Monday, April 9, 2018

Bad Neighbors - Cozy Mystery Review


Rating:  Just Okay
Source: Publisher

Description: 
It’s leaf-peeping season in Naneda, New York, and Agnes Blythe has settled into helping her eccentric Great Aunt Effie restore the Stagecoach Inn. It seems nothing can shatter the golden idyll―or the ka-ching of cash registers―until a mechanic at Hatch Automotive is found bludgeoned to death with a wrench.

Sweeping into action, Agnes and Aunt Effie are on the scene, when a tourist-laden motor coach breaks down outside of town. The Stagecoach Inn isn’t exactly ready for guests, but Agnes and Effie agree to take in a group of seniors while they wait for repairs. But then, Agnes finds herself pulled into the investigation when she learns her new boyfriend, gorgeous Otis Hatch, is the Naneda Police Department’s prime suspect.

With bodies falling faster than the foliage, Agnes must leaf through the more viable suspects and clear Otis’s name of murder in Bad Neighbors, the charming second Agnes and Effie mystery from national bestselling author Maia Chance.

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:
  I thought the first book in the series had potential and I do love an old B and B.

My Impression:

What I Liked:
Maia Chance's writing style never fails to pull me in and makes for a super quick read.

Aunt Effie is pretty fun.  I love her refusal to acknowledge problems and just blissfully assume that things will work out though and just badgers everyone to get things done.

I was surprised by the identity of the killer which is fairly unusual.

What Didn't Work For Me:
I have a hard time believing that Agnes is actually an adult.  Her behavior, attitude, and actions feel like a young teenager.

So much bickering!  Some can be a lot of fun but every character bickers with every other the character so much that it feels like that's the only way they communicate.

This is on the silly side of cozies with all kinds of crazy shenanigans and behavior that borders on TSTL which isn't really what I personally enjoy.

Overall, this book wasn't for me.  It's well written and fast paced so if you enjoy a quirky mystery full of hijinks I think you'll enjoy it but it was a bit much for me.


Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  I will read more books by Maia Chance but I don't think this series is for me.

Would I Recommend this Book?
  If you enjoyed the previous book in the series I think you'll enjoy this one but other than probably not.  I do recommend this author in general but not this series.

10 comments:

  1. I don't remember hearing of this author before. I like the sound of the book and the cover. Sorry you didn't like it more.

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  2. Okay so one that just didn't work on many levels and very valid reasons why, I imagine the bickering would get tiring after awhile.

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  3. Oh bickering. Yeah, there's a fine line with that for me. Sometimes it's so funny but can go overboard. Hope the next series works better for ya.

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  4. I read Bad Housekeeping...and enjoyed it. But I agree that Agnes is scatter-brained and seems very adolescent...in Bad Housekeeping, she moved out of her BF's home, leaving behind almost everything she needed. Then she proceeded to make several other dumb moves. LOL.

    But...it was kind of a fun read, too. I'm curious about this one...I do love a good B & B mystery.

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  5. This series is on my TBR. Eventually I will get around to reading it.

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  6. I hate when the characters do TSTL things! I see that in romantic suspense a lot too, and it's almost always just a way for the author to move the plot in the direction she/he wants than something someone would actually do! Sorry this wasn't a win for you.

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  7. A cozy and a B&B are a good combo! Sorry to hear it was a bit over the top. Effie sounds fun but yeah the constant bickering might get annoying after a while. And TSTL gets to me too after a while, I can only take so much of that. :)

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  8. Oh a B&B sounds promising for a book. Sorry this wasn't for you!

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  9. I love the sound of B&Bs, I have always wanted to open one! :)
    Sorry this didn't work for you.
    Great review!

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  10. Wow, this is the first cozy series I have seen you not continuing. I'm sorry it wasn't believable enough for you.

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