Shift Burn

Imogene Museum Mystery #6

by Jerusha Jones

After weeks of fire danger warnings and several wildfire flare-ups, the residents of Sockeye County, Washington, are on edge. When a fire threatens the Imogene Museum, curator Meredith Morehouse realizes the frequency and increasing size of the conflagrations aren’t as random as they seem.

Meredith already has her hands full with a brand new endowment for shoring up the Imogene’s crumbling foundation, plus the imminent arrival of the most valuable collection that the museum has scored to date. And Meredith’s significant other, the rugged Pete Sills, wants another kind of date—a non-negotiable wedding date.

Can Meredith and Pete and Sheriff Marge Stettler stop the arsonist before their tinder-dry community goes up in flames?

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Fiction

188 pages, Paperback

First published May 26, 2014

About the author

Jerusha Jones lives in a small town in the west end of the Columbia River Gorge. When she grows up, she fully intends to be a feisty old lady. In the meantime, she regularly maxes out her library's lending limit, has happily declared a truce with the clover in the lawn, but is fanatical about sealing up cracks in her old house, armed with a caulking gun. Due to the number of gaps she has yet to locate, however, she has also perfected her big spider shriek.

Jerusha loves wool socks, Pink Lady apples with crunchy peanut butter, scenery of breathtaking grandeur, and weather just cool enough to require a sweater, all of which are plentiful in the Pacific Northwest. She is eternally grateful to have escaped the corporate world with its relentless, mind-numbing meetings and now writes (or doodles or fantasizes or cogitates or stares out the window or whatever you want to call it) full time.

Reviews

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once I'd read the first book in the series, I plunged on with the whole rest of the series (all available through Netgalley, bless them). I kind of remember it taking a full weekend day (is that possible? They are pretty quick), and it was great fun – but the downside is that the six books blurred together a bit.

This book stands out for a major character having a medical crisis (coincidentally the same thing that had happened to my mother just a short while before), and for the rapidly approaching wedding of our heroine amidst arson and new acquisitions for the museum at the center of the series.

The writing is everything it should be in a cozy mystery, fast and smart with lots of great work in the setting and characters. And a terrific dog. I love these books. I would be delighted if the Imogene Museum series were to continue – and in the meantime, look, there's another series!

The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Book 6 of this series, a rush of fires are plaguing Sockeye County and Meredith is horrified to find them affecting her when a fire starts at the Imogene Museum... but this one is deliberate, a body is found, and some interesting surprises come in on the Museum's most valuable shipment ever. The book is fast paced, with lot of intrigue, coupled with oodles of local flavour and the characters that we have come to know and love over the series.

As a comment on the entire series - this is a top notch cozy series for readers who enjoy good old family friendly, squeaky clean adventure, mystery and intrigue. I enjoy reading gritty crime novels and murder-thrillers, but sometimes I just want to sit down and relax and read something light, charming and fun whilst I drink a cup of tea... whilst still exercising my brain with wondering who the bad guy is and what the ending will be!

For those who enjoy small communities, you'll come to know the characters very well over the course of the 6 books - and I hope that we'll see a 7th in the future.

My thanks go to Jerusha Jones, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy of this title.

[Susan Patitucci · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best!

This was such a fun series to read. I wish there was more. I got nothing done at my house and very little sleep while I read all 6 books back to back. It's been quite a while that I wanted to keep reading that much that I lost sleep over it.

[Vera Koonce · Rating 4 out of 5]

cozy mystery buff

I love the heroine of this series. She is so feisty, very caring. I can't wait for the next installment in this series. Hurry please

[Deb crisanti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun!

This is a really fun series, with believable and very human characters. No ridiculous hero's that make you roll your eyes. Good story telling

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weddings, arson, and arms. Meredith can never complain of having a dull life as no one could call this series dull.

[Kathi Olsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable, easy read. I liked the characters and the plot development. I like that although there was romance it was clean and not overbearing in the story line.

[Andréa]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Jackie Viskup · Rating 3 out of 5]

With this whole series the mysteries are generally satisfying but the rest of the story is a little too “nice and proper” for my tastes.

[Els · Rating 3 out of 5]

Het zesde deel van de reeks en eerlijk gezegd weet ik niet goed wat ik ervan moet vinden. Daarom maar eerst even de buitenkant onder de loep nemen.
De cover en titel zijn ook deze keer weer uitstekend gekozen.

The sixth part of the series and frankly, I don't really know what I feel about it. That's why I want to take a look at the cover and title first. Once again, they are a perfect match for the story, which always makes me happy.

Het verhaal begint met een hele leuke gebeurtenis maar al snel gooit een brand roet in het eten. Maar het blijft niet bij een vuurhaard alhoewel al snel blijkt dat ze niet allemaal te wijten zijn aan de droogte maar er ook kwaad opzet in het spel is. En wat is er aan de hand met de nieuwe collectie kunstvoorwerpen die gaat geleverd worden?

The story starts with a nice and joyfull event, but a fire soon ruins the happy feelings. There is more than one fire hazard due to the heat, but it doesn't take long for people to understand that some of them could be the result of arson. And what is going on with the new collection arriving at the museum?

Ik vond het verhaal vrij verwarrend. Alhoewel ik deze keer wel wist wie er achter de brandstichting zat, kon ik het allemaal niet goed plaatsen. Ik had de indruk dat er twee verhalen waren die vermengd waren maar die eigenlijk totaal niets met elkaar te maken hadden. Op het eind van het boek weet je wel hoe het ene in mekaar zit maar ik vind de ontknoping van het andere er maar bij gesleurd.
Het blijft wel een leuke mix van humor en veel actie deze keer, maar toch was ik teleurgesteld.

I was confused, to be honest. Altthough this time, I had figured out who was responsible for the arson, I didn't really understand the connection between the two stories. To be frank, they didn't connect but why mix two stories? Why not write a book about one of them and another about the second one? I understood about the arson but I couldn't see what all the fuss was about with the second one. And the plot ... It gave me the impression that even the author didn't know how to handle it.
The book was, once again, filled with humour and action but due to the confusion, it was not wat I expected.

Conclusie

Jammer wel dat het het laatste deel is omdat ik benieuwd ben hoe het verder gaat met Meredith en Pete, maar misschien komt er ooit nog meer. 3 sterren.

Reading a series always feels a bit like coming home, to meet up with people you feel you know. It's a pity that it's the last part, because I will miss Meredith, Pete and the others. 3 stars

[DelAnne Frazee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Shift Burn - Imogene Museum Mystery 6
Author: Jerusha Jones
Published: 10-27-15
Publisher: Thomas and Mercer
Pages: 200
Genre: Mystery, Thrillers & Suspense
Sub Genre: Women's Fiction; Amateur Sleuths; Series
ISBN: 9781477829257
ASIN: B00PBCY0UI
Reviewer: DelAnne
Reviewed For: NetGalley

.
Fire warnings abound for Sockeye County and surround area. With dry brittle conditions it is no wonder when there are flare ups. When multiple fires occur Meredith does not believe them to be as random as the authorities say they are. Residence are tense awaiting the next fire. In the midst of all this the museum receives a new endowment and soon to arrive unexpected addition to a collection that is due to arrive soon. Just in case her life is not complicated enough Meredith's fiancé is pushing for her to set a wedding date.



Shift Burn is the most recent book in the Imogene Museum Mystery series. I almost hated to start reading it because I did have another lined up to read next. Jerusha Jones has a talent for creating characters that come across as very real and believable. She plans her stories out and writes them so they are easy to follow and keep a reader's interest from the first word till the last. If you have never read any of the books in this series then you are in for a treat because there are no boring books in it. The only down side I can think of is there is no information on when the next book will be coming out. I hope it is soon.


Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...

Barnes and Noble link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shift...

GoodReads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

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[Raji · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Imogene Museum series is a quick read. The six books that make up the series (Rock Bottom, Doubled Up, Sight Shot, Tin Foil, Faux Reel, Shift Burn) average about 200 pages each. The mystery is more along the lines of a Famous Five, all grown up. The quick, light, small-town, potluck meal-sharing, good people tale of the Imogene Museum series offers great relief from the brooding on the nature of evil and other such wearying topics brought on by Nesbo (which doesn't mean he isn't a great writer), whom I had been reading earlier. Fortunately, the Imogene Museum series is well written. It seems more like a journal penned by someone with a genuine love for the social and natural environment the book is set in. The main character is a curious woman in her 30s who quits the corporate life after her fiance cheats on her. She finds a collector (lucky, lucky girl!!) who needs his museum curated so she escapes to a small town in Portland and meets interesting people who help supply the mysteries she must unravel. The small town life is well portrayed as is the day-to-day life of the curator of a museum that has no strict criteria for what it showcases. This proved to be a really interesting bit for me and got me thinking about museums and curating them. It's not Booker material but it's a good adventure and fun to dip into when the heavy reads begin to overwhelm.

[Nancy]

Imogene Museum Mystery #6

After weeks under a Red Flag Warning and several flare-ups, the residents of Sockeye County, Washington are on edge. When a fire threatens the Imogene Museum, curator Meredith Morehouse realizes the frequency and increasing size of the conflagrations aren’t as random as lightning strikes.

Are the fires targeted? Are they vindictive revenge or a risky cover-up for something even worse?

Meredith already has her hands full with a brand new endowment for shoring up the Imogene’s crumbling foundation plus the imminent arrival of the most valuable collection Rupert Hagg, the museum director, has scored to date. And Meredith’s hunky beau, Pete Sills, wants another kind of date — a non-negotiable wedding date.

Can Meredith and Pete and cast-encumbered Sheriff Marge Stettler nail down the arsonist before their tinder-dry community goes up in flames?

The Tinsley twins leave Meredith and Pete the campground. The insurance man started the fires, Rhonda his wife and Blaine, with whom she was having an affair, killed Rhonda's husband Quincey. The illegal guns found in the shipment to the Imogene were discovered and the FBI found the culprits.

[Coleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and fast-paced mystery ( less that 200? Pages) Jones is a good writer and this was noted as Book 6 in a series, so I would like to read some of her prior books.
They were not listed by name, but maybe in other editions they will be.

I have not read many books that were about arsons, although frequently mysteries will have one or more fires occur. So the arson part intrigued me. And I am fascinated by museums and how they obtain artifacts, so a second star goes there. And the characters, Meredith and Pete, Sheriff Marge, the Tinsley's, Frankie, etc. are particularly delightful and mostly likeable. The story is fairly transparent in that the 'bad guys' are tagged pretty early and easily in the book.

My only criticism is one that I frequently make regarding books that I like. The story is going well, and then, wham--- a lot of action and the book is over. Sometimes, I need to figure out just what happened! Time to go back and read the ending again. Other readers tell me this is why they read the end first, but I have not yet been able to do that.

I received this gem from a Goodreads giveaway and am passing it on to someone waiting to read it.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meredith and Pete get married, but that isn't why Platts Landing is on fire. Instead there are the seasonal forest fires burning and someone intentionally setting fires. And, honestly, I was surprised they jumped so quickly to a wedding after the engagement at the end of the previous book. From not even having regular dates, they are now married. But, similar to their crazy inconsistent dating, their honeymoon has to wait: the Imogene is getting fixed up and a big shipment of expensive artifacts are on their way. The museum gets more than it was expecting when the shipment includes some illegal items and brings about more attention than the quiet little museum could ever want. A whole lot of things happen in this book and makes me wonder where the series is going from here!

A preview copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer in exchange for an honest review.

[Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kindle Copy for Review

A rush of fires in the area has people in the area on edge. Even the museum is hit and it is not due to random lighting strikes

Questions about the fires come to surface whether it was targeted or just random areas. Is it payback for something greater or even a cover up?

Meredith must also deal with another new Rupert shipment and a possible endowment to fix the museum. Thrown in the upcoming marriage to Pete into the mix, she still finds herself in the middle of things.

Can she and her friends find the arsonist before more damage is done and more dead bodies to be found? Will Pete and she manage to get marry and have their honeymoon before either gets hurt? A nice series that is easily read.

[Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novel received courtesy of Goodreads.com FirstReads Giveaway

This is the first of the "Imogene Museum Mysteries" I have read and I'll be sure to keep looking for more of them. Meredith is the curator of the Imogene Museum and is expecting a shipment of Bronze Age artifacts to arrive. The problem is that when they arrive there are weapons in the shipment as well. While that is one mystery, the second mystery is trying to find out who is setting fires around town. The writing was wonderful; I finished the book in one afternoon. Even though this is the 6th book in the series, I didn't feel like I couldn't jump into the book. I enjoyed the characters and their quirks. The mystery remained a mystery until the end of the book which is always a plus.

[Paula Strome · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the Whole Imogene Museum Series

I really enjoyed all six books in the series! There was a good mix of humor and mystery and likable characters. And they were squeaky clean, except for one foul word in the first book (how did it get in there? So not in keeping with the rest of the series). They're all reasonably priced too!

I will miss the characters. Ms. Jones, how about a "Christmas at the Imogene"?

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the sixth and hopefully not the last story in the Imogene Museum series. With Pete and Meredith's wedding the highlight of the weekend, the forest fires plaguing the Pacific Northwest are creeping closer and Sheriff Marge isn't convinced that the rash of fires around town are from burning embers. A very satisfying read with the whole town again involved in the wedding, the museum and the murder.

[Nancy Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. It's the first one I've read - even though I saw that it was book #6. Now I have the total anticipation of going back and reading the earlier five. And you can bet I will. I totally enjoyed all the characters in the book. I also loved the information provided about what goes into running a museum (and would love a lot more of those facts). I can't wait to find and read the five books that came before this one. Yippee.

[Linda Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable

Enjoyable

I love this series. not only do you have murder and all kinds of crime but you have great characters. I loved the happy endings where is number 7.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with the others on the series I enjoyed reading this book. I was disappointed that there wasn't another one to read when I finished reading Shift Burn. I hope there will be more books to come in this series!

[Debbie Belue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes it is good to read a book that has mystery but the characters are endearing. Can you believe they actually get along! Refreshing read after so many books where there is such conflict between the main characters you get lost.

[Nannette · Rating 5 out of 5]

another great book in this series. couldn't put it down.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hope there are more to come in this series. Truly enjoyed it.

[Debbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series.

[Gerall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

A mystery that will keep you on the ede of your seat an give you a good laugh at times too