I’ve got to admit, up until WELL over halfway through Ode to Murder, I never would have guessed that I would want to continue the Larkin Day Mysteries. Which proves that I’m not only an eclectic reader, I’m also a patient one. The problem was that I just didn’t like Larkin. She was so wrapped up in herself, her problems, her lack of pretty much everything she just wasn’t a very likable person. There were a lot of supporting characters that I did like though and because they saw something in Larkin that I obviously didn’t, I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. Needless to say, I’m glad that I stuck it out. 😉

Obviously Larkin grew as a character in Ode to Murder. She finally got her act together and realized that… well, I’ll let you read for yourself what her big realization was. The important part is that the Larkin we meet at the beginning of this first book isn’t the same Larkin in the final chapter. I kinda like it when that happens.

As for the mystery… it was also pretty good, especially since I didn’t quite figure it out until Larkin did – which took a while. There were a lot of pieces to put together to come to figure out both the “who” and the “why” but once it was revealed, it was kind of obvious.

I’m not sure what this new to me author has next in store for Larkin Day, but I’m happy (and somwhat surprised) to say, I’m looking forward to it. 😉

I really liked the characters in general and the storyline, but the writing was just ok. The plot moved too slow for me as there were not many clues or suspects until 70% into the book, and parts of the book felt more like a women’s fiction rather than a cozy mystery novel. Larkin was great at getting people to open up and spill the beans but terrible at being observant (which is a must for a good sleuth). Then at the reveal, I was blindsided by who did it! Where did that come from? Plus, the motive was really weak. Needless to say, I was a little disappointed at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Shortwave Media for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Larkin Day is 35 and after failed careers in theater and academia she has moved in to her mother’s guest room. While she tries to finish her dissertation (suffering from the common cause topic’s too big) and figure out what to do next with her life, her mother has ‘suggested’ that Larkin join a local choir that is set to perform “Ode to Joy”.

One evening at rehearsal she finds the dead body of the accompanist and Larkin starts to wonder who could have killed him. Anything to get away from writing the dissertation, really. She soon gets help from her choir-neighbour Anni.

The story spends more time on Larkin’s musings about her life than on the actual murder investigation, and her musings are a bit dull, but Anni’s a very likeable character. There are not many people who are both honest and nice.

I didn’t like the writing style much. It didn’t have a good flow to it. There were a few instances with a nice play of words, but I don’t read cozies for their play with words. I read for the murder mystery and there wasn’t much of that.

Anyway, there’s going to be a sequel because in the aftermath of the arrest of the murderer Larkin has finally found her purpose and wants to be come an investigator.

Larkin Day is 35 with no money, no job, and is struggling to finish her dissertation. So what’s a girl to do? Why the last thing she’d ever want to do, of course, move home. Living at home means doing what mom wants…which mean Larkin is forced to join the community choir. Certainly not a dream come true, but maybe it won’t be so bad, after all she did just get asked out by the cute piano player…unfortunately he’s killed…was it murder? It’s a fairly fun set up, and even though I thought it moved a bit slow at times, it was still a solid mystery. I can’t say the book grabbed me right away but it shows promise and I’ll definitely check out the next book in the series when it comes out. Thanks to Shortwave Media and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of Ode to Murder.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R375RHXKMWGN7F/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

There's potential and some funny moments but it's also very slow and it didn't keep my attention.
Not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This is my first time reading anything by this author and I was pleasantly surprised to find out I really liked it. I think it is definitely worth a read. Larkin is the central character and she fancies herself an amateur detective. She is implicated in a murder and wants to clear her name. It's a wonderfully crafted tale woven with suspense and cleverly placed clues. It was so intriguing. I cannot wait until the next one comes out.

Ode to Murder by Nicole Dieker is the debut of A Larkin Day Mysteries. Larkin Day has moved back home to figure out her life. Larkin’s mother signs her up to participate in a local community choir. One evening the accompanist, Harrison fails to return to rehearsal after the break. At the end of the evening, Larkin finds Harrison dead. Larkin decides to investigate Harrison’s death in the hopes it might help her get her life on track (makes total sense). Larkin with help from her new friend Anni sets out to get answers. I struggled to finish Ode to Murder. It seemed to go on forever. I was not a fan of Larkin Day. She is thirty-five and has no clue what to do with her life. Larkin is supposed to be working on her dissertation, but she spends more time lounging then writing. The murder happens early in the book. The mystery progresses slowly. Larkin questions her fellow choir members on what has not been ruled a murder. She gets help from fellow choir member Anni. In the end, Larkin identifies the killer (if you make it that far). There are clues to help readers solve the crime ahead of the reveal. Larkin makes friends along the way, finds some romance, and, maybe, her purpose in life. After the crime is solved, the chapters following are lethargic (a good cure for insomnia). It would have been better with peppy pacing. I can tell the author is a musician from the many musical references. I felt that the characters lacked development. It was difficult to know the age of the secondary characters. Their clothes, though, are described in detail. I believe Ode to Murder is supposed to be amusing, but I failed to find the humor. There is a lot of repetition especially about Larkin failing to notice details. As you can tell, Ode to Murder was not for me. Ode to Murder is a midwestern cozy mystery with a community choir, a departed pianist, mounds of debt, cups of coffee, and a caught killer.

I enjoy cozy mysteries and I went into this expecting it to be the typical style. I was sorely disappointed- it had none of the usual likable, warm characters and fun storylines. I didn’t find it interesting and would not read the next one in the series.

I have to start off by saying that I didn't connect with this main character or story line much unfortunately. That being said, it wasn't a novel that I couldn't finish. I did finish it but I wouldn't pick it up again. I kept having to put the book down as I was getting frustrated with the main character's actions and thoughts and felt it stalled the concept and storyline/plot.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

This is a fun mystery focused on a community in small-town Iowa.
I had a hard time getting into it but I think that's more related to the pacing of a cozy mystery. It was also confusing to understand who the characters were, especially because the ages of the characters were impossible to tell.

I was surprised by the killer and retroactively put the pieces together pretty easily, I just wish the mystery had been a bigger part of the book. Definitely a cute story but I don't think I'll be buying this or the sequels.

Characters- 3 stars
Plot- 2.5 stars
Writing- 3.5 stars

Overall 3.5 stars

Ode to Murder is a unique Modern Broad cozy (Brozy) mystery which means it is NOT a stereotypical cozy mystery. One female character goes on a date with another female character. There is swearing. On top of all of that, it is a slow paced mystery. The mystery and ending are good and allow it to be classified as a cozy mystery., The book is heavy on music and theater pieces and vocabulary. Larkin Day is in a tough spot in her life with no money and she has to move in with her mom in a new small town. She isn’t happy and has a bad attitude and isn’t very likable for the first half of the book. There is growth with her character. If you are ok with a F/F relationship and swearing, it was an ok debut. #OdeToMurder #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC copy of this book for an honest review. I was immediately intrigued by this book, being a musician myself.

Larkin is having trouble finding a job and finds herself living with her mother in the middle of nowhere Iowa. Her mom makes her join a community choir to at least do something, where she finds a cute accompanist. He asks her out but never calls her. The next time at choir practice, Larkin finds him dead. She takes it upon herself, along with her new friend, to solve his murder.

I liked all the musical references and can tell the author is a musician. One feedback I have is the ending was too drawn out. The murder got solved but then there was more story going on.

Not exactly a cut and dried murder investigation. Larkin is back home with her mother as her vareer path is not working out. Her mother suggests her joining a choir. After being asked for a date by the pianist, then ignored by him, she finds him dead outside the rehersal room. Based on little more than a feeling, Larkin and another choir member, Anni start looking into the death.
Fairly easy reading, the plot, which is at times a little confusing, does come together . This is the first of a series and I look forward to seeing how that works out.
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

A Blot On The Landscape..?
Larkin Day, aged thirty five, no job, no money, no prospects has moved back home into her mum’s guest room. Can her situation get any worse? It seems so, as her mother then signs Larkin up to the community choir. Just as there are no signs of things improving, a dead body turns up. Is this to be a blot on the landscape or a revival for Larkin’s seemingly boring existence? Let the fun begin. As Larkin turns amateur sleuth, she is about to find out. Character driven mystery with a likeable protagonist and an engaging storyline peppered with some old school sleuthing.

Ode to Murder is a wonderfully diverse cozy murder set in small-town Iowa. I absolutely loved the character development throughout this book. Life doesn't always go as we plan, and Larkin learns this the hard way. Not quite failing at her dream career, but not far from it, she is forced to return to her mother's home (not the home she grew up in, not even the state she grew up in) and pretend like she's trying to get it all together. Along the way, she finds friends, a community, and a dead body. This book is about so much more than just the mystery of how the death happened, in fact, I would say what I loved most was the development of each character and how their stories unfolded. The only thing that didn't work for me personally was what seemed like a quick jump into a relationship at the end, but I do hope there is a second in this series.

4/5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Shortwave Media, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a different mystery with a very indecisive MC. Larkin Day Has no idea what she wants out of life. I think this could have potential however, I felt it fell flat.
#OdetoMurder #NetGalley

Would have given 5 stars if the main character had more development. The mystery is well crafted and will keep readers guessing. Lots of twists and turns. Would love to read the next one to see the development. Thanks #netgalley and #ShortwaveMedia for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine..

I don’t normally enjoy murder mysteries but this being tagged as a comedy is what real drew me to it.

Larkin is a theater girl who has to move to Iowa and live with her mom while she gets back up on her feet. There she joins the choir and discovers a murder!

While it took me reading to nearly the 50% mark to really hit my interest, I love that the “who-dun-it” wasn’t as easy to guess as I thought it was going to be. By the end of the book, I was surprised by the murderer and overall, I really enjoyed the story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Shortwave Media for the ARC!

Larkin is an out-of-work theater academic, not quite finished with her PhD, who is taking a break by visiting her mother in what is not Larkin's home town. The small Iowa town contains a diverse cast of characters, many of whom Larkin first meets when her mother manipulates her into joining a community choir which will be joining a regional choir in a performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony. (CW: Larkin's mother is /very/ manipulative. ) When the rehearsal pianist, whom Larkin was hoping to date, turns up dead, it's up to Larkin, her alto section mates, and friends to figure it out.

The chaos of amateur choir rehearsals, and the shock of having to shape up when they reach the point of having a professional conductor for rehearsals of the joint choir, certainly struck home for me as an amateur community musician (band rather than chorus). Larkin doesn't realize how many friends she's making, even as she's trying to resist being assimilated into the community. Getting to know these people better, and listening to their stories, is what gives Larkin the clues they need. The reveal of the murderer was exciting, with modern twists to the more traditional reveal scenes, and the end of the scene has some funny moments, too: "She had forgotten until that moment that she was only wearing jeans and a bra. At least it was a good bra, one that she wouldn't be embarassed for... a police officer or a potential murderer... to see her wearing."

I have a few quibbles: one entire chapter is Larkin's inner monologue while the choir sits during the first three movements of the 9th Symphony, wherein she muses about never having really listened to it before, and whether she is listening to it the "right" way now, and how the arc of the symphony matches up with her life so far. It sounds as though the author wanted to get every bit of her own thoughts about the piece into there; I thought it was a bit self-indulgent. And the "author's note" describing her entire thought process in changing a few sentences seems equally self-indulgent - but it may well be of interest to aspiring writers!.

I was provided a free eARC thanks to NetGalley, so some of the things mentioned in my review may not be the same in the final book. I appreciate NetGalley giving me the opportunity to review books!

One more thing, which might be a slight spoiler, so don't read it if you don't want /any/ clues to the book's end (don't worry, it's not a clue to the murderer!): You know those Hallmark movie rom-coms where a plucky professional woman in a big city has to go to a small town for some reason that we can see dozens of ways to avoid, who then meets a local guy and decides to stay in the small town forever and abandon her big-city career? Yeah, that's not my favorite trope, either. It's a standard, though, and if you love those rom-coms, then this fits right in! Anyway, the ending does clearly set the scene for an ongoing series, so that people can enjoy more of Larkin and her family and friends.

After having finished college and testing life in the big cities, Larkin Day still doesn’t know what she’s doing with her life. Unhappy with her chosen career path, she begrudgingly moves in with her mom in a small town in Iowa. Her mom, Josephine, signs her up for a choir group, in hopes that this will occupy Larkins time. Larkin disinterested in pretty much everything, drags herself to choir rehearsal. It is here that she witnesses Harrison, a fellow choir participants death and possible murder.

After attending Harrison’s funeral, Larkin begins her search into Harrison. Who was he and who would want him dead ? The ex wife ? She begins to question her choir mates one by one. Narrowing down her search to who might be a murderer. She ultimately solves the murder, while finding friendship, love, and purpose.

Unfortunately for me this book was so so. The main character was a complete loss for me. She never knew what she wanted in life, didn’t pay attention to details, which was mentioned multiple times, and was solving a murder that she never was sure was even a murder ? There were intriguing parts, but after the murder is solved the last 3 chapters dragged on, and this book wasn’t particularly short. I understand the author was setting up the plot for book 2, but I would preferred it have been done in a more timely manner.