Hey folks, daddy Steve here. Been a while since I’ve talked about what I’m reading and it’s not because I’m not reading. Have finished reading four doggiebooks since the last book report. Vacations are great for reading, staycations are just as good... I’ll try to write about these books in the next couple of days, then update the big lists of books that’s pinned at the top of Malcolm’s page. Been a while since I’ve updated it as it only shows 68 books and I’m currently reading book #87. 😳😁
The book I’ll took to you here is To Kill a Mocking Girl by Harper Kincaid. Yeah, play on words are very present in the whole book. It’s a fun cozy mystery with about everything you expect from the genre. You know amateur female sleuth, a good looking cop she’s got a crush on, a little romance going on, lots (and lots) of twists in an investigation by said amateur sleuth, and of course, a dog.
It was a fun read, apparently the first in a new series called Bookbinding mystery. For a cozy mystery, I’ve seen worse. There was some good action, some goos humor too.
Huge thanks to NetGalley who provided a free eBook advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review. This is as honest as it gets...

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, I really did. Unfortunately, I really didn't enjoy it at all. The storyline was okay, the characters were okay, the pace was painfully slow. My interest started to peak at about 80% but by about 83% all interest was gone again. I'm sure there are some people that would enjoy this book, I just wasn't one of them.

To Kill a Mocking Girl by Harper Kincaid was a take it or leave it read for me. I found the story began slow, started to pick up, and then I struggled the last 30% of the book to finish.

While I agreed and disagreed with some of the politics and religious parts of this book, I hate politics in my books. When I read, I like to escape politics and the world. I found the mystery interesting, but not overly complicated. Overall, I would say a solid 3 star read for me.

I liked the quotes at the beginning of each of the chapters, and I looked forward to those. The recipes at the back were a nice added touch. I loved the ginger and mint tea.

I received an eARC from Crooked Lane Books through NetGalley. All opinions are 100% my own.

I will pass. I am not into the liberal propaganda. I read books to get away from politics. You can keep your liberal views to yourself.

I loved this book!! Great story!! 1st book I have read by this author will read more of her books!! It was a pretty good cozy mystery!!

This was a great read! The book is first in a new series by Harper Kincaid. While I have not yet any other book by this author, this book promises to be an interesting and lively series!

The story takes place in Vienna, Virginia, and features a young woman, Quinn, who is a bookbinder. That was unusual enough for me to take note. She grew up in Vienna and works in her family's bookstore. Much of the book revolves around character introduction and the author taking you into Quinn's world, who she knows and helping us as readers to learn more about the story.

I enjoyed this story immensely! It is everything I love in a mystery - character, action, and intelligent dialog. Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books. I'm looking forward to the second book in the series!

Like a couple of other reviewers, I'm not sure I'm the right audience for this book. It felt too juvenile for me, and I almost gave up about half-way through. The 'romance' was tough to swallow and far too obvious, and took up a lot of space in Quinn's head and on the pages.

The blurb is somewhat misleading in that there is no ring-flashing hobby by the murder victim, nor is Quinn poisoned; her dog is. Lots of pop culture references that went over my head, sentient animals (I love a good sentient animal in my cosies, but this wasn't the right theme for that and it wound up being wholly unbelievable in this setting), and a lot (!) of internal dialogue from Quinn. Mostly about Detective Aiden Harrington, who I think must be modelled after The Rock, the way he's described.

So why three stars and not lower? Well, overall, it was a good read, and I enjoyed it despite my niggles with it. I liked the STORY, and Daria, and Quinn's family, even if I wasn't wholly sold on Quinn herself.

This is a cute story with a happy ending and has Hallmark mystery movie written all over it! The characters are likable but don’t have a lot of depth. I did find the literary references entertaining.

This was a very sweet cozy. The main character was friendly and made you feel like you belonged. The other characters were just as pleasant. I liked the witty banter between the characters and the twists of the plot. There wasnt any shortage of suspects, plenty to choose from. It was a very enjoyable book. The ending was a surprise. I liked it very much.

What a super fun and hilarious cozy! I really enjoyed this new series debut from Harper Kincaid. It was light and funny and the mystery was fantastic. Quinn, Bash, Daria and Adrian made for great characters and the lovable pooch RPG rounded out the story wonderfully. I want another book in this series super soon!

My Highly Caffeinated Thought: The perfect mix of small-town quirkiness, amateur sleuthing, and mystery.

Oh, how I love a good cozy mystery. In the first book of the Bookbinding Mystery series, Kincaid gifts her readers with a positively addictive read. From the beginning of TO KILL A MOCKING GIRL, I was instantly invested in Quinn, her parents, and Sister Daria. Then you throw into the mix a murder you know Quinn is going to stick her nose into, a dog that seems to be on the case with her, and all the quirkiness of a small-town. What more can you ask for?

What made this book even better is that the author’s writing just flows from one scene to the next. As the momentum builds within the investigation, so does the story. She manages to give weight to the more serious parts while still sprinkling the dialog with humor and sass. So good!

In full disclosure, I was nervous when Harper said she was writing a mystery. I have liked her romance novels in the past, but to tackle a cozy mystery is a different thing. I wanted to enjoy the book but had no idea know what to expect. What I didn’t think would happen is that I would become obsessed with the story. I wanted to finish it but didn’t want to see it end.

TO KILL A MOCKING GIRL was incredibly wonderful. Just the right amount of everything. I cannot wait to take my next trip to Vienna, Virginia.

Delightful new cozy series featuring bookbinder Quinn Caine in Vienna, VA. Quinn has returned home to work in her parents' store, Prose and Scones. What's not great about coming home is running into a mean girl from her high school days who's determined to flaunt her engagement to one of Quinn's exes. Quinn becomes a suspect when she finds said mean girl dead. Quinn's a great character, and so are many subsidiary characters, including a cousin who has decided to become a nun. Mystery is well-plotted with realistic red herrings and a fair, but not obvious, murderer.

Small town America mystery. The main character Quinn is funny and likeable. She has a wild child turned religious cousin/best friend . Their relationship is sisterly with all the good times and complicated history all relationships experence. There are many entertaining pop culture and literary references. It's a fun read, I'm looking forward to next book in this series.

An absolutely incredible debut cozy mystery! This book was action packed and kept me guessing at every turn as to who was the killer. This plus the family dynamic between Quinn and Daria and the incredible chemistry between Quinn and Aiden, her brother's friend who happens to be the lead detective in the case, make this book unputdownable.

One of the best cozy mysteries I've read! It's fresh and young with funny pop culture references and great literary and nerd references! It really does leave you wondering who did it, which isn't always the case in cozy mysteries. Hoping maybe we'll see some more of Q& A!

To Kill a Mocking Girl by Harper Kincaid - “Bookbinder Quinn finds herself in trouble when her ex's fiance turns up dead. Quinn Victoria Caine is back in her quirky town of Vienna, Virginia, starting her new life as a bookbinder in her family-owned, charm-for-days bookshop, Prose & Scones. With her trusty German Shephard RBG-'Ruff Barker' Ginsburg by her side, what can go wrong? Okay, sure, bumping into her ex, Scott, or her former high school nemesis, Tricia. It certainly doesn't help they have acquired the new hobby of shoving their recent engagement in her face every chance they get. But that doesn't mean Quinn wanted to find Tricia dead in the road. Quinn is determined to find Tricia's killer, even if it means partnering with her cousin-turned-nun, Sister Daria, and Detective Aiden Harrington, her older brother's too-movie-star-handsome-for-his-own good, best friend. They believe she's innocent, but of course that doesn't influence the police, who peg her as their prime suspect. Or, at least until she's poisoned.”
I thoroughly enjoyed this great cozy murder mystery. Very well-written. It had wonderful town background and friendly characters. I loved the part of the dogs in this book. There was also a hint of romance. I felt every emotion that the characters did. A great job! Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced reader’s copy.

It's always a load of fun to start a brand new cosy mystery series and this one, To Kill a Mocking Girl written by Harper Kincaid, certainly did not disappoint!

The reader is soon introduced to the star of the show, bookbinder Quinn Caine, who has just finished teaching abroad and has moved back to her sleepy hometown of Vienna, Virginia. She now spends her days working in Prose & Scones, her family's bookshop, along with her dog, trusty German Shephard 'Ruff Barker' Ginsburg (aka RBG). Things are ticking along nicely until her ex boyfriend's fiancée, Tricia Pemberley turns up dead... Unfortunately, the deceased also happened to be Quinn's former high school nemesis, thereby making her the number one suspect.

I thought this was an excellent, really solid start to the series. I enjoyed reading about the quaint small town of Vienna with its strong community vibe. Harper Kincaid has laid the the foundations of a delightful set of characters to whom the reader was gradually introduced. Apart from Quinn herself who I found to be intelligent and smart, though not always very wise, I also liked her cousin, Sister Daria for her spirit and vivacity.

The writing was fast paced, and the mystery itself was very well executed, with abundant red herrings and twists to sustain my interest. All in all, a brilliant opening instalment and I will certainly be returning to Vienna to see what Quinn is getting herself into next.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

#justreleased #netgalley #arcreview
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To kill a mocking girl - Harper Kincaid @charmingwhentipsy
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Main characters; Quinn, sister Daria and Aiden.
This detective romance is funny, intriguing, an adventure and I totally loved reading it 🙌🏻💕
The bickering between Quinn and sister Daria, the very very slow burn between Quinn and Aiden 🤦🏼‍♀️🤣 it makes the characters so much fun. But I do have to warn you guys because the ‘killer’ is really an heartless creature and will not stop with hurting only people...
My notes 📝; murder, crime solving, slow burn / maybe romance, poison ☠️, drama, RBG the dog 🐶 🙌🏻💕.
And if you have ended the book there will be an surprise in the end that I totally love ❤️ 🙌🏻 hints; 📝🥣🍔 🤐
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Blurb;
Bookbinder Quinn finds herself in trouble when her ex's fiance turns up dead and if she's not careful, her days might be numbered in this debut series perfect for fans of Kate Carlisle and Eva Gates.

Quinn Victoria Caine is back in her quirky town of Vienna, Virginia, starting her new life as a bookbinder in her family-owned, charm-for-days bookshop, Prose & Scones. With her trusty German Shephard RBG-'Ruff Barker' Ginsburg by her side, what can go wrong? Okay, sure, bumping into her ex, Scott, or her former high school nemesis, Tricia, is a drag. It certainly doesn't help they have acquired the new hobby of shoving their recent engagement in her face every chance they get. But that doesn't mean Quinn wanted to find Tricia dead in the road. So why does half the town think she may have done it?

Quinn is determined to find Tricia's killer, even if it means partnering with her cousin-turned-nun, Sister Daria, and Detective Aiden Harrington, her older brother's too-movie-star-handsome-for-his-own good, best friend. They believe she's innocent, but of course that doesn't influence the police, who peg her as their prime suspect. Or, at least until she's poisoned.

But there is no way Quinn is going to stop now. Vienna is her town and-for better or worse-Tricia was one of their own. Someone may have killed the mocking girl, but no one's going to stop the notorious QVC.
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#netgalley #book #bookstagram #tbr #tokillamockinggirl #dog #poison #detective #adventure #reading

The really well-written dialogue makes this book a quick, fun read. I liked the eclectic collection of quotations the author uses to open her chapters, and though I was disappointed she wasn't Catholic, I loved the character of Anglican nun Sister Daria (minus those moments when she pays lip service to woke causes for no apparent reason.) Based on the title, I honestly was not expecting to like this book as much as I did, but now I'm looking forward to book two!

To Kill a Mocking Girl by Harper Kincaid is the first book in a Bookbinding Mystery series.

It is set in a tiny town in Virginia where Quinn has returned home after many years abroad. She is a bookbinder for her family's book shop. She is followed by her trusty German Shepard.
Her former boyfriend Scott and Quinn's nemesis. Tricia have just announced their engagement. Even though Quinn has no ill feelings and wishes them nothing but happiness not everyone thinks so.
Her brother returns home as well and is looking to buy his own place. His real estate agent is none other than Tricia.
Things will go south once Quinn finds Tricia's dead body in the road. Due to their past relationship most of the town thinks Quinn is the one to blame.
In order to clear her name she will partner with her cousin sister Daria, detective working the case, her brother and his too hot for words best friend.

I really like the premise of the book, I was very excited to learn things about book binding and I really liked the characters,
Banter and close relationship between main protagonist and her cousin is very funny and witty.
I enjoyed reading about the close knit community and how everyone got together to help heroine out.
I also appreciated the fact that author took the time to let us acquaintance ourselves with the town, the protagonist and get the feeling for the story.
At times things seemed to be a little too perfect to be true and there was maybe a bit too much of flirting. Good start of a new series.