Kit Perry is a rich, handsome rogue with a scandalous past. He’s also Cedar Valley’s newest businessman. But is he their newest murderer? When hand lettering amateur sleuth Jamie Lang stumbles upon Kit with a beautiful woman dying in his arms he sure looks like it. Almost everyone in town is convinced Kit is guilty—of being a devastating charmer and murdering his half sister, Steph. But Steph has … Steph. But Steph has almost as many enemies as the entire population of Cedar Valley, and a million little reasons for any of them to want her dead. Kit proclaims his innocence and asks Jamie for help. Despite Kit’s killer smile, Jamie isn’t convinced he murdered his sister. Now it’s up to Jamie to uncover the truth and stop the killer from striking again.
If you enjoy cozy mysteries with something new, or if you’re a fan of hand lettering, pen and ink art, graphic design, watercoloring, typography, calligraphy, and creative inspiration, this series is for you! Indulge your inner artist and sleuth. Welcome to Cedar Valley, a thriving tourist town and popular wedding venue. Once you slip into town, you’ll want to stay and grab a cup of coffee with Jamie while she solves crimes. Get your copy today!
Praise for Daisy’s Hand Lettering Mystery Series:
“…as smartly done as its title and as cute as its cover . . . Witty banter, solid friendships, and a little dash of romantical feelings round out the clever mystery and keep you fully engaged to the end.”—Reading Is My SuperPower
“Who Shot the Serif?…is fabulous. The characters, setting, and knowledge of hand lettering are amazing.”—Baroness’ Book Trove
“Immediately you will settle into the town of Cedar Falls–there is even a map in the front of the book! I love maps like these! As you get to know Jamie’s friends, clients, and neighbors, you will wish you lived there too.”
—Here’s How It Happened
“If you’ve been looking for a place to start in the cozy world, this is an excellent place to begin!”—That’s What She’s Reading
“I quite enjoyed the first book in this new series, from the clever writing to the killer hiding in plain sight. Then there is Jamie’s business, hand lettering, something I admire but cannot do myself. I think I should have paid more attention to my cursive in grade school!”—Storeybook Reviews
* Previously published under the pen name Jessa Archer
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The author is a great story teller with a unique creative spirit!! I have really enjoyed reading this series! The ideas the author comes up with just blows me away, she probably could commit the perfect crime!! Keep ‘em coming!!
This is another winner by Jessa Archer! Talk about large families! There were nice story extensions from previous books. Solving this depends on paying attention to the details.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I’m really enjoying this series! It’s making me want to learn lettering. This time Jamie needs to find Stephanie’s killer before Kit is blamed for her murder. With Jamie, it’s all in the kerning, spacing, that is. And boy does she have a lot of suspects, if you include all the half siblings, all 150 of them, plus Greg, bio dad, and his wife, Caro, and Stephanie’s husband, Brian. It may take some work to solve this one!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This series just gets better and better. There’s nothing else to say but that I’m hooked on Jessa Archer’s wonderful writing style, the charming characters of Cedar Valley, the clever plots, and the interesting details that this series offers. In addition to the mystery, we’re also given lots of little snippets of knowledge and insight regarding hand lettering and life as an artisan. Additionally, Jamie Lang does a remarkable job of keeping a clear head and an open mind, despite the coffee addiction that might have pickled a few brains by now. It’s fun that she keeps solving the crimes for Police Chief McHottie by using the powers of female observation and intuition, and hopefully one day she’ll get compensated one way or another 😉
I received a free copy Kerning to Crime, but that did not affect my review.
Cedar Valley, WA is the home of Jamie Lang.
Jamie is a hand letterer who has a tendency
to also dab in amateur sleuth. Doing very
well in both categories.
Kit Perry is a rich, very good looking man who
has a construction site in progress. Jamie
sees him with his half sister, Stephanie Cox
at the site. Stephanie falls into Kit’s arms
While trying to help her….she dies of
anaphylactic shock. Jamie runs to help but
administers the Epi-pen in the girl’s purse
too late.
Kit and Stephanie are related to each other
in a fluke way. Their father was a sperm bank
donor. Each had a separate biological mother
who got pregnant through artificial insemination.
His father donated to a sperm bank many times
to help with college expenses. Now Dad has
many, many offspring to which he is biological
father.
Most of his children process deadly allergies.
It is determined Stephanie was murdered.
Kit claims innocence and needs Jamie help.
Will Jamie be able to find the culprit with so
many characters that could be guilty????
This is book # 3 in the Hand Lettering Mysteries
series. It is the first I have read. It was eye
opener to me as I was not familiar with Kerning.
The author introduced me to hand lettering,
graphic design, calligraphy, watercoloring
plus ink and pen art. Creativity is the key to
any of these techniques.
The plot was well designed with extremely
well drawn up, creative characters. It had many
twists and turns.
An interesting, informative, intriguing story!!!
I volunteered to read Kerning to Crime. Thanks
to Booksprout and the author for the opportunity.
My opinion is voluntary and my own.
A Kindle Unlimited Read.
You can’t go wrong when you grab one of Jessa Archer’s book to read. She does a fantastic job with her story lines, the characters are fun to get to know as you read through the story and many times she’ll have you laughing at some point in the story. Her books are a definite joy to read and have quickly become some of my favorites.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Jamie Lang is back on a case. The characters are delightful and the mystery kept me guessing. I really enjoyed it!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Jamie is known for her lettering craft and again it comes in handy to solve a murder. This time – if you have followed Jamie’s adventures before, you already know him – it is Kit Perry, who needs her help. He is accused of having killed his half-sister via allergies.
But there are literally hundreds of suspects – all siblings to the victim. One father and over 150 children.
Definitely a unique set-up. And fun to read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
KERNING TO CRIME is the fourth book in the Hand Lettering Mystery series. Each will stand on its own, but I wouldn’t miss one and I’m reading them in the order of release.
Kit came off as a mega-jerk in IN THE NIB OF TIME, but I was glad he had a chance to redeem himself in this story. Not everything is, as it first seems. So often, you need to step back and notice the timing, the full picture … the spacing (the kerning in the language of lettering art).
I love these stories with Jamie, Ridge, and her friends. There are plenty of well-thought-out twists, turns, and dips to keep me glued to my kindle into the wee hours. I didn’t go to sleep until I knew the end. I loved the giggle-worthy red herrings that were easily believable. I could almost hear the author screeching “gotcha!”
Finally, we also get more of the background of what happened to Rut. I want to thank the author for that. The story is sad, but it allows us to grieve with Jamie and Ridge, instead of being frustrated.
Note: While I received this book as a gifted ARC via Booksprout, my opinions are my own and are given freely.
Title: KERNING TO CRIME
Series: Hand Lettering Mystery #3
Category /Genre: Cozy Mystery
Recommended for: 18+ due to vocabulary / adult concepts
Grammar/editing: received as an unedited ARC / errors excused
Received from: Jessa Archer
Jamie Lang, hand letterer and shop owner, finds herself once again in the midst of a murder mystery. She unwittingly stumbles upon Kit (handsome new businessman in Cedar Valley) with a beautiful woman dying in his arms. She can’t help but notice how they look like one another. A bystander accuses Kit of the murder, but Jamie isn’t so sure that is the case.
Jamie once again dives her first into amateur sleuth mode and is determined to solve the case. But will she discover the real murderer before she becomes another fatality? With lots of suspects to choose from Jamie has her hands full uncovering the truth.
Jessa Archer has found her niche in the cozy mystery market. She has the perfect style and knows the right combination (mystery, suspense, humor, and intrigue) to keep readers enthralled in her storytelling until the very end. This is one series that I never can guess whodunit until the final pages are revealed.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Another wonderful series by Jessa Archer. This is a great cozy mystery with Jamie Lang, who is a fabulous protagonist along with numerous characters that keep the story moving. I highly recommend this entire series!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Jamie is having one of her typical mishaps when she becomes involved in a medical emergency. Suspicious of the circumstances, she is dragged further into the investigation when the chief suspect begs her for help. I enjoyed reading this mystery and recommend Jessa Archer’s entire series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Jamie Lang once again is in the thick of things murderous in the small town of Cedar Falls. Kit Perry is seen arguing with a woman at his construction site when she appears to have an allergic reaction something and dies. Jamie, coming out of the drugstore shortly after Kit had left, happened to witness the woman collapsing in Kit’s arms. Her face was blue and she had hives around her mouth. Stephanie Cox, Kit’s half-sister, was gagging and struggling to breathe. Jamie tore through the victim’s purse looking for her epi pen she would have been carrying with her – but the epi pen she uses to bring her out of anaphylactic shock surprisingly didn’t work and the paramedics could not revive her. As Chief of Police Ridge arrived, a heavyset middle-aged woman pushed her way through the crowd, pointed at Kit, and said she saw him murder the victim by forcing her to kiss him and then she collapsed! She also said that Jamie asked him to perform CPR and he refused. She didn’t mention that he told Jamie he could not do CPR because he more than likely had the same allergy and would have a similar reaction – and he didn’t carry an epi pen!
Ridge questioned Kit whose answers bordered on flippant! He said Steph was one of his hundred or more half-sisters and Ridge could get next-of-kin off their Facebook page most likely. Ridge didn’t like his tone nor his answers. He took Kit to the Station and Jamie waited her turn for questioning. She didn’t think this was a murder. It made no sense. Why did the woman say those things?
With Kit now suspected of murdering his bio sibling Stephanie, he asks Jamie to help him prove his innocence. Is Jamie willing to help him? Can she find out who actually murdered Stephanie Cox?
I just love these cozy mysteries! This series is so well balanced with the mystery and the personalities drawn into it. The story line is really interesting, giving the reader lots of information on bio siblings, with twists and turns to keep the reader moving through the pages for answers! Grab your copy and see if you know who the murderer is before Jamie and Chief of Police Ridge Calhoun solve the case (although Ridge would prefer to lock him up and throw away the keys)!
Another creatively cunning book in the series!
Jamie is drawn into another murder in Cedar Falls; this time gorgeous and charming Kit Perry is suspected of murdering his bio sibling Stephanie. As with many of the bio siblings, Stephanie has anaphylactic allergic reactions to certain foods/substances and is obsessive about avoiding them. Kit is seen arguing with her at his construction site when she has a reaction and dies. Kit requests Jamie investigate the murder. She eventually does find out who killed Stephanie while also bringing out more of the bio kids backstory. Brilliant must read book!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Jamie Young does it again! Aided by her Auntie Opal’s advice to relax, her little gray cells piece together the seemingly randomly clues in a way (the super hot) police chief can’t.
I love how Jessa Archer finds fun ways to sprinkle in red herrings and spin additional clues into the mix. In this book, featuring the multiple children from a sperm donor, I especially enjoyed Lizzie and even how bad boy Kit himself gave some, but not all information.
Like the onshore flow clearing Cedar Valley’s smoky air, KERNING TO CRIME was a breath of fresh cozy mystery air.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Things must have proper measure and space to maintain balance.
Kit, the handsome new owner of a construction site that used to be a building in the local wedding and artist co-op has an unique family tree. Born to a single mom via a sperm bank donation and IVF, he was at the center of a disputed claim for child support between the biological mother and sperm donor father. His mom spoke out for the father against the other mother. It came out in the course of the trial the Greg, the bio dad, had over 200 offspring from various sperm donations. Apparently Washington is one of the states that any donor not the husband of record does not need to provide child support.
So this was a very public and embarrassing case, a no win all around from the start.
Obsessive Stephanie was highly allergic to many things, and determined to claim a baby with her brother Kip. She she dies at the scene of a public disagreement between them, Jamie tries to save the day with an epi pen – sadly too late.
A large pool of bio siblings and others are likely suspects. Can Jamie help to save her friend Kit, or will lies of omission convict him?
Intense KU read!
I received an advance copy from Booksprout. I read this book on Kindle Unlimited. I have read most of the books in this series and other series from this author on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited.
Jamie Lang, amateur sleuth and hand letterer, gets mixed up in another crime, witnessing an unknown woman dying on the street in the arms of a man. At first, they first thought she was having an allergic reaction, but when an Epi-Pen doesn’t help, something more sinister must have been at work. I enjoyed this book, as I have the other books in this series. I liked the way this book started, with a little look at Jamie’s hand lettering vlog. Nice to see a mention, too, of Hot Hugh, a YouTube hand letterer and Jamie’s friendly rival. How did she get mixed up with so many good-looking guys? Hot Hugh, law enforcement in town, and Kit–the man with the dying woman in his arms and the natural first suspect. This book, like all this author’s books, has a good balance between the quirky characters needed in a cozy mystery and the actual suspenseful mystery aspects; this is not easy to achieve, as I see most authors tending to go either one way or the other without striking the balance. A great read that had me turning the pages.