The Body in the Trench: A Jazzi Zanders Mystery, Book 7

A Jazzi Zanders Mystery #7

by Judi Lynn

This time, Jazzi isn't called to solve murder. Ansel is. His uncle Len, who promised him a job when he came to River Bluffs and then let his sons drive him away, calls to ask for help. One of the workers on his construction site is buried when a retaining wall gives and dirt pours into the trench where Xavier is laying pipe. But is Xavier's death an accident? Or did someone purposely sabotage the retaining wall?

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery

Audible Audio

Published January 5, 2022

About the author

Judi Lynn received a Master’s Degree from Indiana University as an elementary school teacher after attending the IPFW campus. She taught 1st, 2nd, and 4th grades for six years before having her two daughters. She loves gardening, cooking and trying new recipes.

Reviews

[Patrizia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stelle e mezza
Altra lettura piacevole: in questa, più che i misteri da risolvere, trovo molto soddisfacente leggere del modo come i vari personaggi interragiscano fra loro, è quasi una boccata d'aria fresca. Qui abbiamo due misteri: una serie di furti (colpevole ovvio) e due omicidi (colpevole che mi ha colto di sorpresa). C'è qualche lapsus (un personaggio chiamato con un altro nome oppure una tizia che chiede un numero di telefono che le è stato dato qualche capitolo prima), ma il libro si lascia leggere. Alla fine c'è un brevissimo racconto in cui accadano alcune cose di cui si accennava nella storia principale (andrebbe letto prima),

[Mae Clair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this latest Jazzi mystery! Murder hits close to home when a worker at Ansel’s uncle’s construction site meets with an untimely death. Add in a second mystery involving workers at a country club, plus a new—and more difficult house—for Jazzi, Ansel and Jerod to flip, and there is plenty to keep readers glued to the pages. Once again, Jazzi and Ansel’s extended family make appearances (I love their Sunday get-togethers and Gram’s predictions), and there are a handful of new characters who add interest and suspicion.

The backstory involving Ansel, his Uncle Len, and Len’s sons worked well in crafting a balance between the murder mystery and family dynamics. There are several characters in this book I wanted to “take to task,” for their attitudes, but that was exactly what the author intended. Another character, I loved the moment she appeared on the page, and was happy to see how her story arc progressed. It’s the mark of a good author who can make you care for her secondary players as much as her MCs.

If you enjoy cozy mysteries with characters who lodge in your heart, this is an excellent series to escape with. I do recommend starting at the beginning for maximum enjoyment and appreciating how all of the characters connect. A highly entertaining read!

[Angela (Kentuckybooklover) Brocato-Skaggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm excited to see this series continue as it has. I didn't realize until recently that I was two behind.

It has always been a good series when I need a good dose family love. Jazzi and her family are what we need right now. Sunday dinners and helping each other out when needed. Unfortunately, Ansel did not get as lucky. His family is filled with mean, tyrannical men. Ugh. Thank goodness he fell far from the mean tree.

In this installment I enjoyed the two mysteries going on simultaneously. I figured out one pretty quickly but not the how. The other one I waffled between two suspects and picked the wrong one.

I enjoyed the short story at the end and am excited fir the next series after reading the first chapter.

[Danielle Madonna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do enjoy the occasional cozy mystery. Unfortunately,this series is just not for me. I like the idea that the two main characters are house flippers as opposed to the typical book shop/cafe owners in most cozy mysteries. So stars for originality there. Sadly, I found this story to be dull. Too much monotony in the two main characters daily routine and too much word repetition made this a lackluster read.

[Voirrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ansel taking centre stage as his uncle Len (yes -the one he worked for when he first came to River Bluffs) asks his help to 'prove his sons innocent' when there is a suspicious death on their construction site. This was interesting and nicely full of twists and turns, while Jazzi was more involved in a series of acts of vandalism against members of the country club her old friends Reuben and Isabelle frequent.

The balance between the descriptions of work being carried out at the house they are flipping and the puzzles they are trying to solve was right in this one; just enough less on the house interior than last time for it to work so much better.

[Jennetta Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love this series! It has a little bit of everything... Romance, cooking, house flipping and of course mystery. I hope there's many more to come!

[Dallass · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit boggy in places.

I have generally enjoyed the books in this series, but for some reason this book just felt really drawn out and not as snappy as the others I’ve read. Jazzi and Ansel are still loved up and too cute, and Jerod and the rest of her family are lovely, if a tad obnoxious at times (yes, I’m looking at you, Olivia). However, we get to meet Ansel’s uncle and cousins, and they are just as bad as his family. The apple certainly didn’t fall far from tree in regards to Dagmar (Ansel’s dad) and his brother, Len.

So, not only are J, A & J flipping a new eyesore, Ansel has been roped into helping his uncle deal with a murder on their worksite, and the Reuben and Isabelle shanghai them into investigating a series on break ins connected to the local snooty country club set. It’s all hands on deck for this book as Jazzi and Ansel try to navigate some rocky waters when it comes to dealing with family, friends and crime.

3.5 stars ⭐️

[D. Peach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jazzi and “her Viking” Ansel, along with Jazzi’s cousin Jerod, have plans to fix up and flip an old house. They’ve just started the work when Ansel’s uncle calls – a retaining wall has collapsed into a trench, killing an employee, and he’s worried that one of his sons will be blamed. At the same time, a series of break-ins in a nearby wealthy neighborhood is putting everyone on edge. Between their renovation tasks, amateur sleuths Jazzi and Ansel start asking questions about both cases.

They also plan menus, cook, eat in, and dine out. Foodies will get a kick out of this read since every meal is covered from beginning to end with at least a mention. And every item on the menu sounds mouth-watering. Food “consumes” about 25% of the text, with another 25% dedicated to the renovation project, pets, family, friends, and daily life.

This left about half of the book focused on the plot and investigation, which they conduct in tandem with the police. Jazzi and her cohorts are never in danger, so the focus is mostly on unraveling clues and interviewing the players involved in both cases. There are a lot of potential suspects (characters), and I didn’t know whodunnit until the end.

The pace is moderate, but the characters and the mystery kept me entertained. I do wish that Jazzi and Ansel played a bigger part in ultimately solving the crimes, but with that said, they’re highly relatable characters and easy to root for. I felt as though I knew them well by the end, along with many of the secondary players. This is Book 7 in the series, but I had no trouble reading it as a standalone.

An entertaining cozy mystery that I can easily recommend to foodies and problem solvers who enjoy getting to know the characters while following clues.

[Diane ~Firefly~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ansel's uncle asks him to help out when there is a death on his construction crew.

What I enjoyed:
* Ansel's family is awful, although most the younger generation seems redeemable
* So much food. I don't understand how Jazzie has time to make food all the time with her job and life
* I enjoy the Jazzi & Ansel's friends and family

What could have been better:
* Too much of the daily routine. They went grocery shopping multiple times and
discussed menus more times than I can count.
* Such a sad reason for murder needing money to win a girl (who turned out to be somewhat decent) and then killing people to keep it secret you stole from your dad's company

[Linda Romer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked The Body in the Trench. Another fun murderous mystery involving Ansel's family. I was shocked when I found out who the murder was. I love how Jazzi and Ansel's family and friends are evolving and growing. I feel attached to the characters and their lives. I love all the bonding and all the great food and recipes. I liked the addition of Taheesha in book 7. She's whip smart and sassy. Looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

I give The Body in the Trench 4 stars for its fun murder mystery.
I would recommend this book to cozy mystery fans.

[Allison Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Jazzi and Ansel and I love the flipping talk and the food talk. The mysteries and their solutions tend to the ridiculous, but no one is pretending cozies are realistic, right? And her family dinners sound so much like mine, except we don't have any little kids right now (thank all the gods that be) and no one has visions. We do talk about murder occasionally though. Good book, hope they continue.

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Body in the Trench

A great read with lots of mystery in this cozy. Homes being ransacked, tools missing from a work site and a murder. I love the characters of Ansel and Jazz in this book. They want the best for everyone involved. I look forward to reading more by this author.

[Chili Diane Evance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series. I live vicariously through their house flipping knowing I could never finish one if I started. They’re very clever on figuring out who did it. Thanks for the joy of reading this book.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

It felt like things got a little slow at times and there were a handful of editing issues, but overall this was a good story and the author's dedication to researching the finer details of home renovation didn't go unnoticed.

[Cathy Gischlar · Rating 5 out of 5]

great author

Loved each and every book so far. Can’t wait to read about their baby and how he gets born!!!! Thanks for great reads Judi!

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are just such fun books to read. I really enjoy these cozy murder mysteries! On to Number 8!

[Toni Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Enjoyable Story

What a life Jazzi and Ansel have, flipping houses. Great read and enjoyed trying to figure out who done it. I was truly surprised.

[Darinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 7th book in the Jazzi Zanders mystery series. A delightful and fun cozy mystery.