“A Literal Mess” it's a cozy mystery that offers an entertaining and lighthearted reading experience. J.C. Kenney’s Writing style is engaging, and the book flows smoothly, making it an easy and enjoyable read. The protagonist Olive Peroni, is a relatable character with a witty sense of humor that adds a touch of charm to the story. The plot centered around a murder at a book club meeting, provides enough twists and turns to keep readers guessing. However, the mystery itself lacks the depth and complexity that some readers may seek in a murder mystery novel. The pacing occasionally feels uneven, with certain parts of the story dragging while others speed by. Additionally, character development could have been more robust, as some secondary characters felt one-dimensional. Overall, “A Literal Mess” is a decent cozy mystery for those looking for a light and enjoyable read, but it may not satisfy readers craving a more intricate and immersive mystery experience.

I really loved this first book in a new to my series and author. I can't wait to read the next one. The characters and location really add to the plot. This book keeps you guessing until the end.

I love cozy mysteries. Especially ones with cats. I would read this again. I wish that I had posted my review when I first read the book but I have been going thru some things and didn’t do it. However I remember that I found the book interesting and would want to read more from this author.

J.C Kenney's first book in the Allie Cobb Mystery series is A Literal Mess. Allie returns to her hometown following her father's death. Things are complicated when her best friend's father and her dad's top client is found murdered. The characters have good bones, and I am interested to see how they develop in future books.

This is a solid first entry. It was a quick, light read. I will read the next in the series. I enjoyed the book.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Losing a parent can be devastating and Allie Cobb is upset she was unable to get home to say that final good-bye to her dad. She was so much like him and she left home for New York to make it on her own in a field where he was very well known and she did. Now she and her cat Ursula have come back to Indiana for the funeral and so that she can close his office and pass his literary clients on to others.

Then one of his clients is murdered. Thornwell Winchester, a prominent author and the father of Allie’s best friend. The man had issues but he was said to be working on another book and trying to beat his demons. There are several people that could be on the suspect list but the police decide his daughter, Sloane, is to blame. All they and the mayor want is the case wrapped up before the Fall Festival begins. Allie knows she has to clear her friend before they throw the book at her. She just needs to stay on step ahead of the killer which isn’t easy, or she could be next.

If I could back up a couple of decades knowing then what I know now I would love to have a job in book publishing. A literary agent would be a job I know I would enjoy. So when I read the synopsis for this book I knew I had to get to know Allie Cobb. With a literary agent for a father, you know reading was an integral part of Allie’s life. So much so she followed in his footsteps but was independent enough to want to make her own way in the field. I really enjoyed watching her do her job, the queries, the editing, the push to get the books into the right hands to be published. Her attention to detail not only helps with her job, it is a key element to being a great amateur sleuth. Her mother is a physician and I could see a lot of her mother in her as well. Mr. Kenney has created a wonderful protagonist, a woman who can think on her feet and ask the right questions. She also doesn’t give up.

Rushing Creek, Indiana is populated by a quirky bunch of residents. Those readers will love and those readers will love to hate. The mayor along with Allie’s missing boyfriend were high up on my list of the later. He also includes a couple of four-legged characters that will steal your heart. For the first book in a series, there was a great deal of character development while still leaving plenty of room for growth as the series continues.

The mystery itself was very well written with a pace that ramped up as the story continued. Red herrings, yes there are a few and along twists that led to a surprising ending. I was very wrapped up in the drama and read the entire book, just under 200 pages in one afternoon.

The series is off to an excellent start. I look forward to A Genuine Fix, the second book in this series hits stores July 16.

In the debut of a refreshing new series, Allie Cobb rushes back to Southern Indiana after the death of her beloved father. She had established a career in NYC as a literary agent, following in her father's footsteps. At her father's funeral his major client gets drunk, then turns up dead. Her BFF, Sloan, is at the top of the suspect list. Allie investigates the murder, but is that putting herself in the killer's crosshairs? Well-plotted and assured, it manages to bystep all the annoying tropes of a new cozy series with a fresh take on our heroine. Very enjoyable!

What a fantastic start to this new cozy mystery series set in a small town in Indiana. Allie has to back home due to the death of her father. He was pretty much her idol and she followed in his editor footsteps. There are quite few intriguing characters that we get to meet as well which leads us to the death of one of her dad's oldest author client who also happens to be her friends father. With her BFF the main suspect she starts asking questions which gives your some incredible clues that she uses to come up with her theories. I especially enjoyed the cuddly kitty. Well written and showcases the Hoosier spirit. Perfect for fans of cozies. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I liked it.

Book one in a new series.

This was a nice, quick read. Readers are introduced to Allie Cobb and her family, along with her best friend, Sloan, as Allie goes home for her father's funeral and to clear up loose ends in his literary agency.

The book, like most first in a series books, spends a lot of time building relationships and characterization and not so much on the murder mystery. The mystery was fairly easy to figure out. The writing was solid though, and I really like Allie and her family.

I am looking forward to book two.

A Literal Mess by JC Kennedy is about Allie Cobb, a literary agent from New York. She goes home to Rushing Creek, Indiana, to attend her father’s funeral. While there, her best friend’s father, who was a business associate of her Dad, is murdered. Allie decides to stay until she can help find Mr. Thornwell’s killer. This book had a nice small town atmosphere, good strong characters, and a well-written plot. This book was very enjoyable to read. I hope the next book in this series is on it’s way. Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me an advanced reader’s copy to review.

Quite a gentle mystery with some good characterisation and story-building. There's another (more-established) literary agent series, but this one somehow has the main character doing more work in that respect than the other series. It's an unusual career for a cosy mystery MC and hopefully will be the basis for more books!

Unfortunately, I pegged the killer from the beginning but enjoyed the story and how the murder and mystery unfolded. Allie is a good MC, surrounded by good friends and family, and asks decent questions - if a bit pushy. Regardless of who she knows because she grew up in Rushing Creek, there's still a point where nosy/pushy questioning is out of line for a civilian - no one is obligated to answer her questions, regardless of much they like her or that she's investigating the murder, and particularly because she's been gone over a decade. There were a couple of inconsistencies with a timeline, but overall, it was a decent read and I will keep my eyes open for further installments.

I was looking forward to reading this boo,, but I was very disappointed. The story fell flat and there was no connection with any of the characters.

The death of Allie Cobb's literary agent father has her leaving Manhattan to return to her small Indiana hometown of Rushing Creek. While dealing with seeing her family and grieving for her father, Allie is looking forward to spending time with her best friend Sloane. But when Sloane's hard drinking best-selling author father Thornwell is found murdered under the historic town bridge, the police chief (her sister's ex-husband) considers Sloane the prime suspect. Since Thornwell was her father's top client and she is determined to clear Sloane, Allie nosily looks into solving the murder and prove the police chief wrong. Suspects include Thornwell's estranged ex-wife, his new girlfriend, the mayor, and a rival agent trying to mooch clients. Meanwhile on the romantic front, Ally is distracted by Brent, a handsome genealogist working at the town's library.

3.5 stars
Although I generally enjoyed this debut book, I gave it a lower rating because of how Ally confronted the murderer. Allie makes a career change and lifestyle choice at the end of the book which opens the door for future stories for her in Rushing Creek.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and Kensington with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

While I think this series starts on on a sour note and really doesn't have that small town feel i love from a cozy, it did pick up by the end of the book and I want to learn more about Allie and her new/old circle of friends. I just think two deaths was too much; there could have been another reason to come back because I honestly think Allie brushing off her father's death in order to solve a murder made her seem callous. She wasn't a very likable character anyway; pushy and over the top, and definitely not a very good friend or daughter at times either. I did like the characters around her, especially the potential love interest, so that was redeeming.

The mystery itself is decent, if not slightly predictable for a first in the series. A bit surprising to work with the detective though, especially to be asked but it kind of worked?

A fun start to a series I plan on seeing more of. Four stars.

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele

A Literal Mess gets the Allie Cobb Mystery Series off to a good start. With the requisite small town setting and plucky protagonist, it is a satisfying cozy read.

Literary agent Allie finds herself back home in Indiana when her father passes away. Aside from grieving and honoring her father, Allie had promised to settle his business affairs with his own agency. She is soon pulled into investigative mode when her father’s friend/client is found dead. Thornwell Winchester was a successful author, but alcoholism made a wreck of his personal life so it was no surprise when his death is ruled a homicide. With Thornwell’s daughter, and Allie’s best friend, Sloane named the prime suspect, Allie does all she can to find the real killer.

Author Kenney does a good job of introducing all of the characters without bogging down the narrative. Allie is engaging, smart and level headed, and her occupation is interesting and not your average cozy sleuth’s job. This makes the whole story seem fresh. I also appreciate that the standard “romance gone wrong with the protagonist starting over” setup is not employed here. Her family provides a nice backdrop for the action. The supportive characters are appealing, and I particularly like genealogist Brent Reynolds and look forward to reading more about him.

The writing style is breezy even though there is grief and danger to be found within the pages. The pace of the book is good, and I am glad that the ending is not rushed. The mystery is well executed with plenty of suspects, motives, and clues. Despite having pegged whodunit from pretty early in the tale, it is great fun to follow alongside Allie as she figures it all out.

I enjoyed A Literal Mess and will definitely read more in the series as books become available. I recommend it to any cozy mystery fan.

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

Could not connect with the story.
The narrative was too simple to make it interesting for my taste. After 10% of the book, I found myself fast-forwarding and skipping pages to get to the end.

The first book in a new cozy mystery series. Allie leaves Manhattan to go back to her home town in Indiana for her fathers funeral.Great characters. I liked how her ex-BIL, on the local police force, accepted her help when a local author is found dead. Though, I don't understand why it took Allie so long to realize that she should take over her fathers literary agency rather than return to Manhattan. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

I really liked the storyline, the setting and I loved the clues the author places for you along the story, what I didn’t like was Allie character seemed to be a bit stuck up from time to time and there are times when she goes to questions suspects that he is a bit out of sorts with them. Allie is also instructed to a bit of romance so you get a bit of romantic dialog too, which was great for the first book in the series. If you have never given thought about what goes on behind the scenes of writing a book this story will take you into some of the things that take place during writing.

I recommend this book for any cozy mystery lover that wants a light read.

Enjoyable mystery but it reminded me of a couple other books I have read in the last few weeks. It seems a lot of these cozy mysteries are using the same outline.

This was a fun book to read. I enjoyed the plot and I always love books where the main character tries their hand at amateur sleuthing. This was a fast paced but that I enjoyed. I am looking forward to reading more from this author. Thank you NetGalley.