Professional organizer Maggie McDonald manages to balance a fastidious career with friends, family, and a spunky Golden Retriever. But add a fiery murder mystery to the mix, and Maggie wonders if she’s finally found a mess even she can’t tidy up . . . With a devastating wildfire spreading to Silicon Valley, Maggie preps her family for a rapid evacuation. The heat rises when firefighters … firefighters discover the body of her best friend Tess Olmos’s athletic husband—whose untimely death was anything but accidental. And as Tess agonizes over the whereabouts of her spouse’s drop-dead gorgeous running mate, she becomes the prime suspect in what’s shaping up to become a double murder case. Determined to set the record straight, Maggie sorts through clues in an investigation more dangerous than the flames approaching her home. But when her own loved ones are threatened, can she catch the meticulous killer before everything falls apart?
“A skillful amateur detective with an impressive to-do list.”
—Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW, Address to Die For
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I read Disorderly Conduct by Mary Feliz after I won this book through the Cozy Mystery Review Crew group which I love being part of! This is the 4th book in the Maggie McDonald mystery series, published in 2018, but I haven’t had a chance to read the previous ones, yet. I will be going back to read them at some point as I really enjoyed this one.
Maggie is an organizational expert and in this caper, she’s providing tips to prevent and/or react to fires occurring all throughout her Silicon Valley hometown. When her best friend’s husband’s body is found among the wreckage, she’s playing mom to more than just her own family. As Maggie comforts Tess, all the kids suspect there’s something foul especially because their father was an experienced hiker and very cautious in all he did. As Maggie helps protect the town and comfort her friends, clues begin to surface, including a sinister group of internationals growing drugs in a nearby field. How does it all fit together? Read to find out… no spoilers here.
Being new to the books and author, I wasn’t sure how I’d do starting mid-series. There were a few references to prior murders, and a couple of people who had been suspects once; I will now know not to worry about them. For those reasons, I’d recommend reading in order, but otherwise, it would be a good standalone novel. I enjoyed the premise and characters. I did think the mystery was a little too side-story in terms of actual investigation. Maggie searches for clues along the way, but when she learns of the drug story, it’s a bit of a different book. That said, these series aren’t always about the mystery — sometimes it’s about getting to know a made-up setting and fictional characters. Readers enjoy living in someone else’s world, so there’s a balance with both a fun mystery and a cool get-to-know-you story.
I’d recommend it for folks who just like to immerse themselves in a different setting without needing a hardcore mystery to sink there teeth into. The characters stand out. Having pets is fun. Getting tips is beneficial. Overall a good read worthy of 4 stars. Thanks to the publisher and author for setting up this giveaway contest.
Maggie McDonald is in a less than pleasant situation. Raging wildfires threaten her home and community. She and her family are preparing to evacuate to a friend’s house, Tess when Tess calls frantic. The police have told her they’ve found a body and believe it to be that of her husband, Patrick. Tess is in a panic, and understandably so. She doesn’t want to think or believe that the worst could be true. Sadly, it is. They believe it initially to be an accident but soon fingers, rumors and evidence point the police in a different direction. So when the fires begin to abate and be contained by the firefighters, the investigation by Maggie and those around her begin as they seek to learn the hard-hitting questions. Who wanted Patrick dead or out of the way? Why? Who stood to gain from him being out of the picture? Who potentially has it out for Tess to see her take the wrap for the murder? Prepare yourself! This mystery will pull you in to the end!
Disorderly Conduct by Mary Feliz is an engaging mystery novel from beginning to end. I enjoy Maggie McDonald so much as a character and I love the tidbits of organizational segments that the author has her give at the beginning of each chapter. They are informative and definitely make the reader think about their own preparedness concerning emergencies and disasters that might arise. This story is well put together. Maggie and her family are packing up to relocate to Tess’s house, only for Tess’s world to be rocked on learning of the untimely death of her husband. Now, the author gives us people who spread rumors, a strange website pops up slurring the family and the marriage. I feel like I was attached to a rope and the author was just gradually pulling me in deeper a little bit at a time. I couldn’t get enough! As Maggie began the work of trying to learn what happened to Patrick and the people he associated with I felt like I was right there with her on the trail. If you are an avid mystery reader then this book is most definitely for you.
For the most part, I can easily say that this book has been professionally edited. I do have to admit that there are a couple sentences that feel like they are incomplete. Like the author was writing and got so excited to jump to the next sentence that they forgot to finish. I will admit that when Maggie goes to meet with a Debra to discuss Patrick and they meet up again at Google, I’m a bit annoyed with Maggie. She’d been there the day before with Kath. I had expected her to be prepared for the weather/temperature conditions from what she experienced previously. Kath knew Maggie wouldn’t know what to expect, so she took that into consideration and was prepared. The second time around I expected Maggie to be prepared and not rely on someone else.
All in all, I truly enjoyed this book. It has a good pace that is not too slow and not too fast. Maggie and her family are fascinating characters and I couldn’t put this book down if I wanted to. I was on the edge of my seat to learn what really happened to Patrick, who did it and why. I liked the added elements of the wildfires and other minor situations throughout that added to the thrills and mystery of this story.
I am rating this book 5 out of 5 stars. I couldn’t get enough. If you are a looking for a good mystery novel that will keep you guessing as to “who done it” to the end and trying to figure out the motive then this is the book for you. If you have read the previous Maggie McDonald books then I highly recommend you pick this book up. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.
Disorderly Conduct was a great book! Being a resident of California, I really enjoyed the setting of the book as it was in Santa Cruz, very close to my own backyard. It was a very relevant story also as we are currently going through many fires within our great state. The helpful tips at the beginning of each chapter were very spot on and made very important points that are also quite helpful in day to day life! The mystery was well rounded and pulled me in from page 1. I enjoyed the characters and their caring relationships with each other. I haven’t read the other books in this series and I felt it was very easy to get into the story and never felt like I was missing information to be able to move through the story or understand the relationships within the story. I’m excited to see what the other stories in this series are about and enjoy being introduced to this new to me author. Well worth your time to pick up this book soon!
Disorderly Conduct
A Maggie McDonald Mystery, Book #4
Mary Feliz
5 Stars
Synopsis:
Professional organizer Maggie McDonald manages to balance a fastidious career with friends, family, and a spunky Golden Retriever. But add a fiery murder mystery to the mix, and Maggie wonders if she’s finally found a mess even she can’t tidy up . . .
With a devastating wildfire spreading to Silicon Valley, Maggie preps her family for a rapid evacuation. The heat rises when firefighters discover the body of her best friend Tess Olmos’s athletic husband—whose untimely death was anything but accidental. And as Tess agonizes over the whereabouts of her spouse’s drop-dead gorgeous running mate, she becomes the prime suspect in what’s shaping up to become a double murder case. Determined to set the record straight, Maggie sorts through clues in an investigation more dangerous than the flames approaching her home. But when her own loved ones are, can she catch the meticulous killer before everything falls apart?
“A skillful amateur detective with an impressive to-do list.”
—Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW, Address to Die For (Goodreads)
Review:
The emotions that I felt while reading this book were very strong. I felt so much sorrow for Tess and her son, Teddy, for losing their spouse and father. The emotions went much deeper than those I usually experience when reading a cozy. The grief was just pouring off of the pages in this book.
The characters are well developed and well rounded. Maggie and her family and friends have so much love to share. Maggie will do whatever she can to help Tess during her time of sorrow, even figuring out who killed her husband. Maggie and her husband, Max, make such a great pair and really compliment each other. And I enjoyed spend time with Maggie’s kids, Brian and David. They were involved throughout the entire book and I enjoyed that a lot. I like that Maggie is a wife and mom, it is refreshing in the cozy genre.
The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. Through the writing style I felt like I had a real feel for the characters and the reasons behind their actions. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and went into enough detail without getting wordy. I really enjoyed all of the tips that were included at the beginning of each chapter. Most of the tips had to do with emergency preparedness, which can be helpful to anyone.
The mystery was well plotted and was not easily solved. There were enough suspects to consider and clues to sift through. Throw in some twists and turns and a couple of red herrings and even the most experienced armchair detective will have a difficult time figuring it out.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. But you might want to have some tissues ready because there were some very sad moments.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.
As the song goes, “It doesn’t rain in
sunny California” much to the dismay
of the McDonald family. They are in
the process of putting into action their
emergency crisis plan as a Forest Fire
is heading toward their home in
Orchard View.
Max and Maggie with their two sons
(Brian and David), their golden retriever
(Belle) and two marmalade-colored
cats (Holmes and Watson) are going
to stay with friends.
What they did not expect was to arrive
at their friends and be involved in heart
wrenching drama. It seems Patrick Olmos
is missing. Neither his wife, Tess or son,
Teddy have heard from him or been able
to contact him.
Then the unthinkable happens, a dead
body is found in an area where Patrick
goes running. Soon Tess is arrested for
her husband’s murder after certain
evidence seems to point to her guilt.
Time for Maggie and her cohorts to step
up to prove Tess’s innocence. The
There is more going on in them there hills
than meets the eye!!!
A well plotted murder mystery with several
sub plots to keep the reader attention.
I thought the characters were all artfully
created, well defined, colorful, quirky with
agendas of there own.
I throughly enjoyed the tips at the beginning
of each chapter from the “Notebook of
Maggie McDonald Simplicity Itself Organizing
Services”. Plus at the end there is what I
consider a good reference list of resources
to be able to get information and materials.
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
My opinion is voluntary and my own.
This is one of those “cozy” mysteries that are a bit simplistic. But this is one of the more enjoyable ones. It’s not obvious who the killer is so that keeps interest.
This is the 4th book in the Maggie McDonald Mystery series. I really like the characters, the way the characters help and support each other, and the mysteries are quite good.
Great, enjoyable read!!!
It has all the components that I love in a book…great characters, a great storyline, and my favorite, a dog!!!!
Maggie is professional organizer, but she finds herself in a dangerous position. She is making preparations to evacuate her home with her family as the California fires creep closer. On top of that, she finds herself embroiled in a murder mystery that strikes close to home, her best friend, Tess’s husband, Patrick’s, body is found, and his running mate is nowhere to be found. She has to be a support to Tess and Tess’s children, all the while being there for her own children as Patrick’s death heavily impacted them all. As she is dealing with all of this, her family is now being threatened. She definitely has her work cut out for her to find this killer.
I love when I think I have the mystery solved, and the writer adds another twist. This book was full of twists. It was emotional too as Tess was dealing with a devastating loss that was completely unexpected. Maggie is a wonderful friend and is with Tess every step of the way. I loved seeing how strong that friendship was.
The book is very well-written with engaging characters, and the mystery really kept me guessing. I love the beginning of each chapter with a snippet taken from her notebook of organization. It really fit in with the book! This is the first I have read in the series, but I found that I had no problem reading it as a standalone. I’m really looking forward to reading the other books in the series.
I’m going to say right off the bat I wasn’t sure I was going to like this book. It had nothing to do with the plot line, I just didn’t understand how the day a woman finds out her husband is dead why all these people would come over that same day and Maggie would set up an atmosphere that was almost party like. I understand people paying condolences and bringing food, but within hours? There were just a few things that happened the first day that just didn’t seem logical.
All of that aside, once I got past that first day the story line picked up speed as Maggie and the crew were off trying to decipher who killed Patrick and why. The final result was quite surprising and the author does a great job of misdirection with the characters. I honestly expected the killer to be another character based on information provided. There are still the pesky neighbors that we still don’t like even into the fourth book.
Maggie remained true to her character as in previous books – a mother hen with fantastic organizational skills that is able to ferret out the true criminal.
I appreciate all the hints and tips at the beginning of each chapter. I can use all the help I can get when organizing my own life, and these tips can be quite helpful. This book even has a list at the end related to emergency preparedness for acts of nature and the like. I had no idea that the CDC in efforts to reach more people created a program that tied to what to do if there was a zombie apocalypse. Granted this will most like never happen, but if it intrigues others to become prepared then I’m all for whatever it takes!
*I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.
Another great installment in this adorable cozy mystery series. This time super organizer Maggie is packing her family for an enforced evacuation due to an out of control wildfire that puts their property at risk. They plan to stay with her friend Tess and her family. Before they even arrive Tess calls freaking out that the cops called saying they had found her husband body at the edge of the wildfire. This turns out to be murdered with Tess arrested for it. While acting as a temporary guardian for the son Maggie has to do what she does best to clear her friends name. I have to say that this was a surprising mystery investigation with lots of plot twists to throw you of the scent mixed in with heart warming family scenes. Great character development, a well thought out mystery, and family theme that really warms the heart. Great for fans of the genre. I really enjoyed it so I give it 4/5 stars.
Wildfires have been in the news a lot lately. They destroy everything in their path and seem to have a mind of their own. How frightening it would be to see the threat of a wildfire close to your home. Maggie is facing that very danger and decides it is time for action. She prepares her family for evacuation and I enjoyed reading how detailed she was about what to bring and how to prepare the home they were leaving behind. There must have been butterflies going their stomachs as they saw the fire rage closer to them.
When a body is found among the area where the fire is , it shakes the town up. Maggie’s best friend, Tess is about to get some very upsetting news. I did like how detailed the author was when the body was identified at the morgue. We have all seen those shows where they pull the body out of a slot and the family stares at it. Technology has come a long way and I think it makes more sense to look at the body on a screen to soften the agony the family is going through. I wasn’t surprised that Tess was arrested, but I was quite impressed with her son. He is one sharp teenager asking questions that the officers should have been asking others instead of his mom. The big question is why was Patrick up there near the fire and who wanted him dead?
The author gives us several suspects to consider and I tried really hard to figure out who did it and why. I was unsuccessful and pleased that the author had me guessing till the end. There are many twists in the story and I loved how Maggie was determined that her best friend would not be found guilty. It felt like a story that could happen in any neighborhood and of course there is always those gossipy people. I often wonder why people say unkind things when a family is going through a traumatic event. It makes me furious when the media interviews neighbors who want their fifteen minutes of fame.
The story is very well written and brings friends closer together while being able to depend on the truth to come out. Several of the characters were a challenge to like such as Robert Wu. He works with Tess and didn’t hide his dislike for Patrick at all. Robert was rude in a way and hinted that Patrick was holding Tess back in her job. I found Robert to be very unpleasant and wanted to slap the smirk off his face. I enjoyed the different people Maggie interviewed to clear her friend’s name. Each character seemed to have a reason to kill Patrick so my list of suspects was getting longer. The story gets more intense as Maggie digs further into what happened the day Patrick was killed.
The ending is quite explosive and really intense . I loved learning about the swat team and other law enforcement agencies involved. I didn’t expect how in depth the mystery went. I was so engrossed in it, I didn’t want it to end. I love how the story started as a murder but turned into so much more. At the end of the book the author has given readers information about emergency preparations. It is filled with helpful websites that readers should look into so they will not be caught off guard in an emergency.
I received a copy of this book from The Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour. The review is my own opinion.
Beginning with “Address To Die For”, this series has so much more depth than your average cozy.
Fourth in the Maggie McDonald Mystery series, Disorderly Conduct is different from the earlier mysteries. Each chapter begins with a quote from Maggie’s notebook regarding preparing for disasters. Living in California where the risk of sweeping fires is of great concern to the residents, Maggie, as a Professional Organizer, includes details about planning for evacuation of family and pets. This time, she is faced with putting those tasks into orderly practice for her own loved ones.
Raging fire threatens to jump the ridge to the McDonald home, one that has withstood California challenges for a century. As Maggie and her family prepare to take their needs and their pets to best friend Tess’s house, Tess calls with a bizarre request. She received a call regarding her husband, Patrick, who had not come home from work the night before. An engineer working on classified projects, he sometimes gets caught up in a project and loses track of time. The police believe that a body they found where Patrick often went running, in range of the fire, is Patrick. Tess has been asked to go to the medical examiner’s office to identify him.
Maggie’s husband Max, her sons, and pets go to Tess’s home, and will stay with Teddy, her teenage son and close friend of Maggie’s teens. Tess believes it is not Patrick, she will go to the ME’s just to prove it. Paolo, a young man with the local police department, drives her and Maggie there and tries to prepare Tess for the process. Nothing could have prepared Tess, however, for the horror of seeing a photo of the remains of her husband.
Nothing could ever prepare a family for a husband’s death. Or learning that Patrick had been murdered, and Tess herself being arrested for the murder. Maggie wasn’t going to get involved with helping solve any more murders, but when 14-year-old Teddy asks her to find the truth, she cannot refuse. Tess is her best friend, and Patrick is the guy everybody liked who helped anyone in need.
Few authors could write this mystery with the compassion and skill that Mary Feliz has. Her characters could walk, run, or wheel out of the pages, so well-defined they are. In some ways it was hard to read – it was so personal, I wanted to jump into the pages and find whoever ripped apart this family’s very essence! Amidst gossips and newscasters, Maggie strived to help maintain the background order of her best friend’s home even while asking questions from those who knew Patrick. One of the most heartwarming things was how friends of the two families came together to help Tess and Teddy through the trauma of Patrick’s murder and Tess being in jail. Just as Patrick would have helped any of them with similar circumstances. The plot twists definitely kept me engaged in the mystery, and I simply wasn’t sure who really was the bad guy. The resolution brought unexpected surprises.
It is tough when it is so personal to the characters this reader has come to appreciate – temporary evacuation, murder, and false arrest. It is personal to those who realistically lose loved ones every day, whether through accidents or murder, or those who struggle with fires, hurricanes, or other storms. Because of how the author has portrayed her characters and the subjects, I highly recommend this mystery. It is very well-written with a mystery that was a challenge to solve.
From a grateful heart: I received a copy of this e-arc from the publisher and NetGalley, and was not obligated to provide a review.
Fantastic! My heart broke for Tess and Teddy in this book. I loved everyone coming together to support them with the death of Patrick, Tess’s husband. Maggie was once again an amazing sleigh as she tried to clear Tess and take care of the family and Teddy as the wildfires continued. This is an amazing series and one I highly recommend. The killer in this book turned out to be a complete surprise. Can’t wait to read more of this wonderful series!!
Disorderly Conduct by Mary Feliz is the fourth installment in A Maggie McDonald Mystery series. Devastating wild fires are ravaging through the hills above Silicon Valley close to where Maggie McDonald and her family live on their farm. They are preparing to evacuate when Maggie receives a call from her best friend, Tess Olmos. Tess’s husband, Patrick had not been in touch which is not unusual (he gets caught up in his work). But, then she is contacted by the police stating they believe they found her husband in the hills and they need her identify the body. Tess and her son, Teddy are devastated by the news and have trouble believing Patrick’s death was accidental. They soon discover that Patrick was murdered when the police arrive to search her home and arrest Tess. The evidence the police find in Tess’s house seals her fate. Maggie needs to sort through the clues and question the suspects to pinpoint Patrick’s killer before Teddy loses both of his parents.
I found Disorderly Conduct to be nicely written and to have a quick pace. The mystery becomes complex when it is discovered that criminals are growing marijuana illegally on the public land in the hills above their farm. It happened to be where Patrick ran frequently. However, the mystery takes up a small portion of the book. I wish the author had made Patrick’s murder the focus. The story talks about the fires that are ravaging through the Santa Cruz mountains destroying the vegetation and forcing wildlife along with humans to flee. There are helpful tips at the beginning of each chapter on how people can prepare for emergencies (fires, hurricanes). The items we should have available in our home and car along with planning where you would go. It is important to remember your pets in your plans. There are great characters in A Maggie McDonald Mystery series. Maggie is a smart, strong woman who can handle any situation thrown at her. The kids and the animals add humor to the story (and it makes me very happy that I had a daughter instead of a son). The various families are close and help each other in times of crisis (like Tess taking in the McDonald family). While Disorderly Conduct could be read alone, I recommend reading Address to Die For first. My rating for Disorderly Conduct is 3 out of 5 stars. Disorderly Conduct addresses some tough topics in a different way. Return to Orchard View and join Maggie as she sets out to catch a murderer and save her best friend.