Lyla Moody wants to be a private investigator so she goes to work at her uncle's agency as the receptionist, but when he is called out of town for a case, she takes on the job of finding the murderer of her friend Carol, whose body was literally dropped on her doorstep. Along with her book Club, The Jane Does, Lyla is determine to find justice for her friend.

Not the greatest start for a series. The characters need more depth as well as stronger stomachs if they are going to continue to investigate murders. It did seem a bit repetitive when Lyla comes into the cross-hairs of the murderer.

This is a great start to a new series. I liked the main character, Lyla and the members of the Jane Doe book club. I look forward to getting to know them better. The mystery was well written and had me guessing to the end. I look forward to reading more of this series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

I had many issues with this book, not the least of which was I was dropped into a story with so much going on, and it was as if I was expected to know all of the back stories to understand it. We never were told why Lyla and Kyle broke up, or what the problem was with Quinn and Lyla. Plus, I don't need Lyla's mother to tell me more than twice about how her 'obsession' with death is a relationship issue. The characters were so uneven, just all over the place. I figured out very early on who was the murderer, and even much as to why. This Aurora Teagarden with her Real Murders Society rip-off has a lot of work to do before it is appealing for me.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I am a huge fan of Kate Young's Marygene Brown Mystery series and was really excited to see that the author has a new series .

On Borrowed Crime is Book 1 in the Jane Doe Book Club Mystery.

The protagonist in this story is Lyla Moody. Along with her friends she is a member of the Jane Does, a mystery book club. When Carol , one of the members of the club turns up dead they are on the case to solve the murder. Since Lyla is an up and coming PI, she is anxious to solve the mystery.

The characters are fun and well written. I especially like Melanie, Lyla's bestie. Lyla works for her Uncle Calvin who is also a PI.

There is quite a cast of characters and I enjoyed learning about their history.

The story is well written and complex. There was NO WAY I would of guessed the ending.

I look forward to the next book in this series.

psychological, thriller, private-investigators, law-enforcement, murder-investigation, southern, small-town

Lyla works for her uncle in his PI office, lives alone because she doesn't care to live with her wealthy dysfunctional parents (and her fun Grandmother), belongs to a book club devoted to solving fictional crimes, when crime comes to her house in the form of a fellow clubber's body stuffed into a suitcase resembling the one another friend took with her on a cruise. The characters are varied and well presented, the twists and red herrings entertaining, the plot a mite slow at times. All in all, it was a very good read.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books/Penguin Random House Publishers via NetGalley. Thank you!

First in a new series and I enjoyed it. It reminds me of the Aurora Teagarden series in the sense that we have a group dedicated to discussing and solving crimes. It was a little grittier than most of the cozies out there but it has enough levity to pull it off. As in most cozies, you will have to suspend some disbelief but that's part of what makes them fun. Looking forward to the next book in this series.

#OnBorrowedCrime #NetGalley
Thanks NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and Kate Young for a free copy to review.
A fun quick cozy mystery. entertaining though it's not really my type of book.

This first in a new series is an enjoyable cozy mystery. The main character, Lyla, is relatable and the southern setting is quaint. There are many comments about the character's past that made me think this wasn't a first in the series. Now I think we have much to discover about Lyla. The mystery was intriguing and difficult to solve. I had many suspects and the ending satisfactorily explained why one of them was the culprit.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

What a fun, quick, fast-paced read! It had an easy flow and kept me guessing almost to the end. Will for sure read more starring Lyla and more from this author.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked how it was on a more serious side of cozy mysteries. It was great as a summer read, but I think it will be also great as an autumn read, perfect for a long evening with a book. I enjoyed character's voice and the play on a classic Agatha Christie rhyme was a nice touch.

The only thing that disapponted me was the killer. It was well done and clues were there, but using the only outsider (and making her a psychopath) didn't sit well with me. The "adopted children are dangerous and evil" felt really stereotypical.

Book clubs don't usually feature dead bodies stuffed in suitcase, but if you belong to the Jane Doe Book Club, this might not be unusual. The club is interested in true crime books and when one of the members becomes interested in a cold case, Lyla Moody can't wait to hear what her friend Carol has to say. Unfortunately, Carol winds up dead without telling Lyla what she knows. The police cannot make a determination about cause of death and seem to suggest one of the club members was involved. This sets Lyla on a terrifying quest to find the connection between her friend's death and a 30-year-old cold case. Sometimes reading true crime isn't always the best option for a book club. Frightening and nightmare inducing.

Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

Who knew book clubs can be deadly?

A receptionist at her uncle’s detective agency, she did not expect to be solving cases. When she finds a suitcase stuffed with a dead member of her book club at her front door help but get involved in the investigation.
It is a nice new cozy series that has promise. An enjoyable cozy read.

This book is about Lyla Moody, a P.I that becomes involved in a case close to home, when one of her best friends is found dead near her home. She investigates and as she gets closer to the truth, twists, and dangerous events occur.

What worked for this book was definitely the main character Lyla and her intent to solve the crime - tenacious, caring, and empowering. Additionally, the storyline was interesting, creating different twists and turns that have us guess one character to the next.

Overall, it was a fantastic read, and I would say this book is for mystery lovers.

Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC.

#OnBorrowedCrime #Netgalley

This is the first in a new series and Kate Young does an excellent job of it because it doesn't feel like book one. There is no big info dump and I didn't feel like I had to wait forever as I got introduced to everyone before the murder. The character are well-rounded and relatable; their lives aren't perfect.

This mystery is a little harder core than many cozies. Some of the descriptions are graphic. Also, there is a bit more use of forensic techniques, particularly computer tracking, than is usual in cozies. Layla's job in a detective agency--grant you, only as a receptionist but there is some lee way there--working for the dead woman's husband gives her legitimate access to some of the police data that wouldn't normally be given out to a civilian (yeah for a realistic reason for a layperson being given information that they normally have no rights to!).

A solid mystery that is well plotted and red herrings that could lead the reader very far astray from the real culprit. I'll definitely read more of this series.

I received a copy of this from netgalley and the publishers in exchange for a fair review.

This is a well done cozy mystery albeit with some discussions on possible serial killings and a book club that likes true crime. Since is it the first in the new "Jane Doe" series, it sets up and introduces us to members of the Jane Doe book club, Lyla the MC, her family and townspeople but that does not weigh down the flow of the story

It is a solid mystery and while I thought I had figured out who (but not why), there were many red herrings which caused me to go down another path .and question whether I had it right.

I enjoyed this book, read it in one sitting and look forward to the next one which hopefully will give us more info on the mystery in Lyla's mother and uncle's past and flesh out the rest of the Jane Doe Club. And perhaps, a romantic interest for Lyla....

This was a interesting novel that had me guessing until the very end and I guess wrong LOL I did enjoy the friendship between the ladies in the book club and the interactions they have with their exes and so forth. I did want more of the book club in the book itself however I will accept that one of the individuals was more interested than all the others because she was a detective.

What a start to this amazing new series by Kate Young. Lyla Moody is an secretary at her Uncles PI business. She has dreams of becoming a partner one day. When one of her Jane Doe book club members is dumped at her house she does all she can to catch a killer. All the while being threatened as well as other members of their club.
Great characters, location and loved the mystery. I did not guess until the very end. I will be looking forward to more in the series.
#OnBorrowedCrime #NetGalley

Kate Young is a brilliant cozy mystery writer. This first book in a new series, it takes place within a book club for mystery loves and cannot be missed!

On Borrowed Crime is the first in Kate Young’s new Jane Doe Book Club mystery series. Lyla Moody is currently answering the phone and managing the office for her uncle who is a private investigator. In her mind, she’s a receptionist today but a PI tomorrow. When the body of a member of her Jane Doe book club is delivered to Lyla’s door in a suitcase, she’s determined to solve the mystery. Then she begins to receive threatening text messages. Is she next? Who can she trust? This book had me on the edge of my seat! Five stars!

A Murder On The Doorstep.....
The first in a new cosy mystery series and introducing the Jane Doe Book Club! The crime obsessed members of the club enjoy nothing more than a good mystery but when an all too real murder lands (literally!) on their doorstep the sparks begin to fly. An entertaining, fun read and a very promising start to the series.