All of Arizona’s Sun City West heard Sophie “Phee” Kimball’s mom scream bloody murder, but it’s up to the reluctant sleuth to find the killer . . . Phee’s mother Harriet is going to be a star! At least, that’s how the Sun City West retiree describes her chance to host a live radio program of her book club’s Booked 4 Murder Mystery Hour on Arizona’s KSCW. But instead of chatting about charming … cozies, Harriet ends up screaming bloody murder over the airwaves after discovering the body of Howard Buell, the station’s programming director, in a closet—with a pair of sewing shears shoved into his chest. The number one suspect is Howard’s ex-girlfriend Sylvia Strattlemeyer who believed she was going to host a sewing talk show before Harriet was offered the spot. But not only do the fingerprints found on the scissors not match Sylvia’s, they belong to a woman who passed away twenty years ago at the age of ninety-seven. Now, with the whole town on pins and needles, it’s up to Phee to stitch together enough clues from the past to uncover the identity of a killer in the present . . . Praise for the Sophie Kimball Mysteries “Fun characters, a touch of humor, and a great mystery, the perfect combination for a cozy.”—Lena Gregory, author of the Bay Island Psychic Mysteries on Ditched 4 Murder “So cleverly written, you won’t guess the perpetrators until the very end.”—Mary Marks, award-winning author of the Quilting Mystery Series on Booked 4 Murder
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Streetman really does deserve to be on the payroll, as well as Cindy from the dog park. They are invaluable! Oh, and since I had never heard of it before, but kept hearing about it in this series, I finally googled what teeth tapping means. Another thing I keep reading about is a lot of wrist sqeezing. Those two things are definitely a unique part of this series.
Laugh out loud fantastic!!! I absolutely love this series and it is a great one to read when you need a good laugh. In this latest, Phee’s mom, Harriet, and Harriet’s friend, Myrna, have landed their own cozy mystery book club radio show. Unfortunately, the day of their first show, they discover a dead body. The man who was murdered worked at the radio station and was stabbed with a pair of scissors. The interesting part is that the only fingerprints on the scissors belonged to a dead person. Phee’s mom is insistent that she help investigate along with Phee’s boss, Nate, and boyfriend, Marshall. When Phee and her mother discover another dead body at the radio station, her mother becomes convinced there is a maniac killer on the loose. Phee does her best to placate her mother and help investigate. She also gets involved in a case her boss, Nate, is working on for a home goods store that is missing inventory. She really starts to get into the whole forensic accounting while also helping to investigate the murders. Lots of laughs in this book and I definitely did not see how all of this was going to end up. Phee’s mother and her friends are always hysterical to read about and make me glad my mom isn’t like that. I can’t wait to read more of these fantastic books and See what’s next for the Booked 4 Murder book club, Phee and Marshall, Nate, Augusta, and of course, Streetman the dog!
If I had known Sun City West was this much fun, I might have moved closer to it! One of the Phoenix area retirement communities, Sun City West is home to folks from all over the country, including Harriet Plunkett from Minnesota. She and her friends may not be involved in the various sports that many seniors indulge in, but they get their workout from dodging fallout from the murdered people that Harriet seems to attract!
Phee, her daughter, moved to Phoenix area a few years earlier from Mankato, Minnesota, works for a retired detective and with another detective, Marshall. All had worked together at the police department in Mankato. Phee does the bookkeeping for Nate, the owner; she and Marshall have been dating for a couple years. She also tends to get involved when Harriet finds another murder victim. To be fair, she doesn’t go looking for bodies…they just seem to show up.
Take this novel, for instance. Harriet and her friend Myrna from the Booked 4 Murder mystery book club they are members of will be on the local radio station for a few months doing a talk show about mysteries. Phee and Augusta, the secretary in her office, were listening to their first live show when they heard Myrna shouting about a dead body with scissors sticking out of it. No, they weren’t acting out their latest book club find. There was really a dead body with scissors jammed into it in the storage closet at the station! Harriet knows just what buttons to push for Phee to help find whodunit.
In the meantime, the guys at her office are called in to consult with the sheriff’s office due to the large number of cases they are working. The first best suspect is the lady the victim broke up with, Sylvia, especially when the murder weapon in another murder at the station is found to belong to her. The list of suspects grows, as does the threat to Harriet and her friends.
I love this series! The mysteries are always challenging, and there is so much good, clean humor that it would be a shame to miss any of the series! The characters are well-defined through dialog, behaviors, and at times, whining. And the whining isn’t necessarily from Harriet’s Chiweenie, Streetman, who tends to find clues quite by accident. Whodunit definitely wasn’t predictable, nor was the why. I highly recommend this novel and this series to those who enjoy well-written cozy mysteries that have a lot of humor, an Arizona setting with middle-aged and retired primary characters, and dogs. Oops! I don’t think Streetman knows he’s a dog…
From a thankful heart: I received a complimentary copy of this novel, and this is my honest review.
I adore Phee and her mother and this series. I try never to miss a new book, and I am always delighted when I see the announcement that a new installment is coming. I am happy to recommend this series to readers who love cozies of any type. Even though Phee isn’t a PI, and we certainly hope she never becomes one because she is wrong more often than not, she’s a character who finds out more information than her boyfriend, boss, and the police combined. The craft and reading group is always a romp and an adventure and gives Phee’s mother an ongoing role vital to the series. Broadcast 4 Murder is no exception in that Phee finds out info that is useful in a murder investigation with the help of her mother, Augusta, and the incredible Streetman. But… I couldn’t get behind this story as easily or as much as I wanted.
Oddly enough, I felt that this book was not as well planned or executed as previous books. The investigation by the police, and even the PI firm, was almost non-existent other than what Phee and Augusta came up with doing internet searches. Or even Phee’s mother and her dog, Streetman sticking their noses in where they don’t belong. There were some laughs throughout the story; a few humorous scenes seemed a bit too forced. I liked the idea of live radio shows on various crafts such as sewing and so forth, and even the fishing show. But the idea of combining a murder talk show with a fishing show just does not work for more than a single laugh.
There are suspects, more out of the story more than in. The motive for any of the suspects is not strong, and some are downright flimsy at best. Phee jumps from one conclusion to another almost with the turn of the page and never really lands on the truth until the very end. Evidence is also lacking. However, all of this said, I still enjoy this series and recommend it to readers. Broadcast 4 Murder has a great ending that combines humor and relationships that cements Phee’s future. Even though I did not enjoy this book in general, the PI and craft aspects are fun, entertaining, and make readers smile. I do still look forward to the next book in the series.
I can re-read this series 100 times and NEVER get tired of it. Phee is the BEST and her mom and the book club ladies are the eye-rolliest bunch. They make the books sooo funny . Just reading a few pages makes me smile and every bad thing about the day melts away. I hope this series NEVER ends!
Broadcast 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton is hilariously funny with witty conversations and eccentric characters.
Who is the radio station killer? Will Phee be able to save Harriet and Streetman from the murderer?
Harriet and Myrna have been given an hour-long show on a local radio show. They plan to discuss mystery books as part of the Booked 4 Murder Book Club. OK, first, OMG! Who is crazy enough to give Harriet and her book club a live radio mic. Don’t get me wrong, but this is going to turn into a comedy hour for sure.
So, anyway, on their first broadcast, they find a dead body in the supply closet. Yes, while they were live on the air. So, Phee heads over from her office and is one of the first on the scene. If you have read this series, you know how Harriet and her book club can’t sleep when a killer is in the midst. Enter Harriet’s daughter Phee our bookkeeping sleuth.
The Mysteries
The books in this series always have more than one mystery going. Sometimes these are connected, and sometimes they aren’t. So, we have the murder of the station’s programming director, the second murder of Bucky, a DJ; we have a huge product theft at a couple of regional home goods stores, plus a few other behind-the-scenes cases that Marshal and Nate are working on. You know they do run a private investigating company, right?
So, lots are going on. Phee and Marshal are living together now. Oh, and that is going really well. Augusta, the investigating office secretary, is full of her witty repartee. She is kind of like Rose on the Golden Girls with her stories.
Five Stars
I love this series. Phee and Harriet are so wonderfully thought out with these funny quirks. It makes me think that Sun City West could be a place for retirement. But I do like snow, so, maybe not. Phee was so close this time, but the correct culprits were arrested for the correct crimes in the end. At least we hope so. You honestly never know with Deputies Bowman and Ranston in charge. My rating for Broadcast 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton is five stars. I highly recommend this book for all cozy mystery fans out there.
Oh and don’t let the cover throw you off as it did me. This isn’t a #ChristmasRead or a #HolidayMystery.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Broadcast 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton.
Until the next time,
~Jen
If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
There is never a dull moment in Sun City West.
Phee’s mom Harriet landed herself a job at the local radio station. She and her friend, Myrna are going to host the Booked 4 Murder Mystery Hour. The other members of their book club will drop by as guests. Harriet and Myrna are so excited to talk about their favorite cozy mysteries on their first show. But just a Harriett is set to get started Myrna discovers a station’s programming director dead with a pair of Gingher sewing sheers stabbed deep in his chest. All the listeners hear is a bunch of screams. Phee takes off out of her office and rushes to the station afraid that her mother is injured or worse.
Seems the deceased Howard Buell has quite a few people that wanted him dead, including an ex-girlfriend, but it’s not her fingerprints on the murder weapon. Then Harriet finds another body. The police even start looking at her as a suspect, but they don’t have a good track record when it comes to catching killers without a little help. Again Wiliams Investigations is asked to assist with the case and that means Phee has permission to dig into the case and she may even get up close and personal with the killer.
This is the 7th book in this series and each book seems to top the last.
Sophie “Phee” Kimball is such a wonderful character. She is smart, savvy, patient, with common sense, and an intense curiosity to get to the right answer whether it means via her computer or doing the legwork necessary. Her relationship with Marshall is heartwarming. He supports her in every way including when she does a little sleuthing on her own. I love it when they work together too. Her boss Nate is impressed with her work and how she has grown into being much more than a bookkeeper. Then you have Harriet and her Booked 4 Murder Book Club. Those ladies are a hoot and a half. And of course, there is a chiweenie-chihuahua-dachshund named Streetman that can steal the whole show. These authors have created such terrific characters with depth. Lovable even when you are shaking your head at their antics and laughing out loud.
Readers are treated to not just one but two mysteries and all their entanglements. Well-plotted and well-written with so many twists and turns. It was such a pleasure to read and tag along with all these characters trying to solve the mystery before they did. I failed, but the ending was absolutely perfect.
Broadcast 4 Murder is a superb addition to this series. Fun characters and a captivating mystery. I was totally entertained and can’t wait for my next visit to Sun City West.
“Broadcast 4 Murder” the 7th instalment in the Sophie Kimball Mystery series by J.C. Eaton. I found myself engrossed in the story and reading it in almost one sitting. It was entertaining, full of twists and turns as well as a few surprises.
The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and I loved the characters which are well developed. There is plenty of humour, too with Harriet and Streetman her Chiweenie and the rest of her crew from the Sun City Retirement Community. There were two mysteries to solve and even with the red herrings Sophie is able to put the pieces together .
I highly recommend this series to all my cozy loving friends.
I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Kensington Books and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Excellent book. The characters are fun and interesting, and the mystery well done and kept me guessing. I absolutely love Phee and her mom (who always keeps things stirred up). And the covers for this series are fabulous!
Highly Recommend this book.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor.
Sophie Kimball, known as Phee to family and friends is an accountant for a detective agency. Her mom, Harriet, is retired and lives in Sun City West and has been hired to do a radio program about the books her book club is reading. Things don’t go as planned when a dead body, that of Howard Buell, who was the stations programming director is found in a closet. Suspicions abound as does the list of suspects. When the book club decides to investigate so does Phee. I love all the characters, especially the characters from the retirement community. The mystery is very well written and will have you turning the pages to find out who committed the murder and why. This is as wonderful series and I highly recommend this book!
Broadcast 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton is book seven in the Sophie Kimball Mystery series. This is the first I have read, but it will not be the last. I was able to get current quickly. I will be reading the previous books.
Sophie works at a P.I. firm doing the accounting and her significant other, Marshall, is one of the investigators. She gets a call from her mother, Harriet. She is excited to tell Phee she will be hosting a radio show at the local station along with her friend, Myrna, titled Booked 4 Murder Mystery Hour.
On the first day for the show, Phee has taken her break so she can listen to the program. Unfortunately, just as they are starting the program, they find the dead body of the program director and they are on the air screaming about a body. Phee takes off for the station to help her mother. When a second body is found, again by Harriet, at the station Phee knows she is going to be investigating again to get her mother off the suspect list.
This easy to read Cozy has it all, plot twists, likeable characters (some quirky), a great setting, humor, romance, and a neurotic Chiweenie. I didn’t want to put it down.
I also found a new ingredient to add to my tuna salad.
I was given an ARC by the author for an honest review.
Such a fun book to read! This is the seventh book in the series and poor Sophie is roped into crime solving again. Her mother Harriet is a radio host for the local Booked 4 Mystery Hour on the local channel and while she is live on air she finds the dead body of the radio director and broadcasts it all on air!!Sophie steps in and tries to find the murderer before something happens to her mom. A fun smoothly written cozy mystery loved it.
private-investigators, retirement-community, retirees, family-dynamics, friendship
Interesting cozy set in a retirement community in Arizona and while I’m surprised that I haven’t read anything in this series before, it was so well constructed that I never got lost. I thought it was well written and filled with fun characters and lots of twists and red herrings. The publisher’s blurb is a good hook and if you like Pickleball and private detective agencies you’ll love this book.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley.
Oh my gosh, what a fun read. I read the first two in this series and enjoyed those even though I’m behind, I absolutely LOVED this book. I couldn’t put it down. An excellent read.