Great idea and concept for a book. A thoroughly enjoyable read. Highly recommended. .

This is the type of story that I usually really enjoy. I thought this book was quite original and entertaining. I want to continue with the series.

First, just to let you know, last October I reviewed Julie Anne Lindsey's Murder in Real Time. Now she's back with a new series, the Geek Girl Mysteries. I liked the idea of a mystery heroine in the tech world, so I signed up for the blog tour.

Mia is an interesting character. She pretty clearly has Asperger's Syndrome, which adds another interesting layer to her character, though it does feel a little cliched (must a techy geek always have AS?). Cliche aside, though, it gives her some extra hurdles to overcome (she has a LOT of trouble reading social cues and facial expressions). As a parent of a kid with Asperger's, I think the author got this pretty spot on. Mia isn't disconnected from people; she is simply all too often bewildered by them. I did have a little issue with her obsession with fancy clothes (I don't think of geeks being clothes horses), but that's probably just me. It's probably good to not plop all the stereotypes onto poor Mia (I also suspect that the intended audience, a cross-over from Harlequin Romances, likes clothes).

In the beginning, I was totally annoyed by the absolutely stereotypical relation between Mia and the main male character. I confess to even possibly rolling my eyes as they faced off and sparred and Mia affirmed her dislike of the man (who really does act like a jerk) while they both ignored their obvious chemistry. Looking back from the end of the book, knowing what I do, Jake's behavior makes perfect sense (still annoys me, though). And I loved (small spoiler alert!) that Lindsey didn't make them fall into each others' arms at the end of the book.

In a nutshell, this was a well-constructed, well-written mystery, with a strong romance tilt. I was positive I spotted the perp a mile away, and about the time I was getting disappointed in the author being so transparent, I realized I was wrong. I like that. The series has promise, and I look forward to seeing what comes next. I do hope Mia will start working out. She's putting on weight and hasn't kept up the sports that she enjoyed in her teens, and that's not a good pattern as she approaches 30! And the fact that I care tells me that the author created a character who really did become real in my mind.

Recommendation:
For cozy fans who are a bit tired of bakeries, quilt shops, and yarn stores, and don't mind the blatant romance/mystery crossover.