Such fun! Loved the quirky crime-solvers, charming small-town drama, and the kind of twisty mystery that kept me guessing and giggling,

Charming new cozy series! I liked the puzzle aspect, but it doesn't play an overwhelming role in the story. Good characters and community, which is what I'm looking for in a new cozy series. Lots of promise here.

Picking Up the Pieces by J.B. Abbott is the first A Jigsaw Puzzle Mystery. I enjoy working on jigsaw puzzles and reading cozy mysteries, so I was naturally drawn to Picking Up the Pieces. Unfortunately, my interest was short lived. I was not a fan of Katie Chambers. I thought she was immature, unlikeable, and dull (of course, many people could say my life is unexciting, so I should not judge) . The writing needs work. There are inconsistencies in dates and the timing of events. The first time it happened, I thought it was me (that I had remembered it incorrectly). So, I went back and checked. It was not me. The writing varies from being overly detailed to not enough detail plus there are repetitive details (do authors think we forget important details or clues). Katie sets out to prove her father’s innocence with help from the South Island Jigsaw crew and her old flame, Connor Crozier. The whodunit can be solved long before the reveal (it is child’s play). I quickly tired of hearing about Katie’s angst towards Connor (it has been seven years). As you can tell, I struggled to get through Picking Up the Pieces. I like the premise for Picking Up the Pieces, but I am not a fan of the final product.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Katie Chambers has come home to Cedar Bay following her mother’s death to not only to be close to her father, but she also fills the vacancy left by her mother’s death at Cedar Bay Puzzles. She even restarts a group her mother started, the South Island Jigsaw crew —a group of puzzle masters who meet at the library to try out prospective puzzles coming out from the company.

When a puzzle creator who is also a member of the South Island Jigsaw crew is killed, Katie’s father Jim appears to be the last person to see her alive, making him the prime suspect in her murder. Katie gathers the crew together, along with firefighter and her ex, Connor Crozier, to help her pull all the pieces of this murder puzzle together to find the real killer and set her father free.

I found the characters in this first Jigsaw Puzzle Mystery very authentic. Katie’s mother was a beloved member of the community. Her father, Jim, is mourning the loss of his wife while trying to move forward. Katie is trying to honor her by continuing the job she loved. The members of the South Island Jigsaw crew include: Ken Gorman, “a sixty-ish Santa Claus of a man,” who is a retired attorney fills his time volunteering. Hannah Jackson is a high schooler and the “reigning two-time Whidbey Island Puzzle Teen Champion and dead ringer for musician Alicia Keys.” Mildred Wilson, “who had to be pushing ninety,” speaks her mind and rolls her eyes as only a woman her age can. Tony Foligno, a former Navy man and the owner of the only Subaru dealership on the island. This group is tight, and each brings their own talents to the group. Connor Crozier is a firefighter, Katie’s ex, and the son of Police Lieutenant Daniel Crozier. I enjoyed meeting them and look forward to getting to know them better as the series progresses.

Elena Larsson was also a member of the group, “an up-and-coming artist at Cedar Bay Puzzles,” who reminded Katie of Selena Gomez, and sadly, our victim. The crew of puzzlers not only wanted to clear Jim of her murder, they wanted justice for their friend. It was frustrating that the police felt they had arrested the right man when everyone knew Jim had to be innocent. The crew focused on a few suspects at first, with different theories on motive. Some had alibis, some needed further investigation. A threat against Katie shook up all the theories, but the pieces of the puzzle just wouldn’t come together. Katie had a mantra, “focus on the whole puzzle”. After trying so hard to find the missing piece, she finally had her A-ha moment. She needed the crew to help her prove it. I was entertained by their plan and the way they worked together, especially when everything didn’t go as planned, which led to an exciting takedown.

Connor Crozier deserves special mention. He had Katie’s back the entire time and went above and beyond what was expected, even going against his father. Katie was cool to him the entire time, but he didn’t back away. Later, a secret is revealed that gives the relationship an entirely new perspective in Katie’s eyes. Being a mom, I understood. It also gives the involved characters more depth and makes them even more genuine in my eyes.

Lines that made me laugh out loud – Mildred to Lt. Crozier – “Here’s a mint. Your breath could drop a dinosaur.”

Picking Up the Pieces is set in an appealing small town and filled with lovable characters whose lives you want to be invested in. Those characters are boxed in a puzzling mystery that tests them and the readers of the book. I love doing jigsaw puzzles, so the jigsaw puzzle theme was a perfect fit. The authors have set this series off to a notable start. I am looking forward to book two!

The first book in a new series called A Jigsaw Puzzle Mystery.

Katie Chambers returns to Cedar Bay to support her father after her mother's death. Her job is Graphic Designer for Cedar Bay Puzzles and she is a member of the South Island Jigsaw Crew - a group of puzzle enthusiasts. When her father is arrested for murder Katie vows to clear his name and her friends help as does Connor Crozier, ex boyfriend from the past.

I liked the Puzzle Company and Club as the theme for this series. It made a nice change from bookshops and bakeries. Katie is an entertaining main character. Occasionally her reactions are a bit immature but she is determined and smart. Whimsy the cat is smart too and very cute. I will be looking out for book 2 to find out what happens between Katie and Connor.

Picking Up the Pieces was such a great story with interesting characters and a strong mystery. I truly didn't know who the murderer was until main character Katie had her lightbulb moment. The small town setting was unique, being an island in the PNW. The weather was described frequently and thoroughly and it always added to the setting of story. Katie's dad kept some secrets and that didn't always sit well with me but new plot points came up over and over to keep me turning the pages. I hope there are more books in this series to explore Katie's relationship with Connor more in the future! I'd love to read more mysteries by this author team!

Picking Up the Pieces releases today, August 12! Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane for my advanced e-arc!

Katie’s friends all cracked me up! They were the most loyal group of people and all so fun and different, from Mildred who was ninety to Hannah who was still in high school. But they made up the puzzle crew who did puzzle testing for the company Katie worked for. And when there was a murder, they sleuthed together like they’d been amateur sleuths all their lives. Everyone’s particular talents came in handy too.

I felt that Katie was being unnecessarily harsh on Connor at times when he was being sweet and supportive. Then when the entire story of their breakup revealed something else, I really thought she owed him an apology. But once the showdown was over and the perp was caught, it seemed like there might be some hope for the two, even if they just start over as friends at least. And you can always tell who’s worth keeping around when the cat approves! ;)

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Crooked Lane via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Overall, I think it was okay. I just didn't really vibe with Katie, which is a problem since she's the main character. I love being able to connect in some way with the main person solving the mystery so it feels more like I'm solving it as well, but she was just so unlikeable to me. This made it drag for me when I typically breeze through cozy mysteries. Some aspects of the story also didn't feel as fleshed out as I felt they should be. I'm hoping that since this is the start of a new series, that things will improve as time goes on because I did enjoy the premise. Just not so much the full execution.

The South Island Jigsaw crew gathers weekly at the library in Cedar Bay, Washington where they test and tackle the latest Cedar Bay Puzzles creations. Katie Chambers has returned home after her mother's passing and steps in to take over her mother's role on the crew. When a member of the club is murdered her father becomes a suspect. At the same time a competitor is accusing CBP of stealing designs. Can Katie solve the biggest puzzle of all?

A puzzle club crew makes a natural fit to solve murders. I like how supportive they are. It took me a while to get the characters straight though. The introduction might have been too brief because I felt lost for a while.

It also took me a while to warm up to Katie. She's a little high strung and I didn't always approve of her actions. Some decisions other characters made aren't very believable either.

I was hoping for a little more excitement with the mystery and the romance. Overall, Picking Up the Pieces was just okay for me.

Katie returns to her hometown of Cedar Bay to help her father adjust to life without her mother. She also steps into her mother’s shoes as graphic designer at Cedar Bay Puzzles, and reactivates a group of puzzle enthusiasts who test the latest puzzle creations. When a member of this club is murdered and Katie’s father is the last person to see her alive, he is arrested for the crime – and Katie and the other club members are determined to clear his name.

According to Goodreads, this is the author’s first book and in my opinion, it shows. The reader definitely gets the small town feel, with everyone knowing everyone else’s business all the time, which I would find incredibly annoying. Also annoying was Katie, the MC. The way she treated her father irritated me right from the start. Yes, he’s a recent widower and still adjusting to living on his own, but she acted as if he was considerably older than I guessed him to be. Katie isn’t yet 30 year old, so I’m guessing her father is (maybe) in his early 60s, certainly not old enough to warrant the worry she shows on multiple occasions in the story.

And then there’s her investigation. Yes, the arrest happens very quickly and seemingly without much evidence, but Katie panicked and went around town hurling accusations at anyone and everyone she considered a possible suspect. Especially given her fractious relationship with the police chief, I’m amazed that she wasn’t charged with interfering with a police investigation! She and her friends did eventually figure out whodunnit, but I had reached that conclusion much earlier in the book… and I even nailed the motive :)

There was a lot of repetition in this book, and a lot of filler too. Do we really need to know how she rated each of her Uber drivers? Either Uber is much more expensive in Washington state than it is here in central Pennsylvania or sandwiches from her favorite shop are incredibly cheap, because we are told she spent enough on Uber in the three or four days she was without her car to buy a year’s worth of sandwiches! Even some of the dialogue was repetitive – I lost count of how many times someone pleaded in threes – “no, no, no!” and “please, please, please” are just two examples.

Although there is nothing to indicate that this is the beginning of a new series, the book reads as if it is. I rarely write off a series after just one book, but I will probably make an exception here. I love the jigsaw ‘theme’ of the story, but that’s not enough to entice me to want to read more.

Thankyou to netgallery for this ARC

A cosy small town mystery, a crew of jigsaw fans try and solve a different kind of puzzle.

Nice easy read 4 stars for me

This is an entertaining cozy mystery and informative about puzzle production. It takes place in a small town where news gets around very quickly. I am always leery when an author writes the main character of the opposite sex. Katie is the amateur sleuth and I thought her a bit naive and impulsive. She jumps to conclusions without thinking. It may be the male authors overdid the female characterization a bit. I liked her puzzle crew, the friends who meet regularly to solve puzzles and help her with the most important one of all. There is the possibility of a budding romance but many difficulties stand in the way. There is a little humor and some snappy dialogue which made reading fun.

For me, a Whidbey Island resident, that setting was the best part of the novel. Reading about familiar places was fun. I must say, it does not rain here as much as this novel would have you think. I was amazed that Katie, missing the mountains of Denver, never commented on the beauty of the Olympic Mountains she would be able to see from her town. And we have fir trees in western Washington, not pine.

I liked this cozy mystery and recommend it to readers who would like one set on an island in a corner of the country.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

4/5 stars: This is the first entry in Abbott's Jigsaw Puzzle Mystery series, which is a Cozy Mystery set in Washington and follows a jigsaw puzzle graphic designer who finds herself turning sleuth after a member of her puzzle enthusiasts club's murdered and her father, who was the last to see the victim alive, is arrested. Despite problems piling up at work and a competitor making accusations of designs theft, it's up to her to prove her father’s innocence. She'll team up with the remaining members of the South Island Jigsaw crew and even reaches out to her former flame to help her puzzle out the mystery before it’s too late. With plenty of twists and turns, Abbott has crafted a mystery that deftly balances the suspects, clues and red herrings and will leave you pondering the whodunit until the final reveal. Heartfelt and humorous, Abbott's writing and character work are excellent; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining likable. Katie's a great character and it's lovely to meet her, her friends and family, particularly her newly widowed librarian father, Jim, her colleagues at Cedar Bay Puzzles, the eclectic puzzlers of the South Island Jigsaw Crew and the fine folks of Cedar Bay. Additionally, I look forward to seeing where things go with firefighter and her former flame, Connor; there's plenty of history, good and bad, between these two. Oh and for cat lovers, you'll love Katie's cat, Whimsy, and Booker, the library's petite Russian Blue. A fun new series, I look forward to reading more.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

Normally I wouldn't call out a typo in an ARC, but there were SO MANY typos, strange sentence structures, and poor dialogue. I will give full points, though, for an engaging plot. I kept reading past all the rough writing for a pretty good story. Didn't know whodunit until the sleuthing crew did, too (which is important to me in a mystery). So A+ for effort, but someone really needed to hit this sucker with a red pen.
I received a free digital copy of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

CWs - Gun violence, Infidelity, Car accident, Murder, Gaslighting, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness

A quick and cozy little mystery set in the Pacific Northwest! When one of the Cedar Bay Puzzlers' own turns up dead, and another member's father is the only suspect...the puzzlers do what puzzlers do best and start putting the pieces together (badum tss)!!

This was a simple, sweet, cozy little mystery. I was able to FLY through it and it didn't engage my brain too much. Love the setting and the group, though!

Thanks so much to JB Abbott and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun read. I liked the characters and the setting. Using a group of people who evaluate puzzles to solve the puzzle of the murder was interesting and fun. The mystery kept me guessing.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A nice start to a new series. All is not well in Cedar Bay. Katie's come home to help her father with the family puzzle company but then he's charged with murder. Cozy fans (and Katie) know he didn't do it but who did? Luckily, Katie's got a group of pals to help her. And she's got a bit of a second chance romance with Connor, now a firefighter and a good guy. It's got familiar cozy vibes but I liked the puzzle aspect and the characters. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Looking forward to the next one.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. The plot line was sweet and unique. Katie and her Crew set out to solve a murder. The Crew are puzzle enthusiasts and quite diversified. My favorite character was Connor, the fireman, former boyfriend of Katie’s. I was surprised by whom the killer was. I do recommend this book if you enjoy cozies. I also plan to read anymore published in this series.

I was blessed with an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own and unbiased. Thank you NetGalley.

This wasn’t for me. I loved the setting and the premise of the series but Katie was so immature and unlikeable that I had difficulty getting through this. The book was filled with repetitive description and filler, none of which really move the story along, and tons of angst about her former relationship with Connor. I will probably not continue with the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for a free e-copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

Katie Chambers and her fellow members of the South Island Jigsaw Crew decide to solve the murder of a club member when Katie’s father is arrested for the crime.

After her mother’s death, Katie Chambers returns to her hometown of Cedar Bay, on Whidbey Island, Washington, to be with her father. Katie is the Vice President of Product Design and Development at the Cedar Bay Puzzle Company. She’s also a member of the South Island Jigsaw Crew, a group of avid puzzlers that test and provide feedback on new Cedar Bay Puzzle Company puzzles. The group turns its attention to investigating a murder when a group member is killed, and Katie’s father is arrested for the crime.

Picking Up the Pieces was a fun, quick read. The mystery wasn’t that difficult to solve, but that didn’t detract from enjoying the book. The characters are a diverse group. Their age range is from high school to ninety-year-old Mildred Wilson. There is a complicated relationship with Katie’s high school sweetheart Conner Crozier. The character interactions are the strongest part of the book. I look forward to reading a second book in this series.

4/5 stars