An interesting mystery that while not my favorite was still an enjoyable read. I would read other books by this author.

Murder with Strings Attached starts with Florence "Flo" Palmer attempting to steal a priceless violin. But, she soon discovers that it has already been stolen. Worse yet, the owner has returned and caught Flo in the attempt. While Flo has had many close calls, this is the first time she has bene caught in the act with no good excuse.

But wait! The owner, a concert violinist of renown, is a nice guy and almost lets her leave. But then, he hires Flo to steal the violin back for him. She has her doubts and those grow when he says that he wants to help her commit the burglary.

Of course in the end, she accepts the challenge. And then, well, the wild ride gets wilder and wilder. While trying to find the violin, Flo gets caught - AGAIN - this time by the police, while standing over a recently murdered body with blood on her hands.
The race to clear Flo's name and recover the violin is a wonderful adventure that keeps the pages turning and the tension level up. It is certainly a fun read. Just be ready to keep reading right up to the surprise ending.

M. Reutlinger is a Professor of Law Emeritus at Seattle University who just happens to write cosy mysteries and political thrillers. I would also recommend the "Mrs. Kaplan" books written by Mr. Reutlinger.

This was a fun read with a twist. First, there's Flo, previously a domestic worker who discovered it was more profitable to be a thief. Then you have Aaron Levy, famous violinist, who plays a priceless Stradivarius. Flo does her homework, maps out his habits, and is set to steal the priceless violin. Only the one in his hotel room is a fake and she's caught in the act. Aaron surprises Flo by hiring her to steal back his precious violin and replace it with the fake. Then the fun begins.

This was an enjoyable read with great characters, humor, a steady pace and surprises to keep my interest. I'll be looking for more books from Reutlinger.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.

A few months ago I read Mrs. Kaplan and the Matzoh Ball of Death. It took me a minute to acclimate myself to Reutlinger's writing style but I realized a few chapters in that it reminded me a lot of the old 1930's noir detective movies, the only difference being that in this case the role of the detective was played by a Jewish woman in her 70's. So, of course, it was hilarious! That book contained a fascinating cast of characters, one of them being (I'm finally getting to the point) Flo, a professional burglar.

Murder with Strings Attached puts Flo in the spotlight. Flo decides to steal a priceless violin, only to find that the violin has already been stolen. The owner enlists her help to find the violin and steal it back.

Flo is a great character. It's always interesting to read about people who do different things and I certainly don't know anyone in real life who's a professional burglar (at least not that I know of!) Flo and Aaron, the violin's owner, go on a great adventure, traveling, meeting new people, seeing the sites. There's not a dull moment in this book.

Anyone who's interested in reading cozies and doesn't care if they don't follow the general conventions will enjoy reading Reutlinger's work.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Thank you to #NetGalley for providing an opportunity to read this cozy mystery in exchange for an honest review. Murder with Strings Attached was an okay fun read. Not a murder mystery so much as a adventure / caper plot, the premise - an amatuer thief is hired by a famous violinist to retrieve his stolen violin - has so much potential, but there were moments when my interest waned throughout the story. However, all of the characters are likable and the heist plot was entertaining.

A world famous musician with a valuable violin is in town and pro thief Flo is determined to steal it. Unfortunately, its already been stolen and the owner wants her to help him steal it back.

A quick and easy read with plenty of humour thrown in.

Murder With Strings Attached is a rollicking and quick read, featuring an unlikely trio pursuing a stolen priceless violin.
Cleaner-turned-burglar Florence "Flo" Palmer is caught redhanded by renowned concert violinist Aaron Levy, as she attempts to steal his priceless Guarnieri violin from his Seattle hotel room. However, she realises and Levy quickly confirms that the instrument in her hands is nothing more than a clever fake - the genuine article has already been stolen by someone else!
Rather than turn Flo in to the authorities, Levy enlists her assistance to recover his beloved violin from the clutches of crooked billionaire James Edward Sanders, who intends swapping the violin for a valuable painting owned by another rich collector.
Before long, a murder occurs, for which Flo becomes a suspect. The stakes raised, Flo and Aaron, together with Flo's feisty but non-criminal friend Sara, head south to San Francisco in pursuit of both the still-missing violin and the ruthless murderer.
Straddling the cosy mystery and noir genres, Murder With Strings Attached features plenty of tongue-in-cheek humour and a sprinkling of romance. Flo, Aaron and Sara are all engaging and amusing characters. Some of the situations and dialogue are fairly camp, but that's not out of place in the genre, and adds to the reading enjoyment.
I'd recommend Murder With Strings Attached to readers looking for a quick and enjoyable crime read without too much grit or heavy psychology.
My thanks to the author, Mark Reutlinger, publisher The Wild Rose Press, Inc and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

A very well written murder mystery. Good plot and character development. Fans of murder mysteries will not be disappointed. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.