Even in a lovely town like River Bluffs, Indiana, flipping houses can be a challenge. Especially when there’s the proverbial skeleton in the closet—and a literal corpse in the driveway . . . House-flipper Jazzi Zanders has her work cut out for her. Her latest flip, which she co-purchased with her fiancée Ansel and cousin Jerod, is a three-story fixer-upper that’s more of a droopy-downer. One … of a droopy-downer. One corner of the house is sinking and needs to be jacked up with a new cement foundation. That costs money. And causes headaches. And creates a work environment that’s not only hostile, it’s downright deadly . . .
Jazzi knows it’s a tough job. Which is why she hired Darby to lay the cement. But when Darby gets into a fiery argument with the furnace man—and then never shows up to lay gravel for the driveway—Jazzi starts to wonder if the rumors about Darby are true. Did he kill his wife and son and bury them in the yard like some folks claim? When Darby’s dead body comes pouring out of a gravel truck, murder upstages the real estate market as her biggest concern . . .
more
Was lucky to be a beta reader and thoroughly enjoyed this romp through house flipping, especially every time Jazzi got to enjoy Ansel with his shirt off. Oo-la-la. And this is a fabulous book cover. Hilarious. The pug on top is perfect. He and the cats rule the roost. Also admire the way Jazzi handles Ansel’s difficult family issues with consideration and grace. So far.
This is a cute, cozy mystery, the third in the Jazzi Zanders series. Each mystery can stand alone, but I think it’s more fun to read them in order to get the continuing story of the characters. The mysteries are fun, the characters delightful, and the story is entertaining.
This is the third entry in the Jazzi Zanders mystery series and by now the characters feel like family, especially the leads. Jazzi has a habit of stumbling over dead bodies while working to flip houses with her cousin, and her exceptionally hot Nordic boyfriend, Ansel. This time, the body is delivered in a load of gravel—literally tumbling out of a dump truck. It isn’t long before Jazzi gets to sleuthing, helping her detective friend, Gaff, get to the bottom of “whodunit.” And in this case, there is an entire roster of suspects, each with possible motive.
The murder victim, Darby, was not well-liked or even marginally social. Suffice to say he made a lot of enemies, ticked off a lot of people, and burnt a lot of bridges. The author creates plausible motive for each of the potential murderers, tossing out enough red herrings for plenty of suspicion to lead the reader astray. All of the Jazzi novels have been well constructed and plotted, but I found the murder in this one a level above the rest, just a bit more complex, and that made for great reading.
Toss in Jazzi’s impending marriage, several new secondary characters—along with returning favorites from Jazzi’s family¬—AND a few of Ansel’s bristly relatives, and there is plenty to keep you flipping pages, speeding toward the end. I liked the way everything played out and fit together. Flavored with romance, heartwarming scenes, and family dynamics, this is an engaging cozy mystery. George, the pug, is back, as are cats Inky and Marmalade, and there is always something wonderful cooking in Jazzi’s kitchen. She has an ideal life, if not for the dead bodies that seem to show up every time she turns around. Fortunately for readers hooked on this fabulous series, it’s good to know there is more to come!
The Body In The Gravel is the third book in the third book in The Jazzi Sanders Mystery series.
Jazzie and her cousin, Jerrod, and her fiance Ansel are busy working on their next fixer-upper hoping to get all the outside work done before cold weather sets in. They are waiting for Darby, their cantankerous concrete and gravel man to deliver a load of gravel for the driveway. When the call Darby’s office to see where he is, Earl, one of his drivers, says he never showed up for work. Earl says that the truck is loaded and he will be right over. As he begins to dump the load the body of Darby fall to the on to the gravel. As Detective Gaff is investigating the scene, Thane, Jazzie’s Heating and A/C contractor arrives and comments “now I will never know what happened to Rose and Walker”. They are Darby wife and son who had disappeared one night around a decade ago and Thane quickly becomes the prime suspect. As the investigation goes on more suspects are added to the list and Gaff asks Jazzi for her help in sifting through the possible suspects. Darby’s three drivers have all had run-ins with their boss, a couple of drinking buddies and even the lady that he had dated also has to be ruled out, also are added to the list.
Also on Jazzi plate is her upcoming wedding to Ansel and her sister and mother are about to kidnap her to take her shopping for a wedding dress.
I really like this series, I would never attempt to do what Jazzi work entails, but I certainly enjoy reading about what it takes to make-over a home. The story is well-written and plotted. It has plenty of red herrings that kept we guessing till the end. There is a wonderful cast of character that I would love to call my friends.
Delicious sounding recipes are also included in the book.
I definitely will be watching for the next book in this enjoyable series.
The Body in the Gravel is the third in the series but it was the first one I have read. I was able to get up to date quickly.
Jazzi , Ansel, and Jerod are tackling a three story remodel and that includes the driveway. When the load of gravel is delivered, the body of the owner of the trucking company, Darby, is also dumped in the driveway. This opens the door to discovering a side of Darby they didn’t know.
Jazzi is drawn into the investigation with the police. With so many suspects and then a second murder, Jazzi is running around and running into walls. Not only is she doing a house flip, she is also planning her wedding.
I enjoyed this story and if you love pets and/or cooking, you will enjoy it too!
There are great characters and a great setting. As I said before, plenty of suspects and twists and turns. You also see her love of family and friends. There is also a realistic view of “not so happy” families.
I was given an ARC by Netgalley and Kensington Books and have given my honest review.
Home Improvement, Pets, Food, Mystery… What’s not to love?
Judi Lynn has done it again. This latest installment of the Jazzi Zanders Mystery series is my favorite to date.
We once again spend time with our favorite characters (welcome back, Ansel and George) but meet some new characters, as well. One in particular, Walker, really caught my attention. Jazzi’s and Gaff’s, too. She wants to fix him up with someone. He’s considering arresting him for murder.
Yes, Jazzi’s construction site is once again the center of a murder mystery, and this time the suspect list keeps growing. Some even wonder if the victim was a murderer himself.
It was a sheer joy to follow the clues along with the characters and try to unravel the mystery. When I started reading the story, I didn’t expect this ending but was absolutely delighted by it. Fans of cozies should absolutely read this one.
Fun book! I love Jazzi, Ansel, and Jerod and reading about their fixer-upper houses. The body of the cement company owner is found in a load of gravel that one of the drivers delivers to the house they are working on. Jazzi’s sister, Olivia’s, boyfriend, Thane, is a prime suspect as he had recently had a big argument with the man. Included in the suspects are the drivers for the company, the deceased man’s son, his ex-wife and her current husband, his housekeeper, and his best friend and his best friend’s girlfriend. Jazzi has her hands full helping Detective Gaff with the investigation, working on the house, and preparing for her upcoming wedding to Ansel. Ansel’s family all decide to come to the wedding as well, which causes a lot of friction. These characters are so fun to read about. Once I get started in a book, I don’t want to stop reading until I finish. I highly recommend this series! Can’t wait to see what’s next for this crew!
family-dynamics, friendship, Indiana, murder-investigation, small-business, small-town, law-enforcement
I found that I had skipped this one, so I went back to get this one as an audio because I had really liked the ones I had read! Each of the books does well as a stand alone, however. Ansel and Jazzi are house flippers who work with her cousin to get the job done but need specialized contractors for some things. Like driveways. The company they chose to deliver the underlayment of gravel is someone they’ve used before despite his nasty demeanor because the jobs were done right at the best price. When he doesn’t show up as promised, they call for someone else in the company to deliver but then the body of the owner falls out with the gravel. Enter their friend the Homicide detective who usually asks Jazzi to come along as a buffer when questioning witnesses outside of the station. Good sleuthing!
Devon Sorvari is the narrator and really adds to the personalities of the many characters.
sweet and suspenseful read, with characters that will instantly become like family to you. I loved the theme of building your own family when the one you are born into no longer wants or accepts you. I will warn the book may leave you a bit hungry, but there are amazing recipes at the end that will help with that.
My favorite visit to River Bluffs.
When I first started the series I was not a big fan but liked it enough to stuck with it. I’m so glad I did. I’m loving it and finding myself eagerly awaiting the next installment.
I love the closeness of Jazzi’s family and Ansel has finally gone from feeling like a controlling man to one who just loves his woman with everything he’s got. The more you get to know Ansel’s family the more you realize how lucky he is to have moved to River Bluffs.
There is the illusion of sex but nothing descriptive so I consider a clean read. No paranormal activity for those who are opposed. Recipes are usually included as Jazzi likes to cook as well as flip houses. No foul language that I can think of.
Each book can be read as a stand-alone but I always suggest reading in order.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Kensington, through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.
In this, the third mystery for Jazzi, and her partners Ansel and Jerod in house flipping, wedding bells are getting ready to ring for her and Ansel Only days away and she still hasn’t picked out a wedding dress. Work on flipping a large house is, at this point, more important and they have hit a snag. There are lots of things Jazzi, Ansel and Jerod can do to rehab a house but when they find that the furnace, foundation and gravel driveway need work they hire Darby to do the gravel work. He’s a real piece of work and is a no show. The company sends another truck and more than gravel spills out. Darby’s corpse is an unexpected part of the load. If that wasn’t bad enough, it turns out that their friend Thane, who helps on the projects, has a rocky history with Darby and that leads the police to place him in first place on the list of suspects. Knowing that Thane couldn’t possibly be the killer, Jazzi again joins with Det. Gaff to investigate. (As this is fiction, I don’t mind that a police detective would so willingly allow a civilian to work a case with him.) Soon they find that Darby really ticked off a long list of people and there are a slew of suspects to investigate.
Along with giving the reader a good puzzle to unravel, the core characters of her family and friends is very well written. For example, in a previous book, when Jazzi is trying to decide on the layout of the dining area, she reaches her decision by focusing on her family and their weekly meals together. It’s the heart of the house and must be able to welcome all who come to share a meal. This series has a big heart at its center – her family and friends anchor her and I like the romance that has led to her wedding. So many cozy mysteries keep the romance simmering so long I want to tell them to get moving already. Plus there is a sweet dog. Yes, this series has it all and I know I will keep them with pleasure. Book #4, The Body in the Apartment, comes out in March 2020.
Fun, House Flipper Cozy Mystery
This book is the third in a series. Each book can stand alone, but the reader will enjoy it more by reading them in order. This cozy mystery involves a group of close friends/family that buy and rehab houses for profit (house flipping). I enjoy these books because I did that for 12 years. The mysteries are cozy but not predictable. This author is wonderful in making the story come alive and making the reader work their brains for the solution. I have yet to determine the culprit before the reveal in any of her books. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.