I really enjoyed this one. It was hard to put down. It kept me wanting more. The characters are amazing! And I love the title and the story line. Such an amazing book!

I really enjoy the look at a year in the life of Mira. Each month brings a different mystery for her to solve. It is an interesting way to develop a character.

I have read the other books in the series before, and the author has surpassed my expectations with this one too. I loved this book. The storyline is full of elements of surprise and anticipation, and it remains engaging throughout. I love all the characters, especially Mrs. Berns; her attitude is goals for sure. The mystery was definitely captivating, and the dolls were indeed creepy. The prime suspect was a total shock, though!

A charitable senior finds her calling making creepily authentic life-size dolls. Call it recreation. But when Mira finds a dead body encased under that painted porcelain, it's more like murder.

It gets even stranger when Mira's investigation lands her just where the Battle Lake police chief wants her: in jail. Luckily, Team Mira is on the case. They're a fierce, if unlikely, force to be reckoned with: one flashy lady mayor and Mira's scrappy nonagenarian best friend.
They plan to bust Mira out and clear her name. Bad news, though: a bizarrely motivated killer is still on the loose and can't wait to see Mira all dolled up—to death.

Loved it. I thought it was entertaining and intriguing. Cannot wait to read more from the author. Will recommend to others.

I must admit, I needed a little time to get into this book. Since I love the series, I want to read until the end of course, and about halfway I was completely pulled in, like with most of the other parts of the series. The love interest in this book is taking a direction that I kind of expected from somewhere book 3, so I loved that angle! And other relationships also concluded in a satisfying way in this book. Looking forward to the last one, and a little sad that the series ends after that.

I had fun reading March of Crimes—it’s a cozy small-town murder mystery with quirky characters like Mira and her sassy sidekick, Mrs. Berns. The humor had me laughing out loud, especially during their banter and the wild red herrings (like that creepy doll with a body inside!) . The plot is entertaining, but it does feel a bit over-the-top and sometimes far-fetched—you can’t help but roll your eyes at some of the silliness . Mira is charming, though I’d love to see her grow up a bit instead of repeating the same mistakes .

So, it’s fun, funny, and a nice escape—but if you’re after something more grounded or tightly plotted, this one might leave you wishing for a bit more substance. A solid 3 stars from me.

The February installment of this series broke me, so it took a bit for me to take a chance on March. I needed recovery time!

March of Crimes took Mrs. Berns & Mira's antics to new levels, including a jail break and life-sized creepy dolls. I don't know where Lourey comes up with the ideas for these story lines, but they keep me reading every time.

More fun and interesting characters, quotable moments from Mrs. Berns, and hilarious Kennie Rogers outfits made this a classic Battle Lake entry. This entire series is so entertaining to read, and I'm going to miss it when it ends!

This updated version is a rollicking good time of a book! This fun read has quirky characters, a nice twisty plot and plenty of humor. I enjoyed this audiobook and am looking forward to the next in the series. I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook and chose to write a voluntary, unbiased review.

3 1/2 stars. I've only read (listened to on audio) two books in this series so far. I wish I'd started from the beginning but I still have a feel for the characters and I enjoyed it overall.

I got plenty of shocked laughs (especially from octogenarian, Mrs Berns who keeps dropping the one-liners - mostly sexual innuendos 😂). The back and forth interest between the main characters is a little annoying. But I can see a set up with another character that may happen up next month (the last book in the series).

A little waffle-y in some places but overall, a solid read. I'll be interested to see how it all comes together for the final book.

One of the workers at the nursing home has been making life size dolls and putting them around town. But one of them has a dead body inside, and Mira is the one to find it. She is put in jail as a suspect, but she gets out and is trying to solve the mystery.

Another great story in this series! Fun characters and a great plot! You can't go wrong with this series!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

I've read several of Jess Lourey's books, so I was looking forward to this one. It started off a bit slow for me, but the pace eventually picked up. Overall, it was an enjoyable read, though not my favorite of hers. I believe this is a rerelease and part of a series, and I did feel like I was missing some context, which may be why it took me a while to get into the plot. I'm also not the biggest fan of RomCom Mysteries, so that likely affected how much I connected with the story. All in all, I tend to prefer her straight-up mystery novels over this particular series.

While typically I am a fan of both romcom and mystery, this book seemed like it missed the mark on both. While perhaps this chances when reading this book in conjunction with the other ones, it was marketed as also being able to be read as a standalone. Even with its fuel status, I still felt like there were way too many mentions of the previous dozen d3ad b0dies where it began to feel less like a ‘here’s how we got here’ and more like trying to meet a character count. Some of the characters were great and definitely memorable… I really wished Mira was one of them but I can’t say she was. The premise was absolutely great and I had high hopes for the novel, unfortunately things fell short in the execution. As a mystery novel I spent more time wanting them to get to the actual investigating than seeing them do actual work, then once things started moving it seemed like things resolved way too quickly.

Jess Lpurey continues the Mira Grant series with this sharp and witty installment full of hijinks and of course, murder. The dolls in the book added a creepy element that was a great touch.

Lourey is a phenomenal writer and this series installment made me laugh out loud several times.

📚 BOOK REVIEW 📚

March of Crimes By Jess Lourey
Publication Date: February 25, 2025
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you so much to @jesslourey and @amazonpublishing for the invitation to be a part of this Murder By Month Laugh In book tour, the fun treats, and the #gifted book!

📚MY REVIEW:

This was my second read in Jess Lourey's Murder By Month Mysteries series, and once again, I was reminded of how entertaining these books are! March of Crimes was a laugh-out-loud cozy mystery that had me cracking up as I turned the pages!

What I love about this series is that the books can be fantastic standalones, or read in any order really, as they're each their own mystery and story. Though you'll understand some of the subplots better if you read them all in order, I don't think it's absolutely necessary to be able to enjoy these books.

Again, the most heartwarming and hilarious parts of the books involved the friendship between the story's female main character, Mira, and Mrs. Berns, who is never lacking when it comes to witty one-liners and raucous comments. Here's a few that had me nearly spitting out my coffee:

"Men who spy on women are a bunch of wieners, not a ball between them." 🤣

"While she was chewing, she dropped some crumbs on her chin, and a hermit crab darted out of a hair patch on her cheek to grab 'em." 🤣

"You smell like a brothel left out in the sun. Forget showering before you get in the pool. You should do one of those prison hose-downs." 🤣

I absolutely recommend any one of the books in this series to fans of cozy mysteries, quick reads, and people who could use a good laugh. And who doesn't need a little more laughter in their life right now?! Most books in this series are out now -- and the final Murder By Month Mysteries installment publishes TOMORROW, March 25th!!

#MarchOfCrimes #JessLourey #MurderByMonthMystery #LoureyLiterati #LaughWithMurderByMonth #CozyMysteryLaughs #RomcomEscape #LaughterRevolution #LaughIn #ThomasandMercer #amazonpublishing #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #ARC #cozymysteries #thrillerlover #thrilleraddict #booklover #bookreviews #bookrecs #bookrecommendations

⭐️ 5/5
First person POV
Single narrative: FMC- Mira
Linear timeline
Comedic Mystery, Amateur Sleuth
Setting: Battle Lake, Minnesota
A Murder by Month Mystery, #11 in the Series: Can read as standalone

I have not read any previous books in the series but after doing some research learned that I could still read this as a standalone. The author does a great job at recapping any previous backstory of the characters and setting so that you don’t feel like you’re missing something when you first start reading.

The protagonist, Mira James, finds herself entangled in a confusing murder investigation, involving creepy lifelike dolls made by a local senior citizen. Mira is such a fun character to follow along with and I enjoyed her internal dialogue and personal growth. The fact that her best friend, Mrs Berens, is in her 90s also cracks me up. The entertaining characters of Mrs. Berens, Kennie, and Gary also add depth and hilarity to the narrative. Their relationships with Mira are hilarious and quick witted. I love a good of cozy mystery and appreciated the witty dialogue as well as the authentic portrayal of Minnesota culture. Seeing as I’m a Minnesotan, I definitely related to a lot of that storyline and had quite a few laugh-out-loud moments.

I dislike when a mystery is obvious from the very start and this far from the case here. It’s evident in this book that Jess Lourey has a talent for crafting unpredictable plots; The mystery was clever and written really well. I definitely didn’t piece it together and was kept guessing until the very end.
This was a delightful read and Jess Lourey does a fantastic job blending humor, mystery, and quirky small-town charm.
I look forward to reading the rest of the books in the series!

Thank you Thomas & Mercer for providing me this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley! All opinions are my own.

This book hit all the feels at all the right times! By far my favorite of the series. Mrs. Berns had some great lines, Mira and Kennie were hilarious with Kennie's newest scheme. There was excitement, sadness in many different ways, and potential life changes in the future. Mira is spooked by a lifesize doll in a local restaurant. Turns out, she was right in her feelings, as there was a dead woman inside of the costume. She tries not to get involved, but circumstances force her to find the killer, as another person is murdered and she finds herself and a new friend in the hot seat. I finished this one with a sad heart, but hope for what the next book holds. This was an unforgettable read.

I’ve enjoyed the Murder by Month Mystery series by Jess Lourey but March of Crimes has been a huge disappointment. I really do expect cozy mysteries to be a bit unbelievable and even ludicrous at times, with plot and characters taken to the extreme. But everything in this book, from the plot (over the top and silly), the characters, and the on-again off-again relationship between Mira and Johnny, was just a little too much. I especially disliked the middle-school behavior that Mira displayed with Johnny.

The book showed some potential with its humor and that’s its saving grace. The addition of the newest business scheme by Kennie Rogers is gratuitous at best, while the behavior of the police chief is just obnoxious. Although I have to say Mira’s interference could try the patience of a saint. Meanwhile, for much of the book the mystery seems to take a backseat.

This series has become a silly and irritating rom-com with a mystery tossed in just for good measure. Earlier books were so much better and it’s surprising to me how much the series has crumbled. NetGalley provided an advance reader copy.

I was excited to dive into this one, as I have been thoroughly enjoying this series.

However, this one was a bit of a miss for me. The plot was a bit slower moving than the other books I have read, and I had to force myself to finish.

I will definitely keep reading this series, even though this book wasn't my favourite.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC of this book to read and review.

Book #11 in the Murder by Month Mystery series. Oh creepy life like dolls! Okay yes just thinking made me shiver! When a body is found inside the painted doll, murder raises its head. Its up to Mira and her friends to find the killer before the Battle Lake police throw her into lockup! Thanks #Netgalley and #ThomasandMercer for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

This was a great addition to the Murder by Month series. I love this series so much, and am so sad it’s close to the end! Once again, Mira finds herself in a murder investigation. I would’ve been out of this town the second month this happened! My favorite part of this book was Mrs Berns and Kennie breaking Mira out of jail. Mrs Berns is who I aspire to be when I’m older! I’m sad about Johnny and Mira, but hoping they can be resolved in the next book.