Kelle Z. Riley

Dr. Bree Mayfield-Watson is most comfortable solving chemistry problems and logically looking at things. She never signed up to find her boss murdered in a secured building and is considered the number one suspect. Who wanted him dead and why are they framing Bree?

Unlike most cozy mysteries, Bree is not your average amateur detective doing illogical and impulsive things to solve the mystery. Refreshingly, she uses her brain, keen sense of observation, and trusty notebook to analyze the facts show more and formulate who is the real murderer.

My favorite part was being caught up in who the potential murder was and then finding out I was so wrong! show less

This was an entertaining, light read with a likeable and smart heroine, several animals (a house cat, a tiger cub, and a Capuchin monkey), a challenging murder mystery, and several potential murderers. It was refreshing to have an intelligent heroine - Bree teaches chemistry and is an undercover spy. And she bakes - cupcake recipes included! The story primarily takes place on a college campus and involves several international exchange students, football players, and professors. Clues are show more sprinkled throughout the book, which enabled me to figure out who the murderer was, but that didn't lessen my overall enjoyment of this well-written mystery. This is book number 3 in the series, but not necessary to read the first two before this one.

I received an advance reader's copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. show less

A scientist investigating a murder. You would think it would be dry and uninteresting. Absolutely the opposite. It was entertaining, on the edge of your seat thrilling and also quite surprisingly funny. This book has the most amazing cast of characters, all of whom will hopefully be appearing in the rest of the series.

Normally first books are cumbersome because of all the background that has to be established. This book's story line flowed very well. It kept you turning the pages and show more wondering what would pop up next. I have to admit that I did not see the ending coming. I have great expectations for the rest of the series and am eagerly awaiting the next book!

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a free copy to review. show less

I had a hard time getting into this mystery. This is not a traditional cozy mystery. The beginning of the book was way too confusing. The mystery presented at the beginning is never solved or mentioned again. While reading the book I kept feeling like I was missing something. Bree goes undercover as Cat in a university lab for a rather flimsy reason. While working undercover she finds the dead body of her office mate. Working with her undercover handler and the local police they set out to show more solve the murder. In addition to the mystery a lot of the story is a romantic triangle between the three. As if that was not enough the author also includes a lot of science and recipes. I did enjoy the characters and the murder mystery was good but the solution was easy to solve. The author does know the science/lab background but she does need to do more research about Chicago. No Chicagoan would order New York Style Pizza. I do not think they even sell NY Pizza in Chicago. This series should be read in order. show less