Ditched 4 Murder - Cozy Mystery Review

Ditched 4 Murder (A Sophie Kimball Mystery #2) by J.C. Eaton (Amazon Link)

Rating: Very Good
Source: NetGalley

Description: Moving from Minnesota to Arizona was a big change for Sophie "Phee" Kimball. She's much closer to her mother's retirement community now--which can drive her a little crazy, but at least her mom, Harriet, has her book club and her chiweenie dog, Streetman, to keep her company. And now there's even more activity, with Aunt Ina's upcoming wedding. The seventy-four-year-old bride has roped Phee into working on the tent, the pastries, and even her headpiece in preparation for the ceremony. But it's Harriet who really gets demanding when a dead body turns up yards from her front door.
Aunt Ina's fiance is acquainted with the victim--a local millionaire restaurateur murdered at the golf course. Working for a private investigator, Phee is drawn into the case--not just professionally but personally, since Harriet is in a panic about her safety. With a killer on the loose, Phee vows to figure out the plot--that is, if her side job as a wedding planner doesn't kill her first . . .

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I loved the first book in this series and couldn't wait to see for the 2nd book.

My Impression:  This is shaping up to be a pretty fantastic cozy mystery series.  To start with I love Phee.  She's smart and a good investigator though sometimes she doesn't give herself enough credit.  Her family drives her crazy at least half the time but still she can't tell them no.  Plus, her dealing with Arizona heat after years of living in Minnesota was pretty funny.  I really enjoyed seeing Phee and Nate starting their new PI business and just really enjoyed their interactions.  Their friendship was something I really enjoyed in the previous book and it hasn't changed.

The mystery was equally enjoyable.  It made me very glad that I am not planning a wedding as I could feel Phee's stress levels as she tries to keep everyone happy, help her aunt out, AND do her job.  However, it never feels convoluted or busy.  Little by little more and more is discovered about the victims and just what happened to them.  While I had some suspicions as to what was going on I never felt like I had guessed what was happening and the reveal ended up being a surprise!

This is a fun fast paced cozy mystery that never drifts into cutesy though there's a big scoop of noisy neighbors and meddling relatives.  The main character is likable and easy to relate to and the mystery is well constructed.  All in all a fun read and a series I'm looking forward to continuing!

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Definitely!  I really enjoyed the first 2 books in this series and can't wait for the next one.

Would I Recommend this Book?  Absolutely!  If you enjoy mysteries of any kind I think you'd like this series.  While you could jump in with book 2 without any problem you really should go back and read the first in the series.  It involves a cursed book which is pretty great.