Customer Reviews

Died in the Wool (Massachusetts Mayhem Mysteries, No. 2)

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Who doesn't enjoy a book you can cozy up with in bed and try to solve the mystery alongside the characters? I know I sure do, though I don't get to read many of them. So I was eager to give Died in the Wool a try. A librarian whose competitors for funds from the city are turning up dead--what's not to like?

In Died in the Wool, Monah Trenary suddenly finds her quiet life as the town librarian thrown into upheaval when she discovered a dead body in the bathroom. Fingers naturally point her way. Unwilling to let anyone use her as a scapegoat, Monah--along with her faithful sidekick and fellow amateur sleuth, Casey--begin investigating.

And just so happens that Monah's boyfriend, Mike, is a detective. With these three on the case...bad guys better get out of the way! It was lots of fun to follow both Monah and Mike as they investigate into the murder in their own way. Their romance was sweet, and I felt for Monah when she became a suspect and had to be questioned by Mike. How awful to think the guy your dating thinks you're capable of murder!

Elizabeth Ludwig and Janelle Mowery have crafted together another intriguing, twisting mystery in the second installment to the Massachusetts Mayhem Mysteries series. Fans of this series will be thrilled to see previous characters make an appearance, as well as discover new ones. With this lovely cast of characters and a complex plot, Died in the Wool is sure to keep you guessing the entire time.

I reviewed this book for the authors. It was not required that I give a positive review, but solely to express my own thoughts and opinions of this book, which I have done.

Sometimes it's nice to take a break from the stresses and realities of daily life and read a cozy murder mystery. Strange sentence when you think about it, but that fits this book perfectly.

Monah is a small-town librarian and discovers the body of a local teacher in the bathroom. Her boyfriend is a local policeman and is called in to solve the case. The problem? Monah is the number one suspect. Can he put aside his romantic feelings and look at her objectively, as a potential murderer?

This is a charming Christian book that is a very low risk, low stress read. No sex. No violence. No bad language. The characters in the book are somewhat stereotypical: librarian Monah is described as mousy and shy with glasses; the murder victim, a spinster teacher, is a schoolmarm, prudish and rude; the main suspect, besides Monah, is the richest guy in town. For all that, though, they aren't flat characters at all.

Reading this book is a bit like slipping on a comfortable pair of pajamas and settling in for a cozy chat. Some days, that's a very welcome change.

You'd think that a love of books would be enough but throw in disgruntled patrons, surprise fire inspections, and a broken air conditioner causing an Arctic freeze and days can rough. Yet, Monah will overcome these obstacles and be ready for yet another day... Until she sees Miss Tait. Miss Tait who is Monah's biggest obstacle when it comes to the library's acquisition of city funds for their yearly budget.

When Miss Tait turns up dead it's all everyone can do not to look in Monah's direction. Even the detective assigned to the case keeps questioning Monah... and they're dating! It looks as if Monah, and her never-fail friend Casey will need to solve this case.

In this hometown mystery Monah, the town librarian, is on a mission to get much-needed funds to purchase computers for her little library. She's up against quite a bit of competition, including her boyfriend who wants the funds for police department improvements.

When her competition starts dying, fingers point to Monah as a likely suspect. She has given them both water bottles right before they died. Toxicology reports show that they died from Monkshood poisoning, but that doesn't narrow down the suspect pool, because the garden club sent out monkshood seeds to all its members this spring. Since she knows she didn't do it, Monah realizes that she or her boyfriend might be next on the killers to-do list.

Suspects abound in this cute cozy mystery. It is a good read for when you want something lighthearted and easy to read. Several times I thought I knew who did it, but I kept changing my mind. Right up until the end of the story, I was still searching for the answer to this pleasant who-done-it. I give it 3 Stars.

Died in the Wool is written by Elizabeth Ludwig and Janelle Mowery and is book 2 in the Massachusetts Mayhem Mysteries, part of the Hometown Mystery collection by Barbour Books Publishing.

I was provided with this book by the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions rendered are my own.