A solid cozy mystery that is book 3 in a series. I haven't read the first two but enjoyed this enough to add the Jane Doe series to my TBR.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

Was not able to finish reading this book before the archive date, and therefore will not be leaving feedback on this title.
Star rating to match average.

It was a cosy time for real. I enjoyed reading this. I would recommend this to someone looking for a cosy mystery to pick up.

Good for the Halloween season, a Murder Mystery party turns from playful to perplexing. With a locked-room mystery vibe, the eclectic group of Jane Does, led by the entertaining Grandma Daisy Moody, faces an Agatha Christie-style challenge. Lyla, showcasing her wit and flair with a touch of Southern charm, proves she's a force to reckon with, particularly in the absence of Uncle Calvin, who's off in South America. This tale offers suspense, Southern sass, an array of peculiar suspects, and clever twists, ensuring a guessing game that keeps you on your toes.

Crime for the Books is the third book in Kate Young's Jane Doe Book Club Mystery series. I haven't read the first two books in the series. I love bookish cozy mysteries so I wanted to give this series a try.

It isn't usually a problem to start a cozy mystery a few books in, especially when there has only been two previous books. However, I had trouble connecting with the characters. I can't say it was just because I didn't start with book 1.

I read all kinds of cozy mysteries - historical cozies, culinary cozies, paranormal cozies, etc. I'm not sure I've read one with the vibes of southern fiction. I'm not a fan of southern fiction and so I struggled with this book because of it.

I was a little disappointed that it wasn't more bookish, but a lot of book cozies don't really talk about books so much.

I did enjoy the mystery. When the story got focused on it and unraveling everything towards the end I was really sucked into the story.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Saturday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2023/11/crime-for-books-by-kate-young-review.html

This series just keeps getting better w each one. It has great characters and was a fun read. Would highly recommend this book and others to family and friends

Crime for the Books is the third book in the Jane Doe Book Club Mystery series. I’ve read all three books and enjoyed each one. In this one, the murder takes place at an Agatha Christie themed party at Magnolia Manor, a local B&B. The owner, Elaine Morgan, is a client of the private detective agency where Lyla, the main character, is employed as a private investigator in training.

At the party, the lights go out, a shot is fired, and a woman dies. The victim is Elaine’s cousin and is involved in a bitter legal dispute with her over Elaine’s inheritance of Magnolia Manor. Because the police chief is out of town, Sergeant Rosa Landry, a member of the Jane Does, is in charge of the police investigation. Naturally, the other Jane Does informally involve themselves in investigating.

Elaine is arrested, and Rosa is acting strangely unlike herself. The rest of the Jane Does believe thar Elaine is innocent. The Jane Does learn that two other murders may be about to be committed, one involving a member of the Jane Does.

The only criticism I have of the book is that it was somewhat overpopulated with characters and disagreements between them. At a few points in the story, the characters’ relationships and personal conflicts seemed to overwhelm the story line rather than advance it. There were also parts of the plot that seemed implausible to me but I can’t identify them without spoilers. These are the reasons I gave it a four-star rating. Despite my issues with the book, I did enjoy it and recommend it.

Crime for the Books is the third book in the Jane Doe Book Club Mysteries by Kate Young. The protagonist for this series, Lyla Moody, works for her uncle's investigation company but has also been working with her FBI boyfriend to solve Jane Doe cold cases. The members of the Jane Doe Book Club have planned a murder mystery party revolving around Agatha Christie's A Murder is Announced for Halloween. When an actual murder takes place at the party, the members of the book club soon become embroiled in the investigation partly to prevent one of their own from being charged with the crime due to a dispute she had with the victim shortly before the murder but also to protect themselves when it becomes apparent that the culprit is targeting the club members to become additional victims.

By using a plotline that invokes the mastery of the great Agatha Christie, the author has set the bar high for this book to engage and entertain the reader. She more than accomplishes this goal in her creative utilization of a multi-generational cast of characters that appeals to readers of all ages. Further, the plot twists and misdirections included keep the reader guessing until the very end. With the added component of changing relationships, I look forward to more installments in this series to see what the future holds for Lyla and all of the book club members.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books and am leaving this review voluntarily.

I really loved this book in a new to my series and author. I can't wait to read the next one. The characters and location really add to the plot. This book keeps you guessing until the end

This book is the third book in the Jane Doe Book Club Mystery series. I have not read any of the previous books but found this one to be enjoyable. There was a great cast of characters including the main character Lyla who is a both a book club member and a private investigator. This book takes place around Halloween and includes multiple references to an Agatha Christie book. Overall, I enjoyed the characters and found them to be well developed but it wasn't quite what I was expecting when I picked it up. I thought from the series title that more of the book would be focused on solving Jane Doe murder cases.

Small towns are the perfect setting for Fall Festivities, even Murder Mystery Parties. But what happens when the victim discovered is really dead and the investigator seems to be coming unhinged?

Can Lyla figure out who and why before the killer strikes again? Does she really know the person that has become like a sister to her?

Despite the heaviness and heartbreak in this book, it is still heartwarming with the powers of family and friendship.

Excellent read for all Mystery lovers, whether you prefer Cozy, True Crime, are Hard Boiled, you will love this book.

I spoke with the author, and this could possibly be the last of the series. Hopefully, there will be more to come; but in the event it's the end, there is a feeling of closure. Thank you for this experience, Kate!

Primeiramente, agradeço a Netgalley e ao autor por me permitir ler essa obra.

Confesso que não li os livros anteriores, então senti falta de me habituar mais com os personagens. Mas sobre esse livro, achei incrível. Adorei a história, fiquei envolvida e não queria largar.

Lyla Moody e seu clube do livro, o Jane Does, estão dando uma festa de Halloween em Magnolia Manor, estão fazendo uma encenação de um assassinato. No entanto, a vítima está morta mesmo, de verdade. E as coisas começam a tomar um rumo diferente do esperado. Será que a pessoa presa realmente é a culpada? O suspense a seguir é de tirar o fôlego.

First, I want to say thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to review this ARC with honesty. (Apologies for the late review, life got in the way.)

This series has probably been one of the top Cozy Mysteries that I find the most entertaining. I'm not sure if it's simply the characters or maybe the town atmosphere. Either way, I definitely find myself gravitating to it. That said, this story is a bit - odd. Not bad, just different in terms of certain relationships that I will not go into for the sake of spoilers but it wasn't what I was expecting. And that's fine. I like the obscure change here and there but it was more or less a curve ball?

The mystery however was definitely more out there than I was expecting to point of a bit too out there though it didn't make me stop reading. It was a fast pace read and it kept you turning the page.

Overall, I don't think it was my favorite of the three out but I did still enjoy it and would recommend to those looking for a cozy mystery to read.

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 4 Stars!

Lyla Moody and her book club, the Jane Does, are hosting a Halloween party at Magnolia Manor, tailored after Agatha Christie’s A Murder is Announced. When the lights come on after the staged murder, a real victim lies dead with a gunshot wound in her chest. The victim was a relative of Elaine Morgan, operator of the B&B, who’d earlier been seen arguing with her about the fate of the property. Suspicion falls on Elaine, and she’s arrested. Believing Elaine is innocent, the Jane Does team up with police officer Rosa Landry, who’s a member of the club, to find the truth.
This was a good cozy mystery to read on a rainy night in front of a roaring fireplace. It was suspenseful and the plot kept me guessing until the very end. I felt there were too many suspects and side characters. I was confused about some of the relationships between them. Lastly, some of the language used seemed inappropriate. I really believe that a writer doesn’t have to use curse words, there are so many other words in the English language to use. I want to thank Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for this advanced reader’s copy. This review is my unbiased opinion.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ -- Great cover on this one!

So before I start my little rant, I will say that I read the previous book in this series (and enjoyed it) and again, I enjoyed this book 3. It isn't a cozy. It's a regular mystery disguising as a cozy (😂), but It was an engaging book that kept me hooked throughout.

SOOO...as much as I enjoyed this one, there were a lot of things that left me annoyed and confused. First, I was convinced I missed a book somewhere. The book opens with Quinn off on his honeymoon with Courtney (of all people). They weren't even dating in the previous book! And Lyla and Brad are pretty much over, and they JUST meet (I believe) and started dating in the previous book. 🧐 Which brings me to my second annoyance...there was just way too much relationship drama in this book. I have said this a million times: I hate relationship angst in my cozy mysteries. And no only was it angst, it was 'Brad is a cheating douche" angst! Oh, he says nothing happened, but we all know it did. 😏 Which leads in to my third and final annoyance. Everyone in this book acted like pod people. It was like aliens sucked up the people from the previous books and dropped people with completely new personalities in their place. It was bizarre, to say the least. 😵

I know it sounds like I hated this book, but despite all the above, I still liked it. I'll definitely check out book three to see what happens with these characters next.

**ARC Via NetGalley**

Another excellent edition to a wonderful series! Full of twists and turns that leaves you wanting more and enjoying each moment until the end when the killer is caught!

The third book in the Jane Doe Book Club series, "Crime for the Books" finds Lyla and her book club friends hosting a murder mystery party in the vein of Agatha Christie's "A Murder is Announced." When a real murder takes place during the event, things go from bad to worse in the little town of Sweet Mountain,

This was a good story and nice addition to the series. I liked the direction Lyla took for the most part... she seemed more confident and self aware. Some more prominent characters from previous books felt a bit pushed to the side, so I hope they return more in future books. A couple of the twists felt off to me and I ended up with some questions at the end, but all in all a good read.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the complimentary digital review copy of this title.

4/5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers, and Kate Young for allowing me to read and review this book.

This is book 3 in a series, and although you do not have to read all of the books for this one to make sense, it does help you to understand the characters and background much better.

This series is written very well, I enjoy the concept of the book club's book picks having connections to the murders/mysteries in each book. This concept is well executed in my opinion. The characters and mysteries are well written and I look forward to future books in this series.

Would definitely recommend this series to anyone looking for easy and well written cozy mysteries that involve book clubs.

I love a good cozy mystery! One that incorporates all of my favorite topics (i.e. bookstores, libraries, cooking, painting, inn keeping, animals, etc.), throwing in some action-suspense, a who-done-it, interesting characters, and a plot that keeps me guessing, then you’ve got me hooked. I will say, I am one of those people who like to read a series from the beginning, but I often find you don’t have to… either way I highly recommend reading Crime for the Books by Kate Young..

*I received a complimentary copy of this novel from NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.*

I read lots of cozy mysteries and Young's Jane Doe Book Club Mystery series is a good one. Lyla is a capable sleuth. She's part of her uncle's private investigation business so she has the training and resources to get information the police may lack. She also has good support personnel in her friend Mel and the book club. I do like that they were brought into service in this novel.

Young gives readers a good balance of relationship issues and investigative action. Lyla seems to be growing into her investigative work. She seems a bit more self assured too, especially in her relationship with her boyfriend, resulting in some relationship drama. Rosa was a bit of an enigma in this novel. I am not sure we ultimately understand all of her behavior. Her character did not seem to ring true to me considering her actions in previous novels.

The plot might be a bit predicable as a murder occurs when the book club hosts a murder party. The villain was perhaps overly characterized. There is a little bit of suspense at the end but mostly just a very readable cozy mystery.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.