The blurb really grabbed me but this book was a disappointment.
Far too much inner dialogue and description.
The characters did not ring true to me.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

At first I thought the MC was going to be over the top with all that she did in keeping busy.. However, it worked out and I ended up liking her. I found the mystery interesting and liked the small town setting. I look forward to another in this series.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book had such a great premise, and there were so many aspects I enjoyed! Isabel's character is wonderful. She's relatable, funny, and interesting. She makes the perfect sleuth!

I thought the mystery element was well-plotted and I enjoyed the plot and sleuthing. What didn't work for me was how much internal narration there was. In the beginning, especially, it felt like I was reading internal dialogue and backstory and thoughts... I needed to see some action or dialogue, not just be told stuff without interruption. It became difficult to wade through at times. I feel like if that aspect was corrected in the next book, it would be a four or five star read!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a complimentary copy.

How refreshing that the amateur sleuth, Isabel, is a middle-aged woman, a likeable woman with strengths and weaknesses and a passion for animals. She and her friends thankfully are imperfect and have experienced life challenges which adds a more relatable element. We catch glimpses into various relationships, too. The book is more than "just" a mystery.

Everyone knows and looks out for each other in the small community, especially when they learn a beloved friend and neighbour is murdered. Suspicion lurks everywhere and Isabel is determined to discover the murderer's identity as well as the hows and whys. She is joined by others in the search.

Many subplots punctuate the story which can be a bit distracting and boggy but the character development is well done with more than just cursory descriptions. I like that the characters had personalities.

There are many things to like about this book from the lovely rural setting and the food descriptions are mouthwatering! The title is charming and a great introduction. The police were secondary characters which appeals to me. The murder premise is unique and interesting. Several witticisms made me smile!

My attention was held for the first half or so but the story became predictable and unbelievable later without tension or suspense to keep me riveted. However, I would like to read more about Mrs. Puddle's next adventures.

Though this was a fun read, I wasn't as enamoured with it as I had hoped. But I do recommend it to those who read cozies. This may become your new favourite series!

My sincere thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for an ARC for this book...much appreciated.

Isabel Puddles does whatever job she needs to in order to keep herself in the family homestead and keep the lights turned on. She never saw herself providing beauty services for the dearly departed as one of those jobs…and she surely NEVER thought she’d be involved in a murder mystery. But here she was, playing beautician for her second corpse and finding the the 88 year old man didn’t die of old age, he died from a nail to the skull.

With Isabel living a mystery rather than reading one, she finds herself connecting dots and bringing pieces of the puzzle together to help form a clearer picture of what must have happened. Can Isabel figure it out before her old friend, the son of the deceased, is sent to prison for a murder he didn’t commit? Maybe, if Isabel doesn’t become collateral damage in the process.

A fun new series that focuses on the middle aged Isabel Puddles and her friends. Our protagonist isn’t elderly and isn’t perky and young, she’s just right…the Goldilocks protagonist for this reader. A well thought out whodunit with red herrings to keep you guessing. It took me a few pages to get into the groove, but then it flew by. A great new edition to the cozy lover’s reading list.

OH man. This book. I didn't make it past two chapters and even that was hard and painful. This book felt like it was written by someone who put 9 million small stories and background facts together. There was so.much.detail. too much detail! SO many backstories before you could even get to what the book was about!

This first of a new series features Isabel (Izzy) Puddles, a widow whose many part time jobs keep her financially afloat. Isabel knows everybody in her small town and most of the county.which introduces us to a host of interesting characters.. Isabel's disdain of cellphones puts her at a disadvantage, especially when it comes to contacting Sheriff Grady Pemberton when she needs him the most. Her dogged determination to solve the murder of 88 yr old Earl Jonasson leads her into a dangerous encounter..

Skip the first chapter, rewrite the Gladys story into an opening chapter minus most of the Kentwater County & Peabody family history, and this is quite a fun to read novel .

I thoroughly enjoyed Isabel Puddles and look more adventures in Kentwater County.

Isabel Puddles is a widow who is juggling many different jobs in order to make ends meet. One of her little jobs is in the funeral home where she makes sure the dead are presentable (fixing hair, makeup, etc.). And it is in this capacity that she discovers a recently deceased old friend was murdered instead of dying by natural causes as everyone supposes. What happens after that is her attempt to find out what happened to him.

I really enjoyed this book and making Isabel's acquaintance. I hope to get to know her and the other folks in the town some more in future books. This was a perfect book to read for a lazy Sunday afternoon and I am going to recommend it to anyone asking for a book to read. I received this book as an advanced reading copy from NetGalley and I want to say thank you because it was a fun read.

I was very excited for Meet Isabel Puddles, because the synopsis seemed promising when I first read it. However, unfortunately this story wasn’t a fit for me, and as a result I didn’t finish reading it. My main problem was how exposition heavy the initial chapters were. Typically, I don’t have a problem with that—as I’ve read several longer, slower fantasy novels and mysteries before—but here I felt like I was being told who the character was supposed to be. At times, I felt like I was reading a character profile for the titular Isabel Puddles, as well as the town of Gull Harbor. The story felt like it would get going, only to pause again for these random bits of information. I do think this story will appeal to many readers, so I encourage you to look at other reviews and make up your own mind about Meet Isabel Puddles.

Disclaimer: This copy of the book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley for this review, thank you!

Isabel Puddles is on the case, before she even knows there is one! When an 88 year old man is murdered, Isabel is determined to find the killer. Along the way, it's clear she may be the next victim!

I loved Isabel! A "mature" widow, she's kind, smart, curious, quirky and busier than a person half her age, in order to make ends meet, she bakes pies, preserves pickles, works part-time at a hardware store but when Isabel agrees to help "fixup" deceased Earl Sr. for his funeral, that's when the mystery begins. The way she discovers it may be murder instead of natural causes is one of the most original scenes I've read!

This was a wonderful introduction to Isabel and Kentwater County! We meet so many wonderful characters - Ginny (her cousin), Grady the sheriff & Ginny's boyfriend are favorites. An important character, is Jackpot her much loved Jack Russell Terrier. Jackpot gets an unexpected surprise and a new family member that warmed my heart!

I can't wait to return to Kentwater County!

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

4 stars
Meet Isabel Puddles by M.V. Byrne
What a joy this book was to read. I could not put it down! A true cozy mystery with a middle aged widow from a small Michigan town. I really hope this is the first in a series as Isabel and her town are quirky, fun and a delight to read even while solving the murder of an 88 year old man. The writing and the character development is superb,
I look forward to reading this author again.
I do recommend this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. The views given are my own.

At first glance I thought this was going to about a cat. Instead I meet a warm older lady who has friends she cares about, many odd jobs to keep the wolf from the door and stars in one of the best books I've read this summer A complete joy from beginning to end.

The Delightful Isabel Puddles.....
Isabel loves to read murder mysteries but she did not anticipate finding herself in the middle of one. She soon realises that the reality is way more dangerous than the ones she finds between the pages of a book. Hugely enjoyable with a likeable protagonist and a colourful cast of supporting characters. A promising start to what is hopefully a long running series featuring the delightful Isabel Puddles.

Meet Isabel Puddles is the first book in the Mitten State Mystery series. This is what I consider a cozy mystery, but there are differences from the other cozies I have read. Firstly, I have never had so much background and character development in a cozy before. Maybe it is just those I have read. I forget is it was chapter 3 or 4 before a murder took place. Prior to that is was all development. Also, this book had a bit of an edge. Not necessary more violent than other cozies, but defiantly more edgy. Neither of these were bad qualities, just different from other cozies I have read. Isabel is a widow who seems to have more time in a day then possible. This is based on all her jobs and hobbies. on top of that she is not inadvertently a mystery solver. Others in the story are her BFF Frances, her cousin Ginny, Ginny's boyfriend and police officer Grady, Meg and others from the town. We are also introduced to new friends Zander, Josh, and Beverly. Each of whom we know a great deal about based on that mentioned character development. When a loved local 88 year old man is listed as a natural death, Isabel finds evidence that it was not natural, he was actually murdered. I will not go more into that as you deserve to follow Isabel and her friends along as they argue, chat, suspect, and discover who actually killed Earl Sr and why.

I really loved the tone of those book and I liked that even though I knew pretty early on who the actual murderer was, I was interested enough to keep reading. I really loved the super direct, no nonsense tone of this book! I cannot wait for the next in this series, I’m fairly certain this is about to become one of my must ready cozy series!

As soon as I saw the description for this book, I was interested! Meet Isabel Puddles is about a widow in Michigan who is observant and friendly to all. In this story, she ends up mixed-up in a murder investigation of her friend's father and hi-jinks ensue! I found the first half of the story slow as we got to know Isabel and the other characters along with the set-up of the mystery. However, the second half moved along at a faster pace as Isabel starts to put the pieces of the story together. The mystery itself wasn't too hard to solve, but I greatly enjoyed the characters and Isabel. The author made the characters funny and warm, similar to Donna Andrews' characters or Denise Swanson's Scumble River series. I would definitely read another to see what Isabel and friends do next!

From the moment I started this book, I knew I was going to love it.
Isabel Puddles is a fantastic character, she brings a breath of fresh air to the cozy mystery genre.
Isabel is a funny, colorful character, who stops at nothing when she discovers that a long time neighbor and friend has been murdered.

The cast of supporting characters works well with Isabel and I’m looking forward to reading more in this series.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good solid mystery.

Isabel Puddles is a wonderful character. This cozy mystery was hard to put down. Good story line, characters, rural areas and story clips along nicely. Highly recommend this book and author.