Customer Reviews

Moving Is Murder: A Mom Zone Mystery (Ellie Avery Mysteries)

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

 

 

I am an army wife, but some things are the same no matter what branch of the service you are in. If you like mysteries or if you want a peek into the life of a military spouse this is a book you should read. I truly appreciated her even handed portrayal of military spouses. Trying to solve the mystery was fun, too.

I started reading this book as the packers were packing up my home for the move to our next duty station. I wish I had read it sooner. I could have used her moving & organizational tips.
I hope this is just the first in a series and that there will be more to follow.

Since her husband Mitch is in the Air Force, Ellie Avery has grown used to moving. His latest assignment takes them to Washington State. Since he's going to be there a while, they purchase a house off base. They're excited about having a break from squadron politics, until they discover that the majority of their neighborhood is in Mitch's squadron.

Unpacking with a newborn in the house is difficult, so a squadron BBQ is a welcome break. The fun atmosphere is lost when environmentalist Cass Vincent starts a nasty argument with Mitch's friend Jeff. On the way home, Ellie sees Cass pulled to the side of the road. When Ellie stops to see if she can help, she finds Cass dead.

Cass was highly allergic to bee stings, so the police are quick to rule her death by wasp sting an accident. Ellie has little reason to believe otherwise but begins to find evidence to the contrary. When suspicious accidents start happening to her, Ellie knows she must figure out the truth to stay alive.

This is the first book in a new series. Unfortunately, it shows a little. Other then Ellie and Mitch, most of the characters are two dimensional at best. It makes it hard to keep them all straight. I didn't really start to feel for any of them until near the end, when Ellie began to figure out their secrets.

The plot was a little slow taking off. Ellie spends part of the book stumbling over evidence by accident. Once she decides to investigate, the book picks up speed. The further into the book I got, the more interested I became in the plot. And the climax was surprising, logical, and very suspenseful. Additionally, there are great tips for moving after almost every chapter.

The book overcame the flaws to be enjoyable. I plan to give the next book a try as well.

Ellie Avery had really hoped that this move would get her away from base, away from the politics and obligations of the military wife. Unfortunately, the nice neighborhood she moved into turned out to be full of airmen and the spouses groups were in full swing. Not being good at saying no, Ellie finds herself recruited to help out--even though she really needs to pay attention to her 4-month-old baby. When one of the wives/neighbors suffers an allergic reaction to wasp stings and died, Ellie is called on to help out even more. But no one could have expected that helping out would include discovering that the "accident" was really murder.

Convinced that the local police and the Air Force OSI are blowing off her suspicions, Ellie starts snooping. One of the wives sneaks out of her house at night. One of the airmen is trying to get into the pants of all the wives. Another of the airmen is secretly visiting an off-base doctor. And Ellie's best friend's husband had a fight with the dead woman just before she was killed. Things get really bad, though, when accidents start happening near Ellie. Could someone be so afraid they want her dead?

Author Sara Rosett combines moving tips with mystery in a story that gives plenty of insight into the way that military wives adjust to common moves and the notion that they somehow must support their husbands--even at the cost of their own careers and ambitions. MOVING IS MURDER is well written and makes for an enjoyable light read.

I thought the story relies a bit too much on coincidence in the early goings as Ellie discovers clue after clue--when the dog knocks over the neighbor's trash, when she decides to vacuum the inside of the neighbor's van, when she happens to see the moonlighting wife in both of her jobs, etc. Like a good amateur sleuth, though, Ellie never gives up. Fans of the genre will also appreciate that she avoided the 'too-stupid-to-live' syndrome of never telling anyone where she was going.

MOVING IS MURDER is a promising first mystery. Rosett has a way to go in building suspense and differentiating characters, but I'll look forward to seeing more by this author.

Amateur sleuthing by a military spouse, a murder, lots of suspects and moving to a new base assignment are some of the elements that make "Moving Is Murder" a great tale. Author Sara Rosett takes her experiences as a military wife and weaves a tale into that fabric that is rich and full of excitement, intrigue, action and enough plot twists and turns to keep you guessing as to who done it and why.

To say that I enjoyed it would be an understatement--I loved it! I think the little heart symbol on the book's front cover indicating that it is "A Mom Zone Mystery" might scare off some male readers--but never judge a book by its cover. It is a great read for men as well as women--murder is not gender biased. It was a pleasant surprise to me to find myself hooked on this story plot so quickly.

The book is well constructed and she has made good use of personal glimpses of the characters in the story; so we get to know the people in the story and get caught up in the action. Rosett has significant writing talent, that is a given; she delivers an entertaining and absorbing story.

Those in the military will enjoy reading about their lifestyle and be able to identify with the actions and situations that take place on and of base an Air Force Base. There is also a nice side benefit for military families reading the book because at the end of most all chapters there are moving tips thrown in. That may sound a little odd but trust me she makes it work and it keeps the flow of the mood and energy rolling along.

This book is on my personal recommend reading list. It also receives the MWSA's highest book rating of FIVE STARS.

Ellie and her husband Mitch have moved four times in five years because of his assignments. His latest duty station as a member of the 52nd Air Refueling Squadron is at Greenley Air Force Base in Vernon, Washington where they accept off-post housing. They don't know that many of those stationed at Greenley live in their neighborhood.

Almost against her will, Ellie becomes involved in the activities of her neighbors that include the monthly coffee sessions, yard sales, and barbeques. At a barbeque Ellie witnesses an argument between Cass and her husband's pal Jeff. When Ellie leaves she notices Cass outside her vehicle dead from repeated wasp stings. Ellie soon proves that Cass was murdered by someone who planted a cup of sugar and wasps inside her car. Not long afterward someone searches Cass' house and subsequently Ellie's abode. Two other suspicious deaths happen that Ellie believes are linked with that of Cass. She determinedly sets out to uncover the culprit before she becomes victim number four.

Readers initially obtain a look at the difficulty facing our military and their spouses even within the States as they move to new assignments. That quickly twists into an intriguing amateur sleuth tale yet keeps that glimpse at the military family lifestyle. Ellie suspects everyone in her neighborhood as the potential killer, which makes it impossible for the audience to guess who the culprit is. Still the courageous heroine tries to connect the dots and find the killer before she or others become the next victim. Readers will salute Sara Rosett's fine mystery that sheds light on military life with the hopes that more such tales starring Ellie and her neighbors come soon.

Harriet Klausner

This was a very entertaining murder mystery involving an Air Force wife and new mother. Ellie and Mitch. along with their four-month old daughter, Olivia, are moving into their new home near the new assigned base. The first shock is that almost all of base housing has chosen to move to this particular sub-division, next is that Ellie is thrown into the 'Spouse' events since she can not say "No."

You quickly learn the new characters in this division. Some you like, Abby, and some you dislike, Jill. Some are nosy and end up dead, like Cass. Naturally, as these events go, Ellie and Olivia are the finders of the body.

Then, the book takes us on unexpected twists and turns as Cass feels compelled to solve Cass' murder. I was very pleased with the accuracy of military life and enjoyed the dialog a good deal. There was humor and some sadness as you get into the lives of the characters.

Life is not as it seems in the 52nd Air Refueling Squadron.

Good story, Familiar places since I live in the Northwest. Heroine is believable. I'd purchase the next one in the series.

The basic story is interesting, and the murder method is unusual, but the constant presence of the wretched baby spoils it. Half the book seems to be taken up with the baby. Everywhere you read, there's the baby. The baby is sleeping, the baby is crying, the baby is screaming, the baby is being fed, the baby is pooping, and on and on ad nauseum. It is in no way crucial to the story, nor does it advance the plot in any way. It doesn't even do anything critical at the end, like distract the would-be killer. It's as if the story had been written merely as a vehicle for baby worship. I suppose I should have been warned by the series title, "Mom Zone Mystery" - but come on. Those of us who actually read mysteries for the mystery part would have liked a lot less mom/baby, and a little more mystery. I tried to skim over the baby blather and focus on the story underneath, but that was hard to do because that baby is everywhere, mixed in with the pertinent points. Have you ever tried to eat a muffin in which the cook had accidentally dropped some eggshell? You try to eat around it, or pick it out before you feel that unpleasant crunch between your teeth, but you can't avoid every little piece, and so you don't really enjoy the muffin. That's how I felt as I read this book.

If you're gaga about babies, chances are you will like this book. If you like decent cozies, well, this book will still do, just be prepared to filter out a lot of extraneous garbage.

I picked this up at the bookstore on base hoping it was something I could relate to. Boy, was I wrong. Don't get me wrong, the plot wasn't bad, but the main character was someone that would be an embarassment to any squadron. Ellie Avery was either complaining about the demands of being a military spouse, or being a mother to a 5 month old baby. I was especially dissapointed with the portrayal of the one enlisted spouse in the story. THe author made them look like bored housewives, who were only qualified to shop and get a minimum wage job, while the officer spouses were educated and busy. I would read book 2 if I saw it in the library or was offered it for free, but I wouldn't spend money on it.

I am not quite finished with this book. However, I found it kept my attention and also offered some very helpful moving tips at the end of each chapter. The storyline involves military couples, most of whom live in the same off base neighborhood. What first appears to look like an accidental death of one of the wives, turns out to be a murder. The main character snoops around searching for answers and the guilty party. I wanted to read this series in order, and so far I like what I have read. It is a quick read, but keeps your interest.