Psyched to Death

Jamie Brodie Mystery #6

by Meg Perry

Who killed Matt Bendel? The police suspect his partner, Elliott Conklin, the assistant chair of the psychology department at Santa Monica College. Elliott was found with the body, covered in blood – and he doesn’t have an alibi. Elliott wants Pete Ferguson to help clear his name. But Pete doesn’t have time – he’s had to take over one of Elliott’s classes – and he thinks Elliott might be guilty.
Jamie Brodie isn’t so sure. Matt had a secret that may have gotten him killed. The investigation of that secret leads to someone from Jamie’s past - and another death that will change Jamie forever.

Genres: Mystery, Romance, M M Romance, Contemporary, M M Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Crime

164 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 27, 2014

About the author

I started reading mysteries where a lot of us started - with Nancy Drew. I graduated to Agatha Christie, then P.D. James. My new favorite is Peter Lovesey.

I've had the characters of Jamie Brodie and Pete Ferguson in my head for a long time, but just recently figured out how to tell their stories. Jamie is an academic librarian because I'm an academic librarian and it's the world I know best.

Thanks for reading!

Reviews

[ttg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Psyched to Death is the sixth installment in Perry’s Jamie Brodie Mysteries, a series that stars intrepid UCLA librarian Jamie, his dedicated boyfriend Pete, their myriad friends and family members, and a rising body count. (At least one per book.) The series is definitely in the “cozy” variety—not too dark and rarely very tense (and all sexy times are fade to black), but the series is also comfortable, fun, and very readable.

At this point in the series, I feel pretty entrenched. Although I still find Perry’s style overly simplistic and straight-forward, I appreciate her character consistency and the dollops of development she spreads out over each book, so even as Jamie and Pete find themselves participating in another amateur investigation, the books don’t return to a perfect status quo at the end. They’re a little further in their relationship, or new information has been revealed, or new life developments have occurred, and the Jamie of book 6 is not the same Jamie as book 1 Cited to Death (although he still has to watch out for his asthma. That’s another point of consistency that I appreciate—Perry keeps track of all the little bits and bobs of the characters, so they feel very realistic.)

Can you jump into book 6 cold? Probably? But I wouldn’t recommend it. There’s been quite a bit of development over the series, and you’ll appreciate it more if you start from the beginning. There is also not a lot of character introduction, so you’ll follow along better if you have the build-up over the different books.

#6 is slightly more bolder than #5; this time Pete’s teaching colleague has found his young lover stabbed, but he swears he’s innocent. Jamie and Pete find themselves roped in to help find who might have killed poor young Matt, all the while navigating their continuing relationship counseling and some unwelcome news from Pete’s family.

I wouldn’t mind if Perry ramped up the tension and peril a little more, add a few dashes of danger to put me on the edge of my seat, but overall, I still really enjoy each mystery, and feel still that this series and its steady development (and recurring crimes) would make a really fun TV show.

Will I read the next one? Yes, definitely. I think Perry would have to do something really out there to get me off this train. As of now, Jamie and his bunch are so likeable and easy to read, that even if I want more excitement in the stories, I’ll still happily plunk down the cash to read about their adventures. (It helps that each book is less than $3.)

If you like m/m mysteries, especially the cozy variety, I recommend you check out the series with book 1 Cited to Death. Perry’s style feels little raw at first, but I got used to it. If the first volume work for you, it’s easy for me to recommend the follow-ups like this one.

(You can also tell Perry is a Josh Lanyon fan—there are multiple jokes throughout the series that point to Adrien English’s bookshop, and another reference is in this volume. I always dig those small references to the genre.)

[Ami · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like the I don't care enough about the 'mystery' this time around -- it has something to do with one of Jamie and Pete's friend's boyfriend, whom I don't even remember from previous books. I want to focus on the relationship this time.

I know that Jamie and Pete say that they love one another. I know that relationship is not always easy. I'm happy that they keep their schedule visit to the counselor. HOWEVER, I also feel that their issues are tackled VERY slowly. Like one thing is over but there's still an amount of things they find out that they might not be incompatible with. Since this is a fiction (not real life), I start to feel tired reading books after books with such issues. Realistic as it might be, I don't know if I can enjoy books where it's the main couple have different perception and expectation about what 'homo-normative relationship' should be. Be it children, marriage, and such.

Also, while I'm feeling the familiarity of Ms. Perry's simple writing, I also wish that she can progresses from list-like sentences. It starts to feel like reading someone's daily journal. They wake up, they make breakfast, they go to work, they do research, they talk to friends, they have dinner, etc. I read this one after reading few novels (one of them is Nalini Singh's) with more 'heavy' sentences, so to speak. So it's a bit underwhelming.

I also start questioning the detectives in this story (Jamie's brother Kevin, and Liz's boyfriend Jon). Do detectives truly speak about their "active" cases in such details?? I feel that they might talk to their spouse/significant others. But while Jon is dating Jamie's friend, Liz, Jamie is not exactly Jon's anything. And then Jon's partner at the LAPD just talks the case over to Jamie? That is just weird to me.

And last, but not least, I'm a bit annoyed with how these people deal with Robbie (Jamie's fuck buddy from school) and the fact that his wife finally finds out about his infidelity -- and that the wife is planning to go to lawyer. And then Kevin say this

" Robbie’s a worm, but he doesn’t deserve to be screwed over by his wife because he’s gay "

Uhm, no Kevin, Robbie deserves to be screwed over not because he's gay, but because he's a CHEATER!!! Don't you get THAT fact instead?

One of the things that I commonly encounter in MM romance is that the female seems to be the obstacle on the path of the guys true love. So people seem to forgive and forget because, hey, the finish line is the GUYS, let's keep the wife out of the picture.

Well, I don't agree with that. I don't agree with hurting ANYONE in the picture just because the guys are supposed to be in love and because they're gay and minority and they have been hurt since they cannot be together, then we have to support them at all cause. No one should hurt other people in their path through happiness, even if they come from the minority. So that line bother me. A LOT.

I might still want to read the next book because this series is an easy read that I can spend 2-3 hours of my life for. But I don't think it's ever going to be one stellar series that I can compliment over and over again.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the best in the series so far

Rating: 4.5🌈

Psyched to Death, sixth in Meg Perry’s Jamie Brodie Mysteries series, brings complications to Jamie and his stumbling relationship with psychology professor, Pete. Trouble comes from multiple directions when a past acquaintance turns up dead as it’s not just a random person but someone who was deeply involved with a previous investigation and has ties to Pete’s work.

Perry is working on so many levels here. Its an impressive writing juggling achievement, especially as all the sensitive, potentially explosive areas such as Jamie and Pete’s ongoing personal relationship issues, Pete’s horrific SA childhood traumatic history, and different family dynamics impact on children’s development.

Throw in heartbreaking murders, complicated friendships and histories that bring forth pain, grief, and healing for those characters here, and Perry has written a strong novel that one of the best books so far in the series.

Yes, it’s a definite recommendation.

The Jamie Brodie Mysteries - 23 books
- [x] Cited to Death
- [x] Hoarded to Death
- [x] Burdened to Death
- [x] Researched to Death
- [x] Encountered to Death
- [x] Psyched to Death
- [ ] Stacked to Death
- [ ] Stoned to Death
- [ ] Talked to Death
- [ ] Avenged to Death
- [ ] Played to Death
- [ ] Filmed to Death
- [ ] Trapped to Death
- [ ] Promoted to Death
- [ ] Published to Death
- [ ] Cloistered to Death
- [ ] Haunted to Death
- [ ] Obsessed to Death
- [ ] Deserted to Death
- [ ] Drugged to Death
- [ ] Resigned to Death
- [ ] Snowed to Death
- [ ] Enchanted to Death

Dirty Laundry: The Jamie Brodie Short Stories (Jamie Brodie Mysteries)

Sequel series:
An Angeles Investigations Mystery
- [ ] Cheated to Death: Book 1
- [ ] Hunted to Death Book 2

[Ulysses Dietz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Psyched to Death (Jamie Brodie 6)
By Meg Perry
Published by the author, 2014
Five stars

I’ve been enjoying this series a lot; but so far, this is the best. Why? Because there is an emotional richness here—friendships, relationships, family connections and complications. This is the first book of the series that brought me to tears.

There are two tragic deaths in this book, neither of them quite what one expects. Perry has woven story lines from the past into the action, as she will probably continue to do as Peter and Jamie develop as a couple, and as their ties to their families shift and expand. All of this adds tremendous emotional spice to the narrative.

I still have some mild mixed feelings about Jamie, even though he himself thinks that Peter is the one with the problems. I love their couples’ counselor, but the practical advice from family is a surprising source of wisdom and support as well.

Of course, I read this book from two viewpoints—that of Jamie and Peter, and that of Jamie’s father. Those are two very different perspectives, and I think it gives the book an added richness. Jamie knows how lucky he is to have had a father like his, and Jamie is beginning to understand how Peter didn’t have that.

Can’t wait to see how this develops.

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, it seems that the recapitulation of previous books will become a problem.

And, TBH, the mystery in this one felt like it was resolved almost by chance. If Robbie's wife had sent him the pics 10 minutes later, there would be no solution at all.

I also disliked that Robbie's wife is pictured as the bad witch when was he who was cheating on her. Kevin says something on the line of 'Robbie doesn't deserve to be screwed over because he's gay'. Mmmm, hello! Him being a closeted gay is not the issue here. Him, making a sport of cheating on his wife, is.

I don't know, these books are easy to read and entertaining enough, but either their quality has decreased or I'm getting an overdose of them :P

I think I'll read one more, and then take a break *laughs*

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another mystery solved

The story line is fast paced, and brings in old character from past books. Fortunately, Meg Perry gives brief reminders for those of us that have swiss cheese memories (like me!)
Plot development and relationship developments abound in this story, and is a must read,

[Debbie McGowan · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are so many little things that get in my nerves in this series, sometimes I wonder why I'm still reading it.

The piling up of previous plots is getting like the old woman who swallowed a fly - by book 20, there'll only be room for about one paragraph of story.

[Suze · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoying this series.
We get a decent who did it, with a number of suspects, some of ehom have appeared before.
Jamie and Pete continue to develop as a couple and make progress in solving their issues.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am loving this series.

[Neet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 6th book in the Jamie Brodie mysteries and we find our intrepid librarian not so much involved in solving a murder this time. In this book a colleague of Pete ' s is suspected of the grisly murder of his much younger boyfriend. The man had argued with his boyfriend earlier and then went on a business trip. When he arrives home he makes the horrible discovery.Both Jamie & Pete knew both men and as far as they knew both seemed happy together. Also, Pete comes face to face with his has past in the form of his estranged sister. His sister has come with the news that his mother is dying and wants to see all 3 of her children before she dies.Pete isn't sure that he wants to see a woman who cruelly turned her back on him when he admitted to being sexually abused by a priest. I won't say more, other than this series keeps getting better. It is indeed a good series and a good read!

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The series has gradually grown on me and each instalment turned out to be a pleasant read. This book was no exception and met my usual expectations of the author's writing style. However, I feel disappointed with how slowly the romantic relationship is consolidating and lacking in significant development to an extent. It was clear from early on that Jamie and Pete had some key issues to work on as a couple and I liked the down-to-earth approach to solving them. Yet for a while now, I have become rather frustrated with how little time is devoted to their somewhat problematic romance and how the main incompatibility issues keep being postponed/avoided. I favour a slow and gradual pace in general, but this is a bit too much even for me.

[clear skies · Rating 2 out of 5]

The case was good and made sense for Jamie to get involved. Slowly but surely we're getting more development from Pete and Jamie together.

However, what I didn't like about this book is how a nameless female character was treated. A closeted gay man got a free pass for cheating on his wife, and Jamie considered her to be the evil b*tch. No thanks.

Why is it that female writers write the most misogynistic in M/M books. I was appalled.