This was cute but somehow just didn't click with me. There was a big cast of characters and a plot that had a few lines going - a few that kept distracting me from the story and, I think, losing me a little.

But if you like cozy mysteries, go ahead and give this one a try. Many others loved it.

This book didn't start out great for me as personally I strongly dislike seeing the death itself unless the main character is present. However, this author did do a good job in not revealing details of the crime in the scene. That risk of revealed details is a big piece of why I dislike that type of opener. I prefer to only know what the sleuth knows so I can puzzle out the clues.

The other issue I often have with this technique is that many times it's used to artificially create tension and hook early in the story, relying on the reader expecting the murder to happen to provide and carry suspense through an otherwise slow opening.

Sadly, that seems to be the case here. The sleuth is collecting clues before the fact, so there are important details involved and not just the stage setting I've often experienced, but it just felt slow. I think the fact that the murder hadn't happened and the incidents had no motivation contributed to the overly slow pace. She wasn't sleuthing. She just happened to be experiencing things that later ended up useful. So the story in that section lacks agency and that impacts the investigation as a whole.

Despite these drawbacks, I end up with a 3.5 star rating because I absolutely loved the MC's voice. The end of the book pulls things together beautifully and with great details.

I'd definitely give more works from this author a chance, especially if they have the same sleuth. That's really what it comes down to, isn't it? Whether I'd want to track down more or not.

I’ll be honest, the reason I requested this book is because it is set in my backyard. While I like cozy mysteries, I usually only choose one when I need a respite from my favorite thriller genre. I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. It is a cozy mystery, but it is so much more.

Notchey Creek is a town full of secrets. Seeminly idyllic, the town is stunned when a wealthy local history professor turns up dead. Lovable Harley Henrickson is determined to get to the bottom of his death but every corner she turns only brings up more questions.

Full of likeable characters, pet pigs, a rock star, and life lessons, this book is an excellent read. I did not expect the ending and I will be honest, I shed a tear.

I hope that this is the first of many Harley Henrickson novels. I plan to read them all!

#TheMistRisesOverNotcheyCreek #NetGalley

Publication Date: November 28, 2018
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Cover: Perfect
Rating: 5 stars
Source: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this great book!

This is a great mystery novel.. A quirky little town in the smoky mountains, that makes you long for simple communities all while still feeling the tension of everyone always knowing your history. I look forward to more in this series!

This book isn't quite sure what it wants to be- it's part mystery, part chick-lit, part small town fiction-and all those parts make for an interesting read! It's a book that starts slow, like a good whiskey, and then makes the reader burn to find out what will happen next, and they find themselves reading long into the night! Harley is a character in more ways than one- she's flawed, but charming. She's a character you look forward to reading about again and again! her family and the cast of small town characters will be familiar to those in any small Southern town, but Liz gives the town spice with the arrival of Beau. Only more than spice comes with him. As secrets come to light and the mystery weaves its tale, the reader will find themselves enchanted with Notchey Creek and hungry for the next installment (The Ghosts of Notchey Creek), which is sure to answer the questions left in readers' minds in this one!

Not a bad first book. The overall story had some nice plot twists and I liked the pig. The primary character was strong and likeable as well. The Book could benefit from some additional editing/tightening of the story.

An excellent cozy mystery and so much more. A wonderful protagonist, a beautifully painted setting, a puzzling mystery (that floored me), humor, and a cast of complex and eccentric characters. The thoroughly satisfying denouement was the icing on the cake.

I immediately fell in love with the book's protagonist, the book-loving whiskey distiller, Harley Henrickson. She is sensitive, hardworking, compassionate, and giving, and though she carries some insecurities from her past, she doesn't let them define her. As with the book's other compelling characters, she isn't perfect and is on a character arc to become something more, a refreshingly different lead character, one who is a bit of a contradiction. At first glance, she appears to be rough-around-the-edges, a tomboy of sorts, but, in reality, she is quite lady-like, well-read, articulate, and smart. She is not the stereotypical bombshell heroine and not every man falls in love with her, thank goodness.

Other characters of note are:

Beau Arson: A hard rock/ heavy metal musician with a tragic past and a sensitive side

Sheriff Jed Turner: A retired NFL player who suffers from lost dreams and the struggle to become a good sheriff

Harley's best friend, Tina Rizchek: a rhinestone and stiletto-wearing caterer who is a force in her own right

Savannah Swanson: A former beauty queen who is looking for more in her life

Hazel Moses: A retired school teacher who suffers from unfulfilled ambitions and unrequited love

Eric Winston: The handsome and accomplished county medical examiner who has returned to his hometown

Patrick Middleton: A history professor, who is kind, genteel, and cultured, but is haunted by his past

Harley's Great-Aunt, Wilma True: Truly Southern and always a treat with her hair emergencies and overbearing, but loving nature.

Harley's Great-Uncle, Tater: This one you'll just have to see for yourself... :)

I can't wait to see where these characters and others go in future books as Harley works to solve the mysteries of Notchey Creek.

4 stars

Harley Henrickson gets an hysterical telephone call from her friend Tina. She has crashed her car and oh by the way there’s a dead man in the ditch. When Harley gets there, she discovers that the man is not dead. He gets up and staggers away into the woods after he says something about a boy being innocent. Sheriff Jed Turner arrives at the scene, but his deputies cannot locate any sign of the man and he has received no reports of a missing boy.

When a murder occurs, Harley takes on the investigation. She carefully follows the clues and trails her suspect. In an exciting scene, Harley unmasks a killer.

This cozy little mystery is well written. It has humor, tragedy, secrets, old murders and new and lies as Harley seeks the truth behind the stranger she met in the ditch (who turns out not to be a stranger at all), and the murder of a local history professor. I liked Harley and her friend, the irrepressible Tina. What makes their relationship work is the fact that they are so different in personality types. Harley is laid back, almost shy and Tina is – well Tina. I hope to read more about Harley in the future.

I want to thank NetGalley and IBPA, Members’ Titles for forwarding to me a copy of this nice book for me to read, enjoy and review.

Yvonne Rowley

5.0 out of 5 stars
Five StarJanuary 1, 2019
Format: Kindle Edition

When she finds a stranger in a ditch rambling incoherently about an innocent lost boy, the mystery begins for Harley Henrickson, whiskey distiller, book lover, and small town citizen of Notchey Creek in the Great Smokey Mountains. Beautifully written and atmospheric with twists and turns, engaging, quirky characters, and a thoroughly satisfying dénouement. I received this book from NetGalley for an impartial review.

Remarkable first novel. Depth of character and an unexpected villain. Atmospheric and interesting setting. Look forward to more from this author.

The Mist Rises Over Notchey Creek was a nice fast read. Liz Andrews brings us Harley Henrickson, hopefully a series, who is a book reading wallflower whiskey distiller in the very small Appalachian community of Notchey Creek, Tennessee. This was an interesting peek into small town USA with a mountain flair, and a multifaceted mystery hidden among complicated relationships and coincidences.

I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley and Liz Andrews. Thank you all, for sharing your hard work with me.

I did what I tell everyone not to do - I judged this book by its cover, it had an interesting title and the graphic intrigued me. I am so pleased to report that the book not only lived up to my expectations but surpassed them. A marvelous mystery set in a small town in Tennessee., complete with stills, ,pet pigs and eccentric characters.. A wonderful kick off to, what I hope will be a series. It depicts small; town living at it's finest. I loved this book..

This is the first book in a series and hopefully we don’t have to wait too long for the next one! I thoroughly enjoyed this. I loved the Southern setting, as well.