This book was alright! It was a fun concept, pretty thrilling, and i wasnt expecting it to end this way. However, it was going pretty slow and showing lots of details that werent needed for the story. This might be because its part of a series and i havent read the other books, so this could just be me. Was still fun though!

Thank you to netgalley and the author for sending me the book in exchange for an honest review

This was an amusing story full of over-the-top crazies, who love all the fatty foods offered at State Fairs. For me it was just to much attention given to things and people that (in my opinion) became filler for the story. There were a few funny moments, but for me they were far and few between. It was an okay cozy, but I struggled to get the book read. It wasn't a favorite of mine, but it was an OK read, therefore I awarded it 3

September Mourn by Jess Lourey 📚

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Number five in this series, which seems to consistently be three star reads. Not the best series I have read, but certainly not the worst.

These are all on the shorter side, so they make for quick and easy reads. I like reading them between other heavier books.

This was your typical cozy mystery. I enjoyed the setting taking place at the state fair — definitely fitting to read this at this time of the year.

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

“The Minnesota State Fair wows again with 4-H exhibits, rides, a Neil Diamond concert, and deep-fried everything on a stick. Covering it is a breezy assignment as fluffy as cotton candy for reporter Mira James, until the main attraction becomes murder.

Ashley Pederson, crowned Milkfed Mary, Queen of the Dairy, is getting her all-American likeness carved in a block of unsalted butter when she drops dead, her face as red as a stoplight. Cause: malicious poisoning. Despite Ashley's creamy good looks, her reputation was pretty rancid. Still, who'd want to take out the soon-to-be college freshman and Battle Lake resident? Mira's made a vow to the dairy darling's grieving mother to find out.

Amid queenly competitors, rumors of sordid love affairs and embezzlement scandals, small-town secrets, and big business cover-ups, can Mira find the murderer on the Midway? You bet your corn dog she can.”

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Book #5 in the Murder by Month series finds Mira and her cohorts at the Minnesota State Fair, a community setting where everyone is out to have fun and everyone becomes a suspect when the dairy queen dies after having her likeness carved in butter!!! Grab yourself a corndog and follow along as the investigation searches for clues in the animal pens, the thrill rides and any of the myriad side shows. Jess Lourey keeps these stories moving quickly and the characters are good for a couple of chuckles. Mix together any of the cozy mysteries you loveand you'll come out with Lourey's Mira and her next adventure.

September Mourn was an intriguing story, Mira is a reporter trying to find out what happened to the Milkfed Mary Queen of the Dairy after she drops dead during the ritual of butter carving. Mira has to unravel the truth to find out what happened without getting herself in trouble.

I really enjoyed this book! It started off a bit slow and I was quite unsure where it was going but once things started to unravel I did not want to put the book down!
Mira was such a likeable and relatable character, and I really enjoyed how well the story flowed and how things wrapped up in the end.
I’m very excited to read more of this murder by month series and to get more of Mira!
Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC!

I've enjoyed several of Jess Lourey's Minnesota-based thrillers, so I was pleased to have the opportunity to preview this Murder by Month mystery (my first). The irreverent and whimsically portrayed protagonist is a perfect antidote to the normally very serious characterization found in most murder mysteries, and made for a very enjoyable read. Lourey also did a great job of keeping us guessing "whodunnit" until the very end.

Not only was it easy to start this series months in without feeling lost, I'm now intrigued to check out the upcoming adventures but also the past months I've missed so far. Whether this is your first or most recent read in this series, I highly recommend it!

This continues to be a fun series although I must confess that I have started listening to them in audiobook form, from my local library, and I'm enjoying the audio version more than the book version at this point. This is the second book to feature a more serious topic - this time genetically modified food additives - and I'm not sure how I feel about the shift in focus. The stories continue to be entertaining and full of banter and hijinx, but the shift to more serious issues underpinning the murders does give them a slightly darker tone that I find a little incongruous with the overall nature of the series. On the whole I find it to be a fun series with great narration that really captures the spirit of the characters, and the focus on the Minnesota State Fair made for a fun change of venue!

Another fun installment of the Murder by the Month series — this time at the Minnesota State Fair.

And WOW there's a lot of fair-related stuff. We don't even get a day trip to Battle Lake. Many of Mira's friends come join her at the fair, which was fun and flavorful, but frankly, I tired of this one after a little while. Compared to the others in the series, this one focused a lot more on solving the crime, poking around, and less on character arcs and worldbuilding. But like the others, this one "went there" with a touchy subject, this time, animal exploitation and the inhumane practices of big ag.

Not my favorite so far, but hey, the fair only comes once a year.

Loving this super fun series. The September installment took place at the state fair, which added a fun change of scenery and lots of local flavor to the story.

Mira James is an identifiable character with highly entertaining side kicks. Add in the chemistry with Johnny and the story kept me intrigued the whole way through.

Excited for the next installment!

Mira is once again at the heart of a murder investigation on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. She will delve into the mysterious circumstances surrounding Ashley Pederson, the newly crowned Queen of the Dairy. The narrative promises a rollercoaster of antics featuring eccentric characters, competitive rivals, animal rights advocates, local scandals, and romantic entanglements. Additionally, a suspenseful haunted house tour is sure to leave readers breathless. This engaging and fast-paced story is sure to captivate, and anticipation is high for Mira's next adventure.

This was another fun adventure with Mira and her crazy new town! Mrs. Berns is my favorite character in all the books so far. She’s so hilarious! I can’t believe the murders followed Mira out of town! I cringed anytime I had to read the Milkfed Mary name, but it was an interesting murder added to the list so far. Can’t wait to read more of her adventures. Hopefully Mira and Johnny get together in the next book!

The fifth installment of Jess Lourey's Murder by the Month series perfectly hits every delightfully weird aspect of the "Great Minnesota Get Together," where the murder of a Battle Lake beauty queen draws Mira James into yet another mystery to solve. In her role as a part-time newspaper reporter, Mira is covering one of the state fair's most iconic events: an expert artists sculpts the heads of several dairy princesses in butter. After a hometown dairy princess dies in front of a huge crowd crammed into the dairy building, Mira promises the girl's grieving mother that she'll do all she can to find out what happened - which she does with the help of her salty octogenarian best friend and the mayor of Battle Lake, who both have the hots (big time) for a particular state fair performer. This page-turner is filled with twists, red herrings, and as always, Lourey's thorough research into setting and her authentically Minnesotan characters.

A nice addition to the series, I really enjoy the character and returning to the midwest vibes and strong complex female main character themes. The mystery is once again compelling and the pacing and conclusion are well done!

I have read all of the murder-by-month mysteries so far (6 books), and I love them all. This one takes place at the Minnesota State Fair and Mira finds herself knee-deep in cows, murder, and scandals. She was sent to the Fair by her boss at the newspaper she works for, to cover all things Battle Lake. The newly chosen queen of the dairy is murdered right in front of Mira. She now feels responsible to find out who did it and why. This one takes several twists and turns before the truth is revealed. Mira can take beatings, solve murders, but getting the guy just keeps eluding her. I really hope she finally gets Johnny. I definitely recommend the series.

September Mourn by Jess Lourey is full of murder and suspense, the case twists and turns to keep you guessing right up to the end for a compelling conclusion.

This cozy mystery is book 5 in the Murder by the Month series. It was a quick read. It did feel a little different from the books that I've read in the series so far (maybe from the change in setting?). It still does hit all the points of a traditional cozy mystery, but it didn't quite hit the mark for me, I somehow could not get invested.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book was gripping and hard to put down. It didn't feel like everything else you see out there, it felt very fresh. I really enjoyed this book!

Not sure if it's the change of setting for this book, but this seemed different to the rest of the books in the series so far. The characters weren't weighed down by being over constantly over quirky and protagonist Mira had a balance that hasn't existed in the prior books.

The mystery takes place at a state fair, much of the fair being rural in nature. I can relate to that, having grown up in a country area. Maybe that's why I related to this mystery so much. The setting for the murder is inventive and grabbed my attention. But it's not a mystery that will keep you guessing. I think the culprit is quite easy to pick once you meet the character, but the story introduces a lot of new characters that are there to highlight more of Mira's past, a part of the mystery, or a part of the more serious topic of big agribusiness and the methods used to increase animal growth and productivity. Introducing the more serious topic in this mystery gave the story another layer and it's a worthwhile topic to discuss. I do wish the author went even further, but it probably would darken the lighter tone of the story. And the lighter tone did match the setting of the state fair.

I really enjoy this book - it kept me engaged from start to finish and I didn’t have any difficulty understand or relating to the prose. The characters were well developed and easy to like. I’d definitely recommend reading this book!

I love a great murder mystery! September Mourn by Jess Lourey is a gripping thriller that masterfully weaves suspense with emotional depth. The narrative, set in a small town haunted by secrets, is both chilling and engrossing. Lourey’s character development is notable; the protagonist’s journey is compelling and authentically portrayed. While the plot twists are engaging, some may find a few predictable elements. The pacing is brisk, keeping readers on edge throughout. Overall, Lourey's skillful storytelling and atmospheric setting make September Mourn a standout in the genre. It's a captivating read that will appeal to fans of psychological thrillers and suspense.