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Maggie's Murder Mysteries #1
Prelude to Poison
From the author of The Exciting Life of a Minor Character comes a cozy mystery series with an unusual main character and plenty of quirky shenanigans!
Maggie happily spends time with fictional people, whether it is in her book store or behind her laptop. She’s about to take a leaf out of one of her own detective books, however, when she finds a dead body. Even if the hotel she finds him in is known for being cursed, it soon becomes clear he was poisoned.
The cobbled streets of Castlefield are not safe, and not just because there is an evil chicken that attacks people or because Maggie's aunt Nancy yields household objects like weapons. People are scared, and they turn to Maggie for help.
Writing about mysteries is easier than solving one, Maggie finds out, especially when ghost hunters believe a ghost is haunting the hotel.
With people ready to blame a ghost and few clues about a human killer, it’s up to Maggie to team up with her fictional detective, as well as a very real one, and use every trick in the book to catch this clever killer.
Maggie happily spends time with fictional people, whether it is in her book store or behind her laptop. She’s about to take a leaf out of one of her own detective books, however, when she finds a dead body. Even if the hotel she finds him in is known for being cursed, it soon becomes clear he was poisoned.
The cobbled streets of Castlefield are not safe, and not just because there is an evil chicken that attacks people or because Maggie's aunt Nancy yields household objects like weapons. People are scared, and they turn to Maggie for help.
Writing about mysteries is easier than solving one, Maggie finds out, especially when ghost hunters believe a ghost is haunting the hotel.
With people ready to blame a ghost and few clues about a human killer, it’s up to Maggie to team up with her fictional detective, as well as a very real one, and use every trick in the book to catch this clever killer.
296 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 1, 2020
39 people are currently reading
1189 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 7, 2020
Great start for a new series.
October 15, 2021
Books, Bloodthirsty Chickens, & Sleuthing!
I adored every single page of this book. I will be honest, I tend to avoid cozy mysteries. I'm glad I didn't skip out on this one. Maggie is my new favorite character. This book had me laughing, heart racing. I am glad I won this book in autumn, I needed this cozy mystery with hints of crushes and sparks.
I did not see any of the twists coming, which is a must in my book, no pun intended. The raw emotions of these characters had me agonizing over the eventualities that played out like a movie in my head. To be fair, I wouldn't be against watching a live action version of this silly small-town bookstore owner hunting down a murderer, with the teasing of love spattered throughout.
I am definitely looking forward to the next book. 10/10 stars!
I adored every single page of this book. I will be honest, I tend to avoid cozy mysteries. I'm glad I didn't skip out on this one. Maggie is my new favorite character. This book had me laughing, heart racing. I am glad I won this book in autumn, I needed this cozy mystery with hints of crushes and sparks.
I did not see any of the twists coming, which is a must in my book, no pun intended. The raw emotions of these characters had me agonizing over the eventualities that played out like a movie in my head. To be fair, I wouldn't be against watching a live action version of this silly small-town bookstore owner hunting down a murderer, with the teasing of love spattered throughout.
I am definitely looking forward to the next book. 10/10 stars!
May 22, 2020
Such a fun story! And by fun I mean it's a proper cosy mystery, not that the murders are. I liked that the book kept me intrigued and there was enough suspense for me. Also: I adore Pandora. Well, I'd probably run in the other direction if I saw her, but she's a character for sure.
Very quirky, but in my opinion not overly so. I laughed multiple times, but never felt like the author was trying too hard - which can be a concern. Definitely a recommendation!
Very quirky, but in my opinion not overly so. I laughed multiple times, but never felt like the author was trying too hard - which can be a concern. Definitely a recommendation!
October 25, 2021
3.5 stars but rounded up - There were a couple of things that bothered me but, overall, I liked the story and the quirky characters. Who would have thought to use a tea kettle as a weapon. I may have to read the next one in the series just to find out what happens with the new addition to Maggie's family and the evil chicken.
January 1, 2020
I thought this book was charming. A fun, light mystery read. I loved the main character. Looking forward to more books in the series.
October 5, 2020
I wanted to take a break from mystery/thriller to read something more lighthearted. This is the first cozy mystery book I tried.
Let’s just say it’s not my cup of tea. The plot is boring and the “mystery” is predictable. The supposed witty one liners aren’t really funny or witty. The romance is nauseating. Common sense is non-existent.
It did help me fall asleep every night though with an average reading session of 8 minutes (lol) so thank you for that!
Let’s just say it’s not my cup of tea. The plot is boring and the “mystery” is predictable. The supposed witty one liners aren’t really funny or witty. The romance is nauseating. Common sense is non-existent.
It did help me fall asleep every night though with an average reading session of 8 minutes (lol) so thank you for that!
June 9, 2022
ASPECT RATINGS
Writing: ***
Characters: **
Story: *
Plot: ***
Pacing: **
OVERALL RATING
2.2 Stars
TL;DR
Prelude to Poison is a light, light mystery. If you need a novel of no consequence after a heavy/dark reading stint, this novel is so light that you’ll scarcely remember you’ve read it.
FULL REVIEW
The writing was serviceable; it didn’t get in the way, nor call attention to itself too much. Sometimes it even seemed a little… high-schooly. However, it’s not so bad that it made me want to stop reading. The lack of story did that.
This novel is intended to be light, but there’s light, then there’s light light. Note that I rate story separate from plot. Plot is the sequence and flow of events in a novel. However, story is about character growth, negative or positive; i.e., story is about change. Well, Maggie is the same from first page to last. She had no lesson to learn. No personal problem to overcome. No internal conflict. Everyone loved and respected her. She was successful in her writing career while also owning a small bookstore in a small, small town, so successful that she needed at least 3 employees to handle the volume. If I didn’t know better (and I don’t), I’d have thought Maggie was a self-insert.
Yes, it’s a light novel, but “light” shouldn’t mean completely weightless. For example, everyone in town believed that Maggie could solve the murders because… mystery writer? That’s not light; that just borders on laziness. Truth be told, *no one* should’ve believed that she could solve a real murder, telling her to stick to writing novels. It didn’t have to be mean-spirited, just light-hearted ribbing. Surely that approach has been taken before, but there’s nothing new presented in this novel, anyway. At the very least, the lightness would’ve felt like it had consequence, however minor, as she continued to run into difficulties while trying to solve the case, even doubting herself until she ultimately solved it. And everyone finally knows now that, yes, Maggie can, indeed, solve a real murder(s). Growth all around (i.e. story).
My other gripe is that I kind of resented the insinuation that she was more competent at solving crime than the police. Police have rules against… I don’t know… uh… BREAKING LAWS???
My positives are that Pandora was mildly amusing. And I felt that Nancy, the most interesting character, wasn’t used well, at all. In fact, Nancy should’ve been the MC, not Maggie. She’d have made it a far more entertaining read since the writer would’ve been forced to flesh out her quirks. Call it a missed opportunity.
SUMMARY
Anyway, if you need a light, light novel after a binge of heavy/dark, Prelude to Poison is just the ticket. Otherwise, you might want to set your lust for pleasantly light murder and mayhem elsewhere.
Writing: ***
Characters: **
Story: *
Plot: ***
Pacing: **
OVERALL RATING
2.2 Stars
TL;DR
Prelude to Poison is a light, light mystery. If you need a novel of no consequence after a heavy/dark reading stint, this novel is so light that you’ll scarcely remember you’ve read it.
FULL REVIEW
The writing was serviceable; it didn’t get in the way, nor call attention to itself too much. Sometimes it even seemed a little… high-schooly. However, it’s not so bad that it made me want to stop reading. The lack of story did that.
This novel is intended to be light, but there’s light, then there’s light light. Note that I rate story separate from plot. Plot is the sequence and flow of events in a novel. However, story is about character growth, negative or positive; i.e., story is about change. Well, Maggie is the same from first page to last. She had no lesson to learn. No personal problem to overcome. No internal conflict. Everyone loved and respected her. She was successful in her writing career while also owning a small bookstore in a small, small town, so successful that she needed at least 3 employees to handle the volume. If I didn’t know better (and I don’t), I’d have thought Maggie was a self-insert.
Yes, it’s a light novel, but “light” shouldn’t mean completely weightless. For example, everyone in town believed that Maggie could solve the murders because… mystery writer? That’s not light; that just borders on laziness. Truth be told, *no one* should’ve believed that she could solve a real murder, telling her to stick to writing novels. It didn’t have to be mean-spirited, just light-hearted ribbing. Surely that approach has been taken before, but there’s nothing new presented in this novel, anyway. At the very least, the lightness would’ve felt like it had consequence, however minor, as she continued to run into difficulties while trying to solve the case, even doubting herself until she ultimately solved it. And everyone finally knows now that, yes, Maggie can, indeed, solve a real murder(s). Growth all around (i.e. story).
My other gripe is that I kind of resented the insinuation that she was more competent at solving crime than the police. Police have rules against… I don’t know… uh… BREAKING LAWS???
My positives are that Pandora was mildly amusing. And I felt that Nancy, the most interesting character, wasn’t used well, at all. In fact, Nancy should’ve been the MC, not Maggie. She’d have made it a far more entertaining read since the writer would’ve been forced to flesh out her quirks. Call it a missed opportunity.
SUMMARY
Anyway, if you need a light, light novel after a binge of heavy/dark, Prelude to Poison is just the ticket. Otherwise, you might want to set your lust for pleasantly light murder and mayhem elsewhere.
July 28, 2022
I won this book in a giveaway, and while I am quite thankful for that, I won't let it influence my opinion.
The book is a cozy mystery, and I love cozy mysteries. I found most of the characters to be endearing, and I enjoyed the actual mystery. I did not suspect the correct person (which is usually the case, but I enjoy that).
My only complaint, really, is that the main character has an imaginary detective friend (from the novels that she writes) with whom she often speaks. The imaginary detective gives his opinion, at times, and comments on different situations. I cannot entirely explain why, but I actually found this annoying. It was difficult for me to keep in mind that this wasn't an actual character (or a ghost), and I think that I would have preferred the book without the imaginary detective.
All in all, this was a very enjoyable little cozy mystery!
The book is a cozy mystery, and I love cozy mysteries. I found most of the characters to be endearing, and I enjoyed the actual mystery. I did not suspect the correct person (which is usually the case, but I enjoy that).
My only complaint, really, is that the main character has an imaginary detective friend (from the novels that she writes) with whom she often speaks. The imaginary detective gives his opinion, at times, and comments on different situations. I cannot entirely explain why, but I actually found this annoying. It was difficult for me to keep in mind that this wasn't an actual character (or a ghost), and I think that I would have preferred the book without the imaginary detective.
All in all, this was a very enjoyable little cozy mystery!
May 26, 2020
4.5. I laughed so often reading this book. The psycho chicken, Pandora, chasing everyone all the time. The book club ladies were hilarious. Maggie is the perfect sleuth, scared but determined. And her imaginary sidekick which happens to be her detective in the book series she writes is so clever. This book was right up there with The Coffeehouse Mysteries by Cleo Coyle. And the underlying romance. I will be reading the second one and hope the author writes a third.
November 10, 2021
I loved this book so much - laughed all though it. Maggie, our heroine is smart
And brave, however she did annoy me at times. She really goes in without
Thinking things through. The women in the Village were great. Maggie’s
Aunt is a hoot!! There most definitely is a possible romance, and pandora
The chicken just makes me laugh!! The killer was not easy to guess. I didn’t
See it coming. I loved it and will be reading the next one in the series.
And brave, however she did annoy me at times. She really goes in without
Thinking things through. The women in the Village were great. Maggie’s
Aunt is a hoot!! There most definitely is a possible romance, and pandora
The chicken just makes me laugh!! The killer was not easy to guess. I didn’t
See it coming. I loved it and will be reading the next one in the series.
July 28, 2022
I received a free e-copy of One Prelude to Poison by Morgan W. Silver from Goodreads for my honest review.
I have to start off by saying I love cozy mysteries. This was definitely one of the better ones I read this year. The characters were well thought out, I loved Maggie! The mystery was good and I felt like it kept me guessing. It also didn't try to over complicate the ending. I also found myself laughing out loud at some parts. Definitely recommend for cozy mystery fans!
I have to start off by saying I love cozy mysteries. This was definitely one of the better ones I read this year. The characters were well thought out, I loved Maggie! The mystery was good and I felt like it kept me guessing. It also didn't try to over complicate the ending. I also found myself laughing out loud at some parts. Definitely recommend for cozy mystery fans!
October 12, 2021
I received the Prelude to Poison by Morgan W. Silver through a Goodreads Giveaway. What a fun cozy mystery. I liked the main character a lot. Actually, I liked all the crazy women who live in Castlefield. I can wait to read the next book in this series.
October 28, 2021
This was a fun little book. I enjoyed all of the different characters and was always interested in finding out “what would happen next. “ I am interested to see what the main character will be doing in the next book in the series. I won’t this book in exchange for a review.
November 2, 2021
I won this Kindle ebook from Goodread Giveaways.
This was an overall okay read. The plot was predictable and my attention wandered many times. The characters were quirky, which was the bright part of this new series.
This was an overall okay read. The plot was predictable and my attention wandered many times. The characters were quirky, which was the bright part of this new series.
February 15, 2020
Not sure I liked it. It was kind of strange.
October 26, 2021
Fantastic
This book was so cute. I loved the characters. The story was fast paced with a lot of action. I loved Pandora.
This book was so cute. I loved the characters. The story was fast paced with a lot of action. I loved Pandora.
November 7, 2021
This is a great cozy mystery! It is a perfect beach read with a twisty plot and well developed, fun characters!
February 24, 2023
Maggie may be a good mystery writer but real crime solving is harder than she thought.
March 30, 2023
3.5 ⭐️
February 8, 2024
I’m so glad I read this. It was such a fun cozy mystery! The characters were so full of spunk.
October 28, 2021
highly enjoyable
I saw this series recommended on a social media site. After reading a snippet it caught my attention and I purchased the 3 kindle books. You will not be disappointed. This is the first in the series and was a nice introduction to the characters and setting. Immediately I wanted to be friends with this group. Quirky and fun, plus an evil chicken! Love Detective Black who is always there to lend an ear.
Looking forward to to more of Maggie’s adventures.
I saw this series recommended on a social media site. After reading a snippet it caught my attention and I purchased the 3 kindle books. You will not be disappointed. This is the first in the series and was a nice introduction to the characters and setting. Immediately I wanted to be friends with this group. Quirky and fun, plus an evil chicken! Love Detective Black who is always there to lend an ear.
Looking forward to to more of Maggie’s adventures.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews