The Body in the Wetlands

A Jazzi Zanders Mystery #2

by Judi Lynn

High summer in River Bluffs, Indiana, is always sweltering and sweet. But the heat is really on when a decidedly dead body turns up in the neighborhood.
 
When established house flippers Jazzi Zanders and her cousin Jerod donate a week’s worth of remodeling work to Jazzi’s sister Olivia, they’re expecting nothing more than back-breaking roofing work and cold beers at the end of each long, hot day. With Jazzi’s live-in boyfriend and partner Ansel on the team, it promises to be a quick break before starting their next big project—until Leo, an elderly neighbor of Olivia’s, unexpectedly goes missing . . .
 
When the friendly senior’s dog tugs Jazzi and the guys toward the wetlands beyond Olivia’s neighborhood, they stumble across a decomposing corpse—and a lot of questions. With Jazzi’s pal Detective Gaff along to investigate, Jazzi finds her hands full of a whole new mystery instead of the usual hammer and nails. And this time it will take some sophisticated sleuthing to track down the culprit of the deadly crime—before the killer turns on her next . . .

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Audiobook, Romance, Fiction, Mystery Thriller

208 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 23, 2019

About the author

Judi Lynn received a Master’s Degree from Indiana University as an elementary school teacher after attending the IPFW campus. She taught 1st, 2nd, and 4th grades for six years before having her two daughters. She loves gardening, cooking and trying new recipes.

Reviews

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Body in the Wetlands by Judi Lynn is the second book in the cozy A Jazzi Zanders Mystery series. As with most cozy mystery series each book can be read by themselves or in any order as they contain and solve their own mystery stories inside. However, starting from the beginning gives the full character development that happens along the way.

The first book of the series, The Body in the Attic, introduced readers to Jazzi Zanders who along with her cousin Jerod are in the flipping houses business. Now if anyone isn’t familiar with house flipping it’s buying up properties at a low cost then renovating them to sell for profit. I blame plenty of doctor/hospital trips for my new found love of HGTV and these type of shows since they seem to air in waiting rooms everywhere.

This latest book of the series has Jazzi and her flipping team on a bit of a break between big projects and donating some manpower to Jazzi’s sister Olivia, helping her remodel. With each day of work Jazzi finds herself conversing with an elderly neighbor, Leo, as he’s out walking so when Leo goes missing Jazzi needs to find out why.

Most that follow my reviews know I have a soft spot for small town stories and cozy mysteries so being from Indiana myself this series immediately caught my eye being set in a small town in my home state and featuring that HGTV type of characters I couldn’t resist and definitely enjoy these. While enjoying the series though I haven’t felt it’s not without little issues here and there and would again rate this second edition at 3.5 stars but hope for a ‘killer’ book three.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/

[Darinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second book in A Jazzi Zanders Mystery series by Judi Lynn. Jazzi and her cousin Jerod are house flippers. Also on their work crew is Ansel, Jazzi's boyfriend. Besides working on houses, Jazzi has a knack for stumbling into mysteries. In this book, Jazzi and crew are working on her sister's house. They meet an elderly neighbor, who soon goes missing. When Jazzi helps look for him, she stumbles across a corpse.

I started reading this book and then realized it was book 2 in the series. So, I hopped on Amazon and got the Kindle version of the first one. These are quick reads, so I was able to read the first one fast and then go back to this book. I'm glad I read The Body in the Attic first, as it did allow me to have more background on the characters. That said, The Body in the Wetlands can be read as a standalone.

The mystery in this book starts with a missing elderly man. That soon leads to the discovery of two dead bodies. So, not only does Jazzi want to find the missing man, but now she's looking for a killer. Jazzi doesn't sleuth on her own, she is friendly with a detective who keeps her up-to-date on the cases and even brings her along when talking with witness and suspects. So, yeah, a little far-fetched.

This is a cozy mystery with romance and humor. I like Jazzi's family and the house flipping aspect of the series. Personally, I don't like Jazzi's boyfriend Ansel. Or, maybe I don't like Jazzi with Ansel. She's mostly a strong character, but with Ansel, she's weak and insecure.

A light and fun read for fans of cozy mysteries. The mystery is solid and has enough to keep the reader guessing.

I won a Kindle version of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in the Jazzi Sanders series is a good novel with slants toward mystery and romance. If you like your mysteries where the protagonist works with police and doesn't do anything stupid to put herself in danger, you will like this book.
Jazzi works with her cousin Jerod and Ansel, her boyfriend to flip her sister's, Olivia's home. She meets Leo, an elderly neighbor, and his retriever dog, Coco. Leo didn't return home one night. What happened to him?
Jazzi is walking Coco who finds 2 bodies in a nearby slough. Jazzi called her homicide detective friend, Gaff. Jazzi life becomes difficult as Ansel is forced to go home for family problems and Jerod has the flu. Jazzi needs answers before she loses her life. I highly recommend this book.
Recipes are included.

Disclosure: Thanks to Lyrical Underground for a copy through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Body in the Wetlands by Judi Lynn takes us back to River Bluffs, Indiana. Jazzi Zanders along with her cousin, Jerrod and boyfriend, Ansel are helping Olivia and Thane roof their new fixer upper home. During this time, Jazzi makes friends with Olivia’s neighbor, Leo and his dog, Cocoa. Leo tells her about Miles Lancaster who went missing three weeks ago with the police only finding his bike. One day Jazzi is working on the landscaping when a bloody Cocoa comes up to her. She rushes to Leo’s home where she finds his wife, Louisa has fallen, and that Leo never came home from walking Cocoa the night before. Jazzi contacts Detective Gaff who rushes over to investigate. When Jazzi takes Cocoa for a walk, the little brown Labrador leads them into the woods near the wetlands and digs up two decomposing corpses. They also find a torn piece of Leo’s sweater nearby. Detective Gaff now has two murders and a missing person’s case to solve. While Ansel and Jerod move inside to work on Olivia’s house, Jazzi accompanies Detective Gaff to question suspects. Will they be able to find their serial killer before he strikes again?

The Body in the Wetlands is the second novel in A Jazzi Zanders Mystery series. It can be read as a standalone if you have not picked up The Body in the Attic. I thought The Boyd in the Wetlands contained good writing and it proceeded at a fixed speed (I am tired of saying steady pacing) which makes it pleasant to read. The main characters are friendly and relatable. It is kind of Ansel, Jerod and Jazzi to take time off from their current flip to work on Olivia and Thane’s new home despite the hot August heat. I like that Jazzi is close to her family and that they have a big Sunday dinner each week. Ansel is estranged from his family after they forced him to depart from the family dairy farm after he graduated from high school. He is shocked when his brother calls because they need his help after Ansel’s father had surgery and his other brother fell off the roof breaking his leg. I could feel Ansel’s emotions. He is hurt by the way his family treated him and that they have only called him because they need help (and cannot afford to hire assistance). The mystery has red herrings to distract readers from solving this multifaceted whodunit. George, Ansel’s pug, is back plus Jazzi adds two new furry friends to the household who are adorable and mischievous. I was turned off by the excessive alcohol consumption by our characters, the focus on appearances and the attention paid to intimate relations. It was a little much for a cozy mystery. I am curious as to why permits are never mentioned when they plan their work. There is an especially sweet and romantic scene towards the end of the book that will delight readers. The Boyd in the Wetlands is an entertaining cozy mystery with house flipping, close friends, adorable fur babies, family drama, romance, two dead bodies, one missing person and a cagey killer.

[Laura Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cozy mysteries are one of my favorite genres and I’m always looking for a new theme. I loved the idea of house flippers. I watch those shows all the time. So, I eagerly started reading the book.

Cozies have lots of characters, Some central to the story and some secondary ones that make the story more genuine. I swear I recognize some of them. There were some fun ones in this mystery. And the author did a wonderful job of bringing them to life, helping me to connect with them, even the ones that had died my nefarious means.

Now for the mystery. It all starts with a missing man. But soon, two dead bodies are discovered and the why and whodunit part begins in earnest. I followed along as the investigation got going and was happy that I couldn’t figure it out easily.

I hadn’t read the first book in the series before I read The Body In The Wetlands. That didn’t stop me from enjoying this book, quickly getting familiar with the characters and their relationships to each other, and having a fun time reading along as the author dropped clues and finally gave me the villain.

I’m happy to recommend this book and now plan on going back to the beginning to see what I missed.

I received a complimentary copy. My review is voluntarily given.

[Mae Clair · Rating 5 out of 5]

In book two of the Jazzi Zander murder mysteries, home remodelers Jazzi, her hunky boyfriend, Ansel, and her cousin Jerrod are once again in this thick of rehabbing property and getting caught up in murder. Jazzi gets to know neighbor, Leo, during his regular walks with his dog Cocoa. When Leo disappears and two bodies are discovered in shallow graves behind the neighborhood subdivision, Jazzi once again becomes embroiled in unmasking the killer. On the personal front, her relationship with Ansel is put to the test when he returns home for a brief time to help his dysfunctional family with property repairs. A young college student takes an interest in Jazzi. Friendly and outgoing, his charm may just be the mask for a killer, but he’s only one of numerous suspects.

The author treats us to an eclectic cast of characters, then weaves a bubble of suspicion around each. Jazzi’s large family, plus her detective friend, Gaff, are all back again, as is Ansel’s dog, George the pug. You’ve got to love these people, who feel like friends. While this is a cozy mystery there is still plenty of guessing, and intricate plotting that leads to unmasking the killer. The writing is polished and breezy, the mystery elements set up like neat dominoes that all fall into place at the end. Another great entry in an enjoyable series!

[Melmo2610 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall I would give this book 3.5 stars. As far as the mystery part of this book that gets a solid 4 stars. It kept me guessing between a few different suspects and the mystery flowed well. I would give the rest of the book 3 stars. It’s a little heavy for my tastes on the bedroom innuendos and observations of the opposite sex as well as the drinking, which detracted from my enjoyment of the book overall. I do look forward to the next book because the mysteries are good and I like the characters.

I received this book from NetGalley and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

[Cookie M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't like murder mysteries where the heroine finds herself, through complete stupidity, trapped by the psycho killer with a dead cellphone, no one knowing where she is, none of the lifesaving drug she must take every four hours. You know the kind I mean.
Thank goodness, "The Body in the Wetlands" isn't that kind of story.
Maybe I'll leave it at that.
No, I just have to say one thing. A police detective who seems to work without a partner, and who needs the help of a ditzy, granite countertop obsessed home flipper is no kind of a police detective.

[Mystereity Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jazzi teams up with Detective Gaff for another case: to solve the murder of 4 people; a nurse, a peeping tom with metal disabilities, a senior citizen and a young woman. Jazzi picks apart the knots and uncovers the killer.

Good but entirely too much of the book was spent with Ansel and Jazzi mooning over missing each other. I'm guessing it's setting up future storylines, but it did nothing for me. Otherwise, a good, solid plot and an enjoyable read.

[BonnieM☂️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good. Looking forward to the third book.

[Tari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jazzi Zanders had hoped that finding a body in the attic of their last renovation house was the last time that would happen, but of course, no such luck. When an elderly neighbor of her sister's disappeared, his dog led Jazzi to a shallow grave of two other people, one of whom had been missing for a few weeks. It was only a guess as to what could have happened to the older man. Once again, Jazzi was called on by Det. Gaff to go with him and ask questions. He does seem like a detective who is easy to please, but he's no slacker on his job and shows up promptly when Jazzi needs to talk to him. It was cute how he and his wife came to Jazzi's pond to go swimming.

I hadn't really guessed completely who the killer was, but by the near-showdown, I knew although I still didn't know why. Thanks to a smart move by Jazzi, nothing happened. I kind of like when the arrest is made off-screen so to speak. It's a little different. Everything was neatly wrapped up and the good detective once again thanked Jazzi, Ansel and Jerod. It seems odd that Gaff doesn't have an actual police partner, but hey it's fiction and it's different and a little unique. These characters are becoming like old friends to return to. I especially like the Sunday meals that Jazzi and her family shares at her house. I'm looking forward to the next book!

[Jessica Robbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.

This series just gets better and better. I just love Jazzi! She cooks because she loves to, cleans, hosts family dinners, and still kicks butt remodeling with the guys. Her hunky boyfriend Ansel is sweet as well. This time they are working on her sisters new house. During some impressive manual labor she meets a sweet older man and his lab. He tells the story of a missing boy and more before he himself disappears. His loyal lab leads her to two dead bodies while his owner remains missing. What follows is a fascinating investigation filled with a wide range of characters to both love and hate as well as critters we can all just love. Ansel's family adds a nice twist as well. Awe moment finale that wraps it all up well with a nice surprise. Beautifully written making you fall in love so I give it 5/5 stars.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first book of this series enough to read more and I'm glad I did. The overall premise - house flippers who have a strong sense of family - makes it feasible for them to find new mysteries in every book, which is more realistic than many mystery series where dead bodies keep popping up in the same town/business.

I like the major characters and most of the characters unique to this book as well. Several bodies were found during the course of the story, but all except one were cold cases, so the book concentrates on the one exception. That victim was well-liked, so there weren't many suspects to think about. I was caught by more than one red herring and false trail, but I figured out the culprit shortly before it was revealed in the book. The motive was appalling, but it made sense.

I look forward to reading the next book to see what happens next with Jazzy, Ansel, Jarod and the rest.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the sense of family in this series. I like then the victim is a bad guy and in this story, all the victims were good people, which just gave an overall sense of sadness when you were reading it. It was a great story, though and the ending was a surprise.

[RO G'ma · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Body in the Wetlands is the second book in Judi Lynn’s Jazzi Zanders Mystery series. As with the first book, I feel like the seasoned detective assigned to the case and his investigative style are unbelievable. He requests the protagonist to accompany him on his interviews and voluntarily shares his findings with her. While professionals and lay people often work together in cozies that usually doesn’t happen until a relationship has been developed later in a series. There are more adult overtones than usually found in cozies. The characters are likable, the storyline is entertaining, and there are lots of twists and red herrings that kept me guessing in this steadily paced book.

Jazzi Zanders, her cousin, Jerod, and her boyfriend, Ansel, are in the business of flipping houses in the River Bluffs, Indiana area. Jazzi, who is very close to her family, hosts a family meal every Sunday. Her sister, Olivia, and their mother co-own a beauty shop. Olivia and Thane recently purchased a fixer-upper and Jazzi, Jerod, and Ansel are helping with renovations between their regular projects. While replacing the roof, Jazzi spoke with Leo, an elderly neighbor out walking his dog, Cocoa, about Miles, a mentally challenged man who had recently disappeared from his parents’ home. Jazzi’s working in the yard when Cocoa grabbed her T-shirt and tugged to get her attention. They went to Leo’s house where Jazzi found Louisa, Leo’s disabled wife, on the floor and learned Leo never came home last night. Jazzi called Ansel and Detective Gaff, and then Cocoa led Jazzi, Ansel, Jerod, and the detective to the nearby wetlands and began digging, revealing a body in a shallow grave and then another a few feet away. One of the bodies had a wallet with Miles’ driver’s license in it, the woman’s body is unidentified, and they found evidence of a body being dragged through the weeds. Ansel reluctantly returns to Wisconsin to help his estranged family on their dairy farm for a couple weeks, and Jazzi misses him more than she thought she would.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

[Fred · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Body In The Wetlands is the second book in the Jazzie Zanders Mystery series.

Jazzie Zanders, her cousin, Jerod, are house flippers and are usually busy renovating their recent purchase with the help of Jazzie’s hunky boyfriend, Ansel. Instead, they are helping out Jazzie’s sister renovate their recently purchased house. As they are starting to re-roof the house Jazzie notices an elderly gentleman, Leo, walking his retriever, Cocoa, and stops to chat with him. Leo tells her about a mentally challenged young man from the development who has gone missing. A couple of days later Cocoa comes running up to Jazzie and grabs a hold of the hem of her t-shirt and leads her to Leo’s house. She learns from Leo’s disabled wife that he never returned from the evening walk the previous night. Jazzi senses that Cocoa wants her to follow, so she grabs Cocoa lead and the set off. Cocoa soon leads Jazzi to a wetland area next to an apartment complex, where finds what appears to be a shallow grave. She immediately phones Detective Gaff to report her find. Once the crime scene begins their investigation, they are able to identify the body as that of the missing man. As they are searching for evidence, a second body is found in another shallow grave. This being the body of a young unidentified female. While the police begin to try and identify the young female, Jazzie sets off to find out what has happened to Leo. Gaff, having worked with Jazzi on a previous case for her help in learning who the young female is and what, if any, connection she might have to with the young man that was killed.

This is a wonderful follow-up to the first book in the series. It’s a well-plotted and told story and reads at a nice pace. The book has an enjoyable cast of believable cast of characters. I particularly like the gathering of family for Sunday dinner that Jazzi hosts. Also, recipes are included for some of her Sunday dinner items.

I will definitely be watching for the next book in this enjoyable series, A Body In The Gravel, coming this September.

[Hilary (A Wytch's Book Review) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful second book with a cracking cast of characters, this is a series to read and re-read.

Jazzi's sister Olivia (and her partner Thane) have bought a house that needs some TLC, Jazzi, her cousin Jerod and her boyfriend Ansel (aka The Viking or Norseman!) are contractors and so they take a week between house flips and do some of the heavy work (namely the roof, kitchen and bathrooms!), Thane is acting as their assistant (doing some of the lifting and shifting of things like roofing materials, which saves time), Olivia and her Mum are doing the decorating of the bedrooms etc.

One day Jazzi gets talking with a neighbour who is out walking his dog and is concerned about the work (and is very pleased to hear that they are getting the house sorted and so forth), Leo (the neighbour) is obviously starved for company as he chats on more than one occasion, but then there is one day when he doesn't turn up, but his dog Cocoa does and she is obviously injured, Jazzi, Ansel, Jerod and Thane hurry to his house only to find Leo is missing and his disabled wife is laying on the floor. With a friend called Jazzi takes Cocoa out for a quick walk, only to have the dog dig up a dead body - and it isn't Leo! Now their friend Gaff (the police detective) is on the case, Ansel had to head back to the family farm to help out there, Jerod is ill and there is a murderer on the loose, Jazzi and Gaff need to find out who it is before Jazzi ends up being another body in the Wetlands.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not love this. For me, it was just okay. It has so much potential, but in this second book, the characters are still pretty flat and shallow. And I still don't much care for Ansel. The mystery plot was okay, but nothing more; too much depended on happenstance, and there was little depth. The author had numerous places, especially in the first third, that were more "telling" than "showing," slowing the pace and sometimes getting downright boring. Worst, why is the detective repeatedly asking Jazzi to help him--interview suspects, check out crime scenes, even make death notifications? It's completely unrealistic. I had such high hopes, but now I'm unsure if I'll give this series another chance.

[Anna Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy this series, although Jazzi exhausts me. How can any person work construction all day, help solve murders, keep her house and yard work done and cook for 14 family members who come over every Sunday?
But I like the characters of Jazzi, her family, and Jazzi's boyfriend, Ansel. There are no annoying family members and the police are fine with her helping. I enjoy reading about the house flipping repair work.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have struggled with the romance in this series since book one. He just doesn’t do anything for me. However, I do like how Jazzy “works” on the mysteries. I feel she does a better job then her contemporaries by not putting herself in silly situations with the bad guys.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book, which I voluntarily chose to review.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fine cozy mystery. I definitely was kept guess on the whodunnit. I didn't feel very connected to the character, mainly because I didn't feel like they read as people in their mid-20s. Also the time period was confusing, but I think it was supposed to be the 90s.

[Margaret Connelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keeps your attention

Police don't invite folks to go with them to interview suspects. Otherwise not a bad read. Interesting fixer upper details.

[RoloPoloBookBlog · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Body in the Wetlands by Judi Lynn
Book #2: Jazzi Zanders Mystery Series
Source: NetGalley and Lyrical Underground
Rating: 4½/5 stars

Jazzi Zanders is some kind of devoted to her family! When her sister, Olivia and Olivia’s boyfriend buy a new home that needs some work, Jazzie, the sisters’ cousin, Jerod, and Jazzi’s boyfriend, Ansel get the call to do the work . . . for free 😊 While the trio of house flippers are happy to help out, Jazzi isn’t quite as excited about the neighbors.

Just across from Olivia’s house is the home of Leo, his wheelchair bound wife, and their walk-loving dog. All three are perfectly delightful, Leo is full of neighborhood gossip, and the dog is simply adorable, but through no fault of their own, they drag Jazzi into a triple murder investigation. Yeah, Jazzi isn’t at all happy with the neighbors.

As work continues in Olivia’s home and at another site, Jazzi gets even deeper into the investigation. As ever, when Detective Gaff needs a second set of eyes, a new set of questions, or just a friendly face to tag along, he calls Jazzi. Jazzi’s quick mind and skill with problem solving makes her a good match for Gaff and between the two of them, they begin to unravel what happened to the three unfortunate souls they have discovered. Though none of the three victims initially appeared to be connected to one another, a web of connections quickly unfolds and tells both Gaff and Jazzi there is a serious killer out there willing to go to great lengths to protect his/her identity.

On top of the murders, Jazzi also has an absent boyfriend thanks to a load of guilt from his beloved sister. Though he is hesitant to be gone for a variety of reasons, Ansel agrees to go home leaving Jazzi to fend for herself with the murders and the renovation work. For both, the separation is difficult and brings into sharp focus just where each stand as far as their long-term commitment to one another and their relationship. To be sure, Jazzi has a great deal on her plate and most of it has nothing to do with her amazing cooking.

The Bottom Line: I have to say, this series evolved quickly, and I am loving the direction it is taking. Here are the highlights: 1) I liked the craziness of this plot with three seemingly unrelated deaths being intimately connected and tied together beautifully by the author, 2) I liked the inclusion of some many animals, 3) I liked the increased backstory as it related to Ansel and his truly terrible family, and 4) I liked the absolute evolution in nearly every major character. This is really a very solid book that speaks to the skill of the author and the bright future Jazzi Zanders has. YAY for us, dear reader, YAY for us 😊

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Body in the Wetlands is the second installment in the A Jazzi Zanders Mystery series featuring home renovator/flipper Jazzi Zanders set in the River Bluffs, Indiana. Jazzi and her partners, Cousin Jerod and her boyfriend Ansel have agreed to spend a week helping Jazzi's sister Olivia and her boyfriend Thane renovate their new house.

Jazzi notices the neighbor Leo walking his dog Cocoa daily and strikes up a conversation with the man. From Leo she learns that a young man Miles has gone missing in the neighborhood. Miles had suffered a head injury a few years ago and as a result was back living with his parents and riding his bike all through the subdivisions, unfortunately he also had a bad habit of being a peeping Tom. Several days later Jazzi is accosted by another neighbor who claimed that Cocoa had pooped in his yard, Leo didn't pick it up, and the man was livid. It's the next day that Cocoa comes running up to Jazzi covered in blood, when she takes the dog home she finds Leo's wheelchair bound wife lying on the kitchen floor and Leo had never come home the night before.

Setting out with Ansel to scour the neighborhood, Cocoa leads them to two buried bodies. Joined by Detective Gaff, Jazzi is determined to track down a killer and find the missing Leo. It seems as though everyone Jazzi questions is a prime suspect and the author does a good job of keeping you guessing until the end.

A fast paced plot with interesting characters. The problem for me with the series is the idea that a Police Detective would constantly contact an ordinary citizen and ask them advice and to accompany him when he goes to question suspects or investigate crime scenes. The subplot revolves around Ansel and his strained relationship with his family. An injury on the family farm requires him to go back home for a few weeks and the nightly conversations between him and Jazzi will having you cringing, how can such a strong character be so insecure and needy?

I enjoy the premise of this series and now the addition of two cute kitties and a new development in Jazzi's relationship with Ansel will have me reaching for the next addition.

I received an advanced copy of The Body in the Wetlands from NetGalley via Lyrical Underground, a division of Kensington Publishing. While not required to write a review I am more than happy to offer my honest opinion.

[Theresa Larson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jazzi, her boyfriend Ansel, and her cousin Jerrod are back, but before moving on to flip another house, they are helping to remodel Jazzi’s sister, Olivia’s, house. While working at Olivia’s house, Jazzi gets to know Leo, an elderly neighbor who loves to chat and walk his dog. One day, Leo’s dog shows up without him, so Jazzi decides to take him home, and once there, finds out that Leo is missing. She calls her friend, Detective Gaff, to help in the search for Leo. While there, the dog continues to nudge Jazzi until he gets her to take him for a walk. He leads Jazzi to a nearby wetland. There he helps to unearth not one, but two bodies, neither of which turns out to be Leo. Jazzi wonders how she has managed to find herself entangled in yet more murders, but thanks her lucky stars that her family is not involved this time. Even so, Jazzi feels pulled to the case, and can’t help but wonder what happened to Leo and who the other two poor souls are. Detective Gaff enlists Jazzi’s help because he believes that people find it easier to talk to her than a detective. The two of them set out to find some answers and capture a killer.

The Body in the Wetlands is the second book in the Jazzi Zanders mystery series, and it is every bit as good as the first one. One of the winning qualities of this series is Jazzi herself. She is a strong character who flips houses, whips up large family meals, makes quality time with her boyfriend, and still finds time to help Detective Gaff. She’s the total package! Her character is unique in the fact that she works with the law, rather than constantly putting herself in precarious situations.

I also like Ansel’s side story. We get to know his family, and in doing so, get to know him better as well. The author does a great job contrasting Ansel and Jazzi’s families. Ansel’s time away from Jazzi also provides the opportunity to put their relationship to the test. Are Jazzi and Ansel meant for each other?

I also loved the mystery in this story. It is a well-woven tale and keeps you wanting to read on. Each of the suspects seem like viable possibilities. Some you even hope don’t turn out to be the killer. I also enjoyed the manner in which the author wraps up the mystery.

I think cozy mystery fans will love this book. I know I’m looking forward to the third book in this series, The Body in the Gravel.

Thanks to Net Galley and Kensington Books – Lyrical Underground for an ARC of this book. #NetGalley #TheBodyInTheWetlands

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in A Jazzi Zanders Mystery series by Judi Lynn. Even though the mystery in the book is self-contained, I recommend you go back and read the first book in the series for a full understanding of the characters, however you can still enjoy this book without doing that. Jazzi and
Jerod, her cousin, hear the news of a missing neighbour. He is a brain damaged man, whose mental and emotional age are much younger than he is. Everyone is worried about him, especially when they find his bicycle far from town. When an elderly neighbour also disappears while out walking his dog, Jazzi is worried. She follows his dog hoping to find him, but what she finds is another corpse, that of a missing woman, so the police are on this case and the local detective asks Jazzi if she has any information or insight. Although not official, the police in this series encourage Jazzi to investigate as long as she keeps them apprised of what she finds out. In this book, Jazzi, Jerod and their crew are working on her sister's house, and Ansel, her boyfriend is back home on the farm helping his parents.

This is a cozy mystery with romance and humor. The mystery was well developed and had a lot of twists and red herrings. Some of the suspects were not very nice and I was pretty sure I had it all figured out. As often happens in cozy mysteries, our protagonist stumbles onto information and before she has a chance to tell the police, the suspect has figured out that she is onto him/her. Can Jazzi get out of the situation without getting hurt. I really enjoy Jazzi's family and the house flipping aspect of the series. This is an interesting, light and fun series, and I am looking forward to reading more about Jazzi Zanders.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 2nd installment of the Jazzi Zanders mystery series. Jazzi, her cousin Jerrod and her boyfriend Ansel flip houses and her sister Olivia and her boyfriend Thane just bought a house and the trio is helping them out for a week to get things in order in their new house. Jazzi befriends Olivia and Thane's neighbor Leo and his dog Cocoa and learns a neighborhood young man Miles is missing. After the events of the last mystery Jazzi is so concerned for Miles parents and what they must be going thru so she begins to learn more about Miles. Then one day as she is working on the landscape Leo's dog Cocoa shows up with blood on his coat and without Leo. She goes across the street and checks on Leo's wife and she has fallen and Leo never came home. Cocoa wants to go out and Jazzi and Ansel take her for a walk and they find 2 bodies. Jazzi calls Detective Gaff and they learn that the bodies are those of Miles and that of an unidentified woman. It also appears that Leo's body was dragged someplace but he is nowhere to be found. I enjoy Jazzi's heart in trying to find out what has happened to Miles and Leo. Detective Gaff takes her to meet Miles parents and takes her to questioning of suspects. There is some side drama when Ansel's family is begging him to come home and help on the farm. His sister arrives and he agrees to go back for 2 weeks only. There are lots of possible suspects including Leo's nephew Seth. Enjoyed this mystery and looking forward to the next installment.

[Caitlin C · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun and enjoyable read. It was a bit spicier than I am used to for a cozy (with some sexual innuendos and talk of sex), which does not bother me in the least, just caught me off guard.

Jazzi and her team (cousin Jerrod and boyfriend Ansel) are helping Jazzi's sister, Olivia rennovate her new house. It is August in River Bluffs, Indiana and hot hot hot! Jazzi notices that her sisters elderly neighbor, Leo and his dog, Cocoa keep stopping to watch them work. She ends up striking up a conversation with Leo and learns that he is the neighborhood busy-body and his nosiness is not appreciated by all of the neighbors.

When Leo goes missing, Jazzi offers to take Cocoa for a walk, and stumbles upon 2 bodies buried in a shallow grave. She becomes super involved in the case when the lead detective recruits her to help him solve the murders.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I looooove George the pug. As a person lucky enough to have a pug in their life, I could relate to hearing about George's snorts and snores and his love of food. The only thing that got a little old was the back and forth between Jazzi and Ansel while Ansel was in Wisconsin about being afraid the other one would cheat. I guess that is how some relationships go though. I am hoping as the series moves forward, Jazzi and Ansel become more confident with each other.

[Karen Stallman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hoping to read the first book before this one, but sadly ran out of time. This is the second book in the Jazzi Sanders series by Judi Lynn.

When established house flippers Jazzi Zanders and her cousin Jerod donate a week’s worth of remodeling work to Jazzi’s sister Olivia, they’re expecting nothing more than back-breaking roofing work and cold beers at the end of each long, hot day. With Jazzi’s live-in boyfriend and partner Ansel on the team, it promises to be a quick break before starting their next big project—until Leo, an elderly neighbor of Olivia’s, unexpectedly goes missing . . .

A fast paced plot with interesting characters and I like the big family dynamic. But I did have a problem with the idea that a Police Detective would contact an ordinary citizen and ask them advice and to accompany him when he goes to question suspects or investigate crime scenes. (Unless they had some kind of former relationship). This is the only reason I gave this a 4 rating,

I highly recommend this book. and I look forward to reading more books by Judi Lynn.
Recipes are included.

I requested and received a Advanced Reader Copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley, all opinions are my own..

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Body in the Wetlands by Judy Lynn is the second book in Jazzi Zanders Mystery series but can be read as a standalone.

Jazzi and her cousin are flipping houses and making a living. Quite often they stumble onto a mystery that she can't seem to be able to leave alone.
This time cousins and Ansel, Jazzi's boyfriend are dedicating time and skills to fixing Jazzi's sister Olivia's newly purchased house. However, when their elderly neighbor goes missing and his dog takes them to the decomposing body situation dramatically changes.
Jazzi is in the middle of things again and simply has to solve the mystery.

The story is well paced and easy to read. There are enough red herrings to keep things interesting.
Although I have to say that some things, such as leading detective requesting help and taking lay people to the official interviews seems less than credible. at least so soon after meeting them and establishing a passing relationship.
I like that there are many animals featured in the book and romance element certainly add to the charm.

I received ARC copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.