Description
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 Jazzi 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 . . .



Jazzi 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—Jazzi 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



My thoughts

rating: 5

This series keeps getting better and better with each book , and I couldn't put it down at all . with that said I want to thank Netgalley for letting me read and review it exchange for my honest opinion.

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

Well, this was my first Jazzi Zanders mystery, and it was well...different. I read A LOT of cozy mystery, and it just didn't feel like this fully fit the genre I normally love so much. It IS themed; house flipping being the major one and food the second. The murder arises because of the house flipping actually; a man is found dumped in the gravel for the new driveway.

What follows is a story of Jazzi going along with the local detective because...why? I get it. She's good at asking the right questions. But it doesn't seem right to have an unarmed civilian asking potential murderers questions like it's routine. And IT IS SO ROUTINE. Yeah like just pick her up after she creates a gourmet lunch and they'll go question people and then she's off for a gourmet dinner and a romp with her fiance. I've spoken about 'unsexy sex' in my reviews before, and even without a full description, I really don't need sex in cozy mysteries (especially since they've trained their pets to wait downstairs on the regular. What the heck haha)

I kind of wavered between two and three stars with this one, but writing it all out made me realize I disliked more than I liked. The sheer routine of this book (there's that word again) was ultimately boring, and the cheesy romance only irked me. HOWEVER, if you'd like your cozies slightly spicier (and you can read the word fanny without giggling. Sorry, I'm Australian, it means something COMPLETELY different here) then this might be the series for you. It's heavier on the romance than most, which also might be a plus for some. There are some cracker names but no one blinks at them. Shame. The writing is good, even when the plot is spluttering. Mostly it's higher reviewed, so maybe a case of not being to my taste. Two stars.

Home Improvement, Pets, Food, Mystery… What’s not to love?

Judi Lynn has done it again. This latest installment of the Jazzi Zanders Mystery series is my favorite to date.

We once again spend time with our favorite characters (welcome back, Ansel and George) but meet some new characters, as well. One in particular, Walker, really caught my attention. Jazzi’s and Gaff’s, too. She wants to fix him up with someone. He’s considering arresting him for murder.

Yes, Jazzi’s construction site is once again the center of a murder mystery, and this time the suspect list keeps growing. Some even wonder if the victim was a murderer himself.

It was a sheer joy to follow the clues along with the characters and try to unravel the mystery. When I started reading the story, I didn’t expect this ending but was absolutely delighted by it. Fans of cozies should absolutely read this one.

Really fun book. Very enjoyable. The second murder was a shame (cause I liked the victim) but it ended up helping to solve the murder. The wedding was great. Fantastic ending to a fun read.

I enjoyed this book. I liked the characters and the investigating is spot on. I don't understand why a police officer would have a non-police officer go with him for interviews and the such. That's just not something that the police do. but other that that I liked the story. #TheBodyInTheGravel #NetGalley

Judi Lynn
The body in the gravel is the third book of this series.
I loved this book as much as the others , I couldn’t put it down once I started.
Enjoyed the family feel the humour they all have with each other.
The plot keeps you hooked .house flipping is so different from other Cozy’s.
A body is found when the gravel is delivered,
Another mystery for Jazzi to get involved with.
Plenty of suspects to keep you guessing.
I would like to give this book more than the 5 stars ⭐️.
Looking forward for Judi Lynn next book.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advance copy for my honest review.

In this third offering in the A Jazzi Zanders Mystery series Jazzi and Ansel are preparing for their wedding. I absolutely love the pace of Judi Lynn's writing. As a reader we are never rushed to a conclusion. There is plenty of time for the development of twists and suspects in the inevitable murder. The joys and difficulties of family are wonderfully addressed, and the food descriptions and recipes are delectable. Although there is intimacy in the storyline nothing is graphic, which I greatly appreciate. All in all this is a fun series and I recommend all three so that you can enjoy the background and progress of the stories.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I enjoyed this outing with Jazzi, Ansel and the rest of the crew. Although I did get tired of Jazzi and Ansel ending up in bed it what seemed like every other chapter. The author doesn't go into detail, just lets you know it is happening.. I read cozies for the mysteries. The mystery was interesting and kept me guessing. I also like how Gaff brings Jazzi with him - if the amateur sleuth is going to be involved, keep them safe.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review

Cousins Jazzi and Jerod, along with Jazzi’s fiancé Ansel are house flippers. They do most of the work themselves. They depend on others for things that are not in their wheelhouse, such as delivery of gravel and concrete as well as furnace replacement. Luckily they have a close friend, Thane that happens to be living with Jazzi’s sister Olivia, who is a whiz when it comes to heating and AC. But when Thane and Darby, the cranky old buzzard that delivers their gravel meet up at the reno house, Ansel and Jazzi discover a long lasting feud between the two men. They didn’t know that Thane’s best friend, Walker is Darby’s son. Walker and his mother fled from the abusive Darby two years ago without a trace. Thane thinks Darby killed them.

When Darby ends up dead in a load of gravel dumped at the house Ansel and Jazzi are working on, Thane is at the top of the list. But soon the list of suspects is broadened to the guys that worked for him, family members and all of his friends – who are more like enemies due to Darby’s volatile nature. When another person connected to Darby is found dead, and a presumed dead person is found alive the case becomes even more complicated.

Jazzie is determined to help Detective Gaff find the murderer. He is more than willing to have her input, as they have worked several cases together in the past. But she has more than a murderer to worry about. She and Ansel are getting married in a few weeks and she doesn’t even have her wedding dress yet!

I love cozy mysteries. Of course they are not War and Peace, but no one wants them to be. They are fun, fast reads with interesting elements. The house flipping factor is fun, especially if you are a fan of HGTV like I am. Another element that I love is the delicious foods Jazzi and Ansel cook and bake. They are a couple of foodies, sharing their love of food with us. As a bonus to the readers, a few of their recipes are included.

The other element that was a bit different from most cozy mysteries is the romance between Jazzi and Ansel. Most cozies have the on again/off again boyfriends that never seem to be resolved. The sexy but never explicit interactions between the main characters was not frustrating or irritating to me like the traditional cozy plot lines of never committing in the relationship. Kudos to Ms. Lynn for having her characters have a happily ever after – with a side of murder.

This is the third book in the Jazzi Zanders cozy mystery series and the first one I have read. It works well as a stand-alone novel. The only time I was confused was the first few chapters as there are several characters that are introduced from the previous novels. But I soon knew who everyone was and the role they played in the plot.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Copyright © 2019 Laura Hartman

The Body in the Gravel is a fun and charming cozy mystery. Full of interesting characters and a good storyline.

Jazzi, Ansel, andJerod are back and working to flip their latest investment property. While working on the new drive way, a body lands on the driveway as a load of gravel is delivered and this puts a kink in the team’s plan for getting the outside done before the weather takes a turn. It also spells T-R-O-U-B-L-E for Thane, the boyfriend of Jazzi’s sister, who fought with the man the day before his body was delivered. Jazzi finds herself trying to clear Thane and a few to her people before she and Ansel walk down the aisle.

Murder and marriage, you can’t go wrong with this book! It’s a fun series that has recipes included at the end. You can’t go wrong adding this to your to be read list if you are a cozy lover!

This is a great series and this book is captivating and filled with plenty of secrets that will keep you guessing.
Jazzi, Ansel and Jerod are flipping another house, but when an unexpected surprise turns up on their property, Jazzi becomes involved in another investigation.
The characters in this series are very likable and it's very easy to become wrapped up in their stories.
I would recommend this series to all mystery readers.