3.5★s

Quinn Caine was with friends in the pet store when Chad, newly arrived from Hollywood back to his home town, entered. It was when he left, climbing into his sports car, that things went horribly wrong. Unable to unlock the car doors, he was stuck inside and when the fire brigade released him, he was soon deceased. Quinn's boyfriend Aiden, local detective, was immediately onto the murder case, but when Quinn's brother Bash, and his fiance Rachel were threatened, almost killed, the race was on. Would they catch this bizarre killer before anyone else died?

A Midsummer Night's Scheme is #2 in the Bookbinding Mystery series by Harper Kincaid and I quite enjoyed it. It was a bit silly around the middle of the book, with me rolling my eyes, but as I headed toward the finish, it was much better. I liked the characters, especially Quinn, Aiden and Sister Daria, and will check out #3 when it's released. Recommended for cosy fans.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Alert - The blurb is mostly incorrect, and also contains spoilers. Plus, (view spoiler)

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!

We first met Quinn Caine in To Kill a Mocking Girl, as she returns to her home town to work as a book binder and repairer in her parent’s store. Things have calmed down since she and her novitiate nun cousin, Sister Daria, helped solve a brutal murder. In fact, Quinn has just had the cast removed from her injuries – it’s not often characters suffer and have to have healing time in these kinds of books, so nice touch.

Excitement is about to once again strike their small town, with prodigal son, lauded Broadway star, and bit of a ‘player’ in more ways than one, Chad Frivole, deigns to bless his home town with his presence. However, it seems that not everyone is pleased to see the former lothario – and his reputation as a bit of a snake is a little on the nose for his bizarre demise!

Oh yes – creature warning: this book does feature snakes, scorpions, and spi— the one I don’t like to say, frankly, and with scenes involving those that aren’t going to make any phobia sufferers remotely comfortable o.O

Quinn is, of course, determined not to get involved again – that is, until her brother, Bash, is also targeted.

I found the first book in this series a little hit and miss, but suspected that a second volume would be an improvement – and I was right! The irritations from the opening volume are much toned down here, and instead we get a nice cosy mystery where the love is already requited, the amateur sleuths’ involvement is mostly believable, and the focus remains on the mystery rather than romance, pets, or baking 😉

The main character role does seem more split between Quinn and Daria, with the latter possibly getting more ink this time, but I find the novitiate nun an interesting character. There’s little about her faith, really, although I did like the way her doubts about her future were handled without too much sensationalism. Will be interesting to see how that plot line develops in future books. There’s also a side plot handling religious prejudice, again in quite a gentle way.

The plot is a nice enough take on the ‘mean girls’ / revenge / scummy men getting their comeuppance tropes, although I did have the culprit guessed very early on. Instead, the fun was peeling back the layers of misdirection and finding out the ‘why’.

Creepy crawlies aside, this was an entertaining read, staying on the light-hearted side and leaving room for a third instalment – which I’ll happily continue with!

Cozy mysteries are my favorite and this series is a little different. I enjoyed the first one in this series but this one I absolutely loved!! Sister Daria was intriguing in the first book so I loved getting to know more about her and her story. I listened to the audio book and the narrator was entertaining and her voice is delightful! I cannot wait for a third book to come out!

Quinn works at her parents bookshop in Vienna, Virginia. She's dating the local detective, Aiden. Her cousin Sister Daria aka Lizzie is taking her vows to become a nun. A Broadway star comes home to Vienna to open a theatre company. When he has a run-in with a previous girlfriend from highschool. Then his car goes crazy and he crashes into a local vape shop. He later dies at the hospital. Sister Daria is introduced to Lucas Diaz and shes reconsidering her vows.

This was a fun fast read. I really liked the book and I'm excited to see what happens next.

I haven’t read the first Bookbinding mystery and I wasn’t sure when I first started this that I would like this book. By midway through I was fully involved. This is an interesting and creative mystery. The murderer is a bit nefarious. In their mind they are justified but I was left reeling.
I like Quinn and Sister Daria. It’s a unique way to take a cozy mystery having a almost nun as a main part of the investigation.
I like detective Aiden, love interest for Quinn and actual investigator of the murder. I like Lucas, mechanic interested in Daria.
I’m not a fan of the snakes and the spiders in general, and it was an ick factor that they were used as weapons.
Some of the personal interactions were taken a bit far on the side of current political correctness, in my opinion.
The narrator of the audiobook did a good job.
Midsummer Night’s Scheme makes me curious to continue with the series. Thanks to Netgalley, Crooked Lane Books and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to read and listen to this book.

“A Midsummer Night's Scheme“ by Harper Kincaid the 2nd instalment in the "Bookbinding Mystery" series. All the world's a stage, but it may be curtains for bookbinder Quinn Caine’s brother if she can't bring the lights down on an actor's killer,

I found myself struggling at first but about the 30% mark, I was fully engrossed in the story and really enjoying it. It was entertaining, and I really loved the relationship Quinn had with her cousin Sister Daria and RBG her German Shepard.

It was entertaining, full of twists and turns as well as a few surprises!

I recommend this series to all my cozy loving friends.

I requested and received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Crooked Lane and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.

A Midsummer Night’s Scheme by Harper Kincaid It is the second A Book Binding Mystery. I believe it is best to read To Kill a Mocking Girl first before embarking on this new whodunit. The story is told from Quinn and Sister Daria’s point-of-view. I found the dual perspectives to be confusing. I wish the author had not split the focus. The murder is dramatic, and it had been cringing (also gave me nightmares). The author certainly came up with an out of the box method of murder. Quinn promises her boyfriend, Detective Aiden Harrington that she will stay out of the case. But when her brother, Bash is threatened, Quinn is quick to stick her nose in the investigation. Quinn with her help from her cousin, Sister Daria work to solve the case. The mystery was not at the forefront of this story. Personal issues and relationships took precedence. I would have liked less romance. The story seemed more of a romance than a cozy mystery. Bookbinding is hardly mentioned. There is some humor. The nuns are an electric group. A Midsummer Night’s Scheme ends with cliffhanger. I was not a fan of this storyline. I gave this series a second chance, and it is my conclusion, that it is not the right fit for me. I prefer more mystery with a touch of romance (if the author absolutely feels it is necessary). This was more like a romance with a smidgen of mystery. A Midsummer Night’s Scheme is hebi whodunit with a returning rogue, venomous snakes, a fatal accident, sinister spiders, a bowwow rescue, and relationship apprehensions.

This is the second in this new charming cozy series. I enjoy the setting, the characters and the sleuth. Thank you to Net Galley and to the publisher for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own

This next in series has a murder of a different type that has our protagnist and friends sleuthing in dangerous territory, A famous actor who is a neferious type that everyone dislikes comes to town and is murdered . Our protagnist and friends have their family to protect as main suspects. As the red herrings and clues abound the murder becomes more complicated and solving it may be dangerous for them all.

I really enjoy this series with great charcters, well crafted sleuth and a pleasing setting. Well done to the author I look forward to the next in series.

A Midsummer Night's Scheme is the second book in the Bookbinding Mystery series. I'm so glad I read this book. The story is just fun and totally entertaining!

The basics: Quinn Caine's life gets a bit chaotic when a famous actor returns to their town. Chad was a real jerk when he lived in Vienna....and he's pretty much still a complete jerk when he comes back to flaunt his Tony award winning career and lifestyle. His womanizing bad behavior doesn't get much of a change to pop out, as he soon turns up dead. When the killer's next target seems to be a family member, Quinn finds herself on the trail of a killer. Can she catch a murderer before the curtain comes down on her own brother?

This book was just fun to read. I loved the mix of light hearted humor, wit and cozy mystery. I like the characters in this series and the book related background plot. The mystery moves at a nice pace. There is plenty of sleuthing, suspects and twists. Loved it!

I am definitely going to keep reading this series. Very entertaining!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S SCHEME is the second instalment in the Bookbinding Mystery series. It follows bookbinder Quinn Caine and her nun-in-training cousin, Sister Daria, as they investigate the murder by snakebite!
The story was fun, and probably one of the more playful cozies I’ve read. It was also an unusual one, as I think this is the first cozy mystery I’ve ever read that works a dual POV between two sleuths. As much as I really liked Quinn, I think I actually found Daria POV more intriguing, so having both of them to jump between was really good.
I read the first book, To Kill a Mocking Girl, back in 2020.
At the time, I wrote in my review that I’d have liked a bit more of Quinn’s actual bookbinding in the story. I’d say the same for A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S SCHEME. When a protagonist has an usual hobby or job, I really like it to play a larger part in the mystery and the general story, to make the book stand out from other cozies.
I also said in the first book’s review that I'd have loved to have seen more of her brother’s redeveloping romance, or more of Daria's life as a nun as the series continued. Kincaid must’ve read my mind, because both those elements play important parts in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S SCHEME, and I was thrilled to see it.
A solid and enjoyable cozy.

This cozy mystery has all of the charms of the average small town set up: a star that returns to his hometown, a cast of characters who run small businesses, and plenty of quirky personalities. While I thought the central mystery was fairly well done and the main character was likable, it was not one of my favorites in the genre. Several of the characters either felt like caricatures or were underrealized. For example, Sister Daria seems to be more in a convent as a plot device than for any deeper reason, and often her reflections on faith seem unusually shallow. I also appreciated the author's attempts to tackle issues like interfaith marriages and families and LGBTQ+ rights within the context of a church, but often it felt like these things were brought up as throwaways to make the story more relevant rather than actual, substantial bits of the story.
Overall, a nice, cozy mystery for fans of the genre or those who like the series already, but not a must read.

2.5 stars

This cozy had some good features but ultimately for me the negatives outweighed the positives. I am probably not the right audience. It was a fun setting, a small town paper & print shop with the owners' daughter Quinn doing custom bookbinding. Her family -- parents and cousins and brother -- are a large part of the ensemble cast.

Someone is viciously targeting men who were perceived to have treated women badly in their high school and college days. The first victim, a former classmate of Quinn's who met some success as an actor, dies in a horrific setup of poisonous snakes in his car. Then Quinn's brother is targeted with deadly spiders. Definite trigger warnings for anyone with snake and spider issues. Quinn's boyfriend, a homicide cop, is the investigator but Quinn pushes herself in with the help of her cousin, a nun in training.

Pretty cutesy at times with pets named Ruff Barker Ginsburg and Cindy Clawford. The nun character, Sister Daria formerly known as Eliza, Quinn's cousin, was a troublesome character for me. It certainly feels like she is totally unsuited to a cloistered religious life and I'm not sure what purpose she serves here. An awful lot of the plot leads back to high school which I don't find that interesting, but again, perhaps a different audience would appreciate that more.

But the big negative for me was the sudden and jarring cliffhanger ending. Those one line endings that blatantly shout -- Read the Next Book! -- always leave me feeling manipulated. If you like that surprise ending element, this might be just the read for you. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A Midsummer’s Night Scheme: A Bookbinding Mystery
By Harper Kincaid
Crooked Lane Books
March 21, 2023

Review by Cynthia Chow

Having settled down back in her hometown of Vienna, Virginia, former English teacher and current bookbinder Quinn Caine is happily embracing her love of books while working in her family’s bookshop. Now that she’s recovered from the traumatic murder investigation that left her with a broken arm, Quinn and her fellow Prose & Scones employees are looking forward to the summer’s outdoor festivities. The arrival of another former high school classmate shatters their peace though, as the hometown-boy-made-good Chad Frivole left more than a few shattered hearts in his wake. The Tony award-winning Broadway star intends on opening his own theater company in Vienna, but a Mean Girl cabal with their own Shakespearean witch vibe stirs up a hostile vibe with their threats to bring him down. So when Chad veers off the road and crashes his car filled with a bag of venomous snakes and a written Shakespearean warning inside, Michelin-starred chef Ella Diaz is immediately pinpointed as the culprit. Not only does her boundary-pushing restaurant feature snakes on the menu, she was one of those wronged by the womanizing Chad back in his high school days and who vociferously vowed revenge.

Although Quinn promises her longtime crush Detective Aiden Harrington that she will stay out of his investigation, threats against another former playboy make that impossible. Quinn’s brother Bash may have also once broken Ella’s heart during his immature phase, but he has since reformed his ways and is now about to be engaged. As much as a home break-in and poisonous spiders left behind jeopardize the happy couple’s happiness, it’s the Caine family dinner that really casts a cloud over the festivities. Quinn’s parents might adore Bash’s girlfriend Rachel, but the news that Bash is converting his religion to that of his fiancée – and not the other way around – leaves them heartbroken and results in an evening of hurt feelings and estrangement. As distracting as the family drama is for Quinn and her novitiate sister Sister Daria, their policy of asking for forgiveness and not permission means that they will be delving into the late Broadway star’s life and the wake of disappointment and anger he left behind.

The mystery of this second of the series proves to be fun and fascinating, but the truly compelling aspect is in how it approaches the topic of religion. Many will relate to the uncomfortable family dinner when an engagement is announced between a multi-faith family, and the true reasons behind the confusion and hurt are compelling. Even though Quinn leads this series and is genuinely likeable as she attempts to bring her family together while also solving a murder, her sister proves to be just as intriguing with her own personal journey. As much as Sister Daria –the wild child formerly known as Elizabeth Caine – denies that she is using the Church as an escape from her problems, it quickly becomes obvious that a devastating heartbreak led towards her distrust of relationships and why she avoids them at all costs. Training therapy dogs and closing herself off from romance is a safe alternative to risking another emotional loss, and it’s apparent that the independently minded and very spirited novitiate may not be the best candidate for a sheltered life. As Quinn settles down and finds her happiness amidst the books she loves, a next adventure following Sister Daria and the choices she needs to make could prove to be a worthy installment in this charming food-and-book-loving series.

This is a charming cozy mystery featuring bookbinder Quinn Caine and her cousin Elizabeth aka Sister Daria, nun in training. Prodigal son turned Broadway star comes back to town and is murdered. When Quinn's brother appears to be the next target, these amateur sleuths need to step in. The mystery was good and I didn't figure out the suspect. I enjoy the characters and look forward to the next in the series.

A Midsummer Night's Scheme is the second book in a bookish cozy mystery. This story follows Quinn and Sister Daria as they endeavour to save her brother who received death threats after the initial murder. This story had a lovely style with plenty of twists and turns to keep your occupied. Overall, a great read.

This was a NetGalley review.

Broadway heart throb and former high school bad boy Chad Frivole returns to town to make his mark. A notorious lothario known for his humiliating breakups doesn't have that many fans in town. And when he winds up dead from snake bites, there are plenty of suspects. Quinn Caine and her cousin Sister Daria decide to investigate, especially as Quinn's brother Bash also had a reputation for not being the best boyfriend around. He has changed his ways, but someone has targeted him and his fiancee. Enjoyed this very much and plan to go back and read the first in the series. Hope there are more especially because of the huge surprise ending.

I was looking forward to this second book in the series. I read a lot of cozy mysteries and the world Kincaid creates definitely has unique characters and situations. This book also shifts perspectives/main characters from the first, so you get to know Daria more in this book. Along with the main mystery, the book has romantic tension and family drama, so I recommend reading the first book of the series to start so you don't get lost.

Thanks #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for an ARC to honestly review.

Keywords: Bookworm, Dog, Cats, Community, Romance, Family

This was a hard cozy to get into and engage with. There needs to be more character development. Maybe the next one will be better.

A Midsummer Night's Scheme is Harper Kincaid's second book in The Bookbinding Mysteries. In this book, Quinn Caine has recovered from the injuries she sustained in the previous book and her relationship with Detective Aiden Harrington is heating up. The arrival of Chad Frivole, hometown boy turned Broadway star, stirs up mixed emotions throughout the town and causes ripples amongst all his former girlfriends. Shortly after his arrival, Chad dies as the result of poisonous snakes being placed in his car and the car being tampered with. As the story unfolds, Quinn begins to investigate when her brother becomes a target of the murderer when Brown Recluse spiders are released in his apartment.

The author has done a good job of character and plotline development for this series. Through the myriad twists, turns, red herrings and misdirects, the reader is consistently led away from the real culprit until the end reveal that is not only a surprise but provides a unique motivation for the killer. The utilization of unique means of murder also provide a new twist to the cozy mystery genre. The one problem that I have with this book is that there are major inconsistencies between the stories in the series, some of which are core to the underlying relationships and histories of the main characters. Hopefully, future books will do a better job of building on the history provided by the earlier installments.

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