A killer at a small-town literary festival. Bumbling drug dealers. A kidnapped cat. Starting a romance among all this chaos might be the death of them.Michael Fleishman is excited to meet his favorite mystery writer, Russell Withingham, at Lacetown’s Literary Fest. He is not expecting to cross paths with sexy hairdresser Jasper “Jazz” Dilworth—or become embroiled in a real-life mystery. As … mystery. As Lacetown’s only mortician and the county coroner, Michael is called to his first murder scene and is shocked to recognize the victim—Russell’s young lover.
Jazz only wanted to confront his ex, Russell, over his cheating. Instead, he meets the adorably awkward Michael and becomes a murder suspect. Soon Jazz is teaming up with Michael to clear his name. Along the way, they are helped and hindered by Michael’s sassy assistant, Kitty, the grumpy Sheriff Musgrave, Russell’s creepy PR rep, Norbert, and Michael’s lothario grandfather, who likes his manhattans strong and his women saucy. And of course, Mr. Pickles Furryton the Third….
more
Oh my!
This was such a fun book!
The plot made for a compelling read.
The characters ranged from creepy, to charismatic, to slightly strange to ‘way out there!’
There are so many ‘hilarious’ encounters you’ll find yourself going back to read entire sections over again…just to make sure it was written the way you thought it was.
The best things…the romance, the trusting relationships that developed, and the fact that everyone behaved exactly as you’d expect them to…if you were taking part in a Keystone Kops episode.
Enjoy!
I’m off to read the second book in the series…and hope there are many more!
This was the perfect cozy small town mystery.
Michael is an avid reader, he loves his, mysteries. Being the town’s mortician and the coroner has led to him coming across as quiet and a bit socially awkward – though when you get past the trappings he really is far from that description
Jazz is vocal, outgoing popular- Michael’s complete opposite and his perfect match. Such a treat watching these two navigate the waters of their attraction. Really enjoyed the chemistry between them.
This was such an overall fun read. It had all the mishaps and shenanigans of a cozy mystery. A complete mishmash cast of characters that you would expect from a small town. A bit of a phobic sheriff who truly didn’t have a mean bone in his body, A take charge get her done assistant who knows more than she lets on, a questionable kitty and that is just the tip of souls who reside in Lacetown.
The plot was tangled and had me going in circles grinning as each time I thought I figured out who done it I was once again thwarted!
I do hope we will get more from this cast.
An entertaining sweet romance shrouded in mystery
Murder Most Lovely is the first book Lacetown Murder Mysteries series by Hank Edwards and Deanna Wadsworth. This contemporary m/m story has a bit of romance, a dose of mystery/suspense, and a pinch of humor. It’s a fun and exciting read with interesting characters. I cant wait reread the next book.
I loved this mystery!! The men are hot, the people are funny and then there’s the dead body… All in all a great start to a new series by two talented authors! I’ll take both the men for my harem, I can be a voyeur!
4 star Review Murder Most Lovely (Lacetown Murder Mysteries: Case One) by Hank Edwards & Deanna Wadsworth
Both Hank Edwards & Deanna Wadsworth are new to me and although this is my first book it will not be my last.
As this was book one of a new series I happily signed up to read and review. I love murder mysteries, add in romance and two hot men and it is a win/win for me. murder
From the first to the last page I was hooked. Most Lovely was full of steamy scenes, humour, an intriguing mystery which kept me guessing and some swoon worthy romance.
The main heroes of this book are Michael Fleishman and Jasper “Jazz” Dilworth. I really liked the bumbling and slightly awkward Michael and I loved how feisty and caring Jazz was.
The secondary characters were entertaining and overall I found myself easily relating to the characters.
Not the HEA i was expecting but certainly a HFN and I will be interested to see how the series develops.
Michael who is a mortician meets at a book signing Jazz ( Jasper ) who is the local hairdresser , Jazz is the soon to be ( hopefully ) ex husband of Russell Withingham
who is the famous author and Michael has many books to be signed by Russell.
Mr Pickles is Michael’s cat who plays an important part in this mystery.
Before I knew it I had finished this book it was addicting .
I honestly haven’t laughed while reading so much for ages .
The characters are sweet and I could just imagine them together enjoying each others company in and out of bed .
Their sexual explorations were a pleasure to read.
An interesting story line with much drama written well .
A great read with characters you will never forget added with catnapping , drug deals and a murder and a relationship happening you have it all.
Great Story!! Couldn’t put it down.
I found this book rather enjoyable albeit the plot is somewhat contrived and some of the characters are somewhat stereotypes. That said, the two main characters, Michael and Jazz, are interesting and well developed. Michael is particularly fascinating as he combines some of the OCD characters of Monk (the T.V. detective) with a playful and voracious libido. He is definitely not a shy violet when it comes to sex. Jazz is also interesting as he works his way through his breakup to developing a relationship with Michael.
This book is the first book in the Lacetown Murder Mysteries. It makes a good start at world building as we are welcomed to Lacetown and introduced to several of its inhabitants. The writing is descriptive enough to allow the reader to feel as though they are there walking the streets and feeling the wind off Lake Michigan. An interesting cast of characters is introduced, and I am sure we are going to get to know them all much better throughout the course of the series.
The MCs in this book are Michael, the funeral director and forensic pathologist who serves as the coroner for Laketown, and Jazz, a recent transplant to the city and a hairdresser. The author does a nice job of character building which allows the reader to connect with the characters and therefore have a rooting interest in their developing relationship. I really liked these characters and could empathize with their feelings of loneliness and isolation, regrets over past mistakes and hopes for the future.
The story begins as Michael is going to meet his favorite author and get books signed. In line he meets Jazz who is also there to see the author (Russell) but for very different reasons. Jazz is married to Russell, though they are separated, and Russell has been dodging his calls about money he owes him. While at the book signing, we not only meet Russell but Dylan, the new boyfriend and Norbert the PR rep. When Dylan turns up dead the mystery begins. We meet the sheriff who is a complete jerk throughout most of the book as well as a few of his deputies. We also meet Michael’s co-workers and Jazz’s boss. I am sure we will be seeing more of these people as the series continues. I really enjoy it when an author takes time to develop secondary characters in such a way that we understand how they fit into and impact the world they are creating.
The mystery is well crafted though at points I think it moved a bit slowly. Some better editing might have solved that problem. The twists and turns in the story were plentiful and several viable suspects are offered up. I also like the way the author threaded the needle of making Jazz a possible suspect, though not really (it’s a romance novel…by genre rules there has to be a happy ending so we know it couldn’t really be him!) The ending has some interesting revelations. The climactic scene is a bit frantic which I think reduced some of the potential tension. It’s a bit wordy and convoluted. There are also some pieces that don’t quite fit with information from earlier in the book which could have used some better explanation. One of the motivations for the murder was cleverly hinted at a couple of times earlier in the book and if you hadn’t gotten there on your own will be a good “aha” moment.
I am looking forward to revisiting Lacetown and its inhabitants in the next book in the series.
*I voluntarily read an ARC and this is my objective review *
I’m not so sure about this series. I started Murder Most Lovely based on recommendations and many good reviews from readers who tend to have similar tastes as me, but it had a lot of parts that simply didn’t work for me. I loved that the main characters were older and they felt more run-of-the-mill people versus all the beautifully, perfect characters that tend to dominate romances. The writing in Murder Most Lovely was clean and easy to read as well.
Despite the positives, I kept waiting for that something special to click with me to no avail. The characterizations felt over-the-top and burdensome at times, like they were trying to be kitschy or maybe playful. Add to that a multitude of storylines that seemed to go nowhere fast and I got a heaping case of missed connections and flagging interest in the mystery itself. That said, I am glad I continued reading because the ending did surprise me, but as much as I was hoping to find a new cozy mystery series to fall for, I don’t think the Lacetown Murder Mysteries are for me.
*Reviewed for Gay Romance Reviews and Alpha Book Club*
This was a great page turner. I loved extroverted hairdresser Jazz and Michael, the awkward mortician he is falling for. These two have a complicated start to their relationship, since Jazz is married but separated from Michael’s favorite author. There is a terrific cast of characters here, and I love all the interaction shown as Michael and Jazz try to help the arrogant sheriff solve the murder of the author’s young lover.
This book throws several suspects at us, and I enjoyed every page. There are multiple points of view shown, but that never got confusing or frustrating.
I adore Michael and Jazz, as well as their friends and Mr. Pickles, Michael’s cat. This is a fun and interesting start to a series I know I will love!
While waiting in line to have his books signed by his favorite mystery author, coroner and mortician Michael meets a delightful, snarky man, and shares his umbrella with him. And he shares what he hopes/thinks is a connection with Jazz. Unfortunately, Jazz turns out to be Michael’s favorite author’s estranged husband, there only to demand the money Russell (the author) owes him. Even more unfortunate that philandering Russell’s one of many guys on the side turns up deceased, and Jazz is a person of interest in the case. Can Michael and Jazz clear Jazz’s name?
This is a solid mystery and a wonderful developing romance. The case is interesting and well plotted, and Jazz and Michael are a delightful study of opposites, which makes their pairing all the better. The direct and snarky Jazz and the shy but sweet Michael are a couple I need to read more of!
4 ½ stars
Murder Most Lovely is an exciting mystery that kept me guessing. Each character down to the least of the tertiary characters has a personality, whether good or bad. There are several possibilities for the murderer’s identity, and I was kept guessing until the end.
Michael’s character is multifaceted, but I was concerned at first because he, at that point, staid and withdrawn, was having some quite randy sexual thoughts. I was afraid this would be straight-up erotica, but as it turns out, he was just horny. I found myself feeling closer to Michael as the pages turned. He has an innocence that makes me want to protect him, but then he shows a fierce, protective side that makes me want to cheer. His character could have been written many ways, and I like the formula the authors decided on to make him into what I found in this book.
Jazz is a vibrant, outgoing character who is an excellent match for Michael. I like that he is unapologetic about who he is, even in this small town that has a definite shortage of gay men, and continues to act, dress and speak in the manner he pleases.
Jazz and Michael’s romance is sweet and sexy to watch and humorous with its interruptions.
The spicy scenes between these two are well done, and their HFN is satisfying.
I look forward to book two.
This was my first by Hank Edwards but definitely not my last, really enjoyed this slow burning romance wrapped up in a well wriiten, page turning totally engaginging mystery. Michael and Jazz meet at a book signing one of Micheal’s favorite authors and Jazz’s Ex Russell, standing in line they both notice a spark between them and decide they have to explore, in the mean time Russell’s new side dish is murdered which involves a whole cast of characters in both these guys lives so let the investigation begin.
Lovely
That’s one way to eat guacamole, but I don’t recommend it. Featuring a wacky cast of characters, including an adorable cat, a lovable grandpa, a sassy receptionist, and a frustrating sheriff, this book and town keeps you on your toes. It had me guessing until the end and along the way I fell in love with Jazz and Michael. They have heart, bravery, sarcasm, spirit and some amazing chemistry. I can’t wait to see what trouble they get into next. A wonderful and fantastic mystery.
Small town romance laced with a bit of mystery and suspense. It was steadily paced, low angst and pretty steamy. This was a case of mild amateur sleuthing mixed with bad luck and hilariously inept criminals. I wished that some of the POVs were absent since it gave away some of the mystery, but in the end I was surprised by the culprit. The mortician and hairdresser pairing was curious in a way how they meshed on professional level and how they regarded each other based on their clients treatment, which was endearing and sweet by the way.
I liked both MCs, Jazz and Michael. They were down-to-earth men who had their own insecurities and habits. This was slight insta lust since the entire book spun only a couple of days with the possibility of a relationship. I liked that the authors didn’t force strong feelings here. They just let it progress naturally to a certain point. The intimate scenes were very imaginative.
Some of the characters cracked me up, some made me shake my head in dismay and some were downright creepy – and I liked that I had such wide range of feelings for different characters. It made the story more interesting. All in all, I enjoyed the storytelling, the humor and the acceptance of Lacetown residents. Copy received for my honest and unbiased review
I love a good mystery and when you add MM romance, it’s the cherry on top. And the mystery written in this book was great, kept you hooked until the very end. You will think you solved it but then a character does something and you’re like..ok maybe it’s them..and so on. And the love story was blended well into the mystery (it wasn’t like you were reading 2 books). Jazz and Michael were steamy, funny and loveable. The side characters also added much to the story. I can’t wait for the next book.