I like the romance bookshop setting—so clever for a cozy mystery series—but didn’t enjoy this one quite as much as the first in the series.

This was a cute cozy mystery and will not be the last I read from Mimi Granger!

I'm not normally a fan of cozy mysteries but this was the exception. I also loved the concept of the mail-ordered brides.

Dollycas Thoughts

Love Under The Covers owner Lizzie Hale is surprised to learn that two local Tinker’s Creek men had done something she thought only happened in historical romance novels on the shelves of her store. Local contractor Dan Cameron has been married to his Russian mail-order bride Galina for a couple of years. Now, Al Little, the owner of the hardware store is expecting his mail-order bride Svetlana very soon. He has asked Lizzle and her aunt Charmaine to help him welcome her to town and soon Charmaine is planning their wedding and Lizzie is the maid of honor.

Things seem to go off with a hitch until the bride is found drowned in the creek.

Lizzie comes up with plenty of suspects but Al thinks Dan Cameron may have killed Swetlana to cover up something about his own marriage. Lizzie has Dan and his wife on her suspect list too so she is going to find the killer as quickly as she can and stop the craziness that has come to Tinker’s Creek.

I really like Lizzie, she is such a fun protagonist and she has to be with all her Aunt Charmaine’s antics. She does get a little distracted though when Park Ranger Max Alvarez enters the picture, in person or in her daydreams. Their relationship is definitely moving in the right direction. Charmaine has an opinion on everything and feels free to share it at will including every bit of gossip she hears around town. All the main characters are developing nicely.

The supporting cast is full of the type of people you find in any small town. Some are reserved and quiet and others are quirky as can be. The new characters introduced came to life very quickly. I think Lizzie’s “large dog of questionable parentage” Violet was featured more in this book than in the first. I love how Lizzie has grown so attached to her.

The mystery plot is tightly adhered to the romance subplot. At times the romance gets more attention than I normally like in my cozies mysteries but this author is a pro at twisting plot lines together. I enjoyed that history was brought into the mystery along with an item that set things in motion. The twists including some misinformation were placed well and set up an exciting ending.

Murder of a Mail-Order Bride was a very entertaining read. Like I said a little heavy on the romance but I was totally engaged by these characters and what was happening all around them.

I enjoyed the first book in this series but I really felt like the series gained momentum in this second book. Things get going pretty quickly as Svetlana arrives within the first chapter or two and it becomes clear that there she is bringing some secrets with her.

I love a mystery where things aren't what they seem and secrets abound and this was a fun one! Tinker's Creek is a quirky community with some interesting characters. I love the fact that Lizzie owns a romance book store and isn't a mystery reader. It's a bit different from the usual cozy mystery bookish character. We also spend a decent amount of time in Lizzie's head as she contemplates her love life - or what there is of it. The mystery wasn't the hardest to figure out but it was fun getting to the solution and I'm looking forward to my next visit to Tinker's Creek.

Long time bachelor Al Little has found a bride thanks to the internet, and he is thrilled that Svetlana is coming to town. Lizzie Hale, owner of the romance bookstore in Tinker’s Cover, Ohio, gets roped into helping make sure their first meeting and their wedding is perfectly romantic. But when Svetlana turns up dead in the middle of the reception, the question becomes, who would want to kill a new comer to town?

This is a strong second book. The plot kept me engaged the entire time. I did guess a couple of plot points early, but there were so many more I didn’t see coming, including the ending. The book is focused on the new characters central to this mystery, and they are all strong. We do have a small core cast of characters who are back, and they are fun. I also enjoy watching Lizzie’s romantic life, which is a great romantic comedy sub-plot. If you are looking for a slight twist on a cozy mystery set up, this is a series you will love.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4/5 stars

Murder of a Mail-Order Bride is a hilarious addition to the Love is Murder mystery series. This book follows Lizzie, who is living the dream owning the world’s most perfect bookstore, as she solves yet another murder in her small town. When one of her quirky friends announces that he is marrying a woman from Russia that he met online, Lizzie tries to be supportive. When his bride turns up dead on their wedding night, Lizzie must protect her friend and solve the crime. This upsets the hot park ranger, Max, and he broods and flirts with Lizzie throughout their investigation.

I love this series so much. It is so fun and fresh and addicting. Lizzie and Max and all the residents of Tinker’s Creek are so endearing. Full of twists, romance, and coziness, Murder of a Mail-Order Bride is another excellent mystery by Mimi Granger!

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Murder of a Mail-Order Bride by Mimi Granger is a lighthearted cozy mystery. Lizzie Hale owns Love Under the Covers a romance bookstore in Tinker’s Creek, Ohio. Lizzie along with her aunt, Charmaine finds themselves helping Al Little welcome his Russian bride. He wants Svetlana to feel comfortable in her new home plus Al needs their help with the wedding preparations. Svetlana, Al’s Russian bride, arrives and announces the wedding will take place in less than a week. Charmaine throws herself into planning a wedding in the park. Lizzie finds herself appointed the maid of honor and begins hunting for an appropriate pink dress (Svetlana insists on pink). The ceremony is just lovely. Before the cake can be cut, Lizzie finds Svetlana dead in the creek. Who could have wanted Svetlana dead and why? Al asks Lizzie to don her sleuthing cap once again and learn who killed his Russian bride. Murder of a Mail-Order Bride is the second book in A Love is Murder Mysteries. It can be read as a standalone if you did not read Death of a Red-Hot Rancher. We learn more about Lizzie in this book. The story is told from Lizzie’s perspective which makes us privy to her thoughts. Lizzie is attracted to Max Alvarez, the local park ranger. He definitely consumes her thoughts (and her daydreams). There is chemistry between the pair. I can tell that the author wrote romance novels before embarking on cozy mysteries. The proportion of romance to mystery is out of balance (way too much romance). The mystery is straightforward with a dead woman and an amateur sleuth looking into the crime. The solution was obvious. There are pointed clues to help the reader solve the crime. The mystery did have some interesting bits and there was a unique clue. I do like how the more obscure clues lined up. Charmaine is an over-the-top character. She is one of those people who do not take no for an answer (she is quirky, dresses outlandishly). There are a couple of other off-beat characters in the story. There is humor sprinkled throughout. There is the requisite small town, charming shops, and a cute dog. I wanted to give this series another shot (which I did). I discovered that it is not the right fit for me. For those who enjoy quirky characters, first person point-of-view, a heaping helping of romance, silly humor, and a light mystery, then A Love is Murder Mysteries is for you. Murder of a Mail-Order Bride is a giddy tale with a surprise Russian bride, rapid wedding planning, a quarreling couple, train fanatics conference, curious clues, a butchered bride, and an electric connection.

The second in this series is just as engaging as the first, and the combination of a romance loving book store owner and a murder mystery to solve really works. This one further develops the community and the characters, even including some nice history of the area. The murder of the "mail order bride" and the details revealed throughout made for a solid story.

Murder of a Mail-Order Bride by Mimi Granger

Published: August 2, 2022
Berkley
Pages: 272
Genre: Cozy Mystery
KKECReads Rating: 5/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Mimi Granger began her publishing career writing historical romance. Many years later, there’s still nothing she likes better than a happily-ever-after...as long as there’s a little murder and mayhem thrown in. Her Love is Murder mystery series provides the perfect opportunity to salute the two genres she loves most—romance and mystery—and to play out every reader’s dream of owning a fabulous bookstore. Mimi lives outside of Cleveland with her own personal romance hero and two dogs: Eliot, an enthusiastic Airedale, and Lucy, who provides the inspiration for Violet in her stories (including the incredible amount of shed fur).

“The next day was the wedding. Things had to get better. Right?”

Lexie is working in her shop when another business owner comes in and asks her for help. He’s met someone online, and she’s coming to town! There is a wedding to plan and no time to waste. When the bride ends up face down in the canal after the wedding, everyone is stunned. There is a murderer somewhere on the loose and, of course, a grieving groom to console. Lizzie finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation, but this time there is a target on her back.

This series is so good! We are back with our characters, diving deeper into the town's history and the connections between the past and present.

We get to know Lizzie so much more in this second novel, which is fantastic. The chemistry with Max is strong as ever, and I am ready for someone to make a move- and more than just the cowboy boogie.

I enjoyed getting to know other citizens of Tinker’s Creek. Al was such a sweet character, hardworking and kind. Otis was a crabby old man who was selfish and mean-spirited. Galina was a mail-order bride who was not the warmest neighbor in the town.

I am enjoying the dynamic between Max and Lizzie and am looking forward to what happens between them. Again, Violet was a cute side character, and I’m glad she was given more of a showcase in this book.

I am ready for book 3! Hopefully, we won’t have to wait a whole year to discover what is happening in this charming small town.

This book sounds intriguing but unfortunately is not my cup of tea. Thanks for the digital review copy.

Murder of a Mail-Order Bride by Mimi Granger is the second book in the A Love Is Murder Mystery series. This book has it all: mystery, suspense, romance and cowboy boogie. Local hardware store owner Al Little contracts to have a mail-order bride from Russia, Svetlana. But when Svetlana arrives she isn't exactly what Al imagined. In any event the wedding must go on! And it did until the bride is found drowned in the creek after the marriage ceremony. Enter amateur sleuth Lizzie Hale and park ranger Max Alverez and the hunt is on for a murderer.

I enjoyed this fast-paced, suspenseful whodunit. The characters are likable and the way Lizzie and Max followed the clues to find the murderer was very entertaining. This is a super addition to the series.

The second book in Mimi Granger’s charming series of cozy romantic mysteries, Murder of a Mail Order Bride, continues the adventures of romance shop bookstore owner and amateur detective Lizzie Hale.

Lizzie is still recovering from her first case when she’s approached by Al Little, a mild-mannered local hardware store owner, at her bookstore. He’s got a request – could she try to help make his newly-arrived mail-order bride, Svetlana Anatov, feel welcome and show her around the small-town sights? And could she advise him on how to woo his bride, just like in the romantic books she sells? Though Lizzie is shocked that Al has imported a wife instead of finding a local, she nonetheless agrees to help. She and her lively Aunt Charmaine busy themselves with task, but the sophisticated femme fatale who arrives doesn’t care to fit into the small town; she’s carrying some secrets in her soul – and is less than honest about her disappearances leading up to the ceremony. But Lizzie is too busy dealing with being suddenly named maid of honor to worry too much about Svetlana. At least until Svetlana disappears again, this time during the reception.

Unfortunately, Svetlana is soon found floating face-down in a canal in one of Tinker’s Creek’s majestic state parks, still wearing her wedding dress, and the whole town is on hand for the gristly discovery. It’s clear Svetlana was strangled before she was found in her watery grave, making her death a murder – and everyone present at the wedding a suspect. But Al can feel the heat closing in on him, and begs Lizzie to prove his innocence. Can Lizzie and her crush, park ranger Max Alvarez, figure out who killed Svetlana before the murderer strikes again?
Death of a Mail Order Bride continues along the tradition established in the first Lizzie Hale mystery of being fun, readable, and a sweet poke in the ribs of romance tropes. Lizzie is a smart though not credulously overly-bright detective, and the way Granger layers in clues (about a plant Svetlana has in the back of her car, about the ins-and-outs of getting a mail-order bride into the country) are well-used. The characters are likable, and we care about Lizzie and Max and Charmaine a lot. The killer turns out to be someone unexpected, and the motive equally so, but everything sews itself together admirably. But though some major violence is threatened and Lizzie and Max deal with a kidnapping and murder threats, the coziness of the mystery prevents the threat of the violence from really penetrating the book’s atmosphere. Whether this is a boon or a curse will likely depend upon the reader.

The book’s portrait of Tinker’s Creek continues to expand and remains unique, but if you’re here for the Max/Lizzie romance, I have to report that we only just start to get past the mutual yearning phase, but there’s a lot of yearning and a lot desire going on here. They get to rescue each other, always a delight, and there’s some lovely stuff with Lizzie, her aunt Charmaine and her dog Violet to round out the picture.

The good news is that you don’t need to have read the previous book in the series to pick up this one, since it brings you up to speed and, when it does refer to incidents from the first book, explains itself. If you like your mysteries cozy and small-town flavored, it doesn’t get better than this.

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This was very fun and twisty, a solid addition to mystery collections and definite first purchase. Looking forward to more in this series

Now I need to go and buy Death of a Red-Hot Rancher, Love Is Murder book #1

Murder of a Mail-Order Bride by Mimi Granger was an outstanding cozy mystery.
And I finished this amazing story in one full day!

Lizzie Hale is an absolute favourite of mine. Her character was great and I just loved her personality.
I enjoyed being in Tinkers Creek, Ohio, way too much! And I wished I could have stayed a little while longer.
A super fun cozy read that has been impeccably written and executed very nicely.
Mimi Granger weaves an intriguing stiry with unexpected twists.
The characters, settings, and storyline kept the mystery entertaining.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story! It was a hard one to put down.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Berkley,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Lizzie Hale is back, dishing up the romance for book club member Al Little's newly arrived mail-order bride from Russia. No sooner have Al and Svetlana tied the knot then someone reaches the end of their rope with the bride and turns her wedding day into her last day on earth. Teaming up with handsome ranger Max Alvarez, Lizzie follows the clues to the killer.

This series is everything you would expect from a cozy series, the characters are standard fare, there's a dog, a small business catering to the main characters passions (in more ways than one), and a small town that seems idyllic but experiences more than its fair share of tragedy and violence. I love all of that. Is it unique? Maybe not, but this book has everything I love about cozies.

The ending of this book was very exciting. Not only is the culmination of the mystery exciting, but two things happen that give the reader some pretty big hints about what might be coming in the next book. I can't wait to read it!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Murder of a Mail-Order Bride is is the 2nd book in this series. Lizzie Hale owns a successful bookshop called, Love under The Covers. Al Little, the owner of the local hardware store, asks Lizzie and her aunt Charmaine to help plan his wedding to his new bride Svetlana, who is straight from Russia. Everything goes smoothly til the bride is found drowned in the creek shortly after the wedding. Al is a suspect as he was overheard arguing with the bride after the wedding. Then there's Al's best friend Dan,who also has a Russian mail-order bride, who acts suspicious after the murder. Why did he change his suit after the wedding? Lizzie Knows Al isnt guilty and looks for clues to help clear his name, often butting heads with Park Ranger Max. I enjoyed this book and and look forward to the next one! Thank you netgalley for the adance copy.

A love Murder Mystery? No need to say more I'm already in! Lizzie, the main character is a bookstore owner and finds her life mimicking the plot of a romance book. I loved how smart she is and adored the assumptions she kept making throughout the book, no matter how right they were, it showed a great mind. This was a mystery filled plot with greatly written characters that perfectly fit into every aspect of the story.