Cover Image: Murder in Plein Air

Murder in Plein Air

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Member Reviews

I received a free epub copy from NetGalley.

This book was not to my liking. I thought the plot was too unbelievable and the characters didn't draw me in to really want to know what was going on in the story.

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I wanted to like this book but it was too slow and my mind went other places while reading it. I had to go back a couple of pages several times and that is a big negative for me.

I am sure this book has an audience, but it was not my cup of tea.

Thank you for the chance to read this before publishing date.

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Becca Flynn, an artist-turned private investigator, never dreamed underwear could cause an uproar. But that’s what happens when her best friend, Pix, opens a lingerie boutique in quaint Bayleys Landing. The too-hot-for Main Street undies infuriate the staid residents, and making matters worse, a tabloid TV show invades the town to cover the controversy. Shockwaves rumble along the quiet lanes when one of the Hollywood team is murdered. But when Pix’s life is threatened, Becca begins to draw abstract clues into a portrait of a killer lurking in plain sight. She will have to work fast to put the case to rest--before Pix becomes the town's next unsuspecting victim.
Becca is an utmost investigator. Caught up in an investigation about the murder of a friend she won't give up on the story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

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Maybe not everyone's cup of tea but I found this book entertaining. Characters are great! Sometimes the dialogue is a bit much but hey that's life! Stick around to the end, you'll be glad you did. Thanks #netgalley and #WindingRoadStories for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

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Decent but trite and predictable. Nothing to set this one apart from an oversaturated market of small business, best friend savior troupes in the cozy genre.

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A cozy mystery that surrounds the death of a cameraman of a tabloid tv show. I struggled with the characters here. There wasn’t much depth and I felt like the investigation part was slow.

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1 star
Murder in Plein Air is highly offensive and not worth reading. The fact that a woman wrote this book is appalling. I do not recommend reading this and I immediately deleted it from my Kindle.

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As a first book for this author this book could use some polishing. I found the detective to be offensive at the beginning ang yet then he was given a sob story to excuse his bad behavior? Our MC decided to become a PI (without any training) because she by chance happened to find an abducted woman? The victim is a cameraman in town for a segment of a TV show with the host and director. When he turns up dead, no one questions the people he came with and knows? There are too few suspects and the author leads us right along to the motivation for the crime. I hope in future books the plotting will be a little bit tighter.

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To the publishers. THIS IS NOT a REVIEW: Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book; however, I am sorry, I am deleting it from my Kindle. While the writing itself and the story line are good, I got to 16% into it when I found something that made me want to quit reading it and not finish it.
I lost interest when the detective comes into Becca's office to talk to her about the murder, he tells her her friend, Pix is a "sexy piece of eye candy" and then goes on to say (this is where I stopped) "Do you prefer thongs or panties?"

I don't think any homicide detective would talk to witnesses like that. Becca mentions he's gotten in trouble for things like that and he's still on the force? She also mentions he wasn't known for being politically correct. I don't consider this being politically correct, it's sexual harassment. This is my opinion only and there are probably readers that won't mind this, but I do. Under the circumstances, I can't give a favorable review on this book and I realize while other readers might be ok with this; I am not. Therefore I have removed the book from my Kindle and will not be publishing any reviews on it. I only gave it a 2 because it wouldn't let me submit this without a rating.

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I so enjoyed this charming debut cozy. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley . My review opinion is my own.

I loved the coastal setting, the Plein Air artistry, the charcters and wonderful sleuth. This is a perfect debut with all right elements for a delightful new cozy series. Throw in a new shop disliked by the pretentious locals, ,a murder and numerous suspects thoughout and you have the perfect cozy read. I look forward to the next in series.
Well done to the author.

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This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Michael Dolan and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

A fun, light cozy mystery with a story many will like.

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When Becca’s friend Pix opens a lingerie store on Main Street, the uptight and prudish of Bayley’s Landing let their displeasure be known. What started out as a small town uproar is soon being covered by big media…and when one of their is murdered, Pix becomes the main suspect in all their eyes.

Can Becca help figure out what happened and who killed the outsider before Pix is railroaded? Or will Becca and Pix become two collateral damage in the town’s moral war?

Being the first in a new series is always tough, but this one has potential if the development of the characters continues on the path they have started to build on in this first book. Maturity will help these characters reach a broader audience and keep people coming back for more whodunits. But not a bad start to the new series.

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Despite a slow start, the premise intrigued me. An artist who also works as as private investigator. Toss in that her best friend, Pix, is accused of murder and you have the makings of an interesting cozy mystery. Becca seems more at home dealing with the likes of cheating spouses and such, however, than actual murder, but vows to do her best for Pix, even if it annoys detective Daily. To be honest, although I didn't find myself warming much to either Becca or Pix, a younger, more trendy audience may find this one a fun read. I found Pix more annoying than not, however, with her seemingly insatiable flirting, even though she seems to have a steady, dependable boyfriend. I mean, it's when she flirts with a Hollywood cameraman and stands up Chuck, the boyfriend, to go out with him that things go wrong. Nick, the Hollywood guy, winds up dead and Chuck, while an obvious suspect, winds up injured and in the hospital from an unknown attacker. On the positive side, Pix does seem to have matured in her attitude by the end of the book, so let's hope that common sense holds.

Why are the townspeople largely so against Pix's lingerie business? I mean, she even has historical aspects of it highlighted in the shop windows, perfectly meshing with the town's historical bent. Could someone have snapped when her business drew the attention of a Hollywood reality show? Pix's parents are rich, former hippies? That's an odd combo, you have to admit. Is Robert Sullivan a figment of Pix's imagination or is he really a ghost haunting her shop? I really wanted to know more about his story. Is he gone now or will he be a recurring, albeit invisible character? Why does Chuck feel unworthy of Pix? Why has Becca drawn the attention of a rich patron, Geoffrey Taylor? How many men seem unable to resist Pix's innocent flirting? Could PTSD have triggered a murder? Why.... oh, never mind. Enough teasers. Not the book for me but others may thoroughly enjoy it. 3.5 rounded up to 4. Nothing wrong with the book, just not for me.

Thank you #NetGalley and #MichaelDolan - #WindingRoadStories for inviting me over to meet Becca and Pix.

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I enjoyed this book especially the cats. The characters are great, I liked Woody. I was surprised by who the killer is, the book bounces all over the place with suspects. #MurderinPleinAir #NetGalley

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