This is the 5th installment in the Allie Cobb Mystery series. Allie gets a call from her brother Luke as he needs her to come and pick him up as he was in an accident with his truck. When she arrives she finds out he hit a safe that was in the middle of the road. His truck is in the ditch and he has a mild concussion. Allie stays with him and when they go in for their statements to the police the next day they are there when the police open the safe and discover the body of a local business man who is dead. Allie by trade is a literary agent but is jokingly referred to as the kickboxer crusader which was a name given to her by her best friend and sister-in-law Sloane. Allie is not initially planning on getting involved in this case until she is at Ursi’s (her pet cat) Vet appointment and Mark (ex-brother in law and Chief of Police) come in with a search warrant for the vet Dr. Cammy Flannagan who has had run in’s with the victim (Newt) who is a gun club president and taxidermist. Allie meet Newt a couple of times and always thought he was a nice guy but as she begins to do some investigation she learns there are some who had issues with the man. This was a good mystery and I do understand why the vet was a suspect because of access to the drug but I never understood how they thought she moved the safe with a body in it to the middle of the road. Who could move a gun safe so large that it could hold a person standing up. The mystery was good and I did enjoy that Allie did not seem to take too many chances although I would think some of her evidence would never be admissible in court. I like Allie and her loyalty to those who she thinks are friends but it seems like no one else was investigating and everyone in town is expecting her to investigate. Would think that would be a bigger issue for the police.

Another tale of the same old Allie fighting for truth and justice. This time she is called first to the aid of her brother when he drives into a ditch to avoid an obstruction in the road. Then someone else important to Allie asks for her help in solving the case of the doctor suspected of murder.

This was a very pleasant entry in the ACKC series and I very much enjoyed it. I missed seeing more of Brent, though, as I though he'd be around more often in this installment. I also was looking forward to sharing in Calypso's excitement when the first book she'd worked on was published, as well as when her raise came into effect, both of which happened in this book but neither really came through, though the raise did happen nearer the end of the book so maybe the celebration of it will be in the next story, as I hope there is a next story for Ms. Cobb and her merry band of cohorts.

I haven't read the other Allie Cobb mysteries, but fortunately you don't have to have read them to understand and enjoy this book. The book has 28 Chapters, and about 200 pages, so it is a fairly short and easy read.

Allie's character is a cheerful and optimistic, but determined and brave literary agent, who dabbles in solving mysteries. She has already solved at least one murder in her small town by the start of this story, and she is focused on solving this one in order to protect her close friend from being framed. The story is told from Allie's perspective throughout the book, as she searches for clues and identifies suspects.

This is easy light reading, and although the story is about solving a murder, the bright and upbeat characters keep the book fun and fast moving. The cat is probably my favorite character.

When Luke Cobb is in a car accident that involves a large gun safe abandoned on a dark road, Allie Cobb is once again on the case. A body with a syringe in the neck is found inside the safe. The prime suspect is Cammy Flanagan, Ursi's vet. Allie knows that Newt Arbogast, the murder victim, had disagreements with other suspects and thinks one of them is the killer.

While I enjoyed the book, there are a few things that Allie does that could either get her arrested or killed. That is something I don't like seeing in the lead character.

I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher and/or author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of THE DEAD OF WINTER (Book 5 of the Allie Cobb Mysteries) by J.C. Kenney in exchange for an honest review. Allie Cobb, literary agent, is finally reconciled with her propensity for sleuthing and the danger it brings; she still cringes, however, at how she has become locally renown as the “Kickboxing Crusader.” When a large gun safe is dropped in the middle of a roadway, it causes lots of trouble. First, Allie’s brother wrecks his company vehicle while trying to avoid hitting it in foggy road conditions. Second, it causes a huge stink in the police station. It literally reeks. When the officer in charge of collecting the evidence cracks open the safe, they discover the rotting remains of the local gun club president. When the town’s veterinarian, who is a good friend of Allie’s and a member of the survivor support group, becomes the number one suspect in the case, Allie’s course is clear. This time, Allie will investigate, will identify the killer, and will take safety precautions but will not worry about the consequences. However, hunting killers is a dangerous activity. After so many close calls, will Allie survive this investigation?

I enjoy this series and like this book. I recommend this book to fans of the series and to fans of cozy mysteries featuring murder, gun rights, gun clubs, small towns, book publishing, close friends, and tightly-knit families.

#TheDeadofWinter #NetGalley

Even if it's not the best in the series I enjoyed.
I was glad to catch up with Allie and the characters and the plot, full of twists and turns, kept me hooked.
I guessed the culprit at about 50% of the story but I didn't know the motive.
This is a good series and I like to read about Allie work as agent and Ursula the cat.
I think that Allie is suffering from a sort of "super hero" syndrome and is getting too reckless and some more humility would make the story more enjoyable.
I want to read the next story as I'm curious about what will be next.
I think it's better to read the series in order even if this one can be enjoyed as a standalone.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I received this book for free from netgalley for an honest review #netgalley

Perfect for a hot day like today. Great setting and very well written.

When her brother Luke calls Allie Cobb that he has been in a car accident, she rushes to the scene to find his truck into a ditch. Luke swerved to avoid hitting a huge gun safe sitting in the middle of the road. The next day, the police open the safe and find the dead body of local gun club president Newt Abrogast. When the autopsy finds that Newt had died from a lethal injection of a drug given to cats, Allie's vet friend Cammy becomes the prime suspect. Determined to prove Cammy innocent, Allie’s digging reveals that the Newt's wife Shelly may have wanted out. Newt was also embroiled in disputes with local businessmen and their artist neighbors. As well, gun club treasurer Sal Green may be up to no good.

While I enjoyed the previous books in this series, this book was a letdown for me. Allie's reasons for continuing to get involved, especially after the killer tries to attack her at home, really does not work. And for Allie to insist on chasing after the killer with her police officer friend Gabe is crazy.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and Beyond the Page Publishing with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

If you’re looking for a fun, easy-breezy cozy mystery series with quirky characters and a unique plot – Allie Cobb mysteries may be calling your name. These books are a quick read, more heavy on the cozy than the mystery. They’re the perfect companion to a relaxing day on the beach or to keep you company in a tiresome waiting room.

Fun entertaining mystery! The main character is a little on the quirky side, Having a backpack cat carrier for example, but overall the story was very entertaining. The mystery held until close to the end of the story making it not to predictable.

The Dead Of Winter is the fifth book in the Allie Cobb Mystery series by J. C. Kenney.

It was a dark and gloomy night when Allie receives a call from her brother, Luke, telling her he had an accident and his truck was undrivable and asked her to pick him up. Allie is relieved to learn that for a bump on the head, Luke is not injured. While waiting for paramedics to check Luke out, she notices a gun safe in the middle of the road, which must have caused Luke to crash. The next day Allie and Luke go to the police station so that Luke can file an accident report. As they are about to leave, a policewoman also asks them to identify the gun safe as it caused the accident. The safe is giving off an offensive odor, and Matt, the police chief, has obtained a search warrant to open the gun safe. Once they open the safe, they find it contains a dead body with a syringe sticking out of his neck. Soon Allie realizes that the body is Newt Arbogast, president of a local gun club.

When police learn that a drug used by vets killed Newt, they head for Dr. Cammy Flanagan’s clinic to interview her. When the police determine that a vial of the drug that killed Newt is missing, Cammy will become the prime suspect. Allie happens to be at the clinic with her cat while the police are searching her drug area, and Cammy asks for Allie’s help in clearing her name before she is arrested for a murder she didn’t commit. Allie has seen Cammy caring for the animals in her practice, doesn’t believe she can murder, and agrees to help clear Cammy’s name.

As Allie starts asking Rushing Creek’s people questions, she soon finds several people that she will suspect of being the murder. She will be suspecting the owner of the inn next to Newt’s business. The inn owner wants the property so he can expand his inn. Newt’s neighbor wants to add an art studio to his property, but Newt has opposed this addition. She will also find the suspicion of embezzlement and a couple of incidents of marital infidelity.

It’s always a joy to visit Rushing Creek and visit with Allie and her friends and residents. The story is well-written and plotted, and moves at a nice pace. The characters are interesting and believable. There were enough red herrings that I was kept to nearly the end.’

I will be watching for the next book in this exciting series.

I previously was invested in Allie Cobb and her life in Indiana, as I was intrigued by the author being a male writing from a female perspective. That alone kept me engaged. That being said I began to find the story line a little stale as Allie feels motivated to investigate murders in a way for which I can find no justification. One other issue I have is the distance in her relationship with her boyfriend. He moved to town and days pass and very difficult issues arise and they have no communication. I wouldn't want to be in a relationship with her. I will stick with the series, but I hope it becomes more real that Allie just showing up her former brother-in-law.

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

The Dead of Winter is a cozy mystery that takes place in a small town in Indiana. The main character Allie is trying to solve a mystery after a body turns up stuffed into a safe. I had it figured out as soon as the character was introduced, there was nothing surprising in the story. Kind of shocked the characters who professed to be smart could not figure it out, it was clear from the halfway point who did it, the motive was all that was left. The story was OK.

J.C. Kenney used to be one of my favorite authors. But, this book was trite, predictable and not good. I will not be reading him again.

An interesting who done it with good characters. I think I will read the previous books in the series although this one can be read as a stand alone. I enjoyed trying to figure out who the culprit was. Thanks #netgalley and #BeyondthePagepublishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dead of Winter has an interesting story line with several components, the author provides a lot of detail and incorporates many of the secondary characters previously introduced.

Despite that, I knew who dunnit very early on, if not the motive. As usual in mysteries, the cops don't seem to know what they're doing or are ineffectual (it's not clear why here, nothing the cops do is on page) and our intrepid heroine seems to be the only one doing anything and this irritated me. She was finding basic evidence the police should have (and I'm not talking about something squirreled away).

I also found the story didn't really engage me and I had to prod myself to keep going. So, it's just an Ok rating from me and I won't continue with the series after reading two of them.

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

Allies brother needs help after a car accident. She rushes to his aid and then they discover a safe with a body. A fun mystery with great characters. It can be read as a stand one although that it will help to start at the beginning.
#TheDeadofWinter #NetGalley

In J.C. Kenney’s newest Allie Cobb entry, the literary agent needs to track down who killed the local gun club president with a lethal dose of a medication traced to her vet’s office. Both Allie and Ursi, companion cat, begin sleuthing as soon as Dr. Flanagan becomes a suspect.

Fortunately, Allie identifies plenty of additional suspects and starts checking out alibis and access to the poison. The supporting characters living in Rushing Creek make the visit fun and full of mischief. As usual, Ursi’s antics provide a welcome touch to the plot. And Mr. Kenney continues to spin an engaging yarn with twists, a few red herrings, and a good dose of suspense. The Dead of Winter is a perfect afternoon delight for mystery fans who love a feline touch.

Allie Cobb receives a call from her brother, who has had an accident and needs her to pick him up. It turns out he hit a large gun safe that was just sitting in the middle of the road. Luckily, Luke is fine, but it turns out the contents of the safe are anything but fine when a local business owner is found inside and all signs point to the town’s vet.

Ursie and the vet urge Allie to find the real killer before the town loses their beloved vet. So many suspects, so many motives. What intelligence is valid and what is pure gossip? It’s a tough one, but Allie and Ursie will persevere and do what they can to uncover the truth and get justice for the murdered man…as long as the murderer doesn’t get to Allie first.

A great series that gets better with each new release. Who can ask for more?

This book was ok. It has all the elements of a cozy mystery. The characters are good. and the investigating stellar. I was surprised by who the killer was. I really liked the cat. #TheDeadofWinter #NetGalley