Journaling vlogger Mandy Meadows strives to preserve her hyper-organised life while searching for her cousin’s killer in this twisty mystery: first in a brand-new series.Divorced single mom Mandy Meadows scrapes by working as a barista and receiving payments from her cousin, Ryan, who rents her basement apartment. At night, she and her teenage daughter Vellum run a successful home business … successful home business creating journaling content on their popular social media channels.
But Mandy’s carefully organized world is about to come crashing down. While filming their latest journaling tutorial, Mandy and Vellum hear a loud noise on the basement stairs, and Mandy is horrified to find Ryan dead on the landing. The police quickly start to treat the death as a murder – with Mandy and Vellum as chief suspects. Why would someone murder Ryan? Determined to clear their names and find Ryan’s killer, Mandy soon discovers he wasn’t the man she thought he was . . .
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Journaled to Death by Heather Redmond is the debut of A Journaling Mystery series. Amanda “Mandy” Meadows is newly divorced, and she has custody of her fifteen year old daughter, Vellum. Her ex-husband has quit working (living off his rich parents) so he can pay minimal (i.e.—no) child support which means Mandy has gone from stay-at-home mom to working as a barista at the coffee bar at the University of Seattle Hospital. Mandy with help from her daughter posts vlogging tutorials online and sells related materials (stickers for example). She also rents out her basement apartment to her cousin, Randy who helped her obtain the position at the hospital. Vellum and Mandy are recording their April vlog when they hear a loud thumping noise. Mandy hurries to investigate, and she finds her cousin dead at the bottom of the stairs with one of her journals under his leg. Mandy is shocked when the police determine the death is a homicide. Mandy finds herself investigating when her daughter moves out because she does not feel safe at home. I thought Mandy was a likeable and realistic character. She is a divorced mother struggling to pay her bills. I like that she came up with a creative and unique solution with her bullet journal vlog and online sales. Her daughter, Vellum acts like a typical teenager (angst, food, money). Mandy is lucky to have her widowed mother living across the street and a good neighbor in Linda who bakes brownies daily. Linda helps Mandy with some of her sleuthing. I like the unusual topic of journaling for a cozy mystery. I have no clue about bullet journals or vlogging, but I can tell that the author does. I enjoyed finding out more about the process and I admire Mandy’s creativity. I did not like Reese and did not understand why Mandy would spend time with her. The woman is jealous of Mandy’s online success and her criticisms got on my nerves (I would avoid Reese instead of going out to eat with her). The mystery had several viable suspects along with red herrings. There are good clues to help the reader solve the crime. While I wished Mandy focused more on sleuthing, real life intervened. Mandy has a lot going on in her life and she does not have as much time to investigate as other amateur (fictional) sleuths. Just keeping up with her vlog and sales is a full-time job. I could certainly understand how she can be exhausted at the end of the day (making varieties of coffee, baking cookies for shop, planning vlog, recording vlog, preparing orders, plus her household chores). I enjoyed reading Journaled to Death, and I look forward to the next book in A Journaling Mystery series. Journaled to Death is a charming cozy with drafting drawings, selling stickers, creating a variety of videos, seeking suspects, daughter drama, a cousin killer, and a bounty of baked brownies.
This creative and edgy cozy mystery had many unique elements to it. I thought the idea of a journaling v-logger was creative. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen that in a protagonist before. Mandy is easy to identify with – she struggles with a lot of things we all do. I also enjoy the relationship she has with her daughter. This book was an easy and enjoyable read over the weekend.
Don’t miss this first wonderful story in a new twisty mystery series by Heather Redmond. Vlogger Mandy Meadows tries to preserve her hyper-organised life while searching for her cousin’s killer.
One of the reasons I enjoy reading cozies is because it’s a great way to learn about new hobbies, cultures, or foods. I wanted to read Journaled to Death by Heather Redmond because I know journaling is really popular right now, if all the photos I see on Instagram is any indication. I’ve tried journaling my thoughts in the past but it only lasts for a month or two before I stop, but I’m in awe of all the great artwork and lettering people are doing.
Journaled to Death is the first book in The Journaling Mysteries, and one of the things that I think Redmond did a fantastic job writing was the relationships between the women in the book. Mandy and Vellum’s interactions feel so real, and I love the strong female vibe I feel between Mandy and her mom, and Mandy and her neighbor, Linda. Mandy also has a strange relationship with one of the nurses, Reese, who works at the hospital where Mandy is a barista. It starts off tense, but I’m interested to see it blossom in future books.
There are kind of two mysteries in this book, but they blend together. You have who killed Ryan, which I saw coming about half way through, but it was still enjoyable. And then you have one of the doctor’s being a jerk and weird things happening at the coffee house. I thought it was going to go one direction that way, but it went a different way and combined perfectly with the main mystery.
I was annoyed with Mandy at times in regards to her lack of backbone. She’s a single mother who gets income through her online journaling business, Mandy’s Plan, and she works in the coffee house at the hospital. Mandy’s job starts accusing her of stealing money, daring to disrespect of doctor (even though she really isn’t), trying to sabotage a doctor, and getting some nurses sick. I would have been looking for a new job after being accused of stealing! I hope after having solved a murder case and almost dying she has more moxy in future books. 🙂
And then, of course, we have the romantic aspect. I have a feeling there will be two different men via for her attention in future books. It might become really hot or really awkward since one of them is living with her by the end of the book!
If you enjoy cozies, journaling, or strong female relationships, you should give Journaled to Death a read.
An interesting crafting cozy! Mandy is a journaling vlogger with her teenage daughter, Vellum, as well as working a day job in the hospital coffee shop. While filming a journaling video, Mandy hears a noise and finds her cousin, Ryan, dead at the bottom of the basement stairs. Mandy investigates and finds put a lot of disturbing information about Ryan along the way. In addition to the murder, there have been instances of doctors and nurses taking drugs illegally. Are the two related? I found this to be an interesting book. I enjoyed the relationship between Mandy and her daughter. The journaling was also interesting and something I wish I could have seen examples of. I look forward to reading more of this series.
Mandy is going through hard times and money is very tight. Keeping the mortgage paid up to date and taking care of her teenage daughter while working at the Seattle hospital cafe as a barista for not so great wages pushes her to find other ways to pay those bills. Two things make it possible – video blogging with her daughter about journaling and renting out the living space in their basement to her cousin. Life is manageable – until, that is, she and her daughter Vellum, hear noises from the basement and discover Ryan murdered. Yes, his past was a bit sketchy but what was so bad about it that it got him killed? Especially in an occupied house when discovery could happen at any moment?
Mandy has a very real stake in uncovering the killer and is feeling the loss of Ryan’s rent money.
I enjoyed the setting, the pace of the mystery and, most of all, I liked the characters of Mandy and Vellum. They may be mother and daughter and Vellum is a teenager but they come across as two strong women in it together. That this tough time will pass and life will get better. The mystery is a good puzzle and the flow is slow and steady but not boring or tedious. The perfect read for a rainy weekend. I hope there will be a sequel – I’m holding a space on my TBR list for it.