Death by Sample Size

I found this book to be a bit confusing. There are a lot of names being used and it's difficult keeping them apart. I also found the setting of the apparel mart to be confusing. I liked the main character and her determination to solve the murders. I was surprised by who the killed was and the twist at the end. #DeathbySampleSize #NetGalley

A big thank you to NetGalley and Wild Rose Press for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is the first in a new series. A couple of things were confusing to me. One there is no time reference-the chapters seem to jump from the present to the past. One moment Bunny is dead and the next chapter she is alive. Also there are a lot of people-I could not keep everyone straight. I do not know anything about the fashion industry but these people seem very well paid. Is that realistic? Overall, I enjoyed the book-it kept me guessing. I liked Holly and her cast of friends. 3 stars

Liked- The cast of characters. The twists and turns of the plot that keeps you guessing as to the killer's identity.
Didn't like- Jumping from past to present. A bit confusing.
Overall I liked it enough to enjoy until the end.
Thanks #netgalley and #BacklitPR for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

While confusing at times the intention was there. The execution needs a bit more attention or just a little patience when reading.

I really liked Holly and her friends. I did find myself confused and had to re read things to understand. It has potential perhaps the plot could be more organized. I don’t think I will continue with this series.
#DeathbySampleSize #NetGalley

3.5 stars. I felt a serious lack of character development. I know series tend to do a slow build for this but I really felt like I learned nothing about Holly. Holly's blatant disregard for the law was a little much. With cozy mysteries you expect some of that but it seemed excessive.

On the flip side, I loved the story! It was humourous and there was intrigue! I'd definitely read at least one more in the series before deciding if the negatives outweigh the positives.

I truly enjoyed this book it kept my interest and attention from the first to the last page, it was humourous, well thought out, a well written plotline and clever dialogue.
It was easy to read mostly because I couldn't put it down and also I didn't want to, I will definitely read more of this writers work in the future.

There's a lot of potential in this story and some funny moments but I found the story confusing and didn't keep my attention.
Not my cup of tea
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I loved this book! As far as cozy mysteries go, it ticks all of the boxes. There were parts when I laughed out loud and others when I wasn't sure what was going to happen next. I appreciated that the author threw in very niche-specific details, whether they were about the fashion industry or the city of Los Angeles. Am looking forward to reading the other books in the series.

“The question isn’t who wanted the victim dead; who didn’t?”


No kidding, Columbo. Get in the boat and row.


Bunny Frank may have been diabolical but that doesn’t mean she deserved to be murdered. Swimwear sales executive Holly never expected finding big wig buyer Bunny dead humorous, but her reaction echoed off the parking garage. Sure, everyone had a reason to hate Bunny, Holly included, but murder? Nah. The police call it a rage murder and seek Holly’s assistance. Holly reluctantly agrees, especially after they arrest her coworker. Holly slyly investigates on her own time. As she narrows the suspects, she herself becomes a target. Can Holly nab the killer before she becomes the next death by sample size?

Death by Sample Size is a hilarious cozy mystery that will have you clutching your sides. In my previous life, I worked in fashion on the store level. Fashion is a cutthroat industry, and I am sure there were many people who wanted to off conniving buyers. From the start, the one-liners of Holly’s inner dialogue kept me invested in the story and gave me comic relief. My favorite lines are at the top of this review. Classic. Holly is an honest character, to a fault at times, and it endeared me to her. I connected with her on so many levels. The mystery itself is so well-conceived with quite a few twists and turns, I didn’t know who the killer was until it was revealed to me. Kudos to Susie Black for a superb cozy plot with red herrings, a full cast of characters, a wise-cracking ME, and a bumbling detective. An added bonus was the ins and outs of the swimsuit industry. That, in itself, was worth the read. Death by Sample Size is Susie Black’s debut novel, yet you’d never guess by the quality of the writing. Sophisticated prose, characters that leap off the page, snappy dialogue, all make Death by Sample Size a must-read. I look forward to reading more from Susie Black. Highly recommend!

My Rating: 5+ stars

Loved reading this book and author. If you haven't read it yet I highly recommend her and her books. Happy reading and enjoy