Mira James can't get away from dead bodies. This time, the woman sitting on a stool next to her at the local diner turns out to be a corpse disguised as one of the life-sized dolls sewn together by a Senior Sunset resident. Police Chief Gary Wohnt is looking for legal grounds to lock her up, so Mira is soon on the trail of another killer with help from Mrs. Berns and Kennie Rogers–who pitches another harebrained money-making scheme. Mira's getting tired of finding a body every month, especially as she's still in mourning after the death of a dear friend a month earlier. Worse, she's starting to wonder if the love of her life might be better off without her.
While there's plenty of humor in this Murder by Month series installment, author Jess Lourey also shows how Mira struggles with the impact of the losses and gruesome scenes she's experienced. She's expanding her work with the local newspaper, coming into her own as a private eye, and settling in to her newly adopted hometown. It's a lot. But she'll always have Nut Goodies.

The intrepid librarian/writer/budding detective is back with more murders to solve! When Mira finally seems to be getting her act together as a young woman navigating her insecurities, she hopes at least one month can go by without her discovering yet another dead body. Of course, given the premise of this series, we know it's not to be.

With the help of her octogenarian friend Mrs. Berns, she has a tall task ahead as oddball characters both living in and visiting Battle Lake hinder Mira in her quest to figure out whodunnit. Add to that the turmoil her love life takes during this March of Crimes, can she put all the pieces together to find the culprit? Rest assured, despite her foibles and all the odds against her, Mira cements herself as the best unlicensed PI in the area.

Fun, fear, and faith all win out in the end. What can you lose? I enjoyed previewing this latest month in the series, thanks to NetGalley.

I became addicted to this series and its characters right from the start and following along with Mira's journey has been so much fun! The last few novels have taken on a more serious tone, but the laughs are still present and accounted for. I've said it before and I'll say it again, we ALL need a Mrs. Berns in our lives. Her jokes and bad-girl behavior always make me smile. There were some unexpected developments in this story that gave me mixed feelings. I was sad but also intrigued...and maybe not that surprised? I cannot wait to get my hands on the final chapter to see how it all plays out.

March of Crime is book eleven in the Murder-by-Month series. I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a mystery with lots of laughs.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for granting me a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

Another winning instalment in this clever, funny, moving series of mysteries. As ever, it’s a treat to watch Mira and Mrs Berns take on a new mystery with their expected style and aplomb. New characters are brought in and these, too, hit the page as fully fledged creations. The mystery itself represents a fresh new angle, showing that this author does not just recycle old ideas but delivers new and intriguing plots with every book. Just so enjoyable.