I was unable to finish this book. I'm not sure why exactly but I could not find myself interested enough to keep reading. Sadly, this was not a good fit for me and I put it down.

Southern Sass and a Crispy Corpse is the second book in Kate Young’s Marygene Brown Mysteries series. This book is a little edgier than most cozies and contains adult language. The storyline is well plotted and flows smoothly at a steady pace, and the characters are well developed. The plot has lots of twists and turns, more than a few suspects, and a touch of the paranormal. The reveal came as a surprise to me.

After leaving an abusive marriage, Marygene Brown moved back home to Peach Cove, a small island off the Georgia coast, and into her childhood home. She’s rebuilding her relationship with her half-sister, Jena Lynn, her half-brother, Sam, and her biological father, Edward “Eddie” Carter. When their mother, Clara Brown, passed, she left the house to Marygene and the family business, the Peach Diner, to both sisters. Jena Lynn has been running the diner since their mother’s death, and Sam has been manning the kitchen, but now Marygene is working with them. The ghost of her deceased mother, Clara Brown, has been tied to the island since the day she passed, and when a deceased needs help finding justice, she appears to Marygene.

While skinny-dipping in the ocean, Marygene discovers a burned corpse, and then she and Sam find a second burned corpse in the wine cellar of a home where they are catering an event. Peach Cove’s Sheriff, Eddie Carter, Deputy Alex Myer, Marygene’s high school boyfriend, and a new deputy, Javier Reyes, are investigating, but Marygene and her friend, Betsy Myers, decide to get involved. The two women uncover lots of secrets and find themselves in over their heads.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

Southern Sass and a Crispy Corpse
By Kate Young
Kensington
June 2020

Review by Cynthia Chow

Much has changed for Marygene Brown since she returned home to help her sister run their Peach Diner on Peach Cove Island, Georgia. While their mother Clara Brown may have recently passed away, she certainly hasn’t moved on and her ghostly presence continues to make Marygene a focus point for those in a similarly deceased state. That may be why when one of Marygene’s rare adventurous attempts to be daring by skinny-dipping in the ocean has her bobbing next to a burnt up corpse. The only person less enthused than Sheriff Eddie Carter to see Marygene once again in the midst of a murder investigation is Deputy Alex Myers, her on-again off-again boyfriend. Trauma from Marygene’s abusive marriage and Alex’s inability to commit have them in the “off” stage of their relationship, which makes it both convenient and awkward when new Deputy Javier Reyes finds her intriguing. His suspecting Marygene’s real estate friend Yvonne Brookers of possibly being involves is infuriating, but that pales in comparison to the lengths her newly found father Eddie will go to in order to keep Marygene safe.

The decisions Clara Brown makes in her limbo afterlife will determine whether or not she gets to makes it into heaven, meaning that Marygene has both the gift and irritation of her mother’s attempts to repair their fractured relationship. At least Marygene’s sister Jena Lynn has some good news of her own, although that also means that Marygene wants to keep her as far away from any murder investigation as possible. That need is made obvious when the home Marygene inherited from her mother is burnt down, leaving her homeless and forced to bunk with her exuberant Aunt Vi. Fortunately Marygene’s friend and flirtatious waitress Betsy is always eager to eavesdrop and spy in order to gather information, as is Marygene’s Meemaw; who apparently had a talent for corpse-encountering of her own. Missing twins, a tourist-attracting Taste of Peach Cove Event, and a questionable mortician all ensure that the ghost of her mother will be the least upsetting presence in Marygene’s future.

This second in the series makes the most of the Southern island setting, with descriptions of mouth-watering southern comfort cuisine as essential as the polite manners and nosiness of neighbors. This is a town where everyone knows one another- possibly for generations- and news spreads faster than any newspaper could ever convey. The relationship between Marygene and Alex and Eddie is fascinating, made even more complex by their histories and secrets. Her relatives and friends are absolute delights in these novels, with their eccentricities never seeming too over-the-top or unbelievable. In fact, they are a dream-team of emotional and investigative support, especially when the law enforcement officers seem too personally invested to act rashly. Full of humor, southern cooking, and a surprisingly helpful ghost, this second in the Marygene Brown mystery series showcases her strength as a vulnerable, likable, and evolving amateur detective.

Recipes, a ghost, southern charm, and sassy characters are the recipe for delightful book. You will be unable to put this one down for an afternoon.

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele

Southern Sass and a Crispy Corpse is the highly entertaining second book in the Marygene Brown Mystery Series by Kate Young. Edgier than the average cozy, it hits all the right criteria for a great read with endearing quirky characters, wonderful descriptions of tasty food, and a finely executed mystery to solve.

Marygene Brown is trying hard to move on with her life as a domestic violence survivor, running the family diner with her sister and brother, dealing with her old sweetheart’s wandering eye, and building a relationship with her biological father. However, she is not the only one working through things – her mother is now haunting Marygene in an effort to make amends and move on to Heaven. With Mama’s attachment to Marygene’s comes other souls seeking justice for their murders. When Marygene literally bumps into a burnt corpse while swimming, and later finds another charred victim, a twenty-five year old cold case bursts wide open. The deceased twins disappeared years ago, and Marygene must investigate a close group of friends, which includes her mother and “aunt”, to find out the truth from all those years ago.

I really like Marygene; she is clever, down-to-earth, and genuinely interested in people. She is relatable in her struggles with her past. All of the characters are carefully drawn, unique, and realistic. Marygene’s friend and employee Betsy and Meemaw are a hoot, and I especially love the family meal scenes when all of the family, blood relatives or honorary, come together and their personalities shine. It comes across as one hundred percent authentic. I do not, however, enjoy Marygene’s old flame Alex. He wants his cake and eat it, too, and is immature and jealous of Marygene’s potential relationship with new deputy Javier. Marygene and Javier are like oil and water when they first meet, and I look forward to seeing how their relationship progresses, be it platonic or romantic.

The murder mystery, and that of the twins’ disappearance, is tightly constructed and plays out with suspense. There are plenty of suspects and secrets to uncover, and with each revelation more secrets and lies. I had no idea who the killer was until they were revealed – that is how well the story is executed. The story is a nice mixture of investigation and Marygene’s personal life, but the mystery is always the top priority. I enjoy getting to know some of the older residents of the island, both their present day selves and in their youth.

Southern Sass and a Crispy Corpse is a great cozy mystery, and I cannot wait for more installments in the series. Highly recommended.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

Southern Sass and a Crispy Corpse by Kate Young is fabulous. It's filled with humor, family dynamics, and this wonderfully plotted mystery.

Will Marygene and Betsy figure out the decades-old murder before the murderer finds them snooping?

Marygene Brown
Marygene is our sleuth, the daughter of the sheriff, and she co-owns the local diner. She has a few things going on. Oh, and she talks to her dead mother's ghost. Marygene's mother is an island spirit meaning she is stuck here until she can prove herself worthy of crossing over. Which really means the Marygene must help the souls of those wronged. So, let's add occasional murder to her list.

Marygene is a survivor, and she has a truly amazing support system. I love this character and the way she gets herself out of these things.

Betsy
Betsy is Marygene's friend and fellow sleuth. They are partners in these capers. Betsy always has Marygene's back no matter what. She is there riding shotgun, packing a pistol to protect them, drinking, bringing food when needed. Betsy brings the comedy to all the situations that they find themselves in. Oh, and she is so loyal to all her friends and family, except Alex.

The Mystery
The installment finds us with Marygene's house remodeled, she is, and Jena Lynn are doing great things at the diner, but Marygene and Alex are off. So, enter a new deputy from New York, and he's hot.

Anyway, Marygene finds a body that looks charred in the ocean when she is swimming. Then she finds another one that has also been burned in the wine cellar of Yvonne's house during a showcase. Let's just say that her dad, the sheriff isn't happy. Yet, Marygene is compelled to figure out what happened.

I thought I had it figured out, but I so fell for one of the red herrings and assumed things that they didn't find. I was close, though. Ya, I know only in horseshoes.

Five Stars
I love this series and devoured this book. Therefore, Southern Sass and a Crispy Corpse by Kate Young is getting five stars. If I could give it more, I would. I can't wait for the next installment. Oh, there are these recipes in the back. I am so making those peach muffins.

Oh, and I highly recommend this book to all mystery lovers. You won't be disappointed.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Southern Sass and a Crispy Corpse by Kate Young.

This Guest Review is for Baroness' Book Trove.

Until the next time,
~Jen

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.

Southern Sass And A Crispy Corpse
Marygene Brown Mysteries, Book #2
Kate Young
5 Stars

Synopsis:

On Georgia's picturesque Peach Cove Island, a killer is serving up a two-for-one special . . .

After their mama's passing, Marygene Brown returned to Peach Cove Island to help her sister Jena Lynn run the family diner, renowned for its homemade peach desserts. But Mama is never too far away--her sassy spirit haunts the island, and more specifically Marygene. Lately Mama has been warning her that the dead will seek her out to solve their murders, an idea Marygene is far from peachy keen on.

But that prophecy appears to be coming true when she goes skinny-dipping off the island and swims right into a woman's charred corpse floating in the waves. And when Marygene and her brother Sam come upon a second burned body in a wine cellar at an event they're catering, it appears they have a double homicide on their hands. It soon turns out the victims have more in common than their charred remains, and Marygene will need to double down to find a killer who has no aversion to playing with fire. Good thing Mama has her back . . .

Includes Seven Recipes from Marygene's Kitchen! (Amazon)

Review:

The characters are well developed and well rounded. I thought that Marygene, her sister, Jena Lynn and her friend, Betsy, made a great team. They were not afraid to pursue the truth, even if it put them in harm’s way. And her Mama, who happens to be a ghost, Does whatever she can to help her daughter. I really enjoyed that there was a ghost in this book, I enjoy a great ghost story.

The writing style flows smoothly and it defines the characters very clearly through their actions and words. The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning. The southern charm just oozes from the pages and I would live to go and visit Marygene and her family and friends on Peach Cove Island.

The mystery was well plotted and there were enough clues to sift through and suspects to consider. This mystery was a little more complex and not easily solved.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well written cozy mystery. I am looking forward to the next book in this series, I want to see what trouble Marygene gets into.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.

This is the first book I have ready by this author and wow!  What a story she weaves with interesting characters and backstories and the mystery itself?  One I did not expect.

This is the 2nd in the series and if you have followed my reviews for any length of time, you know I prefer to read a series in order.  For some reason, I decided to go ahead and read this book and while there was a little bit about Marygene's past I did not know about, the author did a good job of giving some detail so I didn't feel totally in the dark.  I still think that it would be best to start with the first book in this series to have a better understanding of the characters, but the mystery is unique to this book.

Marygene has some baggage, and that might be an understatement.  She has a complicated past and she is leery of trusting anyone outside of her immediate family.  On top of that, she sees her mother's ghost who prods her into investigating the crimes.  Her mother is limited as to what she can tell Marygene about the incidents but she does help save a few people indirectly.  There is a fleeting relationship with Alex, a deputy that works for her dad, but a potentially innocent incident has Marygene thinking that perhaps they don't need to be together.  Enter newer deputy, Javier Reyes.  I believe he is in the first book, but he and Marygene seem to come to an understanding in this book.  Could he be a potential love interest?  Only time will tell.

The mystery of the "crispy corpses" was interesting because I don't believe any other cozy I have read had this as the crime.  It left an interesting picture in my mind.  On top of that, Marygene discovers the first body while skinny dipping.  She is a brave soul to bare it all and then to end up finding the first body.  Yup, there is more than one to find.  And the ties to the past regarding these bodies added a nice twist.  When the full truth was revealed you could have knocked me over with a feather.  While I suspected one person involved with the crime, the full story was not one that even crossed my mind.  Many people were shocked by the revelations.

Overall we enjoyed this cozy and I plan to go back and read the first book to gain a better understanding of Marygene and her family.  We give this book 4 paws up.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Who knew a little skinny dipping would land Marygene smack dab in the middle of a murder investigation and earn her a lecture from her deceased mother too. Of course, she never imagined she would swim into a charred corpse and then find another burned body in the basement at an event she was catering. Looks like a double homicide but Marygene soon learns it is so much more and people she loves may have the answers she needs to solve the case.

This is just the second book and I am already so invested in these characters. After what Marygene has been through I the best for her but she faces several trials and tribulations. One that had tears rolling down my face. The emotions invoked shows the high attention to detail the author puts into her character development. I love that the Peach Diner is a true family business with now Marygene joining her brother Sam and sister Jena Lynn. The family is close and Sheriff Eddie Carter now revealed as Marygene’s biological father that adds another great limb to the family tree. Of course, her mother’s spirit dropping in unexpectedly adds even more charm.

Ms. Young does a stellar job of blending real-life happenings with a complicated murder mystery while keeping the mystery the main focus. There turn out to be a good number of suspects and twist upon twist to keep readers on our toes. Definitely not an easy mystery to solve. I was kept guessing right up to the exciting reveal.

Peach Cove Island is full of Southern charm and a place I would love to visit. The author’s descriptive style brings the island alive.

Southern Sass and a Crispy Corpse is not your typical cozy mystery is it so much more. A great mystery with such strong characters. The perfect amounts of humor, drama, conflict, and romance take this story to another level. I loved this story. Oh, there are recipes too!! Look for this book on my Best Reads of 2020 List.

SOUTHERN SASS AND A CRISPY CORPSE by Kate Young
The Second Marygene Brown Mystery

An early morning swim turns into a nightmare for Marygene Brown when a badly burned corpse bumps into her. Trying to put the incident out of her mind she's excited to cater a party to promote her friend's new business. But when she and her brother decide to store the champagne in the basement, they find another badly burned corpse. It seems Marygene's mama was right, the dead are drawn to her. In addition to crispy corpses, Marygene has to deal with her tempestuous relationship with Alex while keeping Peach Tree Island satiated with her baked goods. Will Marygene be able to help the dead? Or will she get burned?

What a great book! I loved the first Marygene Brown Mystery and this one even tops it. The fun and quirky characters balance out the scenes of heartfelt emotions. New characters enter the scene, including one I'd love to punch, or maybe trip and have fall into a puddle of mud...and chip her front teeth. There's angst and tragedy, maturing, or not, and an ultimate coming together. The penultimate scene was jaw droppingly shocking while also being an unbelievable adrenaline rush.

The most important aspect of the book are the various parental relationships, which are key here. The other thing to remember is that relationships and problems continue even after death. I loved learning more about the Island Spirits and discovering that more people can see and interact with them.

SOUTHERN SASS AND A CRISPY CORPSE is a fun mystery filled with both Southern charm and Southern sass. High drama, tangible emotions, slapstick comedy, and a complex mystery shrouded in secrets provide a perfect page-turning read.

Written with the perfect amount of sass, this latest book is full of quirky characters that manage to be interesting without being annoying and a plot full of red herrings and decades old secrets. Marygene finds two charred corpses and finds herself compelled to solve their murders by her deceased mother. A fun and quick read.

4 Stars
A highly enjoyable small town cozy with a paranormal twist.
Marygene Brown is a strong woman, who has seen and been through a lot. She has returned home to take her place in the family business while the ghost of her mother guides her in an unknown family legacy. Still feeling the effects of a divorce and settling into a new way of life Marygene takes on the task of helping departed spirits pass on and bring justice to the crimes committed upon them. Willingly or not.
It’s one thing to stumble upon a body while swimming in the ocean but stumbling upon another while doing your job makes you think a bit harder. Marygene finds herself right in the middle of a decades-long mystery. With two dead bodies, her father being the local law, a new officer that she can’t quite figure out in the spirits of those departed knocking on her door, while reluctant when it comes to the spirit side Marygene proves to be a fantastic amateur sleuth in her own unique way. She learns Quickly that the little town she lives in has more secrets than she could’ve known.
Southern Sass and a Crispy Corpse is a fun and unique cozy mystery. Marygene and her sister Jena Lynn are a fun and entertaining pair. Along with Eddie(father), good friend Besty who is hysterical, the cast of characters alone are entertaining. The story is filled with southern charm and a lot of sass. The mystery has some twists that definitely keep you thinking yet add to the entertainment value of the story. Kate Young made a fan of me with just one read.

A morning swim is frighteningly interrupted by a charred corpse floating next to her. Marygene Brown and her sister Jena Lynn own the Peach Diner on Peach Cove Island, but corpses seem to find Marygene. Her mother, sassy spirit who haunts the island, predicts Marygene will be needed by the various corpses to help them find peace. As Marygene's father is the chief of police, this doesn't sit well with him. When a second charred corpse is found at an event hosted by her friend, Marygene knows she needs to discover what is going on with these bodies and how she can solve the crimes. A crime that goes back to her mother's wild days and loops in many of the people Marygene knows today. An excellent mystery

I absolutely love Southern Sass and a Crispy Corpse! It took me a few chapters to get how the characters were related, but once I did, I adored them all! Poor Marygene. She came back to the island after her mama died only to be haunted by her mama, and have the dead seek her out. That can’t be enjoyable, right? Right! Marygene can’t stand it, but she doesn’t have much choice. The dead want her help. The only dead that she can talk to though is Mama, and Mama’s not allowed to tell her whodunit even if she knows. So, it’s up to Marygene to get justice for them.

In Southern Sass and a Crispy Corpse, Marygene just happens to be out swimming (skinny-dipping, gasp!) very early one morning when the first crispy corpse finds her. Of course, she’s in shock and mortified, but she gathers her wits about her and gets to work solving this very old mystery.

The setting in this series is another one that makes me jealous! This series is set in a town by the ocean! Why oh why was I born in the mid-west? I love the diner, and you will too. You’ll be drooling as you read about all of the delicious food they serve there. Thankfully, you can find the recipes in the book. I’d rather have them cook for me though!

Like I said earlier, I adore the all of the characters…even the rotten ones because they are extremely well-written. I might not adore their actions, but I love how they jump off of the page at you.

Of all the side characters, Aunt Vi is my favorite with her quirkiness. She doesn’t care what anyone thinks! Oh, to be Aunt Vi! My second favorite is Betsy who has no filter. She’ll crack you up.

What really surprised me was that I was actually crying during two particular scenes. I don’t think I’ve EVER cried while reading a cozy mystery book, but a scene with Marygene and Eddie (her biological dad with whom she’s got a complicated relationship) had me bawling!

I love that things aren’t easily solved in Southern Sass and a Crispy Corpse. And I’m not just talking about the mystery. Relationships are hard, and past traumas are hard. Life can be hard, and Kate Young doesn’t shy away from that fact. It makes the book more real when the characters’ lives aren’t all sunshine and roses.

I highly recommend Southern Sass and a Crispy Corpse! Though I didn’t read the first, I’m sure I’d recommend that one too (and I’m gonna go read it!). Be prepared for all the feels!

An engrossing and fun to read story that I read as fast as I could.
A great cast of characters, a solid mystery that kept me guessing and some family drama are the element that made me like this story.
Can't wait for the next installment, I recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity for review. My review opinions are my own.
I love a cozy series with Southern sass and charm . This meets all the criteria for a fun Southern cozy read. I highly recommend this series for your reading enjoyment.

In this next in series our intrepid baker/detective Marygene Brown has recently moved back home to Peach Cove, a small island off the Georgia coast. I love the authors descriptions of the coastal town. Marygene is helping her sister and brother run the family diner. She is living in her Moms house which was left to her when her Mom died. Her Moms feisty spirit haunts the island, and visits Marygene. Marygene has a paranormal gift to connect to spirits that want their murders solved. I love the paranormal aspect of this series. The author has incorporated it just perfectly.

When swimming on her time off she swims right into a woman's charred corpse. She then finds a second body burned in her friend's wine cellar. The remains were local twins who both vanished two decades ago. Marygene is determined to solve their gruesome murders and find out who the killer was. She is a savvy investigator and will stop at nothing to find out information from the locals. She wants them to rest in peace finally after twenty years. The sleuth was exciting to conclusion and I did not guess the ending. The author incorporated red herrings and nefarious charcters enough to please every mystery reader.

This series has a great dose of humor, southern culture , and likable fun characters. I loved the descriptions of the community of Peach Cove. It is written as somewhere charming with nice people. I look forward to the next in series. A delightful fun read that I highly recommend for all who love Southern cozies.

No less than SEVEN sensational southern recipes to sample. I suggest starting at the end of the book so you can make yourself some Cheddar Biscuits to snack on while reading and then take a break to cook some Roadkill for dinner followed by Lime Cream Puffs for dessert while you relax and read some more. Marygene is back and you don't have to be familiar with her first adventure to be able to get into the second one. Something to know about Marygene's life that is paramount involves her deceased Mama, Clara Brown, who has some attoning to do and apparently Marygene is a magnet for the unsetteled dead on the island, and apparently for the dead in the waves just off the beach. Marygene is the epitome of a southern gal, from her ability to bake a biscuit to her sassy sophistication while catering for Yvonne's showing. After all there isn't anything that Marygene wouldn't do for friend or family. Much to her Daddy's chagrin, being the Sheriff and all, he often finds her in situations that he would rather not as it seems to wear on him a bit. Not that he doesn't have a plate full of troubles all his own since the cold case of missing twins from 20 years ago is about to get hot as a jalepeno. Speaking of latin spices, the new deputy sheriff seems to leave a bad taste in Marygene's mouth every time they meet. That could be as a result of meeting her in an interrogation room and asking he ridiculous questions, but bless his heart he obviously is new to the southern way of doing things. Deputy Alex isn't too pleased with Deputy Javier either but that is for a completely different reason. Last but not least is Marygene's Mama, who didn't last as long as Marygene would have liked and Marygene is not the least bit fasted at this point that her Mama is the ghostly messenger helping to guide Marygene to answers needed for the twins to find their peace. Marygene and her crew continue to illustrate exactly what it means to be a Steel Magnolia and I can't wait to try those recipes.

Have you ever picked up a book that immediately captured your attention?
Southern Sass and a Crispy Corpse was one of those books for me. This may be the 2nd book of the series but I think it is my favorite so far. The characters are loveable. the mystery sends you on many twists and turns with a little paranormal activity.
I would definately recommend this great story. It can be read as a stand alone.
Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to express my honest opinion

Finally, a cozy mystery with an explanation of why someone living in a small town keeps finding bodies. In Southern Sass and a Crispy Corpse, Marygene is being haunted by her mother Clara. Clara wins “points” towards heaven every time Marygene solves a murder. It helps that Marygene’s biological father, Eddie, is the Sheriff in the small town of Peach Cove.

In the second book of this series, Marygene literally runs into a badly burned corpse while skinny-dipping on a nearby public beach one morning. Later, she finds another Crispy Corpse in a wine cellar during an event she is catering. Marygene is determined, with her dead mother’s help, to discover how the two victims are connected and who murdered them.

Woohoo, there are a lot of characters swirling around in this book! Most are related to each other too. Small town life, I guess. There are multiple mysteries to solve in Southern Sass and a Crispy Corpse—not just the two recently found dead bodies. Peach Cove has more deaths per capita than Murder She Wrote’s Cabot Cove. Marygene and her sidekick, waitress Betsy, have enough Southern sass and spunk to solve them all. I especially loved the surprising denouement.

Because I adored all the enjoyable characters, the many mysteries, and the unexpected conclusion, 5 stars for this quirky and funny culinary cozy mystery! Now those Peach Muffins and Lime Cream Puffs, both recipes in the book, are not going to make themselves. Yum!

Thanks to Kensington Books, Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour, and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
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Marygene has recently moved back to Peach Cove, Georgia following her nasty divorce. Living in the family home and working in the family diner has been good for her, but the ghost of her recently deceased mother has not. Finding out that the island spirits will be bothering her from now on was not something she liked, especially after finding a burned corpse in the water in the early morning hours while skinny dipping.
This sets off the whole story and Marygene and her mother’s ghost set out to not only solve that murder, but the one that soon follows.
This story took me awhile to read. I’d figured out the killer early on, and the book took me a week to finish because of that. I’d have to leave it for awhile and come back later. I didn’t connect with the characters unfortunately and that also took away from the story for me. I did give the book four stars based on the writing.