Death in a Difficult Position

Mantra for Murder Mystery #4

by Diana Killian

At Sacred Balance yoga studio, owner A.J. Alexander tries to help her clients feel heavenly. But a seriously inflexible preacher claims she's sending them straight to hell...until he ends up dead, and A.J. has to stretch her sleuthing skills to the limit.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Contemporary, Cozy, Fiction

295 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 6, 2011

About the author

Author of the Poetic Death series and the Mantra for Murder series.

Reviews

[Ms. Smartarse · Rating 2 out of 5]

A.J. is baffled: since when did Yoga became a mortal sin?! Granted, those newfangled TV churches will say anything for a good rating. So as any logical adult she sets up for a negotiation with the charming reverend Goode (oh the irony!) of the New Dawn Church. Not quite unexpectedly, the preacher is quite firm in his position, and rather unexpectedly handsy in his approach... is that a religious thing?

What does come unexpectedly is Lily Martin, A.J.'s archnemesis in all things yoga, asking for help in hiring a P.I. to unmask the infamous reverend. Turns out, that Goode doesn't just have it out for the Sacred Ballance yoga studio... and then he dies a rather gruesome death, by the prickle of a pen. As marketing schemes go, offing enemies does not do the Yoga Meridian any good, and its manager (Lily) is now prime suspect. A.J. would rather keep her nose clean this time around, but Lily has specifically asked for help, and A.J's mother's meddling is of course unstoppable.


The author of Evangelism Theology doesn't think so.

After the 3rd installment of the series I had more or less decided to drop it. The murder mystery investigations were OKAY, but the romantic aspects of the story left much to be desired. We get a LOOOT of teasing, and close to no rewards.

For those of you who manage to avoid storms in teacups, you may have missed that the author of this novel also writes crime novels of the M/M romantic persuasion, under the pseudonym Josh Lanyon; one of my absolute favorite writers. Which is of course my entire motivation for picking up this series in the first place. The writing style once again rose up to my expectation, with plenty of snarky/funny one-liners to choose from. See my status updates for examples, I can't be bothered to look for new ones.



The romantic subplot however... was lukewarm at best, and even there I'm being mightily generous. I felt zero tingles in my throat, the butterflies in my stomach were deeply asleep, and all the characters' teasing about Jake proposing to A.J. led nowhere. Not that there is anything wrong with a marriage-less relationship if that's what both (all?) participants wish for. The problem is that both Jake AND A.J. wanted more... but were too busy pussyfooting around the subject to do anything about it.

Just to double check, I reread The Dark Tide, and yes, it still delivered plenty of fangirl squeals from me, inspite of the number of rereads. So it's not the author in general, but this series in particular. *pouts*

Score: 2.3/5 stars

In the end, the resolution of the murder mystery was disappointing, the romantic subplot flopped big time... and after checking the publication years, I couldn't even blame inexperience. The last book from the Adrien English series was published 3 years before this one. And I know it was not a one off series.

I'm hoping the reason for the lack of any conclusion in the romance department was that another book was planned, and then dropped due to poor sales or something. Be as it may, I'm done with these modern cosy mysteries. It's back to Miss Marple for me.

====================
Review of book 1: Corpse Pose
Review of book 2: Dial Om for Murder
Review of book 3: Murder on the Eightfold Path

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, interesting book. I enjoyed the mystery and the characters. I totally agree with AJ about camping, especially in November. Fun story. #readforkimberly

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This final book in series tackled the common misconception that Yoga is a Religion. (It is not. It is a science, that exercises the body, mind, and soul). Small town minister accusing yoga teachers of being on the side of the devil worked as part of the plot. It was a decent cosy mystery. Angry 'yoga' teacher throughout the series bugs me. No one doing that much yoga would be that ugly acting. Yes yogi's are like anyone we have our good days and bad. But to be perpetually rude and obnoxious? No.

[VJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is the best of the series so far. The characters are maturing and fleshing out nicely. The yoga is integrated but not preachy. New situations other than the murders keep cropping up, just like in real life.

I particularly identified with this book as I know just how easy it can be for even extremely intelligent people to get sucked into the horse and pony show of a charismatic preacher and have it ruin their life and relationships.

I also liked the story developing of how AJ has started to mentor a young lady who is troubled and in need of a good role model, as that was one of her Aunt Diandra's major legacies. If there are more of these books in the works, I hope that more of this type of storyline pops up. I also hope there's a wedding soon!!!

[Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Stillbrook, New Jersey, A. J. Alexander runs a yoga studio, Sacred Balance, that she inherited from her favorite aunt, Diantha. Lily Martin, formerly A.J.'s studio manager is now running a rival studio called Yoga Meridian. Lily gets all fired up when she hears about the new Reverend David Goode in town. Apparently, he thinks yoga is derived from demonic practices and he tries to convince his parishoners that they will go to hell if they practice at any of the yoga studios. The Reverend wants to shut them all down and he is vehemently vocal about it.

The hot-tempered Lily begs A.J. to try to talk to the fire and brimstone spewing Goode into thinking differently about yoga but that is like talking to a brick wall. Funny how it turns out the righteous Reverend is not quite so good himself. It seems he has a few skeletons in his closet, so, it's no surprise one morning he is found dead and it's obviously murder.

Since Lily was so vocal about her condemnation of Reverend Goode, the police think she could be the killer. Lily wants A.J. to use her sleuthing skills to try to find the real killer. That sure puts A.J. in a difficult position! She ends up having to do a lot of digging into Goode's past and what she finds is mindblowing! Reverend Goode has been quite the bad boy for some time and not just locally.

Killian presents a great mystery with this one. First, I thought the killer was one person and then another. She had me stumped! A.J.s mother was a character I really liked. She and her Golden Gumshoe friends added a lot of spice and humor to the book. 4****

Although this is # 4 in the Mantra for Murder series, it can be read as a stand-alone.

[❂ Murder by Death · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably my favourite in the series so far. Much less angst on the part of the main character, interesting story line and good character development. The two characters I found most annoying, her mother and Lily, were more subdued, I think. Overall, a great addition and I hope to continue seeing books in this series.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

This grabbed me from the beginning and didn't let go. For the cozy mystery genre this was an excellent read. I finished it in one night. Believable murder and kept me guessing.

[Wyshona D. Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love A.J. and her mom.

[Susinok · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hope there will be more!

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book of the series so far. Finally a real cozy-mystery. I liked the first book alright but second and third were too much "chick-flick" as cozy-mystery. The crimes were there but only in the backround so to speak.
This time you've got all. The murder, the mystery till the end and my least favorite characters as backround noices.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

No. 4 in this cozy mystery series. More characters introduced and relationships settling. This is not a complicated series but enjoyable. I do like the recipes and even the little bit of yoga advice. I will continue to read. Like yoga, give it a try. You may find you like it!

[LilBib’Phile · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 4th in the series, but the first for me. I thought this book was very well-written and well plotted.
I look forward to reading more of this interesting series!

[Karen-Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yoga series

[Mary Corso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad

This was the first book I was in this series. It was pretty good. I missed a few interpersonal details by not reading the previous books, but nothing was confusing.

[Nairabell · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the charasmatic Reverend David Goode moves to Stillbrook he singles out Sacred Balance and Yoga Meridian as the root of evil. According to him, yoga is a heathen demonic practice. AJ isn't the only person whose livelihood is at risk - her ex-partner Lily is the new manager of Yoga Meridian. But when the Reverend ends up dead and Lily is arrested, AJ feels she has to prove Lily's innocence. But with the Reverend's distinctly unreligious habits and the appearance of the Jersey Devil, this case may be AJ's strangest yet.

This is the fourth book in the Mantra for Murder Mysteries (after Corpse Pose, Dial Om for Murder and Murder on the Eightfold Path) and I really enjoyed it. I struggled through the last installment as there was so much going on at once, but now AJ's life is more settled the book was a great read. The densly plotted storyline was packed with twists and turns and kept me glued to the page. The ending is well thought out and gives a surprisingly upbeat conclusion to the story.

The idea of covering the debate between religion and yoga was a fascinating idea, partly because I've seen arguments against yoga from various religious figureheads in the real world. AJ comes up against a Reverend who is convinced that yoga is the work of the devil and they have several interesting conversations where AJ tries to explain her perspective and he railroads her. The author manages to show that it is closemindedness that is the problem, rather than blaming religion itself.

I was a little concerned that I wouldn't really care about Lily being accused of murder as I didn't really like her in the previous books, but my attention was drawn into the case by AJ's mother Elysia. Now the star of her own mystery TV show Golden Gumshoes, Elysia turns up with her fellow castmembers and plunges straight into the case. Also the threat of Lily coming back to Sacred Balance had me rooting for AJ proving her innocence.

There were also some great supporting storylines, including AJ and Jake's increasingly serious romance and also Elysia's new relationship with her costar Dean. The latter is great because it brings the attraction between Elysia and town lawyer Mr Meagher to a head. Yoga also gets more page time with AJ's own practice and it's impact on grumpy teenager Mocha. However my favourite part of the book has to be the appearance of the Jersey Devil. I've loved folklore on this for years so to see it take a leading role in a book was brilliant.

At the end of the book there is the usual yoga and recipe section. This time it features a guide to three yoga poses (sideways bend, forward bend and cobra pose) alongside recipes for Baked Manicotti and Chocolate Clementine Cake which were both mouthwateringly described in the book.

All in all this was a great read from a fun series.

Plot: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Cover: 9/10

Overall: 49/50

[Em · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the fourth installment of the Mantra for Murder cozy mystery series. I think it may be favorite. Granted, cozy mysteries have a predictable story line, but it's nice to get lost in a short book where you know that that the good guys live and the bad guy gets caught.

In general, I do not read mysteries. As a child, I adored Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden. As an adult, I have read many Nevada Barr mysteries, but only because they are set in national parks, a favorite destination of mine. However, this series appeals to me because of the yoga theme, even though it's not very strong.

What I liked about this installment is that AJ, our mystery solving yoga teacher/studio heiress, has a life with a routine. We're not being thrown into the drama of her life, such as with the other books. This was instantly more appealing and believable.

I also liked that Lily, her previous co-manager, is barely in the book, and when she is, her previous negative energy doesn't control the story line.

Even the drama of her mother, Elysia, has settled down. Elysia's current adventures make her more interesting and fun.

Thankfully, references to designer clothing were toned down, too. Perhaps the author is trying to show that AJ isn't as influenced by designer clothing as she once was, thanks to yoga's influence?

One of the nice aspects about this series is that there are so many characters introduced in each book and so many reoccurring characters. Reading these books is like getting reacquainted with old friends.

I look forward to more installments in this series. It will be interesting to see if yoga is woven more deeply into the stories, or at least into AJ’s life, such as with her sunrise classes.

[Jeannie and Louis Rigod · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book caught my attention at once with it's beginning sentence. "The Reverend David Goode says you're going to hell." Now this book is centered around an owner/instructor of Yoga exercises studio. However, I remembered the same thing actually being said to my husband when we were first married by an unenlightened person. What ignorance there is in the world, but what an excellent hook to pull me into the book, and I was Not disappointed in the least.

Our A.J. is not only assaulted with an ignorant pastor, she has to deal with the infamous Jersey Devil, her mother's engagement, an over-weight teenager, attitudes, and yes, murders. Murders of not only humans but cows! What is going on?

Well, I'm not going to tell you. This is a laugh out loud novel that gives you plenty to think about as well as a juicy story to read. I found the book light but sobering at times, and the pages flew by my eyes.

This is a great book and be alert for things in the dark!

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this 4th book in the series, AJ and all the local yoga studio owners are being bombarded by a local minister, Rev Goode, as agents of satan. Of all the yogis, Lily, AJ's former co-worker, is the most upset. Lily has had some very unpleasant and very public encounters with the not-so-good Reverend. So when he is found dead, Lily is the main suspect. AJ is not Lily's biggest fan, but she does not think she could murder anyone. With the help of her mom, AJ tries to help Lily. As usual, much craziness ensues.

I really enjoy this series. I love AJ and her mum. I also like her long suffering policeman boyfriend, Jake. We get to see more of the folks from the yoga studio in this book too. In this book we see some more of New Jersey too when AJ and some of the yoga folks go on a camping trip. There are also a lot of hints that Jake is getting serious. Looking forward to the next book.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very excited to have received this book from Goodreads! I will be posting a review shortly! THANKS GOODREADS!
Well I'm glad that I stuck this one out!! The beginning of the story did agood job of painting a picture of the setting for me. The wsy it was set up was relatable. I do like to exercise and thought it would discuss classes ect more than it did. However I really did like the way the instructors and clients showed the sense of community that you can see at the gym. The plot and the situstions moved at a great pace and were very interesting. The only downfall in my opinion is the pace and almost jumpy ending. I was pulled along and could keep up with the final chapter but I wish it was more simple and more details were expained in the end. Some questions were left for me.....possibly on purpose.

[Georgiann Hennelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

At Sacred Balance Yoga studio A.J.Alexander tries to help her clients feel heavonly. But the Charismatic Reverend David Goode, is pointing a rightrous finger at A.J. Yoga studio calling it the towns center of sin. His Fire and Brimstone speeches only get worse. When Lily her ruthless yoga rival approaches A.j with the idea that they all band together against Goode before he drives them all out of business. A.J sents up a meeting with the other Yoga studio owners in surrending towns and they all agree Goode needs to be stopped.But when Goode is murdered and hot-tempered Lily is accused and arrested for the crime A.j discovers that the good reverend was really a bad bad boiy with a flock full of motives for murder. And it is up to A.J to help clear Lilys name.

[Ericka Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I loved Diana's Poetic Death series, I have to say that I'm enjoying this series even more -- the yoga exercises and yummy recipes might be to blame for that. LOL.

Death in a Difficult Position is the latest installment in the Mantra for Murder mysteries and is as good as, or better, than the others. I've read the stories in order and suspect that others would get greater enjoyment from knowing a little of the history of the characters before falling into the series.

[Jenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was...okay. To be honest, the mystery was fine, but I took off an entire star because of the fat shaming in the beginning of Mocha. The mother gets on my nerves in the extreme. There are several instances where there are prolonged descriptions of yoga that do absolutely nothing to advance the plot and doesn't even do much to enhance your understanding of yoga. Its basically worthless bits of text that don't really do anything. So, meh.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the best of the series so far, but the narration/protagonist still isn't compelling as a yoga teacher, even if she came upon it by happenstance. The series of poses practiced in a yoga class is called a "sequence," not a "routine." A student may not know this, but *every* yoga teacher does.

Aside: It looks like there's a new cover illustrator.

[Susan Wardzala · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since the plot has already been discribed, I will skip that.
It felt to me like every other good cosy out right now. It has the "hook" of yoga (instead of scrapbooking, sewing, knitting, quiting etc)and it was nice a relaxing. The charactures were good and defined, but, really, not much new. It was a fun, familiar read.

[Caroline · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm just not into yoga and the main character's mother gets on my nerves. Aside from not being interested in being told about healthy eating, when the protag lets herself get pushed into a camping trip she doesn't want to take, I really just couldn't finish this book.

[Amber Polo · Rating 3 out of 5]

As good or better than the other in the series. The Jersey Devil and real yoga studio issues made this one lots of fun. I liked how Killian keeps all her themes on fire. I'm not a usual cozy reader and I can't help but be disappointed when the murderer is not who I suspected, but that's only me.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good. Not good enough to keep (I don't really need dozens of cheesy mysteries that I probably won't read again) but good enough to enjoy other books from this series if I come across them :-)

[Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun installment from Killian. A.J. is a great charater!

[Thain · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cotton candy cozy mystery. It is sugary and sweet but mostly air. While I like it, a little more depth would be nice.

[Vicki · Rating 2 out of 5]

dumb fun :)