A Fatal Groove is the second book in the Record Shop Mystery Book Series. I will admit that I didn't read the first book Vinyl Resting Place because I didn't realize I was reading book number 2 first but hey, that means I didn't realize I was missing anything lol! I like when authors "catch you up" for people who read but forgot or those of us who skip the prior books and jump right in. I always enjoy cozy mysteries....I mean give me a cat, a coffee shop, and some mystery and I'm in. You know you'll be solving a crime while also enjoying the characters and storyline. I finished the book in one day!

This book had me wishing my local record shop double as a coffee shop. Super fun and cozy small town feel. I feel like a lot of cozy.Mysteries can sometimes feel the same. However, I like that. This one keeps that record shop feel even though they're adding the coffee elements. I love finding new series that have a more unique vibe. This one fits the bill, but still stays true to the cozy comforts of the mystery genre.

Record Shop Mystery #2

This is such a fun, cozy series. I love the fact that it takes place in a small town just outside of Austin, Texas. It’s basically where I live, making it so easy to imagine the setting, meddlesome locals and tiny festivals that take over for a weekend. A Fatal Groove occurs during Spring and is held during the annual Bluebonnet Festival. The descriptions of our state flower and the protectiveness that true Texans have about it, was spot on and just made me smile.

I really like Juni, the Jessep sisters and their quirky family members. I did miss hanging out at the record shop in this book. This one focused more on the coffee they serve at the shop. I do love the names they come up with for their special brews. There was one scene that showed the sisters holding a craft night at the shop where patrons made crafts using old records. Sounded like a unique and fun class to attend. There is a love triangle and I have a clear preference. I just have a feeling it’s not who Juni will end up picking though.

The mystery was entertaining and captivating. It was full of many suspects and red herrings making it tough to pin down the actual culprit. There was even a fun side story that included local lore about a hidden treasure.

I will definitely look forward to reading book three and hope that the series continues to grow.

A messed up festival is always a blast, especially with a writer like Olivia Blacke. We got more family and town history and I didn't regret a second of it!

The blue bonnet festival is in high gear and the annual treasure hole digging has lots of participants but not one of them strikes gold or fabled stolen money. What does happen, is that Mayor Bob enjoys a cup of coffee and that is the last thing he does. That coffee came from the Sip & Spin Record’s festival booth belonging to the Jessup sisters; Juni, Tansy, and Maggie. One sister served him the coffee and another found his body. Well that is most unfortunate. The last thing the sisters need is for their new business venture, the Sip & Spin Record shop, to be closed, possibly for good. It turns out that Mayor Bob was hunting for the famous very money from the bank robbery from 1956. He isn’t the only one since it looks like his office is missing a few odd items. Mayor Bob liked to pick up robbery related items from Ebay. I have always thought that if you can’t find it on Amazon most likely it will show up on Ebay. Unfortunately for Mayor Bob, he isn’t the only treasure hunter and just maybe he found the clue they all needed. Normally the spouse would be the first on the suspect list, but Mrs. Mayor was on an Alaskan Cruise. I went on one of those once and they have the best of everything. Except for coffee, the cruise coffee does not compare to the Sip & Spin offerings. There are some amazing flavor combination coffee creations and I think that recipes should be included. There are suspects at City Hall as well as local treasure hunters. No one, especially the local police think that the Jessup sisters have anything do with it. After all, Juni is semi-dating the detective Beauregard Russel aka Beau the guy who broke her heart years ago. Juni is also semi-dating Teddy Garza longtime friend. Maggie is team Beau while Tansy is team Teddy. Which brings me to the only part of this series that I am not a fan of is the triangle. I am strictly a straight line person, or rather a one sleuth with one romantic interest. It can be instant attraction, old friends to new love, or even a slow burn between stubborn suitors. I get too angsty over more than one romance because I am almost sure that it won’t end well for someone and I like the HEA (Happy Ever After) aspects of cozies.

I love a good cozy mystery! One that incorporates all of my favorite topics (i.e. genealogy, bookstores, libraries, cooking, painting, inn keeping, animals, etc.), throwing in some action-suspense, a who-done-it, interesting characters, and a plot that keeps me guessing, then you’ve got me hooked. I will say, I am one of those people who like to read a series from the beginning, but I often find you don’t have to… either way I highly recommend reading A Fatal Groove by Olivia Blacke.

*I received a complimentary copy of this novel from NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.*

The second installment of the Record Shop Mystery series defies the dreaded 'sophomore slump'.

Once again, Cedar River, Texas, is home to citizens who have taken "deep in the heart" very seriously.

Our intrepid sister trio, Juni, Tansy, and Maggie, have fully embraced the festival spirit. They've agreed to be DJs and provide coffee at Cedar River's annual Bluebonnet Festival. But it's not even noon before things take a turn for the worse. Juni finds Mayor Bob stone-cold in his office, clutching a Sip and Spin coffee cup. Any mystery fan, like Juni, knows that blue lips are a clear sign of poisoning. Small towns thrive on gossip, scandal, and nosy neighbors. It isn't long before Tansy becomes the prime suspect. Will our sleuth, Juni, rise to the occasion once more? And will Beau continue his mind games? This reader is definitely on Team Teddy in Juni's romantic triangle.

Blacke has introduced a fantastic B-plot involving a bank heist from the 1950s. This storyline brings a new and charming character to the series: Buttercup the cow. I hope she returns in book three. Blacke mentioned including 40 song titles in A Fatal Grove, and even a non-country music fan could recognize some classic tunes. Blacke is known for her light touch in cozy mysteries. Readers will appreciate the loving and sometimes snarky banter between the citizens of Cedar River.

Recommended for all cozy mystery fans, especially those with a love for Texas.

Full disclosure: I received an ARC from Netgalley and Macmillan in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you for this opportunity.

*I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and St. Martin's Paperbacks for my honest review.*

Another great cozy mystery in the Record Shop Mystery series. Juni's town is in the middle of bluebonnet season and the whole town is celebrating with the Bluebonnet Festival. And then the mayor is found dead with a cup from Juni's record and coffee shop. So of course, the sisters are all being considered for the murder and need to help themselves out of this hot water.

Glad to see the Texas Blue bonnets included in the series and with a prominent festival. Really enjoying the town and characters. Great flow for a cozy mystery!

This is such a cute cozy mystery series. If you haven't read book one, I recommend starting there just because it's so fun to spend time in this small town with these characters. You can definitely pick this one up without reading the first one - the characters make the series, the mystery itself is a standalone.

The record shop series has all the elements for a fun cozy - a small town full of interesting characters, three sisters working together to make it in their independent business (a record store/coffee shop), and - of course - an amateur sleuth working to solve the latest town murder. In this book, the mayor is found dead and Juni starts investigating when her sister falls under suspicion.

Definitely pick this up if you enjoy cozy mysteries, it's a great read!

A Fatal Groove by Olivia Blacke is the second book in the cozy Record Shop Mystery series. As with most cozy mysteries each book in the series does contain it’s own mystery that is fully solved so it can be read as a standalone or in any order if choosing if choosing to do so. Of course there will be some character development that carries over from book to book for those that follow the series from the beginning.

Juni, Tansy, and Maggie are sisters who all decided to take a risk together to change their lives by combining assets and opening Sip & Spin Records in their hometown of Cedar River, Texas. With vinyl records back in demand the girls thought now would be a great time to show their love for music but with a side of a coffee shop in the store to hopefully maintain business.

Now that Juni, Tansy, and Maggie have Sip & Spin Records up and running somewhat successfully they are excited it’s spring and time for the annual Bluebonnet Festival. However celebrating at the festival is put on hold for the sisters when Juni stumbles upon the body of the mayor and it seems he’d been poisoned. With Tansy having just given the mayor a coffee of course she becomes suspect number one and the sisters need to track another murderer before one of them ends up behind bars.

The Record Shop Mystery series is another I picked up from the beginning and am growing fonder of as it goes along. This one is slightly different with the other two sisters being involved and taking part with Juni as the main character and I’m always open to a different twist to the norm. The series does have all those cozy elements I enjoy too with a lot of laughs along the way along with a fun mystery to follow. When finished with this second book I’ll definitely be looking forward to more.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is an entertaining cozy mystery. The characters are well written, allowing each unique personality and voice to shine through. The family dynamics have an integral role in the storyline. The retro vinyl record shop that the three sisters own is unique and the music themed names for the coffee drinks they serve adds a cute touch. The mystery was interesting, well paced and offered plenty of suspects as the potential murderer. The biggest downside for me in the series so far is the dreaded love triangle. I’m just not a fan of those as a story arc.

Loved returning to this cozy coffee shop-slash-record store setting. Perfect for the resurgence in vinyls and very comforting. Also learning a lot about Texas and my misconceptions about it.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC of A Fatal Groove! All opinions in this review are my own.

A Fatal Groove was on track to be a good mystery. The victim dies in the first 50 pages and I figured the rest of the time would be spent solving his murder. Except for the last 100 pages, the focus is instead on the love triangle Juni finds herself in between Teddy and Beau. The mystery is the focus again towards the end of the book but by that point the reveal feels rushed and not as connected as it should be.

Love the cover, what fun! The mayor dies on the same day as the town has a festival. Tansy poured coffee for him. Now she is suspect. Juni can't allow that so she gets involved in figuring out who killed him. A good story. I do like the coffee and record story. The characters are interesting.

Book number two was just as fun as book number one, The characters are still just as great. To be fair I’m even more Teddy now. I don’t know why Beau rubs me the wrong way, but he does. I love the sisters, and the quirky towns people. Although it does seem like a lot of murders lately, I’m not not sure I would want to move there with that high death rate.

* I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*

A Fatal Groove is the second book in the Record Shop Mystery series where Juni and her sisters own and operate Sip n Spin records, a fun place to get a coffee and buy records in the small Texas town of Cedar River. This book involves the murder of the town mayor, blue bonnets, and a long ago unsolved bank robbery. I liked it a lot! Very enjoyable and unique cozy series. Lots of fun with likable characters and I absolutely did not guess the killer in advance. I will continue with this series for sure.

Thanks to the author and publisher for the e-arc I received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The residents of Cedar River, Texas have all turned out for the annual Bluebonnet Festival, and this year, Juni Jessup and her sisters Tansy and Maggie, owners of the recently opened Sip & Spin Records, are in charge of the DJ booth where they are also selling coffee. Things are grooving nicely until Tansy finds Mayor Bob dead—murdered—in his office, and the coffee Tansy brewed was determined to be laced with poison.

Juni and her sisters start their own investigation to determine the real killer and exonerate Tansy despite the warning from Detective Beau Russell, Juni’s ex, not to interfere. When family is at stake, though, Juni will do anything to protect them.

This is a fun series since Juni is a likable and sympathetic protagonist. I love that there is a diverse cast of characters and all of the music references. In this book, Juni and her sisters confront several possible suspects, including Tansy’s long-time rival and their mother’s new boyfriend. Motives become even more twisted when it appears the murder may have a connection to a 1956 bank robbery. I also liked the ending which hit a very satisfying note!

Music.Music.Music.
I adore this series. Even though my own music knowledge is far less than Juni's, I grew up surrounded by fabulous sounds my entire life and and always have been a fan of vinyl. Thus the whole concept of the store seems absolutely logical to me. The fact that people are dying to be there takes things to the next level.
Written with a very light touch and wonderful sense of humor, these stories keep me fully entertained and have me paying attention to the details--just exactly what one wants in a cozy mystery. I am already awaiting the next one!

This is the second installment in the Record Shop mystery series. Juni and her sisters have opened Sip and Spin a vinyl record and coffee shop. Cedar River is having the annual Bluebonnet festival and Sip and Spin has a booth selling coffee. On day one, as Tansy and Juni are setting up long-time Mayor Bob arrives for a coffee but would prefer more of a selection like at the shop, however, as they explain they can only do so much during such for large crowds. The mayor leaves with a coffee and heads to city hall. Juni forgot something at the shop, so after she picks up the stickers for the cups she stops by city hall with a specialty coffee only to find Mayor Bob dead in his office. Since he was drinking a coffee brewed by Tansy she becomes the top suspect and many in the town are more than willing to believe this. Juni and her sisters begin to investigate and when an age old mystery of a bank robbery potentially comes into play it proves to be a very entertaining mystery. I do enjoy how Juni and her sisters work together and are there for each other. I think Juni has a good approach and eye for these things without being too over the top. I don’t like the love triangle. Hopefully this will be resolved soon. Good mystery with strong characters and looking forward to the next installment.

I love love loved this cozy mystery! Definitely going to go and buy a physical copy! Highly recommend to anyone who loves cozy mysteries!