Member Reviews

The book was the tenth in a cozy murder mysteries series and it is as great as all the other ones...

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Thank you NetGalley! This has to be my favorite installment of the Murder by the month series. I can’t wait to continue reading the rest while following Mira James

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I adored this book!! I love books that take place during a snowstorm, so that was a huge plus. They’re also on a train, which I also love that. This book is the perfect blend of humor and mystery. All of those things made the perfect blend, oh and it’s a Valentine’s Day themed book as well. So cozy and cute, I would definitely recommend. Also, I have read the rest of the series, and all of the books are really good. I can’t wait to read more from this series.

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I didn’t realize this was a series until I started. It was still fairly easy to pick up and was a fun read. Mira James is a PI in her small town, not by choice. But because every month since she’s moved here she has found a dead body. Other than being the police chief’s number one suspect, she runs the local library and investigates the body’s she finds. With her boyfriend unexpectedly moving to Portland, her best friend books them tickets on a train that ends with a visit to him. Mira thinks this could be the perfect vacation from murder, but when someone ends up dead in the room next to hers on the train, a vacation becomes the last thing on her mind.

The end was unexpectedly emotional and I’m upset I started with this book and not earlier into the series. The death of character I had just gotten to know and hope for was so unexpected. It was unexpectedly gut wrenching for myself, but it adds even more intrigue for me. I am even more interested in how the series started, how Mira started happening upon dead bodies and becoming a PI in the first place. This was a cozy light mystery read. I would suggest this series to anyone who enjoy the quirky small town dynamics of Schitt’s Creek.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. Thank you to Jess Lourey for writing such a compelling story that was entertaining and the right amounts of emotional.

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Thank you Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for an ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

This murder mystery takes place in a train and trundles along at a cozy pace. I haven’t read any of the precious books in the series and I would have benefitted from doing so prior to reading this.

The book was a cozy-mystery with a good amount of romance thrown in. It had some parts that made me laugh and some sadder bits thrown in.
An enjoyable read for lovers of cozy mystery books.

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I liked everything about this book but I was sad about the ending. Unfortunately, I haven't read all the books before this one so it's kind of spoiled for me. That said, I especially liked that it took place on a train! I like stories that are not the same ol' same ol and this did not disappoint. It felt a little like a buddy comedy which was fun!

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This book was adorable...if murder mysteries could be adorable. I loved the friends dynamic and how much they all cared about each other. I loved the humor and the banter. It made me laugh, it made me cry and it had me a little stressed occasionally. Some parts seemed to drag a little but overall I really enjoyed it. Will definitely read more from this author!

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What a great Valentine themed mystery 💗
Pretty much everything takes place on a snowed-in train so it’s a super cozy read! A ton of funny parts! Mrs. Berns is hilarious 😅

Can’t wait to continue this month to month series 🫶🏻

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This was a new edition of an older book by Jess Lourey from 2018.
I usually like lighthearted murder mysteries, but I struggled to connect to the characters in this book.
I also found it a bit too rom com-my at times. After reading the description, I should have been more prepared for that. Anyway, didn’t hate this one but also didn’t love it.

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I’m pretty sure there’s a law that says every mystery series must have an installment that takes place on a train, and here’s the Mira James version!

This was fun and one of the best structured mysteries of the series, and I loved all the train travel detail and humor.

I didn’t love the sad note to the ending, which felt out of step with the tone of the series and unnecessary to the story, but otherwise this was an excellent installment of a very enjoyable series that has been consistently clever, funny, and populated by a lovable cast of characters.

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I came into February Fever wanting a fun, cheeky murder mystery. What I got was in fact a murder mystery akin to Hallmark Movies and Mysteries. Mira is a librarian taking classes to become a private investigator because she, well, has found a dead body every single month. Makes sense for a murder mystery series. When Mira's boyfriend is offered a spot in a PhD program in Portland, Maine, Mira doesn't know what she'll do. That is, until her assistant gets them train tickets to go to Portland to visit the boyfriend AND attend a P.I. conference. Mira goes in the hope that her string of bad luck and dead bodies will cease. However, when a dead body is found on the train, Mira is forced to put her burgeoning detective skills to use.

This book is a fast read. My critiques. come from the fact that the author Jess Lourey throws in SO many cliché phrases that do not sound natural whatsoever. Every character speaks as if they are a caricature of themselves. Perhaps that is what she was aiming for and is her style. If so, brava. My other critique is that I thought this would have romance. Unfortunately, most of the book takes place without the romantic interest. If you think the boyfriend is absent because there is going to be a new love interest introduced, you're wrong. Stop waiting.

Overall, a kitschy read for Valentine's Day.

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Reading a book that is partway through a series is always a little odd. This book mostly functions as a standalone novel but I felt like I was missing some context and background that would've been helpful.

Mira is lovably awkward while capable and I love Mrs. Berns. A murder mystery on a train that is somewhat present day felt fun and unusual. I don't know that I'd categorize it as a cozy mystery, but it's cozy-adjacent.

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suspense, investigations, witty, private-investigators, verbal-humor, situational-humor, friends, friendship, library, librarian, laugh-riot, multigenerational, small-town, local-law-enforcement, trains, murders, missing-persons, senior-citizens, cozy-crime, thriller, mystery-fiction, contemporary, snow-season, blizzards, gossip, rumor-mill, dad-jokes, attempted-murder****

Mira leaves familiar small town Minnesota to go on a train to Oregon with her head librarian, octogenarian Mrs. Berns, to attend a conference for private investigators. Nice long, boring train ride across the country in a roomette. No reason to think that it will bring another murdered body for her to investigate. True. There were more to come! Once again, I laughed my sox off!

I requested and received a temporary uncorrected proof from Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley. Thanks for the fun!
#FebruaryFever by @jesslourey #MurderByMonthMysteryBk10 #NetGalley #ThomasandMercer #Minnesota #HumorousSuspense #RomcomMystery @goodreads @bookbub @librarythingofficial @barnesandnoble @kobobooks @waterstones **** #Review @booksamillion @bookshop_org @bookshop_org_uk #LaughAMinute #CozyCrime #MinnesotaNice #storyteller

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This was an okay book and obviously just like all her other books. I thought it was okay but it just feels like one repeat after another. I was hoping for something a little different.

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February Fever is one of the books in the Murder by Month series by Jess Lourey. Mrs Bern, Mia, and Jed are headed to a PI conference in Portland, Oregon. But, when a death occurs onboard and the train is forced to stop during a blizzard, the trio becomes involved in the investigation.

If this sounds a bit bizarre, you’re right. The situation, the coincidences, the supporting cast, and the general behavior of the characters all add up to a quirky story that seemed to go off the rails (no pun intended). Mia is unfocused, Mrs Bern is typically off-the-wall but more ludicrous than humorous, and Jed is just Jed – nice, caring friend and probably my favorite character. Then, toss in a couple of extra PI’s and some eccentric passengers and you have a story that doesn’t really know which route to take.

This book frustrated me a great deal and I was truly disappointed with the ending. It seemed as though it was more to affect a jaw-dropping moment than to round out the story and provide sensible closure. This is definitely not my favorite book in this series. For me it was 2.5 stars but will somewhat reluctantly bump to 3 stars because, overall, I like this series. NetGalley provided an advance reader copy.

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I think I would have benefited from not jumping in on the tenth book in this series. My bad. That said, it was an easy world to step into and I could follow what was happening just fine but some of the references understandably felt like they’d be more meaningful if I understood more of the background. I really liked Mira. The premise was fun. I liked the way the mystery unfolded and I liked the train setting. The supporting characters were also fun. It was an enjoyable read!

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February Fever by Jess Lourey was a fun and humorous cozy mystery.
A riveting mystery with an intriguing plot, packed with witty storytelling and characters you’ll instantly fall in love with.
Another great mystery and I love how the characters are developing over the series.

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I've really enjoyed this whole series, and how each book becomes my new favourite. In February Fever, Mira is sad to hear that her beloved Johnny is going to Portland for an internship, but Mrs. Berns quickly jumps to the rescue and signs them up for a PI conference in Oregon, combined with a cross-country train journey. They quickly lean that this is no ordinary train trip, it's a specially scheduled love train for Valentine's Day! Is anyone surprised that Mrs. Berns signed up for this? But their journey takes a surprising turn when it's paused by a winter storm in the Rockies.

This book is a bit darker than most cozy mysteries and the previous books in the series, but as a fan who has loved all of Jess Lourey's darker thrillers, I found the tension gripping and really enjoyed the added depth and a glimpse into Mira's past. It's also the first book in the series where I only had the ebook and not the audio version. I did really miss Jennifer Jill Araya's fantastic characterizations, but I think I got even more drawn into the story by reading it, so I think it would be perfect to read and listen to the audio together.

I can't wait to read the last 2 books in the series, but I also don't want it to end!

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I was pleasantly surprised when Mira, Mrs Berns, and Jed went on a train trip! The reasoning was sad, I didn’t want Johnny to go anywhere, but I think they will make it as a couple! Once again, Mrs. Berns was my favorite, but I’m enjoying the growth that Mira shows in each book. I also love Jed. We unfortunately lost a character we love in this book, so I’m sad about that. :( Can’t wait for next months read!

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This is the 10th book in the Murder by Month Mystery Book series. Quick, fun read! I enjoyed all of the characters and the twists kept me engaged. The humor could get a bit silly, but I still laughed throughout.

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