This is the first book by this author that I have read and I was very surprised. I love cozy mysteries even though they can be a little formulaic. The characters were enjoyable, I enjoy the antics and hijinks. I loved all the garage sale info in the book as well, plus the description of the antiques, just over all a slightly predictable but fun read.

This was a very interesting installment in this series - there was the usually garage sale tie-in, but the plot about people who falsely portray themselves as veterans was really interesting. Harris' series is always enjoyable to read, and the garage sale tidbits are sprinkled in perfectly.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Sarah Winston is helping the Spencers, a Vietnam vet and his wife, downsize with a garage sale. The sale is going well until the couple is found in a closed off area in the garage. The husband is dead but the wife is hanging on. Sarah is beside herself, how could this happen at one of her sales? Especially with so many people around. To her, that means plenty of suspects.

She is also surprised when her brother knocks on her door. She hasn’t seen him in years. He says he is working undercover on a story and begs her to keep his visit a secret. Even from her ex, who she is dating again and is around all the time. She discovers some of his notes, a list of veterans. Could his investigation have something to do with what happened at the garage sale? She is definitely going to find out.

I read this book all in one afternoon. The action started early and I just couldn’t put it down.

I was intrigued by the introduction of Sarah’s brother Luke. Had he crossed over to the dark side? Had his years in the service changed him. I went back and forth about him the entire story.

Sarah, now dating only C. J. but Seth is waiting in the wings really had her hands full. She is trying to solve the murder, trying to find out what her brother is up to, trying to help the Spencer’s son sell the things that were left over when the sale abruptly ended and trying to move her relationship with C.J. in the right direction. There were many nights she was exhausted and for good reason. All these characters are complex, real and entertaining. I am probably the only one but I am still on Team Seth.

The story has many layers and is very well plotted. Twist and turns and plenty of action kept the pages turning rapidly. The mystery centered on a topic I had never really given a lot of thought and I learned something. That always makes a story better.

I do enjoy Ms. Harris’ writing style. Her books are very easy to escape right into leaving the stressors of real life behind. A quick pace, plenty of suspects and a very entertaining mystery make this a good day to buy, A Good Day To Buy. 🙂

There is a cliffhanger at the end of this one. In a way, I am glad I was late to the party for this series because I don’t have to wait a year for the next book. I Know What You Bid Last Summer will be out February 27.

Book received from NetGalley.

Even though this book is the fourth in a series, you really don't need to read the other books to keep up with what is going on in this book. The main character helps others have profitable garage sales. Unfortunately, Sarah Winston finds a body in the garage and she's off to solve the mystery that goes along with it. I do have to admit some of the parts of the book seem formulaic in Cozy mysteries, especially since there are so many out there in the genre. What made me raise my rating from a 3 star to a 4 star, was the fact the author used the book to bring out an issue that many of our Veterans are dealing with. It was cute, and a very quick read.

This is the fourth book in the garage sale mystery series. Each book can be read as a stand alone . I recommend the entire series as each book is a delightful mystery.
In this next in series our protagonist Sarah has arranged a elaborate estate yard sale for elderly clients. During the sale one of her clients is murdered next to the sale and the other is badly injured. Sarah is very distraught as it occurred very near her and she is determined to help find the killer. her reputation is at stake as well as she is soon a suspect and works to clear her name as she begins her sleuth. To add to her distress her long lost mysterious Brother returns to town and is soon now a main suspect. Sarah has her own doubts about her Brother's innocence and feels pressure to both help him and solve the murder.
I enjoy this series as the mystery is very well crafted and has many twist and turns. I enjoy the small town, the business of yard sales and the many sale tips in each book. They are fun mysteries that will please every cozy mystery fan. I look forward to the next in series. The advance reading copy did not influence my review.

Sherry Harris does it again in this latest addition to the Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery series. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, in fact, it is the best I have read so far. If you have not visited Ellinton Massachusetts in this series, it is time you did.

Sarah Winston is divorced from ex-military, now Sheriff, C.J. They have begun dating again and it seems a remarriage may be in the future. While running her latest garage sale at the Spencers, she discovers Mr. Spencer, a veteran, dead in the garage and his wife unconcious on the floor beside him. When she returns home that day, she answers her door only to find her estranged brother Luke standing there. As CJ investigates the crime, Luke becomes a suspect in the murder when his fingerprints are found in the garage. Of course, this causes Sarah to begin her own investigation to exonerate her brother. As another body turns up, Sarah once again finds herself in danger. When she begins to have suspicions about a group of visitors to the town, CJ tries to get her to stop her questions and interference. Will she be able to find the true murderer? What is Luke really involved in? Will Sarah and CJ proceed to the next step in their relationship?

The plot is well paced, and the characters are well developed. It is easy to get a good sense of Sarah through her interactions with the other characters. She continues to be loyal and stand up for thsoe she cares about. She is honest and not afraid to turn in her brother if she finds evidence that he did kill Mr. Spencer. I did not have any idea who the murderer was and the twist at the end of the story was very good. At the end of the book there are some tips for yard sale buyers and sellers. I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy mystery. I recommend this book to cozy mystery lovers out there. This is a good series.

A Good Day to Buy

by Sherry Harris

Having held exactly one unsuccessful garage sale and participated in one equally disappointing flea market, I approached reading the fourth book in the Sarah Winston Garage Sale Series with a modicum of trepidation. I concluded A Good Day to Buy with no increased enthusiasm for the process, but with a great deal of respect for the author, Sherry Harris, whose cozy mystery is outstanding. The story centers around former Air Force wife Sarah Winston, and her ex-husband CJ, a police chief. There is a huge cast of characters, so many I had to refer back frequently. Normally I would find this distracting, but it was compensated for by a plot line that is complicated and intriguing. There are equal amounts of cerebral efforts and action as Sarah tries to solve a multi-layered crime that starts at one of her garage sales and spreads out to include military friends and her long-lost brother.

I’m glad I chose to read this book in spite of its theme. There are worthwhile garage sale tips at the end for those interested. The book was successful in making me want to read more books in the series even if I was not convinced that conducting a garage sale is a profitable effort for me.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Mystery

Notes: #4 in the Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery Series, but works well as a standalone

Publication: April 25, 2017—Kensington Books

Memorable Lines:

I stuffed some of the plastic bags into another one. What was with these things? They multiplied like those Tribbles in a Star Trek episode. You have a couple because you might need them, then boom, they’re everywhere.

In a small town, stories spread faster than news of antiques at a garage sale.

I’d always made the best of our assignments because it was either that or be miserable for a few years.

This is a fun quirky series with more depth than readers may realize. The writer does a fantastic job with characters and all those human emotions that this book has something for everyone

I enjoyed A Good Day to Buy enough that I checked my Netgalley account (where I got this copy from in exchange for my honest review) to see if I had any of the previous ones. This book stands alone fine though.

The story line deals with an issue effecting veterans I wasn't really aware of (and strangely enough am reading another book which mentions the same problem). There was a decent amount of mystery and red herrings that kept me guessing to who had done it.

I'm getting a wee bit tired of love triangles in cozies. I suppose since Sarah is back with her husband that the love triangle isn't supposed to exist despite the former boyfriend popping up and causing minor conflict. Again, not having read any of the other books, I do not see why Sarah is back with her ex-husband based on the lack of time together and chemistry.

Princess Fuzzypants here:
Sarah Winston has a lot of decisions to make. Her business is thriving as she juggles her professional and her personal life. When her long estranged brother shows up unexpectedly at her door and one of her clients is murdered during a sale she is holding for him, she is torn. Things spiral down from there when it appears her brother was involved and might have been the murderer. Has her brother changed so much in the intervening years or is he the same guy she always protected? How far should she go in deceiving the people closest to her to keep him safe?
The story behind the story is fascinating. People saying they had served in the military when they did not thereby receiving benefits they did not deserve. No wonder groups exist to "out" the liars. Some will go to extremes to do so but does that include murder. You will have to read the book to find out.
There are plenty of twists and turns and surprises to delight the reader. I like Sarah who has rebuilt her life independently after divorcing her husband, the Chief of Police. I like the way the military and civilian lives intertwine as it adds an extra element of interest. I especially like the way things are seldom black and white in these stories. There are lots of shades of grey and ambiguity.
When I first started reading this series it bothered me that nothing got tied up at the end of the story. While one chapter is resolved, the murder, there are more questions left unanswered. It is especially true about the relationships of the principle characters. I am not a fan of cliff hangers but somehow the author manages to hook me into wanting to see where the story goes next. I guess I shall have to wait.
I give this five purrs and two paws up as another good summer reading treat.

A Good Day to Buy by Sherry Harris is part of the Sarah W Garage Sale Mystery series. I had not read any of the previous books and was not lost. I did feel like I missed getting to know Sarah, the main character. Sarah owns a garage sale business that is thriving, but the murder of her latest client threatens that. Sarah's ex-husband, who is also the police chief, considers Sarah's estranged brother the main suspect. The characters and garage sale story line were interesting. The mystery was good, and it ended with a cliffhanger that has me waiting for the next book.

Everyone loves a good deal. The sleuth of this series, Sarah Winston is no exception. In fact, she makes her living coordinating and carrying out garage sales for her customers. So why is this book one deal you don’t want to pass up? Here are my top five reasons that A Good Day to Buy is a bargain too good to miss.

It stands alone.

This is the fourth book in the Sarah W. Garage Sale Mystery Series. It is the first in the series I have read. Coming in at book four I did not feel I missed a good deal. There was a bit of back story I know I didn’t have, but it didn’t keep me from enjoying the book. It just made a few of the secondary characters a little less developed than they would have been if I started at the beginning.

It offers a unique look at the life of military families.

I had not read a cozy mystery before that dealt with life in the military. Sarah was a military wife and still spends much of her time volunteering on a nearby base and interacting with those who are in service. I thought this was a neat look at a way of life that I did not know much about.

It will charge you up for this summer’s garage sale season.

Whether or not you are a regular garage sale shopper, it will put you in the mood to hit up the next garage sale or estate sale you hear about. Author Sherry Harris has some tips and tricks for both hosting and shopping woven throughout the story that you’ll want to check out.

Cliffhanger!

If you are one that likes a cliffhanger at the end of your cozy, then you will enjoy this. The murder mystery ties up nicely, but we are left with a bit of a cliffhanger into main character Sarah’s story. It was enough to have me wondering when the next installment will be coming out.

That warm and fuzzy feeling when you finish a good book.

This was a relaxing read for me and left me with that warm and fuzzy feeling you get when you finish a good book. It was just what I needed at the time. Mystery, excitement, a little romance, and a main character you cheered for all the way to the end.

So as the summer ramps up and you are looking for that next book to throw in your bag for a lighthearted summer read, pick up a copy of A Good Day to Buy. Any day would be a good day to buy this gem of a book.

Sarah is a woman that has her own business in a small town on the edge of a military base. She works on setting up auctions and garage sales. She plans them, runs them, and lets the owners of the property do what they're going to do. What happens when disaster strikes the latest job she is working? What happens in this mystery? What does Sarah see? Who shows up? Why is she asked to listen to 911 calls? What does CJ think she's going to hear or recoginize? When the son of the folks that she's running the garage sale for shows up, what happens? What does he ask of her? What does she notice about their house when she is invited inside after everything? Who is Luke? Who is Bartholomew? The major players in this book have a lot of degrees of separation between them and it really makes things interesting. Who is behind what is going on? You're going to have to read to find out who is suspected and who is behind it. Enjoy! Was fun to read!

RECEIVED THIS BOOK AS A GIFT FOR A FAIR/HONEST REVIEW and REVIEWER FOR Bloggin' With M. Brennan.

This is a series that I think just keeps getting better and better. The characters continue to grow in depth and I love the way that they interact with each other.
The writing is easy to ready and descriptions that allow me to 'see' events unfold without disrupting the flow of the study. I enjoyed the story regarding veterans as it brought attention to them without being political.

I can't wait for the next one in the series as we were left with a bit of a 'cliff-hanger'.

I was excited to receive an ARC of this book to review because I have been waiting for this book since last May! Being a Classy Cheapskate, I myself LOVE garage sales, so this book series speaks to my core and I love the characters! I was hooked on the story immediately because I feel so vested in the lives of Sarah and all of the other wonderfully-written characters. I read the book quickly and didn’t put it down, although I wanted to because I didn't want the story to end! The plot itself is again well written, as has the entire series been written. I love Sarah, her character is so personable. I have wanted to go garage sale shopping with her ever since I started this series! Is it garage sale time yet? I can't believe the cliff hanger that we are left with on the last page...how long am I going to have to wait? If I haven't said it enough, this is another great add to an already splendid series!

This was such a good and fun read! Even though this is the fourth book in the series, I wasn't lost, but reading the first three is definitely in my future. I like Sarah. She helps people by de-cluttering their lives. In this book, she is helping the Spencer's downsize and de-clutter before they move. However, things take a tragic turn when she finds them on the garage floor, during the sale! Then, to add to the crazy weirdness, her brother, Luke shows up in need of help but he disappears. SO then Sarah is desperately trying to clear her brother's name from the murders.
Like I said, a fun read that held my interest throughout the story. This is author has piqued my interest into wanting to read more books by her.

Sarah is an energetic and independent woman, and she is determined to figure out what happened to the home owner at the garage sale she ran that weekend.  With the unexpected appearance of her brother, she is torn between her loyalty to Luke and unanswered questions about his past, and present for that matter. I liked Sarah. She is relentless in her search for the truth – both regarding Mr. Spencer’s murder and Luke’s connection to him. Military service and veterans, and tales of base life lent a unique aspect to this otherwise typical cozy mystery.  It was an enjoyable read, with plenty of suspects, interesting plot twists and a satisfying resolution.
Note:  Although this is fourth in series, it can be read as a standalone. (I haven’t read the previous books.)

"Good Buys" can be positive or sad, temporary or permanent, and well thought out or come upon quickly. This book is definitely well thought out but has many ups and downs in the plot.
As in previous books in this series, relationships take the spotlight and carry the highest values.

I am addicted to a good treasure hunt and to intriguing mysteries. Sherry Harris delivers both and more. We learn more about the main characters and are introduced to others who pique our interest.
She brings to our attention real life topics that may not get our attention from the daily newscast.

Sarah finds herself in danger just going about her life and trying to chase some goals and dreams. As she tries to do the right thing and help friends and family, (even strangers,) she places herself in the direct line of attention and consequences from people who may think they are acting with valor.
And others who have more self centered agendas.

This mystery is clean, not overly graphic, and has the requisite elements of a cozy.
It has additional substance to appeal to readers of military romance and family drama.

Fun, cozy mystery! Good characters that you want to get to know. Can't wait for more!

Sarah is still working things out with her ex - who happens to be the police chief - and getting her garage sale business off the ground. The attack on the Spencers during the garage sale and the sudden reappearance of her estranged brother add to her otherwise complicated life. When it looks like Luke is the prime suspect, she works to find out who killed Mr. Spencer.

Sarah is a likable well-developed character - she has mixed emotions, lots of conflicting thoughts, but what she wants are the answers - who killed Mr. Spencer and what has her brother been doing all these years. The plot thickens with another duo who have a political agenda. The story moves along at a steady pace and the ending includes a bit of a surprise.

This is part of a series, but easily can be read as a stand alone. It was a fun read and I've added the first in the series to my TBR list - glad to find another author to read.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.