Running from Arrows

It is a small book, and can be read in one sitting but packs quite a lot into it. It is the second book in the series and though it can be read as a standalone feature, I highly recommend getting acquainted with the people by reading the first book. Their quirks may not seem too normal if they are encountered suddenly in this installment. 

It has been seven months since the last time the police dealt with murder. This time the situation is a little different. There is a 'cat burglar' on the loose and he sends advance notice as a challenge. The town is up in arms and waiting for him to make his move but somebody makes theirs instead. This one more than a little deadly for all concerned. The trio of ladies have more than one mystery to solve as well as put into action a plan that Lacy has come up with. This book felt more together than the last one, with the flow of the story seeming more natural. There were a few references to 'writing cozy mysteries' that made me chuckle a little. Overall I would have rated this book higher if not for a couple of things. Once again Ruby does most of the detecting, and although it makes sense in one way, everyone else is just blundering about while she has quite a few facts hidden up her sleeve and brings it out when its need is almost past or at the final reveal. That and the fact that I stumbled upon the culprit thanks to some well placed references meant that I missed the complete thrill of the reveal. The women and their banter as well as the plot itself (this book has lesser references to running and more to systematic clue solving) has gotten better and this makes me look forward to the next book in the series.

A good cozy mystery novella that can be read really fast.
The plot was good and the cast of characters likable.
I look forward to reading other books in this series.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC

I liked the old time feel of this book. It reminds me of the old mysteries. I did think that Ruby was a bit pushy but that mellows out over time. I enjoyed it. #RunningFromArrows #NetGalley

I enjoyed this book, too, though not as much as I expected I would based on the first in the series. The characters are more or less the same, and I like the ones that were introduced in this one (At least as characters. Some of them not as people.) The style is basically the same, so there's not much I can say about that. It might have been improved a little bit. I feel like it did, but I can't put my finger on what exactly makes me feel like this, so it remains a feeling.

These are the things I expected.

I'm not so sure about the story, though. After I read the ending, and learned everything about all the connections between the events, I thought it was pretty clever - but I was surprised it was clever, and I don't think that's so flattering. I mean, reading this book my interest kept going and coming back, because that's how much I didn't think about one storyline while reading about the other. There was also an escape room scene which could've been very interesting, had it some connection to the real mystery, but it really didn't have, thus making it simply a distraction from what would've been interesting. I still think I would've loved it, if it were a bit shorter - half a chapter, maybe one. Not more. I think this was in itself a very good story, but the pacing was a bit off in this one.

The other reason I wasn't so enthusiastic about this book (as the first one) is more subjective: half the book dealt with Valentine's Day stuff, and unfortunately that's something that I hate. This hype about V-Day, I mean. I hate that half the world goes totally crazy over it, that you must have a date, unless I don't know what, I hate how cheesy and not honest it is. So, obviously, I wasn't a big fan of the fact that the characters I otherwise like feel like this is such big an event. The scene where Lacy waits for the revelation who her 'secret admirer' is was one I felt like I was watching a movie straight out of Hollywood, and that's not something I like. At all.

Well, that sounds like I didn't like this book at all, which is not true! I did, it's just so much easier to talk about the things that bother me... It's all in comparison to the first book, which I rated 4.5.

I will follow this series forward! (If there's any more books to come.)

This is another first time author for me. I didn’t expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. I had no clue this was a series. This one is about a woman named Lacy who seems to have a penchant for mystery and murder. The premise is clever I had recently read another book about “Cupid’s” and it prompted me to ask for this book.

I loved that you can learn about the inner workings of connected events. This is exactly what kept my interesting going. There’s a specific scene that includes an escape room which was all the more interesting since they keep popping up everywhere now, I haven’t had a chance to do one yet. But that scene makes me want to do one. Anyway, it had more connection to the real mystery.

The pacing isn’t too bad. I’d like it to have been a little faster. But maybe I’m just impatient. Some of the scenes felt a bit “Hollywood” but that could’ve been intentional due to the content of the book. All in all it’s a cute mystery with a little shot of love in there.

Ha. I made a pun!

I received the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Netgalley and the publisher.

how cute is that book!!

The perfect cozy mystery to be read around Valentine's day!!

The book is quite short so can be easily read in one sitting ;)

I am not a favor of running but I am certainly a fan of this series. At least I hope it is going to keep going. Cupid's arrow causes the Black Cat to run out of lives and a case of mistaken identity causes the death of another. So many mysteries wrapped in pretty Valentine paper and sprinkled with glitter including the anonymous roses and notes for Lacy from a secret Valentine. I wasn't able to guess the admirer but I was able to figure out the killer but not the reason behind. Unlike Ms. Ruby, I did not piece together the puzzle behind the motive. I must say that after reading this mystery I would LOVE to find an Escape Room to put my mystery solving skills to work like Stax, Lacy, and Ms. Ruth. An excellent read!

Super cute cozy perfect for this month and Valentines Day! Short and sweet. This is more of a novella length and can be read in one sitting easily.

This is the second book in a series, though you can read it as a stand-alone. I read the book and really enjoyed it and decided to read the second, it didn’t disappoint either. It’s a short fast paced read that you can read in one sitting. The style and characters are somewhat the same and have the same quirks I loved the first time. This was such a fun who-done-it!

It's getting close to Valentine's Day and runner Lacy has a secret admirer sending her roses and cryptic notes. She thinks he is one of 3 men: the handsome detective she met during her first murder case, a ruggedly handsome businessman/developer or the suave Maitre'd at a local Italian restaurant. Lacy will soon find out his identity since he has invited her out for a Valentine's Day dinner.

During the annual Sweetheart Run, a fellow run leader goes missing while on the trail. Then another runner in a cupid's costume is murdered and the notorious burglar called the Black Cat is found dead with an arrow sticking out of him. Are these murders and the case of the missing runner all connected? Lacy, with the help of her friends, quirky bookstore owner Stax and retired mystery novelist Ruby are determined to catch this killer and exonerate an innocent man!

This was a quick read and another fun entry in the Running Store mystery series.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and BooksGoSocial with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

Book 2 in the “A Running Store Mystery” series was a quirky short story mystery involving Cupid’s arrow(s) and Valentine’s Day.

Lacy, the main character, is placed in another mystery of both a double murder and figuring out who her secret admirer is. With the help of Ruby and Stax, the three set out to solve both mysteries before the Cupid Killer (so fondly dubbed) strikes again!

The plot thickens when another unsuspecting victim is killed on Valentine with an arrow. Will Lacy, Ruby and Stax catch the killer before it is too late?

Overall “Running from Arrows” was an easy read, and included many twist and turns. I didn’t expect the reveal of who the killer was nor who was Lacy’s secret admirer.

3.5 stars

** I received a copy of “Running from Arrows” , Book 2 of A Running Store Mystery by T.C. Wescott via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I apologize for my late review.

#RunningFromArrows #NetGalley

I read this title as a standalone and did not feel like I missed too much from the first book to enjoy it.

Lacy is puzzled over who her secret admirer could be. Especially with Valentine's Day approaching.
But, what puzzles her more is who is killing people around her.

A mystery with a bit of romance tossed in for good measure. The characters have a bit of quirkiness to them and the setting is described well enough that you almost want to go visit the small town. Well, so long as a murderer isn't on the loose!

What a fascinating book. I was impressed by the storyline and the characters were all well written and complex. Where there are complex storylines combined with intriguing characters the reader experience is magnified tremendously. To have a book that is well written as well as entertaining is a delight. Reading is about escaping your world and entering another one. The word building was phenomenal in this book. Here I forgot about my own life and was immersed in the world created by the author. I would recommend this

The best things always come in small packages. A crammed full cozy mystery, that is a quick and easy read. Enjoyable from beginning to end, it's a fun tale that can be enjoyed any time, regardless of its Valentines Day centre.