a version of that is in a cozy mystery. I wanted to enjoy this book, but the stereotyping of "white men" and "religion" was too much to wade through.

I received this ARC via Netgalley in return for an honest review. I like this series and think Ms. Dunnett does a great job with the setting, the characters and the stories she writes about Moosetookalook, Maine. The protagonist, Lisa MacCrimmon Ruskin, purchased the Scottish Emporium from her aunt. She's also married to Dan, who owns a local speciality wood-carving/furniture business. Dan's father owns the local historic hotel. This all matters because a local 'religious' community called the New Age Pilgrims targets Dan's father and any related businesses for 'immoral activities'. Well, that includes Dan and Lisa's respective businesses, including others in the town as well. When things go viral, there are picketers imported from out of town, tourism is affected, vandalism happens and, of course, a murder. In this case, it's one of the New Age Pilgrim men who is murdered and some suspect, because he was stabbed from behind, he was mistaken for the charismatic and rigid founder of the community. As things escalate, more people are drawn into the clashes. Lisa investigates, in part to clear her family and because she wants the vilification to end. Old secrets are uncovered and new tensions arise as Lisa unmasks the killer.

Comfort reading for me. An engaging cast of characters and a solid premise. I would definitely recommend this to my avid mystery readers.

Overkilt by Kaitlyn Dunnett is the twelfth tale in A Liss MacCrimmon Mystery series. Amaryllis “Liss” MacCrimmon Ruskin lives in Moosetookalook, Maine with her husband, Dan. Liss is enjoying a quiet dinner with Dan at Spruce Lodge when she notices her father-in-law, Joe Ruskin talking with an oddly dressed man and two women in old fashioned lavender dresses. They are New Age Pilgrims and object to Joe’s new promotion to bring in tourists during his slow period. The promotion appeals to childless couples who would like to get away for Thanksgiving. The New Age Pilgrims leader, Hadley Spencer states the special is affront to family values and organizes a protest in the town square. All the Ruskin family businesses are targeted by the group and threatening messages left on their doors. Thanks to Hadley’s social media campaign, hundreds arrive for the demonstration preventing the scheduled bus of tourists from enjoying their day in Moosetookalook. Late in the day, Hadley is discovered by the merry-go-round with a knife sticking out of his back. With several of Liss’s family members on the suspect list, Liss dons her sleuthing cap and sets out to bag a killer. Violet, Liss’s mother, insists on helping her with the investigation. Liss is going to need the patience of Job to resolve this whodunit.

While Overkilt can be read as a standalone, I recommend reading this series in order. Liss has grown since we first met her in Kilt Dead. Liss is married to Dan Ruskin and manages the Moosetookalook Scottish Emporium. Liss is not her usual self in Overkilt which can be attributed to her mother, Violet returning to town. Liss and her mother do not get along which can be attributed to Violet’s high-handed manor. An example would be that Liss does not like big parties nor does she want a birthday party. Violet, despite being told by Dan not to have one, organizes a surprise birthday party (she creates problems for Thanksgiving too). It seems to be Violet’s way or Violet’s way which is frustrating and unwanted in a cozy mystery. I thought Overkilt was easy to read thanks to the author relaxed writing style and steady pacing. I like the small town of Moosetookalook with its quaint shops and friendly townspeople (for the most part). There are also some adorable cats and dogs added into the mix. The mystery is straightforward. You can tell right away which person will die because of his behavior and attitude. There are multiple suspects and misdirection. The police tell Liss to quit meddling in the case (of course) multiple times. Liss has no intention of letting anyone in her family go down for a crime they did not commit. The situation with Hadley and the demonstration was realistic. It is easily a situation that could happen in our society (and probably has somewhere). I was surprised to see foul language in Overkilt. I like to read cozy mysteries because the do not have course language, extreme violence or intimate scenes. I am giving Overkilt 3.5 out of 5 stars. While Overkilt is not my favorite book in this series, I did enjoy my visit to Moosetookalook.

Princess Fuzzypants here: With the pre-Thanksgiving rush underway, Liss does not need additional stress. That of course means she is going to get it in spades. Not only must she deal with her meddlesome mother’s returns to Moosetookalook (I love that name) but the leader of a local misogynistic cult has decided Liss and her family are attacking family values- even if his family values do not in any way resemble what others might consider appropriate.
He is, to say the least, unbalanced. The first salvo is vandalism and then protesters who turn busloads of tourists away. Feelings are running hot so when one of the cult is knifed in the back, the locals with whom the cult has butted heads lead the suspect list. It looks like Liss’ aunt will be the main suspect followed closely by Liss’ husband. As Liss and her mother try to figure out who committed the murder, they get a peek at the inner working of the commune. It is not as cohesive or “happy families” as they would have outsiders believe.
Despite being downtrodden by the men in the cult, it turns out to be the women who take matters in their own hands both solving two murders and passing a form of judgement on the killer. While it might have been an extreme action, there was something satisfying in it. Once the reader gets beyond the teeth gnashing when these men treat women with such disdain, it is a good mystery. I give it four purrs and two paws up.

Thanksgiving is approaching, and the merchants of lovely Moosetookalook, Maine, are preparing for the holiday shopping rush when the New Age Pilgrims set out to make the Ruskin family, and all who support them, miserable by staging a campaign against them. When their leader is supposedly killed during a demonstration, suspects include Liss' own husband, aunt, and fellow shopkeepers and residents of the town. Liss, encouraged by her mom (what a refreshing change from all those other fictional moms who discourage their children's sleuthing!!!), sets out to discover the culprit and discover what's really happening at the Pilgrim Farm! Kaitlyn Dunnett's Overkilt is the 12th in the series, but the first that I've read, and it won't be the last. It was very easy to jump into this already established series. A+++

This is the 12th book in the "Liss MacCrimmon Mystery Series. "
I have not read the entire series though I highly recommend the series as I enjoy the series books I have read. This book can be read as a stand alone. The author does a excellent job of introducing the charcters and providing background to every reader that may be new to the series.
I received a ARC for my personal review. My opinion is my own.

Liss MacCrimmon Ruskin owns a Scottish Emporium and lives with her husband in the small rural village of Moosetookalook, Maine. Her parents have recently moved back . Her aunt, Margaret lives in the apartment above the Scottish Emporium; and one of closest friends is Sherri Campbell who just happens to be Moosetookalook’s chief of police.. These are the main charcters and all play a large part in the book.

When a dispute over a Thanksgiving event divides the town between for and against down the middle, one of the townspeople is murdered, Liss knows the people well that are quickly to become suspects. She jumps into investigate. Soon suspects are piling up as are clues and she enlists the help of her friends and family to solve the case.
I like the strong charcters, the charming location and the whodunit that kept me guessing. This is a delightful cozy mystery and I look forward to the next in series.

This is an enjoyable and entertaining series. The latest visit to Moosetookalook is filled with surprises. Cats and dogs, family and familiar friends, plus some unusual characters keep one engaged.

Lisa's business is doing quite well, especially with the seasons upcoming holiday rush, but not all business's are doing quite so well. Her father-in-laws rustic hotel hardly does any business during this time but with a new strategy in place he hopes to fill his hotel. Things don't go as well has planned for him though, with social media turning customers away from him because of his tactics. When the lead of the group trying to boycott him ends up dead things don't look good. With her father-in-law being a suspect in the murder Lisa knows that she must do everything she can to find a murderer and clear his name. The police want her to mind her own business but there is no way that she can let them railroad him. The clues are never ending but who do they lead to? Lisa knows that she right must sift through everything to find the answers that she seeks. Plunge right in and see if you can figure out the clues and solve the mystery.

Liss MacCrimmon and other shop owners in Moosetookalook, Maine are preparing for the busy holiday shopping season. Liss’s father-in-law’s hotel is offering a unique Thanksgiving dinner aimed at couples without children who are looking for a special way to spend the holiday. This promotion triggers protests and an online hate campaign started by members of a local group who feel the dinner violates “traditional” family values. The hate campaign expands and soon Liss’s shop, The Scottish Emporium, also becomes a target. When a member of the group is murdered, many people close to Liss become suspects. Liss refuses to stand by and see her family and friends under suspicion for something they didn’t do and launches her own investigation to find the killer.

I have read a few of the prior books in this series and found them entertaining. I like Overkilt but it wasn’t my favorite in the series. Liss is a thorough investigator as usual. She doesn’t hesitate to turn to other residents in the town to help her research the New Age Pilgrims, the groups that are behind the hateful, bigoted remarks aimed at her and her family. I like Liss’s loyalty and the way the story shows how something like this can get out of hand in today’s digital age. The smear campaign goes on too long, though, at the expense of scenes showcasing the loving relationship between Liss and Dan. There is so much going on with the “Pilgrims” that the close moments between the couple, usually among my favorite parts of these books, are lacking. In addition, Liss has a unique job on her résumé; she was once a former professional Scottish dancer. However, I was disappointed that this doesn’t play a role in the story like it has in some of the other books.

The book wraps up with a surprising conclusion that was satisfying for the characters of Moosetookalook as well as readers. Fans of the series will enjoy seeing how Liss’s often critical mom is at least trying to have a better relationship with her daughter and also makes a meaningful contribution to the investigation. New readers will enjoy meeting the characters, and may also want to check out some of the earlier books in this well-written series.

I received this book from NetGalley, though the courtesy of Kensington Books. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

Overkilt it the 12th entry in this great cozy mystery series. Even iof you are new to this series, don't worry, it can be read as a stand alone, you won't be confused. First off, how can you not smile and maybe even giggle a bit when you read the town's name. Moosetookalook - gotta love it! A very nice small town in Maine. Just like some other small towns in Maine with female amateur sleuths, this one has its share of homicides. Liss MacCrimmon really only wants to run her family's store, have a happy life with her husband, her father-in-law, and her Aunt Margaret, trouble comes in time to threaten everybody's Thanksgiving plans. Business is very slow in the period before the snow falls for her father-in-law and his hotel. Then he has a great idea - run a Thanksgiving special for couples without children. All goes well until the local cult gets it into their collective head that the hotel is going to be hosting unmarried couples in sin. That will lie about being married and not having children. Well, the next thing Liss knows, a cyberbully campaign is threatening not only the hotel but it bleeds out into the rest of the community. No surprise that there follows a homicide. Unfortunately, just about everyone close to her is on the suspect list. Oh, and her Mom is back in town (can she be kept out of trouble?) and her Aunt Margaret is close to the top of the suspect list.
This is a well crafted cozy mystery with a very current social theme and I have to say, of all the twelve books, I may be putting it in the "my favorite so far" slot. It's that good.

Liss (née MacCrimmon) Ruskin is a former professional Scottish dancer who runs the Scottish Emporium in Moosetookalook, Maine. The fictional town of Moosetookalook is in the Western Maine Mountains. Small New England towns need tourists who are enticed to visit by a mixture of compelling scenery, cozy country inns, and off-the-beaten-track shopping.

What a difference a new marketing campaign makes to The Spruces, Moosetookalook’s Victorian-era country inn. Indisputably, New England has a compelling charm in the fall. But what happens during the stretch after the leaf peepers go home, the trees are bare, and snow hasn’t started falling?

Innkeeper Joe Ruskin, Liss’s father-in-law, looks to fill beds before ski season by running a Thanksgiving Special to attract “an untapped niche clientele,” specifically “childless couples who don’t want to celebrate Thanksgiving with their families.” What could go wrong? Local “crackpot” Hadley Spinner, the “leading light of the New Age Pilgrims,” Moosetookalook’s homegrown cult, is not a fan. Spinner says the Special “is an affront to family values.” Liss’s husband, Dan, asks his dad what the beef is.

He’s got it into his head that most of the guests taking advantage of the Thanksgiving Special are unmarried or same-sex couples. According to him, I’m encouraging immorality.”

Liss just stared at him. There was so much wrong with Spinner’s complaint that she hardly knew where to begin.

“How did he come up with that notion?” Dan asked. “It’s not like you’re even allowed to ask for people’s marital status or sexual orientation when they book a room.”

The three of them think that Spinner would soon “move on to annoying someone else,” but alas. Hadley Spinner posts “venom-laced online” missives that eventually go viral and reach a very wide audience. Most commenters want “Joe and his entire family tarred and feathered … and worse.” Spinner demands a boycott of the local shops that do business with the inn and announces that his followers will demonstrate in the town square. Liss resolves not to fall into a funk.

It’s overkill, she thought, and then had to fight a smile as an even better word occurred to her. Given the business she was in, Spinner’s campaign against Moosetookalook Scottish Emporium was best described as “over kilt.”

Liss and her fellow shopkeepers are furious when a tourist bus is engulfed by an angry mob of picketing demonstrators. As far as Liss is concerned, “the merchants who counted on the tourists on that bus spending money in Moosetookalook have every right to be upset.” Ever the optimist, however, Liss pops in some earbuds and ignores the chanting outside. Unfortunately, she is interrupted by her well-meaning mother pounding on the door. Vi is very upset. Liss attempts to calm her down with a cup of Earl Grey, but Vi is not to be placated. She saw something in the gloaming. Liss is hard-pressed not to yell at her mother.

Liss moderated her volume, if not her tone. “Stop evading my question. What did you see that upset you so badly?”

“The body, of course.”

Hadley Spinner won’t be leading any more demonstrations in Moosetookalook. The next morning, a state police detective shows up on Liss’s doorstep. This isn’t Liss’s first rodeo murder: she’s quite prepared to saddle up and help the authorities.

She hadn’t liked the man, but no one deserved to have their life cut short by a vicious killer wielding a knife.

Detective Gordon Tandy accepts a cup of coffee, but things go downhill from there. Liss’s husband had gotten into it with Spinner, as had a few of her close friends and acquaintances.

Overkilt is an engrossing story of an intelligent woman—and, surprisingly, her side-kick mother—champing at the bit to solve a crime while the authorities prefer they keep their noses out of it. When Vi tells her daughter that “there is no need to bring in a private investigator when you are so obviously the best person for the job,” nothing can keep Liss from following each and every clue.

Liss MacCrimmon came home to manage the family business when her parents moved to the Sun Belt. Now they've come back to the little town of Moosetookalook, adding emotional complication to Liss's life. Speaking of emotional complication, her gift shop is being boycotted by the members of a cultish commune on the edge of town.

The group, which slavishly follows a charismatic leader, isn't being quiet about their boycott. They're protesting intensely enough to scare away the busloads of tourists Liss counts on to make a living.

And then the violence begins.

Dunnett has created a complex world in Moosetookalook, with a thought-provoking examination of relationships, religion, bigotry, and madness. The characters are interesting and the story is suspenseful.

A very entertaining and enjoyable cozy mystery. It's the first one I read in this series and really liked it.
The plot was somewhat unusual involving online harassment and cults. It was sound and engaging, keeping hooked til the last page.
The mystery was good, it kept me guessing till the end.
I loved the cast of characters and the setting.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for this ARC

Overkilt is the twelfth book in Kaitlyn Dunnett’s Liss MacCrimmon Mystery series. The author provides great character background, and this book can easily be read as a standalone. Ms. Dunnett has written a steadily paced and entertaining mystery with a great cast of characters. The story has enough twists, turns, and suspects to keep the reader engaged.

Liss MacCrimmon Ruskin owns a gift shop, the Scottish Emporium, and lives with her husband, Dan, in the small rural village of Moosetookalook, Maine. Her parents, Mac and Violet “Vi” MacCrimmon, have recently moved back to Maine from Arizona; her aunt, Margaret Boyd, lives in the apartment above the Scottish Emporium; and one of closest friends Sherri Campbell, is Moosetookalook’s chief of police. In preparation for Thanksgiving and the normal decline in business, The Spruces’ events coordinator, Tricia Lynd, came up with a unique marketing campaign that Liss’s father-in-law, Joe Ruskin, incorporates for his hotel. He’s offering a unique Thanksgiving getaway aimed at childless couples who don’t want to celebrate Thanksgiving with their families. Hadley Spinner, a bigot and a blowhard who only sees his own point of view, got it into his head that most of the guests who are taking advantage of the Thanksgiving Special are unmarried, or same-sex couples, thus The Spruces is encouraging immorality. Hadley’s following, the New Age Pilgrims, organized a demonstration and an internet smear campaign trying to get tourists to boycott The Spruces, the Scottish Emporium, Patsy’s Coffee House, and other local businesses. The campaign and demonstration not only create problems for Liss and her family but also extends to the entire Moosetookalook community. When one of the New Age Pilgrims is murdered, several people close to Liss become suspects. Even though she knows she should leave it to the police, she realizes she can’t stand by and watch as her family and friends are under suspicion for something they didn’t do, so, with encouragement from her mother, she launches into her own investigation. Vi discovered the body, and she wants to investigate even though Liss isn’t enthusiastic about the idea.

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

I enjoy Moosetookalook and the regular cast of characters. Liss and Dan are great together. The mystery was interesting. Liss trying to get all the pieces together while keeping her mother out of trouble, and finding other information to take her aunt out of the suspect list made for an satisfying read.

I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

Overkilt by Kaitlyn Dunnet is a well written and absorbing cozy, deceptively light in tone and style yet dealing with some very serious issues of religious beliefs and family relations.

Liss's Scottish Emporium is doing well, however most of the local businesses in Moosetookalook, I have to say I am delighted with the name, are facing dry few months so when her father-in-law presents new idea for boosting his hotel business Liss is delighted.

Unfortunately his idea is not welcomed by local religious group leader who involves social media to boycott the hotel. Situation is getting more serious by the minute culminating with the murder of the group leader.

When Liss realizes that her nearest and dearest are on the main suspect list. To add to the drama her mother is coming to town.

Even though this is the twelfth installment I had no problems following the story. It moves at the good pace and keeps reader guessing till the end, which comes as quite a surprise.
I loved meeting the characters, each of them unique yet lovable, the setting is fabulous and Liss's relationship with her mother is hilarious.