Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!

What a great book!! I loved the story and the writing style. Such a good cozy mystery! It was exciting from page 1! I enjoyed this more than I thought I would! My first for this author but will not be my last!

This was a cute cozy mystery. It was tough to just jump into the series without context of the others and I have interest in going back and reading more but I also don't' think I'll continue this series.

Another body!? A Fun and Thrilling Ride!

4.75 out of 5 stars

Knee High by the Fourth of July by Jess Lourey, narrated by the ever-talented Jennifer Jill Araya, is an absolute delight that had me hooked from the start. Having already devoured the first two books in this series, I was eager to see what new adventures awaited Mira James in Battle Lake. (And I knew, just based on how the other two went that she was going to likely find yet another dead body). Jess Lourey has a knack for blending cozy mystery, comedy, and a pinch of romance into a perfect mix that keeps me coming back for more, and this installment is no exception.

The story kicks off with the disappearance of the Chief Wenonga statue, setting the stage for a whirlwind of events that Mira must navigate (including trying to not be seen as a suspect yet again). As a reporter with a knack for stumbling onto dead bodies, Mira’s curiosity and determination drive the plot forward in the most entertaining way. The stakes are high with a missing person, a stolen statue (no spoilers but LOL at the ending of this storyline), and a local murder suspect who happens to be Mira’s latest crush. This combination of intrigue and budding romance kept me eagerly listening to every word.

Jennifer Jill Araya’s narration truly brings the story to life. Her ability to embody Mira’s character, with all her quirks and tenacity, adds an extra layer of enjoyment to the audiobook. Just like in the previous books, there’s a heartwarming element as we see Mira’s personal growth and the tug-of-war of her love life, which is both touching and relatable.

Knee High by the Fourth of July is a fantastic addition to the Murder by Month Mystery series, blending humor, mystery, and romance into a seamless narrative. Mira James is a character you can’t help but root for, and her escapades in Battle Lake are as thrilling as they are charming. If you haven’t already picked up this series, I highly recommend starting with the first book and diving into the delightful world that Lourey has created. Every book I wonder how this formula is going to work, and every month I’m eagerly awaiting the next book because I can’t wait to see what happens next in Mira’s journey.

Thank you to NetGalley, Brilliance Publishing & Jess Lourey for the audio galley of Knee High by the Fourth of July.

I'm sold on this series. I absolutely LOVE it & have told Jess as much on IG.

This installment features Mira & crew getting to the bottom of some rather large stolen statues. And, of course, there are all the obstacles & hilarity that follows this bunch!

Bring on August Moon!

"Knee High by the Fourth of July" by Jess Lourey, narrated by Jennifer Jill Araya, is a thrilling cozy mystery set in the quirky town of Battle Lake. When the Chief Wenonga statue goes missing and a corpse is discovered in a cabin, reporter Mira James dives into a madcap investigation that holds listeners captive. Araya's narration brings the story to life with vivid character portrayals and a perfect balance of mystery and humor. Lourey's storytelling is captivating, blending a small-town charm with gripping mystery elements seamlessly. (I received an advance listener copy of this audiobook, and all opinions are my own.) This audiobook is a must-listen for fans of cozy mysteries looking for an engaging and entertaining story.

Thanks to Brilliance Publishing/Brilliance Audio for an audiobook copy of Knee High by the Fourth of July, book three in the Murder by Month Romcom Mystery series by Jess Lourey. This was a lot of fun! I was listening while grocery shopping and found myself snort laughing as I selected produce. Readers who enjoy Stephanie Plum mysteries should pick this up. It’s adventurous and hilarious and Mira is the town librarian and a reporter for the local newspaper. What more could you ask for? While I haven’t read the first two books in the series, I had no issue keeping up. Although this was just so funny and fun that I will most certainly be working my way back to books one and two and there are 12 (.5) in the whole series. Yes please!!! Set in summertime, this makes for a great summer read.

I had no idea this is the 3rd book in the series. Goes to show you that I go into my books very blindly. That being said, I had no problems and I don’t think reading the others are necessary for you to read this one. You might want to though because of how adorable the book is. Fast read and easy to follow along. Great humor and story line.

This is the 3rd installment of the cute and cozy Mira mystery set in Battle Lake, MN. This time the giant statue of Chief Wenonga is missing. Who did it and why? Really makes one think of small towns and why things are the way they are and how to change/update.
Only part that really annoyed me was when they referenced the statue in Alexandria. It is Big Ole (Oh-Lee) NOT Ollie! This drove me nuts the entire time I listened to the audiobook. As a Minnesotan, I would have thought the author knew that. Does she get to hear the audiobook before it is published??

I'm on my third book in this series and I have to say, I'm completely hooked! Mira is such a fantastic main character—smart, funny, and relatable in her struggles. Navigating single life isn't easy, but she keeps us entertained with all the drama and, let's not forget, the occasional murder investigation. The town is brimming with colorful characters that add so much to the story. Plus, these books are incredibly well-written, and who can resist stories with adorable pets? I'm thrilled there are still several books left for me to dive into, and the best part is I can jump right into the next one without having to wait!

This was a fun, cozy murder mystery in a new to me series that was fast-paced, entertaining and great on audio. Recommended for anyone looking for something quick paced to bring to the beach this summer - especially perfect for Fourth of July reading! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest thoughts!

This was super different from other books by Jess that I didn’t expect it! But in a good way!
It reminded me of the Janet E. Stephanie Plum books! It was enjoyable and the audiobook narrations were great!

Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for providing me a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Chief Wenonga statue has disappeared in the town of Battle Lake and human blood is found at the site where the statue stood. The situation becomes more grim when a local man is kidnapped and a corpse is found in a cabin belonging to a man that librarian / reporter Mira James has a crush on, leaving her no choice but to find the killer before he strikes again.
I have not read the first two books in this series and I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read them in order. In the beginning, the story seemed a little outdated with her answering machine and payphones available and then I discovered that it was originally published in 2007 which explains some of that. This cozy mystery just didn’t grab me and I found myself skipping ahead to the cliffhanger ending. Narrator Jennifer Jill Araya did a perfect job.
While I don’t think I will read or listen anymore in this series, I will probably check out some of the more recent books by this author.
This audiobook comes out June 25th so you have time to go read or listen to the first one May Day and the second one June Bug before beginning this one.

A cozy small town mystery that is part of a series. While it may be a stand alone, I wish I had read the previous books in the series first. I feel like a background understanding of the MC and her experiences would have been helpful.

The MC, Mira, is quirky and fun, easy to like. She has a habit of getting herself into sticky situations while investigating the mysterious disappearance of the town statue before the big festival. As she investigates, she finds a dead body in the cabin of a man she has a crush on. With various suspects to rule out and a crush on one of the main suspects for the murder, she takes us on a fun and engaging journey.
The narrator is entertaining. Overall, 3.5 stars from me

Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the audiobook. I leave this review voluntarily.

I'm loving these Murder by the Month books by Jess Lourey. I listened to the 2024 audio version of this one. They are fun and twisty and definitely of the cozy murder variety. The hapless (and nosy) heroine, Mira James, is always finding herself the discoverer of a dead body, when all she really wants is love. With each body, she sets off to figure out whodunit, because who better than the local librarian?

Great fun read by the pool/beach/lake.

Lay back in your pool lounger and devour this cozy little mystery. This is the 3rd book in a murder bye month series, with new books releasing each month.

Set in the town small town of Battle Lake, Minnesota. It’s July and it’s sizzling hot with record temperatures. Everyone is gearing up for the annual 4th of July Celebration when, “Chief Wenonga" statue is stolen.

The main character, Mira James is a librarian, reporter, and an amateur sleuth who’s determined to find out what happened to the town’s beloved statue. While hunting down clues, Officer Gary Wohnt shows up to find Mira at the scene with a dead body.

Is someone setting Mira up? Her fingerprints all over the evidence, and murder scene. The corn isn’t the only thing that’s going to be “Knee High by the 4th of July.”

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to review an early copy of this book on audio. The narrator was very good, and I found this book to be a perfect summer read.

Knee High by the Fourth of July is the 3rd cozy mystery in Jess Lourey's Murder By Month series, which is quickly becoming a favourite. In this story, the statue of Chief Wenonga, a locally famous Ojibwe leader, goes missing right before Battle Lake's annual Wenonga Days celebration on the Fourth of July. I'm glad the storyline did include the inappropriateness of cigar store Indian statues and the holiday as a whole as this aspect of it made me a little uncomfortable. But Jess Lourey really leans into ridiculously funny and embarrassing small-town antics in this story and it's great to see a totally different side of one of my favourite thriller/horror authors. Some of the twists are a bit over the top but it's definitely entertaining!
Jennifer Jill Araya has been a fantastic audiobook narrator for the whole series so far, she is just perfect for Mira's voice and personality.

A cute and well-paced cozy mystery.

Generally I’m not a huge fan of true cozies (or most things set in the Midwest), but has some decent humor and solid sense of place, and the mystery itself was actually surprisingly well done for the genre.

I’ve learned to go into cozies with the understanding that there’s going to be a certain amount of cringiness and insipidness to them, particularly in the dialogue. This one is no exception, but it has some actual quality to it as well, and the jokes aren’t all bad.

Worth a read if you want something light, and fun and engaging in audiobook format.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator is perfect. This is the third in the series, you need to read them in order because they all go together. This has very quickly become one of my favorite series and I am eagerly awaiting the next one! Highly recommend to any cozy/cozy+ lovers!