November Hunt is one of the books in Jess Lourey’s Murder-by-Month cozy mystery series. Accidental and not-quite-qualified librarian, Mira James, becomes involved in investigating an accidental death that might not have been an accident – at least according to the victim’s daughter.

I really enjoyed this book. It isn’t another lightweight cozy mystery, but rather a well-plotted, well-written, and well-developed story with a cast of interesting and somewhat off-the-wall characters. I particularly like ninety-year-old Mrs Berns, Mia’s best friend, although she isn’t present in November Hunt as much as I would have liked. But, when she’s around she says what she means and she means what she says. My kind of gal. The dialogue and humor are very well done and the story moves along at a nice pace.

It’s fun to read these books in the order they’re written, beginning with May Day. But, it isn’t totally necessary and no matter what book you start with, it will be an enjoyable read. NetGalley provided an advance reader copy.

I adore this series, though this wasn’t my favorite installment.

Can we please leave rape plotlines out of cozy mysteries? This feels entirely inappropriate and out of step with the tone of the series and the reasons people read books like this.

All of the comic subplots here are as good as ever, and Mira remains a terrific heroine. There’s less Mrs Berns than usual in this one, which is a bit of a bummer, but it also allows Mira to truly be the star of the show, which I think is a good thing.

It’s a little difficult to tell the male suspects apart in this one, and the mystery is a bit messy in more ways than just this, but it’s still an enjoyable read overall, and as always, I look forward to the next in the series.

Thank you NetGalley! As always, a great addition to this series. I love following what Mira James is getting into while being in a small town. I enjoy this authors work!

This was an interesting look at how a good old boy network in a small town could keep and finally lose a secret after all these years. All it took was a little murder or two, and inteprid Mira to figure it all out while trying to stay out of the crosshairs.

As usual, the quirky and irrepressible young lady figures out whodunnit and wins the day!

I love a good cozy mystery. Mira is hired to investigate a murder to find out who the killer was because the victim's daughter doesn't think it was an hunting accident. It was full of twist and turns it really kept me guessing. I love old lady Mrs. Berns she hilarious.

I need to go back and fully read the rest of the series, but this was a great fall/winter read!! mira is so much fun. if you're looking for an easy to read cozy mystery for the winter, please pick this one up!!

This is a fantastic series. I have been reading each month and have really loved the cast. This mystery was good and it has to do with someone getting hurt in a hunting “accident” but the daughter of the person hurt, doesn’t believe it was an accident. This book was on point for November and I am excited for the next month!

November Hunt by Jess Lourey is a fun and engaging mystery.
This book was well crafted, and kept my attention continuously right to the end. The plot was well paced and fun.

private-investigators, relationship-issues, relationships, Minnesota, situational-humor, verbal-humor, romantic-comedy, romantic-suspense, mystery, librarian, senior-citizens, witty, journalist, laugh-out-loud, local-gossip*****

I know northern Minnesota and I know deer hunters, so I really can relate to the stuff of hyperbole and humor by this author. It's a romantic thriller, a mystery, a vignette of small towns in The Northland, and more fun than our family at a church Lutefisk dinner. Mira is working on her PI license, having issues with herself about her boyfriend/relationship, and getting paid to see if an accidental hunting accident really was. Good story that's as full of suspense as it is full of humor.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected proof from Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley. Thanks for the fun!
#NovemberHunt by @jesslourey #MurderByMonthMysteryBk7 #NetGalley #ThomasandMercer #RomCom #Minnesota

November Hunt is the seventh book in the Murder by Month Mystery series and it does not disappoint. This is a cozy mystery with great characters that had me turning pages until the very end. I enjoyed the small town atmosphere this one had and I am looking foward to reading other books in this series, as well as, reading more of the author's books. The author did a great job writing the book. Overall, this was an amazing cozy mystery that I highly enjoyed and would recommend this one to any reader who loves cozy mysteries. Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this cozy read in exchange of my honest review of November Hunt by Jess Lourey.

Overall, I didn't connect with this story. I thought it read more like a thriller than a "romcom mystery". And I was looking for something a bit more "cosy". The other thing that bothered me was the dialogue, it didn't feel natural. I already started the next installment and I like how it's starting, so I'll give it another chance because the opening is intriguing, but there is a chance that this series might not be for me.

I enjoyed this one more than the last book, October Fest. I hated that there was less of Mrs. Berns though, because she’s my favorite character. Just like with October Fest, the author includes too many of her own political views.

Another great Mira James mystery. Kept me entertained and constantly wanting to know what happened next. Worth the sleep I lost staying up late to read "one more chapter"

One should know by now, if Mira James starts poking her nose around town, someone is going to be found murdered. Mira does some digging, searching for information for a young woman whose father was just killed. She doesn't believe it was an accident and wants Mira to get to the bottom of it. Mira does what she does best. She solves a mystery and gets the guy. This was my favorite one yet.

Release: Oct 28

Details:
Local resident Tom Kicker braves the bitter cold to hunt a deer, but in the process, his best friend Clive fatally shoots him during a hunting incident. After just a few weeks of pursuing her PI license, Mira isn't entirely convinced this was an accident. Tom's daughter, Hallie, isn't either and begs Mira to look into it. Hidden secrets are uncovered while Mira investigates this mystery.

Thoughts along the way:

-first page and had to look up a definition: muzzleloader hunting -
Hunting with a muzzleloader is a unique experience that involves loading each round manually through the barrel of the firearm.
-I'm not a fan of hunting, hopefully I can get through this book without DNFing

-Battle Lake, Montana in Nov

-Tom Kicker ✝️
--was it really a freak accident?
--daughter is Hallie who thinks it wasn't an accident

-Clive and Tom fight prior to Tom's death

-Clive was drunk, but has enough experience in shooting that it shouldn't have resulted in Toms death
--sells pot
--how does he have so much money?

-monty
-I know Mira thinks he's a hero after helping with her car, but I'm suspicious

-After the first 2 or so chapters, it seems like things are slowing down. Lots of random details about things that don't pertain to the plot? Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems like a slow burn.

-I love that Mira works in a library
--in the beginning stages of becoming a PI

-I want a Mrs. Berms

-the secret room better be awesome
--meh, could've been anything

-Lyle did time for Tom and Tom did time for Lyle?
--Lyle is a pedo? Or is Tom?
-Victim is Carla - Clives girlfriend
--Was Carla really pregnant?

-recipes?

-Who killed Lyle and why?

-Why is Clive in jail?
--a daughter?

-Hallies mom died birthing her
--Clara (not Carla) is her mom; Tom's first wife (did he marry his victim)? Is he Hallies real dad?

-I predicted about half of the twists, but still a decent read

LOL moments:

"it's so cold I think the rock rattling around in my boot is my big toe"

"anyone tell you that you're lazier than furniture?"

"Margaritas are like boobs, you should only have 2"

*thank you to netgalley, the publisher & author for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review*

I received this book from NetGalley.

I just finished the first chapter and all I can say is... What?!

Sadly it's been a bit downhill from there. I'm now 34% of the way into the book and nothing much else has happened. It started with a bang, no pun intended, but since then has become rather slow going.

Now I'm 55% in and still...barely anything has happened. The book seems fairly realistic but with the start that it had, I feel like I was expecting something a bit more wow.

Is there any point to the vitamins part of the story? Because it seems ridiculous and unnecessary. Just adds to the length of the book. It's the same with the relationship with Johnny. What's the point of it? However, after reflection I believe that there are other books in this series so that's potentially why these plot fillers felt a little flat to me.

Overall the book was alright but I feel with the way that things turned out it could have developed differently.

This is a fun and quirky series that offers a fantastic blend of silly and serious in each book. The writing is engaging and easy to fall into. The plots are a little over-the-top, but the characters are even more so - making the mixture work perfectly. Mrs. Berns continues to be my stand-out favorite, and I cannot get enough of her sassy straightforwardness, especially when contrasted with Mira's wishy-washy self-doubt. Incidentally, on that latter front, I'm pleased to see the romance with Johnny finally starting to move forward rather than be continually stalled in the name of "I'm not good enough for him" - which has been wearing on me... It was believable at first - we all doubt our own merits from time to time - but 6 or so books later, despite repeated evidence to the contrary, it was starting to get old!

November Hunt by Jess Lourey takes place in a town called Battle Lake where tragedy has struck - a man was killed in a hunting accident where his best friend shot him. Problem is, the two men were seemingly much too experienced to have such an accident occur. Mira James, an unassuming librarian working towards her P.I licence is hired by the deceased mans daughter to subtly investigate the incident.

I haven’t picked up a Lourey book in a while and I was was quickly reminded of the instant, utter ease at which she is able to put her reader. She has this masterful way of dropping you right into a story and making you feel at home there. Battle Lake quickly became a very vivid, likeable town. I specifically love all the little additions like bar, shop and street names that give the town its unique charm - these details go a long way to make it seem and feel like a real place.

The side stories were a bit wacky for my taste (like helping an older lady find her mojo and the vitamin drama) but they didn’t take up much time and that’s about the only thing I didn’t like.

November Hunt is a great, engaging read, with a fully fleshed out storyline that unfolded nicely. I look forward to reading cosy another instalment with Mira James. Can’t go wrong with one of Lourey’s books.

Thank you Thomas and Mercer and NetGalley for my revised copy ARC.

I don't normally start a series in the middle—almost never, actually—but Lourey did such a good job of easing the reader into the world, I hardly noticed. I loved the small town full of quirky residents, the relatable main character, and the steady evolution of the whodunnit. While cozy mysteries aren't always my first choice, this one had the perfect amount of edge to keep things interesting. This was my first Lourey book, but it won't be my last.

This is a cozy mystery full of quirky characters that will keep you pining for more. There were a few of them to keep track of, so be mindful of that going in. I think there are enough that every reader is going to find someone they relate to and love, which was great. I loved the diversity. The small-town vibes were also a lot of fun. I don’t live in a super small town anymore (its borderline considered one) but I did grow up in a very small one. So, getting transported back to one for this book was a lot of fun. The little idioms that are familiar with small towns can be found here and I was all for it. I found the pacing to be nice and even throughout the book and on par what I look for in a cozy mystery.

This is book 7 in the series. I think I did fine reading it as a standalone but I think that having the backstory on the main character would have really added to the overall plot of the story. If you are a fan of cozy mysteries then you should look into this series because it seems like a good one.