Customer Reviews

For Better, For Murder (A Broken Vows Mystery)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Tired of the Patricia Cornwell formula? Try this book. Breezy and wittily written! Suspenseful, funny, and full of well-defined characters. I had a little trouble juggling the number of characters, but the story never lags, and the culprit was a complete surprise to me!! Great book for a first-time-published author. Will there be more, maybe a series?

If you like interesting, full-blown characters in a mystery, this debut novel will not disappoint. Jolene Asdale has a lot to work out: she carries heavy baggage from childhood, including a bipolar sister for whom she feels responsible, and she needs to figure out her feelings toward a husband she left but can't quite divorce. The small town setting allows Bork to create a web of relationships among her characters that comes into play when a dead body turns up in a Ferrari on display in Jolene's sports car boutique. Just enough is worked out in this first book, leaving plenty of room for more character-driven drama in subsequent books in this new series. Bork's writing is smooth, her pace brisk, her characters memorable, making for a very satisfying read.

For Better, For Murder was a page-turner to the end. The light of suspicion shines on about every character in this small-town holiday mystery. A classic whodunit, yet with a bit of romance, family dynamics, and holiday cheer(?). The relationships between the characters are very well-developed and intricate, as are their motives for murder. The author's tongue-in-cheek humor is scattered throughout the pages, especially in Jolene's view of herself and her ex.

I can't wait for the next "Broken Vows Mystery."

I enjoyed this little cozy mystery and it's delightful band of colorful characters. The protagonist owns a luxury car boutique, is estranged from her policeman husband while caring for her younger sister who happens to be bipolar. The writing is exceptional with a few editing flaws. This would make a cute movie and can't wait to read the next book, For Richer, For Danger.

Lisa Bork's new series character, Jolene Asdale, is complex and well-drawn. She's not just dealing with the body of an ex-boyfriend in her Ferrari. She's still in love with her almost-ex husband, the officer investigating the murder. Her bipolar sister escaped the psych center and is possibly robbing convenience stores with a sociopath. If all that wasn't enough, a hoodlum from Arizona kidnaps Jolene from the funeral home and leaves her in a ditch like roadkill. For Better, For Murder is witty, and, at times, sad. The mystery is well-plotted, and the personal storyline satisfying. I look forward to returning to Wachobe to find out what happens next in For Richer, For Danger, the next Broken Vows mystery.

An enjoyable entry into the cozy mystery genre, by an author to watch. Bork writes well, and captures the cadence of life in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State. The mystery kept me guessing - I confess that I wasn't able to figure out 'whodunit' before the heroine did. I read it in one day - and look forward to the next book in the series. 3 1/2 stars

I enjoy mysteries with strong main characters, especially female ones, and Ms. Bork has created a great one in Jolene Asdale. It's refreshing to see a strong woman who, while trying to succeed in the male-dominated world of high-end sports cars, is blessed with a wry sense of humor and who is both tough and tender. These traits come in handy when she tries to find the reason why and how a man she recently dated ended up dead in her prized Ferrari on her showroom floor.

All the characters, even the minor ones, are well-developed, with true, genuine feelings and believable actions. Jolene's relationships with her almost-ex husband, her high-maintenance escaped mental patient sister, and her quirky but loveable gay mechanic really adds to the appeal of the overall mystery.

The plot moves along at a nice clip--not too fast, but brisk enough to maintain interest. Plus, there are enough twists and revelations to keep you turning the pages well into the night. I also enjoyed the element of humor running through the book. It wasn't so strong that it was slapstick; just a nice subtle humor that endeared me to the characters and had me smiling - and nodding my head in agreement on several occasions.

Overall, I think For Better, For Murder is an impressive debut mystery. I look forward to future installments featuring this modern day female heroine.

For Better, For Murder by Lisa Bork

Book 1 in the Broken Vows Mystery Series

I decided to buy this book when I read about it in the authors Goodreads page. I do like a nice uncomplicated easy to read, really nice book from time to time, kind of cleansing after blood and guts, or vampires and other supernatural beings.
So when I woke up at 3.35 this morning, and unable to go to sleep, finished the book I was reading (vampire) then, as I was still awake and not at all sleepy, I went in search of something appealing, and came across this book. I settled with a coffee, wrapped up as it was pretty chilly, and started.

I so enjoyed this book, from page 1 I knew I would enjoy the writing, it was easy and just flowed, and as the story unfolded, I was just hooked. I finished the book in the one sitting, and felt upset when it ended! The story was set in a small town in USA,Finger Lakes, the main characters Jolene and Ray. Jolene runs a car sales business dealing with top end, exotic cars; and Ray, her not quite ex-husband, who is a Deputy. There follows murder, entwined with a maybe love story and possible bankruptcy, mixed with a needy, confused relative, and crossed wires, all adding up to an exciting, engaging, and thoroughly enjoyable book.

I immediately went to Amazon to look at book 2 in the series, and to my utter delight discovered I had bought it too! So now that I have located it, and am about to settle down to read it, but I'll just check to see if book 3 is out yet!!

I didn't figure out who the killer was. A fun book with lots of characters. I get a little tired of cozies in which the woman lies to her friend/fiance/husband/etc. in the police department. If Jolene hadn't done this over and over in the book, I would have given it a higher rating. I would definitely read another book by this author if she writes a series of books. If Jolene lies again throughout the book, though, that would probably stop me from reading any others by the same author.

What a great debut novel by Lisa Bork. I could not put this book down as I had to know what will happen next. This book had everything, a mystery, a little romance and family relationships that made this story heartwarming. The ending put tears in my eyes.