4.5 stars

This book is wonderful. I adore Motts and her gang of found and blood family. I love the focus placed on all the amazing food they enjoy as they work to solve the mystery. And I actually clapped when Teo confessed he was ace.

Autistic origami artist Motts and her cat and turtle move from the hustle and bustle of London to rural Cornwall – only to discover a dead body in her garden.

This is very much in the cosy end of the mystery / crime genre.

My only criticism is in the use of language. All the characters are British and it's meant to be written in British English – yet frequently the language veers into the American. American terms for things and American spelling / grammar pop up. The most frequent tell is 'gotten' – we don't use that in British English.

When I read that the author is a dual British-American citizen homeschooled in America by a British parent, it became clear. As a Canadian-Brit, I completely understand what it's like to write in slightly muddled dialect. Using a British editor or at least a few British beta readers would resolve this issue. ( )

In the first of the Mott's Cold Case Mystery series Pineapple, nicknamed Motts by her friends, is an autistic young woman approaching 40, living on her own for the first time. Her friends and family keep a keen eye out for her, especially when she discovers a body buried in the garden. And so the mystery begins! Who is it? Who did it? But just as much as the mystery is an important aspect of the story, so are the many friendships and a budding romance, as well.

I enjoy mysteries so was prepared for a good read. The story was cute, king of cozy, simple, quick and entertaining. But I was just a little disappointed with the lack of suspense. I would have enjoyed the book a better with more mystery perhaps and a little less chit-chat with the dialogue. ( )

Mott’s Cold Case Mystery #1, was the perfect weekend read. This short and fun read takes you along Pineapple (Motts) journey. (I think it’s cute name - what do you think?) It starts with Motts moving out her parents house for the first time (at almost 40) to be closer to family/friends. As she navigates life on her own, a dead body is found close to home. Motts approaches this mystery with a good balance of apprehension and curiosity. She takes you along as she solve the murder while working through the boundaries with family members, exploring a possible new relationship and working through her past one with her ex-girlfriend/ best friend, autism,and learning to lean on friends for support. I appreciated the balance of Motts trying to solve the mystery while staying true to her character.

I dove right into mystery #1. With feel good vibes, entertaining character relationships and a mystery that has substance/depth - I would recommend but not sure I am hooked. I wonder - what else could possibly happen in this small town for the next mystery? Do we get to explore other characters more and am I ready to leave Motts behind? Not sure if the series will keep me hooked - we will have to see! ( )

A cosy mystery with all the ingredients: A small village, a corpse, several suspects acting suspicious and a heroine who, in spite of, or maybe because of, all her awkwardness and anti-sociability, the equally quirky supporting cast simply adores, at any time of the day or night dropping whatever they have in hand just to protect, feed, and hug her, or simply keep her company, which is sweet, if something we rarely expect to happen in real life.

Not as concise as it might have been, and might profit from cutting back on the repetitions: It’s already in the blurb, so the author might rely on the reader having got that the heroine is autistic, asexual and all the rest, there’s no need to remind them on every other page.

Overall, a quick and easy and often fun read. I specially liked the amount and variety of eatables mentioned throughout the narrative, reading which used to make me grow peckish. ;-) ( )