Die Buying

After being wounded in Afghanistan, EJ Ferris retires from the military. Because of her knee injury, instead of starting a career as a police officer, EJ finds herself working in security at a mall. That's right -- move over, Paul Blart. EJ Ferris is a Mall Cop.

I have read a lot of cozy mysteries in my time. I thought I had seen every possible theme...everything from pie shops and cooking schools to witches and ghosts. This series caught my eye because it was a theme I had yet to encounter. Murder at the Mall.

I loved this book! The theme is different and the main character is intelligent, interesting, and a skilled investigator. The plot was well developed. The mystery held my attention, and the suspense/tension built to a great ending. show more There is a lot of humor in this cozy mystery. Escaped reptiles, a cat named Fubar, and a grandfather who thinks he is 007. I can't wait to read book 2!!

I read this book as part of the SaveOurCozies readathon. Penguin/Berkeley Publishing has cancelled several of its popular Cozy Mystery series. The Mall Cop series is on the list of those that are being cancelled. I hope the readathon and the SaveOurCozies group can maybe get a few of these series off the chopping block, or at least give the authors a place to connect with readers about what the future of these cozy mysteries will be. There are three books in the Mall Cop series. I am definitely going to read the rest of this series. Hopefully, the saga of EJ Ferris will continue.

Laura Disilverio also writes the Book Club Mystery series. show less

I loved the setting of Fernglen Mall and I loved following the mall cops on their patrols, but I didn't love the mystery itself.

Even though I've never been to Fernglen Mall, I feel like I have before. The mall is a familiar place to me, a place where I used to hang out with my friends to shop, where we'd hang out by the fountain or the food court with our treats. It's nostalgic to read about a mall cop cruising through on her Segway, stopping by all kinds of small businesses on her patrol.

EJ, the MC, is a military veteran turned mall cop. She dreams of becoming a traditional cop, but is having trouble coming to terms with the fact that she'll likely never become one due to the knee injury she sustained while in the military. She's a show more determined character who has a group of interesting people around her, from her family to her fellow mall cops.

My favourite part about the book were the mall cops! My favourite parts of the book were watching the mall cops interact with one another. They're a fun and eclectic bunch of characters who have to deal with a whole host of issues at the mall from loose snakes to serial car vandalizers to murderer(s).

As for the mystery itself, I personally found it just OK. I personally think there were too many elements and loose ends for one book. It made it kind of hard to follow and to sleuth along, which are two things I usually love doing in cozies.

There were also a couple of deus ex machina moments that I really didn't enjoy. For example, it it's awfully convenient that EJ's grandfather is also a retired spy who still chats with his old friends about American intelligence-gathering.

If you love evocative settings in your cozies, this one might be for you, but if you're more interested in the mystery component, maybe I'd consider a different one.

For more of my reviews, please visit:
show less

Die Buying is up there with the best cozy murder mysteries. E. J. Ferris is a wounded veteran reduced to being a mall cop, and trying to do her best despite some less-than-desirable coworkers. The mall is an ever-changing setting with plenty of zany characters. There is a hint of possible romance in E. J.'s future. I am hoping this series has a long run.

This started with the mad escape of creatures from the Herpetology Hut and E.J. Ferris, the mall cop has that and a local developer found dead in a window display of an expensive clothing shop. E. J. was not a typical mall cop but ex-CIA operative who had extensive damage to her knee, so much that she could not continue to work. E. J. had not given up, she was still applying to police departments in her off time. I really liked the portrayal of her cat, Fubar and of her Grandfather who understood why she wanted to keep going in her occupation rather than take it easy and being bored to death with her mother's plans for.

My only disappointment was there were too many characters and that dampened the interest a bit with the mystery. You show more have her mother and father, grandfather, co-employees, best friend and her old boyfriend, the shop owners and employers and many added suspects. More depth and fewer characters would be the way to go. Grandfather, Fubar and her best friend would great for any future cozy and more detail about them would have been welcomed.

I really enjoyed the humor in this cozy, great funny situations and turns of phrases.

I bought this paperback myself and enjoyed it quite bit but there were ways to improve it. show less

this one was only eh for me. there's very little background so you don't really know the characters, and since I didn't know them I couldn't really care about them. some of it doesn't make sense, like EJ's grandfather, who seems to pop in for some comic relief with no rhyme or reason. and his bizarre escapades do nothing for the story. while it was nice not to have a bunch of romance weirding up the mystery it isn't enough to recommend.

Fun start to a series. I love the mall cop theme and the vast cast of characters that it offers, both naughty and nice.