Coughing & Donuts

Mercy Mares Cozy Mystery #4

by Ava Mallory

Traveling nurse Mercy Mares accepts a new job posting at a psychiatric facility in a small California town that boasts rest and relaxation for Hollywood starlets and wealthy travelers, but Mother Nature and an elusive murderer have other plans in store for her month long assignment.

Before she's had a chance to settle in, Mercy finds herself accused of a heinous crime and discovers that nearly everyone from members of local law enforcement to Hollywood moguls have every reason to have wanted the victim dead. Now, it will be up to her and an unlikely ally to solve the murder or end up behind bars.

Without her trusty friends and beloved canine companion, Barney, by her side, can Mercy rely on one of her patients to help clear her name or will he make matters worse for her?

Find out what happens in this humorous, slightly irreverent Cozy Medical Mystery!

This is the second book in the "A Mercy Mares Cozy Mystery" Series.

Genres: Cozy Mystery, Mystery

275 pages, ebook

First published July 31, 2015

About the author

Ava Mallory has been writing and dreaming up stories since childhood. She grew up two blocks from the city of Chicago and has lived everywhere from Los Angeles to Oklahoma, Nebraska, and everywhere in between in her adult life. You can find her today sitting in her home office creating her next masterpiece or one of her client's masterpieces in between raising 4 children, answering emails,and binge watching a number of her favorite movies and shows on Netflix or Amazon Prime.

Ava writes in many different genres from thriller/suspense to erotica and everything in between. She is a well sought after ghostwriter and writing consultant with many credits to her name. Ava has written fiction and non-fiction books for many well-known authors and celebrities to unknown writers and would-be celebrities. Her talents have afforded her the opportunity to write sci-fi, children's books, how-to books, horror, romance and dozens of other genres that have been read by thousands of readers worldwide.

To learn more about Ava and her books you can follow her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ava.mallory.9. Follow her blog at http://writeravamallory.blogspot.com/ or on Twitter at https://twitter.com/avamallorypens

For updates on upcoming books or to purchase any of her books visit:
http://writeravamallory.wix.com/avama...

Reviews

[M.A. Comley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've just started reading cozy mysteries and saw this book talked about on some of the FB groups so grabbed a copy.

I have to say I found it an intriguing read from start to finish and it was beautifully written to boot. What's not to like.

Mercy Mares is an out of towner who takes up an assignment at a psychiatric facility. But murder is on the menu and she has to dig deep to help solve the clues as there are more than a handful of townsfolk who have a motive to murder the victim.

I'll definitely be reading more in this series. Keep up the good work, Ava.

[Margo James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun cozy mystery

I like the Mercy Mares series, but Ms Mallory always ties up the murder in the last few chapters with 'new' information that the reader wasn't privy to. I always have to think back over the story to determine if the clues were in there. Even though the endings are sometimes illogical I still enjoy reading them. But it bugs me I can't solve the mystery on my own before the end.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too many typos and a convoluted storyline

I might have given this book 4 stars, but there were definitely way too many typos. The author really needs a proofreader to go back through her books and clean up the errors. I don't mean to harsh, but I would love to read the third book and find a more professional edition.

[Linda Rainey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every Book is Better Than Last

This book is better than last. You need to read each book as part of the series to get a more enjoyable reader experience.
I love the plots featuring a travelling nurse,the vivid characters and the settings.
This book and the series is recommended for those who love cozy mysteries.

[Sidney D Barber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed Coughing and Donuts with Mercy Mares. For me, it was a bit unusual for a cozy not to be set in some kind of sweet shop, but the story moved along with some twists that I didn't see coming, and the ending caught me totally by surprise. I would recommend this book for anyone who likes a cozy with a twist.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is the 4th in the series and the first time reading the author. The main character is Mercy, a nurse who has the worse first day on the job . By the second day, there is a murder and somehow Mercy is the middle of it all. She spends the rest of the book trying to figure out what happened and who did it.

[Mai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting concept, but very hard to follow. At times I had to go back and reread several times to see if I'd missed something or it just wasn't there. feel like in the author's desire to keep things mysterious she deliberately leaves us hanging, but doesn't always remember to fill us in later. Even the ending left me wondering who exactly was talking when and who had done what.

[Kristina Rasmussen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was nice that I honestly had no idea who’d done it til the end. I had figured out some pieces, but couldn’t piece them together.

I just wish the editing was a little stronger. There were some crucial words missing and organizational errors.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coughing and donuts

Oh wow, another great one. This one really had me guessing till the end. I am so glad Ava is bringing in friends from before. Is something brewing between her and Charlie? I'm to the next one to find out!

[Anita Burkett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A long and different story which did remind me of my workplace except for murder of course. I guessed one part of it but was way off about the rest.

[Karie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coughing and Donuts is the third in the Mercy Mares Cozy Mystery series. Her traveling nursing job takes her to a psychiatric hospital, where murder and mayhem seem to follow where she goes. This is a quick read and as always I found myself laughing out loud. Not only at Mercy's antics, but many of the characters. There are a few twists and turns along the way of her nursing assignment. Ms. Mallory also has the key characters as in previous books, which makes her stories all the more solid. Looking forward to what will happen to Mercy and those around her in the next book. 4.5/5 Cross posting to My Reading Reality and BAPS book blog.