I love cozy mysteries! As a little girl, I visited the little library near my grandparents home at least weekly. My grandparents would read the books I chose right along with me--Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew and any other young adult mystery that I could find for them. While C.S. McDonald's mysteries are a little more grown-up--the clean, light, cozy mystery feel sucks me in every time! What did I think of Maxed Out? Read my thoughts, learn about the author and her books--and be sure to enter for a chance to win a prize in the book tour giveaway at the end of this post!
Author: C.S. McDonald
Category: Adult Fiction, 184 pages
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: McWriter Books
Release date: April 2021
Content Rating: G. C.S. McDonald's books are appropriate for YA readers as well as adults--no bad language or sexual content.
Should you purchase an item via our links--we may receive slight compensation from an
affiliate partner.
The Owl’s Nest Couturier Shoppe is a huge success! Business is booming and Alexa Owl’s love life is heating up. Yet much to the seamstress’s dismay, Detective Bobby Starr is suddenly back again! Bobby isn’t your everyday gumshoe. Rather, he’s an angel who’s trying to earn a place in Saint Peter’s Guardian Angel Squad. He’s required to solve
murders he had left unsettled from when he walked the earth in order to be accepted into this prestigious group. Of course, they will need to return to the time period in which the murder took place, and again, Alexa is a reluctant time traveler. Oh, and there’s one more little problem—this time, Bobby’s brought along a friend, Maxi Krogen, and she’s no angel!
Maxed Out is a Fun Mystery with a Paranormal Twist. After a bit of bit of clunky start, the author's writing style and voice brought her characters into and through a fun, easy-to-follow, tough-to-put-down mystery. I had read the first book in the series, so I understood Winnie and Alexa and their ghostly encounters/relationships--but it had been a while, and the pieces weren't easily filled in for me. A new reader may take a bit to settle into the story and understand the flow of things. Having said that, after a few chapters, I remembered what I loved about C.S. McDonald's writing style! She keeps the mystery gnawing away at the edges of the story as she throws in some side stories and an eclectic blend of characters. Add in some humor and some bungled happenings--and it turns into a fun mystery with characters you will want to visit again.
Would I Recommend Maxed Out by C.S. McDonald? If you enjoy light mysteries, ghosts, a little time travel, and fun, lovable characters--give The Owl's Nest Mysteries a try. I would probably read from the beginning of the series to be "up to speed" with the paranormal aspect of things. But, even if you just pick up this one--it is a fun story that will definitely lead you to await more books in the series! The books are quick and easy to read--a little unrealistic at times in keeping with most cozy mysteries--but will keep you interested all the way through the epilogue!
Check out These Cozy Mysteries Too!
Book Title: Bon Voyage to Murder: A Fiona Quinn Mystery #8
Author: C.S. McDonald
Category: YA Fiction, 198 pages
Run Time: 6 hours, 52 minutes
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: McWriter Books
Release date: Nov 5, 2019
Content Rating: G (The Fiona Quinn Mysteries are for everyone--adults love the books and they are appropriate for teens and tweens too!)
About the Book
Hooray! Fiona has finally convinced her boyfriend detective Nathan Landry to go on a romantic Caribbean cruise. Unfortunately, their fun on the high seas is interrupted by murder. It isn’t long before they discover a boatload of suspects, who have motives deeper than the ocean for wanting the victim out of their lives.
Buy the Book
Author: C.S. McDonald
Category: YA Fiction, 184 pages
Run Time: 5 hours
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: McWriter Books
Release date: May 19, 2020
Content Rating: G (The Fiona Quinn Mysteries are for everyone--adults love the books and they are appropriate for teens and tweens too!)
Mysterious notes are showing up in Fiona’s kindergarten classroom, claiming a suicide from 2005 was actually a homicide. Detective Landry maintains the messages are too vague, possess no integrity, and do not warrant a review of the old case.
Fiona’s not convinced. She’s determined to find the author of the enigmatic notes and uncover the truth about a man who had many secrets and countless enemies, including Fiona’s mother and former suspect Nancy Quinn!
Can Fiona crack this cold case, and what will it take to get Detective Landry involved? Don’t miss taking notes on this murder!
Buy the Book
For twenty-six years C.S. McDonald’s life whirled around a song and a dance. Classically trained at Pittsburgh Ballet Theater School, The Pittsburgh Dance Alloy, and many others, she became a professional dancer and choreographer. In 2011 she retired from her dance career to write. Under her real name, Cindy McDonald, she writes murder-suspense and romantic suspense novels. In 2014 she added the pen name, C.S. McDonald, to write children’s books for her grandchildren. In 2016 she added the Fiona Quinn Mysteries. Presently, the Fiona Quinn Mysteries has nine books.
Cindy’s newest venture is The Owl’s Nest Mysteries. Once again, she has set her cozy mystery in Pittsburgh. The Owl’s Next Mysteries has a little grit, a little time travel, a little romance, and a whole lot of cozy!
Cindy resides on her Thoroughbred farm known as Fly by Night Stables near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Bill, and her poorly behaved Cocker Spaniel, Allister.
No comments:
Post a Comment