Meet Isabel Puddles by M. V. Byrne is the first book in Mitten State Mystery series.

There are several excellent points about this book,

First of all, Isabel is middle aged which is quite refreshing, She is intelligent, composed, well read and loves reading and watching mysteries. She also is sort of Jack of all trades and that's how she finds herself cutting hair at the funeral parlor when she finds a nail in the deceased's head.

I also liked the setting, Descriptions regarding Lake Michigan and Isabel's little hometown are breathtaking and so enjoyable to read about. Love for the area just shines through.

Rarely do we have the pleasure of taking such a long time to acquaint ourselves with the protagonist before the murder happens. I quite relished the opportunity of getting familiar with not just the main protagonist, side characters but with the area as well,

Mystery was well presented in a calm, collected way and was easy to follow.
Story did drag on at times, there was lot of internal dialogue and thoughts and it was not as captivating as it was at the beginning.

All in all this is a very good start to a new series. I will be waiting for the next installment to see how the story progresses.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Kensington Books, in return for an honest review. Meet Isabel Puddles (great name and title!) is the first book in a new cozy mystery series. Fun and unique take on the amateur sleuth. Isabel Puddles is a widow who loves her small town of Gull Harbor, Michigan. She’s also a bit tight for cash so she agrees to help a friend who, as the local undertaker, needs a hair and makeup job for a corpse. Squelching her squeamishness, Isabel starts the job and realizes there’s something unusual about his head. Contacting the police, it turns out the life-long resident died by a nail gun nail in his skull. As someone with information about the details of the death and details of all the people in town, Isabel’s in a unique position to help bring justice. Well, if she doesn’t become a victim herself!
This is a fun cozy and one I recommend. Isabel’s well-written and interesting, as are the supporting cast of townspeople. There are several options for villains and the storyline doesn’t disappoint. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series.

Note: 26 Nov 2020: I don't know why but Amazon declined to post my review. Do you find anything in this to be inappropriate to regular standards? They sent a generic email, notifying me that they won't post it. I'm happy to try again but unless you can see something I've mistakenly added, I can't leave a review there. I am sorry!

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Meet Isabel Puddles (A Mitten State Mystery) 5-*
from A Cozy Cup of Murder on November 25, 2020
Fun, mature sleuth in Michigan small town - well worth a visit...
I received this ARC via Netgalley and Kensington Books, in return for an honest review. Meet Isabel Puddles (great name and title!) is the first book in a new cozy mystery series. Fun and unique take on the amateur sleuth. Isabel Puddles is a widow who loves her...

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I wanted to love Isabel Puddles but unfortunately for me it was a flop. From the moment I saw the cover I knew I had to give it a go, I love a good cozy mystery but found this one to be off putting. I didn't really care much for Mrs. Puddles, as a huge fan of Jessica Fletcher (which is mentioned in the summary for this book) I thought I was in for a charming small town which characters you love and want more of. Not the case here. The characters are a bit bland and Isabel herself is a frumpy old lady, stuck in her ways lacking any ounce of charm. The summary of this book sums up Isabel's life, pepper in some poor taste and you've got the recipe for this book.

3.5 Stars

While the book started out a bit slow for me, I found it overall to be a charming start to a new series. My initial impressions of Isabel were a bit put off by her constant flashbacks and internal dialogue (not to mention her ability to do anything and everything famously) but I did come around to her quirky ways. The plot itself kept me engaged and I enjoyed trying to figure out who the killer was. In the end, it made for a nice weekend read and I would welcome a second book.

Anyone named Isabel Puddles was sure to have a quirky life, quirky friends, and a quirky mystery.

Isabel Puddles quickly lets us into her life with vivid descriptions of the community, her friends, and the little details “for twenty years, she never let on that she didn’t like scrambled eggs.” It’s these conversational tidbits which kept me reading, and then the author introduces us to an unusual murder discovered when Isabel is performing what might seem a scary task to most of us, styling a dead person’s hair and makeup for their viewing and funeral.

Since I actually know people who do this, I was delighted to find this in a mystery because the author perfectly describes the feelings of a person performing this task.

Byrne surrounds the main characters with friends and enemies who move the plot along fast but not too fast, making it easy to follow and giving me the feeling I was there, in the community living it with characters. I found myself holding my breath at times when the final moments were revealed.

This mystery has good characters, an interesting plot, and also some feel-good moments that give a lesson in life to all of us. I give this five stars and I can’t wait for more in this series.

I love finding a new mystery series to add to my must read list. From the first page I knew Isabel Puddles belonged on the list. Her name alone made me smile and then getting to know her, well, I wish I could join The Land's End Breakfast Club with Isabel (Izzy) and her BFF Frances - breakfast special $6.99. It feels welcoming and comfortable and I like small towns like Gull Harbor, Michigan.
Isabel is a widow of a certain age with grown children. She has a Jack Russell terrier named Jackpot and she lives on a fixed income. At one time she was a hairdresser but didn't enjoy it but times are hard and converting the mother-ion-law apartment into a salon. She also works part time at her cousins hardware store, she knits items for sale and she is a regular visitor to the library. As Isabel sees it, if sh'e physically able to do the job and it's legal, well then go for it. That's how she found herself doing the final hair and makeup for the dearly departed at the Tate Funeral Home - a favor to a friend. Turns out her current "client" didn't die of a stroke, even though he was 88. He had help in the form of a two inch nail rammed into his skull. Now the question becomes did his son bump him off or did someone else do the deed? The son is a friend of Isabel's and she is certain he couldn't have killed his father. So Isabel uses her talents to track down a killer.
Isabel hears all of the gossip, knows just about everybody in town and figures out which dots to connect. It makes for a believable mystery and I am already looking forward to her next case. To be fair, the pace is on the slow side to start but I was fine with it as it takes time to set the stage and get everybody introduced. It was a great de-stressing read.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Meet Isabel Puddles was a little bit of a bumpy ride, but I did end up enjoying it. Isabel is a very interesting and well-developed character - it's hard not to love her. Isabel is a widow "of a certain age" who has her hand in pretty much every aspect of her small town in northern-ish Michigan.

This is definitely a cozy mystery, but it does read a bit more like a contemporary mystery - it's a bit more in-depth and lacks that "cutesy" factor that's so common in cozies (not a bad thing, just not a sugary sweet kind of novel).

There's a lot of extra fluff in this book and Isabel will often go off on tangents talking about stories from decades past, or giving more background into the lives of minor characters. These tangents definitely give you a feel of small-town Michigan (if you aren't already familiar with it) but they can be long-winded and tedious at times.

That all being said, I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series, and I can't wait to see what sort of trouble Isabel gets herself into!

Thank you Kensington Books for the ARC.

Started off a little slow with a lot of backstory, but ended up being a very enjoyable read. Plot moved at a nice place, killer was a surprise at the end. Very entertaining story!

Gull Harbor, a small town on the shores of Lake Michigan, is the gorgeous setting for a new series, the Mitten State Mysteries. And Isabel Puddles, described as “Sherlock Holmes with a C cup” makes a perfect amateur detective.

Isabel, a widow with a limited income, makes do with several different part-time jobs that keep her connected to many of the nosy but endearing town residents. She sells baked goods and pickles, works in the hardware store, sells knitted scarves and has just been offered a most unusual position. She’s the new hair and makeup artist at the Tate Funeral Home. While working on her second “client”, a wealthy local farmer, she discovers that his death from a cerebral hemorrhage was really caused by a nail embedded in his skull. Who would want to kill an 88 year old man? There are suspects. Or who would benefit from an 88 year old man’s death. Even more suspects. When a long time friend of hers is arrested, Isabel wants to prove her friend’s innocence by finding the real killer. Can she solve the case before there are more deaths?

When I read that M.V. Byrne is a veteran television writer, I understood why I thought the story was too long with too much inner thought and unnecessary scenes (the relatives at Ms. DeLong’s funeral, for example. The characters are actors and, through their thoughts, we understand their actions. That strengthens the characters, especially Isabel who I look forward to meeting again, but makes the story drag. I love all the characters and the witty descriptions- her “type was anyone with a job, a pulse, and out-of-state plates”. I’m looking forward to the next in this series. 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Books and M.V. Byrne for this ARC.

Though I really enjoyed Isabels zany and funny character, I didn’t like how the story line dragged on and on. Just seemed like the dialogue was going on forever.
Lots of charming characters, intriguing mystery and humorous moments kept me interested enough to read to the end.
Would be interested in reading the next book in the series to see what Isabel gets involved in. I’m sure it will be just as wacky as Meet Isabel Puddles.
Thank you to NetGallery, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.

Isabel Puddles is a very busy woman and doesn't really have time to do another one. She's got her pickles, her scarves, her pies, and working with her cousin. And now, on top of it all, she's been asked to help out at the funeral home making up the recently deceased. It's not as if she doesn't have the talent. Prior to her husband's death, Isabel worked as a stylist and has shown her talent in making over the recently departed Ms. DeLong's hair and makeup, but she's not quite up to it as a full-time job. However, after agreeing to help out with the departed Mr. Jonasson, Isabel finds nail embedded into his skull and realizes that Mr. Jonasson didn't die of a stroke after all.

There was a lot of really great story in this book, but to get to it I felt like I had to get through far too much exposition and inner monologue. The book often told us what was happening instead of letting the story unravel on its own. I think it's a great story but the writing just didn't work for me.

3/5 Stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this cozy mystery so much! I was transported to Isabel Puddles' life and town and didn't want to leave. It might have taken a pick to get to the conclusion but I didn't mind. I loved the details and side stories. Great characters!

An interesting start to a new series that is as much about life as a middle aged woman in a small town as it is about solving a murder. Isabel Puddles has cobbled together a batch of money making enterprises, including, as it turns out, doing hair in a funeral home. She discovers that Earl Jonasson probably didn't die the way everyone thought- he has a nail in his head! Of course, Isabel decides to use her wide network (as wide as it can be in Gull Harbor, Michigan) to find out what really happened. Byrne introduces a lot of characters (this is the first book after all) and gives you a good sense of the town. It does meander a bit as this is detection by gossip but it's entertaining. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

The first page screamed “This is going to be a fun read not too serious, not too frilly, just fun.”
Set in Gull Harbor, Michigan, a community on the shores of Lake Michigan, Isabel Puddles is a down to earth woman, who has many jobs, friends and interests and not much disposable income. She meets her overbearing and outspoken best friend, Frances, at the Land’s End most mornings for the $6.99 breakfast special. She works at her cousin’s hardware store when needed. She knits and sells scarves, makes amazing pickles and pot roast, loves animals and has a heart as big as the moon. As the story spins out we are introduced to Isabel’s relatives, friends and acquaintances, many of whom she has known for decades. She is fiercely loyal and tolerates even the most cantankerous characters. Naturally shy the moniker of super crime fighter is what this story is all about.

Having just finished Fannie Flagg’s most recent “Whistle Stop” installment I kept drawing parallels. Feels similar, feels good, no need to take notes, just go with the flow and enjoy the small town, down home atmosphere and be prepared for a story that takes a left turn.

“Meet Isabel Puddles” might have been a little too descriptive, maybe a few too many words, but enjoyable from start to finish.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books.

Thank you to the author, Kensington Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

There was lots to love about this book - I grew up in small-town Michigan and both the geographical aspects and the small-town vibe rang so true to life, I almost got a bit homesick. The heroine of the story is a middle-aged woman, very likeable but certainly not perfect. The intricate web of relationships in this small-town world was a bit overwhelming at first, but it grew on me. I enjoyed the mystery element, which definitely fit seamlessly into the small-town setting - not too exotic to be unbelievable, but eccentric enough to work.

What didn't work for me was the pacing - very slow at first, with lots of internal dialogue and thoughts, and then a frantic race to get the sleuthing done and tie up all the loose ends. The action was a bit too Nancy Drew - although I suppose it was par for the course, since those was Isabel Puddle's favorite mysteries. I would like to read more about Mrs. Puddle's next adventures.

One sitting read. Full of action, mystery and small town charm. Hopefully this is the first of many Isabel books as you will fall in love with the characters. Well written and full of charm.

family-dynamics, friendship, law-enforcement, small-town, verbal-humor, situational-humor, laugh-out-loud, cozy-mystery, suspense, lawyers*****

It all started when Izzy's old friend asked for her help in making the old man look presentable for his funeral. She was creeped out, but she was the one who found that there was a nail driven into his head! Izzy has lived in Gull Harbor, Michigan all of her days, has more friends and relatives than she knows what to do with, and has work part time at the hardware store since her husband died some years ago. This is where I either get longwinded or slip unintentionally into spoilers, so I'll just say that I loved the story, the mystery, and especially the wacky characters! This laugh riot is not to be missed!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

This was a well-executed whodunit with a comfortable tone making it easy to follow along with what the author intended. We are introduced to Isabel Puddles who is a jill of all trades, working several jobs to make ends meet. It is one of those jobs that has the protagonist in the debut series investigating a murder where mischief and mayhem is present in her small community. The author did a great job in staging this whodunit where the pacing was on par with how well this story was told. The narrative was engaging, character development gave us the backstory. With help from her friends, Isabel was able to corral the suspects while looking for clues that would lead to the apprehension of the guilty person.

A breath of fresh air and a great new cozy. What’s not to love about Isabel Puddles?! Just what’s needed during these dark times.

The blurb really grabbed me but this book was a disappointment.
Far too much inner dialogue and description.
The characters did not ring true to me.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.