Molded 4 Murder is the fifth book in the Sophie “Phee” Kimball Mystery series! When we meet up again with Phee, her mother thinks she’s being targeted by assassins because a prominent member of the clay sculpting club is found dead, clutching a piece of paper scrawled with her name. Of course, she makes Phee investigate.

Just from reading the blurb, I knew I was going to love this book, and I wasn’t disappointed in the slightest when I was finished.

The characters are still lively and fun, and I can’t get enough of them. I’ve grown really attached to them over the years.

The mystery itself was very intriguing, and a real page-turner. I devoured this book in five hours and was so sad when I turned that last page :( I will definitely be picking up the next books in the series!

If you haven’t picked up this series yet, you really should. It’s SO good.

Of course I had to read this book--it takes place in Sun City, Arizona. The senior community lifestyle, real towns like Punkin Center, and a fair pace characterize the book (even though she calls Payson a city and there's no way that Payson could be called a city, with its population of 15,000; and I don't think there are Joshua trees anywhere near Payson.). The main character, Sophie Kimball, is someone I should like (in her forties, caring for a strong-willed and independent mother), I suspected right away that I wouldn't like her as much as I should when we are introduced to her as Phee. Yup, everyone calls her Phee. But I didn't like it, in fact, it irritated me to no end. As soon as Phee starts helping her investigator boyfriend and investigator boss look into the murder of an octogenarian, she and her mother come up with "a theory I was sure the deputies as well as Nate and Marshall hadn't considered." I truly hate it when the amateur detective thinks the police or professionals are stupid, I really do. That attitude makes me hate the amateur detective in their smugness. Also lazy is making up a patently ridiculous reason to get the amateur involved in the case; Nate and Marshall are asked by the Sheriff's Department to interview residents of the senior community because they are understaffed. I hope no one at the Maricopa County Sheriff's Department reads this book; what a slam to them (and having the sheriff's department not conduct a thorough search of the victim's apartment is just silly). Eaton's and therefore Phee's disrespect of crime-fighting professionals is clear in this sentence: "As for the forensic lab at the sheriff's department, the'd take their own sweet time [processing samples from the crime scene]." Nope, they'd be professional and process things as they came in. The entire story was convoluted and unbelievable. Skip this series. Not recommended.

Sophie "Phee" Kimball enjoys working as a bookkeeper for a private investigator. If only her mother Harriet could enjoy her retirement at Sun City West in Arizona instead of constantly getting involved with retirees being prematurely put out to pasture. This time Quentin Dussler, a prominent member of the clay sculpting club, was found dead, clutching a piece of paper scrawled with Phee's mother's name.

Terrified she's been targeted by assassins, Harriet begs Phee to investigate. What Phee uncovers is a complicated scheme that only the most diabolical of murderers would ever devise. And as she chisels away at confusing clues and potential suspects, Phee unearths something far more precious and valuable than she could imagine. Eager for answers, she takes a bold step placing herself in the cross hairs of a stone faced killer.

The mystery is full of clues, red herrings, twists, and turns that lead to the skillfully created conclusion. The plot is well written and well developed that moves along at a nice steady pace. The characters are well developed, engaging, quirky, and relatable which would make them fun to hang out with if they were real people.

The only thing that I would have wanted the author to add to this book would have been a picture of Harriet's pottery piece that was inspired by Streetman, it's description makes the piece sound very unique. I can't wait to read book #6 Dressed up 4 Murder to see how Phee and Marshall's relationship is progressing.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and Kensington Books for my review.

A page turner. Molded 4 Murder had this reader engaged and forgetting 'real life'
Molded 4 Murder was hard to put down!

From page 1 I was on the edge of my seat.

All of the characters were fun and engaging. Some quirky. Some funny and some just fun to hang around with.

Phee and her work associates her boss Nate, her boyfriend who is an investigator and Augusta who answers the phones for the P.I. firm are all great characters.

August is a #'s girls and helps figure some clues.

Phee as most good wanna sleuth's are can chit chat with people and find answers. It takes her no time to solve the petty crimes at the Lillian.

But figuring out who did who and why takes a little more effort and Phee ends up getting her aunt to go check out leads. Aunt Ina is a go getter and has an eye for detail like $400.00 manicures on a bar maid. Hmm.

But it's not until her mom finagles Phee into cleaning out a closet in the pottery club room that clues start coming together.

Phee's aunt and mother makes you laugh and you roll your eyes along with Phee as she deals with their silly ideas and suggestions.

The residents of the Lillian retirement community are quirky, funny and loveable.
From the Gertrude sisters to the 80 + resident that tells Phee 'Let's meet today I might not be around next week.'

I enjoyed Phee and her determination to get answers and solve the mysterious.

I enjoyed Molded 4 Murder and anxiously waiting to read the next book in the series.

I really like the cover. It was fun and had me wondering about the story from the beginning. After finishing the book it was fun to look at the cover again and see all the clues there.


I received a complimentary copy.

Phee is an Investigative Agency accountant, so why does she keep ending up investigating a murder? Much be the fact that her Mom and the Book Club ladies just can't seem to avoid trouble. Although this time it starts out because she agrees to help a set of octogenarian sisters who live at a very posh retirement community that is experiencing a small rash of petty larceny. Which seemingly has nothing to do with the dead man found later, clutching a note with Harriet and Shirley's names. Needless to say, Phee's Mom (Harriet) has worked herself into a tizzy much like her Chiweenie, Streetman can do. I really enjoy reading the interactions between Phee and the retired crowd, definitely laugh-inducing. It is thanks to those senior citizens that Phee is able to help her boss and her boyfriend to get further on their murder investigation while she worked her way through the petty theft case.

Murder is once again the top story at the retirement community of Sun City West. When a member of the clay sculpting club is found dead, other members are convinced they will be targeted too. Phee's mother begs her to investigate. Her investigation turns up more questions than answers. While I did guess the answer to the mystery, I still enjoyed the book. The characters are quirky and fun making this an interesting series.

Molded 4 Murder

by J.C. Eaton

Sophia (Phee) Kimball is a full-time bookkeeper for Williams Investigations located in Glendale, Arizona. Nate, a retired police officer, moved to Arizona from Minnesota and persuaded Phee to work for his agency. Later he hired Marshall to join the group. They all knew each other from their jobs in Minnesota, but Phee and Marshall now have a romantic relationship. Phee lives close to her mother who, in league with her book club, keeps drama and gossip stirred up in the retirement community of Sun City West.

Phee finds herself drawn into an off-the-books mystery when two ladies she met on an airplane ask her to find out who is pilfering odd items in their resort retirement community. At the same time, Nate and Marshall are called in by local law enforcement as consultants when a semi-retired art teacher is found suffocated. Both mysteries get more complicated as the story progresses forming an intricate web. Not everyone is who they seem to be, and Phee’s favor to the ladies turns deadly. J.C. Eaton’s Molded 4 Murder includes quirky characters, humorous dialogue, investigators who know how to work as a team, and a lot of plot twists. It’s a cozy mystery that will leave you wanting more of the fun and action that this husband/wife writing duo dishes up so well.

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: #5 in the Sophie Kimball Mystery Series, but could be read as a standalone.

Publication: August 27, 2019—Kensington Books

Memorable Lines:

We’ve got enough sugar cookies to set an entire classroom of kindergartners spinning for hours.

You give up a lot of things when you get old. You shouldn’t have to give up your privacy.

That girl can pick up gossip quicker than a black sweater picks up lint.

This is book 5 in the Sophie Kimball Mystery series. It can be read as a stand alone. Sophie is contacted by two women from a senior complex about a series of burglaries. . All the crazy characters are back including her mom who has entered a pottery contest. As Sophie investigates the thefts the judge for the pottery contest is found murdered and the two cases become one. A good cozy with a few twists. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Molded 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton in an extraordinary mystery with multiple parts and a supporting cast of eccentric personalities.

Will Phee and Williams Investigations wrap up the murders before the Feds get involved?

Sophie "Phee" Kimball
I love Phee. She is our sleuth, main character, and point of view. Phee is fabulous at talking to people and finding the tidbits that people know about one another. You know, the gossips. Well, Phee uses their conversations to put together with other clues and figure out what is going on. She can't leave it to her boyfriend and boss, the private investigators.

My favorite thing about Phee is her internal voice, like the comments she makes in her head when talking to people like her mom and aunt. They are priceless. Phee's mom and aunt are marvelous, I don't think that she knows how lucky she is to have them budding into her daily life. Oh, and Streetman, is adorable.

Mystery
This mystery was superb. I kept getting caught up with the red herrings and trying to follow the clues, but I didn't see it coming until Phee figured it out. There is so much going on with two murders, break-ins, and thefts. Then there is Harriet's name at each of the murders. I love it.

5 Stars for Molded 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton
Molded 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton is a delightfully written, excellent mystery with characters that keep you laughing. I enjoyed the story and therefore I am giving it 5 stars. If you love cozy mysteries this one is perfect so check it out.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Molded 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton.

Anyways, until next time,
Karen the Baroness

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.

I was allowed to read this after the publication date.

Molded 4 Murder by J. C. Eaton is the 5th book in the Sophie Kimball Mystery series. This is a standalone story but you may want to read the others to get a feel for the characters’ backgrounds.

What I like about this series is Phee sees much more of Arizona than the average Arizonan. I chalk this up to being a transplant to the area. My personal experience has been that those that did not grow up in Arizona are the ones that have visited and experienced it’s diverse cultural and environmental settings. This story takes us from the Lillian in Sun City West to Punkin Center and Tonto National Forest.

In this story, Phee’s mother has joined the pottery club at her senior citizen’s development. Her instructor, Quentin Dussler, is found murdered with a scrap of paper containing her name and the name of her friend in his grasp.

Phee is the bookkeeper and sometimes investigator for Williams Investigations. Marshall or Nate are the licensed investigators. The team finds themselves with two investigations that may or may not be related.

The second investigation concerns items missing at the Lillian. What is happening to these? Phee thinks she can handle this one with the gentlemen’s help.

The storyline is good, the writing is well-done and there’s humor sprinkled throughout. This can be read as a standalone.

My Review:
Sophie "Phee" Kimball works as a bookkeeper for a private investigator who hires Marshall, the perfect co-investigator and romantic interest. Her mother Harriet is close by and fully involved in her life as is her aunt Ina. There is a marvelous group of support characters and in this series offering, the beautiful desert retirement community at Sun City West in Arizona. This entry to the series reads fine as a standalone, although reading from the beginning of the series always gives you a more fully developing protagonist witness to their growth.

It starts simply enough, with little things missing from the residents, and before you know it branches into a complex well-drawn plot beyond what you might have expected for a cozy mystery. Phee works quietly and methodically, working with the residents of the complex confronting twists and red herrings meant to help the reader solve the who and why. It's deliciously deceptive. V Williams

His Review:
How could it happen in such a tranquil environment? The victim is found with a paper in his hand with two names! Mom and Auntie, how could that be? The bookkeeper of a local investigation agency slips from gossip to intrigue and into a complicated plot that will lead you to a surprising finish. This page-turner left me guessing at every turn. I suspected some of the culprits at the end, but certainly was surprised how diabolical the ending was! A finely developed fun read. C E Williams

I was given this digital download by the publisher and NetGalley and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read and review. Recommended for mystery readers who enjoy a unique locale and engaging characters.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

The Gertrudes return with a hot case for Sophie “Phee” Kimball. Items are going missing from resident’s rooms at The Lillian, a luxury senior residence, and they want her to investigate. After receiving a list of the “stolen” items, Phee decides it is a case she can handle without bothering Marshall or Nate. They are busy with a new case that may involve her mother, Harriet. Harriet has joined the ceramics group at Sun City West and one of the instructors has been murdered and was found holding a slip of paper that bore Harriet’s name. When Harriet finds out she demands Phee join the investigation and find the killer immediately. That is not going to be easy but Phee goes to great lengths to fulfill her mother’s wishes.

This was a very captivating cozy.

Phee again is pulled away from bookkeeping duties for two investigations that may tie together. She finds herself trekking around in the desert looking for clues with her Aunt Ina as her sidekick along with trips to The Lillian, and always at her mother’s beck and call, all in a quest to find who killed Quentin Dussler and why.

I really enjoy catching up with these characters. The crew at Williams Investigations is really starting to gel. Augusta keeps the office running and adds her own two cents when necessary. Phee handles the books and jumps in to investigate as needed, more often than not, as this series continues. Nate and Marshall, the actual licensed investigators, handle the cases but know they couldn’t do it without the ladies’ help. I love that the relationship between Marshall and Phee is progressing nicely. Then we have Harriet. She is a treasure. She tries to micromanage Phee’s life but Phee and now Marshall have figured out how to handle Harriet. Gertie, Trudy, and the other seniors bring their own shenanigans to the story too. The authors have created characters with depth and unique making it very easy to keep everyone straight.

Speaking of unique, the mystery this time was full of twists and took a very unexpected path as the motivation for the murder was delved into. Our sleuths really had to dig deep to find out what was going on. Red herrings, yes, there are a few. We are also treated to some very exciting moments. I really liked that Aunt Ina played a bigger role. The story was so well-plotted. I never would have solved this one on my own. It was a complete surprise. These authors also know where to add the humor in perfect amounts. Laughter in all the right places to keep things cozy while letting the drama shine to give readers a great mystery.

These characters are relatable, their journey this time was so entertaining. I also loved that we traveled to more places in Arizona. Molded 4 Murder is a terrific addition to this series. Each new book in this series becomes my new favorite. J.C. Eaton never disappoints. I am excited by the little cliffhanger – Dressed Up 4 Murder comes out on February 25, 2020.

When an acclaimed local potter is killed by suffocation, he is truly Molded 4 Murder.

In Glendale Arizona, Phee is a bookkeeper at Williams Investigations, a private detective firm. One day two acquaintances come in asking for Phee’s help. Someone is stealing small items at their luxurious retirement residence hotel. Tuna cans, yarn, olives, a $5 bill, and an old jar don’t sound like much but it means someone has access to their locked apartments. Phee agrees to look into the thefts. After all, she is a former police officer.

I enjoyed the characters most of all. Phee and her newish boyfriend/co-worker Marshall’s romance is moving forward nicely. You can feel the attraction. The retirees of Sun City West, including Phee’s mother, feel genuine—not generic—too. And who wouldn’t want to pal around with the enterprising Phee for a day or two?

The multitude of mysteries are intriguing too. The twists and turns in the plot allowing all to be unveiled at the conclusion are skillfully created by the author.

If you like your cozy mysteries with a touch of romance and humor, I highly recommend Molded 4 Murder. 4 stars!

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

Molded 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton is the fifth book in the cozy Sophie Kimball Mystery series. Each book of the series contains it’s own mystery that is solved by the end so the books can be read in any order or as a standalone if choosing to do so. However, those that read from the beginning will get all of the character development throughout the series.

In the beginning of this series readers were introduced to Sophie ‘Phee’ Kimball who had been living in Minnesota while her retired mother was living in her retirement community in Sun City West, Arizona. Sophie’s mother called her daughter frantic that there was a murderer on the loose and targeting her book club thinking her daughter who worked as a bookkeeper for the police department was as good as any detective.

After traveling to Arizona to help her mother Sophie decided it was time for a change and being close to her mother would help keep her out of the path of any more murderers. A friend of Sophie’s just happened to want to start up a private investigating business so a new job for Sophie quickly became available. Keeping out of murders wasn’t in the cards though as now Sophie is caught up in yet another death when a body is found with her mother’s name on them.

Ok, if it isn’t already obvious that I really enjoy this series I will say so yet again with this review of the fifth of the series. This series has just the right mix of all the elements I enjoy in cozies. There’s the quirky and funny vibe the side characters give, the main character with a connection to law enforcement and plenty of twists and turns to the mysteries. As always I’ll look forward to any more added to this mystery series.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Molded 4 Murder is a funny cosy mystery and it has quite an interesting plot. I had no clue whodoneit until the very end.

Phee Kimbell enjoys working as a bookkeeper for a PI, but when two sweet senior ladies come asking for Phee to do a little investigation work of her own. The ladies brought Phee a list of items that the residents of a luxurious senior citizen’s retirement home believe have been stolen from their apartments. Most items on the list are items that were most likely misplace like a can of tuna or yarn. However, one resident is missing a vase that was made by local sculptor Quentin Dussler. Dussler was recently found dead in his studio. Are the theft really thefts or are they tied to Dussler’s murder? Can Phee help solve what happened to the missing items without getting pulled into the murder investigation?

This book can be enjoyed as a stand-alone mystery or part of the series. This is book five in the series but my first book and I had no problems understand the storyline. The storyline is well plotted and moves at a steady pace. The mystery has several clues and red herrings to keep the reader engaged in their own investigation of the mysteries. This is a realistic but entertaining read. The characters are smart, likable, and well developed. I recommend this book to cozy mystery fans, and I plan on reading more of this series in the future.

I voluntarily agreed to read a copy of this book supplied by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and in no way have been influenced.

This was a fun cozy mystery, #5 in the Sophie Kimball Mystery series by J.C. Eaton. To be honest, I have read another book in this series but I liked this one much better.

Sophie Kimball is an accountant/bookkeeper for a Private Eye firm. Sophie's mother and her friends, all living in a senior community, believe she's as great as a PI as the investigators she works for. As a result, Sophie has often been called into action to investigate something they are concerned about.

A member of the sculpting club in their community is found dead, with Phee's mother's name on a scrap of paper in his hand. Phee's mother is terrified that she is on a "hit list" and begs Phee to investigate.

I really enjoyed the storyline of this book and I also have come to really like the characters. Of course, there is an element of romance, as well, with Phee and one of the investigators she works with. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a fun cozy mystery.

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is just such a fun series! As soon as I start a book with Phee and Harriet and all the rest of the characters I know I'm going to have a good time and this one was no different. Right from the start there is chaos and panic and hijinks with the discovery of Harriet's name on a piece of paper clutched by a dead man. Phee of course has no choice but to get pulled in and I love how she works with Nate and Marshall. They're quite the team. And of course any scene featuring receptionist/office manager Augusta is always a fun one.

There is a lot of chaos and madness in this book but I really never felt like it falls into too silly or too cutesy territory. The mystery isn't flawless and there are the occasional plot holes but the pacing and the characters more then make up for it. This is one of those series where each book feels like catching up with friends and a trip to Sun City West is one I'll always enjoy!

Molded 4 Murder is the fifth book in the Sophie Kimball Series. The novel is a great page turner and the characters are well writing. It was a very entertaining book and enjoyable book.

Sophie’s involvement in the murder investigation comes with not only the seriousness of a body, but it takes on a comedic form especially with the involvement of the retirement community.

I received this book for free in exchange for my honest opinion. I highly recommend this book and it give it a 5 Star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Rating

"MOLDED 4 MURDER" is the fifth in the Sophie Kimball series by highly regarded cozy author J. C. Eaton. I do highly recommend the entire series for your reading enjoyment. This is a charming funny series that is pure fun to read! Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My opinions are my own.

Our favorite protagonist the inquisitive Sophie has her hands full in this next in series. She is still working for a PI firm and dating on of the PI's. Her Mother is always causing her angst as she gets involved in mysteries at her retirement home . Sophie gets involved in another murder investigation by her mother and friends when a well know sculptor is found murdered. Sophie steps up to assist with the investigation. The laughs never end here with the retirement community involved, her Mother and Sophie's own mis steps along the way.

I love revisiting this series because this series is so fun to read and has a multi layered plot with plenty of sleuthing suspense to conclusion. This is a wonderful addition to the series and A book I highly recommend.