An amateur quilter turns amateur sleuth when her late aunt is suspected of murder in this cozy mystery by the USA Today bestselling author. After a rough divorce, Abby McCree only wants to stitch up her life and move on. But other loose ends appear after her elderly Aunt Sybil passes away, leaving Abby to tend to a rundown estate, complete with a slobbery Mastiff and a sexy tenant who growls more … sexy tenant who growls more than the dog. As Abby learns the local gossip from her aunt’s tight-knit quilting guild—not to mention the contentious Committee on Senior Affairs—she makes a twisted discovery: Aunt Sybil’s biggest rival is buried in her backyard!
Abby refuses to accept that her beloved aunt had anything to do with the murder. Between her busy social calendar and rediscovering the art of quilting, she tries to clear her aunt’s name by uncovering the true culprit. As the incriminating clues mount, Abby starts to wonder—can she survive her new responsibilities in Snowberry Creek and still manage to patch together a killer’s deadly pattern without becoming the next victim?
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I enjoyed it while I was recuperating from surgery.
Main characters very endearing, true-to-life.Well done—I didn’t figure out Who-Dunit until THE very end!
Love this book. Made me want to order all of the series.
Liked it so well pre order the next one..
A new series! Can you feel my excitement? And, as far as first books in a series go, author Alexis Morgan did a great job with DEATH BY COMMITTEE.
An enjoyable read and a well thought out plot, DEATH BY COMMITTEE was a hard one to put down. Each time I did, I’d pick it up for “just one more chapter”. You can guess how that turned out. This story was a real puzzle of a mystery for me. But, if you pay close enough attention to clues and people’s actions, you may very well guess the killer. I was so absorbed in the characters (see below) that the baddy got past me, so it was a surprise when I read the reveal.
There are such great characters in this book. I immediately liked protagonist, Abby McCree. She was dealt losses of one sort or the other, and at first seemed a bit unsure of her life. It was wonderful to see her character grow stronger and surer during the story. The ladies of her quilting guild are a handful, but they’re so fun to read! Abby’s tenant, Tripp, seems to be a grump at first, but that changes quickly. And Zeke, Abby’s inherited Mastiff has completely won my heart.
If you are the type who worries about starting a new series, you don’t have to be with DEATH BY COMMITTEE. I have no doubt you’ll love it from cover to cover!
DEATH BY COMMITTEE by Alexis Morgan
The First Abby McCree Mystery
Abby McCree just inherited her favorite aunt’s estate, but in addition to a lovely Victorian, she also received a somewhat moody, if hunky, tenant, a loving Mastiff mixed breed dog full of drool, and a position on numerous committees. If being volunteered to not only serve, but chair, all these groups doesn’t kill her, what she found tidying up the property might. Dolly, her aunt’s archrival wasn’t enjoying Florida as a snowbird, she was buried under her aunt’s blackberries! Abby’s vowed to protect her aunt’s good name, but doing so will land her right in the killer’s sights!
I absolutely loved my first visit to Abby’s world. Abby is a delightful protagonist. She’s smart, at times snarky, sometimes vulnerable, but always loyal and thoughtful. Tripp is the ultimate brooding romantic interest while Zeke provides plenty of love himself…along with drool.
Aside from the great characters, the humor is another draw to this mystery. There are lots of snickers and outright laughs. I particularly love how the elderly ladies keep ogling Tripp. The mystery itself is not only intriguing, but well plotted, with lots of suspects, and well laid red herrings.
DEATH BY COMMITTEE is a super start to a fun to series. This first Abby McCree Mystery hits all the right marks with characters with whom you want to spend time, a hint of romance, a lovable dog, plenty of laughs, and a finely crafted mystery.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a copy of this book in the hopes I would review it.
Abby McCree has inherited her favorite aunt’s (Sybil) property in a small town in Washington. She also seems to have inherited several of Sybil’s friends, community projects, and tenant of the guesthouse (Tripp). While clearing the backyard Abby and Tripp find a dead body. This body brings up all kind of questions about Sybil from the police and several of the people around town. Abby is determined to clear her aunt’s name.
This is a fun start to a new series. Since Abby seems to have inherited a group of senior ladies from her aunt’s quilting group and a good looking mysterious man as a tenant, this makes for an interesting cast of characters. In addition to the unique group of friends Abby as her adorable dog Zeke to protect her. The setting of the small town adds realism to how everyone seems to know everything about everyone. This mystery is well paced with several twists and turns. There also seems to be a possibility of romance for future books because there is definitely some chemistry between Abby and Tripp. I look forward to reading more books in the future.
I voluntarily agreed to read a copy of this book supplied by NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and in no way have been influenced.
Set in the small town of Snowberry Creek, Washington, Death by Committee begins a delightful new cozy mystery series by Alexis Morgan. With likeable protagonist and support characters both, gentle humor, a precious dog, and even a little romance, this story has all that I look for in a tradition cozy and I enjoyed it very much.
Having recently gone through a divorce, Abby moves to Snowberry Creek and into the Victorian home that she inherited from her beloved Aunt Sybil. All the quirky things that came with this inheritance add richness to the story – the attractive tenant who does odd jobs in return for reduced rent, three of Sybil’s friends who get Abby involved in Sybil’s responsibilities, and the adorable Zeke, a mastiff mix of pure delight. The story is clean, well-written, and flows at a steady pace.
There’s just enough characters to make the mystery theme easy to follow, and when someone is described as having ice in their veins … well, that describes the killer. Abby’s tenant, Tripp, makes a good romantic interest, although he’s a little short tempered. I especially liked how the police – namely, Chief Logan – are involved from the beginning and come across as intelligent and fair. It’s also enjoyable to follow Abby along as she garners information to clear her aunt by questioning people. And Zeke proves to be a pretty good judge of character himself!
Death by Committee thoroughly entertains, and its strong ensemble cast makes me eager for more stories in this series. Recommended.
I received a copy of this book through Great Escapes Tours. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
After a rough divorce, Abby McCree only wants to stitch up her life and move on. But other loose ends appear after her elderly Aunt Sybil passes away, leaving Abby to tend to a rundown estate, complete with a slobbery Mastiff of questionable pedigree and a sexy tenant who growls more than the dog. As Abby gets drawn into a tight-knit quilting guild, she makes a twisted discovery—Aunt Sybil’s only known rival is buried in her backyard!
Despite what local detectives say, Abby refuses to accept that her beloved aunt had anything to do with the murder. While navigating a busy social calendar and rediscovering the art of quilting, she launches an investigation of her own to clear Aunt Sybil’s name and catch the true culprit. The incriminating clues roll in, yet Abby can’t help but wonder—can she survive her new responsibilities in Snowberry Creek and still manage to patch together a killer’s deadly pattern without becoming the next victim?
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Series: An Abby McCree Mystery – Book 1
Author: Alexis Morgan
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Kensington Books
A new series from award-winning author, Alexis Morgan starts with a bang! Death by Committee from Kensington Books is the first book in a new series, it leaves readers thrilled and entertained.
This book is a relaxing, fun romp through the small town of Snowberry Creek, Washington a fictional town that is also featured in one of Ms. Morgan’s other series. As the first in a series, the characters are detailed enough to keep the readers interest without making the characters boring. Zeke, her dog, and Tripp, her renter make the series stimulating without taking away from Abby or the plot.
Discovering a body in your backyard is never good but having your dead aunt under suspicion of being a killer is even worse. Unfortunately, the victim wasn’t well liked and wasn’t missed for a long time, and the trail has grown cold.
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Abby needs to prove her late Aunt Sybil did not kill her arch rival. The road to finding the killer is paved with twists, turns and filled with giant pot holds as Abby narrows down the suspect list. With the help of the quilting guild, a group of senior citizens dedicated to helping the town by quilting, and the town busybodies she sews together the clues and comes up with a killer.
Death by Committee is a delightful book and a great beginning for a new series. The writing is professional, smooth and stays on point. Ms. Morgan has proven again that she is a writer who knows her craft and her audience. I highly recommend this book and look forward to the next addition to the series.
Death by Committee by Alexis Morgan is the first book in a new cozy series. Ms. Morgan is “new to me” and I was pleasantly surprised by this book.
I liked Abby McCree almost immediately as she was introduced in the book. She has gone through a crippling divorce and then her favorite aunt past away. However, she inherited her aunt’s house and her dog, Zeke, in Snowberry Creek, Washington and once the divorce was finalized she moved in. Her aunt’s friends keep her busy taking over her aunt’s responsibilities because “her aunt would want her to do it”. Her aunt’s friend are really lovely secondary characters; but they can and do get pushy with Abby. It’s nothing Abby can’t handle once she learns to say “no”. Her aunt’s tenant, Tripp Blackston, is a complex character with a gruff and taciturn demeanor but a soft heart underneath. Once a body is discovered in her aunt’s backyard and both her aunt and Tripp are implicated in the murder by town gossips, Abby is determined to clear them both.
The story is well-crafted with several suspects, red herrings, and twists that kept Abby busy. I did catch on to who might have done it by a small clue dropped about midway through the book. What I really liked was that Abby didn’t do any real snooping but just listened as people talked and asked a few questions. She also related everything she learned to the sheriff. The reveal proved my hunch to be correct but it was still a little scary for Abby. I will be looking for more of this series.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.
This book was a good solid read. I’d totally try another future book by this author!
You can check out my booktube video review at https://youtu.be/Cb4Hm7ZKAkA
or read my review on my blog at https://lisasiefert.com/book-review-death-by-committee-by-alexis-morgan-an-abby-mccree-mystery-book-1/
I put this book down several times to read something else. I was able to finish it eventually, but considered just stopping. There was nothing that pushed my buttons that much, good or bad. I will say though that there seemed to be a touch (or more) of misogyny in all the male characters and Abby seems to have money to toss around. Yes, she inherited her aunt’s home and her ex bought out her share of the business, but with no income coming in (and no clear explanation of how much she actually has) it raised my eyebrows.
All I can say is that I didn’t connect with the characters or setting this time. The mystery was weak in that there was only one potential culprit and that was bobbled initially by Abby and the cops missing the vital clue to the killer’s identity.
Despite this, I am starting the second book in case this was just a first book issue.
I receive my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
Great book. Was only a few chapters in and bought the next one in the series.
Loved it
Abby inherited her aunt’s home after a devastating divorce. The new friends of her aunt’s and the small town are so different from her former life. However when a body of her aunt’s rival is found buried in her backyard, wrapped in a quilt her aunt made, Abby’s tenant and she are thrust into a difficult and frightful investigation.
Parts of this book were fairly predictable. Tripp’s wide mood swings were frequently not logical or predictable, and therefore frustrating. It would be tough to be friends with him. The thought “if Abby wasn’t scared before, she was now” was way overused, because she kept doing things that brought her more trouble.
I love this series of books
Very good, plan to read the other ones in this series.
Enjoyed this book very much!
I’ve already forgotten what it was about