Member Reviews
I struggled to get into this one, though I think it might be more of a "me" problem that I'm just not that into mysteries. I think this will be well-loved by many lovers of mysteries - especially those that love sister teams and small businesses!
Cozy mystery check!
Nothing beats finding a great book and then finding out that it is aport of a series!
Vinyl Resting Place starts off with three sisters, Juni, Tansy, and Maggie who come together to open Sip & Spin Records, a coffee shop that also sells records (or is it a record shop that also sells coffee?) in Cedar River, Texas. To get word out about their store they have an opening party and that is where the mystery begins. During this party a women was murdered and left in their supply closet! To add to this, the girls own uncle is the only suspect. Looks like the girls have to work together to save not only their new store but also their uncle.
Vinyl Resting Place was a great cozy mystery with an amazing plot. It had me guessing and changing my suspect list almost every chapter. I recommend you pick up Vinyl Resting Place a before the next one comes out.
Thank You to Olivia Blacke and Tantor Audio, for the audio-digital ARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
I really enjoyed this musical cozy mystery. Juni is a fun character. I love the family love and the small town feel. The mystery was interesting and had me guessing while reading. I cannot wait to read the next in the series. I loved the narrator. They were perfect for the story. Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the arc in exchange for my honest review.
What a great start to a new series! Really loved sip and spin...it felt like such a cool place! I would love to hang out there. I really liked the fun coffee names w/ music influences such as java be good and mocha places.
Enjoyed the main character and her relationship w/ her two sisters and partners in the record store. There were lots of twists and turns in this, and was guessing till the end!
I can't wait to see what happens next in this small town Texas cozy, and would recommend to cozy lovers!
This was a fun start to a new cozy series. I loved the family relationships and the idea of the vinyl and coffee shop. I didn't love the involvement of Uncle Calvin (or his character) or the weak love triangle (flirt triangle?) of the main character, her new date, and her ex. I'm hoping book 2 will build on the good stuff and tighten up the weaker elements. I enjoyed it enough to look forward to the second book. I mostly read this, but did try a few chapters of the audio. The narrator was great, but I admit I sped up the narration to 1.25.
*Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Tantor Audio for the advanced review copies.
Vinyl Resting Place by Olivia Blacke
Narrated by Nicol Zanzarella
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Genre: General Fiction (Adult), Mystery & Thrillers
Published: December 27, 2022
Vinyl Resting Place is the first book in the Record Shop Mystery series by Olivia Blacke.
This is a great start to a new series! Set in a small town in Texas, we are introduces to 3 sisters who decide to re-open their family record store and add in a coffee shop to update the store. I loved the glimpse into this close-knit family and how they shared their troubles and happy times.
I thought the story was good and the mystery was good. I'm also curious to see who Juni ends up with (her high school sweetheart or her childhood best friend)!
I really enjoyed the narration by Nicol Zanzarella!
I can't wait to see what will happen next in A Fatal Groove, which is expected to be released in July 2023!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I enjoyed this book, but it wasn't my favorite. I think the story leaves a lot to desired. I've read other books by this author and wasn't a fan, but decided to give them another try. I think overall, I'm just not a big fan. However, I think others will enjoy this one, especially vinyl lovers.
I was given a NetGalley widget for this one a year ago and I just got around to reading it and dangit it was so good. I am so thankful for the opportunity to have consumed this wildly relevant fictional tale, which felt not at all fictional, more like historical fiction, due to the times. The cover initially was what drew me in, but I'm so thankful to have stuck with it because the outcome was magical. I always love listening to audiobooks and when they sweep me off my feet, I'm just utterly captivated! I always really enjoy multi-cultural thrillers, for I embark on a journey through a land unknown to me, while still getting spooked.
I received this as an audiobook ARC and it took me a minute to get into but once I did, I really enjoyed it! It is a typical small-town mystery, but the characters make it feel unique. The relationship between the three sisters, Juni, Tansy, and Maggie is wonderfully crafted. The way the author weaves both the relationships and the mystery together is brilliantly done. Juni feels very relatable as a main character and her motivations, remain very clear throughout.
Overall, this book has a lot of heart and the centre of the story really is the family dynamic, especially between Juni and her sisters. It is a very enjoyable read, especially if you are looking for a mystery with lower stakes and lighter material.
If you are a fan of cozy mysteries, such as the Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mysteries series, I think you will enjoy this.
What a great start to a new series. I cannot wait to see what happens next at Sip & Spin Records.
The Jessie sisters are great together. I love how opposite they are, the little bits of sibling rivalry we see, and how they ultimately pull together to solve the mystery and be a family.
Reading a book set in Texas was like a taste of comfort. Having lived in Texas a few times, there are many things I miss about it.
The mystery had some twists I did not see coming. I enjoyed getting to know all of the characters we are sure to see again in future books in this series. I cannot wait to catch up with the sisters again soon.
Nicol Zanzarella did a fantastic job narrating this story. Her voices for the characters immediately drew me into the story. I look forward to listening to more of her work.
Thank you to Tantor Audio for the copy of his book. All views are my honest opinion.
Vinyl Resting Place is the first book in a new cozy mystery series, Record Shop Mystery. Three sisters, Juni, Tansy, and Maggie pool their money and talents to open Sip & Spin Records, a record-slash-coffee shop in Cedar River, Texas. After their opening night party, they find a body of a woman in their supply closet. When their Uncle Calvin is suspected of the murder, they dive in to find out what really happened, as well as to locate their missing uncle. With all of this putting their store at risk, Juni steps up her investigating. Will she find Uncle Calvin and figure out who the murderer is?
Vinyl Resting Place is a great start to this series. I really enjoyed getting to know the main characters in this series, especially Juni. It turned out that Juni knew the victim and her family, which added to her desire to find the real killer. Juni is a smart cookie and with her skills at deduction, she was able to follow clues, put pieces together and interview people to find answers. I love books with quirky characters and this book has them. Calvin and his ex-business partner/buddy Samuel were a hoot. They were two old curmudgeons who helped each other, and knew how to keep secrets. Juni had her hands full with those two. Tansy and Maggie were not as involved with the mystery, but I hope they will be in the next story and we will get to know them better. Beau is Juni's ex and is the local police chief, so I am thinking some romance down the road. He was constantly trying to keep Juni out of the investigation, but she didn't listen. This was a well written, plot driven cozy mystery with several red herrings that kept me guessing. The showdown was a good one with a lot going on and the final nail in the coffin of the guilty party was wonderful. If you enjoy a good cozy mystery, I recommend you pick up Vinyl Resting Place and get in on this series at the first book. Nicol Zanzarella narrated this book and did a great job. I have not listened to any books she has performed, but I did like this one. I hope she continues to narrate this series.
Oh I love a good mystery! This book was such a great read. Loved the character development with the main character Juni throughout the story. Juni and her two sisters, Tansy and Maggie pool their money together to open a record and coffee shop in Texas. Things start off to a rocky start when a body of a woman is found in the supply closet. Their uncle is accused of murder and Juno’s ex, Beau, is local police chief and in charge of the investigation. I loved the two sisters and their personalities. The amateur sleuthing to uncover the clues. I listened to this book on audio and the narrator was fantastic! Many thanks to RB media and to NetGalley for this audiobook for review. This is my honest opinion.
In "Vinyl Resting Place", Olivia Blacke's new cozy series about a trio of sisters that open a vinyl records and coffee shop just outside of Austin, Texas. The characters here are relatable and quirky. I think this book will appeal to those who love cozies, a good pun, musical references and coffee. Overall a good read and I look forward to the next in the series.
Thank you Tantor Audio and NetGalley for the advance audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
If you’re looking for a modern cozy mystery coupled with a music related theme, this is the book for you! I selected this ARC as an avid mystery and vinyl record lover - needless to say the title and cover drew me in.
I rated this as a 3/3.5 due to not being on par with some of the more complex and suspenseful storylines I typically enjoy. I also found the narration to be a bit robotic. That said, this was purely my personal opinion and others may see it through a different lens.
Take a listen and see what you think!
Thanks to RB Media and NetGalley for an advanced listen to this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts expressed are my personal opinion.
The premise of this book is fantastic! Unfortunately I didn't connect with this story. I do think that it's more about my personal preferences than the story itself, it was a little too cozy for me. I would recommend this book to someone who is new to mystery / thrillers or anyone who prefers a cozy mystery.
I was so intrigued by the synopsis that i had to request it. Sadly i didnt enjoy it as much as i would have. Maybe it was thr narrator or the writing but i pushed myself to finish this.
a cute cozy mystery with a sweet main character. juni is kind, creative, and snoopy- great traits for someone looking for a murderer.
when juni returns to texas, she and her sisters decide to re-open her family’s record store shop and run it as a family- which is a great idea until they discover a dead body in their closet on opening day and their uncle is the number one suspect.
the plot moves at a good pace. the mystery is always the main focus and new clues are shown very frequently, making it easy to stay focused on it and make your own guess on who the killer is. the only thing i wasn’t a fan of was the romance plot which seemed unnecessary.
most of the characters are enjoyable, especially the main character! i loved juni. she’s very likable and has an interesting personality. i liked her relationship with her sisters, although neither one of their personalities really stood out to me. i wasn’t a fan of the detective or the mail man and neither were great love interests. i also hated hated hated juni’s brother in law jt. he was annoying, and part of the reason i took off a star. just a strange cowboy man.
the main reason i took off a star was the setting. i have no problem with texas but i swear the word “texas” was said twice every sentence of the book. i have never been so annoyed by the name of a state.
overall, a great book!!! i listened to this as an audiobook and it was generally very enjoyable.
Thanks to NetGalley & Tantor Audio for providing an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I really wanted to like this book, since the concept is so cute and interesting: three sisters open a coffee shop/vinyl record store in the same site that once housed their grandparents' record shop. Adorable, right?
The pros: the sisters behave mostly like real sisters. The family dynamic is pretty good. There is plenty of Texas verisimilitude, if you're into that kind of thing.
The cons: zero chemistry with the romantic leads; one is borderline abusive. MC is so quirky it makes your head hurt - glasses, vintage clothes, and a lime green adult trike. Characters are overall not compelling, and there's some repetition of plot points for no apparent reason (like within pages of each other). The voice actor was fine, but in no way conveyed a 28 year old Gen Y hipster vocally, and there was little distinction between voices.
It's a no from me, dawg.
Vinyl Resting Place is Olivia Blacke's debut novel in the Record Shop Mysteries. This series is set in Cedar River, Texas where Juniper Jessup and her two sisters have returned to their roots by opening up a record/coffee shop in the same storefront that had earlier housed their grandparents record shop. Juniper has recently returned to town after the computer software company that she worked for closed down. As the sisters are cleaning up after their grand opening party, Juniper discovers a dead body in their supply closet.
The author has created an interesting cast of characters with the three sisters each in a different point in their personal lives but adding in two very different romantic interests for her protagonist that each have unique histories with her and each other. Add in the drama of a family business that includes all three of the sisters, their mother and their uncle (who happens to have a history of skirting the law) as investors, a dead body clutching the business card of the uncle, a police detective with a history with the family (see romantic interests above), a lawyer brother-in-law that convinces his partner to represent previously mentioned uncle when he is arrested due to evidence pointing to him, and a law partner with a murky past of his own and you are presented with a very interesting mystery that grabs the reader's attention from the beginning and maintains that hold through the twists, turns, red herrings and missteps of the entire cast to the quite surprising reveal of the motive and culprit. With this book being a first in series, I can't wait for the next installment to see where the future takes this intricate cast of characters.
The narrator of this book did an excellent job of reading at a pace that was slow enough for the listener to easily follow the story but not dragging. I would have liked a bit more definition between the voices of the various characters but that did not detract from the overall enjoyment of this audiobook.
I received an advance copy of this audiobook from NetGalley and Tantor Audio and am leaving this review voluntarily.
With "Vinyl Resting Place", Olivia Blacke (author of the Brooklyn Murder Mysteries series: "Killer Content," "No Memes of Escape") opens a new cozy series. this time in a used record shop outside Austin, Texas. The characters here are relatable and will bring readers back for more. I will recommend to young adults, and anyone looking for a mystery with younger characters and a more modern feel..
Thank you Tantor Audio and NetGalley for the advance audiobook in exchange for an honest review.