Ooooo what a great mystery thriller! As of writing this review, we just had a blizzard come through the city I live in and so it was such a perfect book to read while winter was in full force. I always love it when the book I am reading parallels the atmosphere I am in. Great book! Would definitely recommend

There are books I love so much that when I put them down they are all I think about.
Then there are books that when I put them down, I don't think about them, but find myself drawn in as I am reading.
This book is the latter.
It was a good read. The beginning was slower. The first murder was very drawn out. It had some characters you wish were the murdered ones. It was once I got to what my Kindle said was 72% through that it started to pick up and I wanted to finish it.
The writing style was hard. I'm not a fan of a conversation between two people being one paragraph. I prefer a conversation to be separate lines. I really had to pay attention to the quotation marks. Otherwise, I had no clue who was saying what and it seemed like a rambling mess.
Overall: I'd recommend the story. It's your typical murder mystery. Not overtly predictable. Several people with several motives.

This book offers a captivating start that immediately draws you in with its intriguing plot and well-developed characters. However, the middle section tends to lose some momentum, testing the reader's patience. Hang in there, though, because the story regains momentum towards the end, delivering a satisfying and unexpected conclusion that makes the initial slowdown worthwhile. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for letting me read this before the release date!

Johnni Laurent is Sheriff of Field' s Crossing, Indiana, in spite of some nasty politics. She and her deputies run the traditional Easter Egg Hunt with huge help from Lisa DuVal, the owner of Big Al' s Diner who dyed all of the eggs with her friends, family and staff. Johnni needed lots of help because her arm is still in a sling from being shot not that long ago. But when Johnni checks as to why Lisa hasn't made it to the family Easter lunch, she finds her stabbed to death in her van behind the diner.

Shock piling on shock, at the will reading the family (and town) find that Lisa did not leave the essential diner to her daughter as expected. Instead, it has gone to her best friend and accountant, Vicki. The unlikeable husband (and his gold-digging girlfriend) and the thieving daughter (and the in debt gambling son-in-law) are all screaming blue murder. Johnni really liked Lisa but that is neither here nor there in her determination to uncover Lisa's secrets and the murderer. And then there is second, even more horrific, murder.

This is definitely a cosy type murder mystery. We know who the murderer is in the second murder, we are just not clear whether this murderer is also the murderer of Lisa. This is all small town stuff - complicated by the corruption case being decided against Johnni's past adversary in sheriff's elections. Also, quietly between us, it seems that the relationship between Johnni and a past critic is getting friendlier by the minute.

I enjoyed this second book in the series and would like to read book 1 and the next book in the series - but this is not edge of your seat stuff. I found it a bit unsettling that we knew nothing about the first murder and all about the second - a very unusual strategy that almost, but not quite, worked.

Thank you Net Galley, the author and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I am giving this book three stars.

I love mystery books and I did like this one. It was a little slow in parts and I think that held the story back. I liked the characters, but I think some of them could have been fleshed out a little more.

It was a good story that kept my attention for the most part. Even though is the second book in a series, it works as a standalone. The ending is wrapped up with no cliff hanger

Book 2 in the Sheriff Jhonni Laurent series is another thrilling journey through the quaint town of Field's Crossing, Indiana, where the arrival of spring and Easter festivities quickly give way to a gripping murder mystery. The story kicks off with the annual egg hunt, and Lisa DuVal, the charismatic owner of Big Al's Diner provides the eggs. However, the jubilant atmosphere takes a sinister turn when Sheriff Laurent discovers Lisa's lifeless body in her catering van, sending shockwaves through the close-knit community.

The unexpected twist in Lisa's will adds another layer of intrigue, leaving readers questioning the motives of those closest to her. The exploration of family secrets and hidden truths keeps the suspense taut, making the pages turn effortlessly.

The story maintains a notable ensemble of supporting characters, featuring Laurent's deputies and Vern, the farmer who could potentially become a love interest. Laurent is a highly relatable character, and I look forward to future books in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Mary Ann Miller, and Oceanview Publishing for the opportunity to review this ARC (Advance Read Copy).

Thank you to NetGalley for this amazing ARC of Cracks Beneath the Surface by Mary Ann Miller. The plot was well thought out and had plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing.
The characters were well developed, and you grow to really like some, while others maybe not so much. I love that this book was about a small town, where everyone knows just about everything about everyone!
Lisa DuVal, owner of Big Al's diner, was well loved by her community. She was very giving of her time, and trusting of those around her. Lisa often donated cakes and goodies for community functions, and dyed all the eggs for the annual community Easter Egg Hunt.
When Lisa's body is discovered in her delivery van, it is up to Jhonni Laurent, town sheriff to unravel the mystery, of who would want Lisa dead.
Lisa's soon to be ex-husband, Keith, doesn't appear to be very broken up, and moves his latest lover in the next day.
When the reading of the will reveals that Lisa didn't leave Big Al's Diner to her daughter Aubrey, like everyone assumed she would, the questions start, and secrets that Lisa's family holds, start being revealed.
Aubrey was skimming money to cover her husband Dak's gambling debts and now they are desperate, Lisa's son was counting on those moonshine recipes for his rooftop bar, while Keith is fighting to get Big Al's so he can sell it and leave town.
Why was Lisa boarding money? Where is the recipe box that holds all the famous sandwich and moonshine recipes? Where are Lisa's valuable collections?
While investigating the murder, Big Al's is broken in to, secrets discovered and even more questions arise. Soon afterwards, another body is discovered, has the same killer struck twice?
I really enjoyed this book, I loved the hometown feel and the cast of characters as well.
I gave it 4 stars, because there was so much confusing talk about the will and who inherits what if someone is possibly killed. I also felt that it was somewhat slow and lagged a bit in the middle of the story, but it was very good overall!

Typical small town cop story, Pretty predictable plot. The dialogue wasn't super engaging and I felt like the ending fell flat.

First off I would like to thank Netgalley for the ARC copy.
My biggest appreciation is the short chapters, it makes the book fly by and keeps me reading. This was one of the more enjoyable mysteries, I appreciate how it's okay of the series but if you didn't want to commit to a series right now, it can also be read as a standalone. Although I find the mystery was solved on the quicker side, it was an enjoyable read!
Without giving anything away, I love how I truly enjoyed most of the characters. Would recommend!

This is a second book in a series (but both of them are stand alone books) is set in a small Indiana town and is interesting murder mystery I like how skill-full the autor is for wave the suspense, drama keeping the book as a engaging story that worth be read. Is a very good detective novel that I enjoyed read

Thank you to NetGalley, Oceanview Publishing and the author Mary Ann Miller for giving me the opportunity to read Cracks Beneath the Surface for an honest review.

This is the second book in the Jhonni Laurent Mystery Series. Each book is a stand alone read.

I did not read the first book (Bones Under the Ice) and was not aware that Cracks Beneath the Surface was part of a series when I first started to read it. As I said each book is a stand alone read, however there were some references to the first book that I did not know about but it did not detract from my reading.

Jhonni Laurent is the Sheriff of a small farming town (Field's Crossing) in Indiana. There has been a murder to the owner of Big Al's diner. However the reading of the will did not go as everyone expected and this caused a lot of angst among the family. Then there was another murder linked to the first.

It was a good read but some of the forensic things a small country town sheriff did was not believable.

I have been reading some EXCEPTIONALLY well written books recently and that may have detracted slightly from my enjoyment of this book. I am going to give it 4 stars.

I would still recommend reading this book though if you get the opportunity.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

Enjoyable mystery, although the murders are resolved extremely quickly, the crimes are not uncovered by the people attempting to do so.

Their are few people to like in this familial mess of hate, bitterness, thievery and selfishness in this rural Indiana town, especially when someone starts picking off the few kind residents one-by one, but nonetheless, this book should keep the average mystery fan's attention.

I found Sheriff Jhonni Lauren to be a likeable and an empathetic character.

One small criticism, a 50-year old was repeatedly referred to as, 'an old coot". Not sure the age of the person writing the story, but anyone who would refer to a 50-year old in this manner (wholly in well-meaning jest) must be quite young. It isn't as if the guy was in his 80's or 90's or in danger of dropping dead of old age anytime soon!

The writing style is reminiscent of Robert Parker or CJ Box, a solid police procedural but with a sprinkle of "cozy" mystery on top.

Also, has a great guide at the end for book club discussion questions! Nice addition!

"Cracks beneath the surface" presents a compelling murder mystery set against the backdrop of Easter celebrations in a small Indiana town. The story unfolds with Sheriff Jhonni Laurent launching a thorough investigation after discovering the tragic death of Lisa DuVal, the beloved owner of Big Al’s Diner.

The narrative skillfully weaves together elements of suspense, family secrets, and the complexities of inheritance, keeping readers engaged as Laurent delves into the case. The shocking revelations during the reading of Lisa's will add depth to the plot and raise intriguing suspicions about the family dynamics.

As the investigation progresses, the story cleverly uses the analogy of thawing ice to symbolize the uncovering of hidden truths, leading to a riveting climax with the discovery of another body. The author's adept storytelling creates a sense of urgency as Laurent works tirelessly to decipher the connections between the two crimes and unmask the elusive culprit.

"Cracks beneath the surface" serves as a captivating and well-crafted murder mystery, offering a riveting read for fans of the genre. The novel's skillful blend of suspense, family drama, and investigative intrigue earns it a solid four-star rating.

If you like a good and thorough detective novel, this one is for you! This is the second book in the Jhonni Laurent mystery series, however a standalone book (which is a plus in my opinion!). It’s centered around a Sheriff in a small town who has a new murder to solve when the owner of the beloved town diner is killed on Easter. Taking you on a wild ride of quirky misbehaved characters - namely fighting for possession of the deceased’s estate and resulting in a second murder, it’s a classic whodunit. The novel ends on a good note and nicely closes all of the storylines.

I give this book 3 stars simply because it is a pretty thorough detective novel (the story unfolds mostly through interviews/conversations and internal reviewing of the investigation) which isn’t my personal favorite way to read a mystery. I do however feel it could make for a great tv show or movie! There’s a lot going on and keeps you intrigued.

Indiana…Easter egg hunt…murder…the recipe for a novel of mystery and intrigue. Realistic characters keep the story moving quickly. This talented author has written a cannot put down story. Murder and mayhem…friends and family…even the title is intriguing. Curl up in a comfy chair. Grab a cup of steaming herbal tea. Spend an afternoon in Indiana with these characters. Do not try to discern the ending too early. Red herrings kept me wondering. Thanks Netgalley.

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC of Cracks Beneath the Surface by Mary Ann Milker. It was the second book in a series, but can be read as a standalone. If you like small town detective fiction, you will like this book. I will have to admit that this book was only on for me. It started strong and then fell flat in the middle. It also changed POV and changed from 3rd person and then to 1st and back again in the same paragraph. I felt it lacked continuity.

Detective Johnnie Laurent discovers Lisa DuVal’s body unresponsive in her car after the town’s annual Easter egg hunt. Lisa is an active member of the community and the owner of Big Al’s diner. There are disagreements on the family of who will inherit and they are shocked when it is Lisa’s best friend, not her daughter. When another body is discovered, Laurent must connect the dots to find the killer.

There are books I love so much that when I put them down they are all I think about.
Then there are books that when I put them down, I don't think about them, but find myself drawn in as I am reading.
This book is the latter.

It was a good read. The beginning was slower. Two murders in a small. Sheriff still injured frok the first murder several months prior.
The first murder was very drawn out. It had some characters you wish were the murdered ones. A little over half way through, it started holding me. The second murder and the why were front and center.

The writing style was hard. I'm not a fan of a conversation between two people being one paragraph. I prefer a conversation to be separate lines. I really had to pay attention to the quotation marks. Otherwise, I had no clue who was saying what and it seemed like a rambling mess.

You don't need to read book 1 to follow this story, but it makes a several references. It's solely personal preference if you must read book 1 first

Overall: I'd recommend the story. It's your typical murder mystery. Not overtly predictable. Several people with several motives.

Spring has sprung, and Easter festivities are underway in Field' s Crossing, Indiana. The annual egg hunt is a huge success, thanks in no small part to Lisa DuVal, the owner of Big Al' s Diner who dyed all of the eggs. But when Sheriff Jhonni Laurent discovers Lisa' s body in her catering van later that day, the happy holiday quickly sours, and Laurent begins a murder investigation.

This book was not a bad read but I doubt I will remember it in the near future. It is very slow at the beginning, we meet a large cast of characters, none of them likeable which normally makes the story more interesting but unfortunately not one of them held my attention and I did have to go back and forth a bit until I got them in my head.

After Lisa's death they gather together and the will is read, Lisa's daughter Aubrey thinking she would inherit the diner after her mother's death but Lisa has left the diner to her best friend, Aubrey is shocked by this revelation.

Sheriff Laurent now has the job of sifting through the evidence as she tries to try to find out why someone would kill this very popular woman. Soon after this there is another murder and now she has to work out how this factors into the initial murder investigation. This community is harbouring a lot of secrets and once these are slowly revealed the Sherriff has more to work with.so that these murders can be solved.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. 3 stars.

This book started out as a fun read and I enjoyed the premise as well as the ending. I did feel that the middle was a little slower moving and it was more of an effort to continue with the book. While I enjoyed the writing and the twists and turns, I am deducting one star for opportunities to adjust the pacing in the middle of the story.

The book started off really well and I was very interested. When the first murder victim was found it really was I retesting trying to figure out who had done it. However, it ended up taking such a long time that I started getting bored. Then the second murder happened and that seemed to end much faster. Overall, I enjoyed the book but the pace slowed down too much and became less interesting to read.