The Body in the Gravel by Judi Lynn is the third book in the cozy A Jazzi Zanders Mystery series. As with most cozy mystery series each book can be read by themselves or in any order as each contains it’s own mystery that is fully solved within. However, there will be some character development carrying over from book to book for those that follow the series from the beginning .

The first book of the series, The Body in the Attic, introduced readers to Jazzi Zanders who along with her cousin Jerod are in the flipping houses business in River Bluffs, Indiana. Now if anyone isn’t familiar with house flipping it’s buying up properties at a low cost then renovating them to sell for profit. I blame plenty of doctor/hospital trips for my new found love of HGTV and these type of shows since they seem to air in waiting rooms everywhere.

This latest book of the series has Jazzi and her team working on their latest home when they find that the house is sinking and they will need to do some work on the foundation. With so much work to do on the current house Jazzi hires Darby to help but he fails to show up after an argument with the furnace man. However, when the gravel truck arrives for the drive Darby’s body comes sliding out amidst the gravel.

I have been following the Jazzi Zanders series from the beginning for not only my HGTV obsession but the fact it takes place in the state that I am from. For someone who has sat through quite a few shows on the house flipping I actually find the work they do entertaining in these and what better to include sleuthing out a killer while we remodel! With each book I get to know everyone better and seem to enjoy it a bit more so I’ll definitely continue to keep coming back.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I loved the characters and the storyline development of this book. It was absolutely one of my favorites so far and I can't wait to delve in to the next one that this author writes. The storyline was simple, enjoyable, and entertaining.

Jazzi, Ansel, and Jerod are back working on their latest project - a 3 story fixer upper. Their plan is to work on the exterior while they autumn weather is still pleasant and then to attack the inside projects during the colder days coming. So, first a new roof, new siding, and the shutters, window boxes and a new driveway but not before the foundation is repaired. Jazzi calls their regular concrete company afterward to bring gravel for the driveway. When it's late, she calls again and one of the other drivers brings the truck but when he starts to unload the gravel, the body of their regular driver falls out. Since the dead man was the father of a former friend, Jazzi is drawn into the investigation. It doesn't help that Jazzi is in the midst of the final preparations for her wedding to Ansel. and that he is concerned about his estranged family coming for the event.

I love the background of the fixer uppers for the characters and their family dynamics. The mystery was well-woven together with the characters lives.

I had this book after I read the first but had to get the 2nd in the series. So happy that I can read this just about one after the other. Great series!

I have been binge reading this series and enjoying it. In this outing, Jazzi, her fiancé Ansel, and her cousin Jerod are working on a large home that needs a lot of work. They are trying to get the outside finished and are waiting for a load of gravel to redo the driveway. They contact Darby, to deliver gravel and do the cement work. When he shows up the first time, he has a huge argument with one of Jazzi's sub-contractors. The next day, a truck from his company delivers the gravel they need along with Darby's dead body in the truck.

I enjoyed the mystery in this book. There was some history about Darby involving rumours surrounding the disappearance of his wife and son years earlier. Because he was so cantankerous, there were a lot of people who didn't like him very much, but was that enough to get him killed? Once again, Jazzi becomes an integral part of the investigation with the detective in charge bringing her with him when he questions witnesses, and people contact her with information instead of the police. This is very different from most cozies where the police want the amateur sleuths to back off. Even though that is rather unbelievable, I can overlook it as the stories are very entertaining. The culprit was a bit surprising to me, but as I looked back over the story, I can see where there were small clues that were easily overlooked. I thought the reveal was quite exciting and I was happy with how it played out. Overall, I enjoyed this story but there was one thing that knocked a star off my rating. Once the crime was solved, there was a storyline with Ansel's family coming to town for the wedding. It was uncomfortable and most of his family were not very nice at all. I just found it an unpleasant ending to a good story.

This was a suspenseful read that where everyone seems to have a secret and those secrets hold the truth to who the real killer is and will keep you guessing until the very end. The standout element of this book though is its characters, each one is enduring and captivating, by the end of the story they will feel like part of the family. I also must commend Lynn, in how through her characters she was able to bring forth themes of love and acceptance, of building your own family when the one you were born into throws you away. This added to the excellently constructed mystery really made this one stands out novel. I highly recommend this book to all readers, but I must warn this book may leave you a bit hungry, thankfully the author includes some great recipes to help with that hunger.

Jazzy Sanders and her fiancee have their work cut out for them in the 3 story house they are renovating to sell, planning a wedding, redoing the family room for her brother's house, and hosting weekly Sunday meals for family and friends...all while solving the murder of the body dumped into their driveway with the pad of gravel. Thoroughly enjoyed this book, my first of the series. Loved the characters, the tone of the book and the mystery itself. My one quibble is why the police detective relief so much on Jazz's input and intuition that he would take her to question others, both suspects and witnesses. Perhaps the earlier books explain that dynamic, but it seemed a little odd to me. I've already have the next book in the series ready to read.

It is rare that I do not finish a book no matter how tedious it is. This is one of those books. I had thee main issues. The first is that the detective investigating the murder is incapable of doing an interview without the main character Jazzi tagging along. The second is a combination of two things. The book is one-fourth about the murder and three-fourths about the food being cooked/eaten and Jazzi and her boyfriend having sex. I can handle the food and sex if it had been the one-fourth part. I felt like I was reading the same paragraphs over and over and over. I am sure the mystery portion came to a tidy conclusion, but I was past the point of caring.

I love this whole series of books. Once again our beloved flippers stumble upon a body. This time it falls out of a gravel truck. As Jazzie and Gaff search for the murderer all they seem to find more suspects. As all this is going on they are of course flipping a house and getting ready for Jazzie and Ansel's wedding. As always a great story with amazing characters. I can't wait for the next book.

The Body in the Gravel is the third installment in the A Jazzi Zanders Mystery series set in River Bluffs, Indiana and featuring the house flipping trio of Jazzi, her fiance Ansel and her cousin Jerod. Their latest project is a massive three story home requiring a lot of work and the first project is to fix the foundation and driveway before snow flies.

Calling on their regular gravel & cement contractor, Darby to perform the work they are surprised when he gets into an argument with the furnace repairman, Thane - who is also dating Jazzi's sister. When Darby fails to show up the next day with the rest of the materials for the driveway they call his office only to find out that he hadn't shown up for work. Another driver for the company arrives with a truckload of dirt and as he begins dumping the load out tumbles the body of Darby.

Fingers quickly point to Thane as a prime suspect. It seems as though Thane had been best friends with Darby's son Walker, but many years ago Walker and his mother Rose disappeared in the middle of the night and were never seen again. Rumors swirled around town that Darby had killed the two and buried them in his yard, but no proof was ever found. In an effort to clear Thane's name Jazzi sets out with Detective Gaff to dig up the real killer.

While I like this series overall, there are a few things that I don't enjoy. It's extremely far fetched that Detective Gaff calls Jazzi for advice, that he comes to her home and job site to pick her up and brings her along to question suspects. Also, I'm not sure why every chapter needs to end with the suggestion that Jazzi and Ansel are heading upstairs to have sex. I'm not a prude but when the chapters are only a few pages long it seems as though you are reading the same closing paragraph over and over.

With the mystery wrapping up with the wedding of Jazzi and Ansel, we got a little more insight into Ansel's family and it will be interesting to see how Ansel's brother will fit into their household in future installments.

I received an advanced copy of The Body in the Gravel from NetGalley via Lyrical Underground. While not required to write a review I am happy to offer my honest opinion.

This was an enjoyable cozy mystery with a good plot. I am intrigued with the idea of flipping houses and found that to be an interesting subject. The characters are very likeable and I enjoyed their backstories.
Many thanks to Kensington Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was unable to complete this book because of the narrative style. It was not something I was comfortable with. There are repetitive mentions of how the boyfriend Ansel was referred to and how he liked things to be and I found it a little odd and since I couldn't get invested in the people I decided to stop before I started to dislike the book.
I think it is a decent story for anyone on the lookout for cozy mysteries with different settings. The life of a fixer-upper couple is well described.

This is book 3 in the Jazzi Zanders series. Jazzi and Ansel are trying to finish up the outside work of their latest fixer upper before their wedding. When a load of gravel is delivered for the new driveway the owner of the company is dumped from the truck along with the stone. There are several prime suspects and Jazzy just wants everything tied up quickly. When a worker from the same company is found murdered the case expands in a big way. I enjoy this series, always some good household repair tips to be found in the cozy. Friends and family are gathering for the wedding so you get to catch up on all your favorites. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Jazzi Zander mysteries are always a great, comforting read - even with the dead bodies!

Jazzi, Jerod and Ansel have another house to flip, this one is a doozy that need a lot of work, including cement work in the foundations and along the driveway, they always use Darby and his company for this, even though Darby can be argumentative, but they don't expect the argument that kicks off between Darby and their go to furnace man (and Jazzi's sister's boyfriend) Thane, that would be bad enough but the next day when they come to do the gravel for the drive (the previous day had been the cement for the foundation) they are stunned to find Darby in the midst of the gravel!!

Now Jazzi and her good friend Detective Gaff need to find out the truth, so that Thane isn't in jail when Jazzi and Ansel tie the knot in a months time!

My favorite visit to River Bluffs.

When I first started the series I was not a big fan but liked it enough to stuck with it. I’m so glad I did. I’m loving it and finding myself eagerly awaiting the next installment.

I love the closeness of Jazzi’s family and Ansel has finally gone from feeling like a controlling man to one who just loves his woman with everything he’s got. The more you get to know Ansel’s family the more you realize how lucky he is to have moved to River Bluffs.

There is the illusion of sex but nothing descriptive so I consider a clean read. No paranormal activity for those who are opposed. Recipes are usually included as Jazzi likes to cook as well as flip houses. No foul language that I can think of.

Each book can be read as a stand-alone but I always suggest reading in order.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Kensington, through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

Being that the author and I have the same name (I'm Judy Lynn), I knew that I had to check this series out. With that being said, I just could not enjoy this book. With every single day, the author went into great detail of what they made for lunch and dinner, what they did for work, and the fact that Jazzi and Ansel had sex nearly every night (fortunately, that was not in great detail). If this would have been either a fixer upper cozy or a cooking cozy, I think I would have enjoyed it more. Also, I found it hard to believe that the sheriff would give a nod to Jazzi so that she could get in on the questioning. Sadly, this will not be a series that I continue. Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington for the copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I enjoyed meeting jazzy and the rest of the characters. It was a quick, light, fun read. I would recommend it to others and look forward to more by this author.

It was a pleasure to 'visit' with Jazzi and Ansel and watch as the remodel a home as part of their home-flipping business. I've enjoyed learning about the process that goes into a remodel. Although I wasn't sure about the characters and their interaction with each other, they now seem like old friends.

I look forward to the next book.

The Body in the Gravel
(A Jazzi Zanders Mystery #3)
by Judi Lynn
 
Kindle Edition
Published September 24th 2019 by Lyrical Underground



Goodreads synopsis:
Even in a lovely town like River Bluffs, Indiana, flipping houses can be a challenge. Especially when there’s the proverbial skeleton in the closet—and a literal corpse in the driveway . . .
 
House-flipper Jazzy Zanders has her work cut out for her. Her latest flip, which she co-purchased with her fiancée Ansel and cousin Jerod, is a three-story fixer-upper that’s more of a droopy-downer. One corner of the house is sinking and needs to be jacked up with a new cement foundation. That costs money. And causes headaches. And creates a work environment that’s not only hostile, it’s downright deadly . . .
 
Jazzy knows it’s a tough job. Which is why she hired Darby to lay the cement. But when Darby gets into a fiery argument with the furnace man—and then never shows up to lay gravel for the driveway—Jazzy starts to wonder if the rumors about Darby are true. Did he kill his wife and son and bury them in the yard like some folks claim? When Darby’s dead body comes pouring out of a gravel truck, murder upstages the real estate market as her biggest concern . . .



***

4.5 Stars

This is the third book in the Jazzy Zanders mystery series by Judi Lynn.

I spent too much of my time while reading this wondering why Jazzy would make such elaborate things to eat and then not want to use that talent in a job. I mean, I understand her mindset about making something a job will suck the life and joy out of it, but still… some of those meals she made sounded delish.

In truth, Jazzy was a house-flipper with a big heart. When the body of one of the cement drivers is found in the bed of the truck, things start to look really rocky for this house flip! I really enjoyed the storyline surrounding Walker and the death of his dad. Jazzy was just so motherly around him I think I wanted her to adopt him. I am not certain who the recurring characters are in this book series but I sure hope Walker continues to remain one of them.

I loved the idea of this series. It is like a cozy mystery with Chip and Joanna Gaines from Fixer Upper. And you can never go wrong with that combination. This story keeps you guessing and with all the yummy sounding recipes, it makes me want to try my hand at some of her foodie ideas.

If you want an easy to get into cozy, definitely check this one out. It keeps you interested, stimulates your senses and makes you want to know whodunit. I have to admit I didn’t figure this one out before the reveal… bummer. But that is what makes this type of series so fun to read. This is one winner of a story in my book.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

This was another good installment in this series. The mystery was intriguing with quite few surprises along the way. The mystery elements in the books in this series are always very good. I could do with out the amount of innuendo in the story. There isn’t anything graphic but there are numerous mentions of those activities throughout the book(much like the previous books in this series). I will keep with the series because I really enjoy the mysteries but do wish the other would be toned down.

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

The Body in the Gravel by Judi Lynn
Book #3: Jazzi Zanders Mystery Series
Source: NetGalley and Lyrical Underground
Rating: 5/5 stars

Can’t a girl get through one house renovation without a dead body showing up? Thankfully, for we readers at least, the answer to that is a resounding “NO!” In fact, not only does yet another dead body get dumped (literally!) into Jazzy’s life, but so does a huge list of potential suspects.

Jazzy, Ansel, and Jerod have taken on a whale of a project. An older three-story home with a lot of potential and enough issues to need a shrink! As always, the trio has a plan in place and that plan involves getting all the exterior work done before moving to the interior. A part of the exterior involves bolstering the foundation and completely reworking the driveway. That means cement, and a lot of it. As always, the flippers call in their go-to guy for cement, Darby, a surly bastard who is not known for his sunny disposition or good attitude. Thanks to his nasty reputation, it really comes as no surprise to anyone when the gravel base for the driveway is being poured and Darby comes out too.

As if it’s simply a foregone conclusion, Detective Gaff ropes Jazzy into the investigation and the hunt for a killer begins. As if looking for a killer weren’t hard enough, Jazzy and Gaff quickly figure out, not only did Darby have no friends, but he did have a great number of enemies. At the top of the list, Jazzy’s sort of brother-in-law, all the men who worked for him, his son and ex-wife who have been missing for two years, and his housekeeper. Narrowing down the list takes a great deal of patience, finding the right questions to ask, and untangling the last days of a man no one liked and was clearly falling apart.

At the same time Jazzy is trying to detangle the life of a right bastard, she’s also trying to put the finishing touches on her upcoming wedding to her Viking, Ansel. The food is planned, the venue is ready to go, the guests have been invited, and the plan is in place. The only thing missing, a wedding dress! As the days roll by, Ansel begins to worry about Jazzy’s commitment to their life together. Though Jazzy assures Ansel she is all in for the long haul, her Viking still worries. What’s more, Ansel also has mixed feelings about the presence of his completely awful family. It’s meant to be a day of happiness and new beginnings and all Ansel can do is fret which, in turn, causes Jazzy to worry more.

The Bottom Line: The Body in the Gravel has so much going on that it easily could have become a hot mess. Instead, the seasoned Lynn juggles multiple plot lines, a multitude of characters, and a fine mystery with an organized and collected plan. Nothing and no one got lost in the mix, all the loose ends are neatly tied up by the end, and there are even a few fun little surprises. The Jazzy Zanders Mystery series seems to be gaining strength and speed with each new book and I am thrilled with this development. I need my characters and their world to evolve and I am certainly getting just that with this series. As much as the characters and the plots, I also enjoy the discussions and descriptions of the work Jazzy, Ansel, and Jerrod are doing and, of course, all the good food Jazzy serves up. In all, I can’t find a flaw with this series and look forward to it having a long and lovely life.