In August Moon, the fourth installment of Jess Lourey's Mira James Mystery series, the irrepressible amateur sleuth Mira James returns to Battle Lake, Minnesota, for another uproarious adventure. After a romantic disappointment with the town's local heartthrob, Mira's plans to escape the peculiarities of Battle Lake are derailed when she is drawn back to investigate the suspicious death of a cheerleader. Tasked with unraveling the secrets of the New Millennium Bible Camp, a bizarre establishment that combines Stepford Wives eeriness with a Hee-Haw charm, Mira finds herself entangled in a web of mystery and self-reflection. Lourey's sharp wit and engaging storytelling continue to shine, making August Moon a delightful read for fans of humorous mysteries and the indomitable Mira James.

This book is the fourth in the series but can be read in any order. It’s an easy to follow story with some funny moments but focuses on the Mc, Mira (a librarian) who returns to her small town, described as stepford wives meets hee-haw with a higher than average body count, because her assistant has been murdered. Shes determined to get justice for Lucy.

This series is becoming one of my favorites.

Jess Lourey took a risk with this book - adding more serious subject matter than the preceding three books. I think those risks do shift this story more into the real world, but I can also see them being divisive for some readers. Personally, I think the author kept any serious sentiment carefully within the realms of the character's development. I think that's fine. There's a difference between including possibly divisive elements in a character (and it make sense to that character) and the author expressing such elements in the general story.

Putting all that aside, I want to focus on the mystery in the book, which I think is the best mystery of the four books so far in the series. It's darker than the other mysteries, another risk taken by the author. But it worked for me. The twists and surprises were very well done.

Unfortunately, the overuse of quirks still pulls me out of the story too much. Maybe it would be better if the quirks were more suited to the setting of the story more. At least they would seem more natural and not there just for shock value.

Link to video review will be added later.

This had no business being so fun and charming as it was! Cozy, witty and wildly entertaining. I loved this!

What can I say? I'm a sucker for an author with a sense of humor.

I have really enjoyed both of the Murder-by-Month Mysteries I've read - July and now, August - courtesy of NetGalley.

Jess Lourey has a great sense of what will make people laugh, just as much as she has a great sense for what will make people both want to visit Minnesota and solve a small-town mystery.

In "August Moon," Lourey's protagonist Mira James is pulled into a religious controversy in Battle Lake. Just as Mira tries to leave town and head back to the cities, a mysterious new church shows up, and its leaders and members raise major red flags. Mira, who has her fair share of religious trauma, decides to investigate - just as the teen who helped her at the library is murdered.

Everything comes to a head after the town's annual harvest festival, and once again, Mira is in the thick of the action.

This is a really fun, quick read, and perfect for those who want something that doesn't take itself too seriously.

This is the 4th book in this series. And it definitely showed no signs of struggling to keep the story going.
Mira James, town librarian and reporter for the local newspaper, once again finds herself in the midst of murder and mystery. This book took on a different spin that might leave some readers not so happy. A new evangelistic-type group set up a new church just outside of town. At almost the same time, a local teen goes missing and is found dead, and a few days later, another teen goes missing. Time is running out, and Mira is left to get to the bottom of it and find the missing girl. The town's chief of police is acting more strangely than usual and has proven to not take anything Mira says with a grain of salt. Will the girl be found in time? Will Mira ever understand why everyone in town seems to be drawn to this new church? And has Mira finally decided it's time to leave this town? Read and find out for yourself. You won't want to miss this one. There's a lot more mystery in this one than the previous three.

Mira is determined to move out of Battle Lake, Minnesota, where she barely feels at home. But when a local cheerleader is found dead, she has to figure out who did it... While she tries to investigate, the New Millennium Bible Camp is also trying to close down the library for offering and displaying banned books.
This cozy mystery is book 4 in the Murder by Month series. It is a standalone, meaning that each book contains an individual investigation, but it's fun to follow the character evolution from one book to the next. While this book, in the spirit of cozy mysteries, is a lighter read with lol moments, it does touch on heavier subject, so maybe check your triggers before going into it. One thing that bugs me a little is I wish the characters were a little bit more developed. They are pretty much all one-note and stereotypical, but I know it's usually expected from a cozy mystery, which is not the kind of genre to go in depth into anything. I liked that the book picked up exactly where the previous one left off, it makes for a great reminder of where we were in Mira's overall story.
I received an advanced copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Mira James, the main character in this book loses a little of her mojo in August. She is ready to move on because of a man and being rejected. I mean who hasn't been there in their life where a major decision is a direct result of what a man has or has not done for you. Even though unconventional, I like the friendship blossoming between Mira and Kennie Rogers. They are total opposites but can learn from each other. These murder by month books make me fall more in love with the town of Battle Lake to the point I feel I live there. This is the fourth book in the series and cannot wait to read the rest of the months coming out. Thank you to Jess Lourey and Thomas and Mercer Publishers for the Advanced Read Copy.

Such a great series & enjoyed this book very much. Laugh out loud funny!
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I love that this book series is month by month. The cast of characters in this book are very quirky and all have their own personalities. I really enjoyed how the author embraced that. This is a quick fun read that I would definitely recommend.

Everything Jess Lourey touches is brilliant, and this series is no different! The re-released cover art is brilliant; and as I am just down the road from the real Battle Lake, Minnesota; I love shoutouts to the area I call home — even if they are a bit sinister in nature!

August Moon was yet another fun addition to the Murder-by-Month series! With the exception of June Bug, which was just ok for me, I feel like these stories continue to get better and better. Mira James reminds me of a mixture of a few popular FMCs in the world of fiction. She has an unfortunate knack for finding trouble like Evanovich's notorious bounty hunter, Stephanie Plum, and a love for eating weird pickle sandwich combinations like Grafton's famous P.I., Kinsey Millhone. She's a librarian and part-time reporter who has a talent for sniffing out dead bodies and solving odd mysteries in the small town of Battle Lake. Like a one-woman Scooby Doo team with a host of eccentric octogenarians and townsfolk that always seem to have the answers that she needs. Mrs. Berns is a feisty firecracker and makes me laugh out loud. She's definitely my favorite of the bunch. I really enjoyed this one and look forward to the rest in the series! I would definitely recommend!

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

Fourth in the series, Murder By Month. A fun quick read. Great for summer reading. This time librarian Life's assistant is brutally murdered. The characters are wacky fun and entertaining. I enjoyed this book. Thanks #Netgalley and #ThomasandMercer for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

Down In The Dumps..
The fourth outing in the Murder By Month mysteries finds our feisty librarian firmly down in the proverbial dumps. The town has finally got to Mira, in every single way. Then her library assistant is cruelly killed.
However, before she leaves (if indeed she does) she vows to get justice for the murdered Lucy. Enjoyable and entertaining mystery laced with wry humour and with a cast of eccentric and eclectic characters and a well imagined setting.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review.

These are perfect rom-coms for summer. I'm glad I read the first books in this series before these from NetGalley. It made the story more relatable and fun to follow along. The small town is so fun to jump into and the mysteries in these are silly but a blast. It took me a minute to really like Mira and root for her, but once I got into the world I flew through these stories and can't wait for more!

Mira James has had it up to here with Battle Lake, Minnesota. After her latest romantic prospects go bust, she’s ready to move back to the Twin Cities and get a lapful of cats. Funny how murder can stall the best-laid plans.
Days before the August Moon Festival, high school cheerleader Lucy Lebowski, Mira’s library assistant and an all-around sweetheart, is murdered. Mira’s investigation begins with the (not so) blessed flock of the New Millennium Bible Camp, its creepy pastor, his secretly wayward daughter, and the congregation of glassy-eyed Stepford wives. They all certainly have it in for Mira and her damnable books. But Lucy, too?
If there’s one thing Mira’s learned, it’s that Battle Lake is full of secrets and grudges that somehow always end with a bang. Before she ditches this town for good, Mira is hell-bent on finding justice for Lucy—heaven help her.

She is so done with this town!

Mira had high hopes for her relationship with Johnny Leeson but they crashed and burned. Now she is finished with Battle Lake and moving back to the city. All she has to do is resign from the newspaper, hire a new head librarian, find new house sitters, and pack. Nothing is ever that simple in this town. A new preacher is riling up the town, someone is brutally murdered, and Mayor Kennie is going off the rails. Ok, maybe she will have to straighten out a few things before she can leave.

Jess Lourey is brilliant! She creates characters that have me laughing one minute and crying the next. Mira is a perfect heroine with her flaws, her emotional traumas, her addictions, and her humanity. This is a good mystery with humor and suspense. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

I love this Murder by Month series and Mira is one of my favorite cozy mystery characters. This was a cute, light read with some good suspense and tension.

This is a reissue of a cozy mystery originally published in 2018. It definitely withstands the test of time. Mira is the reluctant town librarian who gets caught up in murder mysteries every 6 weeks or so. The book jacket synopsis is enough to get started on this wacky adventure. Mira's smart mouth should keep you entertained. My favorite line is describing someone as banana pants.

The Murder by Month series follow Mira, professional librarian, amateur investigator. In the last several books we had more rom-com, this one takes on a more somber theme with a religious group being the antagonist.
I enjoyed it, some laughs some more serious notes. If you're very religious I could see this one upsetting folks, it does take a stab at organized religion and cult like behaviors. Little less cozy than some mysteries, but easily fits in that category.

I loved this book overall, for me there was great suspense and tension as I followed Mira's journey into danger once again hoping she comes out alive!