"Mavis's daughter, Pearl, attends an elementary school with limited racial diversity. When approached by Trisha Holbrook, who exuded a strong 'Karen' energy, to lead the school's new DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) committee, Mavis reluctantly agrees.

Mavis's character, unfortunately, proved frustrating. Her constant people-pleasing and lack of assertiveness repeatedly elicited eye rolls. While Mavis's stumbling upon a potential crime and the subsequent poor decisions she made were somewhat entertaining, her overall demeanor left me wanting more.

The author seems to be laying the groundwork for a potential series, but I'm hesitant to continue unless Mavis undergoes significant character development and demonstrates greater strength and assertiveness."

I know that this one is slated as a cozy mystery but I really wish it would have had a little more romance. I think it would have made it a full five star read!! It was super funny though so that was really nice. I love cozy books so this one was so worth the read.

It's Elementary was one of my favorite books of 2024. It's quirky, fun to read, and kept me guessing who-done-it! Mavis Miller is definitely not your typical PTA mom. She's a single mom of a 7-year-old and works at a non-profit— with very little free time to herself. But as one of the only Black moms at her school, she gets tapped as the new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion chair. She reluctantly gives in to the persistent PTA president, Trisha, and attends the first PTA meeting. Trisha and the new principal butt heads over his plans for the school, and the meeting ends. But the next day, the principal is a no-show. And Mavis saw Trisha wearing yellow, rubber gloves and lugging something out of the school in big black trash bags after the meeting. On top of all her other responsibilities, Mavis goes full sleuth-mode to figure out what really happened to the principal.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in advance.

Mavis Miller doesn't have time to be like the other PTA Moms at her child's school. She's a single mom who works for a non-profit and lives with her own father. Making sure her child gets to school on time is a struggle in itself. When Mavis is coerced to go to a PTA meeting and witnesses suspicious behavior from the Head of the PTA and the new principal goes missing the next day, Mavis gets pulled into solving a mystery that makes her question everything and everyone around her.

I have never read a Cozy Mystery before, but I imagine that this book is it by definition. This is a great book for seemingly low-stakes consequences and discovering the fun in solving a mystery. If you need a palate cleanser, this is a great book for it.

I loved that this book made every one of its characters relatable. I could place each character to a type of character I've seen before and understand their motivations. While there were times of big feelings in the book, I never felt that I had to take a break from the book to recollect myself. I also liked that this book gave us a bit of romance that could give us a different type of intimacy to focus on. The author even hints at this as Mavis and the school Psychologist try to map themselves to recognizable crime show duos that had a hint at or a full-on romance. It was fun to follow Mavis and her friends as she tried to put the pieces of the mystery together.

I will say, however, that I hated (for myself) that I guessed who did it before I got to the reveal. This isn't a fault of the book- I like crime dramas so I'm used to trying to guess the culprit. The payoff was great though and even if I know who did it, I couldn't have guessed how the author was going to get Mavis to figure it out and how she deals with it so that was nice.

Def would read again.

I loved this book! I could totally relate to Mavis and found myself laughing out loud at some parts. The perfect girl power cozy mystery that left me not wanting the story to end. Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!

This is the cozy mystery everyone should be talking about! It’s Elementary has all of the elements I love from small town mystery while also tackling so many important topics around education. I love Mavis and her little family. I hope we see more of these characters in the future!

The following review was published or updated in several Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia newspapers and magazines in November and December 2024:

Booking a full year of reading

Review by Tom Mayer

If only us readers could just spend our days … reading. What would a year look like? Here, the editors of Home for the Holidays present their yearlong list of books, culled from the past 12 months of reading and reviewing. A few of the titles you’ll immediately recognize, and you’ll likely have more than few in your own library. But just in case you missed a title or two, we’re showcasing the whole year’s worth of books that we’ve read and reviewed, month by month.

Except for the first title, the list is simply a list. To find the reviews of many of these titles, visit our newspaper parent, The (Athens) News Courier at enewscourier.com — with a slight caveat. Our newspaper webmasters are currently working overtime to improve our content management system, the foundation of any website, and while many of our archives are now found there, it may be a few weeks before everything is fully re-uploaded — including the most recent editions of Limestone Life and Home for the Holidays. For now, though, enjoy our literary stroll through 2024.

And about that first title: Not every college professor can make statistical analysis approachable, let along interesting to their students and the general population, but Athens State University emeritus professor of psychology Mark Durm is not every college professor. After spending nearly five decades teaching thousands of students, the “ol’ psychology professor” decided that he’d best get around to writing the one book out of his nearly 100 published pieces that’s he always wanted to write. Call it a legacy piece, but what it really is is a “best of” Durm’s peer-reviewed, book reviews, non-peer reviewed and magazine articles from his 47 years in higher education.

The result is “Professional Publications of an Ol’ Psychology Professor” (Dorrance) with full previously published articles ranging from studies on the effects of glasses on a child’s self-esteem to his ever-popular parapsychology pieces, Durm presents his internationally recognized efforts with a twist.

“It’s a different kind of book because it doesn’t talk about the research, it presents the research,” the professor says from his second-career office at Durm Properties in Athens, about a half-mile from where he first presented that research in person. “I’ve spent hours on all of these articles, especially in the peer-reviewed journal articles.”

And so, articles on divorce, sex, religion and other topics now populate the pages of Durm’s most recent book in an effort to both continue his teaching and satisfy what has been a lifelong wonderment.

“You know, most people don’t understand statistics, so it’s all in there,” Durm said. “What I’m trying to do is a more critical approach to ‘just don’t believe everything you’re told.’ … It’s things that were in my life that I wanted to see if they were so, by using a psychological analysis.”

And like any good professor, Durm didn’t do that research on his own — or take all of the credit. Among the co-authors of many of his articles in the book were students — many of who he’s lost touch with, but all of whom who he credits by name in his acknowledgements and for each of who, if they look up their ol’ mentor, he has a signed book ready to hand over. For the rest of us, you can find the book at any online bookseller — just as you can with the remainder of our list, presented by the month in which the book was published, read and reviewed.

JANUARY

Unbound (Blackstone) by Christy Healy NG/F

The Devil’s Daughter by Gordon Greisman NG/ARC

FEBRUARY

Almost Surely Dead (Mindy’s Book Studio) by Amina Akhtar NG

The Chaos Agent (Gray Man 13) (Berkley) by Mark Greaney NG

The Lady in Glass and Other Stories (Ace) by Anne Bishop ARC

A Haunting in the Arctic (Berkley paperback) by C.J. Cooke NG

Ghost Island (Berkley) by Max Seeck

MARCH

Hello, Alabama (Arcadia) by Martha Day Zschock

The Unquiet Bones (Montlake) by Loreth Anne White

I am Rome: A novel of Julius Caesar (Ballantine Books by Santiago PosteguilloMarch 5: Murder Road (Berkley) by Simone St. James

The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry (Holiday House) by Anna Rose Johnson

Ferris (Candlewick) by Kate DiCamillo

After Annie (Random House, Feb. 27) by Anna Quindlen

Crocodile Tears Didn't Cause the Flood (Montag Press) by Bradley Sides The #1 Lawyer (Little, Brown and Company) by James Patterson, Nancy Allen

Lilith (Blackstone) by Eric Rickstad

Life: My Story Through History (Harper One) by Pope Francis

APRIL

Matterhorn (Thomas & Mercer) by Christopher Reich

Friends in Napa (Mindy’s Book Studio) by Sheila Yasmin Marikar

City in Ruins (William Morrow) by Don Winslow

The House on Biscayne Bay (Berkley) by Chanel Cleeton

Two Friends, One Dog, and a Very Unusual Week (Peachtree) by Sarah L. Thomson

For Worse (Blackstone) by L.K. Bowen

A Killing on the Hill (Thomas & Mercer) by Robert Dugoini

The Clock Struck Murder (Poisoned Pen Press) by Betty Webb

The Book That Broke the World (Ace) by Mark Lawrence

The Forgetters (Heyday Books) by Greg Sarris

Lost to Dune Road (Thomas & Mercer) by Kara Thomas

Warrior on the Mound (Holiday House/Peachtree) by Sandra Headed

Pictures of Time (Silver Street Media) by David AlexanderBare Knuckle (Blackstone Publishing) by Stayton Bonner

Murder on Demand (Blackstone Publishing) by Al Roker

Home is Where the Bodies Are (Blackstone) by Jeneva Rose

MAY

Matterhorn by Christopher Reich

The Hunter's Daughter (Berkley) by Nicola Solvinic

The House That Horror Built (Berkley) by Christina Henry

In our stars (Berkley) by Jack Campbell

Freeset (book 2) (Blackstone) by Sarina Dahlan

Southern Man (William Morrow) by Greg Iles

Camino Ghosts (Doubleday) by John Grisham

JUNE

Specter of Betrayal by Rick DeStefanis

Lake County (Thomas & Mercer) by Lori Roy

Serendipity (Dutton) by Becky Chalsen

Shelterwood (Ballantine) by Lisa Wingate

The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra’s Needle (Holiday House) by Dan Gutman

Jackpot (Penguin) by Elysa Friedland

The Helper (Blackstone) by M.M. Dewil

Winter Lost (Ace) by Patricia Briggs

Shadow Heart (Blackstone) by Meg Gardiner

Lake Country (Thomas & Mercer) by Lori Roy

The Out-of-Town Lawyer (Blackstone) by Robert Rotten

Love Letter to a Serial Killer (Berkley) by Tasha Coryell

Sentinel Berkley) by Mark Greaney

JULY

Three Kings: Race, Class, and the Barrier-Breaking Rivals Who Redefined Sports and Launched the Modern Olympic Age (Blackstone) by Todd Balf

The Night Ends with Fire (Berkley) by K.X. Song

Echo Road (Montlake) by Melinda Leigh

It’s Elementary (Berkley) by Elise Bryant

You Shouldn’t Be Here (Thomas & Mercer) by Lauren Thoman

Back In Black (Blackstone) edited by Don Bruns

The Recruiter (Blackstone) by Gregg Podolski

AUGUST

You Shouldn’t Be Here (Thomas & Mercer) by Lauren Thoman ARC

Not What She Seems (Thomas & Mercer) by Yasmin Angoe NG

Fatal Intrusion by Jeff Deaver/Isabella Maldonado

Death at Morning House (HARPERTeen) by Maureen Johnson

Fire and Bones (Scribner) by Kathy Reichs

Some Nightmares Are Real (University of Alabama Press) by Kelly Kazoo

The Brothers Kenny (Blackstone) by Adam Mitzner

Blind to Midnight (Blackstone) by Reed Farrel Coleman

The Wayside (Blackstone) by Carolina Wolff

Enemy of the State (Blackstone) by Robert Smartwood

You Will Never Be Me (Berkley) by Jesse Q. Sutanto

On Settler Colonialism: Ideology, Violence, and Justice (W.W. Norton) by Adam Kirsch

We Love the Nightlife (Berkley) by Rachel Koller Croft

Talking To Strangers (Berkley) by Fiona Barton

An Honorable Assassin (Blackstone) by Steve Hamilton possible interview see email

Dungeon Crawler Carl (1 of 6 but see next two months) (Ace) by Matt Dinniman

SEPTEMBER

Fatal Intrusion (Thomas & Mercer) by Jeffrey Deaver and Isabella Maldonado

When They Last Saw Her (Penguin) by Marcie Rendon

American Ghoul (Blackstone) by Michelle McGill-Vargas

First Do No Harm (Blackstone) by Steve Hamilton

A Quiet Life: A Novel (Arcade) by William Cooper and Michael McKinley

One More From the Top (Mariner) by Emily Layden

No Address (Forefront Books) by Ken Abraham.

Tiger’s Tale (Blackstone) by Colleen Houck

An Academy for Liars (Ace) by Alexis Henderson

Rewitched (Berkley) by Lucy Jane Wood

Gaslight (Blackstone) by Sara Shepard and Miles Joris-Peyrafitte

Counting Miracles (Random House) by Nicholas Sparks

The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society (Ace) by C.M. Waggoner

The Hitchcock Hotel (Berkley) by Stephanie Wrobel

In the Garden of Monsters by Crystal King

Carl’s Doomsday Scenario (2 of 6 see next month also) (Ace) by Matt Dinniman

OCTOBER

The Hushed (Blackstone) by K.R. Blair NG

A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer (Berkley) by Maxie Dara

On Settler Colonialism: Ideology, Violence, and Justice (Norton) by WSJ Weekend review editor Adam Kirsch

Framed (Doubleday) by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey

This Cursed House (Penguin) by Del Sandeen

The Puzzle Box (Random House) by Danielle Trussoni

Two Good Men (Blackstone) by S.E. Redfearn

Dark Space (Blackstone) by Rob Hart and Alex Segura

This Cursed House (Berkley’s open submission)by Del Sandeen

Vindicating Trump (Regnery) by Dinesh D’Souza

The Book of Witching (Berkley) by C.J. Cooke

The World Walk (Skyhorse) by Tom Turcich

The Waiting Game by Michael Connelly  ARC, possible interview see email

Beyond Reasonable Doubt (Thomas & Mercer) by Robert Dugoni

Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook (3 of 6, with bonus material) (Ace) by Matt Dinniman

Frozen Lives (Blackstone) by Jennifer Graeser Fronbush NG

Vincent, Starry Starry Night (Meteor 17 Books) intro by Don McLean

Paris in Winter: An Illustrated Memoir (PowerHouse Books) by David Coggins

NOVEMBER

The Waiting (Little, Brown) by Michael Connelly

The Teller of Small Fortunes (Penguin) by Julie Long

Shadow Lab (Blackstone) by Brendan Deneen

Trial by Ambush (Thomas & Mercer) by Marcia Clark

Devil Take It (Heresy Press) by Daniel Debs Nossiter

SerVant of Earth (Ace) by Sarah Hawley

All the other me (Blackstone) by Jody Holford

The Perfect Marriage (Blackstone reissue re-edit) by Jenny Rose

DECEMBER

Trial By Ambush (Thomas & Mercer) by Marcia Clark

The Close-Up (Gallery Books) by Pip Drysdale

The Silent Watcher (Thomas & Mercer) by Victor Methos

Leviathan (Lividian Trade HC) by Robert McCammon

The Silent Watcher (Thomas & Mercer) by Victor Method

Assume Nothing (Thomas & Mercer) by Joshua Corin

One example link:
https://enewscourier.com/2024/11/29/in-review-booking-a-full-year-of-reading/

Mavis, a single mom living with her father, somehow gets pulled into the PTA at her local daughter's school. Soon after, Mavis finds that little pieces of a mystery unfolds around the principal's disappearance and the shady and annoying head of the PTA. With the help of the school's psychologist, Mavis delves into trying to solve the mystery, deal with the catty school moms, and not fall for someone new.

I have loved Bryant's work in YA and was really thrilled to see her cross genres into something new. I have to say, I almost like her foray in mysteries even more than I have her YA books. There was just something about this whole setting, the characterization of Mavis and the dialogue that just made me really dig this one. The twist at the end too? Fantastic.

Thanks so much for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book it’s elementary. It was just OK. I felt like the plot was a little boring, especially for the length of the book and the ending was very unsatisfying.

Mavis Miller is cornered into joining the PTA when she sees the PTA president acting suspiciously right before the school's principal goes missing. Mavis partners up with the school psychologist to uncover what happened to the principal. Overall, while there is a mystery and investigating, it was more about Mavis as she is balancing parenting, societal expectations, her job, and her relationships.

Elise Bryant explores PTA politics and just how far parents will go for their children in It’s Elementary, her engaging cozy mystery debut.

Mavis Miller is juggling a lot: She’s a single mom, raising her 7-year-old daughter, Pearl, with long-distance support from her ex; she’s overworked and underappreciated at her nonprofit job; and she’s navigating living with her retired dad again after many years on her own. So when PTA President Trisha Holbrook asks Mavis to head up a new diversity, equity and inclusion committee for Knoll Elementary School, Mavis declines—repeatedly. But Trisha is tenacious and eventually convinces Mavis to join the PTA to effect real change, especially for the few children of color at the school, like Pearl.

The first meeting Mavis attends is surprisingly charged: Trisha and Thomas Smith, the new principal, butt heads over whether Knoll Elementary should become a school for “gifted students” and turn away children with lower test scores. That night, Mavis spots Trisha lugging suspiciously heavy trash bags and cleaning supplies to her minivan. When Principal Smith fails to show up to school the next day, Mavis wonders if Trisha snapped and took her position as PTA president as a license to kill. With the help of Jack, the school psychologist, Mavis sets out to find the missing principal.

Genre fans may deduce many of It’s Elementary’s twists, but it’s an ambitious and delightful read nonetheless. Bryant tackles big issues—racism, the complexities of co-parenting, gentrification, bullying and even the difficulties of making friends as an adult—with humor and heart, expertly threading these topics through an entertaining story full of genuinely funny observations.

Mavis is our relatable guide through it all: She’s generous, funny, devoted to Pearl and stretched far too thin. She’s also surrounded by a stellar cast of supporting characters, led by Jack, Pearl, and Jasmine, Mavis’ best friend. Readers will enjoy navigating PTA politics with Mavis and crew in this hilarious and energetic mystery.

- IT’S ELEMENTARY is just how I like my cozy mysteries - smart, sharp, funny and fast paced.
- I adored Mavis and her inner monologue as she tried to keep up with everything on her plate as a single Black mom in a wealthy neighborhood.
- I do think there was a lot of time spent spinning wheels in the middle of the book, when nothing new was really being discovered. And even though I figured out whodunnit before Mavis, I still very much enjoyed my time spent with these characters and would absolutely read more mysteries by Bryant.

I loved this read! It was fun and funny, a quick read, and a great cozy mystery! I hope there might be a series starting here!

It’s a mystery, a light romance, the struggles of parenting and even a little where is my place in life. But mostly it’s a fun, enjoyable caper.

Set in the midst of an elementary school PTA, Mavis is trying to do her part and balance one more thing in her life.

With an array of genres and lots of antics, this gives me feels of the early Stephanie Plum series. While totally different, but Mavis stumbling into the murder and then bumbling along as an amateur sleuth gave me those same vibes. Of course with an updated feel and POC main character.

I felt for Mavis as she balances life and her determination to make a difference at the school. But mostly I just sat back and enjoyed an escapist read that had me both laughing and shaking my head.

It’s the perfect read on relieve the back to school stress.

This wasn't quite what I was expecting and I found myself too annoyed by some of the side characters to enjoy myself.

This was such a fun take on a murder mystery! It was light and fluffy at times but still suspenseful at the same time. I love the concept of the suspects being PTA moms! Overall definitely one I will be recommending for anyone looking to dip their toes into the mystery genre or someone looking for a unique spin on a classic genre!

Thank you @prhaudio for the free audiobook, and Berkley & Netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.

What a delightful debut! (In my Stefan from SNL voice) This book has everything: PTA drama, a missing person, flirting with the school psychologist, and commentary on DEI curricula in the schools. I loved the mystery element - I was definitely on the edge of my seat listening to the story. It was also extremely hilarious at times and super relatable, especially with the mom-drama and facebook community page posts. I can’t wait to see what else Elise Bryant writes because I am here for it!

Insightful and snarky look at being a mom today as well as the impact of gentrification on an area all mixed up in an excellently plotted mystery.

Thank you to Berkley for the free book. This was so entertaining and funny but also deep and suspenseful at all the right times. I feel this book can appeal across different readers. As a mom I felt so seen about mom guilt but also the dang mom facebook groups and mom group politics. But I don't think you need to be a mom to enjoy this book because of the mystery plot and the splash of romance.

So when the FMC is coerced into joining the PTA she sees the PTA President late one night acting very suspiciously and the next day the principal (who the prez hates) goes missing. Along with the school psychologist they attempt to uncover the truth, all while she has to manage single mom life and her full time job,

I want to spare spoilers but I personally thought the pacing of the mystery was really engaging and I did not see a major twist coming. This is definitely on the side of cozy "fun" mystery. The romance is definitely a side plot and is slow going, just a kiss at the end for inquiring minds (one of the reasons I think this could easily cross demos).

So I ended up getting this book blind and was not sure what kind of book I was getting, but I was very happy with what I ended up with. This is a cute, fun, cozy mystery that couldn't get enough of. Hoping this is a series