What do you think?
Rate this book
An Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery #1
A Killer Read
For the first meeting of the Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straws Society, six friends gather in Molly Matthews's old Southern mansion-including Lizzie Turner, a reading specialist with a penchant for mysteries. But the mystery book club meeting becomes the scene of an actual murder when a stranger is shot-and nobody knows who the victim is, or how Molly' antique gun came to be used as the murder weapon.Then Lizzie begins finding mysterious manuscript chapters in her mailbox. As she and the book club members try to read between the lines, Molly surfaces as the next name on the killer's list...
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2012
59 people are currently reading
2445 people want to read
About the author
Erika Chase
5 books119 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Erika writes the Ashton Corners Book Club mysteries for Penguin/Berkley Prime Crime. In a parallel life Erika Chase is also known as Linda Wiken. A former mystery bookstore owner (Prime Crime Books in Ottawa, ON, Canada), Linda is also a short story writer. She is a member of those dangerous dames, The Ladies' Killing Circle.
Her short stories have appeared in the seven Ladies’ Killing Circle anthologies (three of which she co-edited), and in the magazines Mysterious Intent and Over My Dead Body. She has been short-listed for an Arthur Ellis Award, Best Short Story, from Crime Writers of Canada.
Before life in the world of mystery, she worked as an advertising copywriter, radio producer, journalist and community education worker. Besides writing and reading mysteries, her other passion is choral singing and she is a member of two choirs.
She shares her house with Keesha and Mojo, her two Siamese cats. Actually, they allow her to live there.
Erika writes the Ashton Corners Book Club mysteries for Penguin/Berkley Prime Crime. In a parallel life Erika Chase is also known as Linda Wiken. A former mystery bookstore owner (Prime Crime Books in Ottawa, ON, Canada), Linda is also a short story writer. She is a member of those dangerous dames, The Ladies' Killing Circle.
Her short stories have appeared in the seven Ladies’ Killing Circle anthologies (three of which she co-edited), and in the magazines Mysterious Intent and Over My Dead Body. She has been short-listed for an Arthur Ellis Award, Best Short Story, from Crime Writers of Canada.
Before life in the world of mystery, she worked as an advertising copywriter, radio producer, journalist and community education worker. Besides writing and reading mysteries, her other passion is choral singing and she is a member of two choirs.
She shares her house with Keesha and Mojo, her two Siamese cats. Actually, they allow her to live there.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 247 reviews
August 6, 2024
This is probably better than I’m giving it credit for, but I really didn’t get into it at all. The opening was decent, but after that it felt very drawn out. I really want to get into cosy mysteries, but I guess this isn’t the series for me.
July 5, 2013
Just finished this for the Cozy Mystery Corner book group on Goodreads. I really have mixed feelings about this. This book was on the short list for the Agatha Awards from Malice Domestic but it didn’t completely work for me. It was as though the author had a checklist: book theme, check, cats, check, small southern town, check, sheriff love interest, check, but she wasn’t really invested in these items.
I didn’t solve the mystery prior to the reveal but looking back I suppose I could have guessed at it. The main character Lizzie was likable enough, but a little two dimensional. I really didn’t need the description of all her outfits and yes, we understood that she was into fitness. We didn’t really need to keep hearing how she needed to go run or run more or missed a day running and drinking her protein shakes.
My biggest issue with the book was the pacing. Every time it seemed like something was going to happen, it didn’t. The action stopped and she went to work or off on some mundane errand. Slow pacing. Even the little mystery book club started to get interested in solving the mystery and then they seemed to lose interest. I also found the name dropping of other cozy mystery authors distracting, for some reason it seemed to pull me out of the story.
Often I find series improve after the initial book, but I don’t know if I will read another in this series. On the other hand, the fact that it was up for an Agatha makes me think I should give it another chance.
I didn’t solve the mystery prior to the reveal but looking back I suppose I could have guessed at it. The main character Lizzie was likable enough, but a little two dimensional. I really didn’t need the description of all her outfits and yes, we understood that she was into fitness. We didn’t really need to keep hearing how she needed to go run or run more or missed a day running and drinking her protein shakes.
My biggest issue with the book was the pacing. Every time it seemed like something was going to happen, it didn’t. The action stopped and she went to work or off on some mundane errand. Slow pacing. Even the little mystery book club started to get interested in solving the mystery and then they seemed to lose interest. I also found the name dropping of other cozy mystery authors distracting, for some reason it seemed to pull me out of the story.
Often I find series improve after the initial book, but I don’t know if I will read another in this series. On the other hand, the fact that it was up for an Agatha makes me think I should give it another chance.
February 25, 2022
This is the first book in the series about a book club that meets once a week at Molly's home. They also help out people that have difficulty reading so they can get their GED's. Lizzie the MC is a teacher who specializes teaching students with reading difficulties and goes to several different schools and with different levels and grades. (I can relate as I had to have special lessons, but look at me now).
There are a couple of mysteries going on in this book but they are interconnected but they don't figure that out for a while. I love the name of the book club, The Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straw Society. The characters are fun except for one female cop that no one likes. This was a good start to the series.
There are a couple of mysteries going on in this book but they are interconnected but they don't figure that out for a while. I love the name of the book club, The Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straw Society. The characters are fun except for one female cop that no one likes. This was a good start to the series.
May 19, 2013
So much mainstream mystery is from the USA, I was excited to find Erika Chase. I am befuddled the pages of “A Killer Read” are rife with American habits like “have got” - instead of plainly using “have”. Erika even spells “colour” without “U”, which should come naturally. American ‘stuff’ is already abundant. Canadians with the chance to produce work, usually showcase our country. Instead, here’s yet another setting in the American south!
I like the protagonist, ‘Lizzy’ and cast, after taking time to absorb them. But the second rub is categorization as a mystery. I liken the difference to riding by car versus a plane. Some people travel without a destination. Others prefer to target one and focus time there. This book, other than inserting a death at the start, sees no action until around page 200 and reads like general fiction. The crux turns out to be good and very plausible but it isn't the cat mystery you might expect, nor is there any sense of urgency at any time. It's slow; 85% done before there's any adrenaline or danger. It almost entirely entails Lizzy pursuing a too-busy schedule every day of the week.
One thing that some authors unfortunately do, is sacrifice exciting moments for the mundane. When something interesting finally occurred for Lizzy, like receiving pages of the tale-telling manuscript; we the audience are gypped of being fuelled... because the protagonist had to go to work. Really?! Also, the characters identifying themselves as great mystery fans could be very cute in the solving of various puzzles. But those chuckles and Agatha Christie references are rehashed so many times, the remark feels forced and fizzles by the time it might have been astute. I support Canadian talent whole-heartedly but this novel mismatched expectations on several fronts.
I like the protagonist, ‘Lizzy’ and cast, after taking time to absorb them. But the second rub is categorization as a mystery. I liken the difference to riding by car versus a plane. Some people travel without a destination. Others prefer to target one and focus time there. This book, other than inserting a death at the start, sees no action until around page 200 and reads like general fiction. The crux turns out to be good and very plausible but it isn't the cat mystery you might expect, nor is there any sense of urgency at any time. It's slow; 85% done before there's any adrenaline or danger. It almost entirely entails Lizzy pursuing a too-busy schedule every day of the week.
One thing that some authors unfortunately do, is sacrifice exciting moments for the mundane. When something interesting finally occurred for Lizzy, like receiving pages of the tale-telling manuscript; we the audience are gypped of being fuelled... because the protagonist had to go to work. Really?! Also, the characters identifying themselves as great mystery fans could be very cute in the solving of various puzzles. But those chuckles and Agatha Christie references are rehashed so many times, the remark feels forced and fizzles by the time it might have been astute. I support Canadian talent whole-heartedly but this novel mismatched expectations on several fronts.
August 20, 2012
I saw this book on the shelf at my friendly neighbourhood bookstore. I read the back and was vaguely intrigued, but not intrigued enough to buy. Then I happened to stumble across it at the library and picked it up. Possibly I should have stuck with my original inclination.
It wasn't terrible, but there were some significant issues with it. For one, I'm not sure why this was set in the south, excactly. There was something slightly off with the dialogue. Originally I thought it was just the dialogue, but I don't think it is. I found a lot of the writing a bit clunky, and hard to follow, particularly the mystery. The relationships between characters are done well though.
The best example of the writing issues is the fact that the protagonist at one point, during the mystery solving actually said, "So, to reiterate what we've found out today," to the person who was with her all day. And the most ridiculous thing about it, upon further consideration of this was, that the recap was probably neccessary for the audience. I just found the whole case too complicated. By the end of the book, I was having trouble connecting all the threads. For example, the random manuscript seemed kind of pointless. And mostly I found I just didn't care about the mystery all that much. The solution came out of nowhere a bit. I think at least one of the threads surrounding the mystery needed to go.
However, I also thought there were some things that were just off.
1. Some details were harped on a lot, unneccsarily (it was mentioned about a dozen times that the protagonist drove a Mazda)
2. The book club could have been more charming, I felt. There needed to be more book club scenes where they discussed books, given that it's the conceit of the novel. If the point is to have a book club solve a crime, you also need to make sure they're a convincing book club. (Although, it's debatable just how much they contributed to solving a crime as well.)
3. There was far too much complaining about eating too many sweets and getting fat. It was tiresome, particularly since the book also manages to give the impression that all the women complaining are quite thin. A couple of times it's fine, but there was just too much of it.
4. The dialogue. It was sometimes clunky, and sometimes there was a lot of 'hon' and 'y'all,' and they seemed to be used inconsistently.
That said, the book was readable. The characters are likeable, and I am kind of curious about them. The romance was kind of charming. I enjoyed some of the side characters. I wanted more scenes between the protagonist and romantic lead. Also, her relationship with the woman who became a surrogate mother/grandmother was wonderful.
I might read the sequel out of pure curiosity at this point, but I did find this book has issues.
It wasn't terrible, but there were some significant issues with it. For one, I'm not sure why this was set in the south, excactly. There was something slightly off with the dialogue. Originally I thought it was just the dialogue, but I don't think it is. I found a lot of the writing a bit clunky, and hard to follow, particularly the mystery. The relationships between characters are done well though.
The best example of the writing issues is the fact that the protagonist at one point, during the mystery solving actually said, "So, to reiterate what we've found out today," to the person who was with her all day. And the most ridiculous thing about it, upon further consideration of this was, that the recap was probably neccessary for the audience. I just found the whole case too complicated. By the end of the book, I was having trouble connecting all the threads. For example, the random manuscript seemed kind of pointless. And mostly I found I just didn't care about the mystery all that much. The solution came out of nowhere a bit. I think at least one of the threads surrounding the mystery needed to go.
However, I also thought there were some things that were just off.
1. Some details were harped on a lot, unneccsarily (it was mentioned about a dozen times that the protagonist drove a Mazda)
2. The book club could have been more charming, I felt. There needed to be more book club scenes where they discussed books, given that it's the conceit of the novel. If the point is to have a book club solve a crime, you also need to make sure they're a convincing book club. (Although, it's debatable just how much they contributed to solving a crime as well.)
3. There was far too much complaining about eating too many sweets and getting fat. It was tiresome, particularly since the book also manages to give the impression that all the women complaining are quite thin. A couple of times it's fine, but there was just too much of it.
4. The dialogue. It was sometimes clunky, and sometimes there was a lot of 'hon' and 'y'all,' and they seemed to be used inconsistently.
That said, the book was readable. The characters are likeable, and I am kind of curious about them. The romance was kind of charming. I enjoyed some of the side characters. I wanted more scenes between the protagonist and romantic lead. Also, her relationship with the woman who became a surrogate mother/grandmother was wonderful.
I might read the sequel out of pure curiosity at this point, but I did find this book has issues.
October 6, 2012
I read this book at the recommendation of someone in a Facebook group. Admittedly, I'm a sucker for a lightweight mystery featuring cats. However, this one, in the end, was misleading. Yes there are two cats. They have names: Edam and Brie. However, the cats are hardly ever acknowledged except for when the heroine, Lizzie, has to feed them on the way out the door. The two cats are referred to as "the cats" and are really just appendages. It's obvious that the cats were made a part of the story in order to lure cat lovers.
I enjoyed the first third of the book. Lizzie is a reading specialist in a small Alabama town. She is actively involved in a literacy group as well as a choir. The book opens with Lizzie going to the inaugural meeting of a new mystery reading group. Mysteries and cheese straws - an inspired combination! I could see myself doing that. During their inaugural meeting, a man walks right into the house where they are having their meeting. Don't people in small Alabama towns lock their doors? He claims to be having car trouble. He makes a phone call that doesn't sound like a call to a tow truck, goes back to his car and is found dead. An antique pistol is the murder weapon - one that comes from the home of Molly who was hosting the meeting.
Honestly, I found this whole construct rather awkward, but was willing to give it a pass to see how the book progressed. At the same time, Lizzie is getting chapters of a mysterious manuscript plus mysterious telephone calls telling her to look into what story her journalist father was investigating when he was killed in a car accident. The problem with this book is, in the end, that the style just began to annoy me. Why do I need to be told in detail what Lizzie is wearing every time she goes out the door, down to what she is wearing to jog? We also are reading about a 30+ yr old woman who gets nervous when a man shows her around his house including the master bedroom? Finally, one of the things that really annoyed me was the math. We are told that Molly, Lizzie's wealthy, gracious and elderly friend, would have been married 60 yrs if her husband had lived. Yet she is in her "early 70's." How old was she when she got married? 12? 13? 14? Sorry, I think I'll pass on future books.
I enjoyed the first third of the book. Lizzie is a reading specialist in a small Alabama town. She is actively involved in a literacy group as well as a choir. The book opens with Lizzie going to the inaugural meeting of a new mystery reading group. Mysteries and cheese straws - an inspired combination! I could see myself doing that. During their inaugural meeting, a man walks right into the house where they are having their meeting. Don't people in small Alabama towns lock their doors? He claims to be having car trouble. He makes a phone call that doesn't sound like a call to a tow truck, goes back to his car and is found dead. An antique pistol is the murder weapon - one that comes from the home of Molly who was hosting the meeting.
Honestly, I found this whole construct rather awkward, but was willing to give it a pass to see how the book progressed. At the same time, Lizzie is getting chapters of a mysterious manuscript plus mysterious telephone calls telling her to look into what story her journalist father was investigating when he was killed in a car accident. The problem with this book is, in the end, that the style just began to annoy me. Why do I need to be told in detail what Lizzie is wearing every time she goes out the door, down to what she is wearing to jog? We also are reading about a 30+ yr old woman who gets nervous when a man shows her around his house including the master bedroom? Finally, one of the things that really annoyed me was the math. We are told that Molly, Lizzie's wealthy, gracious and elderly friend, would have been married 60 yrs if her husband had lived. Yet she is in her "early 70's." How old was she when she got married? 12? 13? 14? Sorry, I think I'll pass on future books.
June 22, 2012
A mystery bookclub? Ooh, I've died and gone to cozy lovers' heaven! Although the characters are diverse in age and social circumstances, Erika Chase makes it all work. And work well it does as she introduces her characters in an orderly manner so that the reader gets to know them well.
I really liked the fact that Lizzie is a reading specialist. It was also amusing to see the not so subtle rivalry between the former chief, Bob Miller and the new young chief along with his bad-tempered deputy, Amber Craig. Now there's one good ole gal you don't want to annoy!
If you have read any of my cozy reviews before, you probably know that I like the action to happen right away and in this one it does. Mystery upon mystery as no one seems to even know the victim or why on earth he was in Molly's house to begin with and then to be murdered in her driveway.
Along with the murder mystery is the mystery of the missing objects. Who on earth is stealing all Molly's little trinkets? More importantly, why? They aren't worth a lot of money but they do have sentimental value. As the saying goes," the plot thickens" . . . . .
With A Killer Read, Erika Chase is off to a very auspicious start in her new series. The characters felt like old friends right away and I loved the mystery-within-a-mystery with the pieces of unexplainable manuscript that kept popping up in Lizzie Turner's mailbox. I actually got really caught up in that story right along with the main plot! It was a lot of fun reading what the characters like to read; a lot of recognizable authors and titles. If you're looking for a fresh new cozy series in a southern setting, this one should be on your list of must-reads.
August 4, 2019
This was one cozy that has been on my to-read forever, and because I forgot to update my Kindle in wifi today I had to make some different choices to read while I was at the farm. This one caught my eye, and it turned out to be a really excellent choice!
The actual mystery spans over a number of years, and actually involves different situations and people. It's hard to guess where it's going, and although ultimately I was a little confused with the revealed murderer, after a bit of thought I warmed to it. I liked the group setting, and the methods they employed to catch the killer. I also really liked the start of a cute romance, and all the book references.
I'll definitely be reading more of this series. Five stars.
The actual mystery spans over a number of years, and actually involves different situations and people. It's hard to guess where it's going, and although ultimately I was a little confused with the revealed murderer, after a bit of thought I warmed to it. I liked the group setting, and the methods they employed to catch the killer. I also really liked the start of a cute romance, and all the book references.
I'll definitely be reading more of this series. Five stars.
February 20, 2016
After 5 days of struggling to read this book, I'm moving on. I don't care for the authors writing style, more of a teller not a shower and the characters have no depth.
October 14, 2014
I couldn't finish this cozy mystery. It crossed the line separating cozy from boring - and it was a snooze fest. Halfway through, I thought to myself "this simply isn't worth finishing," but decided to soldier on, then gave up at 65%. There are more words spent on what Lizzie wears, eats and does than there are moving the story forward. By the time I gave up, someone could've killed everyone in the town of Ashton Corners, and I wouldn't have cared.
September 5, 2017
4.5 stars. I thought it was a great cosy mystery absolutely love them. However the only downfall with this novel I would like to see the plot setting change. Was mainly set in Lizzies house, Lizzies School and Molly's house. With only a fraction of the novel Lizzie actually going to another location. But like I said other than that can not fault it.
August 11, 2012
Bleh. I like the idea of a book club mystery. I liked the quotes from other cozy mysteries at the beginning of each chapter. But, the whodunit reveal was a character so obscure I didn't even remember who that character was, so that was a giant letdown. Sigh.
August 5, 2020
I loved this read. It's light but not poorly written. The main character is engaging. Some of the side characters are underdeveloped, but I look forward to learning more about them as I read the rest of the series. Definitely a great, cozy mystery.
April 15, 2012
Loved this book!!!! It draws you in from the very first page! I recommend this book to anyone who wants to meet new friends. You feel like you are part of the book club!!
August 1, 2012
Too much redundancy, many of the events take place at Molly's house with Lizzie eating. Author needs to broaden the characters and the locations. Will not continue this series
November 29, 2020
Fun! Definitely didn’t see the killer coming and I loved how it was a book club that worked on solving the mystery!
September 13, 2012
First Line: "I've got an idea, Lizzie... why don't you just do, like, brain surgery or something on me."
Literacy specialist Lizzie Turner's days don't always run smoothly, especially when she has a reader as reluctant as teenager Andrea Mason. But Lizzie doesn't know the meaning of the word quit, and she's inspired to invite Andrea to the very first meeting of the Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straws Society.
What no one bargains for is the fact that the man who barges in on the meeting is found shortly afterwards shot dead in his car at the end of the driveway. The man was murdered with an antique gun stolen from member Molly Mathews' house, and when Officer Amber Craig focuses her attention on the members of the book club, Lizzie knows that she's going to have to find some sort of information that will make the human pit bull stop wasting time and chase after the real killer.
Author Erika Chase has the perfect premise for a cozy: a mystery readers book club set in small town Alabama whose main member is a literacy specialist who works with school boards, students, and teachers as well as teaching evening literacy classes. It's fun watching Lizzie trying to find that one spark of inspiration that will encourage someone to read, to keep on reading, and eventually to read for the sheer pleasure of it.
The fellow book club members are a varied lot: a retired police chief, a wealthy elderly widow, a school teacher, an unwed mother, a lawyer, and a high school student. Their varied ages, backgrounds, personalities and areas of expertise should prove to be fertile soil for future books in this new series. When you add romantic interest for Lizzie in the form of an old high school crush and her two Siamese cats named Edam and Brie, about the only other thing you could possibly need are lists of each book club member's reading recommendations-- mystery after mystery for crime fiction lovers of all types.
I found A Killer Read to be enjoyable from beginning to end in regards to both characterization and setting. Since it is set in Alabama, I was wondering how the author would handle regional speech, and I was pleased to see that Chase adds just enough to provide true Southern flavor without going over the top. Only the pickiest of readers should object to the number of times words like "y'all" appear in the book.
I did find one or two things that bothered me a bit. Each chapter begins with a quote from a mystery novel. Enough of these quotes are from books whose authors have also written blurbs for A Killer Read that it all seemed a bit like mutual admiration society overkill. Also, I've (unfortunately) gotten rather used to a bit of shoddy proofreading in the books I read, but this book has an error that shines like the brightest of beacons. The author obviously meant to refer to a Jack Russell terrier, but the dog remained a Jack Daniels terrier all the way through the editing process. I did check to see if there was a new breed of dog I wasn't aware of, but alas, no.
I also felt that the book's pacing was too slow, and I think the reason why it did seem to grind to a halt from time to time was because the author gives so much detail of Lizzie Turner's life and work. It wasn't long before I knew which nights she taught literacy classes, which night was choir practice, what days she tutored students, and so forth. I really feel as though I know Lizzie quite well-- and like her-- but all the repetitive information did slow the mystery down.
Yes, these things did bother me a bit, but I still found A Killer Read to be fun from beginning to end. Now that I know Lizzie and her friends so well, I'm very much looking forward to the next book in the series.
Literacy specialist Lizzie Turner's days don't always run smoothly, especially when she has a reader as reluctant as teenager Andrea Mason. But Lizzie doesn't know the meaning of the word quit, and she's inspired to invite Andrea to the very first meeting of the Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straws Society.
What no one bargains for is the fact that the man who barges in on the meeting is found shortly afterwards shot dead in his car at the end of the driveway. The man was murdered with an antique gun stolen from member Molly Mathews' house, and when Officer Amber Craig focuses her attention on the members of the book club, Lizzie knows that she's going to have to find some sort of information that will make the human pit bull stop wasting time and chase after the real killer.
Author Erika Chase has the perfect premise for a cozy: a mystery readers book club set in small town Alabama whose main member is a literacy specialist who works with school boards, students, and teachers as well as teaching evening literacy classes. It's fun watching Lizzie trying to find that one spark of inspiration that will encourage someone to read, to keep on reading, and eventually to read for the sheer pleasure of it.
The fellow book club members are a varied lot: a retired police chief, a wealthy elderly widow, a school teacher, an unwed mother, a lawyer, and a high school student. Their varied ages, backgrounds, personalities and areas of expertise should prove to be fertile soil for future books in this new series. When you add romantic interest for Lizzie in the form of an old high school crush and her two Siamese cats named Edam and Brie, about the only other thing you could possibly need are lists of each book club member's reading recommendations-- mystery after mystery for crime fiction lovers of all types.
I found A Killer Read to be enjoyable from beginning to end in regards to both characterization and setting. Since it is set in Alabama, I was wondering how the author would handle regional speech, and I was pleased to see that Chase adds just enough to provide true Southern flavor without going over the top. Only the pickiest of readers should object to the number of times words like "y'all" appear in the book.
I did find one or two things that bothered me a bit. Each chapter begins with a quote from a mystery novel. Enough of these quotes are from books whose authors have also written blurbs for A Killer Read that it all seemed a bit like mutual admiration society overkill. Also, I've (unfortunately) gotten rather used to a bit of shoddy proofreading in the books I read, but this book has an error that shines like the brightest of beacons. The author obviously meant to refer to a Jack Russell terrier, but the dog remained a Jack Daniels terrier all the way through the editing process. I did check to see if there was a new breed of dog I wasn't aware of, but alas, no.
I also felt that the book's pacing was too slow, and I think the reason why it did seem to grind to a halt from time to time was because the author gives so much detail of Lizzie Turner's life and work. It wasn't long before I knew which nights she taught literacy classes, which night was choir practice, what days she tutored students, and so forth. I really feel as though I know Lizzie quite well-- and like her-- but all the repetitive information did slow the mystery down.
Yes, these things did bother me a bit, but I still found A Killer Read to be fun from beginning to end. Now that I know Lizzie and her friends so well, I'm very much looking forward to the next book in the series.
October 3, 2015
http://openbooksociety.com/article/a-...
A Killer Read
By Erika Chase
Ashton Corners Book Club Mysteries, Book #1
ISBN-13: 978-0425247037
Author’s Website: http://erikachase.com/
Brought to you by OBS staff member Andra
Synopsis:
A Killer Read is the first in the Ashton Corners Book Club mysteries from Berkley Prime Crime.
It’s the first meeting of the Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straws Society and an intruder is later found dead in his car. When the owner of the mansion which is home to the book club meetings, Molly Mathews, becomes the prime suspect, Lizzie Turner, a reading specialist with the Ashton Corners, AL school board, and fellow book club members turn their talents to sleuthing.
Who knew the new police chief would be none other than Lizzie’s old unrequited high school flame, Mark Dreyfus? Why is she finding chapters from an anonymous manuscript in her mailbox? And will cheese straws have to be served at every meeting from now on?
Lizzie is unrelenting in tracking down the killer, even to the point of putting herself in danger — from the murderer and the oh-so-alluring police chief.
Review:
It has been a VERY long time since I began a new cozy mystery series where I was blown away. I can say without a shadow of a doubt…this story was excellent. So many things to praise. The writing style was engaging, easy to read and entertaining. I also really loved how each chapter began with a snippet from another mystery writer’s book.
I felt happy for Lizzie when she got all excited that Mark was at her house when she drove home one evening:
“She felt a jolt of excitement when she turned onto Sidcup Street and saw the police car parked in from of her house. She had to admit Mark hadn’t been too far from her thoughts since their hike the morning before.”
…and then to find out it was Officer Amber Craig and then to be questioned by the officer. I found Officer Craig annoying and a bit condescending. Hopefully as she gains more experience on the force she will mellow as she was quite the proverbial hard when interviewing / interrogating each of the ‘Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straws Society’ members.
There were many threads to this mystery coming from various angles. To begin with…who is the victim? It appeared that no one from the book club even knew why he had come into Molly`s house uninvited nor why he came to be murdered right outside of her house moments later. At times I had to really think and ponder the inter relationships; but in the end it all came together and made perfect sense. I found it compelling when the death of Lizzie`s father was brought into the story and how that whole story line wove into the current murder.
I liked the incorporation of Lizzie’s two cats in the story – Brie and Edam (love the names!). Bringing a person`s pet`s into the story makes it more relatable. Also, pets are usually good judges of character, so it said a lot that Brie liked Mike Dreyfus :)
I love how I was in the dark until the very end…a mark of a great cozy mystery…..when I can’t figure it out until I read about “whodunit”. I have already obtained the next books in the series and plan to get right on reading them…. I can`t wait to see if or how the relationship between Lizzy and Mike develops. Will Officer Craig mellow with time? What about Molly and Bob Miller?
Thank you, Erika Chase, for penning such a delightful story.
A Killer Read
By Erika Chase
Ashton Corners Book Club Mysteries, Book #1
ISBN-13: 978-0425247037
Author’s Website: http://erikachase.com/
Brought to you by OBS staff member Andra
Synopsis:
A Killer Read is the first in the Ashton Corners Book Club mysteries from Berkley Prime Crime.
It’s the first meeting of the Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straws Society and an intruder is later found dead in his car. When the owner of the mansion which is home to the book club meetings, Molly Mathews, becomes the prime suspect, Lizzie Turner, a reading specialist with the Ashton Corners, AL school board, and fellow book club members turn their talents to sleuthing.
Who knew the new police chief would be none other than Lizzie’s old unrequited high school flame, Mark Dreyfus? Why is she finding chapters from an anonymous manuscript in her mailbox? And will cheese straws have to be served at every meeting from now on?
Lizzie is unrelenting in tracking down the killer, even to the point of putting herself in danger — from the murderer and the oh-so-alluring police chief.
Review:
It has been a VERY long time since I began a new cozy mystery series where I was blown away. I can say without a shadow of a doubt…this story was excellent. So many things to praise. The writing style was engaging, easy to read and entertaining. I also really loved how each chapter began with a snippet from another mystery writer’s book.
I felt happy for Lizzie when she got all excited that Mark was at her house when she drove home one evening:
“She felt a jolt of excitement when she turned onto Sidcup Street and saw the police car parked in from of her house. She had to admit Mark hadn’t been too far from her thoughts since their hike the morning before.”
…and then to find out it was Officer Amber Craig and then to be questioned by the officer. I found Officer Craig annoying and a bit condescending. Hopefully as she gains more experience on the force she will mellow as she was quite the proverbial hard when interviewing / interrogating each of the ‘Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straws Society’ members.
There were many threads to this mystery coming from various angles. To begin with…who is the victim? It appeared that no one from the book club even knew why he had come into Molly`s house uninvited nor why he came to be murdered right outside of her house moments later. At times I had to really think and ponder the inter relationships; but in the end it all came together and made perfect sense. I found it compelling when the death of Lizzie`s father was brought into the story and how that whole story line wove into the current murder.
I liked the incorporation of Lizzie’s two cats in the story – Brie and Edam (love the names!). Bringing a person`s pet`s into the story makes it more relatable. Also, pets are usually good judges of character, so it said a lot that Brie liked Mike Dreyfus :)
I love how I was in the dark until the very end…a mark of a great cozy mystery…..when I can’t figure it out until I read about “whodunit”. I have already obtained the next books in the series and plan to get right on reading them…. I can`t wait to see if or how the relationship between Lizzy and Mike develops. Will Officer Craig mellow with time? What about Molly and Bob Miller?
Thank you, Erika Chase, for penning such a delightful story.
July 15, 2014
Like I said, I been in a cozy mystery and urban fantasy mood, looking for a new series I've been either hearing about or wanted to always read but hadn't had the time. Until now that is.
So, this one I took my time reading and really liked it. I was going to give this a 3 or 3.5 star rating. But to be honest, 4 stars is just as good. What I liked about this was the characters. They each had their own personality, their likes, dislikes etc. The pace while slow, worked well and it is a cozy mystery after all.
And to add that it has a book club in it. Any book or series that involves a book club, bookstore, library, writing or just books surrounding the plot, then I'm so there.
And that I been wanting to read this than the other books I was currently reading.
Though I'm noticing most of these series have a combo with cats and books on the covers.
Anyway, enough gushing and onto the book.
So on the night of the usual book club meetings of the Ashton Corner Mystery Reader and Cheese Straw Society club (long title), a murder happens. And throughout, the members go about their daily lives, while trying to figure out and sort out the who what when why, etc.
Another thing I liked was the name and quote drops for each of the title chapters. Some of them from series I either heard of, have read or currently reading.
Looking forward to seeing these characters again. Add to that that there was a lot of ridiculous amounts of foods described. Some of it sounded delicious but described well. Pretty good start to the series.
So, this one I took my time reading and really liked it. I was going to give this a 3 or 3.5 star rating. But to be honest, 4 stars is just as good. What I liked about this was the characters. They each had their own personality, their likes, dislikes etc. The pace while slow, worked well and it is a cozy mystery after all.
And to add that it has a book club in it. Any book or series that involves a book club, bookstore, library, writing or just books surrounding the plot, then I'm so there.
And that I been wanting to read this than the other books I was currently reading.
Though I'm noticing most of these series have a combo with cats and books on the covers.
Anyway, enough gushing and onto the book.
So on the night of the usual book club meetings of the Ashton Corner Mystery Reader and Cheese Straw Society club (long title), a murder happens. And throughout, the members go about their daily lives, while trying to figure out and sort out the who what when why, etc.
Another thing I liked was the name and quote drops for each of the title chapters. Some of them from series I either heard of, have read or currently reading.
Looking forward to seeing these characters again. Add to that that there was a lot of ridiculous amounts of foods described. Some of it sounded delicious but described well. Pretty good start to the series.
September 7, 2012
Small-town reading specialist Lizzie runs a book club at a local mansion, the home of a friend. One night, a man is killed outside the mansion while the book club is meeting, and the police seem determined to pin the murder on one of the club members--except for the new chief, a high school classmate of Lizzie's who just wants to take her on a date. Meanwhile, Lizzie starts receiving anonymous manuscript pages in the mail, describing a depressing family history, and she gets hints about her own father's death when she was a child.
I'm not sure why I persisted in reading this, since it dragged on and on with little action. I rather expected the book club members to investigate the murder, and a couple of them make a vague attempt, but basically they kind of forget about it for a few weeks--and so does the reader. There's a great deal of description of clothes (did I really need to know how Lizzie dresses every day? Was the shade of taupe or the floatiness of the sleeves important to solving the mystery in some way?), and of Lizzie's job, which was pretty snooze-worthy (maybe because I work in a school and I hear that sort of thing all the time every day), and there were about 20 named characters that I never could keep straight. We never meet the writer of the manuscript, or find out if Lizzie's father's death was suspicious or not, but I found I just didn't really care. Guess I was not the right reader for this one!
I'm not sure why I persisted in reading this, since it dragged on and on with little action. I rather expected the book club members to investigate the murder, and a couple of them make a vague attempt, but basically they kind of forget about it for a few weeks--and so does the reader. There's a great deal of description of clothes (did I really need to know how Lizzie dresses every day? Was the shade of taupe or the floatiness of the sleeves important to solving the mystery in some way?), and of Lizzie's job, which was pretty snooze-worthy (maybe because I work in a school and I hear that sort of thing all the time every day), and there were about 20 named characters that I never could keep straight. We never meet the writer of the manuscript, or find out if Lizzie's father's death was suspicious or not, but I found I just didn't really care. Guess I was not the right reader for this one!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2019
Book 1 in the Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery series brings together an assorted group of characters at their first book club meeting. Cheese straws being a hit as an appetizer they add the words Cheese Straws Society to their name! This should give a hint to the playfulness of the characters. However, the group is thrown into turmoil from the get-go as a murder takes place during their meeting.
Lizzie is the reading specialist for the Ashton Corners school district. Her love of reading has her involved in the literacy program and starting the book group as well as her job with the school district. Busy young woman, but not too busy to try to solve the mystery, start a new relationship, take care of her cats Edam and Brie, and make sure her mother's friend is well. Unfortunately Lizzie's mother is in an assisted care facility and has heartbreakingly receded away from Lizzie who visits her weekly.
Taking place near the Talapaloosa River in Alabama (yes there is such a river as I looked it up!) and charmingly Southern, this is a series I want to continue. The mystery is excellent as my thoughts on the killer kept changing. Very well-done!
Lizzie is the reading specialist for the Ashton Corners school district. Her love of reading has her involved in the literacy program and starting the book group as well as her job with the school district. Busy young woman, but not too busy to try to solve the mystery, start a new relationship, take care of her cats Edam and Brie, and make sure her mother's friend is well. Unfortunately Lizzie's mother is in an assisted care facility and has heartbreakingly receded away from Lizzie who visits her weekly.
Taking place near the Talapaloosa River in Alabama (yes there is such a river as I looked it up!) and charmingly Southern, this is a series I want to continue. The mystery is excellent as my thoughts on the killer kept changing. Very well-done!
April 20, 2012
This book was a charming surprise to me. Not only did I truly enjoy the story and meeting new characters, each chapter had a familiar quote by Authors I follow religiously and somehow my favorite novels were chosen also.
The story follows an Reading Specialist, Tutor, Literacy Teacher, Lizzie Turner who has returned to her childhood town to live and work in. Lizzie's Mother has special needs which need her living close by as well.
No one is quite sure what happened to Ms. Turner to cause her withdrawal from the present.
During a book club meeting at the home of Lizzie's friend, Molly, a man comes wandering into the house. What happens next will affect the lives and reveal the past of the groups that frequent Molly's home.
That is all I am going to reveal as the story is tightly written and each piece fits into another like a cleverly made jigsaw puzzle.
Ms. Chase writes with a 'voice' that feels familiar to me and I instantly felt at home with the rhythm of the scenes. I will look forward to her next novel "Read and Buried" due out in December, 2012.
The story follows an Reading Specialist, Tutor, Literacy Teacher, Lizzie Turner who has returned to her childhood town to live and work in. Lizzie's Mother has special needs which need her living close by as well.
No one is quite sure what happened to Ms. Turner to cause her withdrawal from the present.
During a book club meeting at the home of Lizzie's friend, Molly, a man comes wandering into the house. What happens next will affect the lives and reveal the past of the groups that frequent Molly's home.
That is all I am going to reveal as the story is tightly written and each piece fits into another like a cleverly made jigsaw puzzle.
Ms. Chase writes with a 'voice' that feels familiar to me and I instantly felt at home with the rhythm of the scenes. I will look forward to her next novel "Read and Buried" due out in December, 2012.
June 4, 2014
They say that everyone has a story and that is so true of the members of the Ashton Corners book club. Author Erika Chase has introduced us to a read-worthy cast of cozy characters who are connected by their membership in the Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straws Society. I think that other diehard cozy fans will like this book. Thriller fans will probably not be able to handle the gallons of tea that are consumed by the characters!
December 24, 2019
This was twisty and turny and I loved it! I like the convoluted way everything tied together and how the mystery came out in bits and pieces. The characters were cute, the writing was great with that little bit of southern charm thrown in. The only thing that bothered me was the way that everyone spoke to each other with full first and last names. Sometimes, when people are angry, I can see that way of speaking, but just general conversation, no, no one talks like that.
May 22, 2018
Lots of mysteries in this story including a murder. The main character is Lizzie Turner who is a reading specialist and mystery book lover. Interesting beginning to a series set in Alabama. The book was a quick easy read.
January 3, 2019
Really enjoyed this first book in the series. I loved getting to know the cast of characters and look forward to reading the next book!
April 17, 2019
AUTHOR Chase, Erika
TITLE A Killer Read
DATE READ 04/17/19
RATING 3/C
FIRST SENTENCE I've got an idea, Lizzie…why don't you just do, like, brain surgery or something on me. Slice me open, pull out my brain, squish all this Shakespeare stuff into it, put it back and sew me up like new.
GENRE/ PUB DATE/PUBLISHER / # OF Cozy Mystery/2012/Berkley Crime/283 pgs
SERIES/STAND-ALONE #1 Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery
CHALLENGE Good Reads 2019 Reading Goal 62/111;
GROUP READ
CHARACTERS Lizzie/reading specialist and facilitator of Book Club
TIME/PLACE 2012 / AL
COMMENTS I am glad I read the 2nd entry 1st… if I started w/ #1 would never have gone one to read #2. This one was a disappointment. Lizzie was everything you dislike in a cozy protag -- a major busybudy putting herself and others in danger, assuming she has a right to investigate… And the story line can I just say it sucked and leave it at that. The mysterious journal manuscript … UGH. Just not my cuppa at all! I did like the 2nd book and may at some point pick up the 3rd.
TITLE A Killer Read
DATE READ 04/17/19
RATING 3/C
FIRST SENTENCE I've got an idea, Lizzie…why don't you just do, like, brain surgery or something on me. Slice me open, pull out my brain, squish all this Shakespeare stuff into it, put it back and sew me up like new.
GENRE/ PUB DATE/PUBLISHER / # OF Cozy Mystery/2012/Berkley Crime/283 pgs
SERIES/STAND-ALONE #1 Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery
CHALLENGE Good Reads 2019 Reading Goal 62/111;
GROUP READ
CHARACTERS Lizzie/reading specialist and facilitator of Book Club
TIME/PLACE 2012 / AL
COMMENTS I am glad I read the 2nd entry 1st… if I started w/ #1 would never have gone one to read #2. This one was a disappointment. Lizzie was everything you dislike in a cozy protag -- a major busybudy putting herself and others in danger, assuming she has a right to investigate… And the story line can I just say it sucked and leave it at that. The mysterious journal manuscript … UGH. Just not my cuppa at all! I did like the 2nd book and may at some point pick up the 3rd.
April 19, 2024
Ugh! The author spends way too much time describing what the main character, Lizzie Turner, eats, wears, exercises, and obsesses about carbs but eats them anyway! I was so bored by all this blather, not to mention the requisite cats with 'cheesy names and budding romance with the police chief, that I could scarcely stir up interest in the mystery (which I guessed anyway). The dialogue was so inconsistent, with Southern colloquiallisms thrown about incorrectly and educated characters speaking with atrocious grammar, that it was extremely off-putting. The entire story just dragged, like the author was trying to flesh out a very meager premise. It seemed as if the author had a checklist for how to write a cozy mystery. I generously gave it two stars, but I probably won't be reading any more of Ms Chase's work. The only thing that might draw me into checking out another was that it was nominated for an Agatha, so maybe her work improves? This probably sounds like a harsh review, but it was so boring that I just can't help it.
May 8, 2021
Good Southern mystery
This was an enjoyable cozy set in Ashton Corners, AL. Its filled With Southern customs and culture. Lizzie is an intriguing character with lots of depth. MS Chase blends the mystery loving personality with a reading lover and educator. The mystery itself is a good one with lots of suspects. The reason I only gave it 3 stars was at times the story felt a bit crowded with a few too many side plots. It was wrapped up well in the end though and there are developing relationships to continue growing in the series. I look forward to seeing if that's the case
This was an enjoyable cozy set in Ashton Corners, AL. Its filled With Southern customs and culture. Lizzie is an intriguing character with lots of depth. MS Chase blends the mystery loving personality with a reading lover and educator. The mystery itself is a good one with lots of suspects. The reason I only gave it 3 stars was at times the story felt a bit crowded with a few too many side plots. It was wrapped up well in the end though and there are developing relationships to continue growing in the series. I look forward to seeing if that's the case
November 27, 2024
This is a new to me series, and I felt like it was a bit of a slow start. While the plot picked up midway and I didn't guess the culprit, I felt like parts of the story were a bit repetitive. The mystery book quotes at the beginning of each chapter drove me crazy, as they didn't pertain to the storyline at all. I did still find this to be an enjoyable read overall, and plan to read book two in the series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 247 reviews