This was ok enough to finish, but I wouldn't recommend it. The world building and character development is minimal. Lyla is front and center the entire time. Her book club members are paper thin, just there for Lyla to expound to. I expected them to help with the case in some way, even Melanie her BFF neighbor disappears for a good part of the story. There's a lot of relationship drama that is alluded to (parents, parent with sibling, cousin vs. cousin, etc.), but not explored.

I also knew who did it right from the start.

Lyla also wasn't terribly likeable nor very good at what she's trying to do, but doesn't seem to realize it. There's one thing having self confidence and another to being blind to ones' limitations.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Sweet Mountain, Georgia, is home to Lyla Moody and the Jane Doe murder mystery book club. The club is an embarrassment to Lyla’s proper mother. Ladies, especially Southern ladies, do not concern themselves with murder, a cold case study, or otherwise.

Mother also does not approve of Lyla’s job which is working for her uncle, a private investigator. Lyla is really the receptionist but longs to investigate, too. When her uncle is out of town on a job, a new client calls and Lyla accepts the job on her own.

Carol, one of the Jane Does, has gone missing, reported by her husband. As luck would have it, Lyla had just seen Carol drive by with someone in the car with her. Lyla’s own car is beyond repair, her BFF is on vacation with half of Lyla’s wardrobe, and Lyla’s ex has just moved in across the street and with Lyla’s own cousin. Nothing like a missing persons case to take her mind off all that.

Just when Lyla thinks things can’t get any worse, Carol’s body is found. In Lyla’s apartment. The club, of course, wants to investigate, but soon, they find out a murder on paper is a lot different than investigating the murder of a friend.

It seems Carol had developed an interest in real life Jane Doe cases. A dumping ground held the bodies of a number of unidentified women. From hints Carol left, she thought she knew the identity of one of them. Was this what got Carol killed? Will following Carol’s clues lead the killer to Lyla?

This is the first book in a new series. Lyla’s mother and father are not the warm and fuzzy type, more along the lines of hovering, knowing what’s best for her, not a welcome idea to Lyla. She’s fiercely independent, unafraid to take a risk, and determined to find the killer in their midst—before the killer can find her.

A good start to a new series. I liked the idea of the mystery book club as the main characters, that gives a nice basis for this new series. The mystery was good with some surprises along the way. I will definitely read more of this series.

I received this book through NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

This book is just so much fun and the perfect fall cozy mystery! I can't wait to read more from this author.

Well, what do you know, this has been rather surprising, this book gave the affirmation of it being just a mild intriguing read, and wham, it became intensively captivating. I thought Lyla was way in over her head, she was a wee bit on the naive side, and she was too quick to cast aspersion and judge. A gripping culmination to a dramatically intriguing and engaging story.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Lyla belongs to a book club called The Jane Does.. It is no wonder she becomes obsessed with cold cases of Jane Does who have been tossed aside by a killer or killers along I-85 in Northern Georgia. Then a suitcase is delivered to her home. In it are the grisly remains of one of her club members. Is it possible that the cold cases of the Jane Does are connected to her death?

The other members of the club are not all convinced they should get involved but Lyla feels she must. And she has the resources to investigate as she works with her uncle in his detective agency. Everyone, including Lyla, begins to believe she may have poked the bear too much as a series of physical threats and emails mirror her every move. Clearly whoever is behind this is someone close to her. But who is it? It might be the grieving husband, a member of the police department, her ex-boyfriend or any number of friends and associates. While, I confess I had suspicions early on, I dismissed them as more and more information was revealed.

That culminated in an exciting and unexpected finale. Lyla is a very good sleuth. And this is a very good mystery.

Four purrs and two paws up.

On Borrowed Crime is an excellent start to a new book club based cozy mystery series. As a want-to-be private investigator, Lyla has a lot to learn and plenty of room for growth. As with any new series, characters are not fully developed; they all have budding talents and traits that will make for entertaining reading. Lyla's best friend, Melanie, is a wonderful side-kick and keeps Lyla hopping. Both characters are easy to like. However, I feel that Lyla should have a bit more spine where her parents are concerned. She is far too easy-going and doesn't speak her mind as often as she should. Being from the south is no reason to allow your family or friends to determine your future or define you as a person. I felt Lyla allowed her parents, namely her mother and a former love interest, to make her sound as if she is incompetent and unable to make her own decisions.

The setting of this story, Sweet Mountain, Georgia, may be fictional, but the town's descriptions and its residents sound alive. Readers will be able to imagine themselves visiting this old southern town and sipping tea while watching the locals go about their lives. Lyla's book club is intriguing and having her work for her uncle, a private detective, while wanting to be deeply involved in solving crimes, namely murder, will be interesting to watch unfold.

The murder and mystery are original. The suspects, although far and few between, are feasible enough to warrant the reader's attention. The twists and turns are creative and add a bit more interest to the overall plot. Even though I knew who the killer was fairly quickly in the book, it was enthralling to read through to the end to find out the motive and the outcome. I hope that Lyla's book club will play as integral a part in the next book and that her dream of being a real private investigator will come true. I think readers will enjoy On Borrowed Crime; they will see the potential in the character's relationships with one another, any new additions, and the mischief they can get into in future installments.

On Borrowed Crime is the 1st mystery in Kate Young's Jane Doe Book Club series.

Lyla Moody is the receptionist at her uncle's PI firm in the quiet town of Sweet Mountain, Georgia. She has a wonderful life but is currently in a slump as her best friend Melanie is away on holiday and her ex and her gross and obnoxious cousin have become a couple. She has a close bunch of friends in the true crime Jane Doe Club, but is floored when club member Carol is shoved in a suitcase and left on Lyla's doorstep. Melanie is believed to be the perpetrator so Lyla's determined to clear her bestie's name...

This book had an extremely intriguing plot and I was swept along with the story from the start. Kate Young's writing is sharp and edgy and I loved her portrayal of the main character whom I found to be sassy though her clan were rather weird! On Borrowed Crime is one for those who like their cozies fresh and amusing and I can't wait to see what's next for Lyla.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley and this is my own unbiased opinion.

3*

This was my first Kate Young book and I was really excited to get into this cozy mystery when I got it.

The way this arc was formatted (or unformatted: no paragraphs, no separation for chapters and no jump lines when characters talked) did make it difficult for me to read. And so, I didn't get into this story as well as I could and should have. It took me much longer to get through it and my attention kept wanting me to read everything else.

I definitely want to give this book another chance another time though.

Well, 2.5 stars really. I like their Jane Doe mystery club, it has potential. But I also didn’t like the actual mystery - I knew who the killer was pretty much the minute they were introduced. You even know that the person has been in the vicinity of the first crime thing but they’re never even looked at with suspicion. Because whatever. Really awesome PI Lyla turned out to be. She finds out who the killer is because the killer points a gun at her and reveals the entire plot.

See that annoys me. Lyla annoyed me a whole lot, but I also felt sorry for her. I mean this is a small town, she comes from a rich family who only want her to be successful - by which they mean make a good marriage and have babies. They don’t understand that not every woman needs a man to feel fulfilled - her dad is even a shrink. I don’t care what trauma you’re setting up for the mother, that constant undermining your child because they’re not closer to what you want them to be isn’t healthy. Maybe stop with the babying the mom while also calling her a really strong person. She’s horrible, and she can’t recognize it, and that’s a problem.

To make matters worse, Lyla has 3 maybe love interests. Two of them are absolute jerks. The other one isn’t in it much to know what the fellow is like but at least seems to understand on some level that Lyla is her own person. But then again, this person is not in it much and I’m probably going to read the next book and wonder what I was thinking. Lyla is annoying but everyone else around her was more annoying. That’s the only reason I’ve given this book half a star more than I would have, given all the other problems I have with it.

Oh did I mention the southernisms? We get it! Y’all are from Georgia. I live in NC. We call sweet baby Jesus as much as GA. But honestly, even I couldn’t tolerate the amount of southernisms crammed into this book. It probably added 20 pages.

Lyla Moody works as a receptionist at her uncle's successful private investigative firm and hopes to officially become one herself soon. She also loves reading crime mysteries and heads a book club called the Jane Doe book club where she, along with a few of her friends, who enjoy a good murder mystery as much as her, get together to discuss not only crime fiction but true cold crime cases as well. When one of the members and her close friend Carol is murdered and her body left on Lyla's doorstep in a suitcase, Lyla suspects that the death is somehow linked to a particular Jane Doe case whose remains have been found buried in their small town and for which Carol had found some clues pertaining to her identity. Lyla sees this as an opportunity to use her skills to solve the crime and flush out the murderer, not realising that in doing so she has come under the radar of the murderer herself.

This is the first book in the Jane Doe Book Club Mystery series. Although a cosy mystery in many ways with it's small town setting, book clubs, etc., it had a bit more serious and darker aspect to it. Curious to see how this series moves forward.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Crooked Lane Books and the author Kate Young for the e-Arc of the book. This book was published on 6th October 2020.

Rating:⭐⭐⭐✨💫

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books, NetGalley, and the author for the review copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

As the first book in the Jane Doe Book Club mystery series, On Borrowed Crime provides an introduction to the town of Sweet Mountain Georgia and its residents. When one of the women in the Jane Doe book club begins to look into real-life Jane Does found in the area, Lyla Moody finds herself pulled into a mystery right out of one of their book club reads.

This was an entertaining, quick mystery. There were enough clues and red herrings to keep me invested in the mystery while I read. However, there was one thing that bothered me about this book. The Jane Doe Book Club chose And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie as their book so it is referenced quite a bit. I really liked that the author chose such a classic mystery to reference, but the ending is spoiled multiple times. While it was a way to weave the book club pick into the mystery itself, the murderer in Christie’s mystery is identified more than once. There could have been a way to use it without spoiling it, especially since people may want to read And Then There Were None after finishing On Borrowed Crime.

This was a 3.5 star read for me. I really enjoyed the mystery. The book is located in a small Georgia Town and centers on The Jane Doe Book Club. When one of the members is found dead and delivered to another member's door they decide to solve it. Lyla is working for her uncle a PI and hopes to become a PI herself and this is the first case she plans to solve on her own. The author spent a lot of time describing the small Southern town and added all the stereotypes but it did not have a southern flavor. The main character Lyla acted too immature. I did not like it that she withheld a lot of information. The mystery was good with lots of twists and turns. I was able to figure it out but the solution was good. I was not as fond of the town and the characters. Enjoy

3.5
Fun start to a new cozy series. A little "darker" than some others, a good mix for those looking for something lighter like a cozy, but still want some of the elements of a more traditional thriller.

I just really, really liked this one! It had me speeding through my day till I could sit down and turn the pages!

I think alot of what I liked was the Southern Charm. I loved
Lyla and her friends and family. Even though MaMa was a bit alot (!) over the top. I liked her Grandma she was a 'stinker' and helped Lyla with investigating because she snoops. Grandma made me giggle.

To me this one was a little more Crime/Murder Mystery thme only because the plot was based around an old unsolved murder cases.

Even though the Cold Case is the impetus which seemed to have caused Carol's demise On Borrowed Crime is indeed a really, really good Cozy.

There are a lot of characters besides Lyla and her family including all the book club members and local law and the Cold Case Investigator seems to be on his way to important character in the series. Giving nothing away here you'll have to read this one it is a great read and I am anxiously awaiting for the next one.

I received a complimentary copy.

I really enjoyed this first in a new series from Kate Young. I loved the characterizations and the storyline. The main character, Lyla, was very likable and full of ambition. She definitely doesn't scare easily or feel threatened. Lyla is strong headed and stubborn. I do have to say that Lyla's grandmother was probably my favorite character. She is amazingly spunky and very ornery.
When I first began reading and throughout the entire book, I was reminded of the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich, with the bits of humor and an amazing main character. I loved it.
When you dive into On Borrowed Crime, be prepared for an engrossing and addicting read. You will find a multitude of emotions, including laughter, suspense, heart tugs and twists and turns.
This was a great book that I highly recommend to lovers of great cozy mysteries. I anxiously await the next in the series!

Refreshing when the killer isn’t obvious from the beginning. When a character is introduced, a little bit from the past is shown, but you end up dismissing them only to realize how wrong you were. So very wrong.

Every small town, like Sweet Mountain, Georgia, needs its form of entertainment, so why not the Jane Doe’s, a book club that loves discussing sleuthing, true crime, and the newest crime novels. They just weren’t ready when a creepy who-done-it landed in their very own backyard. Or front porch in the case of Lyla Moody, when a suitcase containing the body of Carol, one of the Jane Does, is dumped.

Lyla’s day job is working for her uncle’s private investigative firm, a position perfect for this crime fixated woman and her friends. Her parents would prefer that she settle down with a nice husband and children, but Lyla has other plans. Plans that involve meddling, saving a friend, and proving the local constabulary wrong.

The first in the Jane Doe Book Club Mystery series by the same author that brings readers the Marygene Brown Mystery series, will have readers eagerly anticipating the next, in what I hope is many more to come.

Title: On Borrowed Crime

Author: Kate Young

Ch: 39

Series: Jane Doe Book Club Mystery book 1

Genre: 3 stars

Rating: Crooked Lane Books

I thought was going to love On Borrowed Crime the first book in the Jane Doe Book Club Mystery series by Kate Young. However, while I did enjoy the mystery aspect in involving a cold case and a heroine who wasn't the main suspect of the crime finally. And Lyla was also someone who also had a foot in the door of private investigation which I enjoyed. However what fell flat for me was I couldn't stand some of the secondary characters especially Lyla's mom and there were times that Lyla herself got on my nerves. But I did enjoy the reading enough to be willing to pick up the second book in the series whenever that one releases.


I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

3 Stars

The concept of the Jane Doe Book Club intrigued me and I looked forward to reading this first book in the series. I imagined we'd get to know each member of the book club as the series progressed, and I liked that prospect a lot. There's a lot of potential here.

There were elements of the story that just didn't work for me, however. and I couldn't get past them. The protagonist Daughter/Mother/Gran relationships seemed all too similar to the character dynamics in the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. Gran, especially, seemed cut from the Evanovich cloth, and that kept pulling me out of the story.

The scene where the body is discovered is also problematic. If you've ever smelled human decomp, and I have, you know there is no other scent like it. None. A decomposing body is unlikely to be mistaken for "bad refrigerator smells" as the protagonist would have us believe. The smell of decomp overwhelms a room, and a live person's senses, until you think you'll never breathe clean air again.

Despite the elements that didn't work for me, I might give book two a try because I love the clever idea of a mystery solving Jane Doe Book Club. I wish the author the best of luck with this series.

Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing an ARC for review.

I really wanted to like this book - the description was right up my alley! But I just couldn't get on with the main character, it was like she was a characture of a southern woman and it was very off putting.

Unfortunately I did not finish the book.

Thank you for providing me with an arc.