Meet Isabel Puddles and Isabel Puddles Investigates by M.V. Byrne are the first and second book respectively of the cozy Mitten State Mystery series. As with most cozy mysteries each book of the Mitten State Mystery series does contain it’s own mystery that will be solved so they can be read as a standalone of in any order if choosing to do so. There is however character development that carries over book to book for those that follow the series from the beginning.

Isabel Puddles is a widow and the mother of two grown children living in Gull Harbor, Michigan. Isabel supports herself by doing all kinds of odd jobs and considers herself a jack of all trades. Most notably of late this avid mystery fan has taken a job in the local funeral parlor doing up the hair of the corpses. This is where Isabel finds a nail in the head of the departed, Earl Jonasson, and opens up a murder case.

Then in the second book Isabel decides that after her first dive into the deep waters of solving a murder to add to her resume once again and got herself a P.I. license. Isabel however still works her other odd jobs and as she’s helping out at her cousin’s hardware shop a new client walks in. Soon Isabel is hired by the extravagant recluse, Abigail Bachmeier, when her nephew disappeared and she tasks Isabel with finding another missing relative.

Meet Isabel Puddles and Isabel Puddles Investigates by M.V. Byrne were both cozy mysteries that fell right into the this was alright pile but not ones that really grabbed me. Both books had a slower pace to them which would be fine if full of the laughs I love but those were fewer than I’d like too. The second book even felt as if completely starting over again with the series instead of just being peppered with reminders here and there. Overall these are in the not bad but not ones I fell in love with leaving them at three stars each.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Isabel is back at it again, doing it all and solving mysteries while she's at it. Byrne has become one of my favorite cozy writers and I cannot wait to read more about Isabel (and other series) in the future!

5/5 Stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Isabel Puddles Investigates is the second in the Mitten State Mystery series by M.V. Byrne. Isabel Puddles lives on the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan and has recently earned her PI license. She's a widower with grown children and lives her life exactly as she pleases. I love Isabel and the cast of characters and setting. I would say it's more character and setting driven than plot so if that is something you'd love, you can easily get lost in this series!

Isabel Puddles has returned to college to finish up her degree forty years after beginning it. She just completed a correspondence course to become a newly minted private investigator. Isabel breakfasts with her best friend every morning at the town’s cafe. She also works part-time in her nephew’s hardware store. She has a letter writing relationship with an English mystery writer—that may turn into something more. And finally, Isabel Puddles Investigates a missing person.

My problem with Isabel Puddles Investigates is that the mystery takes a backseat to Isabel’s love life, her best friend’s life, all the gossip in the small town, and even the Michigan setting. If I wanted to read women’s fiction, I would. I wanted a mystery, which is here but appears so late that I was already bored. 3 disappointed stars.

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Loving or not loving a book depends a lot on your mood and your current expectations.
Some of the reasons that stopped me from giving a 5* rate to the first book in this series are the same that made me love it and I suppose I will reread the first book.
It's a slow burning book, don't expect that the mystery starts soon in the book because there a general recap of the characters backstory, catching up what's going on and introducing what will be the mystery part.
That said I found it very relaxing and the descriptions are so detailed that you cannot help visualizing the scene in your mind.
Isabel is a great characters, wise and clever. I love her philosophy of life and her relationship with other people.
The author did a good job in delivering a compelling and highly entertaining story. The solid mystery is full of surprises even if I guessed one of the twists.
Good storytelling and character development.
I can't wait to read the next book in this series.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Isabel Puddles, the delightful “Miss Marple” of Gulf Harbor, Michigan, returns in the second Mitten State mystery. She’s as busy as ever and now a licensed private investigator with an office over her cousin’s hardware store where she also works part-time because small town detective work does not pay well. Until…she is summoned to a “luncheon” by the town recluse Abigail Bachmeier, sole heir to the Bachmeier beer fortune. Abigail tells her a tragic story ending with the recent drowning death of her great nephew. She has just learned that she has another great nephew and hires Isabel to find him. However, Isabel is not the only person looking for the missing man. And is someone looking for her?

This is a completely charming series! Life is good in picturesque Gulf Harbor. It’s summer and the locals are coping with tourists, planning barbecues, selling homemade goodies, and gossiping about their neighbors. Both new and recurring characters come to life with detailed descriptions, especially prickly Frances, Freddie, Ramush and Abigail. Reading Isabel’s adventures is like sitting down with an old friend. I’m looking forward to her next visit! 5 stars.

Thank toy to NetGalley, Kensington Books and M.V. Byrne for this ARC.

M.V. Byrne's Mitten State Mystery series focuses on Isabel Puddles who lives on the peaceful shores of Lake Michigan. The newly licensed PI is doing a college degree she didn't finish when she was younger and is approached by a potential client. Abigail Bachmeier's great nephew is presumed dead after vanishing off a ferry, and she also has another missing relative for Isabel to locate. Could yet another life be in danger?

There is a lot to like in this novel with its abundance of humour. Isabel lives an exceptionally fulfilling life; everything is done on her terms, she has her knitting, she works part-time at a hardware store, her family visits and of course, she has her private investigator job. The mystery is well written, the setting is fabulous, and the characters are winsome. Very highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

When I find a new mystery series and I love the first book I always cross my fingers that the next in the series will be as enjoyable. Isabel Puddles Investigates hits the mark. Isabel is back, completing her college degree, working part time at the hardware store and having breakfast with her BFF, Frances. She is now a PI, too. As a senior on a fixed income, every penny counts.
It's summer in Gull Harbor, Michigan and her children have come to visit for the long 4th of July weekend. Friends gathering for a BBQ, gossip and such, life is good for Isabel who is living her life her way. As a new PI she also takes a new case, one with a very upper crust client. It's a missing person case but not the first in the life of the client, Abigail Bachmeier. To call her eccentric is fair but I would also call her quirky. My kind of character.
I don't want to give anything away beyond saying the mystery is well written, the setting is lovely, the characters are memorable and the humor abounds. This series continues to have everything that I like in a cozy mystery. Now I'm ready for Isabel's encore.
My thanks to the publisher, Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this mystery. The town is nice with lots of good characters. However, there is no way I could be friends with Frances. I do like that Isabel is a senior and still active in the community. The mystery kept me guessing

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

4 stars
Isabel Puddles Investigates
by M.V. Byrne

Isabel Puddles is quite like sitting with an older lady and having her regale you with every story about everyone she knows and as a listener/reader being completely enchanted with her stories of her town and her life.
M.V. Byrne writes the Puddles books almost as she is sitting and observing her in her day to day life and her thoughts. This second book in this series is filled with mystery, family, friends and deceit.
This is a wonderful cozy mystery that will appeal to most mystery readers. I really enjoy and appreciate books that showcase women on the other side of children and family still having a vibrant life and enjoying every minute of it.


I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley.

Isabel Puddles, a retired hairdresser, works part time in her cousin's hardware store and loves solving crime so much that she's back in school working on a criminology degree. That comes in handy when she's hired by the wealthy and snotty Abagail not to find her recently disappeared nephew, the heir to their beer fortune, but rather to solve a thirty year old question of another missing nephew. As with the first book (and this will be fine as a standalone), this is cozy territory where the heroine solves the mystery by untangling the gossip in a small town. I like Isabel and I also like her friend Frances who is dealing with marital issues. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A quick and entertaining read.

About a year has passed since Isabel solved the Jonasson murder and she's become a licensed PI and gone back to school to study criminology. When legendary local recluse Abigail Bachmeier hires her to locate her long-lost nephew Isabel figures it'll be an easy case and a quick paycheck... but she couldn't be more wrong.

I really enjoy this series and this book was very similar to the first. There are lots of humorous side stories and background information, which I often find a little boring but in these stories it adds some "flesh" to the characters and makes me feel more engaged. Isabel has finally started coming into the 21st century and is using all the tools of the time, Google, cell phones, GPS, etc. to help her solve the case.

If you enjoy series featuring senior sleuths, this is a good one to add to your to-be-read pile.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

What fun it would be to have breakfast with Isabel Puddles at Land's End Cafe, though perhaps not with her irritable friend Frances. Set in small town Gull Harbor, Michigan this is a fun read about ordinary daily life resplendent with gossip, food and fascinating characters. Isabel works part time at a hardware store and makes jams and pickles. Her two adult children no longer live with her but do visit...who can blame them with that scrumptious food? This time, they visit for the July 4 long weekend when Isabel invites friends to an annual barbecue where local delectable food is served. But the book isn't all joy and roses...as in real life, there is also heartache.

Isabel is also working on a college degree and a licensed private investigator. Eccentric Abigail Bachmeier invites her to her lovely mansion with a quest to find a missing person. Not only is there mystery surrounding the disappearance but also Abigail herself who is unexpected. I adore her quirkiness and spunk! There are excellent subplots as well, beautifully written and integrated.

Descriptions of food in books always grab my attention and I love that the main characters aren't twenty somethings. Very refreshing. In my view this story is more about life than "only" a mystery. We get to really know the characters to the point of being able to picture them. The cover is sweet, too. Very homey.

Those who are seeking a fabulous cozy mystery series should not miss this. Though cozy, it has more oomph to it than many. The language is flowery and descriptive (which is my wheelhouse) and made me giggle several times.

My sincere thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this absolutely delightful book! I really look forward to the next in the series.

Thanks to Kensington and Netgalley for sharing the second installment of the Isabel Puddles series. Gosh (which is definitely the right word for this), this was fun. I liked it even better than the first book. Isabel is back, now with a PI license and getting involved in local mysteries and mayhem, all in her kind and trusting way. I recommend this series for fans of Jan Mitford or cozy mysteries in general (although I am not much of a fan of those books, this series is a bit meatier and less silly than many of those).

Kudos to M.V. Byrne as this is a fantastic read! Loved the storyline and the well crafted-characters. Such a great story it had me guessing until the very end. Can't wait to read more books by this author.

Isabel Puddles has just learned to use Google and she still relies on her home-made pickles to keep a roof over her head, but when she gets an idea in her mind, she holds onto it as tenaciously as a terrier. She's loyal to her friends and brave, too, both characteristics giving her an advantage when it comes to her new career as a detective.

This novel is not fast paced. A lot of the story lets us get to know Isabel, her friends and family, her hometown in Michigan, and her first real client, an eccentric heiress. The descriptions and conversations build up the experience and give us insights that prepare us for when things start getting surprising...not to say dangerous.

Isabel and her community are memorable and the book would be a great choice for book cub. The story is deftly plotted, well written, and full of local color. I look forward to more books in the series.

situational-humor, verbal-humor, sly-humor, sleuthing-seniors, small-town, Michigan, private-investigators*****

I laughed my sox off with all the Milwaukee bashing! Sounds like us bashing Chicago! Teeheehee.
Isabel is a widow with grown children living on opposite coasts while she chooses to stay in her home town with all her friends and cousins. Most of the characters in the town are just plain folks but there is the snooty estate on the edge of town that looms large in size and local lore. Because she solved a murder before, she followed the encouragement of others, got her PI license, and is working on a degree in criminal justice while also working part-time in cousin's hardware store.
Enter the eccentric and very wealthy recluse from that estate nearby who actively encourages odd gossip to keep people away. The woman wants Isabel to do a bit of sleuthing, and it's very unusual. The whole is very Midwest small town with great characters, plot twists, and more (but no spoilers). Loved this laugh riot!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

A cozy set in a small north Michigan town of Gull Harbor.

Isabel Puddles opened her PI business in a room above the hardware store where she works for her cousin Freddie. When heiress Abigail Bachmeier hires Isabel to find someone, Isabel manages to find them, and it leads to more cases.

The plot moved along well and there were multiple subplots to keep all of the characters actively involved throughout the novel.

This case leaves Isabel wondering if she is going to continue her PI courses or switch to teacher training.

I am looking forward to whatever Isabel finds herself up to next.

What a charming novel! Isabel Puddles is a delightful senior sleuth and I loved going on this adventure with her. The Rust Belt setting is evocatively conveyed and the cast of characters is sure to entertain. I enjoyed how Byrne crafted the mystery elements. This story is like a satisfying puzzle.

While other reviewers have complained about the descriptive writing style, I I like how it makes each scene come alive for the reader.

Prior familiarity with the series is not required by any means. However, since I thoroughly enjoyed this one, I'm happy to go back and read the first.

Highly recommended for fans of cozy mysteries.

I tried, I really tried to get into this book. The premise looked so interesting. A senior PI. But this style of writing is just not for me. At one point I think there was a four-page descriptor, providing context, between two lines of conversation.

I pushed to 40% of the book hoping the balance would change. But it didn't. So the book didn't build any pace with this level of detail. Seems I need something with a little more pace.

My thanks to #Netgalley, Kensington Books and the author for my Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review