Weirdly cute whodunit. I really couldn't tell Mira's age, or much about her, but I felt like that is because I came in on the 12th and possibly final book. That's on me. However, it was cute and every girl empowered. Intriguing and possibly wanting to read more

I received an advanced copy of this ebook from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was the last full length book in the series and I feel like everything was tied up well. The mystery kept my attention from start to finish and as always I enjoyed the humor that she manages to add in. I wish there had been a little more about her love triangle. I feel like it was barely touched on and then wrapped up quickly.

This has been a solid cozy mystery series that I enjoyed reading. There were some inconsistencies throughout (like Jed’s storyline) but overall I loved the characters and the mysteries. I would read 10 more books with Mrs. Berns in them.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6792856926

It was a pretty entertaining story, and there were parts that made me laugh out loud or get a little emotional. But it seemed to lack in depth a bit. I didn't feel like there was enough character development for several of the characters. Maybe that's because I didn't read the earlier books in the series, but it seems like even if it was well developed in the earlier ones, there should have been more of a foundation for it here, too (or a pre-instruction that this book is better read after reading the earlier ones).

The relationship between Mira and Johnny just felt totally hollow. Maybe some of that was intentional, because Mira obviously had some conflicted views about him, but I just felt like there was nothing there.

And the interactions between Mira and Gary were more confusing than anything. I could see that Gary was somewhat drawn to Mira, but then he would have these weird rage moments that didn't seem to make a whole lot of sense to me. And Mira seemed to be attracted to Gary, too, but then at the very end she claimed that it had just dawned on her that Gary was into her (uh, really?) and that she was surprised because she wasn't into him at all (despite the tension and her having a dream about him at one point?). If Mira had been saying that to a third person, I would have just chalked that up to her fibbing to avoid hurting Johnny's feelings, but that supposed revelation was her own internal monologue, and it just didn't seem to fit what I had read.

There were a lot of character names that I kept mixing up along the way, probably in part because I hadn't read the earlier books in the series so I wasn't already acquainted with them. And again, if the idea was that I was basically required to read one of the earlier books in the series first, then okay. I just wish that had been spelled out. As it was, I felt like it was a story that was incompletely delivered, which left me on the outs instead of getting really sucked into the story.

April Fools is the last book of the Murder by Month series, and it wrapped up the year with a satisfying justice. What started out as a comical, cozy mystery series ended up becoming more serious as the months went by. The topics and murders became a lot darker, but the laughs were always there and bittersweet. I don't mind this since I'm a psycho thriller fan, but others may not like it. I was extremely happy that the author brought back one of my favorite characters for this last hurrah. Mrs. Berns is and always will be my hero, but this other character always held a special place in my heart. I was a little disappointed about Mira not ending up with a certain someone, but the ending was still great. I am such a huge fan of this series, and I am so sad to see it come to an end. I will genuinely miss these characters and their antics...especially Mrs. Berns. Hoping that the author will provide us with some extra stories in the future. I highly recommend this series to all mystery lovers who want lots of fun and laughs! Start with May Day (book one), strap in and enjoy the ride!

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

I think 'cozy mystery' might have to be added to my selection of go-to genres! I've only dipped my toe into the mystery realm before, but there's always been something there that's intrigued me, as long as it's more cozy vibes and less horror vibes, and this DEFINITELY ticks that box. I should also add that, like a couple of other reviews I've seen, I haven't actually read the previous books in this series, but I was absolutely gripped and fell in love with Jess Lourey's writing! I loved the small town setting (naturally), the unraveling secrets, the character development, the humour witty humour with a dark edge. Such a refreshing read, and if all mystery books were like this then I would definitely read them ALL. I'm already adding more to my list.

I will be devastated if this is truly the last instalment in this amazing series. This story continues the tradition of delivering humour, engaging characters, a ripper of a plot and fast paced action. It’s hard to review this one without spoilers but suffice to say that many strings from past books get neatly tied up and there are some genuinely heart warming conclusions to past problems. I love this series and this book stands as yet another sterling part of it.