Having read and enjoyed Costa’s Italian Restaurant Mysteries duology, I was surprised by the fact that I really didn’t find myself enjoying No Mistaking Death. I found it difficult to connect to the characters and the plot was hard to stay engaged with. It could have benefitted from more/better editing.

Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Unfortunately the plot was a bit too convoluted for me and it lost me a few times, so I ended up not finishing the read, but I would be interested in reading more books from the author in the future.

Costa writes with a unique and intelligent style. This was a refreshing mystery to read, and I am interested in finding more.

Great mystery, great characters and great style. I really enjoyed the depth of back story to the protagonist and felt really drawn in to her life before and after the events of this book. The author has a nice style which adds a bit of humour to a tightly woven plot.

Marian Warner is a NY PI—fifteen years, so she has no problem taking on an investigation into reasons for hostile letters against the nomination for the Jesuit Mission House in Carthage, Ohio for National Landmark status. And yeah, the place is a mostly unremarkable mess.

Unfortunately, the body of a man is found in the Mission House just before she arrives. Further complications ensue when a second body turns up.

The plot goes rather convoluted and lost me a few times, not sure where it would pop up next. The narrative is intriguing, but baffling. Not exactly a page turner, but still inexplicable enough to hold interest.

The author definitely has some interesting prose and turns of phrase to keep the storyline interesting. She sprinkles in the twists and turns. There are compelling reasons to finish the book which has to be down to the author’s deft writing style, but you may be scratching your head at the conclusion. 3.5 stars

I love a wry mystery series, especially when it features a wry female sleuth. Kinsey Millhone is done and there’s nothing I can do about it, but Marian Warner is here, and this series is just getting off the ground. My thanks go to Net Galley, Level Best Books, and Shelley Costa for the review copy. This book is for sale now.

Marian is a private eye, mostly; when there isn’t enough custom to pay the landlord, she does other things on the side. But now, her sister Joan is sending her to investigate whether a former Jesuit Mission house in Carthage, Ohio qualifies for National Landmark status. Carthage is a tiny little hamlet in the middle of nowhere, but it contains Marian’s old flame, Charlie. She goes.

The first book of a mystery series poses extra challenges to its author, who must simultaneously spin out the mystery itself while also introducing and developing its protagonist and any repeating secondary characters, all without slowing the pace. Costa does both splendidly.

By the time Marian hits town, things have grown more complicated; you see, the possibly-historical mission house now sports its own murdered corpse. From here, the story builds in a way that is undeniable, and occasionally laugh-out-loud funny. In particular, there is quirky figurative language sprinkled throughout, and it jumps at the reader unexpectedly.

By the story’s conclusion, I feel as if I’ve just stuffed myself with something delicious. Nothing here is predictable, and I can’t wait to see more of Marian Warner. Highly recommended to those that like a cozy mystery with a bit of an edge.

This book sounded so interesting to me and it definitely lived up to my expectations. It kept my attention for the most part - it did get a little confusing at times and I felt a little lost, but overall it was gripping.

Loved the writing style and would definitely read more from this author.

Book Review 📚
No mistaking Death by Shelley Costa - 3.5/5 ⭐

I'm always the type to judge a book by its cover and never read the blurb or description (naughty I know) but I love the surprise when reading to see where we end up. I wasn't disappointed in this book, it actually kept me really intrigued throughout. My only fault is there was several times when I was completely lost and some parts just didn't make sense?

It's a great plot with some murder mystery, suspense and thriller aspects but I feel there was a lot in the the book that had no relevance and they could of been kept out. It's definitely worth the read, not a DNF in my opinion but it does take a lot of focus to read it, there's bit you can miss but there's also bits you can't.

The writing was phenomenal though, it really flowed nicely and had a good pace to it. Costa really kept it alive with twists and turns throughout and the story made it what it was.

Thank you to NetGalley and Level Best Books for allowing me to read this ARC - this is an HONEST review from my own personal opinion.

This book was a good read! A few times I felt a bit lost but it was still a decent read! It had the usual, it had suspense, intrigue, murder, mystery, and a few crazy twists and turns! The storyline was interesting and flowed nicely! It wasn't one of my all time favorite but still worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!