I haven't read the first two books in this series, but without giving too much recap (very little actually) I was easily able to understand the set up. The mystery aspect was good and I could appreciate Allie's relationship with Vicky. .

There were a couple "bobbles" like Allie wanting an editing sample before hiring an intern then it being completely forgotten about, Vicky's relationship and dealing with the killer was off to me as well. Allie is a hard character for me to warm up to. As a 34 (?) year old professional, I'd expect her to have opinions and there are a lot of details provided for why she acts the way she does, but it is unusual in a cozy and took some getting used to. She also at times seems too emotional, hugging, extreme crying. Again, there are reasons, but it doesn't smoothly dovetail with other details.

I have another book in the series which I'll give a try.

A Mysterious Mix Up by J.C. Kenney is the third book in the Allie Cobb Mystery Series. Allie is Cobb New York trained literary agent who has returned to the small town in Indiana in which she grew up. She also has a knack for solving murders. Coming home from a recent business trip she finds that the long-time local library director has decided to suddenly retire and move to another state. When Allie shows up early to the library to wish her mentor well, she finds the woman barely alive with the library’s creepy janitor hovering over her. When the woman dies Allie makes it her mission to find out the truth of who did it. The police believe Allie’s boyfriend was the last person to see her healthy and alive and the janitor had a less than healthy relationship with the dead woman. Allie finds other suspects in her search, a loser ex-husband and a contractor with a grudge. Still, none of her theories quite work for her.

Small towns are the mainstay of cozy mystery. I for sure love reading about a small town not far from me and characters who visit the same places I do and share the same values. Though my city is much larger than Rushing Creek, any of the characters in this book would fit in at my local library, my favorite local eatery, or living down the street from me. The state of Indiana is well represented in the pages of this story.

As is typical for me, I have come into this series on the latest book, but I will tell you, I didn’t know it until after I had finished it. The characters obviously have a history, but it is introduced so organically that it feels like a well-developed stand-alone. The story behind the mystery; Allie’s interaction with family and friends, and her publishing business and her search for an intern, is character-driven and is peopled by characters that are easy to become attached to and invested in. Even the bad guy added color to the small town / close-knit vibe. Allie herself is charming, smart, full of fun pop culture and literary references.

I suspected the murderer early on, but there was plenty to keep me occupied and distracted especially as the reason for the murder became more clear. It was an enjoyable well-written cozy and great way to spend an evening. I am looking forward to catching up with Allie and Rushing Creek.

I really liked the breezy writing style of this series in the first two books, but this third one felt different. In just the three chapters I read before deciding not to finish the book, there were a lot of random pop culture references used as similes. A librarian is compared to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, good news is said to be better than a scene from The Princess Bride and Allie tells Brent that a character in The Incredibles has nothing on him. Unfortunately, while I think these references are meant to make the story feel fresh and relevant, they really weigh it down and make it seem dated. Additionally, there are other seemingly random metaphors that come out of nowhere and don't match what the characters are doing. During a police interrogation, for example, a character is described as having the focus of a heart surgeon. I decided to abandon the book finally when someone is said to be breathing like he'd just finished a trail run with Allie's best friend. I just couldn't get into the story with all these distracting and unnecessary descriptions constantly interrupting the plot. For me, this series has run its course.

Book 3 in the series finds us back in Rushing Creek, Illinois, where Allie has finally set up Cobb Literary Agency and is now busy representing a large pool of authors (40+ if I remember correctly). To help with this, she has decided to hire an intern. In this book, she gets drawn into the murder of her childhood hero, town librarian Vicky Napier. She feels compelled to become involved because Brent has been fingered as the prime suspect and she, obviously, doesn't believe he could have done it.

I missed reading the second installment but had no trouble picking things up again. I liked the first one enough to request this one (although thought it was the second), and am glad I did. The characters are good, the mystery well done and the story flowed well.

Although the volunteering of Allie to use herself as bait for the murderer was pretty unbelievable (would any police chief anywhere who cared about his job actually agree to endanger a civilian in that way? Highly improbable, and most likely illegal), overall it was a good story and kept me more or less engaged for the time it took to read it (entirely too long, but my own issues not the book).

I did peg the murderer, however, from the get-go, not something I normally do. This somewhat distracted me from things, and from that point on I kept going to a) confirm my 'peg', and b) to find out why. I have to agree with another reviewer who mentioned the sermonising of forgiveness at the end, and it feeling more like a 'tell' rather than a 'show'. I was also a bit surprised that the book carried on for as long as it did once the murderer and motivation were revealed. Generally, it's not *quite* so long. I'm also not a great fan of 'sappy' which I felt this verged on, but that's entirely my opinion.

Despite my niggles, I am really looking forward to book 4, as Allie is a great character and the writing is easy and enjoyable.

Allie has returned home from a book conference and is settling back in at home. Things take a drastic turn when she finds her mentor, the town's librarian moments away from death. She takes it upon herself to solve the mystery. Her investigation turns up more questions than answers. I enjoy the characters and setting for this series. The mystery for this particular book was strong and kept me guessing until near the end. I look forward to many more in this series!

This is the best one yet with allie just returning home from a conference and finding the town librarian minutes away from death. Allie thinks she will take a pass on this one and let the authorities handle it but it doesnt take long for her to get drawn in. There is no shortage of suspects so allie must be on her toes. This was a clever mystery with quite a few unexpected twists and turns. It kept me guessing to the end. I found this book to be very delightful.

This book was a great addition to the series. There were many suspects to choose from and to keep you guessing. It was well written and I loved the characters.
Many thanks to Kensington Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was pretty good as a quick, light read. It's so far beyond the realm of believeability that you just have to put that completely out of mind. The idea of cops embracing this much help from a citizen...and the thought that a literary agent with 34 (I think) writers in her stable would have a schedule anything like Allie's is laughable. That aside (and 9 instances of talking about fur babies, which is 9 too many), the plotting was enjoyable, and I do like Allie. The sermonizing at the end about forgiveness knocked it down from a 4 to 3. Fine if the character learns that, but show it, don't preach it.

Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Allie once again becomes the Kickboxing Crusader to find out who killed her heroine, the local librarian. Allie initially becomes involved when she and Brent discover the victim with another standing over her. Then Allie remains involved because she claims to want justice for her friend. However, I found Allie to waffle between wanting justice and wanting to just pin the murder on any likely suspect, not specifically on the guilty party. Allie also wishes to turn suspicion away from Brent, as he technically could have done it so was technically a suspect, but was mainly questioned only because he and Allie discovered the body. She keeps saying that Matt is good cop but still doesn’t butt out when she should and trust the police do their jobs. Allie is also on the lookout for an assistant to help with the Cobb Literary Agency, so as to allow her to take on more clients.

I had read the other books in this series and was excited to get to read this instalment as well. I enjoyed it and look forward to Allie’s next adventure.

Allie Cobb runs a literary agency in a small town. She also seems to be the go-to person when a murder must be solved. This time it's personal--the library director who was her mentor growing up. A quick read, though somewhat predictable.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Life is good for Allie Cobb. Her literary agency is growing nicely, her romance with her boyfriend is developing well, and things in general are looking up. That is until her mentor and friend is murdered and her boyfriend is considered a viable suspect. In spite of the worries she gives her family and friends, the kickboxing crusader feels compelled to find out who murdered her idol.
Naturally when she starts looking into the past, she discovers her mentor was human with all the foibles that come with it. But nothing she learns seems to explain why someone would poison her. There are some pretty obvious suspects but Allie is convinced the motive was not as simple as it seems. In fact, when she discovers marijuana hidden in her desk, Allie is convinced there is a connection. But what that connection is and who felt sufficiently threatened to kill proves more elusive. And when the villain is revealed, Allie and the reader are shocked.
I do like this series and find even though Allie can be rather cavalier with her safety, she is an interesting heroine. Four purrs and two paws up.

Some of my favorite mystery series are book themed. Many have librarians as the main character but it's been awhile since I read one with a librarian as the victim. Allie has taken over her father's literary agency and has just returned home from a book conference. Her boyfriend tells her that her mentor, the long time serving librarian, is going to retire. Once Allie has reconnected with her boyfriend, unpacked and spent some time with her cat, she decides to head over to the library to talk with Vicky Napier, the librarian. Much to her shock and dismay she finds Vicky taking her last breaths, dying on the break room floor. It turns out that she was poisoned. Who would want to kill a librarian? Turns out one of the suspects, according to Allie's police chief ex-brother in law, is Allie's boyfriend. Not if Allie has any say in the matter. So what if he was on the list to replace Vicky? There has to be another suspect to make the top of the list and Allie is determined to nail the killer. She can't keep her nose out of the investigation and it puts her in the killer's cross hairs.
This is the third in the series and it was a great change from some of the darker historical mysteries I had been reading of late. Small town politics and relationships, family and friends with a well crafted puzzle to solve complete with some red herrings and a twist or two to keep me satisfied. I did enjoy spending my reading time with Allie, her boyfriend Brent and their respective cat and dog. All the characters are well fleshed out and believable. I'm happy to give this series a spot on my permanent to be read list.
My thanks to the publisher Lyrical Press and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

The third in a cozy mystery series. I have not read the others but will now. I really enjoyed the story and the characters though the mystery was a little slow for me.

This is the third Allie Cobb Mystery and a series I love to return to. Thank you to the author, publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. Allie Cobb, literary agent is one of my favorite protagonist and these are such fun books to read.

Allie has just returned from a book conference when she finds her mentor , the local librarian poisoned .
Allie is determined to find out who did this to her friend and prevent anyone else from being harmed. As she begins to explore clues through the local community she finds out that her mentor had some bad people in her life and soon suspects abound and Allie may be in danger. Allie is also shocked that her boyfriend is first on the suspect list and equally determined to clear his name.

I loved the twist and turns that kept me guessing to conclusion. Allie is a likable protagonist and a savvy investigator. I love the setting of small town Indiana and the supporting charcters are enjoyable and all add depth to the books. I look forward to the next in series.

A Mysterious Mix Up is the third book in the An Allie Cobb Mystery series.

Allie has just returned from a conference in New York City and the first thing that he shares with her is that the Rushing Creek Librarian, Vicky Napier, is retiring and moving to Florida. Napier had been the librarian since Allie started to read and was someone she looked to and who was largely responsible for Allie’s love of books.

The next morning Allie and Brent head over to the library with some cookies she had baked the night before. When they arrive the library has yet to open and the only cars in lot belong to Vicky and custodian, Porter. When they enter the library, no one is to be found. They head for the break room and find Porter kneeling over the body of Vicky. Once tests have been completed, it is determined that Vicky had been poisoned.

Allie is now on a mission to help her ex-brother-in-law and police chief, Matt to find the killer. First, she needs to get Brent removed from any suspicion and then check out two prime suspects, Porter and Vicky’s ex-husband, among other suspects.

I always enjoy my visits to Rushing Creek, as I have come to enjoy well-written and plotted stories with a very interesting cast of characters. There are plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing till the end.

I will be watching for the next book in this interesting series.

Very traditional, over-the-top, murder mystery, written in the first person, that will appeal to fans of Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swenson mysteries.

Allie Cobb is a literary agent working out of the small town where Allie grew up.
Against the wishes of her live-in boyfriend, Brent, Allie is compelled to investigate the death of her friend and mentor Vicky, who was the librarian at the town's public library.
The action, revelations and clues are meshed into detailed descriptions of the setting and the local inhabitants and their backgrounds which does quite slow down the main plot, without explaining why any of the three main suspects was motivated to poison such a well loved librarian.
The real killer is not well signposted so you may be in for a surprise.
I would personally have loved to see more humour in this mystery apart from the occasional descriptions of the bodily functions of Allie's "fur babies."

The Allie Cobb Mystery series is a new one for me. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed getting to know Allie and her friends in A Mysterious Mix Up. If you’re a reader like I am, I’m sure you spent much of your childhood (and adulthood!) in the library.

How would you feel if you found your favorite librarian almost dead in her office? And you got there too late to save her? You’ve already solved two murders, why not solve this one too? Yep, that’s what Allie thinks too. Allie follows the clues, but are they the right clues? The red herrings may throw you off the scent, but in the end, you may be able to figure out who the real killer is as well as the whys and hows.

A Mysterious Mix Up is a quick and easy cozy mystery to read. I had no problem with it as a stand alone, but if you want to read about the other two murders that Allie solved without spoilers, you’ll want to start with book one.

While this is the third book in the series, I found it read well as a stand alone. You will find all the bases covered.
Small, connected community. People with eccentric traits and twisted relationships. This time it was not a much hated person who was the victim. In fact, the woman we lose quickly at the beginning of the story is very well liked and looked up to. We are told she has plans to retire and move south, sadly enough, for she will be missed. Shockingly, she never gets to enjoy retirement.
Allie's business is flourishing and she finds herself looking for an intern, someone to help with the work load. She also finds that qualified applicants are not going to be easy to find, even with input and help from friends. Add to things pulling her attention in all directions is the search for a killer, when she, once again, feels the simplest answer is NOT the correct one.
You will want to keep turning pages as Allie finds herself in danger (also Once AGAIN) as she comes face to face with a murderer when she uncovers too much information. Lessons learned come back to be put into practice.

J.C. Kenney provides a masterful combination of suspense and character development in 'A Mysterious Mix Up,' Allie maintains a mystery solving/'real' life balance that is believable, as well as a believable working relationship with her Chief of Police ex-brother-in-law. I figured out the who among the suspects, but not the why, which was no less enjoyable for me as the book concluded. There are many opportunities for future potential and I sincerely look forward to more.

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

When literary agent Allie Cobb's hero, the longtime town librarian, is murdered, Allie decides to investigate. I enjoyed the lit agent angle. The background was interesting, and the flexibility worked well for avoiding the question of why the amateur sleuth has time to investigate. I also appreciated that Allie could generally see when she did something unsafe, and although she made mistakes she attempted to be careful- women can be brave and smart.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own. #cozymystery #AMysteriousMixUp