Murder & The Monkey Band

High Desert #1

by Dianne Harman

Marty Morgan is a recently divorced antique and art appraiser who moves from the Midwest to live with her sister in High Desert, California, just outside of Palm Springs. Since their early childhood days, her sister has always possessed unexplained psychic abilities that often enable her to predict future events. An antique appraisal in the home of a recently murdered woman puts Marty at the center of a search for the killer. Who did it? The woman's son? The well-known collector of antique Meissen china? A professional art and antique thief? The owner of Mai Tai Mama's Restaurant? And just what part did the collection of Meissen Monkey Band figurines play in the murder? Detective Jeff Combs is just as determined to develop a relationship with Marty and her dog Duke as he is to solve the crime. Will the psychic abilities of Marty's sister help her find the killer? Dianne is the author of two other best-selling series, the Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery Series and the Liz Lucas Cozy Mystery Series. This is the first book in her new "High Desert Cozy Mystery Series." To find out more about Dianne and her books, visit her web site at www.DianneHarman.com

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Summer, Contemporary

143 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 28, 2015

About the author

Blog: http://dianneharman.com/blog/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/AuthorDian...

Reviews

[JoAn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder & The Monkey Band by Dianne Harman is the first book in a new cozy mystery series by Ms. Harman and was an engaging read. Ms. Harman's writing is comfortable, her characters are likable, and the plot had enough twists to keep a reader guessing. I enjoyed the fact that the characters are more mature in this series as that made a nice change of pace from most cozy mysteries.

[Pat Pierce · Rating 1 out of 5]

I almost never give a book one star, but I couldn't find anything to like about the book. I'm at a loss to explain its high ratings.

The writing was labored, starting off with characters thinking of their back story in order to give us a history. The point of view jumped around, settled, and then continued with amazingly unbelievable dialogue.

As an example, one character is offered a large sum of money to commit an act against her employer. The next day, the character and her husband are talking. He tells her of their grandchild needing an expensive surgery, then actually asks her if she remembers the offer of money from the night before. Maybe they get so many she wouldn't be expected to be able to keep track? I'm no writer myself, but I rather imagine if I did write a book, it would come off as unskilled as this one seems to be.

I couldn't finish the book, which is extremely rare for me--I've pushed

[Linda Crighton · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is about the 6th book of this author I have read and it will be the last. I really had high hopes that the writing would improve along the way but nope. Too bad because the stories are pretty good overall. The writing is god awful though. Very Dick and Jane like with more adult words. The laughable dialog between characters especially the main one and her love interest who declared his intentions within 3 minutes of meeting her lol and also between her and her sister was grating. Lastly, the final scene where the killer is revealed comes across as old-timey gangsterish. Same with all of her other books as well. The writer seems repressed or something.

[Nola Arganbright · Rating 5 out of 5]

And the band played on.

An interesting and fast paced mystery. The characters are strong and the plot well developed even though it is a short book. I enjoy the great information included in the book about appraising and antiques, it makes the story more believable and memorable. There are several great recipes included.

[Susan Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great!

The pacing was fabulous, and the characterizations accurate. The method was most unusual in its introduction of all the potential villains with their motives. One request: we want MORE of Duke. 🐕‍🦺

[Anna Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder & the Monkey Band, book 1 in the High Desert Cozy Mystery series introduces us to a new amateur sleuth. The story is off and running in a flash. Marty Morgan has recently made the move to the high desert when she finds herself drawn into a murder mystery. An appraiser, she’s called upon to assess the value of antiques and collectibles left by a wealthy woman killed in her own home in Palm Springs. Let the hijinks begin! The list of suspects grows as Marty and her sister, Laura, conduct the appraisal—not a simple task given the extensive and extremely valuable collections owned by the dead woman. I learned a few things about antiques and the process that goes on behind the scenes to evaluate precious items like the Monkey Band. The story of the Meissen porcelain collectibles is quite interesting apart from the role they play in the murder and mayhem.

This series has all the hallmarks of one of Dianne Harman’s well-received cozy mystery series: a likable amateur sleuth starting over in ‘midlife’; a small town populated by friendly characters with some unusual qualities like her sister’s ‘sixth sense’; good food [recipes included]; and a romantic interest for the protagonist who might just be ready to take chances as she starts her new life. It’s a quick, easy read to kickoff this great new series.

[Doward Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder and mystery with promising characters, want-to be-there setting and an interesting theme, combine for an enjoyable read. Marty Morgan is an art and antique appraiser, living in her sister's compound outside Palm Springs, California. Her sister is a gifted psychic and works for an insurance company. Marty agrees to do an estate appraisal for a recently murdered woman and Laura accompanies her. I like how the story is told from the viewpoint of each of the main characters and suspects. This is the first in a new series and I can't wait to read the next one. There are several suspects and each one has their own devious reasons for wanting to kill the victim. I enjoyed the art and antique theme as it really adds interest and purpose to the story. This was a fast paced read and gives a little background on the next story.

I won this book from the author and this is my honest opinion and fair review.

[Deanna Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

The people of High Desert, California, just outside of Palm Springs were an interesting bunch and I felt like I could move in next door and fit right in.. This book had murder, mystery, the disappearance of The Monkey Band and just the right amount of romance! Wondering what the Monkey Band is? You might be surprised at who they are, read the book.. I think you will like this one I certainly did!

[jennspoint · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really looking forward to more in this series. As usual, Dianne has introduced a compelling cast of characters, and an interesting plot line. Loved it!

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

very good

[Candy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The complete lack of adherence to police procedure or the rules of legal evidence, even by the police detectives, really mars the plot of this book.

[Julie Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this new series by Dianne Harman. I loved this book especially the fact that it is slightly different and the main characters sister gets premonitions, it added a little something to this mystery without being weird and I think it worked well for the story. The mystery was interesting and again full of suspects for you to puzzle out who the killer is. I liked the characters, especially the small town feel of the place and the way Laura convinces everyone about her psychic powers by showing them. The only thing I would say is Marty despite owning a dog he hardly came into the story at all, which is very unusual for this author. It is still a great start to the series.
Marty after her recent divorce moves back to live with her sister and run her own business as an art appraiser. Her sister has always been gifted, so when Laura predicts that things won't go smoothly on Marty's next job, Marty convinces Laura to join her. Apon arrival at the rich woman's house they discover the house a treasure trove of priceless art but the dead women's most prized possession a set of rare monkey's has gone missing. Was the stolen monkey band the reason behind her murder? The police ask for her help in understanding the significance of the stolen statues and soon Marty and her sister are involved in more than just pricing art of a dead woman.
I like this narrator she did a good job with the characters in the story.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[Amy Low · Rating 2 out of 5]

Marty in the Desert

I tried to like this book. Marty, an antique appraiser moved to Palm Springs with her sister. They live in a compound with neighbors who are likable. Marty meets Jeff, a detective on a murder case that involves the antiques Marty is appraising. The story line was okay. The characters could have been developed more. The romance of Marty and Jeff was sudden. I rolled my eyes a couple of times of the conversations between the two. The murder was given away at the beginning of the book. It was easy to tell who did it. I hope this series gets better.

[Sharen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a good read

This cozy series beginner is very good. But, lots of characters to keep track of and a somewhat complicated plot. So, I found I couldn’t read it at bedtime...just couldn’t keep track of everybody and what they were doing. But, in the morning with my tea worked out very well. The final part (after the case was solved) was really an “epilogue” (although it was not titled that) and gave a followup on what happened to all the characters. Very nice to have. Wish some other authors did that too. I look forward to the next book in the series.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marty and her sister are doing a full house appraisal for the estate when the owner the is found. The only items missing are 3 very rare antique monkey statutes. There are several suspects who might have committed one or both crimes. I debated if I should give more stars but I don't think that this book is one of Dianne Harman's better books. I liked the story. Something just seemed to be lacking.

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all of Diane Harman’s books. I started with this one since it is the first of this series. I enjoy the main character and the setting of the book seems so idyllic: out in the desert in a compound of four houses with her sister and 2 friends. Plus she has a dog! I had no idea what “monkey band” would be. There was a murder but who did it and who stole the sculptures? As always, there are suspects and you wonder til the end who the real killer is. I book #2 on my nightstand ready to go!

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

My "normal" reads are murder/mystery bo0ks so this genre is different for me, although I've read many of Dianne's books. On that note, that's the reason of the 3-star rating instead of a five as I'm out of my element, so to speak. Moving on, the story was good with very interesting characters and of course a murder. I enjoy the descriptive scenery and as the murder is solved, love is in the air. This story is a quick read and I recommend it highly for the cozy mystery readers.

[Patricia White · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Interesting Series

I’ve had all the books from this series for a while. I could never get to it because of her other series. Loved the characters in this series. Marty and Laura are good sisters to each other. Detective Jeff is a man’s man, and very straight forward. The other characters John the food truck guy and his assistant are a hoot. And the artist whose name I can’t remember sounds like a good guy for Laura.

[Carey Mundy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was book 1 in the High Desert mystery series by Harman. I’ve read just about every other series amen turn to these when I want to read a quick and fun book. Marty is new to the town of High Desert outside of Palm Springs. When she is asked to appraise a collectors dream of a recently murdered woman, little does she know how her life will
Change. There are several suspects but she how the local detective, Jeff, gets to the bottom of it. And a bonus is they fall in love!

[Janice Bates · Rating 5 out of 5]

Antiques appraiser, Marty Morgan, is hired to prepare an appraisal by the estate of a recently murdered woman. While on the job, she meets the lead detective on the case, Jeff Combs, and there is an instant attraction on both sides. Marty and her psychic sister assist the detective in eliminating some of the obvious suspects to find the actual killer.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wish I could give this another half-star, but Goodreads downs't allow that. Well-plotted, good characterization. Like the relationships. But it's touted as a cozy, & it's not funny, ergo not cozy. A few words that I don't think mean what the author thinks they mean, and a few punctuation problems. I'll definitely read more by this author.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first in the series. The main characters are Marty and her sister Laura. Marty is asked to appraise the contents of a house where the owner was murdered. Her kids inherit everything but there could be problems. There is also a question of who killed the owner. Marty's sister is physic and she is a big help with all of this. Can they figure out everything before it is too late ?

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diane has been very generous durning this time and has made some of her books free. I picked this book up durning this time. I had never read her books before but I really enjoyed this book. I liked the Relationships first between the sisters and then between the community where she lives. I also enjoyed that she's a little older than most other cozies I have read and has a different job too. Can't wait to continue the series

[Sandra The Old Woman in a Van · Rating 1 out of 5]

Harmon’s cozy hits the bottom of genre. The writing was high school level at best. The vocabulary was simple, sentence structures redundent, and there was no complexity at all. Perhaps the antique discussion would appeal to fans of “Antique Road Show,” but there is not much else redeaming in the novel.

How has this work been published?

[Robert Ericksen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first of book in this new series

I enjoyed this book very much. There were a lot of different characters in this book. More characters than usual for your Cozy Mysteries. I look forward to the other 19 books I’m The High Desert Cozy Mystery Series.
Thank you,
Robert Ericksen

[Linda Kay Orpet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beginning another good series!

Another comfortable but intriguing mystery by this author. I especially liked the rundown of possible suspects in the beginning. Will I be able to pick out the perpetrator or will i be wrong? Try for yourself.

[Patricia H. Phelps · Rating 5 out of 5]

First Book of the Series?

This has the backstory on how Marty came to High Desert, Laura's psychic powers, the group in the compound, and how they met Jeff and helped solve their first murder.

[Mark Whalley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Killing for monkey figurines

I loved this story about a woman that was killed for antique monkey figurines. But with so many people wanting these figurines, who actually did the deed? Can’t wait to try out the amazing recipes.

[Ellen White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her stories are always interesting, this has to do with an art appraiser and
Meissen Monkey Bank collection and murder.. good characters and good narration make these enjoyable to listen. Well done and enjoyed.
Given audio for my voluntary review

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone needs money, don’t they??? However, what are they willing to do to get that money??? AND sometimes memories are worth more than any amount of money. I enjoyed the story and recommend the book.