Member Reviews

Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

Who knew book clubs can be deadly?

A receptionist at her uncle’s detective agency, she did not expect to be solving cases. When she finds a suitcase stuffed with a dead member of her book club at her front door help but get involved in the investigation.
It is a nice new cozy series that has promise. An enjoyable cozy read.

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This book is about Lyla Moody, a P.I that becomes involved in a case close to home, when one of her best friends is found dead near her home. She investigates and as she gets closer to the truth, twists, and dangerous events occur.

What worked for this book was definitely the main character Lyla and her intent to solve the crime - tenacious, caring, and empowering. Additionally, the storyline was interesting, creating different twists and turns that have us guess one character to the next.

Overall, it was a fantastic read, and I would say this book is for mystery lovers.

Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC.

#OnBorrowedCrime #Netgalley

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This is the first in a new series and Kate Young does an excellent job of it because it doesn't feel like book one. There is no big info dump and I didn't feel like I had to wait forever as I got introduced to everyone before the murder. The character are well-rounded and relatable; their lives aren't perfect.

This mystery is a little harder core than many cozies. Some of the descriptions are graphic. Also, there is a bit more use of forensic techniques, particularly computer tracking, than is usual in cozies. Layla's job in a detective agency--grant you, only as a receptionist but there is some lee way there--working for the dead woman's husband gives her legitimate access to some of the police data that wouldn't normally be given out to a civilian (yeah for a realistic reason for a layperson being given information that they normally have no rights to!).

A solid mystery that is well plotted and red herrings that could lead the reader very far astray from the real culprit. I'll definitely read more of this series.

I received a copy of this from netgalley and the publishers in exchange for a fair review.

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This is a well done cozy mystery albeit with some discussions on possible serial killings and a book club that likes true crime. Since is it the first in the new "Jane Doe" series, it sets up and introduces us to members of the Jane Doe book club, Lyla the MC, her family and townspeople but that does not weigh down the flow of the story

It is a solid mystery and while I thought I had figured out who (but not why), there were many red herrings which caused me to go down another path .and question whether I had it right.

I enjoyed this book, read it in one sitting and look forward to the next one which hopefully will give us more info on the mystery in Lyla's mother and uncle's past and flesh out the rest of the Jane Doe Club. And perhaps, a romantic interest for Lyla....

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This was a interesting novel that had me guessing until the very end and I guess wrong LOL I did enjoy the friendship between the ladies in the book club and the interactions they have with their exes and so forth. I did want more of the book club in the book itself however I will accept that one of the individuals was more interested than all the others because she was a detective.

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What a start to this amazing new series by Kate Young. Lyla Moody is an secretary at her Uncles PI business. She has dreams of becoming a partner one day. When one of her Jane Doe book club members is dumped at her house she does all she can to catch a killer. All the while being threatened as well as other members of their club.
Great characters, location and loved the mystery. I did not guess until the very end. I will be looking forward to more in the series.
#OnBorrowedCrime #NetGalley

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Kate Young is a brilliant cozy mystery writer. This first book in a new series, it takes place within a book club for mystery loves and cannot be missed!

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The set up of “On Borrowed Crime” is appealing to all bookworms and amateur sleuths. Lyla, a crime fan, wannabe-private detective, and book lover, tries to solve the murder of her friend Carol, without becoming a target herself.
I enjoyed the ride, the twists and turns and red herrings, and despite having figured out the culprit relatively early on it was wel crafted. Sadly, the same cannot be said for the writing, which is lacklustre and doesn’t flow.

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On Borrowed Crime is the first in Kate Young’s new Jane Doe Book Club mystery series. Lyla Moody is currently answering the phone and managing the office for her uncle who is a private investigator. In her mind, she’s a receptionist today but a PI tomorrow. When the body of a member of her Jane Doe book club is delivered to Lyla’s door in a suitcase, she’s determined to solve the mystery. Then she begins to receive threatening text messages. Is she next? Who can she trust? This book had me on the edge of my seat! Five stars!

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A Murder On The Doorstep.....
The first in a new cosy mystery series and introducing the Jane Doe Book Club! The crime obsessed members of the club enjoy nothing more than a good mystery but when an all too real murder lands (literally!) on their doorstep the sparks begin to fly. An entertaining, fun read and a very promising start to the series.

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Loved reading this book. Lyla, Melanie and Carol are in a mystery book club.. When a murder happens. Lyla investigates before someone else is killed. To hear more read the book.

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3.5 rounded up.

Thank you Netgalley, Crooked Lane Books (publisher), and Kate Young (author) for giving me early access to this book via an E-ARC in exchange for my impartial review.

This is a quick and fun cozy mystery. It keeps you guessing and then the big reveal would probably make your jaw drop if you were unable to guess right while reading the story leading up to it. There are various things happening in this book, and I love how the author tied it all together.

Lyla is the main character (MC), and the protagonist. When her dead friend is stuffed in a suitcase and left at her front door, things take a turn for the worse. There are a number at forces in this book that make it an amazing read.

On the one hand, there's a murder mystery and Lyla is working towards solving it, and is also focused on her career. This greatly annoys her mother, who wants her to be the quintessential Southern girl, and settle down with a good man to create a family of her own.

I love how she isn't worn down by her mother and instead shows girls and women reading this that there's a new normal and you don't have to be traditional to be right.

During her mission to uncover the killer, she discovers that she's become a target herself. Even worse, the killer might just be someone she's known her whole life. It's the usual "trust no one but yourself" trope but it's written very well here.

I really enjoyed this one and I recommend it to everyone looking for a good cozy mystery.

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I received this ARC via Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books, in return for an honest review. This is the first book in a new series. Lyla Moody is from a small, picturesque town in Georgia. She’s been fascinated by true crime since she was very young. A group of like-minded girl friends are the ‘Jane Does’ book/tv club. Their goal is to review either true or fictional crime and see if they can figure out whodunit. Unfortunately, that becomes a reality when Lyla is confronted with the murder of a club member up close and personally. As the receptionist for her uncle’s private investigative service, she hopes to become a full-time PI and is determined to find justice for her friend. That’s to her mother and father’s consternation, as they believe she’s too obsessed with true crime and this could put her in real danger. Add in unsolved deaths of ‘Jane Does’ further up highway 81 that the club had been investigating and Lyla is smack in the middle of becoming the next Jane Doe.
I liked Lyla; she’s navigating familial expectations and her own sense of self to balance both. This is a slightly darker book than most cozies but not too much. I also suspected the killer about mid-way through the book, although the author did a good job of providing several with motives and, for a little while, she definitely pointed toward someone else. The pacing is good, and the characters develop naturally. It’s a bit challenging to keep all of the book club members straight but not a large impediment to the story. There’s an untold backstory mystery for Lyla’s mother and uncle that will probably be developed in future books; it was intriguing to think of things that might be their story. It will be interesting to see what happens next with Lyla and her hometown.

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When the blurb says that fans of Ellery Adams and Kate Carlisle fans are gonna enjoy a book, you can darn well believe I’m gonna read it! And, this book disappoint; it’s not at the level of Bibliophile Mysteries (my favourite current cozy series), but it was a lovely start to a new series that I look forward to reading more of. The characters were varied and she teased me with enough backstory to be able to follow along, but still want to learn more. As for the mystery itself, solidly done!

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This is truly a fantastic edition to the cozy mystery genre! I liked just about everything in this book. Lyla is a smart and sassy southern woman with an interest in investigation and true crime. She runs the Jane Doe mystery book club and works as a receptionist at her uncle’s private investigation business. The line between her work and hobby start to blur when a member of her book club mysteriously dies. As if that weren’t enough to handle, her ex moves in next door. Now Lyla has two mysteries to solve. First, she is determined to find out catch the dark soul behind the murder. Secondly, she needs to figure out the mystery of how to hold it together when your ex moves in next door! On Borrowed Crime is fresh, amusing, and suspenseful.

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Lyla Moody is a receptionist at her Uncle's private investigation firm and hopes one day to be a P.I. herself. Until that day, she is a member of the Jane Doe Book Club, where members try to solve murder mysteries before the end of the book the club is reading. When a club member is brutally murdered, Lyla uses all her skills to find the murderer before they kill another club member!

I thought this was an excellent premise for a cozy mystery. I enjoyed the personalities of the members and "meeting" Lyla's southern family. There were times I was a bit confused about Lyla's mother's past but that may be clarified in the next book. There were "red herrings" that kept the reader guessing and involved in the mystery.

I received an ARC from NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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I received this as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Overall it was a fun and fast-paced cozy mystery that delivered on all of the things that make cozy readers come back for more. I will say, this is one of the first whodunnits where I was able to discern whodunnit about halfway through the novel and kept reading to see if I was right. There's a slight twist at the end that felt messy and hurried to me, but overall it was a fun, light read and I liked the added elements of cat and mouse between killer and sleuth.

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A new series featuring a group of women fascinated with crime, murder mysteries and cold cases, I enjoyed this book. The main character, Lyla, has potential as does her best friend Melanie, and the mystery itself - a member of their book group is murdered and the police don't seem motivated to solve it - was interesting. The secondary characters, however, were not very likable. There were one or two other women in their book club that were fine but I'm hoping the others become a bit more appealing in the next book. I am invested enough that I will definitely check out the second book to see where Lyla's investigative tendencies take her.

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On Borrowed Crime by Kate Young was a great read! I feel like I'm alot like Lyla in that I love a good mystery and true crime.
I loved the fact that her book club was called the Jane Does!
It suits her that she works for her uncle in his private investigation service.
I thought her character was smart and well rounded. I'm a southerner so I could relate alot to the way people talked and interacted between each other in the book. It is always nice when you read a book and it makes you feel like you're at home. I am from a small town and was able to connect with the small town community aspect. I think it's important that authors make their settings and characters relatable. Kate Young did just that. I loved the ending! I can't wait to read more from this author, and I have already recommended this book to several of my book loving friends and family. Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this wonderful book!

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On Borrowed Crime is the first book in a new cozy series centered around Lyla Moody a true crime fanatic who runs the Jane Doe book club. Things turn sinister when one of the Jane Does ends up missing and the group goes from discussing thrillers to being in one.
Lyla tries to understand what happened to her friend while dealing with her very prim southern mother, starting a new job at her uncle's private detective agency and dealing with her ex moving in next door.
There's also the mystery surrounding an article the missing woman sent to the group containing information on various jane does found killed along a nearby highway. How is is all connected? Lyla is determined to find out.
I found this to be a modern cozy, definitely a little darker than most. If you love true crime shows, you're sure to love it. It was very fast paced and I found myself reading it in one evening. I was able to determine the killer, but the pacing still kept me entertained.

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