Never judge a book by its cover…Sophie “Phee” Kimball is not a cop. She’s a divorced, middle-aged mom who works as an account clerk for the police department in a small city in Minnesota. But her retired mother, Harriet Plunkett, is convinced Phee is the only one who can solve the mystery of a cursed book. According to Harriet, four members of her book club have already succumbed to the … already succumbed to the deadly curse. Harriet insists Phee catch the next plane to her retirement community in Sun City West, Arizona, to investigate.
Is her mother just bored and lonely? She does have a new pet—a long-haired chiweenie (half Chihuahua, half Dachshund)—for company and a host of pals (although that number is admittedly dwindling). Phee is certain that their book club selection isn’t cursed, but is somebody really knocking off the ladies? As Phee starts to uncover dark secrets hidden in plain sight under the blazing Arizona sun, she’ll need to read between the lines before it’s someone else’s final chapter….
“You’ll chuckle all the way through this delightful romp through Sun City West, as Phee and her mother unravel the mystery behind the sudden deaths of several book club members. It’s so cleverly written, you won’t guess the perpetrators until the very end.” —Mary Marks, award-winning author of the Quilting Mystery series
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Sophie “Phee” Kimball is annoyed when her mother keeps calling to talk about a cursed book. It seems that several members of her book club have died after starting their current month’s selection. Even though Phee is an accountant, Harriet is sure she is the one who can stop the curse, so Phee gives in and takes some vacation to go visit her mother in Arizona. Once she arrives, Phee quickly determines that something strange is going on. But is it from a cursed book? Or is a killer using the curse to hide his or her tracks?
I’ve been hearing about this series for a couple of years, and I can see why. This is a fun debut. The mystery is something different for a cozy, and I really enjoyed it. I was a little ahead of Phee in piecing things together, but only a little, and there were still some surprises when I reached the climax. I was worried that Harriet would be annoying, but I found her fun. The same goes for the rest of the cast. There were quite a few characters, but I was able to keep them all straight, which shows how well developed they were. The book made me chuckle and laugh, especially at the climax, which was a bit over the top but fit the story perfectly. I will definitely be visiting Phee again soon.
This Cozy Mystery is just that. You’ll chuckle as you read and roll your eyes in all the places Phee is probably rolling her eyes. I’m originally from Phoenix and my mom lived in Sun City for years, so reading this mystery was even more fun for me. Since this is the first in the series, I know Phee must continue her sleuthing, and I’m going to have to follow her in her adventures.
I liked this first book in a new series. Phee’s mother is sure the book her book club is reading is cursed and killing members of the club. Phee works in the police station in Minnesota as a accountant, but her mother is sure she can come to Arizona and solve the crimes. Since she has some vacation she visits her mother and sets out investigating. I enjoyed the characters and the Sun City West, Arizona setting. I liked the relationship between Phee and her mother. It is not a perfect relationship but they do care about each other. The authors do a good job with the setting. You can practically feel the desert heat. Even though it takes place in a retirement the characters are not cliches. The mystery was good and it did make sense. The ending and revelation did get a little unbelievable. I look for word to reading the next one. Enjoy
Funny beyond belief. Mom gets everyone into trouble and she doesn’t even bat a eyelash. Geesh some people, right? I honestly loved it.
“I read this for my FB book club and so glad I did! I can almost see this story really happening at my mum’s adult community, and the humor fits perfectly. So many truly funny parts, along with a mysterious “cursed” book, kept me hooked until the last page. I can’t wait to read the next installment in this very entertaining mystery series.”
Fun new series!! I really enjoyed the characters – Sophie and her mom are fun together!! And a thoughtful plot that was a bit different than your normal cozy!!
This was an interesting first book. The old ladies in it reminded me of my grandmother and the senior community reminded me of my grandparent’s community. Really realistic. Didn’t see the ending coming.
Totally different and so good. No cats involved. The mystery surrounds older folks and having older parents myself, this was easy to relate to. Loved it and can’t wait to read more of Sophie’s adventures.
Loved it! Very enjoyable cozy, beginning of a series, and quite fun to read. PLUS, I didn’t see the ending coming!!! A+++
This book was very good and well-written. Sophie “Phee” Kimball is an accountant for the Mankato police department in Minnesota. She gets a phone call from her mother in Arizona after members of her mother’s book club start dying while reading the club’s current book. She eventually caves in and goes to Arizona to help figure out what is going on. There is rumor that the book is cursed, but Sophie is doubtful. This book was truly delightful and I loved the twist at the end. I look forward to reading more books in this series.