Thank you Jess Lourey and Thomas & Mercer to allow me to read this ARC via NetGalley.

📍 Battle Lake, MN
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Vibes: 📚❗🕵🏻‍♀️👵🏻🔍😂🤯🎭
Rating: 3.25 ⭐
Tropes: small town mystery / amateur detective / found family / personal stakes / romantic subplot
⚠️ TW: human trafficking

Started off reading thinking one thing about the main characters, and as the plot progressed, I thought I would able to predict what was going to happen but definitely was a wild ride.
Hard for me to really get my thoughts together for a review. This one really messed with my brain.

Was an enjoyable, quick, and engaging read.
April Fools is the 12th book in a series of "Murder by Month" books. I haven't read any of the other books in the series and feel like I'm missing some of the background information on some of the characters, but it was easy to follow the main storyline otherwise. I will probably go back and read the rest of the series now.
Mrs. Burns is probably my favorite in this book, such a funny old lady and definitely brings the comedy in this very serious topic book.

A couple of things that affected my review:
- I am not a fan of reading certain abbreviations ("This AM" should have been "this morning".)
- This book is advertised as a mystery AND romance but there really wasn't too much romance besides a couple scenes with Mira and her boyfriend, but nothing too crazy. I personally wouldn't consider this a romance at all.

The final book in the Murder by Month series may be my favorite.

Small-town librarian/reporter Mira James finds a mysterious note in a returned book. She begins to investigate and discovers a tangle of lies and disappearances that tie back to her father, who died years ago.

Author Jess Lourey writes “April Fools” with her typical wit. She aptly captures life in a tight-knit community while creating characters that are at once relatable and detestable. There were several points where I laughed out loud. This is a low stakes, cozy mystery that is well-written and incredibly enjoyable.

April Fools is a book I was excited to read. Mystery, murder and a bookstore? It all sounded fabulous, but sadly it wasn't what I was expecting. Overall, I don't think this is the book for me. The pacing was a bit slow, especially in the middle, and some parts seemed repetitive. Good, but not exciting.

I have enjoyed all of the Murder by Month mysteries and this one was just as great! This is an autobuy series for me!

Loved this updated version of the series! Don’t start reading at bedtime, because you won’t want to put it down. Truly one of the best books I’ve read recently. This book is skillfully written with a tight plot and great characters. There are multiple story lines within this cozy mystery, all tied up at the end. I received this book free and chose to make a voluntary, unbiased review.

“April Fools” is the 12th and final installment in the Murder by Month series. It combines humor, romance, and intrigue. These cozy mysteries are really enjoyable! I love the small town charm and all the colorful characters. It is very lighthearted with wit and humor. Highly recommended if you love cozy mysteries with a satisfying conclusion.


Thank you #NetGalley for this ARC!

The residents of Battle Lake have returned in the final book in the Murder by Month series by Jess Lourey. After reading several disappointing books in this series, I was pleasantly surprised when I picked up April Fools. The book isn’t too over-the-top, the characters are much more reasonable and interesting, and the plot is entertaining and well-written.

That’s not to say Mira and Mrs Berns are totally rational or that they consistently act like adults who should be capable of making good decisions. But, these episodes don’t overpower the plot to any great extent and, since this book is written in the cozy mystery style, this can be overlooked.

As with many cozy mysteries, everything turns out well in the end and the the series ends on a positive note. Again, this is the cozy mystery way. I’m glad I decided to read this final book. it ended well for me and it was enjoyable. NetGalley provided an advance reader copy.

This is my second "Murder by Month" book and it made me want to go back and start reading the series from the beginning. I like that Mira is gutsy but out of her element as it lends itself to an entertaining read.

This was a great final book for the series. I was so worried Mira would end up with Gary, and I’m glad that wasn’t the case. I’m so happy she “grew up” and figured her relationship with Johnny out. I love that the last book didn’t involve her finding a dead body this time, and that she helped rescue victims. It was the perfect storyline to end Mira’s journey on.

Thank you NetGalley! I’m extremely invested in this series. And have been reading each in order and in the month they take place. I can’t wait to read the next one

I love a good cozy mystery and "April Fools" is as charming as all the other books in the series. A lot of fun, mystery and romance with cute characters. Jess Lourey writes solid mysteries and this one doesn't disappoint!

I read the Mira James series in “real time” (one book a month since last May), and they’re such a fun little bite size adventure every month! I’m so sad the series is done, but I also think April Fools gives it a very well rounded ending. I love what Jess Lourey has done with these incredible, fun characters and I’ve really enjoyed getting to know the citizens of Battle Lake alongside Mira.

April Fools is an engaging murder mystery with an entertaining cast and an intriguing plot. While it can be read as a standalone, some parts may be confusing without the background from previous books.

The mystery unfolds well, though some twists are predictable. Overall, an enjoyable read, especially for those familiar with the series.

My first in the Murder by the Month Romcom Series ( I know,...I'm SO out of order here and know some spoilers now,..) and I LOVED IT.

This series has everything I love:
Cozy mystery
Romantic humor that had me giggling out loud in a coffee shop (many judgey remote workers were displeased)
A plucky FMC

Mira James, aspiring PI, is thrown into the chaos when she finds the word- HELP -scribbled inside an old book. She's thrown into a case that seems to have throw backs to many of her previous adventures, and for a reader that probably followed all these characters over the years- I bet it was heartwarming and fun to relive those adventures.

I will be reading these backwards now, because I guess I love chaos too, just like Mira. I'm looking forward to more in series, so a thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this one and be introduced to a whole new world of fun rom-com mysteries!

April Fools
By Jess Lourey
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub Date: March 24, 2025

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer Publishing for the advanced digital copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

After the March of Crimes book, I wasn’t excited to jump into this one. The title appealed to me on a personal level, and I clicked ‘request’ before I could stop myself.

As like the last one, it’s a very simple whodunnit mystery set in a small Minnesota town. Bland.

Schitts-Creek vibes. Some hilarity surrounding the main character’s octogenarian best friend.

Read if: you are looking for a clean, witty whodunnit mystery with no shocking twists and zero loose ends.

It is the last day 12 book series that held up just as good as the rest of them!! I wanted to talk to you too I just want to say I'm sorry things Taylor

April Fools is the final installment of Lourey's Mira Grant series and I'll be honest, I didn't want to start it because I wasn't looking forward to leaving Battle Creek and the zany cast of characters behind. The blessing is that this novel wraps up the series well, with all the humor and hijinks a reader can expect from Mira and crew.

This is a great, warm read, and the entire series is worthy of reading and rereading.

The final book of the Murder by Month series. This one wasn’t as laugh out loud funny as the others but still a great Mira and Mrs Berns installment.

More mystery in this one, Mira is out to rescue a missing young lady that turns into a much broader rescue mission in the end.

It also ends up hitting closer to home for Mira! And I love the closure it brings to the February book!

I love this series and good news for me I read them out of order so I still have the first few to go back and read!!

Mira James has unfortunately discovered a corpse (inadvertently of course) every month. As a result her town is getting labeled as the most dangerous in the State and powers that be are not happy. Minnesota has got the nefarious distinction of being the state with very high sex trafficking and now Mira is getting proof that her town is having its own share of predators and victims. Worst of all is the suspicion that her own father, now dead, was also in the Gang of Four.

Also on the trail is Mrs Berns the indomitable old librarian determined to have her share of the action. Despite its serious content and very real tragedy, the story has comedic elements too adding to its charm.

The book starts rather abruptly which, at first, I though was a stylistic choice. It wasn't until I made it to the middle of second chapter that I realized this might be a sequel of some kind; something that wasn't obvious to me from the blurb. The more I kept reading, the more information I realized I was missing by not having read the 11 past books. Who were all these characters - I had no idea, and it seemed like the author didn't really care to introduce me to them either. Unfortunately, after a while, it sort of became unbearable.

I'm sure there's a great audience for fans of cozy mysteries and quirky characters, I just didn't have the time to read eleven previous books so I could enjoy this one.