This was a good first book in the series. Lyla Moody is part of a book club called the Jane Does. She is also a receptionist for her Uncle's PI business. Her mother hates Lyla's obsession with crime. All she wants is for Lyla to settle down and get married. Lyla arrives home after one of the Jane Doe meetings to find that her ex and cousin have moved in next door to her, making things extremely awkward. Later the same evening a suitcase is dropped off. Initially Layla thinks it is her friend Melanie's as she just returned from vacation and the airport had lost her luggage. What she doesn't expect is for one of her friends from the Jane Does to be dead inside the suitcase. Once the suitcase is discovered to be Melanie's the police zero in on her as a suspect. Lyla won't let her best friend get arrested.

I enjoyed this book. I liked Lyla and Melanie. Lyla's mother was overbearing and at times just plain annoying. Your daughter is happy with her job. Let her be happy. She does balance nicely with Lyla's father who is more laid back and accepting of what Lyla wants to do with her life.. Lyla's cousin was just horrible and vindictive. I figured out who the killer was pretty early on. It was pretty obvious if you were paying attention. There was a romance hinted towards the end but it wasn't really developed. Hopefully that will be fleshed out in the next book. There were also some typos in the books as this was an ARC. Hopefully that will be fixed before publication. All in all, I liked this enough to read the next book to see where some storylines go.

On Borrowed Crime was a fun and entertaining cosy mystery. The mystery was layered and had several red herrings thrown in the mix, that kept me guessing a bit. Although I sometimes got a bit frustrated with Lyla Moody, I loved the relationship she had with her grandmother. Also, I felt the characters were uneven in terms of complexity, some had it, while others didn't.

It was an entertaining read, though, with a bunch of Agatha Christie references.

On Borrowed Crime is the first title in the A Jane Doe Book Club Mystery series. Lyla Moody works for her uncle's private detective company and finds herself wrapped up in the murder case of a friend and fellow member of the Jane Doe Book Club. Quite literally, as the friend's body is left in a suitcase at Lyla's dooor. Lyla must work to not only prove that her best friend Melanie isn't the killer but manage to get used to the fact her ex and cousin have moved in together in her building.

I had a hard time getting into this book but appreciated the writing style. I do feel there were so many characters to follow and did not feel like I got to know most of them in a way that made me care about what happened to or with most of them. Lyla's grandmother, however, was a real character who made me laugh several times, reminding me of Grandma Mazur from the Stephanie Plum novels. I will give the series another chance when the next book comes out and would reread On Borrowed Crime as a refresher.

Thank you to Net Galley, Crooked Lane Publishing and Kate Young for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.

A first in a new series by Kate Young, author of Southern Sass and Killer Cravings.

On Borrowed Crime follows Sweet Mountain, Georgia resident Lyla Jane Moody. Lyla is obsessed with a good "who done it" and true crime. She and her friends are members of the Jane Doe Book Club where they gather to discuss fiction and true crime cases. Lyla has a passion for these topics and being just a receptionist at her Uncle's PI firm isn't going to cut it. So, when a fellow Jane Doe shows up dead on her doorstep it's time to put her knowledge and investigation skills to the test.

This was such a great start to a new series! One of my favorite cozy series is Kate Young's Marygene Brown Mystery series. If you have read and enjoyed that I think you will like this one. If you enjoy a southern small town setting and realistic family/friend relationships in your cozies then give this a try! To me, this story had a little more detail and darkness to it that we usually don't get in a "cozy". I found it to be very refreshing. I can't wait for the next in this series!

*Thank you to Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
*All opinions are my own.

This one was a bit hard for me to read because the ARC that I received was formatted oddly, but I did enjoy the story. Lyla was a great character and I liked reading about her. The story moved along at a nice pace and I was determined to finish the book to see who was the murderer. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.
Similar concept to Charlaine Harris’ book Real Murders, first in the Aurora Teagarden series, published in 1990. In this book, also the first in a series, the murderer stuck out like a sore thumb. That was pretty apparent although there were other things that were not. What is the backstory on Lyla’s mom? What is the thing about Lyla’s previous obsession? What about these two ex-boyfriends? I also felt character development was very limited.
And the biggest taboo ever in a mystery, never reveal whodunnit for another author’s book. Even if it is a book written by Agatha Christie in 1939. I’ve read it but that doesn’t mean everyone has.
After all that, I might try a book in the author’s other series which sounds more cozy-like than this one was.

Firstly, I want to thank Netgalley, Kate Young, and Crooked Lane Books for giving me a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am so scared writing this review because this is my first ever "critical" book review. And i'm thinking that i'm giving different opinion than those who reviewed this book. But here we go...

(I'll be getting the synopsis on Goodreads because i'm not really good on explaining what the books are about. Lol.)

This is the first book in Jane Doe Book Club series. It follows Lyla Jane Moody who is a mystery book enthusiast. Lyla Moody loves her sleepy little town of Sweet Mountain, Georgia. She likes her job as receptionist for her uncle's private investigative firm, her fellow true crime obsessed Jane Doe members are the friends she's always wanted, and her parents just celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary. But recently, with her best friend Melanie on vacation, and her ex-boyfriend and horrible cousin becoming an item and moving in next door to her, her idyllic life is on the fritz. The cherry on top of it all is finding Carol, a member of the club, dead and shoved into a suitcase, left at Lyla's front door.

I'm getting started with the things I love in this book: First, Lyla is a relatable character (atleast for me) because of her fascination with true-crimes and mystery books. Every reader who also love those kind of topics will surely fall in love with Lyla's character.

Also, the main character is so independent. You can really see that the main character's characteristics were really fit into the story, because she is very observant, and notice even the small things. And it also means that her character is very well-written. Lyla is so inspiring, despite her parents strongly and verbally disagreed to her passion, she keeps pursuing what she wants and doesn't give up with her beliefs. You can also really see that she is a determined character.

At the first 30 percent of this book, it was so fun to read because some well-known mystery and thriller books were mentioned. And it has true-crime references also.

But after that 30 percent, that when it starts to go downhill. It's somehow repeating to mentioned some parts, it's kinda annoying and I feel like instead of giving a chance the readers to process the information, I feel like it somehow spoon feeding us. I laughed when one of the characters said that “Everything was right in front of you, and you never saw it." because it was ironic. Although I said that Lyla is an observant character, later in the book, the clues are already spoon-fed and she's still processing or analyzing or dismissing those clues. Other side characters are kinda annoying and too cartoonish. I feel like for some characters, you can't clearly see what they really want with what there characters should be.

The ending was so convenient for me. Because just when the culprit was discovered, somehow the things that was discussing in the first 30 percent was instantly solved. Like the author just wrote the ending like "This is the ending of the book and things will all fall into place". It was a little ridiculous.

I understand that this book was supposed to be a 'cozy atmospheric read' but in the later part of the book it became so frustrating for me. And I just didn't vibe with it. So I only rated this 2 stars. I'm really sorry for the low-rating.

I hope that the other future readers of this book will have an opposite opinion to me. But if you are looking for a cozy mystery read, you should consider giving this book a try. Just because I didn't loved this book it doesn't mean that you'll also hate it.

Thank you for reading! Until next time!

Lyla Moody wants to be a private investigator so she goes to work at her uncle's agency as the receptionist, but when he is called out of town for a case, she takes on the job of finding the murderer of her friend Carol, whose body was literally dropped on her doorstep. Along with her book Club, The Jane Does, Lyla is determine to find justice for her friend.

Not the greatest start for a series. The characters need more depth as well as stronger stomachs if they are going to continue to investigate murders. It did seem a bit repetitive when Lyla comes into the cross-hairs of the murderer.

This is a great start to a new series. I liked the main character, Lyla and the members of the Jane Doe book club. I look forward to getting to know them better. The mystery was well written and had me guessing to the end. I look forward to reading more of this series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

I had many issues with this book, not the least of which was I was dropped into a story with so much going on, and it was as if I was expected to know all of the back stories to understand it. We never were told why Lyla and Kyle broke up, or what the problem was with Quinn and Lyla. Plus, I don't need Lyla's mother to tell me more than twice about how her 'obsession' with death is a relationship issue. The characters were so uneven, just all over the place. I figured out very early on who was the murderer, and even much as to why. This Aurora Teagarden with her Real Murders Society rip-off has a lot of work to do before it is appealing for me.

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

I am a huge fan of Kate Young's Marygene Brown Mystery series and was really excited to see that the author has a new series .

On Borrowed Crime is Book 1 in the Jane Doe Book Club Mystery.

The protagonist in this story is Lyla Moody. Along with her friends she is a member of the Jane Does, a mystery book club. When Carol , one of the members of the club turns up dead they are on the case to solve the murder. Since Lyla is an up and coming PI, she is anxious to solve the mystery.

The characters are fun and well written. I especially like Melanie, Lyla's bestie. Lyla works for her Uncle Calvin who is also a PI.

There is quite a cast of characters and I enjoyed learning about their history.

The story is well written and complex. There was NO WAY I would of guessed the ending.

I look forward to the next book in this series.

I'm a big cozy mystery fan, love reading them love the themes, and this one was no exception. I did get a different vibe from this one regarding the Jane Does Book Club and how they reacted to a real murder versus a fictional one they may discuss in their group. Refreshing to read, and I look forward to reading more in this series.

psychological, thriller, private-investigators, law-enforcement, murder-investigation, southern, small-town

Lyla works for her uncle in his PI office, lives alone because she doesn't care to live with her wealthy dysfunctional parents (and her fun Grandmother), belongs to a book club devoted to solving fictional crimes, when crime comes to her house in the form of a fellow clubber's body stuffed into a suitcase resembling the one another friend took with her on a cruise. The characters are varied and well presented, the twists and red herrings entertaining, the plot a mite slow at times. All in all, it was a very good read.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books/Penguin Random House Publishers via NetGalley. Thank you!

First in a new series and I enjoyed it. It reminds me of the Aurora Teagarden series in the sense that we have a group dedicated to discussing and solving crimes. It was a little grittier than most of the cozies out there but it has enough levity to pull it off. As in most cozies, you will have to suspend some disbelief but that's part of what makes them fun. Looking forward to the next book in this series.

#OnBorrowedCrime #NetGalley
Thanks NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and Kate Young for a free copy to review.
A fun quick cozy mystery. entertaining though it's not really my type of book.

This first in a new series is an enjoyable cozy mystery. The main character, Lyla, is relatable and the southern setting is quaint. There are many comments about the character's past that made me think this wasn't a first in the series. Now I think we have much to discover about Lyla. The mystery was intriguing and difficult to solve. I had many suspects and the ending satisfactorily explained why one of them was the culprit.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

What a fun, quick, fast-paced read! It had an easy flow and kept me guessing almost to the end. Will for sure read more starring Lyla and more from this author.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked how it was on a more serious side of cozy mysteries. It was great as a summer read, but I think it will be also great as an autumn read, perfect for a long evening with a book. I enjoyed character's voice and the play on a classic Agatha Christie rhyme was a nice touch.

The only thing that disapponted me was the killer. It was well done and clues were there, but using the only outsider (and making her a psychopath) didn't sit well with me. The "adopted children are dangerous and evil" felt really stereotypical.

This is a great murder mystery centred around a group of women who belong to a book club called the Jane Doe Book Club. When a murder occurs in their quite and serene town the book club are thrown into solving this murder. The main character is a feisty woman with over controlling parents who is trying to live on her own while proving that a past compulsive episode is not a trend. Lyla is dragged into the centre of the murder and it actually helps her try and prove herself to her Uncle who employs her as a receptionist in his Private Investigation agency where she wants to one day become a partner. Gran brings a little humour to a serious and heavy storyline. There are lots of potential suspects and it will take the entire book to decide “whodunnit”. With two old boyfriends as possible murderers Lyla doesn’t know who to trust. I thought this would be a cozy murder mystery but it is actually quite serious with a lot of suspense and moments that make you jump. Lyla finds out just how well she can handle personal danger. Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC of this book.

Book clubs don't usually feature dead bodies stuffed in suitcase, but if you belong to the Jane Doe Book Club, this might not be unusual. The club is interested in true crime books and when one of the members becomes interested in a cold case, Lyla Moody can't wait to hear what her friend Carol has to say. Unfortunately, Carol winds up dead without telling Lyla what she knows. The police cannot make a determination about cause of death and seem to suggest one of the club members was involved. This sets Lyla on a terrifying quest to find the connection between her friend's death and a 30-year-old cold case. Sometimes reading true crime isn't always the best option for a book club. Frightening and nightmare inducing.