While I hadn't delved into the first book of the series, diving into this one didn't leave me feeling like I missed any crucial details, and the story was easy to follow.

Crafted by an engaging author, this cozy mystery from the Sweet Fiction Bookshop series captivated me with its three-dimensional, charming characters. The dynamics between Lexi, her dog Cookie, her endearing uncles, and the banter with Detective Berg added layers to the narrative, making it thoroughly entertaining. With a well-woven plot filled with twists and red herrings, the murder mystery involving two chamber members kept me intrigued, even though I hadn't read the preceding installment.

Lexi's determination to clear her friend Dash, accused of the murders, added a suspenseful touch, and the cute interplay between her and the persistent policeman added a delightful element to this cozy mystery that seamlessly blended a bit of romance into the investigation.

Title: "A Poisonous Page" by Kitt Crowe - A Missed Mark in Mystery

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

"A Poisonous Page" by Kitt Crowe proves to be a disappointing addition to the mystery genre, deserving of only a single star.

The story revolves around a literary event turned crime scene, as an author's book launch takes a dark turn when one of the guests is poisoned. As the amateur sleuth tries to unravel the mystery behind the poisoning, the narrative takes the reader on a convoluted and unsatisfying journey. The potential for a gripping and clever mystery is squandered by a plot that lacks coherence and a resolution that feels forced.

Kitt Crowe's writing fails to engage and immerse the reader in the story. The characters are underdeveloped, making it difficult to invest in their fates or care about the unfolding events. The amateur detective's deductions often seem far-fetched, and the pacing of the story is inconsistent, with long stretches of tedious dialogue that fail to advance the plot.

While "A Poisonous Page" attempts to infuse the mystery genre with literary elements, it ultimately falls short in its execution, leaving readers with a subpar reading experience. This book may not satisfy the expectations of those seeking a well-crafted and compelling mystery novel.

Kitt never disappoints with her cozy mysteries! The humor and whodunit will keep you hooked until the very end.

Lexi and her club have their hands full in this book. There was so much going on in this book but it was so well written that I never got lost. I love all the characters and the Oregon setting.

A Poisonous Page by Kitt Crowe

The second book in the Sweet Fiction Bookshop Mystery series was just as fun as the first. Lexi and her dog, Cookie, once again find themselves trying to solve a local murder to save someone close from being falsely charged with the crime. Along with her Macaroon Book Club, Lexi has to investigate without raising the suspicions of the local police force, including Detective Chad Berg.

This is a cozy mystery through and through, and there's nothing new to the genre to find here. Yes, the story is predictable. Yes, the cutesy town is filled with stores and local festivals with cheesy names. And yes, there are more tropes to be found. Yet, there are some cozies that just work for me, and this is one of them. The characters are fun. the story is enjoyable, and it's a great, light escape. I will continue to read this series as the new stories are released.

I rate my cozies based on what I expect from them. This may not be a 4-star book compared to a complicated work of literary fiction. But it is a 4-star cozy.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for a free copy of #APoisonousPage by Kitt Crowe. All opinions are my own.

I really loved this book in a new to my series and author. I can't wait to read the next one. The characters and location really add to the plot. This book keeps you guessing until the end.

Book wasn't meant for me Hopefully someone will enjoy it more. I will look into renting it in the future

The is the second book In the series but it could easily be read on its own. Lexi and Cookie find themselves in the middle of another murder mystery. This time it is her best friend's brother who is the prime suspect. The suspect list is long which made solving the mystery difficult. This book was heavier on romance than most cozys. Time will tell how the series develops.

This is the second book in the Sweet Fiction Bookshop series featuring Lexi Jones, the lead character who works at her parents’ bookstore, Sweet Fiction. Marilyn Freeman, a local real estate saleswoman, has just died of a presumed heart attack. Town gossip has it Marilyn was one to have affairs with married men and to engage in shady real estate deals. Lexi’s friend Terri’s brother, Dash, admits to Lexi that he had previously dated Marilyn for a short time.

Next, the body of another woman, Rachel Nevis, one of Marilyn’s employees who had also dated Dash is found in Dash’s backyard. It turns out that both Marilyn and Rachel had bern poisoned with ketamine. The question is by whom. Lexi and the Macaroons Book Club are soon investigating, much to the chagrin of Detective Chad Berg.

This book has a well-written plot that moves at a good pace. The characters are multidimensional and almost all are delightfully quirky. At times the book got a bit too cutesy for my taste, as did the first book in the series, with all of the emphasis on sugary names: the “Sweet Fiction Bookshop,” the Macaroons Book Club,” and Lexi’s dog being named “Cookie,” for example. Still, it’s a great book overall.

First things first, I want to go to the Sweet Fiction Bookshop. Despite the town murders, seems like a fun place to hangout. Although the amount of "sweet" in the town of Confection did leave me a little overwhelmed and at times took me out of the story. (Minor hangup I had)

This was such a good read and provided such well rounded, likeable and memorable characters. I hadn't read the first book in the series but had no trouble following along with the town/story dynamics.

This was a fun cozy murder mystery that definitely kept me wondering the all important, who dunnit?

Super fun cozy mystery set in Oregon. When a local member of the chamber of commerce dies mysteriously, Kitty's friend Dash is a suspect. Kitty and her friends set out to prove Dash's innocence and find their local town is a bit more nefarious than expected!

I absolutely loved book one, so I was excited to venture back to Confection, Oregon to continue the series. Lexi runs the Sweet Fiction Bookstore, and moonlights as a detective (think Murder She Wrote) with her sweet pup Cookie. When a woman suddenly dies due to a heart attack - Lexi is suspicious; but when another woman dies, there is no denying that Lexi's hunch was right. The red herrings, twists and turns...all make this the perfect cozy mystery to curl up with this fall.

I am definitely looking forward to continuing Lexi's mysteries in the next installment!

I was given a copy of this story to read; but thoughts and opinions are all my own. Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the chance to read this book!

Original with engaging characters. I look forward to the next installment.
Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest feedback

I liked the first book in this series. There was something quaint about the town described, and the primary characters were the main draw.
I would not recommend reading this without having read the first for that exact reason. I liked this instalment even more than the first solely because I got to spend more time with characters that I was introduced to earlier. Their banter was fun.
Our lead protagonist is extremely interested in the new detective in town, both as an idea for her novel and for herself (however weakly she may try to deny it). In the previous case, as she was a suspect herself, it made sense for her to dig into the case. This time around, even before a personal reason came along, she set the wheels in motion with her book club turning into a detecting club quite easily.
The blurb mentions the deaths and the characters, so I do not have to go into those details in my review.
The mystery itself was something in the passing. Its absence would not have changed what I liked about the book. The friendships and the steady wooing were why I chose to read this book in the first place.
I may not enjoy the mystery part of the plot itself, but the author's writing was pretty great. I liked the style and tone of the narration and would definitely pick up another book by the author.
I think other readers of this genre might quite enjoy this series as well.
I read this as an ARC, thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

I tried the first book in the series and didn't connect with any of the characters which I didn't remember at the time I requested this one. Unfortunately, this one didn't hold my interest.

A Poisonous Page: A Sweet Fiction Bookshop Mystery
By Kitt Crowe
Crooked Lane Books
July 2022


Review by Cynthia Chow

It’s only been two months since Sweet Fiction Bookshop owner Lexi Jones helped police solve a murder, and well, she’s already a little bored. Not with her increasingly prosperous bookshop nor with her tourist-attracting town of Confection, Oregon though, as their inclination to celebrate everything has them in the midst of an End of Summer Celebration blowout. No, Lexi and her Macaroons Mystery Club are anxious for the next opportunity to investigate a real-life murder mystery on their own. While ostensibly they are a bookclub reading (or at least watching the movie versions of the books) fictional mysteries like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, most of their members would prefer to become a Macaroons Murder Club solving crimes and tracking down murders. It looks as though they have an opportunity when irritating Detective Chad Berg receives a 10-54 “possible dead body” call, and it turns out that the body of Confection Chamber of Commerce chair Marilyn Freeman has just been found dead by her housekeeper. While nothing obvious indicates that the young woman passed away from anything other than natural causes, the Macaroons are more than ready to begin operating on the premise that she did. Marilyn had a well-earned reputation for going after men regardless of their commit status or availability, meaning that there was a dearth of candidates with motives for wanting her dead. When another definitive case of murder follows and implicates Lexi’s best friend’s brother Dash Hagen, nothing is going to stop her or her murder-mystery-fan bookclub from going full-throttle on an investigation.

This second in the series by this pseudonym-using author ramps up the humor level with banter-filled dialogue and quippy characters. While Lexi has a big-brotherish-frenemy relationship with Dash, she has much more sizzling-yet-antagonistic exchanges with smoking hot Chad Berg. It definitely confuses matters when the detective has abs of steel to go along with his reprimands to stay out of his investigation, which explains why the fictional book Lexi’s writing features a protagonist who is basically a mash-up of the two men. When not attempting to wrangle her renegade lawn-pooping pooch Cookie (who can only do her business while “free” and off-leash), Lexi and her eight other Macaroons make visits to the jail, break into Marilyn’s home, and do a little casual interrogation of their friends and neighbors. The actual investigation progresses entertainingly as they find a surfeit of jilted men, resentful women, and an adorable litter of kittens. The Macaroons are an expansive collection of quirky friends and neighbors, and while some get more of a focus than others all have a moment to shine. It’s more of a when-will-they than will-they-or-won’t-they situation with Lexi and the Detective Berg, but their progress is made charmingly and at a realistic pace. The romantic tension matches the level of suspense as these very likable characters race to solve a few murders and not become the next victims in the process.

A delightful summer cozy! Proprietor of Sweet Fiction Bookshop, Lexi is looking forward to a prosperous summer in the small town of Confection, Oregon. However, when town council members begin to die within days of each other and Lexi's friend stands accused of murder, she is determined to prove her friend's innocence but hopefully not at her own expense.

I love cozies set in small towns in Oregon. This one being set in a bookstore is just an extra bonus. I do hope there will be more in this series as it improves with each one!!

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest, personal review. I absolutely adored this cozy mystery, so much so, that I am requesting the first book in the series to read. Cookie (dog) steals the show and the town of Confection just sounds like a nice place to visit.. without the murder that is! Lexi and her dog Cookie run the bookshop Sweet Fiction. When a woman in town dies of a heart attack, Lexi is suspicious that it may not have been natural and puts her natural detecting skills to use. With her book club and Cookie's help, will she be able to solve this mystery? Enjoyable read, was very sad when it ended, it left me wanting more.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

NOTE: This book is #2 of the Sweet Fiction Bookshop series.

We are whisked back to Confection, Oregon in this second installment of Crowe's series. It is summer time and that means big sales for Sweet Fiction Bookshop. Between the locals and the tourists, they are doing brisk business. Lexi is 2 months removed from the ending of the first book and things have quieted down in Confection.

However, it does not stay that week. A member of the Chamber of Commerce dies of a heart attack. While young, most are aware of her family's history of heart disease. However, one week later, another member dies. Everyone is making it out to be that the 2nd member was murdered by Lexi's friend Dash; however, that is not possible. Dash is a upstanding member of society and while the evidence points to him, Lexi is not about to let this murder be pinned on him. Along with her dog, Cookie, Lexi and her book club friends start looking into these cases. Something is not adding up. However, the hot detective in town is letting her help out instead of trying to stop her - that is odd!

As time progresses, will the book club and the police solve this mystery in time before someone else dies?

Here is to hoping for #3 - what happens with the hot detective and Lexi?????

I'd like to thank Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Not having read the first book I was able to read this one just fine. There were references to the first book but nothing that made this one confusing.

This is a cozy mystery that I really enjoyed reading. I loved the romance brewing between Lexi and Chad. Their interactions between each other was amusing and it was fun to read the banter between the two. I loved the Macaroon's book club. They were hilarious and I am jealous to not be in a book club like that. I liked that the book kept me guessing until the end on who "done it". Fun read and I definitely want to read more of these.