Member Reviews

Thanks netgallery for the ARC of may day. I enjoyed the story, for once didn't pick the who done it, which is good. Easy to read but heartbreaking that she was investigating the death of her new love. I mean I really could have enjoyed that romance aspect, had such potential. In saying that I read this book to have a break from romance and it gave me that. I look forward to the next book in the series.

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May Day by Jess Lourey is even better this time around! Author Jess Lourey is re-releasing her Murder by Month series and this reader could not be happier. I read them the first time around and I think the newly updated (2024) version is even better with some editing and fine tuning.

Mira's life is spinning out of control and she hops on the chance to move to Battle Creek, Minnesota to help a friend by house sitting. Once she arrives she finds a job as a part time librarian (PERFECT) and picks up a great side gig of small town reporter. It's all turning out perfectly for Mira even down to finding a really cute boyfriend. But then disaster happens, as it often does for Mira, and her life is changed by a tragic death.

The death is shrouded in mystery and Mira turned sleuth has to find out all of the secrets of Battle Lake, the Ojibwa that once lived here and complete with a cast of wacky and unforgettable characters, she solves the mysterious death and uncovers a lot of the town's quirky secrets.

A cozy mystery series with just enough humor and laugh out loud moments to make me anxious for the re-release of all of the others in the Murder by Month series. Thanks to Jess Lourey for a series that gives me so much enjoyment -- characters that are sometimes odd but unforgettable are what this series is all about.

Thanks to the author and publisher for a copy of the 2024 version of May Day --I loved it even more than the original that was published years ago.

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Mira ditches her big city life in Minneapolis to house sit for a friend in small town Battle Lake, Minnesota. She starts settling in nicely, landing herself a job as an assistant librarian, getting a gig as a reporter for the local newspaper, and having a fling with a hunky archaeologist named Jeff. Everything seems to be off to a great start, until she finds Jeff’s dead body in the library stacks.

If you enjoy cozy mysteries but have sometimes wished for one with a bit more edge, you’re going to want to check out Jess Lourey’s Murder by the Month series. (If you’re a cozy reader who clutches their pearls at language and sex, you might want to keep moving.) Mira is snarky and independent, with an irreverent and somewhat sweary sense of humor. The town is full of eccentric characters that I look forward to getting to know better in future installments. Overall, a quick, light read with plenty of Midwestern nice, quirkiness, and misdirection.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me an advance copy of this book.

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Would recommend this book to mystery lovers. Overall an interesting book

Thank you to Jess Lourey, NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the arc of this book.

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As an avid reader of jess loureys book I was excited to read this. I enjoyed getting to know the main characters, learning about small town life in Minnesota and the fast pace.

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I didn't realize this was a re-release of her Mira James Mystery series from 2006. Still just as good of a read as it was back then. Book 1

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DNF: I stopped reading at page 70. "I wondered chaotically..." ? "I shook my head once like a dog" ? "An everlasting bleak chill radiated from him"
Why isn't her first reaction to call the police? The dead kitten on an earlier page turned me off as well as the over-cute writing style. I'm a fan of psychological thrillers and this cozy mystery didn't fit the writing style I prefer. Something about the plot and character felt like it was "dated" and maybe shouldn't have been re-published in current times. Just my two-cents.

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I've enjoyed Jess Lourey's dark mysteries so I was excited to give this Murder-by-Month-Mystery a try. However, the light tone and romance were not for me. I am not a big fan of cozy-type mysteries but thought this would be exceptional because of Lourey. In the future, I will stick to her darker reads (Unspeakable Things, The Quarry Girls, The Taken Ones, etc.) Fans of cozy mysteries may love this, it just wasn't for me. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

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I loved the idea of a librarian wanting a quiet life only to get the opposite in the form of murder and chaos. Overall this was a fun and exciting book.

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This was a fun read. Cozy murder mystery. Kept me on my toes

This book follows Mira, who moves into her friends house temporarily while she's away, and she gets a job at the local library, She meets a guy there, and they instantly hit it off. They were supposed to meet one day, but the guy never showed up. Mira, thinking he ghosted her, is very disappointed.
She returns to the library for work, and she finds his body.

This whole book revolves around her solving this murder, and small town secrets are revealed.

I would rate this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars

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This is the first in a series of monthly mysteries penned by Jess Lourey, and will appeal immensely to cosy mystery lovers.

When she decides to move back to a small town similar to the one she grew up in (and escaped from) after a catastrophically bad day, Mira James is not sure what to expect - but she has no idea what she is getting herself into!

While the storytelling here is very different from Lourey's trademark style of exploring secrets, lies and consequences, it does reflect her established skills in creating interesting, quirky character. The humour is also very well done, with a wry touch to it. The book is a nice introduction to midwestern culture, in this case specifically Minnesota life, and that will be a bonus to those who are familiar with it.

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You will definitely want to read this!! Mira James is hopelessly unlucky in many ways and yet you’ll fall in love with her and the amusing characters in Battle Lake. She is whip smart and her humor will have you laughing out loud as she finds herself in the middle of solving a mystery. Lots of midwestern observational humor that was nostalgic in all the best ways! Go make yourself some Tater Tot Hotdish and enjoy!!!

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This is the first in the murder by the month mystery series. I love the idea of a cozy mystery/rom com series and this book did not disappoint. Mira has a horrible day where she loses her job, finds her boyfriend cheating, and doesn’t know what to do next when her friend calls and begs her to come house sit for her while she goes with her boyfriend to Alaska. Despite not wanting to go back to small town life Mira agrees and quickly gets part time jobs at the library and the newspaper. When she meets a handsome man she thinks are really turning up for her until she finds him dead in the library. Determined to figure out what happened she begins to investigate despite her lack of knowledge of the town. I thought the humor was good in this one and I liked the Minnesota culture that was in it. The one thing I didn’t like was Mira’s reaction to Jake and the ending of their connection. I felt like she owed him an explanation. I’m excited to see what other exploits Mira gets into with the rest of this series.

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