Another fun read in the murder-by-month series by Jess Lourey. Mira has had enough of Battle Lake after being stood up by a local hottie and decides to move back to the big city. Right as she decides to move, a new religious group rolls into town and a local cheerleader ends up dead. Coincidence or related? Mira has to solve one last mystery before she leaves this town for good.

I've read these in order and fall more in love with Mira with every book. Her character is witty and definitely relatable. To be honest, every character is super cute and fun; they definitely have very unique personalities. The stories are easy to follow. The chapters are great lengths. The setting is perfect for these types of cozy mysteries. The writing style is great and fresh. While you can read these as stand-alone books, I highly recommend reading them in order to fully appreciate each character and to get to know the town.

I would definitely recommend!

Full of fun and mystery. I really enjoyed this book and was happy to tell my girlfriends about it. It was a very entertaining read

Another great addition to the murder by month series by Jess Lourey. This series is a quick read, but should be read in order in my opinion despite the author saying otherwise.

Loving all the books in this series so far....just finally getting around to reviewing them. The characters and the writing are always on point with Jess's books. I look forward to the next in this series.

Another excellent addition to this series. Twisty and well-written. I am enjoying the stories and Mira's adventures.

August Moon by Jess Lourey is a witty and suspenseful mystery set in the quirky town of Battle Lake, Minnesota. Mira James, a plucky librarian, finds herself entangled in a murder investigation just days before the town’s annual festival. As she uncovers secrets and faces off with a strange, book-hating congregation, Lourey crafts a humorous yet thrilling narrative full of twists and quirky characters. With sharp dialogue, a likable protagonist, and a compelling mystery, August Moon is a fun and fast-paced read for fans of cozy crime with a dash of dark humor.

I started August Moon without reading the earlier books in the series, but about 10% in, I got the sense that skipping the backstory of such a vibrant character felt almost sacrilegious. So, I went back and read May Day, June Bug, and Knee High by the Fourth of July in that order to fully understand who Mira James is and her journey. I'm so glad I did—each book was a joy, and the Mira James rollercoaster was absolutely worth it! August Moon is a cozy yet twisted mystery-suspense, and I love that combination. Mira is easily the best character Jess Lourey has created, even though I also love her darker, more serious novels. This series is a breath of fresh air, with an endearing familiarity to its quirky small-town cast. The stories are fantastic—humorous, darkly twisted, and occasionally heart-stopping. I’m completely hooked on this series, and August Moon delivered the perfect blend of suspense, mystery, and my kind of humor—a real win-win. I loved this book so far because - yes it featured murder! I know grotesque but the last 2 books June Bug & Knee High by the Fourth of July in the series mainly featured robbery/heists & I was missing the dose of macabre. This book delivered and how! I loved loved loved both the plot & the characters!
And now I can't wait to dive into September Mourn & look at what's next for Mira! Oh, why are there only 12 months in a year?! I have a feeling that I'm going to need more of Mira's Musings in my life.

Thank you NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer & Jess Lourey for this arc! Special thanks to Jess Lourey for the gift of Mira James!

This one took a little longer for me to get into, possible because I started reading it on a long-haul flight and finished it over the course of some jet lag days.
Nonetheless, you get what you see with Jess Lourey’s monthly murder series – fun characters, quirky small-town politics and happenings, and a good mystery with enough twists and turns to hold your interest.
In this outing, Mira has finally had enough of Battle Lake and vows to leave once and for all. But then a new holier-than-thou pastor and his family rolls into town, a replacement librarian joins the team, and a cheerleader ends up shot in the back, and Mira is racing against time to solve all the mysteries before she cuts and runs.
There are quite a few moving parts to this one, with a few red herrings dotted throughout the book. You might call them ‘side quests’ from Mira’s point of view, but they all tie up rather nicely in the end.
I’m not a huge fan of Mrs Berns revealing character motives and motivations towards the end of the book – it feels a little convenient – but they are secondary characters so it’s ok on this occasion.
I am, however, a huge fan of Mrs Berns in general because she’s an absolute scream.
This one also felt darker than the previous ‘cosies’ – the urgency of the action made the crimes a lot more impactful.
As always, an enjoyable read from Lourey and I look forward to the next one.

My thanks to Thomas & Mercer for the eARC of this novel, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

August Moon is yet another entertaining addition to the Murder-by-Month series! Except for June Bug, which didn’t quite hit the mark for me, I feel like these books just keep getting better. Mira James reminds me of a mix of popular fictional heroines. Like Stephanie Plum, Janet Evanovich’s iconic bounty hunter, she has an unfortunate knack for stumbling into trouble. And, like Sue Grafton’s famous P.I. Kinsey Millhone, she loves quirky food combos—especially odd pickle sandwiches. Mira is a librarian and part-time reporter with a talent for uncovering dead bodies and solving unusual mysteries in the quirky small town of Battle Lake. She’s like a one-woman Scooby-Doo team, aided by a cast of eccentric octogenarians and townsfolk who always seem to have just the answers she needs. Mrs. Berns, a feisty firecracker, never fails to make me laugh out loud; she’s definitely my favorite character.

I thoroughly enjoyed this installment and am excited to read the rest of the series. I’d highly recommend it!

Thank you to the author, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for the digital access in exchange for my honest review!

I'm from Minneapolis so I love reading books that take place in Minnesota. This has been a fun series for me. I appreciate that this one strayed further from romance (of which I am not a huge fan). This book in the series focused on a new and controversial religion, and its followers. There is a good blend of recurring characters, and new characters. I'm not sure if it's okay to say a mystery is "fun," but these do feel fun and fairly light to me, and make me want to go to Battle Lake, Minnesota!

August Moon by Jess Lourey 📚

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Another quick and easy to read mystery from Jess Lourey.

This one was a bit different than the first three in the series, due to being a lot less rom-com & a lot more somber.

I think Jess got a little riskier with some of the subject matter in this one in comparison to the first three, but it makes the story feel a bit more “real world.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the free copy of this book 📖

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This is such a fun series! I loves the combination of snarky one-liners and madcap hijinks. It makes for a fun easy read that is a total distraction for everyday life. This is the first of the books to take on a slightly more serious topic in the shape of Evangelical religion and the prohibitions, including book banning, that so often accompany it. It was handled with more righteous indignation than I would have anticipated, and I enjoyed seeing how things developed. I can't wait for the next book!

Another great addition to a great series! I love the month-themed mysteries and the religious aspect included in this story. Looking forward to reading the next in this series!

August Moon by Jess Lourey was a fun book. This entire series is fun! Love the characters and plot points.

This was a good addition to the Murder by Month Mystery series. I do wonder how Mira gets involved in all these homicides though. I would be out of town already! I was shocked at who the killers were in this book, I really thought it was the preacher. I hope Mira and Johnny get together soon!

I first read this back when it first came out and was thrilled to be able to revisit Battle Lake, Mira and her somewhat nutty cohorts.This entire series is so delightful and fun yet its beyond your typical cozy. The murder aspect is always compelling and often surprising. I highly recommend everything Lourey writes but this series was my gateway book to her and I will always reread this series with fond memories.

The 4th book in the Murder-by-Month Mystery series.

In this edition, Mira is working as a librarian in the bookstore. She is getting ready to go back to the cities, after her boyfriend decides to leave Battle Lake. While she is training in her replacement, one of her high school helpers is murdered. While she is investigating the murder, she runs across some strange happenings, especially during the August Moon festival.

A fun, quick read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC in return for my honest review.

What I love about this series is that each book feels fresh. There are about a zillion cozy tropes out there, and some series focus on only certain aspects, themes, or ideas — not this one. The Murder of the Month mystery series are tied together and follow Mira's character arc, yes, but they don't get stale. They're always fun, new, and an absolute riot.

By August Moon, Mira is fed up with small town life and all the little dramas that constantly pop up in and around the library. She's looking for a new head librarian right about the same time a creepy culty church rolls into town, followed by an extremely suspicious murder. Mira decides to solve one last mystery before she, as she would say, beats cheeks.

Religion is a touchy subject in the best of times, and Mira makes no bones about her anxiety regarding the new church, its creepy leaders, and the under-educated, hyper-devout, brainwashed teenage warriors. Personally, I think it's handled well, but because this series is willing to "go there," readers who expect saintly heroines in a cotton candy world will probably disagree with me. And if that's the case, idk how they got this far into the series.

We're 4 books in, and there's no sign of slowing. See you in September!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Kensington for the review copy of August Moon! A friend of mine loves books similar to the Stephanie Plum series, I can't wait to recommend this new entry to this series.
A fun romp of a cozy murder mystery, perfectly written for fans of the author/series and shows us how a series can grow and continue to be fun to read. I really am all in for Mira, a fun spunky librarian who has had it with (all the things) but also won't let justice be ignored. My kind of character.

The latest installment in the Murder of the Month Mystery series is a delightful rollercoaster. Mira was poised for the best time of her life, but suddenly, everything turned upside down. Opting for a change of scenery, she soon finds herself entangled in a web of chaos: dead bodies start appearing, eccentric churchgoers emerge, and book banning becomes rampant. Overwhelmed yet determined, Mira resolves to stay and confront the pandemonium head-on. The book's prose is a joy to read, and its characters are so hilariously crafted they'll leave you eager for more. Can't wait to read the next installment.