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A review by leandrathetbrzero
Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop by Emmeline Duncan
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Thank you, Kensington, for a free ARC copy of this book in exchange for this honest review.
This book was the chosen read for Only Murders in the Book Club this month, and I was admittedly a bit nervous about entering this cozy mystery. I am a mystery lover who has a love-hate relationship with the Cozy subgenre. There are some modern cozy series that I continue to enjoy, but the very narrow, strict rules and structure within this subgenre tend to grate on me. With that said, this first book in a new cozy series caught my eye because the strong hobby/theme infused throughout was all things Halloween and autumnal. The Lazy Bones Bookshop is located in the year-round Halloween-themed town of Elyan Hollow, Oregon. That's a setting description that I can get behind!
I had a great time reading this book, to be honest. I immersion-read it, meaning I listened to the audiobook while reading along with my physical ARC copy. It's important to note that there was a 50/50 split among the audiobook listeners I spoke to regarding the quality. Some found the choice of narrator to be flat and grating in her delivery, so keep that in mind if you tend to me more sensitive about that format!
Back to the book's content: (1) I loved the Halloween puns, the way the entire town leaned into the theme. (2) I really liked Bailey Briggs, our amateur sleuth, and it was so fun hearing her reference New Release Tuesday and other literary/bookshop-focused knowledge. (3) There is a lot of positive, supportive community feels.
Would I continue the series? Yes!
This book was the chosen read for Only Murders in the Book Club this month, and I was admittedly a bit nervous about entering this cozy mystery. I am a mystery lover who has a love-hate relationship with the Cozy subgenre. There are some modern cozy series that I continue to enjoy, but the very narrow, strict rules and structure within this subgenre tend to grate on me. With that said, this first book in a new cozy series caught my eye because the strong hobby/theme infused throughout was all things Halloween and autumnal. The Lazy Bones Bookshop is located in the year-round Halloween-themed town of Elyan Hollow, Oregon. That's a setting description that I can get behind!
I had a great time reading this book, to be honest. I immersion-read it, meaning I listened to the audiobook while reading along with my physical ARC copy. It's important to note that there was a 50/50 split among the audiobook listeners I spoke to regarding the quality. Some found the choice of narrator to be flat and grating in her delivery, so keep that in mind if you tend to me more sensitive about that format!
Back to the book's content: (1) I loved the Halloween puns, the way the entire town leaned into the theme. (2) I really liked Bailey Briggs, our amateur sleuth, and it was so fun hearing her reference New Release Tuesday and other literary/bookshop-focused knowledge. (3) There is a lot of positive, supportive community feels.
Would I continue the series? Yes!