I failed to check out the first book and will certainly go back to check it out and maybe revisit this one. Miranda is somewhat exhausting, but it gives the vibes of Finlay Donovan a bit with the 'cozy / mystery' vibes. It's okay but wouldn't seek out to read it again and again.

A surprise call has Miranda being offered a role in a fabulous new film with five-times Oscar-nominated Harry Tomlin. She jumps at the chance. He's a BIG NAME and she's not going to question the fact that the contract has no tricky clauses. It's just a lot of money for a chance to work with the nicest man in Hollywood.
So why is it Harry who ends up dead after crashing through a skylight? Nothing makes sense. And then his replacement comes in. It's an old beau of Miranda's and a foe of her husband Edgar's. Now she's juggling feelings between her nearly ex-husband for whom she still has feelings (though he doesn't appear much in this book), her handsome ex-co-star who is a divine kisser (although he has a horrible personality), and the handsome and charming producer (although she doesn't really have feelings for her.)

Three and a half stars
This book comes out October 22, 2024
Miranda Abbott #2
Follows I Only Read Murder
ARC kindly provided by Mira and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Miranda solves yet another crime in small town Happy Rock. Harry Tomlin falls through the ceiling at the press conference of the new MOW featuring him and Miranda. Who murdered him. So many choices. Leave it to Miranda to figure it out.

This was a cute second book in the Miranda Abbot series and I hope they continue to write more. I love how she is a wanna be star who gets caught up in the murder mysteries

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Verdict: I liked the first book in the series better but I continue loving Miranda Abbott.

Hollywood comes to Happy Rock, and Miranda Abbott is desired as the lead actress. Hopeful that she is finally getting her career back on track, Miranda throws herself into the role. Unfortunately, murder comes calling, and there's another case to solve. On top of that, Miranda also finds herself in a bizarre love triangle. There are lots of mishaps and twists, but I wanted more Miranda and Edgar. Given the cliffhanger at the end of the book, book three should be quite interesting.



Publication Date 22/10/24
Goodreads Review 05/11/24
#MysteryintheTitle #NetGalley.

A larger than life actress in very long dry spell finds herself at the center of another murder investigation.

I wanted to like this so badly,. The mystery was well written with lots of great twists and turns, a unique setting (the set of a tv movie in an adorable small town) and an intriguing premise.

That said, it fell so flat for me. The humor didn't land, the characters felt ingenuine and almost caricatures of a cozy mystery cast and I just didn't connect to this at all.

I do think it's a good book, just not meant for me. Three stars because the murder mystery was suspenseful at least.

Thank you to Ian Ferguson, Will Ferguson, Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC xx

See my full review at http://michelleardillo.com/2024/10/31/book-review-mystery-in-the-title-miranda-abbott-mystery-2-by-ian-ferguson-and-will-ferguson/

Miranda Abbott is back at it! Ridiculous demands of those close to her, but also an attention to detail that helps her solve the mystery. I really liked how she was able to use her knowledge of costars and costuming to solve the mystery. The relationship with her (ex?) husband is interesting, but didn’t really seem to go anywhere in this one. The solution was more twisty than I expected. I liked the way we were given the answers. This was a great book 2 in the Miranda Abbott series.

This book was okay. I liked the cover and for that reason I requested the book. It was just okay though. I had to push through to continue reading it.

This is the second book in the Miranda Abbott Mystery series. I approached this book without having read the first one, but it can definitely be enjoyed as a standalone. I received enough background information to understand the characters' situations and the events from the first book.

The story perfectly blends cozy mystery elements with a quirky and entertaining main character. I loved Miranda and her eccentric personality. Some of her comments made me laugh out loud. To my surprise, the mystery was also very suspenseful. This book makes me want to read more cozy mysteries because reading this book was so fun!

Thank you to NetGallery and to Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA for my copy of the book.

Mystery in the Title is book two in the Miranda Abbott Mystery series by Ian Ferguson; Will Ferguson.
I loved this cozy mystery.
This is a fast, fun, entertaining, well crafted murder mystery.
Tons of suspects in this small town, I thought I had it figured it, but I was totally wrong.
Cleverly written and thought out mystery this humorous murder mystery was delightful.

Thank You NetGalley and MIRA for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This second Miranda Abbott mystery is as entertaining as the first, I Only Read Murder. Miranda is going to star in a movie of the week, which coincidentally will film in Happy Rock where she is staying. This is quite exciting for Miranda and the town. Unfortunately, her costar makes a dramatic entrance to the press conference by falling through the atrium window at the Duchess Hotel and being dead.

Now the fun begins, Miranda was once the crime solving, karate-chopping church pastor, Pastor Fran, on a former television show. At times reality and the Pastor Fran persona get a bit mixed up as Miranda with help from "her friends" set out to solve the murder.

The authors have created a wonderful ensemble of characters that add to the fun. It gives me a "Schitt's Creek" vibe. The plot has some great scenes that make you laugh out loud. There is some hints of romance, Bea ( the innkeeper) and the Police Chief Ned Buckley and what is going to happen between Miranda and Edgar (bookstore owner and husband) or will someone else catch Miranda's eye? I am eagerly waiting to see what Miranda gets up to next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Harlequin Trade Publishing, for an ARC. The review is my own.

Miranda is back! In more ways than one. Don't worry if you missed the first book-this will be fine as a standalone. And yes, Miranda can be very annoying but she's also pretty funny. She's an actress hoping for a comeback but her big break goes sideways when the male star of the movie meant to be made in Happy Rock is ....murdered! Luckily, Miranda has sleuthing skills gained by acting on TV (go with it) and she's got friends like Andy to help. This is over the top in spots but it's funny. It's also just tricky enough to keep you guessing. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For cozy fans.

Miranda Abbot, our favourite actress, is back in Mystery in the Title, the second book in Ian Ferguson and Will Ferguson's Miranda Abbot Mystery series.

I liked book one, I Only Read Murder, but I'll be honest, Miranda kind of got on my nerves in that book. I'm so glad that didn't stop me from checking out Mystery in the Title because this was such an enjoyable read. Miranda seemed slightly less selfish (although she's still pretty self-centered), and hilariously erratic in this book, and it made for such a fun read to see what she would do next, and how her poor assistant, Andrew, would handle it.

Miranda is still living at Bea's B&B and is attempting to plan her comeback, when she's unexpectedly approached to star in a MOW (that's a Movie Of the Week) opposite a very famous male lead. And best of all, it's being filmed in Happy Rock! Andrew tries to warn her that the offer is too good to be true but in true Miranda fashion, she ignores him and does her own thing. When a death occurs at the press conference announcing the upcoming film, Miranda once again puts her talents, learned over her years playing the beloved character Pastor Fran, to work to determine the identity of the murderer.

As I've already mentioned, Miranda is delightfully flaky, and erratic which had me laughing out loud throughout the book. The characters of Happy Rock are even more quirky than I remember, and I thoroughly loved getting to know them better.

One of my favourite things about the book is how the authors occasionally break the fourth wall, making comments directly to the reader about what is going on. It fit in so smoothly with the rest of the story that it felt a natural thing, and added to my enjoyment of the story.

If you're looking for a fun, entertaining mystery, you will want to check out Mystery In the Title. I'll be watching for the next book in the series.

The second title in this series cheerfully sticks tongue in cheek and romps through a cozy, kitschy mystery that can easily stand alone. Miranda, the oblivious washed-up actress, Andrew, her hapless assistant, super-fan Bea, police chief Ned and not-quite-ex- Edgar are all back. Humorous gems are scattered throughout, the characters are quirky and I like the premise of an actress who played a mystery-solving parson chasing clues. The mystery itself has plenty of red herrings and potential suspects and the end will leave you smiling. Fun.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Cozy Mystery, Humor, Mystery, Mystery Thriller
Spice Level: No spice on the page
Representation: One character is gay, I don't remember diverse characters
Readability: I read this one first, and it all made sense. Now, I'm definitely going back to read *I ONLY READ MURDER.*

MYSTERY IN THE TITLE is one of the funniest books I've read this year, and definitely ranks in the top for funniest murder mysteries ever. Why, you ask? Because of the characters!

Miranda Abbott, fallen Hollywood star, is delusional, BUT what made me laugh was how the other characters call Miranda out on her behavior (both internally and externally). "Full sentences, Miranda. Speak in full sentences."

The other Hollywood actors are also intriguing. One always references when he trained . . . [fill in the blank because your answer will make as much sense as his]. Such a hoot! Miranda's poor assistant—long suffering, loyal, but also disillusioned. Then there are the nearly invisible characters: the translator, the agent, and the hotel staff, who add texture and highlight how kooky everyone else is. It's possible that Miranda needs a spreadsheet to keep track of who's fired and who's been rehired.

Romance! Yep—Miranda and her many love interests are navigating new territory. Her almost ex-husband is irascible, and a new beau is charming, and is there an old lover in the wings? Oh, my—this was another source of intrigue and laughter for me.

Ultimately, I want a whodunnit to be tricky. This book checked all the boxes with red herrings, lies, misunderstanding, drama, and a big reveal! I was thoroughly entertained.

I highly recommend this book for all mystery lovers.

Happy reading!

Tis my season for cozy mysteries! This is the second book in the series, however it does work as a stand alone. Of course, you will get more of the backstory if you read book 1, I did find myself doing just fine without and I was quickly caught up on the characters lives. I think I am learning to appreciate cozy mysteries more lately. For me what has been standing out to me is just the amazing cast of side characters they always seem to have, like the side characters almost make the books! And that is exactly what happened here. The side characters provided the balance to the strong main characters. This book was also fun in that it had lots of great laugh out loud moments, something else I didn’t realize seems to be a must for this sub-genre. The pacing was medium and propelled me through the story nicely. I didn’t feel rushed or hurried, yet not like I was lallygagging either, it was great. Oh and this one is written by two authors, but its seamlessly done and I couldn’t even tell which was even better.

If you are looking for a fun and quirky cozy mystery full of great characters, then look no further.

A digital copy of this book was provided to me by NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing. The opinions are my own and freely given.

MIRANDA ABBOTT RETURNS!!

Miranda is offered a lead role in a movie without and audition. She is THRILLED! Her assistant, Andrew. has his doubts about this movie, as does her agent, Marty. But the filming is to be done in Happy Rock. The cast and crew have already moved into The Duchess, where a lot of the filming is to take place. Then, before it even starts, a death occurs. Was it murder? Suicide? A tragic accident? Miranda puts on her "Pastor Fran" hat and starts to investigate.
Yes, Miranda thinks she is a bigger start and more important than she is, but that just adds to her charm. Walking into a room and announcing, "It is I!" And some people just don't know who she is. Her relationship with Edgar, her husband, ex-husband, soon-to-be-ex-husband is still a mystery, even to Miranda. All the characters are back.
I was so happy to see this has turned into a series and cannot wait for the next scene in Miranda's movie, (uh, life). I adore this series, and I love Miranda Abbott.

I loved this book - couldn't stop laughing! Miranda is hilarious. And her gay assistant Andrew - even better.

A nice cozy mystery but I had a harder time connecting with the main character. I pushed through though because I really loved the premise!