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An Ivy Meadows Mystery #6
Killalot
A jouster, a playwright, and a detective walk into a faire…but it’s no joke when one ends up dead.
Actress and part-time PI Ivy Meadows is thrilled when she learns that the famous playwright behind Hello Dolly Madison is in Arizona. Not so much when she realizes he’s a suspect in the murder of a Renaissance faire jouster.
As is her friend Riley. And about a thousand other people, all disguised in Renaissance costume during the fatal jousting match.
When Ivy is hired to investigate the killing, she goes undercover as a Cockney belly dancer at the faire and finagles her way into the playwright’s Kennedy-inspired version of Camelot—as Marilyn Monroe, no less.
Then, in the midst of her toughest case ever, Ivy has to solve another dilemma: Will she follow her lifelong dream of being an actor or settle down with the love of her life?
The murder investigation, the play, and real life come together in a twist that begs the question: Is there a happily-ever-after for anyone?
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
KILLALOT by Cindy Brown | A Henery Press Mystery. If you like one, you'll probably like them all.
Actress and part-time PI Ivy Meadows is thrilled when she learns that the famous playwright behind Hello Dolly Madison is in Arizona. Not so much when she realizes he’s a suspect in the murder of a Renaissance faire jouster.
As is her friend Riley. And about a thousand other people, all disguised in Renaissance costume during the fatal jousting match.
When Ivy is hired to investigate the killing, she goes undercover as a Cockney belly dancer at the faire and finagles her way into the playwright’s Kennedy-inspired version of Camelot—as Marilyn Monroe, no less.
Then, in the midst of her toughest case ever, Ivy has to solve another dilemma: Will she follow her lifelong dream of being an actor or settle down with the love of her life?
The murder investigation, the play, and real life come together in a twist that begs the question: Is there a happily-ever-after for anyone?
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
KILLALOT by Cindy Brown | A Henery Press Mystery. If you like one, you'll probably like them all.
- GenresMysteryCozyCozy Mystery
284 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 15, 2018
9 people are currently reading
51 people want to read
About the author
Cindy Brown
46 books168 followersCindy Brown has been a theater geek (musician, actor, director, producer, and playwright) since her first professional gig at age 14. Now a full-time writer, she’s lucky enough to have garnered several awards (including 3rd place in the 2013 international Words With Jam First Page Competition, judged by Sue Grafton!) and is an alumnus of the Squaw Valley Writers Workshop.
Though Cindy and her husband now live in Portland, Oregon, she made her home in Phoenix, Arizona, for more than 25 years and knows all the good places to hide dead bodies in both cities.
Though Cindy and her husband now live in Portland, Oregon, she made her home in Phoenix, Arizona, for more than 25 years and knows all the good places to hide dead bodies in both cities.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
November 17, 2018
Actress Ivy Meadows, aka Olive Ziegwart, private detective is the protaganist of this humorous cozy mystery series. She is enjoying a rare day off with her boyfriend Matt, her brother Cody, and Cody's girlfriend at the Renaissance Faire. They were lucky to get free tickets from an old actor acquaintance of Ivy's, Riley. They are excited to watch Riley's debut in the jousting event when a terrible accident seriously injures, Angus, the jouster that Riley is up against, or was it Riley? The jouster disappears with Riley's horse and armor into the dessert. Riley staggers into the arena, apparently hit on the head and suffering from a concussion. Olive finds herself hired by the Faire to work undercover to find out what really happened. At the same time, Ivy finds herself undercover at the home of a Broadway writer where Riley's horse was found. Will she be able to keep her undercover assignments straight? Will she find out what happened? Could this job land her a ticket to Broadway? Will she and Matt take the next step in their relationship?
There is a lot going on in this story, but I had no problem keeping everything straight. Along with the mystery, there is a lot going on in Ivy's personal life that keeps her awake at night. They mystery still took centre stage, but this was more of a character driven mystery than some of the previous books in this series. So much was happening that once I started this book, I had a hard time putting it down, I wanted to know what was going to happen next. We meet a wide variety of people, most of them a bit quirky. I was disappointed that we did not see as much of her uncle in this book. This series once again pulled in broadway plays and added a lot of tongue in cheek humour. The whole idea of Camelot becoming Kennelot was a hoot and the play was so badly imagined. Things do get serious in the last part of the book when the story pulls together and Ivy/Olive finds the culprit. I had an inkling of who it was, but wasn't positive until the reveal at the end. Fans of the series will be thrilled to see how Ivy grows in her personal life as well as her professional one. I am looking forward to the next book in this series. The publisher, Henery Press, generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.
There is a lot going on in this story, but I had no problem keeping everything straight. Along with the mystery, there is a lot going on in Ivy's personal life that keeps her awake at night. They mystery still took centre stage, but this was more of a character driven mystery than some of the previous books in this series. So much was happening that once I started this book, I had a hard time putting it down, I wanted to know what was going to happen next. We meet a wide variety of people, most of them a bit quirky. I was disappointed that we did not see as much of her uncle in this book. This series once again pulled in broadway plays and added a lot of tongue in cheek humour. The whole idea of Camelot becoming Kennelot was a hoot and the play was so badly imagined. Things do get serious in the last part of the book when the story pulls together and Ivy/Olive finds the culprit. I had an inkling of who it was, but wasn't positive until the reveal at the end. Fans of the series will be thrilled to see how Ivy grows in her personal life as well as her professional one. I am looking forward to the next book in this series. The publisher, Henery Press, generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.
November 16, 2018
Part-time PI and actress Ivy Meadows is enjoying a rare day off with her boyfriend, her brother, and her brother's girlfriend at the Renaissance faire thanks to free tickets from her friend, fellow actor Riley. They are going to watch Riley's debut in the jousting event when a terrible accident ends with one jouster seriously injured and the other riding Riley's horse off into the desert. Riley claims to have been knocked out, but was he? Ivy finds herself undercover at the home of a Broadway writer and at the faire. Will she be able to keep her undercover assignments straight? Will she find out what happened? Could this job land her a ticket to Broadway?
As you can tell, there is a lot happening in this book. Unfortunately, it overshadows the mystery at times. While things came to a satisfactory climax, I felt we could have gotten more development on the mystery earlier. However, I was never bored. So much was happening I was always reluctant to put the book down because I was having fun. Part of that fun came from the characters; as usual for the series, we meet a wide variety of very fun people. While the book has a comedic tone overall, things do get serious in the last quarter without getting dark. This allows for some wonderful character growth in Ivy. Fans of the series will be thrilled to see how she progresses here. I can't wait to see where this leads in the next book.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
As you can tell, there is a lot happening in this book. Unfortunately, it overshadows the mystery at times. While things came to a satisfactory climax, I felt we could have gotten more development on the mystery earlier. However, I was never bored. So much was happening I was always reluctant to put the book down because I was having fun. Part of that fun came from the characters; as usual for the series, we meet a wide variety of very fun people. While the book has a comedic tone overall, things do get serious in the last quarter without getting dark. This allows for some wonderful character growth in Ivy. Fans of the series will be thrilled to see how she progresses here. I can't wait to see where this leads in the next book.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
October 4, 2018
This cozy mystery series, revolving around Olive Ziegwart the private detective/Ivy Meadows, actrice, is very recognizable because of the titles, which all have to do with at least two different stories. This time, Killalot is meant to be a story about Camelot (Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot) and the Kennedys (JFK and Jackie) and Marilyn Monroe.
Guess who is going to play Marilyn?
Ivy is going for the biggest chance in her career when an elusive famous director asks her for the role.
Olive is going for a big case because she is witness to a murder at a fairground and the director wants her to find out who the murderer is, while a friend of her is in jail for it - innocent.
And of course, there is her relationship with Matt.
Although I had fun with earlier books in this series, this one was a bit disappointing. There is a lot going on, sometimes way too much. There is a lot driving to and fro to the fair and the farm where Ivy is supposed to be rehearsing for a musical called Kennelot. It may be because I'm not American but especially this part was way over the top for me and frankly incomprehensible.
Olive/Ivy keeps driving and running around and talking to lots of people in an attempt to entangle all that is going on at the fair. She is also trying to entangle the difficult state she constantly puts herself in regarding her relationship with Matt.
All in all, the book had some nice points and yes, there is actually a crime involved but the big mystery for me here is what happened to the funny and clever ideas from the earlier books.
Guess who is going to play Marilyn?
Ivy is going for the biggest chance in her career when an elusive famous director asks her for the role.
Olive is going for a big case because she is witness to a murder at a fairground and the director wants her to find out who the murderer is, while a friend of her is in jail for it - innocent.
And of course, there is her relationship with Matt.
Although I had fun with earlier books in this series, this one was a bit disappointing. There is a lot going on, sometimes way too much. There is a lot driving to and fro to the fair and the farm where Ivy is supposed to be rehearsing for a musical called Kennelot. It may be because I'm not American but especially this part was way over the top for me and frankly incomprehensible.
Olive/Ivy keeps driving and running around and talking to lots of people in an attempt to entangle all that is going on at the fair. She is also trying to entangle the difficult state she constantly puts herself in regarding her relationship with Matt.
All in all, the book had some nice points and yes, there is actually a crime involved but the big mystery for me here is what happened to the funny and clever ideas from the earlier books.
November 12, 2018
Review of Killalot by Cindy Brown
(An Ivy Meadows Mystery)
Ivy Meadows (her stage name) utilizes both her Private Investigator training and her acting talents as she goes undercover along with her Uncle Bob, owner of the Duda Detective Agency, to investigate a suspicious event at the Phoenix Renaissance Faire which left one jouster in critical condition and the other escaped with a missing trained jousting steed. Ivy is having enough troubles with missing out on an acting job due to a cold, and worrying why her boyfriend Matt seems to have developed cold feet. Now she has to discover if her acquaintance Riley was the actual rough-playing jouster, or if his story that he was knocked unconscious and someone else did the act is actually factual. And where in the desert is Riley's missing jousting horse Thunder?
Cindy Brown delivers an intriguing puzzle with a wide cast of characters, while introducing us to the venue of the traveling Renaissance Faire circuit, a fascinating event.
(An Ivy Meadows Mystery)
Ivy Meadows (her stage name) utilizes both her Private Investigator training and her acting talents as she goes undercover along with her Uncle Bob, owner of the Duda Detective Agency, to investigate a suspicious event at the Phoenix Renaissance Faire which left one jouster in critical condition and the other escaped with a missing trained jousting steed. Ivy is having enough troubles with missing out on an acting job due to a cold, and worrying why her boyfriend Matt seems to have developed cold feet. Now she has to discover if her acquaintance Riley was the actual rough-playing jouster, or if his story that he was knocked unconscious and someone else did the act is actually factual. And where in the desert is Riley's missing jousting horse Thunder?
Cindy Brown delivers an intriguing puzzle with a wide cast of characters, while introducing us to the venue of the traveling Renaissance Faire circuit, a fascinating event.
September 25, 2018
A cozy whose lead character has deep personal issues that undermine her confidence.
The Phoenix Renaissance Faire community has strong ties. Going undercover to investigate a jousting accident has Olive putting her Ivy persona into play as a mute belly dancer with the help of Uncle Bob. Impersonating Marilyn Monroe for three hours every morning in the hopes of a Broadway role in a developing play adds more on Olive's already stressed state of mind over her career vs. her boyfriend Matt.
I found there was too much going on to keep everything moving along smoothly.
All of the various plots come together and Olive/Ivy is able to forgive herself and move on with the support of those who love her.
I volunteered to read an ARC from Henery Press through Edelweiss.
Killalot release day is Nov 15, 2018.
The Phoenix Renaissance Faire community has strong ties. Going undercover to investigate a jousting accident has Olive putting her Ivy persona into play as a mute belly dancer with the help of Uncle Bob. Impersonating Marilyn Monroe for three hours every morning in the hopes of a Broadway role in a developing play adds more on Olive's already stressed state of mind over her career vs. her boyfriend Matt.
I found there was too much going on to keep everything moving along smoothly.
All of the various plots come together and Olive/Ivy is able to forgive herself and move on with the support of those who love her.
I volunteered to read an ARC from Henery Press through Edelweiss.
Killalot release day is Nov 15, 2018.
November 15, 2018
Ivy Meadows goes undercover at a Renaissance Fair as a sashaying, mute, belly dancer ...with a sign hanging on her bum. She plunges into her sleuthing to find out who had killed a Jouster. The Knight's horse that had been stolen- ended up at a famous Broadway Producer's Ranch. Strictly in the name of following a lead she puts herself up for an acting job as Marilyn Monroe. The characters at Renaissance include a bird training act, a fellow jouster who has been arrested and a Wizard who partakes of magic dust a little too often.
Cindy Brown writes from a strong background in the Theater. Her cast of characters are finely drawn and ring true to form. The hilarious Ivy, who is always late, drinks too much coffee and has a boyfriend she worries about- adds a great touch to these cozy mysteries. The action keeps the book a fast read because you never know what Ivy/Olive will get into next. The character is someone you would love to have as a friend though.
The Renaissance Fair plot provides a lot of magic, color and fabulous people. If you enjoy funny, fast- paced mysteries this is the one for you. I do and so I am giving it 5 stars.
Cindy Brown writes from a strong background in the Theater. Her cast of characters are finely drawn and ring true to form. The hilarious Ivy, who is always late, drinks too much coffee and has a boyfriend she worries about- adds a great touch to these cozy mysteries. The action keeps the book a fast read because you never know what Ivy/Olive will get into next. The character is someone you would love to have as a friend though.
The Renaissance Fair plot provides a lot of magic, color and fabulous people. If you enjoy funny, fast- paced mysteries this is the one for you. I do and so I am giving it 5 stars.
November 12, 2018
The charm of the Ivy Meadows mysteries live largely in lead character Ivy Meadows (aka Olive Ziegwart). She's clever and sassy and can think on her feet--when she hasn't been knocked on the head, that is! And her take on the day-to-day complexities of life as both an actor and a private investigator is endearing: a little bit bumbling, a little misguided, by always full of heart.
Another charming aspect of the series is the amusing mash-ups of musical theater. In this case, author Cindy Brown pairs Camelot with the Renaissance Faire and a world renowned playwright's desperate attempt to recapture former glory. The resulting fictional world is vibrant and amusing. If you've yet to read an Ivy Meadows mystery, you're missing out on an entertaining and very enjoyable series!
Another charming aspect of the series is the amusing mash-ups of musical theater. In this case, author Cindy Brown pairs Camelot with the Renaissance Faire and a world renowned playwright's desperate attempt to recapture former glory. The resulting fictional world is vibrant and amusing. If you've yet to read an Ivy Meadows mystery, you're missing out on an entertaining and very enjoyable series!
October 22, 2018
Ivy Meadows is attending a Renaissance faire with her boyfriend Matthew, brother Cody and Cody’s girlfriend Sarah, courtesy of free tickets from Ivy’s friend Riley, who’s a knight who will be jousting. When they go see the jousters, a match between Riley and Angus, the Black Knight, Riley can’t be found. Yet when a jouster rides in from a different direction, it’s assumed it’s Riley. And when Angus is hit with the lance and falls off his horse, again, they think it’s Riley. But the knight rides out of the arena as quickly as he arrived, and it’s obvious that Angus has been direly hurt. Then Riley appears holding his head, saying as how he was hit from behind and someone stole his horse and armor.
When the dust settles, it’s determined that someone stole Riley’s horse and helmet and purposely attacked Angus. Yet when the man later dies from his injuries, Riley is suspected of being involved. The people at the Faire want an investigation, and they hire Ivy to look into the matter for them.
While hunting for the person responsible, she's curious why Riley's horse ended up at a nearby ranch, which is owned by a playwright. It is by chance that she discovers the playwright is looking for a Marilyn Monroe impersonator for a spoof of Camelot called Kennelot, and with the help of her friend Timothy, she fits the bill and is hired on the spot. But the other two people on the "set", JFK and Jackie, seem suspicious and she isn't ready to rule them out as yet.
Then, as if things couldn't get any worse, her boyfriend Matt tells her he wants to discuss something, but before he can he receives a call from home saying his mother had a stroke and he needs to leave immediately, so whatever it is has to wait; leaving Ivy to deal with her insecurities wondering what it is. With enough on her plate and too much on her mind, is Ivy going to be able to track a killer? Or will someone be able to get away with murder?...
This is the sixth book in the series and a very good entry indeed. Ivy is a terrific character, albeit a neurotic one. She's human, and has her own demons to face: she carries forever a guilt that she caused her brother's disability (which is true enough) but has never been forgiven by her parents for doing so, leaving her PI uncle as a pseudo-parent instead; and it carries over into other parts of her personal life.
But she needs to concentrate on finding out who really killed Angus, yet she's not being helped by anyone she talks to in finding out the truth. It is only matters of chance that even allow her to get close to discovering what she needs to know.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit and felt the mystery was done very well, and even though I was pretty sure who the killer was early on (I read a lot of these), it was still fun to watch Ivy sift through the clues to get to the truth.
We also watch Ivy as she wonders whether she can have a career and a love life, or will she have to give one up? She needs to face her own demons and given her past, that's not an easy thing for her to do. It's also a lot of fun to watch her try and stay in character as "Marilyn" and still figure out if anyone at the ranch had anything to do with the murder.
The story moved along quite nicely, the words flowing at a good pace. The characters are fully dimensional and believable, and you can feel Ivy's angst as she tries to figure things out for herself - in all areas. When the ending comes and the killer is revealed, it's rather sad and makes you realize that no matter the circumstances, we are all accountable for our actions. I look forward to the next in the series. Highly recommended.
When the dust settles, it’s determined that someone stole Riley’s horse and helmet and purposely attacked Angus. Yet when the man later dies from his injuries, Riley is suspected of being involved. The people at the Faire want an investigation, and they hire Ivy to look into the matter for them.
While hunting for the person responsible, she's curious why Riley's horse ended up at a nearby ranch, which is owned by a playwright. It is by chance that she discovers the playwright is looking for a Marilyn Monroe impersonator for a spoof of Camelot called Kennelot, and with the help of her friend Timothy, she fits the bill and is hired on the spot. But the other two people on the "set", JFK and Jackie, seem suspicious and she isn't ready to rule them out as yet.
Then, as if things couldn't get any worse, her boyfriend Matt tells her he wants to discuss something, but before he can he receives a call from home saying his mother had a stroke and he needs to leave immediately, so whatever it is has to wait; leaving Ivy to deal with her insecurities wondering what it is. With enough on her plate and too much on her mind, is Ivy going to be able to track a killer? Or will someone be able to get away with murder?...
This is the sixth book in the series and a very good entry indeed. Ivy is a terrific character, albeit a neurotic one. She's human, and has her own demons to face: she carries forever a guilt that she caused her brother's disability (which is true enough) but has never been forgiven by her parents for doing so, leaving her PI uncle as a pseudo-parent instead; and it carries over into other parts of her personal life.
But she needs to concentrate on finding out who really killed Angus, yet she's not being helped by anyone she talks to in finding out the truth. It is only matters of chance that even allow her to get close to discovering what she needs to know.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit and felt the mystery was done very well, and even though I was pretty sure who the killer was early on (I read a lot of these), it was still fun to watch Ivy sift through the clues to get to the truth.
We also watch Ivy as she wonders whether she can have a career and a love life, or will she have to give one up? She needs to face her own demons and given her past, that's not an easy thing for her to do. It's also a lot of fun to watch her try and stay in character as "Marilyn" and still figure out if anyone at the ranch had anything to do with the murder.
The story moved along quite nicely, the words flowing at a good pace. The characters are fully dimensional and believable, and you can feel Ivy's angst as she tries to figure things out for herself - in all areas. When the ending comes and the killer is revealed, it's rather sad and makes you realize that no matter the circumstances, we are all accountable for our actions. I look forward to the next in the series. Highly recommended.
December 14, 2019
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 3.0 of 5
Ivy Meadows (the stage name for Olive Ziegwart) is an actress and part-time private investigator working for her uncle Bob Duda of Duda Detectives. Things are looking up for Ivy ... a famous playwright is in Arizona and he's planning something that could be even bigger than his hit musical, Hello Dolly Madison - a musical version of Camelot with the Kennedy's and Marilyn Monroe as the leading characters. And Ivy manages to snag the coveted role of Marilyn Monroe. This could easily be the job that gets her to Hollywood!
But first Ivy needs to help her uncle with a new assignment. At a Renaissance Faire! A jouster was killed in front of a large crowd, but the murderer, wearing a full suit of armor, couldn't be identified, and escape on horseback. Ivy must go undercover at the faire, as a British/Cockney belly dancer to see if she can learn who might have had it in for dead jouster. Unfortunately, her top suspects are her best friend Riley, and the man who could propel her career in Hollywood, the playwright behind the Kennedy Camelot.
I really do enjoy the Ivy Meadows Mystery series. The theatre mash-ups are ridiculously fun and Ivy/Olive comes across as tremendously 'real.' Her sense of eagerness, both for her acting career and for her detective work, strike me as appropriate for a young woman finding her own way and striking out on her own.
This particular volume in the series was not quite as endearing to me, but mostly because of the location. This takes place mostly on site at a Renaissance Faire. Despite my own interest in theatre, fencing, and a one-time member of the Society for Creative Anachronism, I don't enjoy Renaissance Faires! I have some specific reasons for this, which I won't go into, but my non-enjoyment of RenFaires definitely killed my interest in this story. And while I chuckled periodically over the Kennedy-themed Camelot and Ivy's portrayal of Marilyn Monroe (which didn't strike me as believable as her roles in previous books), this was really quite secondary to the plot and not really a mash-up as we've had before. In fact this idea was quite on-track - the theme wasn't as outrageous as the implementation of the project.
I recommend this series, but for new readers to the Ivy Meadows Mysteries, I wouldn't recommend starting with this book.
Looking for a good book? Killalot is the 6th book in the Ivy Meadows Mystery Series by Cindy Brown and budding actress/part-time detective Ivy Meadows steps out of the theatre and into the sun to go undercover at a Renaissance Faire.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.
Ivy Meadows (the stage name for Olive Ziegwart) is an actress and part-time private investigator working for her uncle Bob Duda of Duda Detectives. Things are looking up for Ivy ... a famous playwright is in Arizona and he's planning something that could be even bigger than his hit musical, Hello Dolly Madison - a musical version of Camelot with the Kennedy's and Marilyn Monroe as the leading characters. And Ivy manages to snag the coveted role of Marilyn Monroe. This could easily be the job that gets her to Hollywood!
But first Ivy needs to help her uncle with a new assignment. At a Renaissance Faire! A jouster was killed in front of a large crowd, but the murderer, wearing a full suit of armor, couldn't be identified, and escape on horseback. Ivy must go undercover at the faire, as a British/Cockney belly dancer to see if she can learn who might have had it in for dead jouster. Unfortunately, her top suspects are her best friend Riley, and the man who could propel her career in Hollywood, the playwright behind the Kennedy Camelot.
I really do enjoy the Ivy Meadows Mystery series. The theatre mash-ups are ridiculously fun and Ivy/Olive comes across as tremendously 'real.' Her sense of eagerness, both for her acting career and for her detective work, strike me as appropriate for a young woman finding her own way and striking out on her own.
This particular volume in the series was not quite as endearing to me, but mostly because of the location. This takes place mostly on site at a Renaissance Faire. Despite my own interest in theatre, fencing, and a one-time member of the Society for Creative Anachronism, I don't enjoy Renaissance Faires! I have some specific reasons for this, which I won't go into, but my non-enjoyment of RenFaires definitely killed my interest in this story. And while I chuckled periodically over the Kennedy-themed Camelot and Ivy's portrayal of Marilyn Monroe (which didn't strike me as believable as her roles in previous books), this was really quite secondary to the plot and not really a mash-up as we've had before. In fact this idea was quite on-track - the theme wasn't as outrageous as the implementation of the project.
I recommend this series, but for new readers to the Ivy Meadows Mysteries, I wouldn't recommend starting with this book.
Looking for a good book? Killalot is the 6th book in the Ivy Meadows Mystery Series by Cindy Brown and budding actress/part-time detective Ivy Meadows steps out of the theatre and into the sun to go undercover at a Renaissance Faire.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.
November 30, 2018
One of the things I like best about the Ivy Meadows Mystery Series is the breadth of concept, the latitude, that the author Cindy Brown has given herself and her main character, Olive Ziegwart, known by the stage name of Ivy Meadows. Ivy is an aspiring actress and to put bread on the table while working whatever roles she can nab, Ivy works part time for her Uncle Bob, who owns his own P.I. agency. Uncle Bob has always been nicer to her than her own parents, and he is training her in detective work. Because of her dual employment, Ivy legitimately encounters lots of interesting cases, and the books can have a variety of settings and characters.
In Killalot, the title being a takeoff on Camelot, Ivy is hired to investigate a murder which she and the rest of the audience at a jousting contest actually witness at a Renaissance Faire. You would think it would be easy to solve a crime you observe, but that is not the case.
I learned quite a bit about Renaissance fairs and birds of prey which were popular in medieval times such as falcons. There is quite an intermix of interesting characters between the Faire and Ivy’s work for a playwright who is trying to create an innovative musical production based on both the Kennedy’s and Camelot. Ivy gets to stretch her acting talents as a belly dancer and as “Marilyn Monroe.”
Danger lurks in the darkness and secrets abound in both worlds. Meanwhile, Ivy has to reach deep inside herself to conquer an old phobia and discover what is more important in her personal arena—her career or her relationship with Matt. Both her mentally disabled brother, Cody, and her Uncle Bob have some words of wisdom for her as she struggles in body, mind, and soul for resolution and peace in this cozy mystery. A good series; a good book!
I would like to extend my thanks to Edelweiss and to Henery Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
In Killalot, the title being a takeoff on Camelot, Ivy is hired to investigate a murder which she and the rest of the audience at a jousting contest actually witness at a Renaissance Faire. You would think it would be easy to solve a crime you observe, but that is not the case.
I learned quite a bit about Renaissance fairs and birds of prey which were popular in medieval times such as falcons. There is quite an intermix of interesting characters between the Faire and Ivy’s work for a playwright who is trying to create an innovative musical production based on both the Kennedy’s and Camelot. Ivy gets to stretch her acting talents as a belly dancer and as “Marilyn Monroe.”
Danger lurks in the darkness and secrets abound in both worlds. Meanwhile, Ivy has to reach deep inside herself to conquer an old phobia and discover what is more important in her personal arena—her career or her relationship with Matt. Both her mentally disabled brother, Cody, and her Uncle Bob have some words of wisdom for her as she struggles in body, mind, and soul for resolution and peace in this cozy mystery. A good series; a good book!
I would like to extend my thanks to Edelweiss and to Henery Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 21, 2018
Killalot is the sixth entry in Cindy Brown’s wonderful Ivy Meadows mystery series. Ivy is a hard-working but underemployed actress in Phoenix, where she also works for her Uncle Bob as an apprentice private investigator. This time around she’s investigating a death at the local Renaissance Faire (jousting accident or murder?) and auditioning for the role of Marilyn Monroe in a potential Kennedy era version of Camelot, called Kennelot by its playwright, John Robert Turner, formerly of the very successful Broadway team of Turner and Toe (think about that one).
The RenFaire setting is great fun, as Ivy goes undercover as a belly-dancing mime (or is that a mute belly dancer?), meets a very smart but somewhat addled wizard, and learns about the jousting circuit. Meanwhile, the three-person cast of the potential Broadway play (staying with which would bring Ivy another set of problems involving her loyal boyfriend Matt and her special needs brother Cody) is also full of surprises. There’s something odd about Jackie, and just how is JFK connected to the falcon handler at the RenFaire? And how did the missing jousting horse end up in the playwright’s pool in the middle of the Arizona desert?
I love this series, which scatters some serious issues among the delightfully wacky settings and stream of hilarious song, movie and play titles. Cindy Brown is one of several cozy authors I follow who write for Henery Press (others include Julie Mulhern and Susan Boyer).
The RenFaire setting is great fun, as Ivy goes undercover as a belly-dancing mime (or is that a mute belly dancer?), meets a very smart but somewhat addled wizard, and learns about the jousting circuit. Meanwhile, the three-person cast of the potential Broadway play (staying with which would bring Ivy another set of problems involving her loyal boyfriend Matt and her special needs brother Cody) is also full of surprises. There’s something odd about Jackie, and just how is JFK connected to the falcon handler at the RenFaire? And how did the missing jousting horse end up in the playwright’s pool in the middle of the Arizona desert?
I love this series, which scatters some serious issues among the delightfully wacky settings and stream of hilarious song, movie and play titles. Cindy Brown is one of several cozy authors I follow who write for Henery Press (others include Julie Mulhern and Susan Boyer).
November 21, 2018
This new to me author has written a complex tale that will keep you, the reader, on your toes. Actress and PI Ivy Meadows has her work cut out for her trying to discover who killed Renaissance Faire jouster Angus Duff. This is no easy task as he was known as a bully and there are many faire workers who did not like him. Ivy gets to use her acting talent by going undercover as a mime/belly dancer and as an actress playing the role of Marilyn Monroe in a show being developed by a well-known playwright.
In addition, Ivy needs to decide the direction of her relationship with boyfriend. Can she commit to a serious relationship knowing that an acting career could mean long times away from home? There is also the issue of her family. She feels responsible for her brother’s ice-skating accident and has a less than picture perfect relationship with her parents.
Cindy Brown does a wonderful job bringing her characters to life. If you have ever been to a Ren Faire, then you will feel the authenticity of the faire atmosphere. Like the author, I also have a background in theater enjoyed how Ivy used her acting skills to investigate the murder. I did feel a bit overwhelmed at the beginning when I was first trying to sort out the “who’s who,” but that disappeared as I got more involved in the story.
I received my copy of this book by entering a Facebook group contest (random draw). I’m thrilled to have won as Ms. Brown is now on my radar as an author I want to continue to read.
In addition, Ivy needs to decide the direction of her relationship with boyfriend. Can she commit to a serious relationship knowing that an acting career could mean long times away from home? There is also the issue of her family. She feels responsible for her brother’s ice-skating accident and has a less than picture perfect relationship with her parents.
Cindy Brown does a wonderful job bringing her characters to life. If you have ever been to a Ren Faire, then you will feel the authenticity of the faire atmosphere. Like the author, I also have a background in theater enjoyed how Ivy used her acting skills to investigate the murder. I did feel a bit overwhelmed at the beginning when I was first trying to sort out the “who’s who,” but that disappeared as I got more involved in the story.
I received my copy of this book by entering a Facebook group contest (random draw). I’m thrilled to have won as Ms. Brown is now on my radar as an author I want to continue to read.
August 26, 2019
Killalot is the sixth book in the Ivy Meadows mystery series and I have to say that I enjoyed this book just as much as I have enjoyed the previous books in the series. Ivy is a great main character and it has been enjoyable to watch her grow as a person, as an actress, and as a private investigator. Killalot centers around a Renaissance faire with Ivy going undercover as a belly dancing mime to attempt to discover who was behind the jousting "accident" that killed a faire jouster. This proves difficult because the person that died was not well liked and the other members of the Renaissance faire quickly close ranks to prevent anyone from being punished for the murder.
Ivy also gets a job performing as Marilyn Monroe in a new play tentatively titled "Kennelot." This is a play based on "Camelot" with JFK, Jackie Kennedy, and Marilyn Monroe playing the central love triangle instead of King Arthur, Lancelot, and Guinevere. The other actors and the creator of the play are all connected to the Renaissance faire as well so Ivy has to determine if any of them are somehow responsible for the "accident." I thought the mystery was well done although I did have an idea of who was responsible before Ivy figured it out. I still enjoyed the process of her working through the suspects and narrowing in on the killer. I also loved how the book ended. It was great to see how much Ivy has grown and I think she made the right choice at the end of the book. I look forward to reading future books in this series and hope that the series continues for a long time.
Ivy also gets a job performing as Marilyn Monroe in a new play tentatively titled "Kennelot." This is a play based on "Camelot" with JFK, Jackie Kennedy, and Marilyn Monroe playing the central love triangle instead of King Arthur, Lancelot, and Guinevere. The other actors and the creator of the play are all connected to the Renaissance faire as well so Ivy has to determine if any of them are somehow responsible for the "accident." I thought the mystery was well done although I did have an idea of who was responsible before Ivy figured it out. I still enjoyed the process of her working through the suspects and narrowing in on the killer. I also loved how the book ended. It was great to see how much Ivy has grown and I think she made the right choice at the end of the book. I look forward to reading future books in this series and hope that the series continues for a long time.
January 1, 2019
This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series. It is funny and has great plot lines which parody well known places, plays or movies. In this book, the parody is of Camelot. I won’t give away the parody line as it is a surprise.
Ivy Meadows is an actress who, under her real name Olive Zweigart, is a private detective in training (under her uncle who admits he is the best PI in the state of Arizona.)
Ivy shimmies and jingles her way through a Renaissance fair as a mute belly dancer. Why mute? Because her “Cockney” accent grates on everyones nerves. She is there to investigate a murder on behalf of the fair.
While she is investigating and finding clues, she takes a in-depth search of her own issues. While previous books have touched on these, in this book, she dives in deep. Her fears surface in a variety of ways and can make or break her relationships. Ivy has to face these fears to be able to move forward and not stay stagnant as she has for well more than a decade.
I enjoyed this book as I have all the books in this series. After this book, I feel as if I understand and know Ivy much better than before. I recommend reading the series as so much is built upon what has happened in the past.
I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Edelweiss.
Ivy Meadows is an actress who, under her real name Olive Zweigart, is a private detective in training (under her uncle who admits he is the best PI in the state of Arizona.)
Ivy shimmies and jingles her way through a Renaissance fair as a mute belly dancer. Why mute? Because her “Cockney” accent grates on everyones nerves. She is there to investigate a murder on behalf of the fair.
While she is investigating and finding clues, she takes a in-depth search of her own issues. While previous books have touched on these, in this book, she dives in deep. Her fears surface in a variety of ways and can make or break her relationships. Ivy has to face these fears to be able to move forward and not stay stagnant as she has for well more than a decade.
I enjoyed this book as I have all the books in this series. After this book, I feel as if I understand and know Ivy much better than before. I recommend reading the series as so much is built upon what has happened in the past.
I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Edelweiss.
November 15, 2018
Cindy Brown adds depth to this series as we follow Ivy and Uncle Bob and friends through a fun-filled Renaissance Faire and wild theatrical rehearsal. This story is overflowing with the sights and sounds of a deftly created world of theatre and performance art. Each new story brings character revelation and raised stakes for Ivy. Struggles between love and career, overcoming guilt, and resolving self-doubt. You’ll be rewarded with the Cody storyline. Be sure to listen in on the conversation between Ivy and Cody and how he knows he is in love. So very sweet. And you will find a new layer to Uncle Bob that brings possibilities for a bigger role in the next installment. This is a fun and wild ride with a main character that oozes personality and sass. I think it delivers just what the author intended. An escape from a hard day and a humorous vacation into a world of fun, fact-paced, theatrically enhanced detecting. A definitely recommended weekend getaway.
November 18, 2018
The amazing Cindy Brown is a magician in print, creating a novel that should be silly and turning into a hilarious but sensitive tale of humanity and murder. Ivy isn't just the main character, she is the hero for what she brings to the people she encounters. In order to find the killer of a bully whose passing no one regrets, Ivy juggle three roles: mime/belly dancer, Marilyn Monroe, and Ivy the PI.The characters she portrays provide plenty of opportunities for laughter, mostly at her expense, but Ivy plays the roles straight and takes us into the actors eye-view of moving into the life of another. Her relationship with Matt takes a turn that distracts her from the investigations and had me holding my breath!
November 25, 2018
Ivy Meadows is in the audience for a Renaissance Faire with her boyfriend, her brother, and her brother's girlfriend. She's delighted to learn that her friend Riley is also there; he's participating in the jousting tournament against the man who used to be his mentor. But the time comes for the bout, Riley is not the opponent who walks onto the field and his mentor is the one who ends up dead.
An okay addition to the series but didn't capture me as much as earlier books. Still looking forward to the next one in the series.
An okay addition to the series but didn't capture me as much as earlier books. Still looking forward to the next one in the series.
February 8, 2019
I so enjoy this series. I like the colorful characters that Brown is able to create book after book. I felt that the development of Ivy/Olive and her relationships is right on with this installment, resolving my frustration about the last book. A great blend of humor and mystery book after book. When I want a book that I know I’ll enjoy and with an ending I never can seem to figure out, I turn to this series.
October 25, 2022
It took longer for me to settle into the story on this Olive/Ivy outing, but the end it was very satisfying.
This book is set at a Renaissance Faire, where Ivy is undercover as a mute belly dancer due to her disastrous English accent. She pursues the case of a knight intentionally knocked off his horse during a jousting display
This book is set at a Renaissance Faire, where Ivy is undercover as a mute belly dancer due to her disastrous English accent. She pursues the case of a knight intentionally knocked off his horse during a jousting display
December 4, 2018
Another excellent book in the Ivy meadows series
I have read all the books so far in the series. The author is very good at telling a story and using all the characters to do so. She describes the Renaissance fair in phoenix very well. I look forward to reading the next book.
I have read all the books so far in the series. The author is very good at telling a story and using all the characters to do so. She describes the Renaissance fair in phoenix very well. I look forward to reading the next book.
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