Thursday, December 11, 2014

If the Shoe Kills - Review

If the Shoe Kills by Lynn Cahoon
Rating: 4 Stars
Source:  NetGalley

Description:  It's the holiday season in South Cove and Jill Gardiner, owner of Coffee, Books and More is busy with the usual holiday events, store stuff and a new intern program.  But murder?   Not on the schedule.  Soon Jill is embroiled in a mystery as well as trying to keep tempers from flying when the mayor's wife decides to take over the holiday festival.

Genre: Mystery

Why I Picked This Book: I have really enjoyed the first 2 books in this series so of course I had to get this one as soon as I saw it!

My Impression:
Pro:  I love being back in South Cove!  The town is lovely with cute shops and full of characters.  Most are likable and the few that aren't definitely make it interesting!  I like hearing about all the town council stuff and the shop owners' revenue worries.  It's not overdone - just enough to add a little bit of realism and interest.  I always dislike when characters in a cozy never actually work the job they're supposed to be doing.  Cahoon does a good job with balancing this so that I feel that Jill actually works but it isn't overload on details.  I enjoyed this 3rd entry into the series more than the last book which had felt a little rushed and disjointed.  While this is a fast paced mystery the pacing was great. The mystery was as usual well done and I was relieved that Jill wasn't a suspect this time.  I like Jill and Greg's relationship.  They have their problems with Greg's job and Jill's nosiness but they don't get their feelings hurt too often or hold grudges for too long. I really liked that Jill made a conscious effort to not get involved and respect Greg's wishes.  It didn't exactly work out but she tried!

Con:  This is difficult as I really enjoyed this mystery!  The ending did feel a little rushed and while I found all the subplots interesting I probably would've been okay with 1 or 2 less.

Overall:  This is a fun cozy mystery series that just seems to be getting stronger.  I'm really looking forward to my 4th visit to South Cove and seeing what Jill's up to next.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Definitely!  I'm already on the lookout for the fourth book in the series.

Would I Recommend this Book?:  If you love cozy mysteries this is a series not to be missed!

12 comments:

  1. Oh sounds very nice Katherine! Love a good cozy :D

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  2. I never read a lot of Cozy Mysteries but when I see them reviewed I just love reading about them! I need to make time for them :)

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  3. Katherine I have book one on my wishlist thanks to you. I love the setting for the series and despite the rushed ending I am looking forward to exploring :)

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  4. I'm glad you liked this one. I enjoyed it too.

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  5. " I always dislike when characters in a cozy never actually work the job they're supposed to be doing"

    Haha, yes! I've thought about that a few times while read certain books. Even books where the characters are students. This sounds like a really fun cozy!

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  6. A cozy mystery is perfect for this time of year. This sounds like fun!

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  7. Always good to have no real cons to the book! Sounds like a lot of fun and I love that setting.

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  8. My dream; to own a coffee/book shop. *sigh*
    I also love reading about small towns. They seem so cute and interesting.
    I really should check out a cozy mystery. I've never read one and I really need to start expanding my reading.
    Happy reading!
    Brittany @ This is the Story of My(Reading) Life

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  9. South Cove sound s like a nice fictional place, and I'd like a bookstore called Coffee, Books and More. Glad to hear these are good, there's something really nice about a series that delivers.

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  10. Nice review, Katherine! It's fun that we're both reading this series. Like you, I really enjoy Jill and Greg's relationship, and watching it develop.

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  11. It's always good when a series gets stronger as it goes on. Fabulous review.

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