Not According to Flan

A pleasant cozy mystery. Lots of fall and winter activities in addition to the dinner club. I suspected the culprits from the beginning, but enjoyed following the eventual disclosure.

This book has more twists and turns, that kept me reading page after page. I found this book to be a quick read, with a well developed plot and characters. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. If you love cozy mysteries, I strongly recommend this book.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Not According To Flan is the first book I've read by this author.
I felt the story had some good strong points and I found others lagging.
Jane Marsh can be a great character, she just needs some polishing.
The idea of a dinner club is unique and adds a creative twist to the story.

A brief description of the story involves a death in Jane's neighbors backyard.
When two bodies are discovered, Jane regrets moving to her new home, after all, she was a suspect in her previous husband's death.

Jane begins asking questions and soon enough comes face to face with her own potential demise.

There were a lot of characters introduced in this book and I was a bit overwhelmed learning who everyone was. Once I got going, I had a better grasp on them all.

I would like to see Jane as a stronger character, after all, she did lose two husbands under suspicious circumstances.

I think a seasoned cozy mystery buff would enjoy this book, but I definitely suggest reading the first book beforehand.

I voluntarily read an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley.

Jane Marsh has empty nest syndrome. She needs to recover from the death of her first and second husbands, by starting over in a new place. She sells her home and moves to northern Denver. Just when she thought her life was going to settle down and get better, things take a turn for the worse. The day she moves into her new home, she discovers a dead body.

Jane's dinner club is changing, and her life is as well. She meets an attractive gourmet chef, has a new home and is trying to make new friends. She doesn’t feel at home in a town where she’s surrounded by cowboys, horse pastures, and murder suspects. Not to mention a murder was committed practically on her doorstep. How can she focus on romance and dinner clubs when one of her new friends or neighbors might be a murderer? Things go from bad to worse when a second body is discovered.
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Series: The Dinner Club Murder Mysteries - Book 2
Author: Karen C. Whalen
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press, Inc

Not According to Flan, is a fast-paced, fun, easy-to-read cozy that keeps the reader guessing the identity of the killer until the very end. The location is a wonderful combination of city and country living mixed with old acquaintances and new romantic interests. Karen Whalen has created believable and likable characters that almost any reader can relate with.

Jane is an older woman who has had a rough life, and all she wants to do is start over in a new place with new people. Unfortunately, things don’t go according to plan when her new home is next to a crime scene. The only suspects Jane can find are the very people who created her new neighborhood and the not so unhappy windows.

The characters in this story are likable and entertaining. The action is intriguing and filled with twists and turns. This is the second book in “The Dinner Club Murder Mysteries” series and has all the makings of an original story and series that can go on indefinitely. Although it isn’t necessary for the reader to have read the first book in the series, it is something they will want to go back to after reading the second installment.

Readers of romantic cozy mysteries will enjoy the interaction between Jane and Everett as they learn to trust each other and enjoy their time together. Jane’s friend Cheryl has moved on to a new life with her husband. She pops up throughout the story to remind readers that good friends even when they are far away will still be there in the background waiting for a call or an email or a late night conversation.

The reader will be on pins and needles waiting to find out who the killer is and anticipating the next book in the series. There is no sexual content, bad language or anything that would be inappropriate for readers of all ages. Not According to Flan is highly recommended.

An ARC was provided by NetGalley

This is book #2 in the Dinner Club Murder Mystery Series. I do recommend the first book however this can be read as a stand alone.
In this book Jane is recovering from the death of both her first and second husbands. She had fallen under suspicion in her hometown when her second husband died She decides to move outside of Denver into the country and forge a new life away from her past Just as she settles she discovers a murder victim right next to her property. She finds herself once again under suspicion and must fight to save her own life. When a second victim is discovered Jane must become a skilled sleuth to save her reputation and her life.
i enjoyed the fast pace of this story. The sleuth is very well crafted and kept me guessing. I like Jane and how independent she is. This is a very enjoyable read.

Not According to Flan is a very well written mystery. I enjoyed the plot and the author's writing.

I'm meeting these characters for the first time in this book. There were parts where they were talking about their history but it didn't make me feel like I could read this as a stand alone. What a "welcome to the neighborhood." Two murders! I think the story was well told but I did guess who the killer was early on in the book and other things too.