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An Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery #4
Book Fair and Foul
For the mystery book lovers of Ashton Corners,
burial plots tell the most intriguing stories.
The members of the Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straws Society are all chipping in as Molly Mathews, now owner of the bookstore the Book Nook, prepares the first annual Mystery Book Fair. While gossip circulates about the guest authors, club member Lizzie Turner is unpleasantly surprised to see a certain book publicist make an appearance. It seems Lizzie has a history with Ashley Dixon—a chapter of her life she’d rather leave closed.
But when someone gives Ashley a death sentence, Lizzie becomes the prime suspect in a murder mystery she can’t put down. Now Lizzie and her fellow book buffs have to read between the lines of the publicist’s past and catch the real killer before Lizzie is written off for good.
burial plots tell the most intriguing stories.
The members of the Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straws Society are all chipping in as Molly Mathews, now owner of the bookstore the Book Nook, prepares the first annual Mystery Book Fair. While gossip circulates about the guest authors, club member Lizzie Turner is unpleasantly surprised to see a certain book publicist make an appearance. It seems Lizzie has a history with Ashley Dixon—a chapter of her life she’d rather leave closed.
But when someone gives Ashley a death sentence, Lizzie becomes the prime suspect in a murder mystery she can’t put down. Now Lizzie and her fellow book buffs have to read between the lines of the publicist’s past and catch the real killer before Lizzie is written off for good.
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 5, 2014
25 people are currently reading
461 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
February 4, 2015
I'll admit, I took a little break from reading this. I got 2 chapters in and was just not in the mood to read it. I mean I love the series, the characters and the bookish setting its got going. One of those its not you book its me. And well, not a fan of the whole MC being a suspect in a murder story.
With most cozies its in the first book. But I like that with this, its later in the series. But at least the characters support the MC and believe Lizzie is innocent and all that.
But still, I was like, you know what? I won't let the premise bother my reading experience...ness, I like the series enough to just read this installment. I mean I gotten this far, so why not continue with the series.
First half is 3.5 for me but of course as usual with the other books in this series, 4 stars is for the second half where it gets interesting.
I also liked that, Lizzie's sleuthing is mentioned and that Mark while, knowing about it, he at least lets her know how he feels about it. So I like that its not glossed over but is mentioned.
Anyway, love the cover, wasn't expecting some of the twists but in a way was like, huh, well okay then. Pretty good read. Looking forward to the next book as always.
With most cozies its in the first book. But I like that with this, its later in the series. But at least the characters support the MC and believe Lizzie is innocent and all that.
But still, I was like, you know what? I won't let the premise bother my reading experience...ness, I like the series enough to just read this installment. I mean I gotten this far, so why not continue with the series.
First half is 3.5 for me but of course as usual with the other books in this series, 4 stars is for the second half where it gets interesting.
I also liked that, Lizzie's sleuthing is mentioned and that Mark while, knowing about it, he at least lets her know how he feels about it. So I like that its not glossed over but is mentioned.
Anyway, love the cover, wasn't expecting some of the twists but in a way was like, huh, well okay then. Pretty good read. Looking forward to the next book as always.
October 5, 2014
BOOK FAIR AND FOUL is book 4 is the delightful series. When I read the first in this series, A KILLER READ, I knew this was a series I was going to follow enjoy.
This was a well written and enjoyable story. I’m a visual person, so when I read a book and I can picture clearly everything the author is describing, it truly enhances the story for me. There wasn’t one scene in this book that I didn’t feel like I was a part of.
I have fallen in love the characters in this series all over again, and if Ashton Corners really existed, I’d be packing my bags and moving. The first thing I’d do is look up the folks of the Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straws Society and begging them to let me join their group. Along with my comment above about being able to visualize the scenes I’m reading, I also can’t enjoy a book if I can’t connect at least a few the characters. More likely than not, I will give up on a book if I can’t make that connection. With the Ashton Corners Book Club Mysteries, Ms. Chase has created an entire cast that I enjoy knowing and learning more about.
As for the mystery aspect of this book, it is very well done. The author leads you down many paths of “it could be…”. There were several suspects in the murder of book publicist, Ashley Dixon, and I was sure I had it figured out. However, who did it and why they did it really took me by surprise.
This is another wonderful cozy (traditional) mystery series for readers just starting the genre, and diehard cozy readers alike. This is also a great transitional series for young readers moving up to the next reading level.
This was a well written and enjoyable story. I’m a visual person, so when I read a book and I can picture clearly everything the author is describing, it truly enhances the story for me. There wasn’t one scene in this book that I didn’t feel like I was a part of.
I have fallen in love the characters in this series all over again, and if Ashton Corners really existed, I’d be packing my bags and moving. The first thing I’d do is look up the folks of the Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straws Society and begging them to let me join their group. Along with my comment above about being able to visualize the scenes I’m reading, I also can’t enjoy a book if I can’t connect at least a few the characters. More likely than not, I will give up on a book if I can’t make that connection. With the Ashton Corners Book Club Mysteries, Ms. Chase has created an entire cast that I enjoy knowing and learning more about.
As for the mystery aspect of this book, it is very well done. The author leads you down many paths of “it could be…”. There were several suspects in the murder of book publicist, Ashley Dixon, and I was sure I had it figured out. However, who did it and why they did it really took me by surprise.
This is another wonderful cozy (traditional) mystery series for readers just starting the genre, and diehard cozy readers alike. This is also a great transitional series for young readers moving up to the next reading level.
May 4, 2018
There are a lot of things I enjoy about this series--the book quotes at the start at each chapter, the book lists at the end of the book, the mysteries, and the whole book club. Book #4 added a Book Fair with extra activities added in, since the authors were persons-of-interest. I loved the whole book fair idea and I so wish my area would have one like it!
August 10, 2018
In this book, the main character, Lizzie Turner, becomes the prime suspect in the murder of author's agent, Ashley Dixon. Lizzie and her friends of course have to prove her innocent. The book was a quick easy read.
December 30, 2025
Another good cozy mystery in this series.
August 17, 2014
http://openbooksociety.com/article/bo...
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Jeanie
*possible spoilers*
Book Fair and Foul, the fourth Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery, is the best to date. It can be read by itself, however, the first three mysteries are excellent and shouldn’t be missed. Erika Chase has clearly outdone herself, this time with Lizzie Turner, reading expert for the local elementary school and amateur sleuth extraordinaire, as the primary suspect.
Lizzie is an active member of the Book Club and one of the organizers for the upcoming Book Fair, as well as a very close friend of Molly Mathews. Molly, one of the most charming Southern ladies in the area, is also the owner of the recently purchased bookstore that she named A Novel Plot.
The first Book Fair is being organized by the book club members, each with tasks they can most adeptly perform. The work that goes on behind the scenes for an event of this type is interesting, and seemingly endless! Of the mystery authors who will attend, three of the four have been at similar fairs together in the past. They are booked at the B and B for the fair plus some additional days should the authors want to relax and enjoy the town.
The night that the first authors arrived needed some special author-handling by Lizzie. It was then she learned that a publicist from the publisher was scheduled to arrive as a last-minute addition, a woman named Ashley Dixon, who Lizzie hoped was not the girl of the same name who had briefly been a troublesome roommate at college.
The fair went off without a hitch, and was very enlightening and successful. The only problem that reared its – or whose – head was the dreaded Ashley Dixon, who really was the former college roommate. Ashley flirted outrageously with Mark Dreyfus, chief of police and Lizzie’s boyfriend. Lizzie remained cordial, biting her tongue until the fair was nearly over. Finally she had been baited one too many times and Lizzie and Ashley had a spat that was unfortunately the entertainment for the evening, all in attendance hearing Lizzie’s “or else” to Ashley.
The following day, it was a humbled, embarrassed Lizzie who took Ashley’s call and apology, agreeing to meet her before school the next day to clear the air. The next morning, though, Ashley never met her or answered her call. By midday, she knew why. Ashley had been found dead. And Lizzie is the only suspect.
Ms. Chase skillfully leads us through a well-thought-out plot, with surprise curveballs that only an excellent mystery writer could dream of. The Book Club members all take part in their own unofficial investigation – without Mark’s permission, of course. As readers of some of the more gifted novelists, who better than the club members could brainstorm every possible scenario? As well as sift through the clues to find secrets thought long-buried in some of the most influential local families?
The characters are authentic, each having their own unique personalities and quirks. Some are an enigma as part of the plot, becoming better defined as their role changes. The authors display interesting temperaments such as are sometimes attributed to artistes, temperaments that this reader would not anticipate from often introverted, thoughtful writers. Nobody is exempt from the bearing the brunt of short tempers that those inward-looking and somewhat unconventional writers act upon, whether about the size of their room accommodation or … well, we won’t give that one away!
Cover art that includes Lizzie’s cats, Brie and Edam, is very colorful and attractive, my favorite of Ms. Chase’s books. Blessed is the reader who has that library, and the gorgeous Siamese duo, in their home!
I highly recommend this mystery to adults of all ages who appreciate good writing and creative characters, especially to all who have read earlier books in the series. You won’t be disappointed to spend some quality time with the Ashton Corners Mystery Book Club! And you will also be teased with the first chapter of the next Book Club mystery!
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review as part of their ongoing blog tour*
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Jeanie
*possible spoilers*
Book Fair and Foul, the fourth Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery, is the best to date. It can be read by itself, however, the first three mysteries are excellent and shouldn’t be missed. Erika Chase has clearly outdone herself, this time with Lizzie Turner, reading expert for the local elementary school and amateur sleuth extraordinaire, as the primary suspect.
Lizzie is an active member of the Book Club and one of the organizers for the upcoming Book Fair, as well as a very close friend of Molly Mathews. Molly, one of the most charming Southern ladies in the area, is also the owner of the recently purchased bookstore that she named A Novel Plot.
The first Book Fair is being organized by the book club members, each with tasks they can most adeptly perform. The work that goes on behind the scenes for an event of this type is interesting, and seemingly endless! Of the mystery authors who will attend, three of the four have been at similar fairs together in the past. They are booked at the B and B for the fair plus some additional days should the authors want to relax and enjoy the town.
The night that the first authors arrived needed some special author-handling by Lizzie. It was then she learned that a publicist from the publisher was scheduled to arrive as a last-minute addition, a woman named Ashley Dixon, who Lizzie hoped was not the girl of the same name who had briefly been a troublesome roommate at college.
The fair went off without a hitch, and was very enlightening and successful. The only problem that reared its – or whose – head was the dreaded Ashley Dixon, who really was the former college roommate. Ashley flirted outrageously with Mark Dreyfus, chief of police and Lizzie’s boyfriend. Lizzie remained cordial, biting her tongue until the fair was nearly over. Finally she had been baited one too many times and Lizzie and Ashley had a spat that was unfortunately the entertainment for the evening, all in attendance hearing Lizzie’s “or else” to Ashley.
The following day, it was a humbled, embarrassed Lizzie who took Ashley’s call and apology, agreeing to meet her before school the next day to clear the air. The next morning, though, Ashley never met her or answered her call. By midday, she knew why. Ashley had been found dead. And Lizzie is the only suspect.
Ms. Chase skillfully leads us through a well-thought-out plot, with surprise curveballs that only an excellent mystery writer could dream of. The Book Club members all take part in their own unofficial investigation – without Mark’s permission, of course. As readers of some of the more gifted novelists, who better than the club members could brainstorm every possible scenario? As well as sift through the clues to find secrets thought long-buried in some of the most influential local families?
The characters are authentic, each having their own unique personalities and quirks. Some are an enigma as part of the plot, becoming better defined as their role changes. The authors display interesting temperaments such as are sometimes attributed to artistes, temperaments that this reader would not anticipate from often introverted, thoughtful writers. Nobody is exempt from the bearing the brunt of short tempers that those inward-looking and somewhat unconventional writers act upon, whether about the size of their room accommodation or … well, we won’t give that one away!
Cover art that includes Lizzie’s cats, Brie and Edam, is very colorful and attractive, my favorite of Ms. Chase’s books. Blessed is the reader who has that library, and the gorgeous Siamese duo, in their home!
I highly recommend this mystery to adults of all ages who appreciate good writing and creative characters, especially to all who have read earlier books in the series. You won’t be disappointed to spend some quality time with the Ashton Corners Mystery Book Club! And you will also be teased with the first chapter of the next Book Club mystery!
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review as part of their ongoing blog tour*
April 14, 2015
Meh. Not bad, not great. Good plotting.
February 6, 2015
A bit slower than the others, but certainly made me want a sip of sherry.
September 25, 2017
There are two men in the Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straw Society, the fictional book club around which Erika Chase builds her cozy-style Ashton Corners Book Club mystery series. Since those fictional characters, a retired police chief named Bob and an attorney named Jacob, are willing to read cozy mysteries as part of the club in rotation with the grittier police procedurals preferred by the former (Michael Connelly, James Lee Burke, etc.) and the suspenseful mysteries (Robert Crais, Harlan Coben, etc.) preferred by the latter, I feel free to mix such in my personal rotation. I even look at the book lists prepared according to the tastes of each character that Chase appends to the novel. So perfect!
Book Fair and Foul is the fourth novel in Erika Chase’s series, the rare series which I have managed to read in chronological order to this point. Chase does a marvelous job of sprinkling a multitude of suspects, some very convincing “red herrings,” and a charming cast of characters into her well-paced mysteries. Naturally, considering the name of the series, the stories pivot off the book club.
This time, the book club has scheduled their first book fair. They seem to have done a good job in selecting the venue, getting the publicity out, and attracting best-selling authors to serve on panels and read. And, of course, this beautiful event is sullied by a murder and, wouldn’t you know it, protagonist Lizzie Turner proves to be the primary suspect. As the readers, we know she is innocent, but there are some awkward moments. [I don’t think that’s a spoiler. A. Conan Doyle may have tried to kill off Sherlock Holmes, but it’s way too early in the series for an author to give her protagonist a life sentence or a death sentence.]
The usual tension mounts between police chief and love interest trying to keep Lizzie from investigating and the way the book club (and Lizzie) can’t help but chase down clues. I find it incredibly charming to watch all of these amateurs tackling one end or another of the puzzle, sometimes taking too much risk and at other times, fishing for the wrong “herring.” There’s an old country saying about not changing horses in the middle of the stream, but I had my idea who committed the murder very early in the book and switched to another who proved to have quite another secret to keep. There is a character transformation that I don’t want to reveal, but it rings true and just demonstrates that cozies touch on sensitive issues, too.
I particularly like the way Erika Chase uses the idea of the book club to introduce each chapter with a quotation from a real mystery novel. My favorite in this one was: “Waking is like rising from the dead. The slow climb out of sleep, shapes appearing out of blackness, and the alarm clock sounding like the last trumpet.” (quoted on p. 143 from Elly Griffiths, The Crossing Places) [Ignorance Alert: I am not familiar with Elly Griffiths, but after seeing this quotation, I discovered that she is NOT a cozy writer and her novels mixing historical finds and modern murders looks like something I MUST check out.] I seem to find a new author to check out for every book in this series.
Book Fair and Foul not only gets high marks for fooling me on the mystery (getting me to change horses) but also for the perfect mix of humor (catty remarks by the guest authors, officious people satirized, and pampered pets acting out) with suspense (amateur detectives have such a way of getting into harm’s way) and a very complicated romance. There are a few places where an action by a character or a heavy-handed club shake me out of my suspended disbelief---but not many.
Book Fair and Foul is the fourth novel in Erika Chase’s series, the rare series which I have managed to read in chronological order to this point. Chase does a marvelous job of sprinkling a multitude of suspects, some very convincing “red herrings,” and a charming cast of characters into her well-paced mysteries. Naturally, considering the name of the series, the stories pivot off the book club.
This time, the book club has scheduled their first book fair. They seem to have done a good job in selecting the venue, getting the publicity out, and attracting best-selling authors to serve on panels and read. And, of course, this beautiful event is sullied by a murder and, wouldn’t you know it, protagonist Lizzie Turner proves to be the primary suspect. As the readers, we know she is innocent, but there are some awkward moments. [I don’t think that’s a spoiler. A. Conan Doyle may have tried to kill off Sherlock Holmes, but it’s way too early in the series for an author to give her protagonist a life sentence or a death sentence.]
The usual tension mounts between police chief and love interest trying to keep Lizzie from investigating and the way the book club (and Lizzie) can’t help but chase down clues. I find it incredibly charming to watch all of these amateurs tackling one end or another of the puzzle, sometimes taking too much risk and at other times, fishing for the wrong “herring.” There’s an old country saying about not changing horses in the middle of the stream, but I had my idea who committed the murder very early in the book and switched to another who proved to have quite another secret to keep. There is a character transformation that I don’t want to reveal, but it rings true and just demonstrates that cozies touch on sensitive issues, too.
I particularly like the way Erika Chase uses the idea of the book club to introduce each chapter with a quotation from a real mystery novel. My favorite in this one was: “Waking is like rising from the dead. The slow climb out of sleep, shapes appearing out of blackness, and the alarm clock sounding like the last trumpet.” (quoted on p. 143 from Elly Griffiths, The Crossing Places) [Ignorance Alert: I am not familiar with Elly Griffiths, but after seeing this quotation, I discovered that she is NOT a cozy writer and her novels mixing historical finds and modern murders looks like something I MUST check out.] I seem to find a new author to check out for every book in this series.
Book Fair and Foul not only gets high marks for fooling me on the mystery (getting me to change horses) but also for the perfect mix of humor (catty remarks by the guest authors, officious people satirized, and pampered pets acting out) with suspense (amateur detectives have such a way of getting into harm’s way) and a very complicated romance. There are a few places where an action by a character or a heavy-handed club shake me out of my suspended disbelief---but not many.
July 7, 2023
Fairest of them all…
Molly is organizing a book fair with the help of her book club members, hosting four mystery authors and arranging a reading and signing event in their honor. Hosting a welcome dinner, the authors are joined by a representative from the publisher, who just happens to be Lizzie’s former college roommate. The two had begun their one semester being friendly, but by the end, Lizzie requested another roommate, as Ashley had turned spiteful and vindictive. Seeing her again after so many years was a bit of a shock - and it seemed Ashley hadn’t changed a bit from their earlier dealings. Lizzie becomes the prime suspect when Ashley’s body is found the morning after the fair, stuffed into the casket prop in front of a local funeral home, Lizzie’s phone found at the scene. With Mark having to back off from the main investigation, it’s up to Molly and her book club friends to save Lizzie and find who the real killer could be. In the process, they uncover hidden relationships and a decades old indiscretion - but how does any of that reveal who killed Ashley?
Molly is organizing a book fair with the help of her book club members, hosting four mystery authors and arranging a reading and signing event in their honor. Hosting a welcome dinner, the authors are joined by a representative from the publisher, who just happens to be Lizzie’s former college roommate. The two had begun their one semester being friendly, but by the end, Lizzie requested another roommate, as Ashley had turned spiteful and vindictive. Seeing her again after so many years was a bit of a shock - and it seemed Ashley hadn’t changed a bit from their earlier dealings. Lizzie becomes the prime suspect when Ashley’s body is found the morning after the fair, stuffed into the casket prop in front of a local funeral home, Lizzie’s phone found at the scene. With Mark having to back off from the main investigation, it’s up to Molly and her book club friends to save Lizzie and find who the real killer could be. In the process, they uncover hidden relationships and a decades old indiscretion - but how does any of that reveal who killed Ashley?
September 30, 2019
2 1/2 stars. Overall, a decent read. I enjoyed the characters and their relationships with each other. Lizzie's job improving the literacy of her students is a good career for the main character in a cozy. For lovers of books, it's probably hard to imagine that people would not be interested in reading but this series shows how hard it is to engage students at different age groups who aren't interested. Applause there.
I thought Lizzie's reaction to Ashley was overblown. It felt manufactured to provide a reason for why she would be a good suspect. It annoyed me a bit. However, I loved that Mark didn't cave to Lizzie when she wanted information. He's a police officer and she doesn't have a right to details of the investigation. When the police just hand over information to amateurs in cozies it can really annoy me. It is hard to handle that well and yet have the story move forward. It will be interesting to see if this becomes a major sticking point in their relationship because you know she won't stop investigating. There would be no series if she did.
I thought Lizzie's reaction to Ashley was overblown. It felt manufactured to provide a reason for why she would be a good suspect. It annoyed me a bit. However, I loved that Mark didn't cave to Lizzie when she wanted information. He's a police officer and she doesn't have a right to details of the investigation. When the police just hand over information to amateurs in cozies it can really annoy me. It is hard to handle that well and yet have the story move forward. It will be interesting to see if this becomes a major sticking point in their relationship because you know she won't stop investigating. There would be no series if she did.
January 6, 2024
For the mystery book lovers of Ashton Corners,
burial plots tell the most intriguing stories.
The members of the Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straws Society are all chipping in as Molly Mathews, now owner of the bookstore the Book Nook, prepares the first annual Mystery Book Fair. While gossip circulates about the guest authors, club member Lizzie Turner is unpleasantly surprised to see a certain book publicist make an appearance. It seems Lizzie has a history with Ashley Dixon—a chapter of her life she’d rather leave closed.
But when someone gives Ashley a death sentence, Lizzie becomes the prime suspect in a murder mystery she can’t put down. Now Lizzie and her fellow book buffs have to read between the lines of the publicist’s past and catch the real killer before Lizzie is written off for good.
July 29, 2020
The plot is better than the last book but still lacking in execution. The characters are inane and very one dimensional. Lizzie stomping her feet and getting mad at her police chief boyfriend because he won't tell her details of a police investigation is just too unbelievable to contemplate. On a positive note, Chase has finally learned how to correctly use the word "y'all" but she still thinks Alabamians go around saying "this here" all the time, which is not a colloquialism I hear very often and certainly not by anyone who is well educated. No one born and raised in Alabama orders "iced" tea in a restaurant. We order tea. The only designation is if we want sweet, unsweet or half and half tea. I suspect our Canadian author has no clue what half and half tea is. (No, it does not contain lemonade.)
June 2, 2017
The Ashton Corners Book Club is hosting a book fair. Four authors who all write mysteries of various types are the invited guests. Their publicist, Ashley Dixon, comes with them for reasons of her own. Lizzie is shocked to see Ashley who was once her roommate at college, with a less than happy outcome. So when Ashley turns up dead, Lizzie is the prime suspect (despite being the police chief's girlfriend). Lizzie is determined to discover just why Ashley hinted that she'd be staying in Ashton Corners, but ends up butting heads with her boyfriend, Mark, who wants her to stay out of police business — and stay safe. Not quite as good as the previous books in the series, but still quite enjoyable.
December 18, 2018
I am really enjoying this series. All of the books have been about a 3.5 star read for me, and this one was no exception. Book 2, Read and Buried turned out to be a 5 star read for me- I loved that one and it was without a doubt my favorite of the series (so far, at least). Book #4, Book Fair and Foul, did not feel as strong as the others to me for some reason. The murder and the mystery surrounding it wasn't as engaging and the big reveal felt hollow. I was also pretty disappointed in the love interest in this book. I would rate this one as about a solid 3 star read.
May 28, 2024
Slightly-below-average cozy with not enough Alabama flavor or bookstore/book publishing verisimilitude.
The police chief boyfriend of the heroine seemed a nice guy but not like a real police officer.
At one point at a book signing, the master of ceremonies says that the authors will go in alphabetical order. First up is Caroline Cummings; second is A.J. Pruitt; third Gigi Briggs….
Good quotes from other cozies at the top of every chapter.
Pretty cover by Griesbach/Martucci.
Read May 2024
The police chief boyfriend of the heroine seemed a nice guy but not like a real police officer.
At one point at a book signing, the master of ceremonies says that the authors will go in alphabetical order. First up is Caroline Cummings; second is A.J. Pruitt; third Gigi Briggs….
Good quotes from other cozies at the top of every chapter.
Pretty cover by Griesbach/Martucci.
Read May 2024
December 12, 2017
This book is about Lizzie who works at a school and is involved in helping and working with her friends and they plan on a Large Book Fair for their small community. It stars off good with the authors who come and even though there are rivals they still come together to sale their books. A person that Lizzie knew in college comes at the last minute and ends up dying and the murder is pin on Lizzie. So she works with her group to find out who the murderer was.
August 28, 2018
Was this terrible? No. it was just disappointing. It had all the requisite good stuff. Bookstore, small town, etc. It just didn't grab me. I just didn't care about the characters. So I wouldn't say, don't read it; but I certainly wouldn't put it in the top 500 books you should read either.
September 10, 2017
Another fine mystery with a murder, many suspects and the usual characters sleuthing.
Lizzie and Mark heat up their romance. And a wonderful surprise ending.
Lizzie and Mark heat up their romance. And a wonderful surprise ending.
August 5, 2018
Loved it!
Read
August 26, 2019Again fantastic! Can't wait for more stories of the town!
December 10, 2020
The book moved along, but I didn't really think the main character, Lizzie, was justified in investigating the murder.
March 4, 2021
A good mystery! Was never quite sure who to suspect as the killer and Lizzie and Mark’s romance progressing was added fun!
March 13, 2021
I highly recommend Erika Chase's books. Book Fair and Foul, like the previous books was as entertaining and spellbinding as all the rest.
July 1, 2023
3.5 ⭐️
The ending felt very rushed to me
The ending felt very rushed to me
August 26, 2014
Erika Chase brings readers the fourth book in the Ashton Corners Book Club series, Book Fair and Foul. This series focuses on a local book club and their exploits in reading and sleuthing. Chase excels at good character development and plotting. There are a lot of twists and turns in this book that will have the reader up late trying to figure it all out. With former college roommates and several finicky authors there are plenty of suspects to choose from as the gang trys to find the killer who is framing, Lizzie. A good addition to the series.
What I liked:
One of the things that I always enjoy about this series is the fact that the characters are readers. They are a part of book club that enjoys not only reading mysteries but also solving them. I think Chase understood that writing the series from the perspective of actual readers would appeal to people who love books. We tend to see things a little differently. I have a tendency to try to solve the clues right along with the hero or heroine and I think Chase uses that reader mentality to her advantage here. The quotes from other current mystery writers at the beginning of each chapter was a great touch. Many of the books they are taken from are books that I have actually reviewed. A nice touch!
The theme of the mystery book fair went over really well in Book Fair and Foul. I liked learning all of the behind the scenes machinations that have to go on to make a book fair a success. It was interesting to see the process of getting the authors assembled and how the book fair went off. I think it added to the whole atmosphere of mystery reading and mystery solving. It gave the plot cohesion and helped to drive it toward it's ultimate conclusion. Who knew authors could be so catty? LOL!
Lizzie has certainly gotten herself into a mess in this one. Not only has her former college nemesis ended up in Ashton Corners, but she tries to put the moves on Lizzie's police chief boyfriend, Mark. The relationship drama ends Lizzie in a pickle, as the main suspect in Ashley's murder. Continuing with the idea of reading, as well as, solving crimes, the victim's reason for being there was that she was a publicist. I thought Chase really did a great job of pulling everything into a central idea, even the personal aspects of the story.
What I didn't like:
I liked this book. It had a good plot and the characters not only supported the story, but kept the theme of reading and mystery solving alive. But there just wasn't quite enough punch for me to make this a five apple read. It wasn't bad, in fact there were a lot of things I liked about it. But it didn't give me that wow factor that I need in a good mystery. I solved it a little too soon for my own tastes. The cliffhanger at the end did go a long way toward making me want to read the next book, though, so that was a good thing.
Bottom Line:
Not my favorite of the series, but still certainly worth the time to read. Readers who are familiar with the gang from Aston Corners will enjoy more adventures with characters they have come to know as friends and new readers will like the book fair theme and how it plays out in the mystery.
What I liked:
One of the things that I always enjoy about this series is the fact that the characters are readers. They are a part of book club that enjoys not only reading mysteries but also solving them. I think Chase understood that writing the series from the perspective of actual readers would appeal to people who love books. We tend to see things a little differently. I have a tendency to try to solve the clues right along with the hero or heroine and I think Chase uses that reader mentality to her advantage here. The quotes from other current mystery writers at the beginning of each chapter was a great touch. Many of the books they are taken from are books that I have actually reviewed. A nice touch!
The theme of the mystery book fair went over really well in Book Fair and Foul. I liked learning all of the behind the scenes machinations that have to go on to make a book fair a success. It was interesting to see the process of getting the authors assembled and how the book fair went off. I think it added to the whole atmosphere of mystery reading and mystery solving. It gave the plot cohesion and helped to drive it toward it's ultimate conclusion. Who knew authors could be so catty? LOL!
Lizzie has certainly gotten herself into a mess in this one. Not only has her former college nemesis ended up in Ashton Corners, but she tries to put the moves on Lizzie's police chief boyfriend, Mark. The relationship drama ends Lizzie in a pickle, as the main suspect in Ashley's murder. Continuing with the idea of reading, as well as, solving crimes, the victim's reason for being there was that she was a publicist. I thought Chase really did a great job of pulling everything into a central idea, even the personal aspects of the story.
What I didn't like:
I liked this book. It had a good plot and the characters not only supported the story, but kept the theme of reading and mystery solving alive. But there just wasn't quite enough punch for me to make this a five apple read. It wasn't bad, in fact there were a lot of things I liked about it. But it didn't give me that wow factor that I need in a good mystery. I solved it a little too soon for my own tastes. The cliffhanger at the end did go a long way toward making me want to read the next book, though, so that was a good thing.
Bottom Line:
Not my favorite of the series, but still certainly worth the time to read. Readers who are familiar with the gang from Aston Corners will enjoy more adventures with characters they have come to know as friends and new readers will like the book fair theme and how it plays out in the mystery.
October 3, 2014
Originally posted on Smitten by Books Blog
Lizzie Turner and the rest of the members of the Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straws Society have agreed to help Molly Mathews host the first annual Mystery Book Fair. Molly now owns a bookstore called A Novel Plot and wants to create a fun event that will introduce readers to a few of their favorite authors as well as promote her store. Everything is going well until Lizzie realizes one of the book publicists is her old college roommate Ashley Dixon. Lizzie and Ashley didn’t part on good terms and before long the two women have a very heated and very public argument. Even though Lizzie is dating Mark Dreyfus, the town’s chief of police, she soon becomes a murder suspect when Ashley is found dead, the obvious victim of murder.
I really enjoy the premise of this series in which a group of friends belong to a book club and share their opinions about books and also the ups and downs of everyday life. The characters seem real and are easy to relate to. As in prior books in the series, to make the book club theme come to life, each chapter beings with a short quote from real mystery novels, ranging from classics by Rex Stout to new favorites by Julie Hyzy. Between the intriguing quotes and the reading lists by book club members at the end of the book, I always get new ideas for new mysteries to read from cozies to hard-boiled.
In Book Fair and Foul, the main character Lizzie is the prime suspect in the murder. I don’t usually care for books in which the main character is suspected of and/or framed for murder. However, the way it’s handled in this book makes it more enjoyable than usual. This is mostly because from the very beginning, Lizzie’s boyfriend, friends, and most of the townspeople supported Lizzie, in spite of how things looked. Lizzie being a suspect also gives her a good reason to investigate the case, but it’s great to see that her good friends Molly, Sally-Jo, and Paige never doubt her. The friends do some investigating on their own and feed important information to Mark so he can see there are plenty of other suspects that could have wanted the unpleasant Ashley dead.
Things eventually wrap up and an exciting announcement is made by one of the characters at the very end of the book. After the stress of one of their own being falsely suspected of murder, it’s great that the book club will now have something exciting to celebrate. This is sure to provide an interesting subplot in the next book. Fans of Ellery Adams or Elizabeth Lynn Casey will enjoy this Southern, book-centered mystery by Erika Chase.
Reviewed by Christine
Lizzie Turner and the rest of the members of the Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straws Society have agreed to help Molly Mathews host the first annual Mystery Book Fair. Molly now owns a bookstore called A Novel Plot and wants to create a fun event that will introduce readers to a few of their favorite authors as well as promote her store. Everything is going well until Lizzie realizes one of the book publicists is her old college roommate Ashley Dixon. Lizzie and Ashley didn’t part on good terms and before long the two women have a very heated and very public argument. Even though Lizzie is dating Mark Dreyfus, the town’s chief of police, she soon becomes a murder suspect when Ashley is found dead, the obvious victim of murder.
I really enjoy the premise of this series in which a group of friends belong to a book club and share their opinions about books and also the ups and downs of everyday life. The characters seem real and are easy to relate to. As in prior books in the series, to make the book club theme come to life, each chapter beings with a short quote from real mystery novels, ranging from classics by Rex Stout to new favorites by Julie Hyzy. Between the intriguing quotes and the reading lists by book club members at the end of the book, I always get new ideas for new mysteries to read from cozies to hard-boiled.
In Book Fair and Foul, the main character Lizzie is the prime suspect in the murder. I don’t usually care for books in which the main character is suspected of and/or framed for murder. However, the way it’s handled in this book makes it more enjoyable than usual. This is mostly because from the very beginning, Lizzie’s boyfriend, friends, and most of the townspeople supported Lizzie, in spite of how things looked. Lizzie being a suspect also gives her a good reason to investigate the case, but it’s great to see that her good friends Molly, Sally-Jo, and Paige never doubt her. The friends do some investigating on their own and feed important information to Mark so he can see there are plenty of other suspects that could have wanted the unpleasant Ashley dead.
Things eventually wrap up and an exciting announcement is made by one of the characters at the very end of the book. After the stress of one of their own being falsely suspected of murder, it’s great that the book club will now have something exciting to celebrate. This is sure to provide an interesting subplot in the next book. Fans of Ellery Adams or Elizabeth Lynn Casey will enjoy this Southern, book-centered mystery by Erika Chase.
Reviewed by Christine
June 5, 2015
I picked up this book with several other cozy mysteries as research. I am working on a cozy mystery set in a bookstore because I gravitate toward that sub(sub?)-genre. Book Fair and Foul circles around a book club, one of whom owns a bookstore. Good enough for me to check out.
I had a hard time knowing who the protagonist was. I thought it was Molly Mathews who owns the bookstore. Then I realized it was Lizzie Turner, a literary instructor at the school and Molly’s friend. Maybe Lizzie is the protagonist in the other books in the series so this shouldn’t have been a surprise but it was tricky in the first scene set at a high tea with four female characters. I also presumed that the book club would be a large part of the story. There were a couple of scene with the members and an abbreviated “official” book club meeting scene in which they discuss the monthly book. There were references to other club members being suspects in murder cases. That could be what strings the series together. I’m not sure.
The bookstore is hosting a festival featuring four cozy mystery authors who are all staying at a local B&B. Several events are planned for them to read, interact with fans and sell books. A surprise guest arrives – Ashley Dixon, the publicist for the authors and a college roommate of Lizzie’s. There is bad blood between them and they eventually fight in public. Naturally, when Ashley turns up dead, Lizzie is the first suspect.
Lizzie suspended from her job pending the investigation which gives her time to conduct her own inquiries. She visits the authors often as they have been asked to stay in town. She tries to learn more about Ashley since she last knew her in college. All the while Lizzie must be careful – she is dating the police chief and the case must stay above board.
Book Fair and Foul kept the murder plot central while maintaining subplots specific to the book and the apparent larger subplots of the series (such as Lizzie’s romance). However, the subplot specific to the book doesn’t appear to tie into the main mystery. Lizzie helps a friend who is receiving mysterious threats. Nothing in that mystery ties in with Ashley’s murder, except maybe that secrets will out – but I’m not sure that was the point. It could have had a stronger influence on Lizzie’s personal quest to clear her name and solve Ashley’s murder.
I don’t think I’ll be going back to read other books in the series. I didn’t connect with Lizzie or the other characters. Sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn’t. If nothing else, I’ve learned that I need to create characters that the audience will connect with. Knowing that is the easy part. Pulling it off is the mystery.
I had a hard time knowing who the protagonist was. I thought it was Molly Mathews who owns the bookstore. Then I realized it was Lizzie Turner, a literary instructor at the school and Molly’s friend. Maybe Lizzie is the protagonist in the other books in the series so this shouldn’t have been a surprise but it was tricky in the first scene set at a high tea with four female characters. I also presumed that the book club would be a large part of the story. There were a couple of scene with the members and an abbreviated “official” book club meeting scene in which they discuss the monthly book. There were references to other club members being suspects in murder cases. That could be what strings the series together. I’m not sure.
The bookstore is hosting a festival featuring four cozy mystery authors who are all staying at a local B&B. Several events are planned for them to read, interact with fans and sell books. A surprise guest arrives – Ashley Dixon, the publicist for the authors and a college roommate of Lizzie’s. There is bad blood between them and they eventually fight in public. Naturally, when Ashley turns up dead, Lizzie is the first suspect.
Lizzie suspended from her job pending the investigation which gives her time to conduct her own inquiries. She visits the authors often as they have been asked to stay in town. She tries to learn more about Ashley since she last knew her in college. All the while Lizzie must be careful – she is dating the police chief and the case must stay above board.
Book Fair and Foul kept the murder plot central while maintaining subplots specific to the book and the apparent larger subplots of the series (such as Lizzie’s romance). However, the subplot specific to the book doesn’t appear to tie into the main mystery. Lizzie helps a friend who is receiving mysterious threats. Nothing in that mystery ties in with Ashley’s murder, except maybe that secrets will out – but I’m not sure that was the point. It could have had a stronger influence on Lizzie’s personal quest to clear her name and solve Ashley’s murder.
I don’t think I’ll be going back to read other books in the series. I didn’t connect with Lizzie or the other characters. Sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn’t. If nothing else, I’ve learned that I need to create characters that the audience will connect with. Knowing that is the easy part. Pulling it off is the mystery.
February 16, 2015
As Molly Mathews an owner of a local book store prepares for their first annual Mystery Book Fair, Lizzie Turner ends up getting an unpleasant surprise when a book publicist makes a surprise appearance who is no other but the one and only Ashley Dixon - a girl from her college life she rather not remember.
The book fair goes smoothly, besides a few hick ups with ego's and rivalry between the authors until Ashley starts digging her claws into Lizzie and her current beau and it's college all over again. When Lizzie get's an unexpected phone call from Ashley to mend the broken bridges between them after the embarrassing night at the book fair, the last thing Lizzie expects is for Ashley to end up dead. Now she is the prime suspect in the murder case when Lizzie's cell phone ends up at the scene, and it's up to her and the ladies of the bookstore in order to find the real culprit who has framed her.
Great story. I loved all of Lizzie's friends, they had a lot of charm and it was a wonderful support network in her dark time of need. Lizzie herself is an awesome leading lady, she has a lot of heart and enjoyable to follow. I think her and her boyfriend police chief Mark make a cute couple even if in this one the fact that he is a police chief and it puts a bit of tension between them when she is found to be the prime suspect. But I totally give credit to Mark for handling it the way he did, I thought he was wonderful and supportive.
A fun read. I enjoyed the story leading up to the murder and the bit of history and hissy fits between Ashley and Lizzie, kind of build up a little bit of suspense for me as I flipped through the pages eagerly wondering who else would have it out for Ashley.
I got a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange of an honest review.
The book fair goes smoothly, besides a few hick ups with ego's and rivalry between the authors until Ashley starts digging her claws into Lizzie and her current beau and it's college all over again. When Lizzie get's an unexpected phone call from Ashley to mend the broken bridges between them after the embarrassing night at the book fair, the last thing Lizzie expects is for Ashley to end up dead. Now she is the prime suspect in the murder case when Lizzie's cell phone ends up at the scene, and it's up to her and the ladies of the bookstore in order to find the real culprit who has framed her.
Great story. I loved all of Lizzie's friends, they had a lot of charm and it was a wonderful support network in her dark time of need. Lizzie herself is an awesome leading lady, she has a lot of heart and enjoyable to follow. I think her and her boyfriend police chief Mark make a cute couple even if in this one the fact that he is a police chief and it puts a bit of tension between them when she is found to be the prime suspect. But I totally give credit to Mark for handling it the way he did, I thought he was wonderful and supportive.
A fun read. I enjoyed the story leading up to the murder and the bit of history and hissy fits between Ashley and Lizzie, kind of build up a little bit of suspense for me as I flipped through the pages eagerly wondering who else would have it out for Ashley.
I got a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange of an honest review.
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