August Moon

Murder by Month Mystery #4

by Jess Lourey

Maybe it's time for me to leave this crazy town, hightail it back to Minneapolis, and become a cat-collecting, fist-shaking, asexual English professor...

Furious after being stood up by local hottie Johnny Leeson, Mira decides to abandon Battle Lake, Minnesota, where the women are churchgoers, the men like to hunt, and the body count is above average. But when a cheerleader bites the dust, Mira loiters long enough to snoop.

Mira is highly suspicious of the New Millennium Bible Camp, a disturbing place with a Stepford Wives meets Hee Haw vibe. Before ditching Battle Lake, Mira is hell-bent on confronting her own demons and catching a killer.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Romance, Humor, Ebooks

264 pages, Paperback

First published June 8, 2008

About the author

My name is Jess Lourey, and I write about secrets.

The story of my first published novel is both devastating and transformative, something I speak about in my TEDx Talk (https://youtu.be/a5vSLh3oPXI). I've come a long way since then. I'm proud to call myself a bestselling, twice Edgar-nominated, and twice Goodreads Readers Choice Awards shortlisted author who has won the ITW Thriller, Minnesota Book, and Anthony Awards. I write crime fiction, young adult, nonfiction, children's books, and book club fiction.

I've reached over a million readers since 2020. I'm also a former writing and sociology professor who still loves to teach transformative creative writing workshops built around my Rewrite Your Life method.

I live in Minneapolis with a rotating batch of foster kittens (and occasional foster puppies, but man those goobers are a lot of work). Pop on over to Lourey's Literati, my VIP Reader group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/38538...) and/or sign up for my molasses newsletter (https://jessicalourey.com/newsletter) for the latest news, giveaways, and insider information.

p.s. You can find the Unspeakable Things epilogue here: https://jessicalourey.com/survey-two.

Reviews

[Robin Tobin (On the back porch reading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was not as cute as the other previous books in this series... it was still a good read.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Town librarian Mira James investigates the murder of one of her employees.

Lourey gives us a flawed, strong, resourceful heroine and fills her intriguing story with colorful secondary characters. The plot is well thought out and captivating.

A delightful read.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started August Moon without reading the earlier books in the series, but about 10% in, I got the sense that skipping the backstory of such a vibrant character felt almost sacrilegious. So, I went back and read May Day, June Bug, and Knee High by the Fourth of July in that order to fully understand who Mira James is and her journey. I'm so glad I did—each book was a joy, and the Mira James rollercoaster was absolutely worth it! August Moon is a cozy yet twisted mystery-suspense, and I love that combination. Mira is easily the best character Jess Lourey has created, even though I also love her darker, more serious novels. This series is a breath of fresh air, with an endearing familiarity to its quirky small-town cast. The stories are fantastic—humorous, darkly twisted, and occasionally heart-stopping. I’m completely hooked on this series, and August Moon delivered the perfect blend of suspense, mystery, and my kind of humor—a real win-win. I loved this book so far because - yes it featured murder! I know grotesque but the last 2 books June Bug & Knee High by the Fourth of July in the series mainly featured robbery/heists & I was missing the dose of macabre. This book delivered and how! I loved loved loved both the plot & the characters!

And now I can't wait to dive into September Mourn & look at what's next for Mira! Oh, why are there only 12 months in a year?! I have a feeling that I'm going to need more of Mira's Musings in my life.


Thank you NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer & Jess Lourey for this arc! Special thanks to Jess Lourey for the gift of Mira James!

[Stacey (Bookalorian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was good. It is paet of a series and you could tell right from the get go so I went and got the rest of the series first because I dont think it works very well as a standalone.

The characters are great and the pace is brilliant. I love books with quirky characters and thats what will keep me going with the series.

The plot was decent and the narrator was great.

4 stars

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining mystery listening 🎶🔰

This kindle e-book novel is from my Kindle Unlimited account book 4 of 12

Mira has decided to 👍leave the library and move back to the university. But things do not go as planned with a murder and other difficulties. It all comes together with the arrest of the guilty and other factors.

I would recommend this series and author to 👍 readers of romantic family and friends relationships adventure mystery novels 👍🔰. 2024 👒😀🐕

There are to many new releases to series, new series and authors. Happy reading 📚 and have fun 🌙😀

[BONNIE SMITH · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Murder by Month series follow Mira, professional librarian, amateur investigator. In the last several books we had more rom-com, this one takes on a more somber theme with a religious group being the antagonist.
I enjoyed it, some laughs some more serious notes. If you're very religious I could see this one upsetting folks, it does take a stab at organized religion and cult like behaviors. Little less cozy than some mysteries, but easily fits in that category.
I was provided with a Kindle edition of this for my honest opinion.

[Karine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoy this series and this book is so far my favorite. It has a little bit of everything, mystery, romance, teen rebellion, misunderstanding/ misrepresented religion and a nice (and so wanted and semi- expected; at some point) ending. The author knows how to start and end each book on the perfect tone and the books are not dragging at all it runs so smoothly. 5 ⭐️ and more 😃

[The Honest Book Reviewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Okay, so I'm moving these books to be more irreverent than cosy. Maybe that should be a sub-genre of cosy mysteries.

Jess Lourey took a risk with this book - adding more serious subject matter than the preceding three books. I think those risks do shift this story more into the real world, but I can also see them being divisive for some readers. Personally, I think the author kept any serious sentiment carefully within the realms of the character's development. I think that's fine. There's a difference between including possibly divisive elements in a character (and it make sense to that character) and the author expressing such elements in the general story.

Putting all that aside, I want to focus on the mystery in the book, which I think is the best mystery of the four books so far in the series. It's darker than the other mysteries, another risk taken by the author. But it worked for me. The twists and surprises were very well done.

Unfortunately, the overuse of quirks still pulls me out of the story too much. Maybe it would be better if the quirks were more suited to the setting of the story more. At least they would seem more natural and not there just for shock value.

Thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for providing a free copy of this book for an honest review.

[Tiffany Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another delightful edition to the Murder of the Month Mystery. Mira just knew she was about to enter a great time of her life then in one big swoop everything went wrong. She decides to move away and then everything became an issue. Dead bodies, crazy church people show up, people trying to banned books, she had way too much to solve and decides she isn't going to leave after all. The prose in this book was super fun to read and the characters cracked me up and made me want to read more.

[Tonya Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating 3.5....I'm enjoying this unintentional sleuth series!

[Amber Novoselac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mira James, the main character in this book loses a little of her mojo in August. She is ready to move on because of a man and being rejected. I mean who hasn't been there in their life where a major decision is a direct result of what a man has or has not done for you. Even though unconventional, I like the friendship blossoming between Mira and Kennie Rogers. They are total opposites but can learn from each other. These murder by month books make me fall more in love with the town of Battle Lake to the point I feel I live there. This is the fourth book in the series and cannot wait to read the rest of the months coming out. Thank you to Jess Lourey and Thomas and Mercer Publishers for the Advanced Read Copy.

[Briann · Rating 2 out of 5]

The main character Mira annoyed me so much. First, the book starts off with her practically obsessing over a man that she is not even dating. She is willing to put her whole life and education on hold for this man. There was also a ton of commentary on her lack of makeup in the first few chapters. The rest of the book was about her continuously breaking the law and judging people. It was super annoying and frustrating. Also, it felt like the author threw in a weird collection of traits to make the characters memorable. For example, Weston, the cape-wearing, bird-fearing tick-curator, who actually turned out to be a part of law enforcement. Also, the book’s view of religion was oversimplified and under-nuanced. Just not a great read in general.

[Kaliah · Rating 4 out of 5]

~3.5 ⭐️ ~ This installment of the series had the best mystery so far. I found it to be a more suspenseful and gripping plot compared to the others. The author also chose to take on a more serious subject matter by choosing to include a discussion of religious views. The inclusion of this subject matter was somewhat surface level, but gave some food for thought. As always, I enjoyed the quirky locals (especially Ms. Berns) and the scenic descriptions of Battle Lake.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

The blurb is spot on when it comes to the new church that just arrived into the small town and is trying to put down roots. I certainly got the Stepford Wives vibe and it was creepy. This one certainly amped up the mystery and I was honestly shocked at the discovery of the murdered body. I kept flip flopping on my guess as to who was behind it. Certainly a very engaging and good mystery. The narrator, Jennifer Jill Araya did a wonderful job portraying Mira and the many emotions that Mira felt throughout the book. This one opened up some about her mom, but still leaves things unknown. I can’t wait to find out what will happen between Mira and her mom.

A very special thanks to Brilliance Publishing for the gifted ALC.

[Heather Flaherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these Monthly Moon books and can’t wait to read the other months. In this one, Mira is curious about a new church moving in the area. It’s very weird with how old fashioned it is and decides to investigate. What she find will blow you away.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am liking this series more and more. Great characters and witty dialogue!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really lived this one. I'm not even going to complain about loose threads and inconsistencies. This is the funniest entry in the series so far.

[Loretta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read. Another book in this series about Mira and her adventures in sleuthing.

[Nicole Lineberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Egde of my seat

I blew thru this book and found myself reading too fast to find out what was going to happen! Onto the next book!

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although these are nearly 20 years old, the subjects/mystery plots feel oh so current. Ending the year with a fun main character, interesting mystery, and happiness abounding sounds good to me

[Shannon📚 from BookTok · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is the fourth in the series but can be read in any order. It’s an easy to follow story with some funny moments but focuses on the Mc Mira (a librarian) who returns to her small town, described as stepford wives meets hee-haw with a higher than average body count, because her assistant has been murdered. Shes determined to get justice for Lucy.

Thanks NetGalley, for sending it. 3.5 stars

[Coni · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main mystery of this book was pretty dark. It involved a zealot religious organization and a dead teenage girl. I actually liked that the series was pretty dark and how she had some serious conversations with various town people. The climatic ending was quite exciting and there were some surprises that I didn't see coming.

My main issues was being angry at the main character. It was set up that she was going to leave and go back to a big city, which I knew wouldn't happen since this is a series and I didn't see her moving to the big city being part of her adventures. This whole series is set up for her to live in this small town. I felt like I had to waste my time reading about her getting ready to leave, finding a replacement at the library, and someone else to live in her friend's house she had been watching, while I waited for her to make the obvious realization that she didn't want to leave. Also by the end of this book (and spoiler for the beginning of the next book), there is no mention about what happened to the people she had arranged to stay at her friend's house. Did she just kick some people out to the curb? Let's just ignore that little detail.

She had based her decision on her not-even-a-romance with Johnny. The will they/won't they is very annoying to read about, the same way it is on tv shows. When there is some sexual tension starting to brew between two people is one thing, but when they know they like each other, have no other attachments, and are not getting together for no particular reason even though they want to, it makes me angry. Make a decision! Not fun to read that stuff, so I hope that storyline moves forward in future installments.

I also meant to finish up this book in August and finally be on track for reading these in the correct month, but then look at me pausing on this book for a month and finishing it in October. Dear lord, I need to get my shit together!

[Reidun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somehow I missed entirely, until the end of this episode of Mira James' life, that it was part of a series. That it stood so well on its own is an accomplishment.

I've made it a point this year to focus specifically on female writers whenever possible, and Jess Lourey is one of my favorite finds.

Mira James, like most Minnesotans, isn't perfect, but her flaws are not wrought, torturous, poetic justice--she's not at all unlike you or me. She has some vices, some hobbies, and some personality quirks that, at first I thought made her stand out in Battle Lake, but toward the end it's pretty clear she snuggles in just fine shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Mrs. Berns and Curtis Poling, in her own way.

The ingrained humor style of anyone who says "You betcha" unironically is dry and self-deprecating, but it kept me chortling throughout, even in the action-packed story climax. Some of the humor is a little on-the-nose, but, again, that's part of the appeal. I've lived in California for over 4 years now and have no desire to ever live in Minnesota again, but Mira's adventures and mishaps are a pleasant reminder of my home state and the kind of people and communities I came from. Can't wait to read the rest of this series!

[BiblioPeeks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really needed some laughs and AUGUST MOON delivered! I chuckled, giggled and snickered throughout.

Full of witty, silly, sarcastic and downright FUNNY characters, I enjoyed the cozy small town vibes. Mira is a delight, entirely likable and someone you can root for, but the ENTIRE town of Battle Lake has unique and quirky folks! Mrs. Berns, the wily octogenarian, was my favorite!

Though this is funny and lighthearted the mystery kept me guessing and things do take a dark turn which for me is the perfect combo!

While this is part of ‘A Murder By The Month Mystery’ series you can definitely read any of them as a stand alone!

AUGUST MOON was super fast paced, laughter inducing, with multiple little investigations happening and a surprise or two! The perfect remedy for a dark and rainy day!
____

Thank you Jess Lourey for my free copy. All thoughts are mine.

[Amy D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is fun and funny. I appreciate that this one strayed further from romance (of which I am not a huge fan). This book in the series focused on a new and controversial religion, and its followers. There is a good blend of recurring characters, and new characters. I'm not sure if it's okay to say a mystery is "fun," but these do feel fun and fairly light to me, and make me want to go to Battle Lake, Minnesota!

[Leslie Zampetti · Rating 1 out of 5]

Perhaps I just wasn't in the mood, but Lourey doesn't strike me as another Evanovich, despite the cover blurbs and good review in Booklist. Still, might be worth your while if you're really looking for more humorous mysteries. Start with her first, though. Too many references backwards....

[Cheryl Lopatka · Rating 1 out of 5]

Was not the least bit funny

I did not enjoy this book, nor did I find it funny. I did not like the main character nor did I like Mrs. Berns. It was very disrespectful to those of faith. I do not recommend this book.

[Sue · Rating 1 out of 5]

August Moon picks up exactly where Knee High by the Fourth of July left off, with Mira expecting Johnny to knock on her door late one night. Instead, she gets Kennie who is a mess because Gary has gotten religion and broken off their relationship.

And a mess is exactly what this book is.

Which is too bad because Lourey is an excellent writer. Her characters are strong, her sense of place is excellent, and her comedic timing is good.

All of that is missing here. Other than being extraordinarily hot and dry, Minnesota barely gets a mention here. Very little is humorous, regardless of the title. The characters are horrible stereotypes or very one note. The author spends most of the book flagellating people of faith, referring to them as dull, ignorant, small-minded, hateful, blind, judgmental, uneducated, and stupid. Not to say that some people aren't like that, even some religious people, but no where was there given any thought to a character that genuinely embodies being a person of faith. Everything about this was offensive and judgmental. At least she had the grace to have someone point out to Mira that she was being judgmental. But even after that, the name-calling continued.

The entire plot of August Moon hinges on religious nuts. If you are a person of faith (or you at least respect people of faith) you might want to skip this one.

[Anna Hayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one took a little longer for me to get into, possible because I started reading it on a long-haul flight and finished it over the course of some jet lag days.
Nonetheless, you get what you see with Jess Lourey’s monthly murder series – fun characters, quirky small-town politics and happenings, and a good mystery with enough twists and turns to hold your interest.
In this outing, Mira has finally had enough of Battle Lake and vows to leave once and for all. But then a new holier-than-thou pastor and his family rolls into town, a replacement librarian joins the team, and a cheerleader ends up shot in the back, and Mira is racing against time to solve all the mysteries before she cuts and runs.
There are quite a few moving parts to this one, with a few red herrings dotted throughout the book. You might call them ‘side quests’ from Mira’s point of view, but they all tie up rather nicely in the end.
I’m not a huge fan of Mrs Berns revealing character motives and motivations towards the end of the book – it feels a little convenient – but they are secondary characters so it’s ok on this occasion.
I am, however, a huge fan of Mrs Berns in general because she’s an absolute scream.
This one also felt darker than the previous ‘cosies’ – the urgency of the action made the crimes a lot more impactful.
As always, an enjoyable read from Lourey and I look forward to the next one.

My thanks to Thomas & Mercer for the eARC of this novel, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

[CZ · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I love about this series is that each book feels fresh. There are about a zillion cozy tropes out there, and some series focus on only certain aspects, themes, or ideas — not this one. The Murder of the Month mystery series are tied together and follow Mira's character arc, yes, but they don't get stale. They're always fun, new, and an absolute riot.

By August Moon, Mira is fed up with small town life and all the little dramas that constantly pop up in and around the library. She's looking for a new head librarian right about the same time a creepy culty church rolls into town, followed by an extremely suspicious murder. Mira decides to solve one last mystery before she, as she would say, beats cheeks.

Religion is a touchy subject in the best of times, and Mira makes no bones about her anxiety regarding the new church, its creepy leaders, and the under-educated, hyper-devout, brainwashed teenage warriors. Personally, I think it's handled well, but because this series is willing to "go there," readers who expect saintly heroines in a cotton candy world will probably disagree with me. And if that's the case, idk how they got this far into the series.

We're 4 books in, and there's no sign of slowing. See you in September!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.