"Board to Death" is a great addition to the cozy mystery genre! Author C.J. Connor creates a world of twists and turns all stemming from the local game store. I love that it has LGBTQ representation as well!

Ben Rosencrantz left his life in Seattle behind in order to come home to Salt Lake City and help his ailing father run their beloved board game store, Of Dice And Decks. Despite the large market for games in the avowedly nerdy state of Utah, their small business is struggling to stay afloat. Expenses are high in the shop’s centrally located Sugar House neighborhood and, no thanks to competition from bigger and often online corporations, income is depressingly low.

Complicating matters is the way that Ben’s father has begun feeling the effects of his muscular dystrophy diagnosis. Dad is too proud to give up even the smallest shreds of his independence, leading to occasional tension between father and son despite Ben’s valid concerns for his comfort and care. As family friend Dr Britt Petras asks Ben, sympathetically:

QUOTE
“He’s around the usual retirement age, isn’t he? Maybe that would be good for him.”

He was. Not that it meant much. Convincing Dad to retire was an easier thing to say than do because in practice, it would be impossible.

“That would require convincing him to do that in the first place,” I said, rubbing the bridge of my nose. “Don’t think I haven’t tried. Sometimes I wonder who’s his actual favorite child: me or the shop.”
END QUOTE

While working in the family store and taking care of his ailing dad wasn’t what Ben had in mind for the approach of his thirtieth birthday, it sure beats living in a city that reminds him all too acutely of his ex-husband. Plus Utah is far more accepting of queer people than it had been when Ben was growing up. Still, Ben is gun shy when it comes to romance, despite the encouragement of his dad and the attentions of Ezra McCaslin, the cute florist next door. Ben’s focus is entirely on helping his dad and saving their floundering store, not on ruining a perfectly good friendship by allowing romance to enter the picture.

As focused and anxious as he may be about Of Dice And Deck’s future, Ben isn’t so desperate as to fall for the high pressure sales technique brought to bear on him by a local collectibles trader promising a killer deal. Clive Newton claims that he has a valuable first edition copy of The Landlord’s Game, the precursor to the popular board game Monopoly. He’s willing to let Ben have it for the low, low price of only ten thousand dollars, a mere fraction of its resale value on the open market.

Ben might be a big old softie who’s scared of romance, but he’s hardly an idiot. When he asks Clive several probing questions about the game and Clive’s ownership of it, the other man sneers:

QUOTE
“You ask too many questions. It’s not like you can afford to pass on this. I know how expensive rent gets, how much more the price rises year after year. In Sugar House? Please. You’ll be out of business in…”

He sucked in through his teeth, like he really was considering. I could feel my face heating up, and it took all of my self-control not to bring out a variety of four-letter words on the tip of my tongue. Thankfully, being raised in Utah meant that I tended to break out a <i>darn</i> or, in dire circumstances, a <i>heck</i> at my most frustrated.
END QUOTE

Ben is pretty proud of being able to decline this hard sell without resorting to rough words. He’s even happier to put the whole sordid business out of his head... until he finds Clive stabbed to death on his front doorstep. Soon enough, Ben is convinced that he’s being framed for Clive’s murder. With the cops skeptical of his story, Ben will have to partner up with the eager Ezra to figure out who really killed the shady dealer, before either he or one of his loved ones becomes the next victim.

I love the addition of fresh, diverse voices to the cozy mystery genre, and heartily welcome C. J. Connor to the world of publication! Ben is a complex, sympathetic protagonist who starts the book still reeling from perceived failure and feeling understandably scared of what comes next. He muddles through as best he can with his strong belief in friends and family, and in the unifying powers of getting together around a game. As a hardcore gamer myself, I love the setting and all the game information included. I’ll even have to take the Nertz game for a spin after reading the instructions included here: it sounds like a ton of fun, and like a great way to pass the time till the next book in the series arrives!

I loved everything about the quozy mystery debut!!

After a painful divorce, Ben has returned home to help his ailing dad run Of Dice and Decks, their family owned board game shop in Salt Lake City. I so enjoyed all of the game talk. My family loves visiting Dragon’s Lair here in ATX, so I could easily visualize the aisles of various games and the rows of tables for friends and families to gather at as they play those games together. It’s such a welcoming environment. I’ve never heard of Nertz, a competitive form of Solitaire. I appreciate that the author included instructions on how to play as well as explain a sentimental connection to the game that was mentioned throughout the story.

The mystery was well paced and captivating. I like that Ben felt and acted like a true amateur sleuth. Lots of hesitations, nerves, and doubt made him seem incredibly more realistic. Since the victim was easy to dislike, there were quite a few plausible suspects to sort through. I absolutely guessed wrong and was surprised when the culprit was finally revealed.

It makes me so happy to see LGBTQ+ representation slowly making its way into cozy mysteries. It has shown up before as a brief mention of a side character regarding their relationship. However, this is the first Cozy I’ve read with an MC who is openly gay. It’s mentioned many times about the homophobia and the negative effects that Ben endured being raised in SLC. In this story, Ben has a slow burn romance with Ezra, the adorable local florist, which was absolutely delightful.

The discussion questions at the end of the book were fantastic too!!

I look forward to following this author and watching this series grow!

I loved the setting within a small community in a big city; most cozies are set in small towns and you wonder why people stay when all of their neighbors are dying. The board game shop was also different and I learned a lot about games I’d never heard of. Unfortunately, the rest of the book was corny. I’m not a fan of instalove and that happens immediately in this book. Also, the writing is amateurish and I could almost see the outline that was used to write it; each chapter had another set up for clues, which is fine but I don’t want to see the effort that goes into writing a story. Not sure if I will continue the series.

What a delight. I loved this book and already can't wait for more. Ben is a fantastic cozy mystery sleuth; with big changes happening in his life that he has to adjust to, returning to his home town and his dad's beloved board game shop; and then oh throw a murder on top! He navigates these complexity with a lot of humor even when self reflecting on the pitfalls of the future and sadness from his past. He also has an excellent sleuthing partner in Ezra and their banter keeps the silliness going even in the face of danger. I loved so much the board game theme and how games were incorporated in various ways in the plot. And the budding romance....I can't wait to see how that blossoms (see see what I did there?!) The ending had me cycling through all the emotions and I cannot wait for more!

In Salt Lake City, Utah, lives Ben Rosencrantz, a former English Professor and recent divorcee, now running his family’s board game shop and spending a ridiculous amount of time flirting with Ezra - the owner of the flower shop next door. Having to compete with the likes of Amazon, and another board game shop nearby, it’s tough trying to keep the store running, especially when Ben is trying to help look after his ill father. Sadly Ben can’t seem to catch a break, and when notoriously known game collector Clive turns up to the store offering Ben a deal of a lifetime on a super rare game, things begin to get suspicious. Not long after, Clive is found dead and Ben becomes number 1 suspect. In an attempt to save himself and the shop, Ben and Ezra embark of a mission to find the real killer.

I’ve been getting into my cosy crime novels over the past few months, and as a bit of a board game enthusiast, when I saw this on NetGally I knew I had to request it.
This book was ok, but it didn’t blow me away - I think maybe because it was very American (and that’s not really my vibe because I’m a Brit and when I think of cosy crime I think of Richard Osman and Coopers Chase, not Salt Lake City 😂). Ben as a protagonist is just very bland. All he ever does is moan and whimper and complain at any given moment, and it feels like he’s given up with the shop before it’s even closed! Additionally, the romance part of the book was a bit meh - I’m all for LGBTQ rep, but Ezra and Ben don’t seem like a good pair, something about their relationship with one another is just lacking. It kind of felt like an after thought or idea that was just thrown in at the last minute. Either stick with murder mystery OR romance, don’t do both.
That being said, there were some funny bits in the book, and I really liked Ezra’s character (plus Ben’s dog Beans who is imo the star of the show). The actual murder mystery part again is ok, but the ending is a bit anti climactic.

Dollycas's Thoughts 

English professor Ben Rosencrantz has come home to help his father with the family’s board game shop and café, Of Dice and Decks. He is still getting over a recent divorce and is now dealing with a father with medical issues and his Chihuahua named Beans. At least the area is more LGBTQ+ friendly now than before he left for college. In fact, the flower shop next door is owned by another gay man.

Ben has a big task if he is going to keep the store open and make enough to cover his father's medical bills. He is open to almost any idea but when a local game collector offers him a rare game at an unbelievable price he knows it is too good to be true and turns the collector down flat.

When the collector is killed right at the front door of the game shop Ben knows he is a suspect but when a backpack filled with money is found at his house it lands him at the top of the list even though he reports the money to the police immediately. Ben looks to his new friend, flower shop owner Ezra to help him prove his innocence because if he ends up in jail it going to take more than a Get Out of Jail Free card to set him free.

____

I love the board game theme of this new cozy series by CJ Connor. We try to have family game nights as often as we can get the family together, where they put down their phones to play dominos and board games old and new.

That being said, I am ambivalent about how I feel about our protagonist Ben. He is very put upon, shy, and introverted, not at all what I would expect from a former college professor. Plus he grew up in the family business but is scared of customers and wants to completely avoid them if he can, all while saying he is trying to save the business. He did have trouble finding acceptance as a teenager and is dealing with a move and divorce but he comes across as whiney in stressful situations and standoffish in everyday life.

Now flower shop owner Ezra I liked immediately. He likes Ben and wants to do everything he can to help him. He definitely took the lead on their amateur investigation. I did enjoy their interactions. Some flirting and discussing the case. Ezra has the attitude I would expect of the lead character. I am wondering if taking their relationship to the next level would boost Ben's confidence making him feel more comfortable in his surroundings and become more of the lead character I expected.

The mystery was interesting in that it revolved around a valuable collectible that was a precursor to the Monopoly game we know today. I enjoyed learning the true history and all the other references to games of my childhood.

The author plotted out the mystery well with quite a few suspects and included a lot of humorous situations as Ben and Ezra tried to find out whodunit. The guilty party was at the top of my personal suspect list very early but I had a good time following the clues and the twists.

I worked for several years for a Morman-owned company so it was easy to understand what Ben had dealt with growing up as a gay man near the ultra-conservative city.  I did enjoy the Salt Lake City references as they brought back memories of the times I traveled there for work. I liked that Mr. Connor was inspired by some famous Utah scammers and schemers to create the victim's character too.

Board to Death is a good start for this series. I am interested to see what Mr. Connor has planned for his characters next.

The first in an ulta-charming new “quozy” mystery series starring Ben Rosencrantz, a queer 30-something English professor (and closet scifi fan) who’s returned to his hometown of Salt Lake City to run his family’s board game shop in the trendy Sugar House neighborhood – a community hotspot for players of all ages…and for killer collectors!

I struggled through this read - unfortunately, I found it really boring and struggled to finish, and was not a fan of Ben. I figured out the murderer early in the journey and basically kept reading to confirm it. I think the idea is fantastic, but the story and characters just didn't do it for me.

I play board games – a lot, which is what drew to Board to Death. It’s set in a game store/ cafe which I thought could be super fun. That’s also the portion I was most disappointed in. The plot revolves in part around a collectible classic board game, which worked. However, the only “modern” board games that were mentioned were Gloomhaven, Pandemic, and maybe Catan – I’m not sure. I don’t know if the author doesn’t actually play board games or assumes the reader doesn’t. The characters played battleship and had a Connect 4 box fall on them and sold Rummikub. No wonder the shop is having trouble. I did enjoy learning about Nertz, a card game the local business association played. The rules were explained in the back of the book and I may have to make people try it, assuming we have enough different decks for everyone, which I think we might.

I did like Ben, though. He’s a good guy, trying to do his best. I also liked the slowly developing romance with the florist next door, Ezra, Ben’s sidekick in solving the mystery.

The mystery was a little predictable but the plot clicked along at a good pace. This is definitely more character based though. Ben is still finding his way in his new life and that is a lot of the focus. Ben is never seriously a suspect in the cops’ eyes, but he doesn’t realize that. He and Ezra do a lot of talking to different people, which also helps us learn about their corner of town.

Overall, Board to Death was enjoyable but annoying too. Maybe my board game expectations were just too high.

Disclosure: the author and I both write for Book Riot.

More queer cozy mysteries! This one is very leisurely paced, even for a cozy, but it has a very lived-in feel and characters you feel like you can get to know. I really enjoyed it.

3 1/2 stars. A new cozy mystery series with very relatable characters and the nostalgia of board games. After his divorce, Ben has returned to his home town to help his ailing father with his cafe and board game shop. Ben is suffering from low self-esteem after his marriage has fallen apart and not knowing exactly where his life is going. I know that I can relate as many others can as well. Bean, his dog, is adorable in this and the affection between his father and Ben is real without being saccharine.

There is humor and also a nice slow burn of a romance that starts between Ben and a local business owner. The mystery starts a little bit after a 1/4 of a way through the book. Since this is the beginning of a new series it allows for the characters to develop and the scene to be set. I found the mystery satisfying but it was the characters that really sold it for me. Sign me up for the next round in this series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Board to Death by CJ Connor

Thank you to @netgalley, @kensingtonbooks, and the author, @cjconnorwrites for the opportunity to read this #eARC in exchange for my #honestbookreview! This book is available today - happy pub day!
 
A lot has changed for Ben Rosencrantz, PhD, since he was a happily married English Professor in Seattle, Washington. Ben has recently returned to his hometown of Salt Lake City, Utah to take care of his father who is failing health and help him run his board game shop in the upscale Sugar House neighborhood. Despite a smattering of loyal gaming customers, the shop is not bringing in sufficient revenue to stay afloat, much less support his father’s growing medical bills. Enter Clive, a wealthy and successful board game collector who shows up in the shop to offer Ben a solution to his financial concerns – an incredibly rare copy of “The Landlord’s Game,” the game believed to have been the inspiration for board game cult classic Monopoly. Suspicious of Clive’s motives and demeanor, Ben declines his offer. But when Clive turns up dead outside his shop and a knapsack of cash appears on his doorstep, Ben becomes the number one suspect in Clive’s demise. Will Ben and his friends from Sugar House be able to prove his innocence?

This one started out a little bit on the slower side. I’m glad that I stuck with it, though, because once it picked up it got wild! I am a big fan of board games and I really liked the unique idea of this being set in a board game shop. This has the perfect mix of personal development, investigation, thrill, and romance. I highly recommend!

TW: relationship shaming, murder, cheating, stealing divorce, death of a relative, caretaker, health struggles in a loved one

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 4/5

I’ve been looking forward to this book, and I was not disappointed! The was a fast and fun read! In some ways, I think this book is still getting its legs as a series start, but the characters, dialogue, and pacing were very well done! I loved Ben’s narration and character progression as he learns to rebuild himself after his divorce and trust his intuition again through the investigation. I also enjoyed learning more about these games and thought the game store was a great representation of the crossroads where queerness and nerdiness meet.
I’m looking forward to seeing new mysteries and games emerge in future books! I hope we also see more on how Ben’s relationships (with his friends, his dad, Ezra…and maybe even his ex) evolve as the series continues!

A cute cozy murder mystery that is perfect for a rainy day!

I’m always looking for new cozy mystery series and this one hit the spot. What can be better then a low stakes murder when you’re trying to ignore the fact that it’s the surface of the sun outside!?

Read this if you’re a fan of:
-queer characters
-lovable chihuahuas and cats
-the murder of a man that everyone hated
-board game references
-sarcastic banter

the mystery itself is a little predictable but it’s still a super fun and cozy book! I can’t wait for book 2!

Pub date: 8/22

This is a great start to a new series . Former English Professor Ben returns home to Sugar House ( Love the name ) Salt Lake City UT .
Ben comes home to help his sick father and run the family game board shop /cafe . I will admit Inhad a hard time getting through this book it was a little boring at times . I like that there was a gay romance, the representation of all people in mysteries is definitely needed.

Hopefully the series gets better and stronger over time .

I just reviewed Board to Death by CJ Connor. #BoardtoDeath #NetGalley

This was a great debut cozy mystery that I really enjoyed! I really appreciated the diversity in this book (queer, male main characters) and all the references of what it is like to be a non-Mormon in SLC. (Having grown up in southern Idaho, which is just an extension of Utah, these had me laughing many times).

Outside of falling in love with the characters and the setting, I enjoyed the nerdy game setting and the murder investigation. I did not see the perpetrator coming, but understood his motive. I look forward to more from this series!

Thank you so much to @kensingtonbooks and @netgalley for the eARC of Board to Death, book 1 in C.J. Connor’s Board Game Shop new mystery series. I adored this!

Ben Rosencrantz is back home in Sugar House, Utah after some big life changes. He had been married, living in Seattle, and working as an English professor. Now he’s divorced from his husband and running his family’s board game shop and cafe, in addition to helping his dad deal with a new medical diagnosis. The shop is struggling and Ben is worried about bills and what the future holds. Thankfully he has his adorable chihuahua, Beans and a new budding friendship (and possibly more!) with flower shop owner Ezra McCaslin.

As if all this wasn’t enough stress for Ben, a local toy and game collector with a less than stellar reputation turns up dead outside Ben’s shop. Is Ben being framed for the murder? The stress is almost too much, but Ben must clear his name, and he gathers his courage (along with Ezra) and begins an investigation, much to the dismay of local police (it wouldn’t be a cozy mystery without this, right?)

Oh I loved this so much. Ben is such a huggable character, so real with his anxiety and his love for his dad and the family store. I love that Ben is returning to a home town that’s a bit more LGBTQ+ friendly than when he was a teenager and the way Ben processes this is so important. And the budding relationship between Ben and Ezra warms my heart. The side characters are great as well and I love that many of them have known Ben his whole life–this gives readers a deeper look at Ben as a character. The mystery was fun (I did guess it, but that never bothers me) and I hope to visit with Ben and Ezra and the whole gang soon. What a great debut!

Board to Death by CJ Conner #fiftyseventhbookof2023 #arc

CW: death, murder, discussion of homophobia and depression

I enjoyed the idea of this book—a mystery set in a board game cafe, what’s not to like? But it didn’t come together for me. There were inconsistencies with timelines and other date references. The main character Ben decides he’s a suspect in a murder, but he really isn’t. The police question him as a witness. That doesn’t mean he’s a suspect. He has an alibi. Nevertheless, he attempts to solve the crime himself, with the help of Ezra, a neighboring business owner who seems to be interested in him.

This was billed as a cozy mystery, and frankly there’s not much mystery. Ben is very bumbling, everything is super convenient, and it’s just not believable. At one point near the end he says he caught a murderer, and I laughed out loud, because that is the furthest thing from the truth. Spoiler: he walked into his game shop and the murderer happened to be there and confessed. I like my mysteries way more hard core than this.

There are really good things about this book too though—the LGBTQ representation is fantastic, and the burgeoning romance between Ben and Ezra is very cute. A little earnest for me, and frankly they behaved a little like teenagers with crushes, but it’s a good start. There is discussion of anxiety and depression and the homophobia Ben experienced growing up in Salt Lake City, and I appreciate that it’s not glossed over. The board game shop aspect is so great—I wish more scenes had taken place there and we got a better sense of the shop. But there is a chihuahua named Beans which is fantastic.

This is book one in a new series. I will not be following along but I think people who are interested in gay rep who like a very light mystery will be into these books.

Thank you to @netgalley and @kensingtonbooks Kensington Cozies for the advance copy. (Pub date 8/22/23)

#boardtodeath #beans #cozymystery #quozy #ofdiceanddecks #nertz #boardgameshopmystery

This was a bit too niche for me. I tried so hard to get into it, but just couldn't do it! If you like small town, LGBTQ stories, this is probably a good one for you!

This is a very fun book: it hits all the beats you want in a cozy but offers up a new setting (I for one have never read a cozy set in a board game shop) and a queer protagonist. I loved getting to know Ben, the main character and related to the arc about caretaking for his dad. That's a painful process that I know all too well. His flirtation with flower shop owner Ezra gave me ALL the warm fuzzies.

I read this in a weekend and can't wait for the next one in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free ARC!