Review: January Thaw (Murder-by-Month Mystery #9) by Jess Lourey

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 1689 KB
• Print Length: 288 pages
• Publisher: MIDNIGHT INK (Jan. 1 2014)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B00H3R53NC

Book Description

Mira James' life is perfect. She's just consummated her relationship with Johnny Leeson, she's a freelance investigator for a local attorney, and she hasn't uncovered a dead body in nearly two weeks. That lucky streak comes to an icy halt when she joins the reopening festivities at the Prospect House, Battle Lake's oldest structure. Mira is covering the event for the Battle Lake Recall when she ice skates over a corpse frozen into the lake in front of the mansion. When Police Chief Gary Wohnt is shot in a seemingly unrelated traffic run. he and Mira must form a reluctant alliance as she becomes his eyes on the ground, uncovering a web of lies and murder that date back over a century.

About the Author

 Jess Lourey is the author of the Lefty-nominated Murder-by-Month mysteries set in Battle Lake, Minnesota, and featuring amateur sleuth, Mira James. Jess has been teaching writing and sociology at the college level since 1998.

When not raising her wonderful kids, teaching, or writing, you can find her gardening, traveling, and navigating the niceties and meanities of small-town life. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and The Loft, and serves on the national board of Mystery Writers of America.

http://www.jesslourey.com/index.html


My Review

I have been meaning to try out this series for some time and I am glad that I finally have. January Thaw is the ninth title in Jess Lourey's Murder-by-Month mystery series. Each title in the series contains the name of a month.

Amateur detective and librarian Mira James seems to have no trouble finding bodies in the same town of Battle Lake, Minnesota. Set in January obviously, this latest outing involves inheritances, drugs, a new microbrewery and lots of snow and ice! And of course a dead body...found frozen in the lake.

There is plenty of action and twist and turns to keep the reader engaged. A cast of interesting characters adds to the quirky mood of the novel. An enjoyable read that will be released on January 1st. Glad I finally waded into the Murder-by-Month mystery series. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.