dad-jokes, local-gossip, contemporary, cozy-crime, friends, friendship, library, librarian, laugh-riot, suspense, investigation, witty, small-town, newspaper-owner, newspapers, multigenerational, situational-humor, verbal-humor, grief, grieving, local-law-enforcement, murder, murder-investigation, mystery-fiction, private-investigators, senior-citizens, senior-residence-facility, thriller, Minnesota*****
Mira James found ANOTHER corpse, but this one was inside of and disguised as a hand sewn life-sized replica of a Jane Doe. A local woman makes the "dolls", but this one had been "unstuffed" and turned into a sarcophagus by person or persons unknown. The mayor has brainstormed for a moneymaker which was to add a rich "intern" to the Mira's library staff, Mira's boss at the newspaper reluctantly gave her an assignment and a microscopic raise, and a kid who resembles Mira's recently dead friend is trying to get her to take him on as her PI assistant. And that's just in the first quarter of the book!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected proof from Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley. Thanks for the fun! Avail Feb 25, 2025
#MarchofCrimes by @jesslourey #MurderByMonthMysteryBk11 #NetGalley #ThomasandMercer #Minnesota #HumorousSuspense #RomcomMystery @goodreads @bookbub @librarythingofficial @barnesandnoble @kobobooks @waterstones ***** #Review @booksamillion @bookshop_org @bookshop_org_uk #LaughAMinute #CozyCrime #MinnesotaNice #storyteller #bookstagram #cozymystery #thriller #MiraJames #MiraJamesMystery #HumorousSuspense #RomcomMystery

I do enjoy the characters in this series, especially Mira. They are generally fun. I am creeped out by dolls so the use of life size dolls added another layer of creepiness to the mystery for me.

This series is so fun! The mysteries are well rounded and not phoned in like I feel some cozy writers can get to be, but all of the things we love about cozy mysteries were there in spades! I loved this book and can't wait to keep reading the rest of this series. It's always wonderful when you discover a series you love with a hefty backlist.

This cast of characters remains one of the best among this style of mystery series, and the humor was excellent as usual.

That said, this was not my favorite installment. Structurally the mystery was fine for most of the book, but the solve felt ridiculous and implausible, and the story doesn’t really have anything unique to offer amongst mysteries like it.

But of course, the setting, humor, and characters remain delightful, and I’m so sad there is only one more book left in the series after that. Hope Mira and the gang can go out on top.

It's official: I'm done. I know there is only one more book, but I just don't think I can do it... I really enjoyed the way this series started. It was cozy and fun(ny) and I liked the blend of mystery and humor. The books started taking on more serious topics underpinning their murders, and I was okay with that too. It added a depth that I enjoyed, even as it shifted the tone. Unfortunately, the last book started shifting even more heavily in a darker direction, and this book sealed the deal for me. This is no longer a cozy-feeling series for me. This book was pretty dark and I did not enjoy the gruesome nature. That's not what I was reading this series for - if I wanted that from Lourey, she has plenty of darker series/standalones for it. It felt like a seismic change and not one I enjoyed.

I also could not continue reading the back-and-forth between Mira and Johnny. Enough already! Either let them get together or keep them apart, but this ongoing yes/no, I love him/I'm not good enough for him badinage has worn me out and completely lost my interest. Even the indomitable Mrs. Berns wasn't enough to keep me engaged here... I feel like this series has played itself out for me, with the shifts in focus and tone and the refusal to let the romantic relationship develop (we are basically at the same point as in the earliest books!). This one wasn't for me...

Outrageously funny!

This is the best Mira James case yet! I could barely make it through a page without laughing and yet there is also a good mystery to solve. Jess Lourey is a master of humor and murder.

This review is for the 2025 revised edition of the book. I received a free copy but my review is honest and voluntary.

I really enjoy a cozy murder mystery and this one did not disappoint! There are plot twists are great and the characters are just right! Jess Lowery did it again!! You will not be disappointed!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read the advanced reader copy for my honest review

A huge thank you to Jess Lourey, NetGalley, and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

As per usual, Jess Lourey slays with this one! March of Crimes throws Mira right back into another murder investigation—literally—when she falls straight into a victim. Poor Mira has the worst luck!

I absolutely love this series, and I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do when it’s over. Mira and her pals, with all their wild hijinks, keep me hooked every time. Mrs. Berns and Kennie never fail to crack me up, and if you know, you know—"Curse words!" remains one of my all-time favorite phrases from this series!

This installment was especially creepy, with eerie life-sized dolls and a mysterious couple who always seems to appear before a murder victim is found. The suspense kept me on edge, and I couldn’t put it down.

I 100% recommend this book and the entire series! It’s easily one of my favorites of all time. If you love witty mysteries packed with humor, heart, and a touch of the macabre, March of Crimes is a must-read!

March of Crimes is my second of the Murder of the Month series. These cozy mysteries are Jess Lourey's way of injecting humor into murder mysteries. Heroine Mira and her partner Mrs. Bern work hard to solve what seems to be an unsolvable murder mystery. I enjoy this series. March of Crimes had its moments of sadness and heartbreak, but there was also humor to lighten the pain, much of it attributed to Mrs. Bern. The plot is a nice twist on the usual cozy murder mystery genre. There are new characters and some older ones are revealed to have a depth, readers might not expect.

Mira is overcome with misery at yet again finding another corpse. She makes some painful choices that require her to pay a big price for them. There were some elements in the plot that were not as welcome as others, which readers will no doubt be unhappy to read, but overall this is still a fine novel with a plot that seems fresh and unique. I am recommending March of Crimes. Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for proving this ARC for me to read and review. 4.5 stars

This is my favorite cozy mystery series. Full of humor and I look forward to each book!!
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I really struggled with this book. The constant back-and-forth between Mira and Johnny got old fast. Every time they seemed to make progress, they’d break up again, and by the end, it felt more like a chore than a story I wanted to follow. It was hard to stay invested when the same drama kept repeating itself.

The mystery was interesting at times, but even that didn’t keep me engaged enough. Jed’s death, for example, didn’t add much to the plot, and I found myself questioning its necessity. And then, of course, Johnny tells Mira once again that they can’t be together, which left me feeling frustrated and dissatisfied. By that point, I was ready to move on and just couldn’t bring myself to finish it. Definitely a waste of my time. 1 aka 0 ⭐.

Mira James can't get away from dead bodies. This time, the woman sitting on a stool next to her at the local diner turns out to be a corpse disguised as one of the life-sized dolls sewn together by a Senior Sunset resident. Police Chief Gary Wohnt is looking for legal grounds to lock her up, so Mira is soon on the trail of another killer with help from Mrs. Berns and Kennie Rogers–who pitches another harebrained money-making scheme. Mira's getting tired of finding a body every month, especially as she's still in mourning after the death of a dear friend a month earlier. Worse, she's starting to wonder if the love of her life might be better off without her.
While there's plenty of humor in this Murder by Month series installment, author Jess Lourey also shows how Mira struggles with the impact of the losses and gruesome scenes she's experienced. She's expanding her work with the local newspaper, coming into her own as a private eye, and settling in to her newly adopted hometown. It's a lot. But she'll always have Nut Goodies.

The intrepid librarian/writer/budding detective is back with more murders to solve! When Mira finally seems to be getting her act together as a young woman navigating her insecurities, she hopes at least one month can go by without her discovering yet another dead body. Of course, given the premise of this series, we know it's not to be.

With the help of her octogenarian friend Mrs. Berns, she has a tall task ahead as oddball characters both living in and visiting Battle Lake hinder Mira in her quest to figure out whodunnit. Add to that the turmoil her love life takes during this March of Crimes, can she put all the pieces together to find the culprit? Rest assured, despite her foibles and all the odds against her, Mira cements herself as the best unlicensed PI in the area.

Fun, fear, and faith all win out in the end. What can you lose? I enjoyed previewing this latest month in the series, thanks to NetGalley.

I became addicted to this series and its characters right from the start and following along with Mira's journey has been so much fun! The last few novels have taken on a more serious tone, but the laughs are still present and accounted for. I've said it before and I'll say it again, we ALL need a Mrs. Berns in our lives. Her jokes and bad-girl behavior always make me smile. There were some unexpected developments in this story that gave me mixed feelings. I was sad but also intrigued...and maybe not that surprised? I cannot wait to get my hands on the final chapter to see how it all plays out.

March of Crime is book eleven in the Murder-by-Month series. I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a mystery with lots of laughs.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for granting me a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

Another winning instalment in this clever, funny, moving series of mysteries. As ever, it’s a treat to watch Mira and Mrs Berns take on a new mystery with their expected style and aplomb. New characters are brought in and these, too, hit the page as fully fledged creations. The mystery itself represents a fresh new angle, showing that this author does not just recycle old ideas but delivers new and intriguing plots with every book. Just so enjoyable.