Kate Young (3)

Southern Sass and Killer Cravings is set on a small island off the Georgia coast called Peach Cove. The Peach Diner was started by Marygene’s grandmother, Nanny after her husband gambled and drank away their money. Marygene has a natural talent for cooking and baking. She knows what is needed to elevate a dish and how to fix a wonky recipe. I thought Southern Sass and Killer Cravings was nicely written and it moved along at a steady pace. I liked the author’s conversational writing style show more which made the story easy to read. Southern manners and hospitality are the code in the South. Southern women are polite and always have sweet tea ready for guests (even if they are unwelcome). I liked that Marygene is a friendly yet flawed character (realistic) who has gotten herself out of a bad marriage. She has made mistakes and knows that she needs to make amends (to family and friends). There are an assortment of characters in the story that include Marygene’s sister, her half-brother, biological father, shop owners, residents, a reporter, and land developers. Betsy Myers, Marygene’s best friend, is over-the-top and boisterous (she is quite a characters). With Carl Ledbetter’s father dead, he is ready to let developers buy the land he inherited for high rise condos and a resort. Other residents do not want this type of development which leads to animated debates. There is plenty of action throughout the story, but I could have done without the repetition of case details. The mystery was mixed for me. The method of murder and the killer’s identity are easily discerned by avid cozy mystery readers. It was interesting, though, following the investigation to learn more about the victim and why he was killed. There are two potential love interests for Marygene. Personally, I thought it was too soon for Marygene to move on after her abusive marriage (she still had bruises on her neck). There is mild foul language in Southern Sass and Killer Cravings and references to the abusive Marygene suffered. My favorite phrase from the book is “the past always has a way of coming back and biting you in the keister” (so true). There are recipes from The Peach Diner included at the end. Southern Sass and Killer Cravings is a humorous cozy mystery that is perfect to read on the front porch in a cozy rocking chair with sweet peach tea on a table nearby. Southern Sass and Killer Cravings has Southern hospitality, friendship, sweet tea, gossip, tasty treats, a dead man, secrets, an island spirit and a new amateur sleuth. show less

Marygene Brown grew up on Peach Cove Island, Georgia, where her family owns the Peach Diner. However, she's lived in Savannah with her husband Peter. Her mother passed away two years ago, and since then, her sister Jena Lynn has been running the diner along with her half-brother, Sam, who's the cook. After a tumultuous marriage that sent her to the hospital one too many times, Marygene has had enough and decided to return home to help Jena Lynn -- if she'll have her. Since her mother's show more death, things haven't been the same, and she's afraid that Jena Lynn will have hard feelings.

But Marygene, broken and bruised in more ways than one, is surprised when Jena Lynn welcomes her back; and Marygene moves into her mother's home on the island, which was left to her. What she didn't realize, however, is the fact that her mother's spirit came with the house. And even though Marygene is having a hard time dealing with it, she discovers that maybe she can put her tangled relationship with her mother to rest.

After her mother warns her not to open the diner because someone is going to die, she does. And someone does die. Then Jena Lynn is accused of murdering the man, and since the 'imported' detective is determined to pin it on her, Marygene knows she has to prove her sister innocent. But complicating things along the way is the fact that her biological father, Eddie, is chief of police; her ex-boyfriend Alex is his deputy; and there's a report in town named Calhoun that has an eye for her. Life just got confusing, and Marygene needs to try and concentrate on finding a killer who might be right around the corner...

This is the first in a new series and it's not your typical cozy. Yes, there's the protagonist who is running from a bad marriage, but not an ordinary one; and she's damaged in more than that. It makes her not only sympathetic, but understanding of why she keeps herself aloof from the world. She's stronger than most because she's been through more, and come out a better person, in my mind.

Much of the action is centered around conversations, and I'm fine with that. I've had enough car chases to last awhile. She gets help from Calhoun, and I've grown fond of the character - more so than Alex, whom, while in anger says some unforgivable things. If he allows his anger to get the better of him where he'll hurl hurt at her, then he'll do it again. Mental abuse is just as bad as physical abuse, and no amount of apologizing will end that. I'd rather see her with Calhoun, who treats her as an equal and doesn't make judgments; but then, that's not my decision.

At any rate, I really enjoyed this mystery. It was peppered with interesting characters, and I liked the still fledgling relationship between Marygene and Eddie; I thought the clues were scattered throughout nicely; and when we discovered the murderer, it was a surprise, though not unexpected. I look forward to the next in the series and hope that it goes on for a long while. Highly recommended. show less

So… I used to read the Stephanie Plum series and loved them because of the dynamic between Stephanie and Lula. I gave up the series about book 18 because I couldn’t handle the love triangle any more, but I really missed the crazy exploits and sassy dialogue. I found it again in the Marygene Brown Mysteries by Kate Young. The dynamic between Marygene and Betsy is fabulous and I actually chuckled a few times… which rarely happens to me when I read cozies!

I had the pleasure of reading the show more first book in the series, Southern Sass and Killer Cravings, which I really enjoyed too, but the kooky dynamic between Marygene and Betsy was quite there yet. I missed book two, so I’m not sure if it was developed in that one, but Southern Sass and a Battered Bride had it in spades. And some of the things that happen in book three have the kooky and outrageous aspects that I loved from the Plum series.

Besides this great duo, many other characters in the series are very well developed and a pleasure to read too. I had mentioned in my book review for Southern Sass and Killer Cravings that I would like to visit most of the cozy towns, but I would want to actually live in Peach Cove Island, and after reading book three it’s even more true. The community is fantastic, peppered with some kooks and lots of caring people that I can’t wait to get to know even more.

In the first book the love aspect was kind of still up in the air, and from the tidbits I gathered from this book some things happened that made Marygene and Alex not get together, which I am actually happy about. And the new man on the horizon is a partner that I am very excited to see what will happen next.

The mystery was very well cultivated and it took me by surprise, which I always love when that happens. Southern Sass and a Battered Bride is a fantastic addition to the series and to the cozy genre. Although I don’t go back and read a book if I miss it in a cozy series, I will be reading book two…. And am really looking forward to book four! show less

Lyla and the Jane Doe Book Club ring in Halloween with a novel by Agatha Christie, but the festivities are soon cut short when Lyla and her grandmother discover a body in the library. The murder was reminiscent of the murder in the Christie novel with a candlestick as a murder weapon and the victim's widow taking the blame. Lyla turns to her Jane Doe pals for help solving the investigation to help clear their friend's name and stumbles upon a secret in her own mother's past.

Kate Young show more delivers a thrilling mystery with family drama, a surprising murder, and the fun that a book club can have to solve a case together. The Jane Doe Book Club is a delight component of the story which shines a light on the friendships between the members. Those friendships are an important support system for Lyla as she chases after her dreams of investigation and works to catch a killer. Lyla is a brazen and head-strong sleuth that is determined to make it as a private eye and is using her job with her uncle's Cousins Investigative Services for some experience. She's this relatable character that has a deep desire to investigate and gets her blood pumping by true crime which makes her the perfect sleuth to voice the story. Her job also ties into the family drama that she finds herself rooted in after learning that her mother has secrets. The mystery of her mother's past hits at trauma that ties directly into the murder mystery. The story has a strong emotional plot that tells a realistic and relatable story about family and respecting the boundaries of your family's secrets.

Young ties every thread of the story into a rich mystery that delivers surprises, twists, and suspense that would make Agatha Christie proud. show less