Abby McCree is trying to get her life back on track after a rather traumatic divorce, she has inherited her beloved Aunt's house and is gradually sorting through it, the other things she has inherited are a Mastiff cross dog named Zeke, a rather growly tenant called Tripp and (scarily) her Aunt Sybil's post in various committees, the main one of which is the quilting guild. So far so good, Abby has taken a deep breath and got on with stuff, the one thing she does want to get done (before the quilting guild garage sale at her property) is clearing a large patch of brambles (Tripp does a lot of gardening and DIY as part of his rent but the brambles are low down on his list), after she tries to clear them Tripp finds out that a couple of local farmers rent out their goats to do this type of clearance! and so this is what Abby goes with, part way through the first day though they see a goat chewing fabric, Tripp headed into the temporary closure and whilst in there discovers a dead body!

When it turns out that the dead woman was someone that Sybil had had a verbal dust up with shortly before she disappeared, fingers are pointed at Abby's late aunt as the killer, now against the best advice of the Detective in charge and Tripp Abby is determined to clear her aunt's name and get the real killer jailed.

Death by Committee is a new cozy mystery series by Alexis Morgan and it is great! The characters are likable and interesting, the cozy mystery is good, plus there is friendship and humor. I really enjoyed it. Abby McCree moved back after a divorce when she inherits her favorite Aunt's house. Abby and her neighbor find a dead body and her Aunt's name is tied to the case and Abby needs to clear her name.

I really enjoyed the characters and I look forward to reading the rest of the series! Great start to the series!!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The synopsis of this book sounded intriguing to me so I requested a copy to read.
Unfortunately, I have tried reading this book on 2 separate occasions and during this 2nd attempt, I have
decided to stop reading this book
and state that this book just wasn't for me.

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

I put this book down several times to read something else. I was able to finish it eventually, but considered just stopping. There was nothing that pushed my buttons that much, good or bad. I will say though that there seemed to be a touch (or more) of misogyny in all the male characters and Abby seems to have money to toss around. Yes, she inherited her aunt's home and her ex bought out her share of the business, but with no income coming in (and no clear explanation of how much she actually has) it raised my eyebrows.

All I can say is that I didn't connect with the characters or setting this time. The mystery was weak in that there was only one potential culprit and that was bobbled initially by Abby and the cops missing the vital clue to the killer's identity.

Despite this, I am starting the second book in case this was just a first book issue.

I receive my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

When I'm starting a new series, the usual fare of cozy mystery protagonists are those who are starting over again because of a horrible event that happened in the past. Sometimes, I get too distracted with the details of their "past life", and so I would have doubts on whether to continue the first book or not. I am kind of wary of the series when I start reading the first chapter and then I am suddenly presented with a ton of details that I would rather have given to me little by little throughout the entire book, or even throughout the series. I am also concerned about how the cozy heroine is presented, because I would be seeing the series through the perspective of the heroine.

With Death by Committee, I have to admit that in the first few chapters, there were certain details that I would have preferred to be mentioned in later chapters. I also was a little bit leery of who the real perpetrator was eventually, and the motive that was behind the murder. But I liked how Abby immediately found the body and went head on with the investigation, because it was her beloved aunt's reputation and innocence on the line. I also liked how the details on the other characters are slowly given to the reader - casually mentioned or given as a major part of the plot - so it was not distracting from the major characters and the solving of the murder.

I am also looking forward to the next book because it seems like that Abby, who's in Snowberry Creek to take care of her deceased aunt's estate, is going to stay even longer and gets involved even more with the town's activities. I also want to see how her blossoming romance would end up (she deserves it!).

This is a great start to a new cozy mystery series. Abby McCree is settling into her new life in the small town of Snowberry Creek. She has inherited a rundown estate from her late Aunt Sybil, who she spend many happy summers with when she was quite young. Abby doesn't have much time to get used to her new home, or figure out what she needs to do first, because her aunt's friends have offered up Abby's services to all the committees Aunt Sybil was involved in. She finds herself taking over the local quilting guild, serving on the city’s Senior Affairs group, and planning fundraising garage sales. When Tripp, her tenant and yard man, discovers a body buried in her backyard, it turns out to be Aunt Sybil's rival in town who everyone assumed was down south for the winter. Aunt Sybil is the main suspect, and even though she is deceased, Abby wants to make sure her aunt's name and reputation are not tarnished. Will her investigation and questions put her in danger?

Author Alexis Morgan has written a fun story with a great plot. Abby's investigation moves slowly and builds the tension until the explosive ending. The characters in the book are relatively well developed for the first book in the series. Abby is strong, intelligent and determined in her quest. She doesn't rush headlong into things, but proceeds slowly, uncovering information along the way. This does not mean the story is boring, though. The quilters are fun. There are some quirky characters, but they are not dowdy, these women are quick and smart as well. And then there is Tripp. He is a veteran who lives in the small cottage on the property. He had agreed to help Sybil out with yard work and maintenance in return for lower rent. The quilters love to have an excuse to watch him work on a hot day. He helps keep Abby safe and perhaps will become a love interest for her as the series goes on. There are a few suspects to the murder as well as some not very nice characters in the story which all add to the well-plotted and well-paced story. There are a couple of red herrings and some twists that kept me guessing. I thought I had it all figured out, but there were a few things, such as motive, that were revealed at the end. Overall, a very satisfying story and a good start to a new series. I am looking forward to seeing what is next for Abby, Tripp and the Quilters.

Such fun! It was light and quick. I enjoyed meeting the characters. I look forward to the next installment.

First in a new series set in the lovely Pacific Northwest, although you don't really get a feel for it. Is the town inland or on the coast, or did I miss its location?

In the first couple of sentences, we are introduced to the love interest in the form of 'ripped' military vet, Tripp Blackston, Abby's tenant and on-site handyman, who is mowing the lawn and the focus of Abby's guests' attention. Her recently-passed Aunt Sybil had made arrangements for Tripp to stay in the mother-in-law cottage on the grounds with reduced (?) rent in exchange for maintenance, yard work, etc. So when Abby inherits her aunt's house and dog, Zeke, she also 'inherits' Tripp. She is drawn into a murder investigation when she and Tripp, tidying a corner of the garden, uncover the body of her aunt's 'rival', Dolly Cayhill, wrapped in her aunt's quilt and stuffed under the blackberry bushes. What a welcome!

There was some quilting information, as Abby and her (older lady) friends belong to a quilting guild and quilts feature in the two mysteries in this book. One, her aunt's dead friend and, two, a dozen missing quilts the ladies had handed over to a previous member who was going to photograph them for a calendar. But that lady apparently disappeared with a lover and took the quilts with her, leaving a devastated husband behind.

Unfortunately, the murderer is pretty obvious from the first instance and I found myself reading to discover the motive because a lot of the story is around the relationship between Tripp and Abby (the author apparently is quite prolific in the romance genre). And possibly a love triangle with Gage, the sheriff...?

Anyway, I enjoyed it well enough, although it did take me several days to get through it. I'd like to read the second in the series to see if it broadens the characters a bit. I liked Gage and Zeke more than the MC and Tripp if I'm honest, they were more fully written I felt. A series I would recommend, however.

Great start to a new series!!

After a rough divorce, Abby McCree moves to small town Snowberry Creek to tie up loose ends after her elderly Aunt Sybil passes away. Abby inherits a rundown estate, that comes with a slobbery Mastiff and a sexy tenant who handles the maintenance of the place (mostly shirtless). Abby gets drawn into Sybil's tight-knit quilting guild as well as many getting suckered into the community board and fundraisers. Upon trying to clean up the yard of the estate, Abby and Tripp make a gruesome discovery—Aunt Sybil’s only known rival is buried in her backyard!
With Late Aunt Sybil being the primary suspect, Abby is set out to find the real killer. As the suspect list piles up, so does the threats Abby begins facing. Can she figure out the killer before she becomes the victim?

I loved the character development in this series. I am not usually fond of romance but I love the light heat between Abby and Tripp. Also, finally in a cozy mystery series, there is a member of law enforcement that is not mean and not out to get the amateur sleuth.

I went into this book with no expectations, as I received an ARC from NetGalley, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am highly anticipating book 2, Death by Jack-o’-Lantern, which release is August 2019. I also added the audio version to pair with the digital. The narrator, Colleen Marlo, was quite enjoyable. Highly recommend both.

"Tell me, Miss McCree, do you have any idea how your aunt's archrival, Dolly Cahill, came to be buried in your backyard, wrapped in one of Sybil's quilts?

Death by Committee by Alexis Morgan is the first book in the Abby McCree cozy mystery series. We are introduced to Abby who has inherited her favourite aunt Sybil's home and responsibilities in the small town of Snowberry Creek along with handsome, moody former war veteran and tenant, Tripp Blackston. Abby chances upon the dead body buried in her backyard and later learns that the body was a nemesis to her late aunt.
With little faith in the police and a lot of sleuthing, Abby takes it upon herself to uncover the killer, especially since it also means clearing her aunt Sybil's name.

Death by Committee has a second mystery within, that of the 12 missing quilts that the town's Quilting Guild had planned to use to bring in donations. While I enjoyed reading this, I felt that this secondary mystery took more focus than the original mystery.

"Snowberry Creek was a pretty town with lots of nice people living in it. But [Abby] shivered as she passed each neat and tidy house, because, despite the warmth of the sun overhead, she had to wonder which one sheltered a cold-blood killer."

I enjoyed Abby's reflections on who might have wanted to kill Dolly. Her interactions are realistic and humourous. She's an overall relatable character and so is her moody tenant and often saviour Tripp. I would like to see more of them in coming books.

One of my favourite characters in Death by Committee is Zeke, Abby's massive grey Mastiff, which she also inherited from her aunt Sybil. Zeke has a presence and character of his own in the novel. Though he cares for Abby and constantly ensures her safety, he is often seen wavering between who he'd like to spend time with, Abby or Tripp. Their dog walks become excellent excuses for Abby to explore possible suspects.

"Abby felt like she should be earning frequent flier miles with the Snowberry Creek Police Department."

One of the things that bothered in Death by Committee, however, was the repetition of events. Something would happen with Abby and the town's sheriff Gage would question her about it. Instead of re-mentioning it briefly or saying something like "Abby relayed the events as they happened", she would repeat everything exactly. Personally, I felt it this was redundant and just added pages and word count.

Having said that, I still enjoyed Death by Committee by Alexis Morgan. It's a good start to a fun series with loveable characters.

The link below also includes an exclusive interview with Alexis Morgan

Death by Committee is a new cute cozy mystery series. I can't wait for the next in the series. The characters are well written and I enjoyed the plot.

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

Book 1 in the series.

I like the main character, Abbey, she's resilient, smart and empathetic. And I adore Zeke, the mastiff she inherits along with a house. Not sure how I feel about her love interest, Tripp. He comes off as a bit bossy, which annoyed me. And something I am seeing lately, the mystery takes a back seat to their budding romance and all the other things/people in the story. That said, I try to give first books a bit of a break, since the author is trying to introduce us to everyone. This was enjoyable enough, and a nice, light, quick read.

I look forward to more of Abbey and Zeke in book 2.

This turned out to be a very good first book in a new series. It starts with things already underway, avoiding a lot of the moving back home angst. Abby is already living in her late Aunt Sybil's home, going through everything, taking care of what is now her new dog Zeke and getting to know Sybil's group of friends--from quilters to neighborhood do gooders. It was convenient to already have a handyman onsite--Aunt Sybil had an agreement with Tripp to do work around the place in exchange for a place to live and Abby soon takes on committee roles temporarily as well for the town of Snowberry Creek. When the only person in town who could possibly be called Sybil's nemesis is found buried in the backyard in a quilt, both Abby and the ladies of the quilting guild want to find out what really happened. There were some parts of the storyline that seemed to run almost parallel to each other, but I really liked how all the pieces came together in the end. It was a very solid read and kept my interest the whole time

This was a great start to a fun new cozy series! I read a lot of cozy mysteries and this was truly one of the best I have found. It starts off well and had me involved in the story early on. The goats being hired to clear a bramble patch was new to me and a fun element especially how it plays in to a body being discovered. That was an unusual and memorable way for a body to be found. There was quite a bit of humor and sarcasm in the book which I liked a lot(I speak fluent sarcasm!). Tripp was probably my favorite character in the book. I like Abby as well but she did kind of annoy me a couple of times. The culprit was fairly obvious(to me anyways) but the story still kept me engaged and wanting to find out for sure if I was right. All in all, a solid debut for this new series, which I recently learned has a predecessor fiction series I will be investigating soon! Looking forward to book two releasing later this year!!


I received this book from NetGalley and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts above are my honest opinion.

Death by Committee is a cozy mystery that emphasizes romance and quilting more than sleuthing.

Abby’s recently deceased elderly Aunt Sybil left her a house. Abby hires several goats to eat some overgrown foliage in the backyard. One goat uncovers Dolly, Sybil’s rival, who is buried in the backyard in Sybil’s quilt. When the town, including the police chief, rush to assume Sybil is a murderer, Abby vows to clear her Aunt’s name. Luckily, she will have the help of her boarder, the hunky Tripp.

I enjoyed the relationship between Abby and Tripp. They both seemed genuine. The mystery within Death by Committee was a bit too easy to solve making this book a better choice for romance fans. 3 stars.

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Divorcee Abby McCree is ready to start living again after a messy divorce. Sadly, her aunt passes away leaving her estate in Snowberry Creek, Washington to Abby. The estate isn’t in the best shape and even comes with an affectionate dog. Unfortunately for Abby, she must deal with her aunt’s unfinished busness. She’s immediately put in charge of her aunt’s committee, hosts her aunt’s quilting guild, and has to host a huge garage sale fundraiser for them. Oh, did I mention that the estate also comes with a handsome tenant?

To make matters even more crazy, a dead body is found buried in her aunt’s backyard. The body happens to be her aunt’s archrival and is wrapped in her aunt’s quilt. The police immediately place Abby’s aunt at the top of the suspect list. The citizens in the small town of Snowberry Creek readily jump to the same conclusion. Abby is met with some really nasty accusations as the town shuns her for what they think her aunt did.

Abby is determined to clear her aunt’s name and her own, by association, as well. Against the warnings of the local police, Abby and her new dog do their own investigating. They begin to realize there is more going on in this small town than she ever realized.

This is the first book in a new series. I never read anything by this author before, but she crafted an intriguing, quaint, cozy mystery that grabbed my attention right away.

We have a story with a little bit of romance sprinkled through the mystery. The mystery side of the story takes precedence which is exactly how I like my cozy mysteries. The story moved along at a nice, steady pace. The characters were well portrayed and lively.

There were several suspects with many twists and turns. I did have my suspicions of “whodunit” half way through, but the journey to discover the hows and whys of the murder were intriguing.

This series is off to a good start and I’ll definitely be back for the next book.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and the publisher in return for an honest review. I liked this cosy and found it a good start to a new mystery series by Ms. Morgan. Abby inherits a run-down house, complete with large dog, upon the death of her Aunt Sybil. Interesting, the house also comes with a handsome tenant and the town has a another good-looking character in the form of the local law enforcement. Since Abby's just out of a divorce, she's more interested in figuring out who killed the person in her bushes and why the body was wrapped in a distinctive quilt. Add in a group of older ladies on the local quilting committee, the mysterious disappearance of a local woman and several committee quilts, plus Abby agreeing to serve on several town committees - whew, there's a lot going on here. The author does a good job of writing clear characters so it's easy to keep track of them and who is/does what (a personal pet peeve when its not done well so I like to point out when it is done correctly). I look forward to reading more stories about this setting, heroine and her new town.

I was captivated by this book from the very beginning. Abby is a fun character and this story hooked me and kept me guessing until the end. I liked Abby's determination to clear her aunt's name and the support she got from her friends. I look forward to reading more in this series.

Death by Committee

by Alexis Morgan

Looking for an exciting cozy mystery? Death by Committee has more action than is normally found in a cozy mystery. It is for sure a page turner.

Death by Committee by Alexis Morgan features likable characters with some depth to them that makes you want to get to know them even better. Its setup has potential for lots of variety in future stories. Main character Abby McCree, recently divorced, inherits her aunt’s house in a small town. She finds herself landlady to Tripp, a handsome veteran who lives in a cottage on her property. Abby has plenty to do sorting through her aunt’s possessions, but Aunt Sibyl’s elderly friends expect her to step into her aunt’s shoes as head of the quilting guild and as a civic leader.

A body is found buried on Abby’s property wrapped in a quilt. This gruesome discovery leads to her informal and unsanctioned investigation to clear her aunt’s name, but there is more intrigue to follow. A side mystery involves the disappearance of thirteen quilts. The quilts are valuable, but are they worth the penalties for theft?

My favorite character is the huge, slobbery Zeke: a mastiff cross who is Abby’s best buddy and defender. He is a constant throughout the story providing interest and humor. Zeke adores both Tripp and Abby (and treats) as much as the pair loves him. The book is filled with humorous repartee as Tripp and Abby struggle to understand each other, and fireworks of various kinds fly.

I did figure out before the reveal who the murderer is, but not the motive. I think this was intentional, making the final scenes even more dramatic. Abby put herself in danger sometimes through her own actions, but it does make for an exciting story. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. This one did not change my world, but it is a lot of fun, and it left me with a satisfied smile and wanting more.

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: 1. #1 in the Abby McCree Mystery Series
2. The cute cover doesn’t depict what actually happened in the book.

Publication: January 29, 2019—Kensington Books

Memorable Lines:

If she didn’t know what a sweetheart he was, she might have been just as leery of a dog of his size, too. The truth was, the only real threat the bighearted fellow presented to the world was his ability to produce an excessive amount of drool, which often left behind an icky trail of mastiff goo wherever he went.

The day hadn’t gone well at all, and her reward was a crushing headache. For now, she wasn’t going to think about anything more complicated than what flavor of tea would go best with ibuprofen.

“Don’t worry. We’re fine, boy. Just out for a drive.” Okay, that was a lie, and not even the dog was buying what she was selling.