The Deceased Despised Pumpkin Spice Anything

by Sydney Strand

Thora Bergen Firth, the First Lady of Vermont, has moved to New York City to get space to think about who she is and who she wants to be. (No, she is not divorcing her husband, the Governor...she’s 99% certain about that.)

She lives in her Swedish grandmother’s basement apartment, which comes with a wall of plants and a grouchy cat that keeps breaking into her apartment.

After a lucky break, Thora is hired to create “Obituillustrations” for The New York Daily Post Observer. But when one of her assignments is murdered, she begins picking up clues about how they may have been murdered--and why.

Join Thora and her fellow Basement Dwellers, Horace and Joy, as they solve the crime of who murdered the deceased who despised pumpkin spice anything, with stops along the way for Swedish baked goods, junk journaling, and marriage counseling.

Genres: Cozy Mystery

233 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 18, 2024

About the author

Sydney Strand has been writing novels for the last nine years. This is her first independently published book. Previously, she wrote young adult novels, written under another name, which were published by a Big Name Publisher.

She currently lives in New England with her husband, children, and two moody cats. She enjoys all that Colonial America has to offer. Namely, craft shows and pie festivals. She hopes to one day enter an apple pie contest because, as she's been told, she has an apple pie recipe to die for. Literally. It has three sticks of butter in it.

You can Friend, Pin, Tweet, or Instagram her, as well as visit her website for her monthly reader contest, Oh Goody, Goody GOODIES!

Reviews

[Caitlin C · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so much! There aren’t many books I read in which the characters overshadow the plot. That being said, the plot was also great. It was thoroughly enjoyable.

The MC is the First Lady of Vermont. She has been a mom and a politicians wife for decades and decides it’s time to figure out who she is, and who she wants to be. She decides to spend some time in NYC at her late grandmothers condo. Right off the bat, she meets Joy and Horace, some of the most memorable and fun characters I’ve read about in a long time.

When a body comes crashing down on to her porch, she gathers her new found friends and channels her inner detective.

I was very excited to learn there’s another book coming out soon. I will be reading more in the series, and more by this author!!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it from the get-go, with the main characters becoming so real to me I could almost hear them breaking the 4th wall:

Joy: OK, I admit, junk journaling is basically just scrapbooking. It's a suburban housewife thing, so you'd think it would be more Thora's hobby than mine, but she persists in acting like she's never heard of it. Weird.
Horacè: Wtf is up with all the pumpkin spice baking? Am I really into seasonal cliches, or am I being passive-aggressive towards a dead person?
Thora: Tbh, Fritz gives me the raging ick and I'm 100% getting divorced, or at least permanently separated.
Astrid: I'm cool with that. Dad may be an ok person, but he's a total bore. I'm definitely marrying someone entirely unlike him. Possibly Horace.
Horace again: Yikes, I must bake. Something chocolate, for a change.
Everyone: Gummy candies, Swedish or otherwise, really aren't all that, so let's pick a new obsession.
Readers not in New York: Ikea really needs to bring back the prinsesstårta.

[Heather Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a digital ARC of this book. I usually prefer to watch mysteries instead of read them, but I adore Sydney so I jumped at the chance to read her book early. Thora is the First Lady of Vermont, but she needs some time away. What better place then the tiny 1 bedroom her grandma left her in NYC. What she doesn’t expect is a body crashing down on her patio the first night she’s there. As Thora, and her fellow tenants try to process this murder, Thora is also trying to figure out herself. This story will pull you in for the multiple storylines happening, on top of the murder mystery. I totally guessed the wrong person as the murderer….will you be able to figure it out?

[Delphia Von Heeder · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Deceased Despised Pumpkin Spice Anything is Book 1 in An Obituillustration Murder Mystery by Sydney Strand. I thought that Thora was a wonderful character. She is smart and strong and she moved to NYC for herself. Of course, having the Governor of Vermont as your husband does make finding yourself a little bit more newsworthy; as does a woman murdered outside your new apartment. Great characters with an interesting mystery equals an excellent mystery. This wonderful book 1 leaves me excited to see what happens next. I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.

[Linda K Goodwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now this is a great Cozy Murder Mystery. So much so, I wish I could give it 10 stars!

Love the desire to learn whom oneself is. Love the artsy feel of the story, all of the cool weird characters and warmth. Also how she just "falls" into the whole ordeal.

You can tell this story is well thought out, and you don't feel like they are purposely doing things that are way out there disobeying the law.

Great Job!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the first lady of Vermont takes a break in her late grandmother's New York City apartment, she gets far more involved with her new neighbors than she expected when the body of a neighbor ends up on her patio.

Crazy characters are fairly well developed, plot is engaging if somewhat confusing. All in all, as charming as a cozy mystery can get.

Not a terribly fast read at the start because there are a lot of characters and it takes a while to sort out which of them will be important.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indipendently published books can help you to discover hiddeng gems like this one. An original cozy mystery featuring an unusual heroine, an artsy setting in a NY block of flats, a cast of quirky characters, a realistic cats, and a mystery that involves Thora nearly by chance.
There's something intriguing about the heroine Swedish background and her life.
I was hooked since the beginning and hope there will be further story soon as this one is entertaining and well written.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to laugh with this one because it felt great to know that I was not the only one in the world not a fan of all things pumpkin spice … even though this is fiction. I'm more of an apple fan as well. But as far as the story, it was very well done. I love these characters. And I love that Thora is doing what she's doing. Especially as someone around the same age, I appreciate that. And I love Hector. He's the best. I'm really hoping the next book comes soon!

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun read! I enjoyed the humor, the relationships, and oddness of Thora's situation. Well rounded characters, plot, and demise of victim. The title lives up to its name and the amount of times I laughed out loud put this over a 5 for me! Highly recommend!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Erin Gilmore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very fun, cozy mystery about the First Lady of Vermont who leaves her husband (probably temporarily) to find herself. Thora goes to her grandmother’s apartment in New York City to get some space. She meets a cast of characters at the apartment building, and ends up embroiled in a murder mystery. Well done and entertaining. 3.5 stars.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable Pumpkin Spice Cozy

I liked this holiday-themed cozy. It was well-written and humorous with well-developed characters were lovely for the most part. I recommend it.

[Madcow Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and cozy. Really enjoyed all the wild characters in this book. Am happy to hear that there is already a second book.