Cover Image: A Poisonous Page

A Poisonous Page

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Member Reviews

This is the second book in the Sweet Fiction Bookshop Mystery series by Kitt Crowe. A Poisonous Page follows Lexi Jones as she works to clear the name of her friend Dash. Dash is the prime suspect in at least one murder. Lexi and the Macaroons (the Sweet Fiction Book Club) delve into the towns real estate world to learn more about the victims and deep dive into Dash's life to discover who'd want to frame him.

The book has many mysteries, lots of red herrings and some great romance. I was interested throughout even though I hadn't read the other in the series. Highly recommended!

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Such a fun read. A Poisonous Page is the second in the series, but could stand on its own. It's a murder mystery with lots of humor. The main character, Lexi, is a hoot. Getting to hear all her thoughts is entertaining in itself.

In this story, Lexi is trying to help her friend Dash, who has been accused of murder. Lexi and her fellow book club members, the Macaroons, spread out to find clues to the identity of the real murderer. Lexi also has two best friends who are part of the book club, and provide Lexi with lots of support. Detective Chad Berg is present a lot in the book, which is definitely a good thing! His relationship with Lexi is funny and romantic. Lexi's dog Cookie is always up for adventure. The mystery had me guessing all the way to the end; lots of suspects. All in all, this is a great book and series. Makes you want to live in Confection, Oregon and be a part of the Sweet Fiction Bookshop.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this wonderful ARC. In return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion. I will post this review to my blog, Goodreads, Bookbub, & Amazon accounts on the publication date, 7/12/22.

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Second book in the cozy mystery series, Sweet Fiction Bookshop. Traditional cozy elements:
-Small town
-Lots of secrets, feuds, reasons to murder
-Cookie, the adorable dog sidekick
-Romantic tension with detective on the case
-Quirky secondary characters
-Best friend wrongly accused/jailed for the murder
-Bookish
-Humor

Set in Confection, a small town in the PNW, Lexi balances managing her family's bookshop with her social life, hanging out with her friends. When her bestie's brother is accused of murder, Lexi rounds up the Macaroons, her bookshop's book group. The amateur sleuths are determined to unravel all of the mysteries to find the real killer and free Dash.

Fun, frothy, quick read with a twisty mystery, lots of suspects and the romance heats up between Lexi and Chad Berg the detective investigating the case.

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I really enjoy a good cozy mystery, and this was an intriguing one.

The main character, Lexi, comes across as a bit of a ditz, fun to be around and fast with a funny comeback to what others say. She has many encounters with Chad Berg, a detective for the local police force because there is a murder and Lexi is determined to prove her friend is innocent. Of course, Chad does not like her prying into police business. The two clash often, but along with the disagreements, there is a strong attraction between them.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and the interesting mix of characters.

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This is a nice cozy mystery. It has a quirky main character in bookstore manager Lexi Jones. There's a handsome law officer, "Mt. Batchelor", Chad, an intelligent, wonderful dog, Cookie, and a host of suspects for a possible double murder.
This is a stand-alone book, second in the series but easy to catch up on the main character's storyline. The author does a good job swaying the reader back and forth with who may be the murderer and why. The humor threaded throughout the read is excellent.
I received my advanced reader's copy thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. I enjoyed the story. Cookie is my favorite character. This is my own unsolicited opinion.
Language may be inappropriate for some readers.

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A fun, cozy mystery with likeable characters (including a dog)! Kitt Crowe never disappoints. I adored the canine character of Cookie as well as the quippy dialogue. Highly recommend.

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When one of the premier real estate agents in Confection, Oregon dies of a heart attack the police department and ME rule it a heart attack. When Sylvia Livingston died they classified her death as natural causes because she was elderly and not in the best health. Then when there was a third death all three were suspicious to the Macaroons Murder Club.

The Macaroons loosely led by Lexi and her two best friends, Teri and Cat, formed the group when Lexi was accused of murder and it has grown in size and scope. Because they have to hide their investigations from Detective Berg they operate as a weekly book club and pot luck.

Good story and plot. The dog, Cookie, is a great addition to the story. Cookie is smart, well-trained, and protective of Lexi and all Lexi's friends. She and her antics really add a lot to the story as does the burgeoning romances of all three main characters.

I think this will be a good series as the main characters become better known and the town's people's quirkiness is clearer. Love the uncles and hope to see more of their family.

#KitCrowe #APoisonousPage #CozyMystery #bookstore #CrookedLaneBooks #NetGalley #TheQuickBrownFoxAndCompanyLLC #TheSweetFictionBookshopMysteries #ARC

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Kitt Crowe's Sweet Fiction Bookshop Mystery series continues with A Poisonous Page. This installment begins as the main character, Lexi Jones, has recently recovered from the injuries she sustained at the conclusion of the previous book, Digging Up Trouble. Lexi and the Macaroons (the Sweet Fiction Book Club) are pulled into a new mystery when a body is discovered in Dash Hagen's yard. Dash is the brother of Teri who is one of Lexi's best friends and a fellow member of the Macaroons.

The author has created a well-thought out, multidimensional plot with twists and red herrings galore. With the inclusion of the different motives and personalities of the various characters, this book was one that I put in the OMC category and it kept me riveted and guessing till the very end. I can't wait for the next book in this series to see what the future holds in store for Lexi, Chad, Dash and all the Macaroons.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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The only thing about this book that disappointed me is that it is only the second in the series and I will have to wait some time to read another volume. I thoroughly love the characters, especially the protagonist, Lexi. Kitt Crowe has created a wonderful background for Lexi's adventures. Sweet Fiction Bookshop is the ideal setting for book lovers as they bond over shared passions. The love interests are compelling and both men have features that the reader can cheer for. Lexi's involvement in local murders are logical and I look forward to seeing how Crowe develops her investigation skills. Another great character is Lexi's dog Cookie who finds creative ways to help her solve the crimes.

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I really enjoyed the first book in this series. The author uses a great, slightly snarky tone for both that i enjoy. Lexi and her friends again start investigating when one of the group is suspected of a series of murders. This second entry is also enjoyable but a little more uneven in the first. I noticed a few discrepancies in how relationships and people were described between the first book and this one, and a few explanations that didn’t entirely work for me. Overall still a light, enjoyable read. Thanks to Crooked Lane for the advance copy in return for this honest review.

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Great second book in the Sweet Fiction Bookshop series, and Lexi is back at it again. This book has a mystery or two as well as a hopefully budding romance between Lexi and Detective Berg- and I am here for it all. I can't wait to read the next book in this series.

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☀️ It’s summer festival time in Confection, Oregon. When two members of the chamber of commerce suddenly die, Lexi Jones, owner of the local bookstore, decides to investigate. Lexi, helped by her border collie Cookie and the Macaroon Book Club, have a lot to do, especially if they want to clear the name of their friend Dash, accused of murder. ⁠

❤️ I liked:⁠
🏘️ Small town story. There is always something fun about reading stories set in small villages. And there is nothing better than a town called Confection, with a local bookstore called Sweet Fiction and other stores called Cookie Crumbles, Eats 'n' Treats, and Taffy Toys.⁠
🔍 Cosy mystery. There is nothing more reassuring than a cosy mystery. A book with an engaging plot, a not too gruesome murder, likeable characters, and a bit of romance. ⁠
📚 Sweet Fiction Bookshop and the Macaroon Book Club. I have a soft spot for a good story set in a bookstore. Also, the name of the Book Club is incredibly funny, and it couldn't be more perfect!⁠

🤔 I wasn't sure about:⁠
📚 Sweet Fiction Bookshop and the Macaroon Book Club. The bookstore doesn't play much of a role in the story. It's mentioned only because it's where Lexi works and the book club meets. There is no book talk whatsoever... not even the book club discuss books: the members are more interested in the murders! ⁠

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 ⁠
This book is a fun cosy mystery, enjoyable and easy to follow: I read it in one day! I have to admit that the culprit was not a big surprise, but I loved this book anyway, and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series. Thanks to #netgalley for the preview.

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"A Poisonous Page" is the second in a series (and I haven't read the first book yet), but I had no problems connecting with the characters and setting.

Kitt Crowe has created a delightful story filled with red herrings and danger. I especially enjoyed the simmering relationship budding between Lexi and Chad, and how adorable Cookie is.

While I always enjoy a good story set in a bookstore, in this instance, the bookstore itself didn't play much of a role, other than as a meeting place, which was a little disappointing.

Even the book club that meets there regularly didn't really meet to discuss books! Instead, they used their meeting time to pool information and figure out who the murderer is.

But other than that minor complaint, I really enjoyed the storyline, characters and place, and look forward to visiting Confection, Oregon, again in the future.

Thank you Kitt Crowe, Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

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I always love to read a cosy mystery once awhile. (binged watched only Murders in the building) In between psychological thrillers, contemporary fiction and Young Adult . Not only that, I have a soft spots for books that has a bookstore , about cats and book clubs. So this is a book that I really looked forward to reading (no cats though 😅)

To be honest, it took me awhile to get into the book. It was draggy at first but I did enjoy the storyline. Since I did not read the first book, this gives me the pleasure of getting to know the community. So it can be a stand alone.

I like the chemistry between all the characters in the book. I felt like I was one of them too. Very inquisitive and eager to find out more about the case and the people who were involved . It is so exciting to start reading each chapter as each chapter ends with a cliffhanger.

Deaths and a good mystery do bring a community together . Well in a good and also in a bad way ( rumours everywhere 😅)

I am definitely going to read the first book in this series - Digging up trouble. The author did insert a few details from the first book that got me so curious to know what it is all about!

❤️ the cute-love-hate-relationship between Lexi & Chad ❤️

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I always love reading small town stories. There is always something fun about reading stories with memorable characters. But the problem with this book was that there were too many characters and I couldn't really remember their names let alone their story. I hate to give this novel low rating, because it started so well. A murder mystery in the backdrop of a bookshop is such a great theme. I really hope to love Crowe's future novels.

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Lexi Jones manages her parents bookstore, Sweet Fiction, while they travel the country in their RV. It's also where the Macaroon book club meets to discuss their current book AND/OR to help Lexi solve the towns murder.
I love how the book club gets involved with her to help solve the the murder so its not just her. It makes it more "real" seeing all of them gossip and report back together to work it out. Investigating isn't always what gets her and her dog Cookie in trouble with Detective Berg, though, However, he begins to soften to them both when he needs to borrow Cookie for a kids event.

This book is so good and the mystery is not what you think. I really want to write why but then I'd ruin it for the reader. You will not be disappointed with this book. I can't wait to see what happens in Confection next.

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Even though this is the second book in a series, I found A Poisonous Page easy to read - it has a great cast of characters and plenty of references to what has happened before that you can follow along without feeling anything is missing.
Lexi and her dog make an intrepid duo, and there is interesting tension between her and Detective Berg. There is mystery and intrigue when two realtors die who local gossip says had a difficult relationship, and its down to Lexi to figure out whodunnit! There are enough twists and turns to keep the story interesting and moving along - I am planning to go back to read the first book and look forward to there hopefully being a third one in the series at some point.

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If you like reading about cosy American Towns & their Communities in the vein of `Murder She Wrote ' then this is just up your street. With Lexi & her Book Club friends helping to solve Murders in their Town, you will enjoy a steady light crime read. #NetGalley, #GoodReads,#FB, #Instagram, #Amazon.co.uk, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/358a5cecda71b11036ec19d9f7bf5c96d13e2c55" width="80" height="80" alt="100 Book Reviews" title="100 Book Reviews"/>,#<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>. This would be an excellent Book to read while travelling or waiting for an appointment .

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This is a fun cozy mystery. The story kept me glue to the page to find out who was really behind the murder. Lexi and her dog Cookie are my favorite characters. Lexi is smart, relatable, and interesting while Cookie is an inquisitive, lovable fur baby. The mystery is an entertaining roller coaster filled with twists and turns in find the real murderer. I am looking forward to more in this series.

All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way have I been influenced by anyone.

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This is the second book in the Sweet Fiction Bookshop cozy mystery series. I haven't read the first, but after this, I am definitely going to go back and read it! It's nice too because with this one, you don't have to have read the first one to follow along - there are enough references to what has happened previously without giving it away.

Lexi, the protagonist, is on the case again when two realtors die within days of each other. Jealousy abounds among the suspects, and Lexi must find the killer before she is next. I loved the characters in this books, and I loved her dog Cookie! I thought the chemistry between Lexi and Detective Berg was so great, and I really hope there are more in this series.

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

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