Old Crimes and Nursery Rhymes

White Mountains Romantic Mysteries #2

by Jane Firebaugh

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe…
Olivia Mckenna, antique finder, turned amateur detective, never dreamed that an old nursery rhyme would lead her and her fiance, Lieutenant Detective Josh Abrams into another murder investigation, much less a kidnapping, and the discovery of a crime, long forgotten by all except the remaining victims and the sociopath who was responsible.
Can Olivia and Josh solve the mysteries of the past before they too become victims, or are some things better left forgotten?

Genres: Cozy Mystery

280 pages, Paperback

Published March 25, 2016

About the author

Jane Firebaugh was born and raised in eastern, Tennessee.
She's had numerous interests in life, from antique collecting to jewelry design.
When she isn't in front of her computer writing, Jane can usually be found hiking with her dogs in the White Mountains of New Hampshire during temperate weather seasons, skiing there during cold ones or occasionally melting in the Florida sun.

Reviews

[P.S. Winn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by this author, and I found it intriguing with a lot going on. Readers meet Olivia McKenna, a woman who not only loves antiques, but finds them for others. Hired to find a shoe bank made of cast iron that could be very valuable, Olivia enlists the help of her police officer, fiance', Joshua Abrams. Along the way readers are going to investigate crimes, present and past and be carried along on this cozy mystery.

[Lisa Ks Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't get the chance to write a full review on this title at the time I read it due to health issues. I will work on getting a full review up in the future.

What I can say is this was a fabulous second installment in this wonderful series. Author Jane Firebaugh certainly know how to write a mystery that holds the reader attention, and leave us looking forward to more in the series!

[Jeanie Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Old Crimes and Nursery Rhymes even more than I did Antiques and Avarice. This time the Christian element isn't strong but the Olivia and Josh still have the same high standards, it just isn't pointed out. I really love those two and the people that they "adopt". Ms Firebaugh does an excellent job of creating warm people who reach my heart.
The background of the mystery is quite disturbing but it is balance with warmth and humor throughout the story. When her friend Vicky tells Olivia of an old cast iron piggy back events start racing forward. While there is some coincidence in timing and connection it doesn't feel awkward or fake. While wresting with the problems that surround the piggy bank, Olivia and Josh work on their wedding plans and she gets to meet his father; that balance that I love.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beware the Old Woman Who Lived in the Shoe!

Jane Firebaugh is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Her second book in this new series is awesome. Main character Olivia becomes involved in a mystery when her best friend Vicki asks her to be on the lookout for an antique children's bank that could be worth a fortune. From there Olivia & fiancé Josh (who just happens to be a police detective), find themselves immersed in kidnappings, murders old & new, all while trying to plan their wedding. I adore Olivia's dog Molly & cat Sheyna. I love that they live in such a pet friendly town & the animals can be a big part of the storyline. ****Spoiler***** The ending shocked the hell out of me! Never expected it. Also, nice setup at the end for the next book in the series!

[Barb Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

OLD CRIMES AND NURSERY RHYMES (WHITE MOUNTAINS ROMANTIC MYSTERIES) is the second in the series by Jane Firebaugh. I loved it! Even though I read Book 1 in the series, the author makes it easy to jump right into Book 2. The returning characters are likable, kind and true to life; the kind of people you’d love to have living in your neighborhood. Olivia McKenna has her own business locating antiques for her clients. Her fiancé Josh Abrams is a police lieutenant. In this book, the couple is solving an old mystery, trying to locate a kidnap victim and working on plans for their upcoming wedding. The story is fast paced and left me looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

OLD CRIMES AND NURSERY RHYMES (WHITE MOUNTAINS ROMANTIC MYSTERIES BOOK 2) JANE FIREBAUGH
How can one old bank garner so much attention? Through in antique enthusiasts and a bunch of greedy thieves after the same bank and you have a recipe for murder and mayhem.
Josh Abrams and Olivia McKenna are in it again. There is a race between the good and the bad to who finds the bank first.
Jane Firebaugh has combined mystery and romance in this page turning novel. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Kudos to the author for keeping me on my toes while enjoying a sweet romance. I will give it 5 pet paws for Molly and Sheyna and great writing.

[Carol Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

A warm, lovable antique dealer. Her handsome detective fiancé. A little deaf boy. An antique bank shaped like a shoe. Jane Firebaugh takes these elements and weaves them into a cozy romantic mystery full of surprises. This second White Mountain Mystery is a fast paced, easy read with believable, faceted characters you can't help but love. Jane Firebaugh is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

[Chariss Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable read!
“Old Crimes and Nursery Rhymes” by Jane Firebaugh is the second book in the White Mountain Romantic Mysteries. Like the first book in the series, Antiques & Avarice, the main characters are Olivia McKenna and Josh Abrams. If you enjoy a cozy romantic mystery, you will definitely enjoy these books. The author weaves the story well.

[Jane Firebaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, since I wrote it, I'd have to say I love it.

Olivia and Josh have become a part of my family in a way, and Molly and Sheyna have for sure.

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Love,
Jane

[Linda Rainey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this cozy mystery and the suspense.
We see Olivia and Josh again working to uncover a mystery in the small New Hampshire town.
Molly,Olivia 's Golden Retriever works as a therapy dog and with Sheyna the family cat, helps solve the mystery.
I look forward to the next book in the series

[Diane Weiner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast read

This fast paced mystery once again has Olivia and her fiancé Josh working together to solve a crime. There's a good twist at the end, and readers will be routing for Olivia and her Prince Charming throughout.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane Firebaugh is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. She weaves her mysteries so well that they are hard to put down. I read this in one day. It had everything you want in a mystery. Great characters, a great mystery and it was a fun read. I can't wait for the next one.

[Michele bookloverforever · Rating 3 out of 5]

greed causes a past murder and many years later a modern murder.. wonderful characters set in far northern New Hampshire.

[Carolee DeWitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read.

[Jeannie and Louis Rigod · Rating 5 out of 5]

New Hampshire is lucky to have a new Private Investigation team forming. Olivia, an antique picker, and her Fiancé, Police Detective, Josh are excited to begin their new lives together. Working on when they will get married and where, is suddenly put on the back burner as one of Olivia's antique clients comes under a home invasion burglary. Someone has stolen a High Boy dresser that had held an old letter telling about a mechanical bank fashioned upon a nursery rhyme.

Olivia realizes that there is a connection with a family she and Josh cares about and off the team goes. It becomes apparent that the crooks will not stop, even at murder, in order to get their prize.

This book and series attracts me as the couple are really 'good' and truly love each other. It is a true cozy murder mystery. After reading the book, you feel the couple are real and people are lucky to know them. I love the animals as well. We are treated to a dog and a cat. Good choices.

There are only three novels to date and I'm going to be reading the third. Hopefully, Ms. Firebaugh is writing away.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Old Crimes and Nursery Rhymes is the second book in the White Mountains Romantic Mystery series by Jane Firebaugh. Through the works written by Ms. Firebaugh, I’m becoming a fan of the Romantic Mystery genre. I appreciate the combination of classic cozy mystery and sweet romance. Although this is the second book in the series, each can be read and enjoyed as stand-alone books. Childhood fortune and/or misfortune can shadow a life, perhaps hopelessly darken it, but this story shows the power of compassion and love to help lighten those shadows. The main characters are well developed. Olivia McKenna has her own business locating antiques for her clients. Her fiancé Josh Abrams is a police lieutenant. Vicky, Olivia’s friend, relates the story of an antique, children’s cast iron piggy back that is believed to be worth a fortune, and her desire to have Olivia procure it for her. Olivia quickly finds there is a much larger history surrounding the bank. In the midst of searching for the bank, Olivia and Josh work on their wedding plans and she gets to meet his father. Unbeknownst to Olivia and Josh, the search broadens to include several kidnappings and, both, old and new murders. I wish that that I could live in a town as pet friendly town as theirs. Olivia's dog Molly & cat Sheyna & the animals can be a big part of the storyline. Olivia's dog Molly and cat Sheyna melt my heart and play a significant role in the story. Ms. Firebaugh has crafted the perfect balance between mystery, suspense and romance. The Christian perspective isn’t as pronounced as in the first book, but the standards and values reflected throughout the book are high. This story is fast paced, the ending shocking and both leave the reader wanting more. I can’t wait to see how Olivia and Josh’s relationship progresses and what other unique antique finds Olivia is asked to seek. I believe Jane Firebaugh is one of the most promising new authors in the Romance Mystery genre. I appreciate books maintain the high standards of the cozy mystery genre. The characters come alive and the stories just flow. Her books are always quick easy reads. Sometimes it's a little hard to put them down! If you enjoy sweet romance and cozy mystery books, you don’t want to miss this series.

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It had been just months since a murder had brought two strangers together. Murder suspect, Olivia McKenna, and homicide detective, Josh Abrams, worked together to find the dead man’s killer, while falling in love in the process. Now engaged to be married, Olivia and Josh soon plan to start their own detective agency together, with Olivia continuing to hunt for rare antiques for her elite list of clientele. When Olivia is asked to try and track down the location of an antique shoe bank, valued at around six figures or more, people mysteriously start disappearing or dying. After a direct attempt is made on Olivia’s life, both Josh and Olivia quickly realize that time is fast running out for them to discover if an old woman’s death had been murder, if the disappearance of her son is suspicious, and if a crime far more sinister lies beneath it all. Working together once again, Josh and Olivia leave no stone unturned to get to the truth.

Jane Firebaugh hits another home run with this romantic mystery involving animal lovers Josh Abrams and Olivia McKenna. I found myself under Josh and Olivia’s spell, especially when their pets, Molly and Sheyna, add their animal antics into the mix. Old Crimes and Nursery Rhymes begins exactly where the first book in the series, Antiques and Avarice, left off. There are many moments where I am left questioning different characters’ intentions, all the while wondering how Olivia can stay in the moment regarding her upcoming nuptials. A house at the scene of a murder captures her heart, and she wonders if it is possible to hold her wedding at the location, which is amusing and macabre at the same time, especially with Olivia’s constant good intentions. While I was not a fan of the storyline regarding having a Deaf child fitted with a cochlear implant – a storyline which almost seemed forced and out of place at times – I was constantly envious of Josh and Olivia’s wonderful chemistry and ability to compromise at all costs in order to benefit those around them. I enjoyed Old Crimes and Nursery Rhymes and recommend it to all those who enjoy adventure, humor, action and a major dose of animal fun in their romantic murder mysteries.

- Rosie Malezer for Readers’ Favorite

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The old woman lived in a shoe.....

An old child's bank, shaped like a shoe, is said to be worth a million dollars. Olivia is searching for the bank for her friend to give to her husband, who collects old banks. The bank is the object of thieves who will stop at nothing to find it. I like how two characters of the first book play an important role in this book. Olivia became friends with Sally and her deaf grandson, Jimmy, in the previous book. I always enjoy books with animals in the story. Molly the dog, and Sheyna, the cat, go almost everywhere with Olivia. I enjoyed this second book and look forward to number three. I suggest reading book one first so you can learn the characters that continue into this book.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read by this author and I look forward to reading more. She incorporated animals into the story and me being an animal lover enjoyed it. What a great cozy read and I enjoyed trying to unravel the mystery as I read the book.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read

Nice, casual cozy mystery. Good plot, but sometimes the dialogue gets a little "preachy" and long. But overall, an enjoyable book.

[Linda Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very fast paced

This book is well written with constant causes that involved investigating. I like the characters but they seem a little too perfect at time.