Death of a Red-Hot Rancher: A Love is Murder Mystery
By Mimi Granger
Berkley
September 2021

Review by Cynthia Chow

There is irony in the fact that Love Under the Covers romance bookstore owner Lizzie Hale is so completely unlucky at love. Despite her Aunt Charmaine’s best – and repeated – attempts to set up her niece with blind dates, the moment Lizzie blurts out her love of romance books the connections fizzle. Perhaps it’s not too surprising that prospects are scared off on first dates with the mentions of love and marriage, but Lizzie adores romance books and are all that she feels comfortable talking about. Well, that and baseball. Which makes the arrival of national park ranger and former St. Louis Cardinals star catcher Max Alvarez enough to have her completely off-balance and hormonally on point.

Unfortunately, Max is in town helping Lizzie’s police officer cousin Josh Randall investigate the murder of Brody Pierce, the hottest Bison rancher in Tinker’s Creek, Ohio. While Brody has a well-earned reputation for having dated every available and not-so-available woman in town, Lizzie definitely didn’t expect to have last seen him standing over the shoulder of Aunt Charmaine while in her bedroom. While the two women share property and have adjoining houses, spying through the window is not something Lizzie is ready to admit to anyone. So instead she intends to prove that Charmaine Randall wasn’t the last to see Brody or couldn’t have had a jealous motive for wanting the hottie dead by beginning her own discreet investigation into the lives of the many, many women who moved in and out of Brody’s life.

This first in the series charmingly blends together a mystery plot with tons of romance literature references. Love Under the Covers is the site of numerous bookclub meetings and embraces the diverse categories that include historical, gothic, suspense, LQBTQ+, paranormal, and so many more. While a librarian nemesis who detests the entire romance genre seems a little cliché, less expected is the library manager’s donning of widow’s weeds and veil as she immediately claims the role as Brody’s primary mourner. For a woman able to appreciate and adore all aspects of romance novels, Lizzie has developed a rather cynical and jaded attitude towards her own chances of finding true love. Miscommunications, misinterpretations, and of course missed meetings that are the expected tropes of romance novels are given a fun twist here, with the spark between Max and Lizzie igniting into a full-on sizzle. The small-town nature of Tinker Creek’s gossip channel and long-lasting memories fill out the setting of this funny, witty, and good-natured mystery. A large and adorable canine tops off this very cozy and clever mystery, with white hairs being the unique clues that lead our heroes to the desperate culprit. Readers will be looking forward to the next in the series that celebrates the entertainment and comfort that can be found within romance and mystery genres.

A cozy mystery featuring the owner of a romance bookstore? This was made for me, and I really enjoyed it. Fortunately, the story inside lived up to the promise of the premise, and there was an interesting mystery with great suspects and clues, as well as the introduction to the community and characters that readers will expect in a cozy series starter. I'm looking forward to this series continuing!

Just because Lizzie Hale owns a popular romance book store doesn't mean love comes naturally to her. Everything she knows about that particular emotion came from the books that line the walls of Love Under the Covers. But she has bigger problems than not being able to find a man, and that's murder. When the eligible bachelor, Brody Pierce, is found stabbed to death, everyone in the small town of Tinker's Creek is on edge. No one knows what happened, but that doesn't stop fingers from pointing at Lizzie's aunt as the prime suspect. Determined to clear her aunt's name, Lizzie starts her investigation and soon uncovers that Brody had his fair share of secrets, and the list of people who loved and hated him is pretty equal. With time running out and a killer still on the loose, will Lizzie be able to get to the bottom of this crime of passion before it's too late?

I've only recently gotten into the cozy mystery genre, but I'm having so much fun with it, and this one was no exception! I was taken with the characters and the small-town vibe straight away. Lizzie was such a joy to follow. She's funny and a little awkward which made her seem realistic, and made you root for her to get to the bottom of this mystery. I loved how she used her knowledge of romance books and their tropes to aid her investigation. There were times when she came across aa a little judgmental, but for the most part, I liked her. Plot-wise, I thought it was fast-paced and kept my attention the whole time. It's not the most complicated mystery, and there were a few points I was able to guess, but it didn't lessen my enjoyment, and I still found the ending satisfying. Overall, if you enjoy cozy mysteries or are looking to start getting into them, I think this is a delightful one to pick up.

This is a really fun cozy mystery that balances well with the romance portion.
Lizzie Hale is a fun character and her relationship with her aunt really makes me laugh.
When local heart throb Brody is found dead, Lizzie has to do everything she can to prove her aunt's innocence.
It was fun to tag along with Lizzie on her adventures.

Quirky and laugh-out-loud funny, this is one romantic, cozy mystery that readers won't soon forget.

Everything is going smoothly for Lizzie Hale in her new town of Tinker's Creek. She just bought the most charming bookstore that she's converted into an all-romance shop, and she's having a great time living with her cooky aunt. That is until the local heart-throb rancher, Brody Pierce, is found murdered and her aunt becomes the number one suspect. Lizzie will have to put her amateur sleuthing skills to the test if she wants to clear her aunt's name.

This is an absolutely charming first book in an all-new series that I'll be eagerly awaiting the next installment for. I wanted to live inside Lizzie's bookshop, and I really enjoyed the balance of romance and mystery throughout the novel. Definitely a must-read for cozy mystery fans!

Brody Pierce is a sight to behold. Every female in the small town of Tinker’s Creek, Ohio takes notice of this tall piece of eye-candy when he comes to town. He made his fame and fortune in Hollywood as the hunky, rough and tumble actor in a truck commercial. This allowed him to purchase a ranch in Tinker’s Creek where he raises bison.

Lizzie Hale, the owner of the most successful romance bookstore in the Midwest, is not immune to Pierce’s rugged good looks, but tries to remain calm when he enters her store. All of her female customers, including her aunt, Charmaine, practically swooned at his feet. Yes, everyone loved and admired him – with the exception of at least one person. The one that killed him.

Unfortunately, Lizzie is the one that finds his body. She is obviously upset, but it is evident this is a murder and now she is in the thick of it. Quietly tallying up the clues she has observed, Lizzie begins to do a bit of sleuthing. Unfortunately, the clues start to point at one of the people in town she knows and cares for.

The setting of this small town and the bookstore Lizzie owns enhances the depth of characters and plot. It was quite enjoyable picturing the rooms in the bookstore as well as the bison ranch. The extra touch of Lizzie taking care of Brody’s orphan dog was heartwarming. Even though he left dog hair every place they traveled together. The requisite touch of romance is present in this cozy and I am looking forward to see how the characters develop in future books in this series.

This fast-paced cozy mystery is full of twists and turns. Usually, the killer is easy to spot, but there are so many people that had it out for Pierce, it was impossible to figure out who the killer was until the final chapters.

Mimi Granger aka Connie Laux is a new author to me as this is the first book of hers that I have read. She is an established mystery writer, and Death of a Red-Hot Rancher is the first book she has written as Mimi Granger, one of her many pen names. This is the first cozy mystery she has written, previously focused on romance novels. If you love cozies, you will love this book. I’m looking forward to more books in this series.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Copyright © 2021 Laura Hartman

Mimi Granger has a real winner with Death of a Red-Hot Rancher, the first book in her Love Is Murder Mystery series. The characters are very likable and the storyline if filled with fun, action and a great mystery. I really like main character Lizzie Hale, especially how shy she is around forest ranger Max Alverez at first. It was fun seeing Lizzie open up as she got to know Max better . I look forward to the next book in the series.

I received an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

This fast-paced whodunit came with a wickedly solid mystery that kept me glued to the pages as I had to know how things were going to turn out. In typical cozy form, a murder happens, and the main suspect needs their name cleared and we watch them look for a person with a stronger motive while foraging for clues. The author does a good job in delivering an engaging and entertaining read that kept me on my game. When I thought I had an inkling as to the killer’s identity, the author change direction all to the betterment of the story being told. With visually descriptive narrative, the dialogue pulled the story along as well as the interactions among this lovable cast of characters with a few quirkiness that enhanced my enjoyment in reading this debut series.

This was a cute story - I liked that the heroine is a Mindy Lahiri type of character that loves romance novels instead of being a Nancy Drew fan. Thank you for trying something new - I loved it! Although, based on the title and the description, I totally thought, expected and would have been happy for more romance in this story. like the Murder Curlers and Cream series by Arlene McFarlane where it's mostly romance and just a little bit of mystery. However, it was a fun read and I'm looking forward to book #2 in the series!

The best part of the book is that the main character, Lizzie, owns a bookstore! I am a sucker for books that feature a bookstore. She is living the dream. When the town dreamboat, Brody, is murdered, Lizzie becomes worried that her Aunt may have had something to do with the murder. So she decides to solve the case and save her Aunt.

I didn't like how Lizzie made so many assumptions about her Aunt. Things could have been easily cleared up if she had just talked openly to her. I don't understand why she was so quick to suspect her. There are many other suspects too. Brody has dated almost every woman in the town and jealousy could be a motive.

This book has a solid mystery with a satisfying ending. Lizzie has a potential love interest in the new Park Ranger in town. It was a quick, entertaining read. This has potential to be a great new cozy mystery series.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

Lizzie Hale lives in Tinkers Creek, Ohio, and she's an avid fan of... romance novels! I don't know why that struck me so much, but most of the main characters in cozy mysteries read a lot of cozy mysteries. Lizzie mentions cozies from time to time but she sticks mostly to love stories, which is funny because love is as foreign to her as solving crime is to those of us who devour the mysteries!

This book has all the standard fare, a young, single woman who owns and operates a business; small idyllic town; older, wiser, and cookier sidekick; loveable furball; handsome law enforcement official. It's like opening a present on your birthday and finding out you got exactly what you asked for.

Mimi Granger is a pen name, the author also writes as Kylie Logan, under which name she's published several other books including the Button Box series and the League of Literary Ladies series, both of which I have read and enjoyed.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC.

Plot: I loved the plot of this book! It combined two of my favorite genres, mystery and romance! I guessed the culprit, but was wrong about the motive. I loved that Lizzie owned a romance bookstore, and that each room was themed around a different subgenre. I loved the beginnings of the romance that began for Lizzie in this book. I think this book was really well written!

Characters: Lizzie was a great main character! I liked all the supporting characters in the book, too! And as I already mentioned, I loved the romance that was hinted at.

The Cover:

Overall: I loved this book! It was a fantastic beginning to a new cozy series, that I know I will be continuing to read. Overall, I highly recommend it!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

This book was good, It was a good little mystery! It had suspense, intrigue, drama ,action, and a really good who done it! It wasn't like most murder mysteries, this one was a light hearted mystery! It was funny at times but all and all it was a decent read! Not my top favorites but I would recommend it! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

#DeathofaRedHotRancher #NetGalley
A fun and sizzling romantic new mystery series that centers around Lizzie Hale, a romantic bookstore owner. The book moves at a quick pace, with lots of smoldering looks and fun mystery adventure. It's a nice break from heavy mysteries and looks to be a fun new series.