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Mattie Winston Mystery #6
Stiff Penalty
Danger multiplies for a pregnant coroner investigating a math teacher’s murder in this hard-boiled mystery by a USA Today–bestselling author.
Deputy coroner Mattie Winston knows a thing or two about dead bodies. That’s why she’s on the case of Derrick Ames, a high school math teacher stabbed to death with a barbecue fork straight to the heart. Sure, she’s turned up some motives and a few suspects, but nothing adds up. Especially when the evidence points to Ames’s teenage son. Newly pregnant Mattie can’t believe it, even as her own long-estranged father may be following her. But one thing’s certain, she’d better start figuring things out fast, or a deadly perpetrator could be subtracting two more victims from the population of Sorenson, Wisconsin . . .
Praise for Annelise Ryan and her Mattie Winston series
“Ryan shows growing skill at mixing humor with CSI-style crime.”—Publishers Weekly
“The forensic details will interest Patricia Cornwell readers . . .while the often slapstick humor and the blossoming romance between Mattie and Hurley will draw Evanovich fans.”—Booklist
Deputy coroner Mattie Winston knows a thing or two about dead bodies. That’s why she’s on the case of Derrick Ames, a high school math teacher stabbed to death with a barbecue fork straight to the heart. Sure, she’s turned up some motives and a few suspects, but nothing adds up. Especially when the evidence points to Ames’s teenage son. Newly pregnant Mattie can’t believe it, even as her own long-estranged father may be following her. But one thing’s certain, she’d better start figuring things out fast, or a deadly perpetrator could be subtracting two more victims from the population of Sorenson, Wisconsin . . .
Praise for Annelise Ryan and her Mattie Winston series
“Ryan shows growing skill at mixing humor with CSI-style crime.”—Publishers Weekly
“The forensic details will interest Patricia Cornwell readers . . .while the often slapstick humor and the blossoming romance between Mattie and Hurley will draw Evanovich fans.”—Booklist
417 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 24, 2015
239 people are currently reading
675 people want to read
About the author
Annelise Ryan
19 books1,131 followersAnnelise Ryan is a pseudonym for Beth Amos, the USA Today bestselling author of 30 novels, including the Monster Hunter Mysteries featuring cryptozoologist and bookstore owner, Morgan Carter, the Mattie Winston mystery series, featuring a wryly cynical nurse-turned-coroner, and the Helping Hands Mysteries featuring social worker Hildy Schneider.
In addition, she is the author of the Mack's Bar Mystery series written as Allyson K. Abbott and five standalone paranormal thrillers written as Beth Amos.
She is a retired emergency room nurse living in Wisconsin. There are several reasons why she decided to use pseudonyms, not the least of which was that her ER patients might not have been comfortable knowing she spent her spare time thinking up clever ways to kill people.
In addition, she is the author of the Mack's Bar Mystery series written as Allyson K. Abbott and five standalone paranormal thrillers written as Beth Amos.
She is a retired emergency room nurse living in Wisconsin. There are several reasons why she decided to use pseudonyms, not the least of which was that her ER patients might not have been comfortable knowing she spent her spare time thinking up clever ways to kill people.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
February 24, 2015
This was a fun read. I chose to request it when I found out the MC and the author are nurses (my husband and I are both nurses). It's always nice to have the medical knowledge and aspects in a murder mystery actually correct.
The MC's voice is spunky and hilarious. I had several laugh out loud moments. Quotes may not match the final book since this is an advance reader copy.
I also liked one quote the author had about her emotional ups and downs while being pregnant.
This is the 6th book in a series, and for once the history of the MC is summed up succinctly yet thoroughly. I always felt like I understood the character well. This does well as a stand alone book.
The murder mystery keeps a good pace and kept my interest. AND on the plus side, I didn't guess the murderer! Woo-hoo!
Thank you Netgalley for a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
The MC's voice is spunky and hilarious. I had several laugh out loud moments. Quotes may not match the final book since this is an advance reader copy.
"...my relationship with Hurley thus far has had more ups and downs and more ins and outs than a porno movie..."
"Was it Gunther? Because if it was, I'm going to chain his legs into that exercise machine he keeps putting me on and spread that sucker until he splits like the wishbone on a turkey."
"My good friend Phyllis - aka Syph to those of us in the know -- directed us to the room that held our victim."
I also liked one quote the author had about her emotional ups and downs while being pregnant.
"But lately it seems my emotions are hanging on my sleeve like a collection of dangerously loose threads, constantly at risk of being snagged by the slightest provocation, after which they would unravel with terrifying speed, exposing parts of me I'd rather keep hidden."
This is the 6th book in a series, and for once the history of the MC is summed up succinctly yet thoroughly. I always felt like I understood the character well. This does well as a stand alone book.
The murder mystery keeps a good pace and kept my interest. AND on the plus side, I didn't guess the murderer! Woo-hoo!
Thank you Netgalley for a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 5, 2020
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Stiff Penalty is the sixth book in this series and I want to state upfront that these books should be read in order to fully understand the characters and the relationships but also for the hilarity that ensues within the pages of each book.
Mattie Winston has had a hard life, her father left when she was young, she caught her husband in the act of cheating on her at the hospital where they both work, and now she is dealing with a stalker, an unexpected pregnancy, and of course, another murder or two.
It took me a few minutes to get into this story because most of it is told in flashbacks but after I got the rhythm down the pages flew.
Ms. Ryan really brings the drama this time. Maddie is seeing a therapist and all her insecurities come out. It was great to see the other side of Maddie. She tries to keep a brave face on for the world but her life is changing in ways that can be downright scary.
There is drama at work too. High School math teacher Derrick Ames was stabbed straight into his heart with a barbeque fork. There are suspects but Maddie can’t piece the clues together to pin down the killer. But again, there is that stalker and the baby on the way. And being shot at doesn’t help matters. The drama doesn’t stop there either.
I really enjoyed Stiff Penalty. I started reading this series because it is set in my home state of Wisconsin. I keep coming back and reading more because I have become invested in these characters and the craziness that comes along with them. A great mystery or two just adds to the fun.
I am bound and determined to get all caught up on this series in 2021.
Stiff Penalty is the sixth book in this series and I want to state upfront that these books should be read in order to fully understand the characters and the relationships but also for the hilarity that ensues within the pages of each book.
Mattie Winston has had a hard life, her father left when she was young, she caught her husband in the act of cheating on her at the hospital where they both work, and now she is dealing with a stalker, an unexpected pregnancy, and of course, another murder or two.
It took me a few minutes to get into this story because most of it is told in flashbacks but after I got the rhythm down the pages flew.
Ms. Ryan really brings the drama this time. Maddie is seeing a therapist and all her insecurities come out. It was great to see the other side of Maddie. She tries to keep a brave face on for the world but her life is changing in ways that can be downright scary.
There is drama at work too. High School math teacher Derrick Ames was stabbed straight into his heart with a barbeque fork. There are suspects but Maddie can’t piece the clues together to pin down the killer. But again, there is that stalker and the baby on the way. And being shot at doesn’t help matters. The drama doesn’t stop there either.
I really enjoyed Stiff Penalty. I started reading this series because it is set in my home state of Wisconsin. I keep coming back and reading more because I have become invested in these characters and the craziness that comes along with them. A great mystery or two just adds to the fun.
I am bound and determined to get all caught up on this series in 2021.
March 25, 2015
Utterly disappointed. All the things I started out liking the most about this series started becoming annoying as there was no character growth. Each story works to keep Mattie and Hurley apart and each time it seems more contrived. This is definitely my last Mattie Winston mystery.
I forced myself to keep turning the pages on this story simply to get to find out if Mattie has the baby and whether or not Mattie would agree to marry Hurley. Also, once again, someone was out to get Mattie and I held out to see who was the culprit.
Over the course of the series the author has contrived one reason or another to keep Hurley and Mattie from being together. It was several books while Mattie moaned like a teenager whether Hurley returned her feelings. Once they both acknowledge their attraction, their jobs kept them apart since it was a conflict of interest. Just as Mattie quits her job to be with Hurley and they finally “do the deed,” and then his ex-wife comes to town with a teenage daughter he never met. Mattie then returns to work and they once can’t have a relationship. Hurley leaves town to find his missing ex-wife who left his daughter on his doorstep and Mattie finds out she is pregnant. Now that Mattie is pregnant, Hurley’s teenage daughter, who in the prior book loved Mattie and was happy she made Hurley happy, is now faking emergencies and suicide attempts to keep Mattie away from Hurley, and accuses Mattie of getting herself pregnant to force Hurley to marry her. Back and forth, back and forth. As if Mattie’s own neurosis isn’t enough to come between her and Hurley.
Again, there are scenes that are contrived to create angst. For example, Mattie hasn’t told Hurley about the baby yet since he is already stressed trying to locate his missing ex-wife and she wants to tell him face to face. Hurley will be returning tomorrow, but Mattie feels the need to finally go out to buy maternity clothes today…in her tiny town…from the only maternity story…which is owned by the town gossip. Mattie then gets into a car accident and Hurley shows up at the same time as the police since he got into town early, and Hurley and the cops all learn about her pregnancy at the same time, when they take the bags of maternity clothes out of the car. She couldn’t have waited one more day before going shopping or take the time to go to the next town where her OB/GYN was located? Especially since she doesn’t wear these new maternity clothes right away. There were comments after this point that she was still wearing too tight regular clothes. More contrived plot twists to create nonsensical drama.
Mattie also determines that each pretty girl who is within spitting distance of Hurley will steal him away. Yes, they are interested in Hurley, but Hurley doesn’t seem to be encouraging anyone else’s affections but Mattie’s. She is so obsessed about it but she won’t agree to marry Hurley, too afraid his is marrying her for the baby only. Mattie won’t make a commitment to Hurley but is obsessed by the other women who would be happy to snatch up the eligible bachelor.
These are the same issues we have dealt with so far through the series. Besides growing large with a baby, Mattie has not achieved any personal growth or development and Hurley is kept as a very one dimensional characters. He showed no reaction in the last story where Mattie stole a letter that his ex-wife left on his dresser, she opened it, read it and kept it from him for weeks until she determined he was ready to know about it. We understand why she waited, but there was no knee jerk anger from him that she took his letter, that she read it, or that she interfered. Nothing. He took the news in stride. In this story, Mattie waits until she is five months pregnant when Hurley returns to town to let him know he would be a father. Again, we understand why, but there was no initial anger that in all their phone conversations, she didn’t give him a heads up. That he has to learn about it in front of everyone else. Hurley takes everything in stride. He is unhappy that Mattie won’t marry him, but he isn’t particularly angry and he doesn’t get overly anger when his daughter starts to interfere and almost keeps him from the birth of his child. Hurley isn’t given enough human emotions to make him more than a paper character.
This is definitely my last Mattie Winston mystery since the murder investigations aren’t that exciting and the personal interactions between the characters is starting to fall flat and become rote.
Received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I forced myself to keep turning the pages on this story simply to get to find out if Mattie has the baby and whether or not Mattie would agree to marry Hurley. Also, once again, someone was out to get Mattie and I held out to see who was the culprit.
Over the course of the series the author has contrived one reason or another to keep Hurley and Mattie from being together. It was several books while Mattie moaned like a teenager whether Hurley returned her feelings. Once they both acknowledge their attraction, their jobs kept them apart since it was a conflict of interest. Just as Mattie quits her job to be with Hurley and they finally “do the deed,” and then his ex-wife comes to town with a teenage daughter he never met. Mattie then returns to work and they once can’t have a relationship. Hurley leaves town to find his missing ex-wife who left his daughter on his doorstep and Mattie finds out she is pregnant. Now that Mattie is pregnant, Hurley’s teenage daughter, who in the prior book loved Mattie and was happy she made Hurley happy, is now faking emergencies and suicide attempts to keep Mattie away from Hurley, and accuses Mattie of getting herself pregnant to force Hurley to marry her. Back and forth, back and forth. As if Mattie’s own neurosis isn’t enough to come between her and Hurley.
Again, there are scenes that are contrived to create angst. For example, Mattie hasn’t told Hurley about the baby yet since he is already stressed trying to locate his missing ex-wife and she wants to tell him face to face. Hurley will be returning tomorrow, but Mattie feels the need to finally go out to buy maternity clothes today…in her tiny town…from the only maternity story…which is owned by the town gossip. Mattie then gets into a car accident and Hurley shows up at the same time as the police since he got into town early, and Hurley and the cops all learn about her pregnancy at the same time, when they take the bags of maternity clothes out of the car. She couldn’t have waited one more day before going shopping or take the time to go to the next town where her OB/GYN was located? Especially since she doesn’t wear these new maternity clothes right away. There were comments after this point that she was still wearing too tight regular clothes. More contrived plot twists to create nonsensical drama.
Mattie also determines that each pretty girl who is within spitting distance of Hurley will steal him away. Yes, they are interested in Hurley, but Hurley doesn’t seem to be encouraging anyone else’s affections but Mattie’s. She is so obsessed about it but she won’t agree to marry Hurley, too afraid his is marrying her for the baby only. Mattie won’t make a commitment to Hurley but is obsessed by the other women who would be happy to snatch up the eligible bachelor.
These are the same issues we have dealt with so far through the series. Besides growing large with a baby, Mattie has not achieved any personal growth or development and Hurley is kept as a very one dimensional characters. He showed no reaction in the last story where Mattie stole a letter that his ex-wife left on his dresser, she opened it, read it and kept it from him for weeks until she determined he was ready to know about it. We understand why she waited, but there was no knee jerk anger from him that she took his letter, that she read it, or that she interfered. Nothing. He took the news in stride. In this story, Mattie waits until she is five months pregnant when Hurley returns to town to let him know he would be a father. Again, we understand why, but there was no initial anger that in all their phone conversations, she didn’t give him a heads up. That he has to learn about it in front of everyone else. Hurley takes everything in stride. He is unhappy that Mattie won’t marry him, but he isn’t particularly angry and he doesn’t get overly anger when his daughter starts to interfere and almost keeps him from the birth of his child. Hurley isn’t given enough human emotions to make him more than a paper character.
This is definitely my last Mattie Winston mystery since the murder investigations aren’t that exciting and the personal interactions between the characters is starting to fall flat and become rote.
Received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
September 12, 2020
Stiff Penalty by Annelise Ryan is the 6th book in the Mattie Winston Mysteries series. Deputy coroner Mattie Winston assists in the investigation of the death of a Maths teacher as well as dealing with a stalker who is trying to kill her. An interesting mystery although there was a lot going on with this book. I like that Mattie is strong, capable and kind and has a terrific support network to help her, although I wish she would sort out her relationship issues. An enjoyable and fun book with a nice feel-good ending.
April 14, 2018
Wasn't as crazy about this as the others. This is a cozy- I read these every once in a while for a change of pace. Pop corn for the brain. It is a series that I would recommend- IF you are into cozies- not all were good, but like always the first one in this series was, so far the best. I will still pick up the next one just to see what is happening - but again... a cozy. That pretty much says it all.
September 10, 2020
I love Mattie and her adventures! This one is at the top of the list. I enjoyed that it was told mainly in flashback. I didn't like Izzy being gone and some of the characters that brought in. I was really happy with the ending and it was exciting too! Looking forward to seeing what happens next too since nothing is ever straight forward for Mattie.
August 25, 2018
I find it ironic that I'm sitting across from a psychiatrist discussing the dichotomy of life and death, not only because I hate shrinks and once swore I'd never go to one, but because I came here voluntarily, at least this time.
This is book six in the Mattie Winston series. Mattie has so much going on with her and the stress involved. Hurley has been out of town for two months and Mattie has been working with his partner, Bob Richmond. A call sends Mattie and Izzy to the ER where they find Derrick Ames dead with a fork in his chest. So begins their newest case as the team tries to discover who would want to kill the well liked high school math teacher.
Mattie is one of my favorite characters. She keeps it real and seems like someone I would be friends with. Mattie is far from perfect, a bit screwy and able to laugh at herself. Her current situation adds so much more to the usual antics in the previous books.
I addition to the Ames' death, Mattie is dealing with a stalker. She thinks that it is her long absent father and demands answers from her flaky mother. She learns a bit more than she expected.
The death of Derrick has many twists and turns as we learn information about his ex-wife and his volatile teenage son. Toss in a new girlfriend and you at not sure who to look at for the murder. The reveal was a bit of a surprise.
Hurley needs to step it up a bit in his relationship with Mattie. He needs to find a way to get his daughter, Emily into some serious therapy. It frustrates me that he has to chose between his unstable child and Mattie. I'm interested in where this storyline will go.
I enjoyed the way the story was presented by alternating between current time and the events Mattie is relating to her psychiatrist. The first time the point of view changed I thought I had missed something and had to go back. Then is started to flow.
Great story, quirky characters and good plot. I look forward to spending more time in Sorenson, Wisconsin again soon.
This is book six in the Mattie Winston series. Mattie has so much going on with her and the stress involved. Hurley has been out of town for two months and Mattie has been working with his partner, Bob Richmond. A call sends Mattie and Izzy to the ER where they find Derrick Ames dead with a fork in his chest. So begins their newest case as the team tries to discover who would want to kill the well liked high school math teacher.
Mattie is one of my favorite characters. She keeps it real and seems like someone I would be friends with. Mattie is far from perfect, a bit screwy and able to laugh at herself. Her current situation adds so much more to the usual antics in the previous books.
I addition to the Ames' death, Mattie is dealing with a stalker. She thinks that it is her long absent father and demands answers from her flaky mother. She learns a bit more than she expected.
The death of Derrick has many twists and turns as we learn information about his ex-wife and his volatile teenage son. Toss in a new girlfriend and you at not sure who to look at for the murder. The reveal was a bit of a surprise.
Hurley needs to step it up a bit in his relationship with Mattie. He needs to find a way to get his daughter, Emily into some serious therapy. It frustrates me that he has to chose between his unstable child and Mattie. I'm interested in where this storyline will go.
I enjoyed the way the story was presented by alternating between current time and the events Mattie is relating to her psychiatrist. The first time the point of view changed I thought I had missed something and had to go back. Then is started to flow.
Great story, quirky characters and good plot. I look forward to spending more time in Sorenson, Wisconsin again soon.
March 6, 2015
There are two mysteries in this book, a high school math teacher is "forked" to death and Mattie is being followed and getting mysterious phone calls with no one talking when she picks up. This time around Mattie's family, Izzie and Dom and even Hurley (despite being the father of Mattie's soon to be born child) have tiny roles. The mysteries also take a backseat to Mattie's emotional state and the solving of them doesn't really kick into gear until almost 80% of the way through the book (I wish Kindle would use page numbers).
I have enjoyed the previous 5 books as light fun and enjoyed the absurdity of some of the situations Mattie gets into. I wanted a mystery, got two but too much time was spent on Mattie's insecurities. We get lots and lots of insight as to how Mattie feels about her pregnancy, her weight, her looks, Hurley and Emily, her job, her ex, her father, the new videographer making eyes at Hurley, etc. Ultimately, Mattie comes off as a flighty, wishy washy, "girly" type who obsesses about everything. She also constantly jumps to conclusions about elements in her personal and professional life (the murderers, her father lurking, Hurley's interest in other women, David bad mouthing her, etc.). She is devolving despite seeing a psychologist in this book.
I also didn't like how the time shifted when she's talking to her psychologist. That part was in the future a couple of times and then she tells us the story behind what she's telling the psychologist. I was turning back the first couple of times because I thought my ecopy was missing pages or I had skipped something.
The killer also essentially outs him or herself which I dislike. Yes, eventually the police may have followed the lead Mattie had just given them to the correct killer, but the killer's chances to escape justice would have been better if the person had just stayed quiet. The killer's actions made no sense as well because the charges would only be so much worse with the action taken.
So, to sum it up, Stiff Penalty was a disappointment to me because the mystery and crime solving took a back seat to Mattie's immature, frequently over the top actions and the engaging secondary characters were mostly cut out. I hope in the next book that Mattie's psychologist actually is used to help Mattie become a stronger character instead of a device to help Mattie tell the story in flashbacks.
SPOILER
For readers of the other books:
Mattie is not seen/photographed in her underpants in this book. There is, of course, an embarrassing scene and not just of Mattie jumping to conclusions and being proven wrong.
I received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
I have enjoyed the previous 5 books as light fun and enjoyed the absurdity of some of the situations Mattie gets into. I wanted a mystery, got two but too much time was spent on Mattie's insecurities. We get lots and lots of insight as to how Mattie feels about her pregnancy, her weight, her looks, Hurley and Emily, her job, her ex, her father, the new videographer making eyes at Hurley, etc. Ultimately, Mattie comes off as a flighty, wishy washy, "girly" type who obsesses about everything. She also constantly jumps to conclusions about elements in her personal and professional life (the murderers, her father lurking, Hurley's interest in other women, David bad mouthing her, etc.). She is devolving despite seeing a psychologist in this book.
I also didn't like how the time shifted when she's talking to her psychologist. That part was in the future a couple of times and then she tells us the story behind what she's telling the psychologist. I was turning back the first couple of times because I thought my ecopy was missing pages or I had skipped something.
The killer also essentially outs him or herself which I dislike. Yes, eventually the police may have followed the lead Mattie had just given them to the correct killer, but the killer's chances to escape justice would have been better if the person had just stayed quiet. The killer's actions made no sense as well because the charges would only be so much worse with the action taken.
So, to sum it up, Stiff Penalty was a disappointment to me because the mystery and crime solving took a back seat to Mattie's immature, frequently over the top actions and the engaging secondary characters were mostly cut out. I hope in the next book that Mattie's psychologist actually is used to help Mattie become a stronger character instead of a device to help Mattie tell the story in flashbacks.
SPOILER
For readers of the other books:
Mattie is not seen/photographed in her underpants in this book. There is, of course, an embarrassing scene and not just of Mattie jumping to conclusions and being proven wrong.
I received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
October 22, 2021
Not my favorite. The pregnancy stuff just overwhelmed the actual mystery from first to last. I hope the next one isn’t just all baby!
January 10, 2016
Excellent, as all of the books in this series are. Can't wait for the next one!
June 5, 2017
In questo libro ci sono ben due misteri e non avevo indovinato nessuno dei colpevoli... Gran parte della storia si presenta come flashback in cui la protagonista racconta alla sua psicologa quanto successo negli ultimi mesi; nonostante questo, l'autrice è stata brava a mantenere viva la suspence. Alla fine restano anche tante cose in sospeso, purtroppo: mi sa che mi metterò a leggere il libro successivo molto presto...
October 6, 2022
Best one yet!
February 11, 2024
3.5 stars
October 9, 2025
Another great Mattie Winston story. And what an ending! excited to see where everything takes her and the new journey of motherhood that will be mixed into the next books. This series is so fun. She is always solving the puzzle by paying attention and not settling. One of my favorites by far!
February 1, 2024
Once again, I really like the mystery in this one. I didn't see the killer coming nor the person after Mattie. I liked the style this one was written in. The events were told during Mattie's session with her therapist. But dear god, can we please just let Mattie and Hurley be happy for once?
March 1, 2015
Mattie Watson is a deputy coroner who is investigating the death of a high school teacher, Derrick Ames. Mattie knows it is a murder because he has a barbecue fork sticking out of his chest. With the help of her boyfriend, Hurley, and other members of the police department, Mattie is determined to find out who the killer is. They have only a few clues to go by and even fewer suspects so it will not be an easy task.
While dealing with the murder, Mattie also has a stalker to worry about. She notices a car following her around at different times and she begins getting hang-up phone calls. When there is an attempt made on her life she knows that she is not imaging the threat.
And if that is not enough to handle, Mattie finds out that she is pregnant. She knows the father of her baby is Hurley and she knows that she loves him but she does not know how he is going to take the news. Hurley recently found out that he is the father of a teenage daughter and he has told Mattie that fatherhood is not something he ever wanted. And although she knows that he cares for her, she is not sure if Hurley loves her.
Mattie is a character that I fell in love with. She is stubborn, fearless, funny and loyal. She puts on a brave face and wants others to think that she has her act together, but that is far from the truth. She has insecurities about being a good mother and abandonment issues since her father walked away when she was young. She is vulnerable and has many worries that she keeps to herself. I literally laughed out loud at some of the things that happened to her during her pregnancy. Memories of my own pregnancy kept creeping in and I could so relate to all the un-fun things that happened during that time. I thought this aspect of the book was perfectly written and I really enjoyed that.
The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The two mysteries are carried on throughout the entire book and I was surprised when the killer was revealed. I did not figure out the killer at all and I really like that.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well-crafted cozy. This book had it all, mystery, suspense, humor and heartwarming moments. I have read the first book in this series and after reading this book, I now have book two to read. This book could be read as a stand alone, the characters are well developed enough for that, but I would suggest reading the series in order, just so that you can read more about Mattie.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. And I can honestly say that I give this book a five star rating because I thought it was really great. I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.
While dealing with the murder, Mattie also has a stalker to worry about. She notices a car following her around at different times and she begins getting hang-up phone calls. When there is an attempt made on her life she knows that she is not imaging the threat.
And if that is not enough to handle, Mattie finds out that she is pregnant. She knows the father of her baby is Hurley and she knows that she loves him but she does not know how he is going to take the news. Hurley recently found out that he is the father of a teenage daughter and he has told Mattie that fatherhood is not something he ever wanted. And although she knows that he cares for her, she is not sure if Hurley loves her.
Mattie is a character that I fell in love with. She is stubborn, fearless, funny and loyal. She puts on a brave face and wants others to think that she has her act together, but that is far from the truth. She has insecurities about being a good mother and abandonment issues since her father walked away when she was young. She is vulnerable and has many worries that she keeps to herself. I literally laughed out loud at some of the things that happened to her during her pregnancy. Memories of my own pregnancy kept creeping in and I could so relate to all the un-fun things that happened during that time. I thought this aspect of the book was perfectly written and I really enjoyed that.
The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The two mysteries are carried on throughout the entire book and I was surprised when the killer was revealed. I did not figure out the killer at all and I really like that.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well-crafted cozy. This book had it all, mystery, suspense, humor and heartwarming moments. I have read the first book in this series and after reading this book, I now have book two to read. This book could be read as a stand alone, the characters are well developed enough for that, but I would suggest reading the series in order, just so that you can read more about Mattie.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. And I can honestly say that I give this book a five star rating because I thought it was really great. I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.
March 7, 2015
This was my first foray into this series...but now I look forward to getting caught up on it before there is another added to it.
Mattie Winston is a headstrong, opinionated woman who is used to taking care of herself and doing things her own way. She also has a wicked sense of humor, which I love. She's surrounded by quite an entourage of supporting characters, as well: her boyfriend, Hurley and his daughter, Emily; her boss, Izzy and his partner, Dom; her sister and mother, and numerous other folks around town.
Mattie is trying to solve the murder of a high school teacher, while also trying to solve her own mystery--who is stalking her and trying to kill her? Throw in pregnancy hormones, and chaos ensues.
I can't wait to find out what led to this point, and then to see what happens next in the series.
**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.**
Mattie Winston is a headstrong, opinionated woman who is used to taking care of herself and doing things her own way. She also has a wicked sense of humor, which I love. She's surrounded by quite an entourage of supporting characters, as well: her boyfriend, Hurley and his daughter, Emily; her boss, Izzy and his partner, Dom; her sister and mother, and numerous other folks around town.
Mattie is trying to solve the murder of a high school teacher, while also trying to solve her own mystery--who is stalking her and trying to kill her? Throw in pregnancy hormones, and chaos ensues.
I can't wait to find out what led to this point, and then to see what happens next in the series.
**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.**
March 8, 2015
This is the first Mattie Winston mystery I've read but it won't be the last. I'll be looking for the first 5. A great story with Mattie narrating a lot of this story to her doctor. She and Hurley are expecting a baby boy but this doesn't slow them down with their murder investigations. With several story lines going on it's a race to see if baby arrives before they can clear up their cases. Can't wait for #7.
February 18, 2015
I liked this book but didn't love it. I enjoyed most of the characters. However, I did find that there may have been too much about the main character and that it took away from the actual mystery.
December 31, 2023
Why? Why does a cozy mystery need to be over 400 pages?! Answer, there is no reason for the page length, none, zip, zero.
A lot of things made me squint while reading, tops on that list is how is it possible that the author is a nurse and yet some medical details are just wrong, This is also supposed to take place in a small town but this small town sure has a lot of stuff in it like a vice department with the police, a whole bunch of law enforcement officers, and a robust budget for the police. The main character is a medical examiner who acts like a dingbat up until the end where she has a eureka moment when everything falls into place. Speaking of the eureka moment, it was far too easy to figure out who the bad guy was. The final eyeroll is for all the pregnancy content that felt like a mommy blog where the mom conveniently also solves mysteries in between all the kid stuff.
With that list of grievances it would make more sense to rate this one star, but there were some side characters who were interesting but not quite interesting enough to continue on in the series which could be partially my fault for jumping right in to book 6.
A lot of things made me squint while reading, tops on that list is how is it possible that the author is a nurse and yet some medical details are just wrong, This is also supposed to take place in a small town but this small town sure has a lot of stuff in it like a vice department with the police, a whole bunch of law enforcement officers, and a robust budget for the police. The main character is a medical examiner who acts like a dingbat up until the end where she has a eureka moment when everything falls into place. Speaking of the eureka moment, it was far too easy to figure out who the bad guy was. The final eyeroll is for all the pregnancy content that felt like a mommy blog where the mom conveniently also solves mysteries in between all the kid stuff.
With that list of grievances it would make more sense to rate this one star, but there were some side characters who were interesting but not quite interesting enough to continue on in the series which could be partially my fault for jumping right in to book 6.
November 21, 2019
I see what you did there 😉
This is my third foray into the series and this time around we see the story unfold, for the most part, through a series flashbacks as Mattie talks to her shrink. It was a well chosen plot device that shakes everything up a little bit to the point that you’re not sure what to expect, even though Mattie tells you what the next part of the story will encompass.
The unfolding dramas, both personal and professional, were fun to read, and worked well with the current investigation. Richmond is growing on me, and “please call me Charlie” might be a problem in stories to come. Emily is messed up - and needs a swift kick up the butt - however her pain doesn’t come through as much as I’d expected. Her anger is coming through loud and clear though.
I really enjoyed this altered timeline narrative, and am looking forward to the next book.
3.5 stars ⭐️ (almost a 4)
This is my third foray into the series and this time around we see the story unfold, for the most part, through a series flashbacks as Mattie talks to her shrink. It was a well chosen plot device that shakes everything up a little bit to the point that you’re not sure what to expect, even though Mattie tells you what the next part of the story will encompass.
The unfolding dramas, both personal and professional, were fun to read, and worked well with the current investigation. Richmond is growing on me, and “please call me Charlie” might be a problem in stories to come. Emily is messed up - and needs a swift kick up the butt - however her pain doesn’t come through as much as I’d expected. Her anger is coming through loud and clear though.
I really enjoyed this altered timeline narrative, and am looking forward to the next book.
3.5 stars ⭐️ (almost a 4)
March 4, 2023
This book keep the series back on track for me. Four was a mess and five was good but the author had to fix a lot of stuff that she did in four. But this one... Chefs kiss.
I love the way Anneliese told the story through Matties looking in the past. There was a twist I didnt see coming and all things are just ramming up. I felt like it led time on cliff hanger knowing what might need to happen now. I even love how messy Mattie and Hurley's relationship is and for good reason.
Just a five! Why ain't people talking about this series more? I introduce to anyone and everyone willing to look into mystery comedy.
Thank you Anneliese for a great read. I read the last half is it in a span of six or so hours. I couldn't put it down for last two hours.
I love the way Anneliese told the story through Matties looking in the past. There was a twist I didnt see coming and all things are just ramming up. I felt like it led time on cliff hanger knowing what might need to happen now. I even love how messy Mattie and Hurley's relationship is and for good reason.
Just a five! Why ain't people talking about this series more? I introduce to anyone and everyone willing to look into mystery comedy.
Thank you Anneliese for a great read. I read the last half is it in a span of six or so hours. I couldn't put it down for last two hours.
September 16, 2024
I love this series but was kind of hesitant to read this one because some of her books have had extremely detailed accounts of finding decomposed bodies, and the autopsies.
Sadly, I have a son who was just found dead outdoors and been dead for over a week (their estimate) so I was afraid I wouldn't be able to handle this. Thankfully, this one focused more on Mattie's pregnancy and her unresolved relationship with Steve Hurley.
The whole tale is her relating all this (plus the details of a murder investigation) to her therapist. It took me a bit to realize this. I guess my brain isn't processing things as well these days.
Good story, but this one didn't have the humor of the previous ones, but it didn't have the goriness, either. Looking forward to the next one.
Sadly, I have a son who was just found dead outdoors and been dead for over a week (their estimate) so I was afraid I wouldn't be able to handle this. Thankfully, this one focused more on Mattie's pregnancy and her unresolved relationship with Steve Hurley.
The whole tale is her relating all this (plus the details of a murder investigation) to her therapist. It took me a bit to realize this. I guess my brain isn't processing things as well these days.
Good story, but this one didn't have the humor of the previous ones, but it didn't have the goriness, either. Looking forward to the next one.
February 22, 2020
I knew there were 5 books ahead of this one in the series, but I took a chance and started with this one because I'm cheap and it was a Kindle Daily Deal:)
There was enough background that I had a good idea of who was who and their past relationships. Unfortunately, the "villian" turned out to be somebody from the past who may or may not have actually appeared in a past book. I'll know when I finally get caught up on the whole series.
I love Mattie Winston and her shrink and her group of friends and coworkers, and I'm kicking myself for not discovering this series when the first book was a Kindle Daily Deal!
There was enough background that I had a good idea of who was who and their past relationships. Unfortunately, the "villian" turned out to be somebody from the past who may or may not have actually appeared in a past book. I'll know when I finally get caught up on the whole series.
I love Mattie Winston and her shrink and her group of friends and coworkers, and I'm kicking myself for not discovering this series when the first book was a Kindle Daily Deal!
June 28, 2023
Has Annelise Ryan ever been pregnant or had a baby? The baby’s early movements don’t feel like gas bubbles, and labor for a first child especially doesn’t happen with a handful of close-together contractions followed immediately by water breaking followed a few minutes later by a crowning head and birth.
But if you can forgive her the mythology surrounding pregnancy, the speed of the birth process, and the - CLICK! - IT’S HAPPENING NOW nonsense , this was an entertaining story with a surprise, twisty ending and a not-quite-solved finish that leaves an opening for the next book. And she does nail the surly, angsty teenager. . .
But if you can forgive her the mythology surrounding pregnancy, the speed of the birth process, and the - CLICK! - IT’S HAPPENING NOW nonsense , this was an entertaining story with a surprise, twisty ending and a not-quite-solved finish that leaves an opening for the next book. And she does nail the surly, angsty teenager. . .
January 21, 2019
In the sixth book of the Mattie Winston series, Mattie is dealing with pregnancy hormones and a stalker. Add in a new woman making eyes at Hurley and Hurley's teenage daughter's hormones, and she has a lot to deal with even before she starts investigating a murder.
I really like this series, but I have to say that I did not like Mattie's character much in this one.however, I can't wait to read the next one!
I really like this series, but I have to say that I did not like Mattie's character much in this one.however, I can't wait to read the next one!
December 5, 2019
Great book!! A high school teacher is found murdered and it seems like his son might be the killer. Also, Mattie thinks her father is stalking her and she accidentally kills a man after someone shoots at her. Changes all around as Hurley adjusts to being a dad to Emily after her mom's death and Mattie and Hurley deal with Mattie's pregnancy. Very fun book with some twists I didn't see coming. Looking forward to reading the next book in this fun series!!
June 17, 2018
An interesting way to tell a story - The main character, Mattie Winston, is visiting her shrink. Part of the story is told to the shrink (as if it already happened) and the rest is told in the present. It all flows very well and I had a really hard time putting this one down.
Looking forward to the next in this series!
Looking forward to the next in this series!
December 18, 2018
So fun
This series is terrific! Even though there is blood, guns, knives and forks, fire and death, the characters are wonderful, the plots twists and turns, never sure who the culprits are. Part of me wants to hurry through to find out the ending, another part of me does not want the story to end!!
Can’t wait to start the next one!
This series is terrific! Even though there is blood, guns, knives and forks, fire and death, the characters are wonderful, the plots twists and turns, never sure who the culprits are. Part of me wants to hurry through to find out the ending, another part of me does not want the story to end!!
Can’t wait to start the next one!
March 7, 2019
I'm in the process of binge reading this series and I can't wait to get the next one. I have enjoyed all of the books. I think the plots are more complex than most cozy mysteries. I also like that the protagonist's job requires her to be nosy. Unlike so many other cozies Mattie has a concrete reason to snoop. That is refreshing to me.
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