Livy is the proprietor of Better Days, a nostalgia shop. On her days off, she visits her mother at a seniors' home and brings old 78s to entertain the residents. Recently, there have been two deaths of residents close together. Everyone seems convinced the deaths were natural - after all, both were very old - but Livy isn't so sure because they both had seemed in good health just days before. Later, while going through her deceased father's papers, Livy discovers a photo from 70 years ago of a hanged man, a crowd gathered around. Livy becomes obsessed with both cases. Was the first natural and the second suicide or were they both murder? As she delves deeper and as she learns more about the people in the photo, she begins to suspect the two cases are linked somehow.

Murder Old and New: A Better Days Mystery is a cozy mystery by Laurie and Chet Williamson. On the negative side, it did, at times, stretch my suspension of disbelief almost to the breaking as Livy made some rather huge leaps of faith in her investigation but, let's face it, that's kind of a thing with cozies.

Still, on the plus side, Livy was a likeable character and the plot was entertaining. There were enough twists and turns and red herrings to keep my attention and it ended on a satisfying note. In the end, I would say, if I didn't love this book, I did enjoy it and, really, sometimes that's all one asks from a a story.

<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Crossroads Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review</i>

Livy Crowe, the owner of the nostalgia shop Better Days, finds an old photograph among her father's things of a dead man hanging from a tree. At the same time old people start dying at the nursing home she volunteers at, and she suspects there is a killer at work.

I really wanted to like this book, but it was a pretty mediocre read and the story sadly never managed to keep my attention. The main character was annoying and I had trouble relating to her.

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

I found this to be a very interesting and highly enjoyable read. The author did an excellent job with great character development and excellent plot. Highly recommended.

A good, solid mystery and thriller. I highly recommend this book. Easy to read with a good pace. The storyline is very enjoyable and the main character is likable. I loved the premise and was completely sucked in. This book kept getting better as it went on. The end was novel and quite interesting. I read this in one day because it was so compelling!

A gripping and highly enjoyable read. Great character development and excellent plot.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

When I've read Chet Williamson before, it was all horror novels. This was my first mystery book of his I've read. Just as good as the horror books (bit of a horrific crime), with great characterization, and lots of action. Little humor mixed in. Hopefully more books featuring Livy Crowe in the future.

This book started off very slow for me and was even off putting at times. The main character Livy finds some old photos her father took of a dead man hanging in a tree and can’t stop obsessing about them. After doing some minor detective work, she is convinced it was apart of The Hangman Murders. Creepy occurrences seem to come in spades after this for her. As older women at the nursing home that she volunteers at start dying suspiciously, Livy and her friend Karen begin to notice. Livy comes across some retro yearbooks from the year 1934, the same year her father took photos of the hanging. She soon recognizes one of the old men from the nursing home in the pictures her father took and in the school yearbook. All the action happened in the last 50 or so pages and I loved the ending. Livy ends up solving The Hangman Murders and the suspicious deaths at the nursing home. She was so excited about it and I feel for her because I do the same things after listening to crime podcasts. So much was packed into the last half of this book. My biggest critique is that I wish more detail had been spread throughout the first half of the book.

Through Net Galley, I read an advance copy of Murder Old and New by Laurie Williamson and Chet Williamson. This standalone mystery set in Eastern Pennsylvania follows Livy Crowe, the proprietor of a vintage shop that caters in old movies, music and books, as she juggles two mysteries, a love triangle and running a business.

Livy comes across some gruesome photos when going through her deceased fathers belongings that sets her on her amateur sleuthing ways. Additionally, several patients at the retirement home Livy volunteers at have died in somewhat mysterious ways and no one seems to believe there is something nefarious afoot.

This is a pleasant, enjoyable read and features a likable main character. Despite figuring out the whodunit fairly early on, there are some surprises along the way and the ultimate outcome is satisfying.

An ebook copy of Murder Old and New was the only compensation received in exchange for this review. My thanks to Net Galley and Cross Road Press for the opportunity to read this book and provide feedback.

Murder Old and New- Laurie Williamson and Chet Williamson
3.8 Stars
Murder Old and New is the story of two incidents that take place in a gap of 70 years. Was the first death a suicide or murder? Are the latest deaths at the senior’s residence natural or unnatural? Is there a connection between the two? What does Livy Crowe, the owner of Better Days, a nostalgia shop, think?
In short, that’s the premise of the book. The story is narrated by Livy, a 45-year-old divorcee who lives a pretty contented life with her cat, Fudge. Her time is divided between the shop, visiting Gates Home (senior residence), and going to auctions. Thrown in Tim, a 30 odd young lad with a crush on her, a mother with signs of depression and dementia, and an envelope with pictures taken by her late father; the book starts with the photographs of a dead man hanging from a tree.
Now, that’s the kind of beginning I love to read. The story progressed at a slow and steady pace during the first half. While there were times I wished something happened, I could see the need to establish the setting and the characters. There are quite a few interesting characters, including the killer(s). The setting also plays an important role.
There are tidbits about old pulp fiction, comics, music, and stuff that I could have enjoyed even more if I had good command over the topics. Still, it was informative, and I liked reading about the types of paper and changing preferences of people over time.
Back to the mystery, Livy, as she declares it quite a few times, has an overactive imagination that helps her connect the dots and also takes her focus away from what is right in front of her. Some clues were too apparent, but she refuses to consider them and goes off tangent.
That’s the advantage of writing from the first person POV. The reader knows before the narrator can focus on it. This frustrated me at times, but then, it shows I was hooked by the story. The climax had all the elements a thriller should have. Everything that should go wrong, goes wrong, making it almost impossible for our leading lady. But she succeeds in her mission and captures the killer.
The loose ends were handled, even with a small surprise added to the mix. I just wished the two people who gave Livy some of the most pieces of important information were also mentioned at the end.
There is a sort of triangle story that starts sometime in the middle and doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. I’m just not sure how I feel about it. If the roles were reversed and Livy was a man, well, he’d lose fans. Still, I don’t have any major issues with it.
One thing that stood out odd in the book was an overly graphic scene describing death. While most of them were glossed over (imagine a book that doesn’t even have cuss words), this one sticks out like a sore thumb. I don’t see any need for it, considering it adds nothing to the story. There’s another towards the end, but it is justified. I have no issues with gore that serve a purpose.
Overall, the book is worth a read. Be patient in the beginning, and you’ll enjoy the style of narration is both simple (in a good way) and engaging.

Thank you, NetGalley and Cross Road Press for the ARC copy.

Loved the characters! It’s always great to have a strong character who is not being set up for a love interest. The story was great. Completely implausible but I don’t always want realism when I’m reading a mystery. This was fast paced. I didn’t find the writing style very elegant but, again, sometimes simpler is better.