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Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery #1
Tagged for Death
Starting your life over at age thirty-eight isn't easy, but that's what Sarah Winston finds herself facing when her husband CJ runs off with a 19-year-old temptress named Tiffany. Sarah's self-prescribed therapy happily involves hitting all the garage and tag sales in and around her small town of Ellington, Massachusetts. If only she could turn her love for bargain hunting into a full-time career.
296 pages, hardcover
First published December 2, 2014
247 people are currently reading
2577 people want to read
About the author
Sherry Harris
20 books601 followersSherry Harris is the Agatha Award nominated author of the Sarah Winston Garage Sale mystery series and the Chloe Jackson Sea Glass Saloon mysteries. Sherry is a past president of Sisters in Crime and a member of Mystery Writers of America. Sherry loves books, beaches, bars, and bargain hunting — not necessarily in that order. She is also a patent holding inventor.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 358 reviews
August 10, 2021
DNF at Page 245. 2,5 stars. My patience with the principal character ran out. I think maybe cozy mystery is not my cup of tea. Scribd.com English text, and translation for Portuguese + audio in English from Google Translate.
August 26, 2017
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Sarah Winston may be starting her life over after her husband, CJ cheated on her but she is still connected to several places and people from before her divorce. She stills spends time on the Fitch Air Force Base working at the thrift store. A perfect job because she loves hunting for bargains at garage sales and she donates several of her finds to the store. But one of her recent bargains, a bag of clothes, included a bloody shirt and she recognizes it. It is belongs to her ex, the new chief of police of Ellington. His “girlfriend” also happens to be missing and more blood has been found in her dorm room. The investigation includes the security at the base too and CJ is their prime suspect. As mad as she is at CJ, Sarah knows he is not a killer and she is going to prove it.
What a fantastic story and introduction to these characters. You can tell the author is drawing from personal experiences, sans the murder/s of course 🙂
Sarah comes across as so genuine and I loved her almost obsession with garage sales. It is all about the negotiating and the deal she can get. When she took her friend with her and tried to teach her “the art of the deal”, it was hilarious. That friend could have been me. All the characters grew over the course of the story and there is so much more room for them to grow in this series.
The plot is very strong and filled with surprising twists. The connection to the Air Force Base was very appealing and the details of the workings of such a place was appreciated by this reader. I enjoyed solving the mystery right along with Sarah.
The garage sale tips were a nice addition and food for thought.
I am super exited to get caught up on this series.
Sarah Winston may be starting her life over after her husband, CJ cheated on her but she is still connected to several places and people from before her divorce. She stills spends time on the Fitch Air Force Base working at the thrift store. A perfect job because she loves hunting for bargains at garage sales and she donates several of her finds to the store. But one of her recent bargains, a bag of clothes, included a bloody shirt and she recognizes it. It is belongs to her ex, the new chief of police of Ellington. His “girlfriend” also happens to be missing and more blood has been found in her dorm room. The investigation includes the security at the base too and CJ is their prime suspect. As mad as she is at CJ, Sarah knows he is not a killer and she is going to prove it.
What a fantastic story and introduction to these characters. You can tell the author is drawing from personal experiences, sans the murder/s of course 🙂
Sarah comes across as so genuine and I loved her almost obsession with garage sales. It is all about the negotiating and the deal she can get. When she took her friend with her and tried to teach her “the art of the deal”, it was hilarious. That friend could have been me. All the characters grew over the course of the story and there is so much more room for them to grow in this series.
The plot is very strong and filled with surprising twists. The connection to the Air Force Base was very appealing and the details of the workings of such a place was appreciated by this reader. I enjoyed solving the mystery right along with Sarah.
The garage sale tips were a nice addition and food for thought.
I am super exited to get caught up on this series.
October 1, 2020
Tagged for Death by Sherry Harris is the first book in the Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery series. Newly divorced Sarah Winston comes home from a successful yard sale day only to find a bloodied shirt belonging to her exhusband amongst her bags, and finds that his girlfriend Tiffany is now missing. An interesting mystery but I found it difficult to like the main character and the choices she makes. I enjoyed the garage sales tie in but Sarah's investigation only seemed to cause more problems and the police harassment of her was juvenile. Hopefully it improves with the next book.
November 25, 2014
I’ve been excited about this series since I first heard the concept. After I'd read it, I felt even more satisfied. When her husband is unfaithful, plucky Sarah Winston loses her marriage and her identity as a colonel’s wife. In Tagged for Death, Sarah must find a new life, a way to make a living, and, after all her years on the move, a home. Like the hidden gems Sarah Winston finds at garage sales, this book is a treasure.
March 7, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy from start to finish. I like the characters, especially Sarah. I can't wait to read the next one and see what's next after the bombshell at the end of this one.
December 18, 2020
I couldn't finish it. The police harrassment, made up charges, and physical threats were treated like no big deal.
July 16, 2023
Sarah Winston, on the rebound from her messy divorce, is trying to start life over in the same town her ex-husband is now chief of police.
Throughout the book Sarah is badly harassed and threatened by the police officers, one of whom outright breaks the law to hassle her. But when it all ends, it turns out that officer was just trying to protect her. Oh, and, the husband didn't REALLY commit adultery, it was all a set up.
So, yeah, this book was grotesque. When you're a writer you can make your world and characters however you like, but, don't blame the reader if they think your writing is both ridiculous and demeaning. What was the moral of this story; that women should ignore their own instincts and the evidence in front of their own eyes? Is it possible to gas-light a fictional character? Because that's what it feels like.
This is the biggest flaw, but not the only one. The second most annoying is, after all Sarah's investigation, she happens across a photo of one of the victims with a character who'd never been a suspect before (and had been in the book one scene before this? two?). Bam, killer found. That's all it took to solve the mystery, looking through a vic's old photos and then jumping to conclusions. Wow, that could have shaved 200 pages off the book.
Aggravating and insulting, would recommend to no one.
Throughout the book Sarah is badly harassed and threatened by the police officers, one of whom outright breaks the law to hassle her. But when it all ends, it turns out that officer was just trying to protect her. Oh, and, the husband didn't REALLY commit adultery, it was all a set up.
So, yeah, this book was grotesque. When you're a writer you can make your world and characters however you like, but, don't blame the reader if they think your writing is both ridiculous and demeaning. What was the moral of this story; that women should ignore their own instincts and the evidence in front of their own eyes? Is it possible to gas-light a fictional character? Because that's what it feels like.
This is the biggest flaw, but not the only one. The second most annoying is, after all Sarah's investigation, she happens across a photo of one of the victims with a character who'd never been a suspect before (and had been in the book one scene before this? two?). Bam, killer found. That's all it took to solve the mystery, looking through a vic's old photos and then jumping to conclusions. Wow, that could have shaved 200 pages off the book.
Aggravating and insulting, would recommend to no one.
January 18, 2021
This is the first in a cozy mystery series about Sarah who lost her life as a military wife after her husband cheated on her with a young officer. I loved Sarah’s response which was to leave but claim her own life. When it appears that young officer may have been murdered and her ex-husband is the most likely suspect Sarah takes it upon herself to investigate to try to clear his name. This was one of the better first in series books I’ve read in a while and it left me itching to buy the next book so I could immediately continue to devour Sarah’s story. I especially love the family with the Italian restaurant that protects Sarah and gives her what she needs, not necessary what she orders.
December 20, 2024
Tagged for Death was The Cozy Mystery Book Club's June 2023 title!
YouTube Livestream Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn9AN...
The Cozy Mystery Book Club Podcast (iTunes Link): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
YouTube Livestream Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn9AN...
The Cozy Mystery Book Club Podcast (iTunes Link): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
December 7, 2014
Man, this protagonist did some really stupid stuff! However, I found the mystery and the characters interesting. I will read yhe next installment before passing final judgement.
November 17, 2017
Great start to series. Quick, easy read. Already have next one downloaded.
March 13, 2015
This was an interesting book and it is a great start for a new series. Living in a city where a large Air Force base is situated and having married an Air Force brat, I found that I easily connected with the main character. Her description of base activities was right on. Sarah Winston, is now living in a small apartment after a bitter divorce from her former husband, C.J. Hooker for adultery. Now retired from the Air Force, he is the police chief of Sarah's small town of Ellington. Sarah tries to get her life back on track by helping people set up and run their garage sales, something she does quite well. She finds a bloody shirt of her ex-husband and a bloody top belonging to his girlfriend Tiffany who is missing. When C.J. finds himself arrested for her murder, it is up to Sarah to prove that her ex has been set up and that he is not a murderer. The book was well written and there are plenty of people that are potential suspects making you wonder who the murderer could be. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
December 2, 2014
Sarah is trying to put her life back together after a divorce from her air force husband. But when she finds a bag of bloody clothes that belonged to her ex-husband and the woman he cheated on Sarah with, she suddenly finds herself trying to determine what has really happened.
The plot of this book was strong with several twists and red herrings that kept me confused until everything came together at the end. The characters were strong as well. While the writing could be a bit choppy at times, overall there was a tone to the story that was perfect for what the characters were going through.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
The plot of this book was strong with several twists and red herrings that kept me confused until everything came together at the end. The characters were strong as well. While the writing could be a bit choppy at times, overall there was a tone to the story that was perfect for what the characters were going through.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
May 10, 2017
I have a very different take on this book from what others might have thought about this. The main character immediately got on my nerves in the beginning with stupid choices. As the book progressed, I almost sat the book down three times. Three more instances of stupidity and highly improbable situations. I got so aggravated, I skimmed to the end to see who the killer was. I knew exactly who it was going to be and I was correct.
I will not be continuing this series. I like smart main characters. Not busy body, nosy, falls for everything, never speaks up characters.
The best action in this book was visiting the yard sales and the descriptions about the items up for sale.
I will not be continuing this series. I like smart main characters. Not busy body, nosy, falls for everything, never speaks up characters.
The best action in this book was visiting the yard sales and the descriptions about the items up for sale.
March 9, 2015
A great start to a promising series! I especially like that the ex-husband was portrayed as a real person, not as a demon-cheater like most of them are in mystery series. And I had no clue who the murderer was until it was revealed.
May 15, 2021
I liked and didn't like this book. I'm going to have to read another one or two to really decide....
November 15, 2014
Let me tell you first that the blurb is misleading: CJ did NOT run off with a 19-year-old. He had a one-night stand with her, which is a completely different thing entirely. Because of this, Sarah leaves him. However, she doesn't leave town, although she has no ties to the area and no job. She (somehow) gets an apartment (without an income?) and carries on with her life as if nothing happened. What I mean is that she continues to volunteer at the military base thrift store, mingling with everyone as if nothing at all occurred. What's worse is the fact that EVERYONE takes her cheating husband's side!
I absolutely did NOT like the beginning of this book. Police officers pulling her over and giving her a ticket for going ONE MILE over the speed limit? Really? Since her husband was chief of police and it was his officers doing this, and later in the book she notes how her husband always knew what "his people" in the military were doing, so how can he not know his officers were doing this? Why didn't he stop it? You'd think if he wanted her back - which he appears to do - he would instruct his officers to be nice to her, not the opposite. You'd also think they'd be smart enough on their own to be nice to her to encourage her to go back. But do they? Nope. They make her feel like she's being hounded. Yeah, that will send her back into his arms.
And the fact that she allows it to continue because of - what? According to Sarah, all the cops and military people hate her because SHE LEFT HER HUSBAND FOR CHEATING ON HER. So I guess in their minds, it's okay to cheat on your spouse. Their wives must have fun while they're off working, not to mention all the military. Those deployments must be a riot for both spouses. What the officers do to her is tantamount to harassment, but she allows it to continue. Is she a doormat? A coward? Also, most people (except for a couple of loyal friends) are also on the side of Tiffany - the woman who broke up her marriage. So I guess in the military cheating is okay, but not for the wronged spouse.
Also, someone is calling on a regular basis and shooting a gun off in the phone and she won't tell her ex about it. She doesn't even ask to get her phone number changed. Just tolerates it. Again, really? This book could have been so much better without all the vitriol against Sarah. And she didn't help, being even more of a victim by taking it and not fighting back. She's being stalked and harassed but that's okay, because they like CJ and Sarah deserved being cheated on, right? Again, really?
Then, when she finds the bloody shirts and gives them to CJ, she intends to prove he's innocent so goes about trying to solve the disappearance and possible murder herself. Now, CJ is the chief of police, but he doesn't even bother to try and find out anything about Tiffany. It appears as if it's all up to the ex-wife to prove him innocent. There was nothing in the book to indicate he was doing any investigating on his own, so I can only come to that conclusion.
Also, it is implied that she can make a living organizing garage sales. They must have an awful lot of them in Massachusetts and an awful lot of busy people who have no time to decide what their stuff is worth and let someone else decide for them (excuse me, but I'll decide what my things are worth, thank you very much.) Apparently no one is able to bargain with people except Sarah. Why are you having a garage sale if you can't bargain? My sister has about two a year, tags her own stuff, and bargains just fine without help. If you can't figure it out on your own, give it to charity. Anyway, most garage sales have very little of value. You'd have to do an awful lot to make any money, and since they're usually only held on weekends, that kind of limits your possible income.
Also, the reason her husband was set up for murder (and we know it was a set up all along, as it always is, so I'm not giving anything away) was insane. You're angry at someone so you decide to send them to prison or possibly the death penalty? Again, really?
Three stars because the writing was fairly good, the descriptions of Massachusetts' surrounding areas great, and insights into military life (although my husband is ex-military, so I was already aware of it, but realize other readers wouldn't be) were interesting. I didn't figure out the killer until just before Sarah did, so that was a big plus; there really weren't any clues leading up to it to tune us in, as it were. I just couldn't get past all the nastiness of the secondary characters; and the fact that she was somehow able to get an apartment without any form of income, and where she was getting the disposable income to spend money at garage sales.
I absolutely did NOT like the beginning of this book. Police officers pulling her over and giving her a ticket for going ONE MILE over the speed limit? Really? Since her husband was chief of police and it was his officers doing this, and later in the book she notes how her husband always knew what "his people" in the military were doing, so how can he not know his officers were doing this? Why didn't he stop it? You'd think if he wanted her back - which he appears to do - he would instruct his officers to be nice to her, not the opposite. You'd also think they'd be smart enough on their own to be nice to her to encourage her to go back. But do they? Nope. They make her feel like she's being hounded. Yeah, that will send her back into his arms.
And the fact that she allows it to continue because of - what? According to Sarah, all the cops and military people hate her because SHE LEFT HER HUSBAND FOR CHEATING ON HER. So I guess in their minds, it's okay to cheat on your spouse. Their wives must have fun while they're off working, not to mention all the military. Those deployments must be a riot for both spouses. What the officers do to her is tantamount to harassment, but she allows it to continue. Is she a doormat? A coward? Also, most people (except for a couple of loyal friends) are also on the side of Tiffany - the woman who broke up her marriage. So I guess in the military cheating is okay, but not for the wronged spouse.
Also, someone is calling on a regular basis and shooting a gun off in the phone and she won't tell her ex about it. She doesn't even ask to get her phone number changed. Just tolerates it. Again, really? This book could have been so much better without all the vitriol against Sarah. And she didn't help, being even more of a victim by taking it and not fighting back. She's being stalked and harassed but that's okay, because they like CJ and Sarah deserved being cheated on, right? Again, really?
Then, when she finds the bloody shirts and gives them to CJ, she intends to prove he's innocent so goes about trying to solve the disappearance and possible murder herself. Now, CJ is the chief of police, but he doesn't even bother to try and find out anything about Tiffany. It appears as if it's all up to the ex-wife to prove him innocent. There was nothing in the book to indicate he was doing any investigating on his own, so I can only come to that conclusion.
Also, it is implied that she can make a living organizing garage sales. They must have an awful lot of them in Massachusetts and an awful lot of busy people who have no time to decide what their stuff is worth and let someone else decide for them (excuse me, but I'll decide what my things are worth, thank you very much.) Apparently no one is able to bargain with people except Sarah. Why are you having a garage sale if you can't bargain? My sister has about two a year, tags her own stuff, and bargains just fine without help. If you can't figure it out on your own, give it to charity. Anyway, most garage sales have very little of value. You'd have to do an awful lot to make any money, and since they're usually only held on weekends, that kind of limits your possible income.
Also, the reason her husband was set up for murder (and we know it was a set up all along, as it always is, so I'm not giving anything away) was insane. You're angry at someone so you decide to send them to prison or possibly the death penalty? Again, really?
Three stars because the writing was fairly good, the descriptions of Massachusetts' surrounding areas great, and insights into military life (although my husband is ex-military, so I was already aware of it, but realize other readers wouldn't be) were interesting. I didn't figure out the killer until just before Sarah did, so that was a big plus; there really weren't any clues leading up to it to tune us in, as it were. I just couldn't get past all the nastiness of the secondary characters; and the fact that she was somehow able to get an apartment without any form of income, and where she was getting the disposable income to spend money at garage sales.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2014
Sarah is the ex-wife of now retired military Colonel C.J. Hooker who is Chief of Police of a small town named Ellington. Sarah loves a good garage sale and when asked will organize any garage for a small fee. While Sarah packs up the garage to give unwanted items to charity, she finds a bag belonging to C.J. with a shirt that is bloody and hope C.J. has not harmed his missing friend Jessica. When Jessica turns up dead C.J. is the prime suspect and with evidence mounting against him Sarah investigates every leaf and rock not turned over. Sarah finds data that may clear C.J. but cannot convince the investigators in charge to listen, as they are dependent upon the circumstantial evidence already in hand. In the meantime, someone is following Sarah because of her interference in the case and has plans to make her stop. Sarah is quite the amateur sleuth standing up for her ex-husband when it seems no one else will do the same.
Tagged for Death is a crime-drama with mystery and suspense with a touch of military setting that will have you wondering ‘who-dun nit’ until the end. Sherry Harris is a good crime drama novelist and who has me looking forward to her next crime novel and recommending to crime-drama, mystery-suspense, and crime sleuths alike for an easy and enjoyable read.
I received this book free from Kensington Books through the Net Galley reviewer program in exchange for an honest opinion in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission Guidelines.
Tagged for Death is a crime-drama with mystery and suspense with a touch of military setting that will have you wondering ‘who-dun nit’ until the end. Sherry Harris is a good crime drama novelist and who has me looking forward to her next crime novel and recommending to crime-drama, mystery-suspense, and crime sleuths alike for an easy and enjoyable read.
I received this book free from Kensington Books through the Net Galley reviewer program in exchange for an honest opinion in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission Guidelines.
December 2, 2014
Sarah Winston is divorced from a retired Air Force Commander, C.J., and both live in picturesque New England. He's now a police chief and they remain friends, even though he cheated on her. Sarah's shocked when she finds two bloody shirts in some garage sale bags she's taking to the base thrift shop, and one is monogrammed with C.J.'s initials. The other shirt is a maternity top. At the thrift store, she discovers a skull, bones, and more of C.J.'s belongings. It doesn't look good for her ex-husband. Sarah's making extra money organizing garage sales. However, a young woman is missing. Sarah is threatened several times. The police are bullying her. A murder happens. Something bad is going on around Sarah, and she must figure out what it is before the tag's hanging off her big toe!
Author Sherry Harris debuts with a strong writing voice in this not to be missed cozy mystery! She'll keep you guessing until the last minute!
I received a complimentary ARC of this book. I voluntarily posted an honest review.
Author Sherry Harris debuts with a strong writing voice in this not to be missed cozy mystery! She'll keep you guessing until the last minute!
I received a complimentary ARC of this book. I voluntarily posted an honest review.
November 22, 2025
Sarah couldn't take her problems to the police. One of the biggest problems in her life was the Chief of Police and her ex-husband. When his shirt shows up in a garage sale bag covered in blood, Sarah can't help but think the worst...he is either dead or killed the mother of his affair baby.
This is a great mystery with extremely unexpected twists.
I did feel it definitely gave off a depressing vibe. No matter how hard Sarah tried it seems like a constant series of unfortunate events overwhelmed her. Life circumstances were definitely not on her side. Although, there is quite a bit of small town quirkiness it did not outweigh the “bad luck” so even with all the quirkiness it didn't push the story be considered humorous.
An enjoyable mystery to solve, a likable heroine and lots of garage sales, Tagged for Death provides ample entertainment for the cozy mystery fan.
I received this ARC copy of Tagged for Death from Kensington Books in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication December 2, 2014.
This is a great mystery with extremely unexpected twists.
I did feel it definitely gave off a depressing vibe. No matter how hard Sarah tried it seems like a constant series of unfortunate events overwhelmed her. Life circumstances were definitely not on her side. Although, there is quite a bit of small town quirkiness it did not outweigh the “bad luck” so even with all the quirkiness it didn't push the story be considered humorous.
An enjoyable mystery to solve, a likable heroine and lots of garage sales, Tagged for Death provides ample entertainment for the cozy mystery fan.
I received this ARC copy of Tagged for Death from Kensington Books in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication December 2, 2014.
October 13, 2014
I love a good garage sale, and I love a good mystery. Both were well represented in this book. I found the tie in to military base living interesting, it allowed the author to introduce characters that have a forced intimacy. To enjoy what I consider to be a Cozy Mystery, I need to like the main characters and their quirks. There wasn't a lot of quirkiness here, but the fast pace and likable main character helped make up for that.
From the very beginning, Sarah knew she couldn't go to the police for help. Even though she was the (alleged) wronged party, having your ex as the Chief of Police can put a damper on those emergency responses. Toward the end of the book, Sarah finds out who she can trust and who really has her back, which surprised me almost as much as it surprised her. I look forward to reading more about the garage sale finds, friends and past indiscretions of the main character. Very entertaining!
From the very beginning, Sarah knew she couldn't go to the police for help. Even though she was the (alleged) wronged party, having your ex as the Chief of Police can put a damper on those emergency responses. Toward the end of the book, Sarah finds out who she can trust and who really has her back, which surprised me almost as much as it surprised her. I look forward to reading more about the garage sale finds, friends and past indiscretions of the main character. Very entertaining!
August 10, 2015
It's been awhile since I read this, so I won't write a full review but this was an excellent book. Great characters, really good mystery, the killer completely surprised me, and a great premise. Overall a very good start to a series. Just bought the next one!
October 18, 2014
I really loved this book for several reasons. I loved that it had a hint of military life in it and the characters where fantastic. I can't wait to see what happens next.
April 8, 2015
A strong debut. Sarah Winston can come organize my garage anytime, even if there is a chance she'll find a dead body!
August 16, 2020
Very enjoyable. The first book in a fun series already has me hooked on the characters and the messy relationship between them.
January 17, 2020
I really liked this first book of the Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery Series. I thought Sarah was a great character, and felt for her over how her world had imploded. I liked that she was still loyal enough to ex-husband C.J. to want to help him and prove that he wasn't guilty of murder.
I found this book quick and easy to get through, and thought it was quite a fun read! I'm looking forward to the reading the rest of the series.
I found this book quick and easy to get through, and thought it was quite a fun read! I'm looking forward to the reading the rest of the series.
March 18, 2021
I enjoyed the Boston area setting. The main character is very relatable, and is surrounded by an intriguing cast of characters. The mystery kept me guessing until the very end. I also enjoyed the military and police backdrops.
December 15, 2014
I received an ARC through NetGalley.
Sadly, Tagged for Death was not the book I was hoping for. That's not to say it was bad, but it was just not for me. Sarah Winston is recently divorced, and her ex-husband is the police chief. She's receiving threatening sounding phone calls, but refuses to go to the police for that very reason. Sarah is also a garage sale enthusiast (what initially drew me to this series) and a volunteer at a thrift store. She has several bags of clothing to sort through when she finds a bloody shirt and uniform. The shirt is her ex's and the uniform belongs to the woman he cheated with who has disappeared. Needless to say, Sarah is unwillingly involved in a possible murder case.
The first thing I noticed about Tagged for Death was that it a more gloomy tone than other Cozies I've read. I don't mind darker stories, but this one just depressing and no fun to read. Sarah's marriage fell apart, her husband is having a baby with a much younger woman, she doesn't have many friends, and now she's the center of a murder investigation. There was nothing light or funny and that really dragged the story down for me. Not that murder is a happy topic, but I figured her passion for garage sells would add something quirky, but it didn't.
Tagged for Death was also more military focused than I expected, and I didn't really enjoy this aspect at all. Sarah's husband was in the air force, as was the woman he cheated with. The thrift store Sarah works at is also on base, so she spends a lot of time there. She also talks about the military a lot, and I just didn't care. I wanted to know more about her and her interests, i.e. garage sales! She does visit some, but she doesn't use that knowledge to help her solve the case at all. It was just the starting point at getting involved.
There were two more things that really bothered me about Tagged for Death, because they made no sense. The first is that the police force are constantly harassing Sarah under some guise of looking out for their own. It's not like she did anything wrong; it was her husband who cheated, and as far as I could tell, he had no negative or hostile feelings toward her. His co-workers just make things up to write her tickets for, and generally bother her. The second was directly linked to the murder. Sarah finds some human bones, including a skull, behind the thrift store and they think it might be the missing woman. However, the bones were perfectly clean and she had only been missing for a day. Did no one find that suspicious? It's obvious the bones had been planted, but whatever.
In the end, Tagged for Death didn't fully work out for me. Military books rarely, if ever, hold my interest, and this one actually snuck up on me. The few scenes of the garage sales were interesting, since Sarah was truly into them, and I did learn a few things. I also wish the tone hadn't been so dreary, since it made the mystery kind of a bummer. There were some great twists though, which I never saw coming.
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.
Sadly, Tagged for Death was not the book I was hoping for. That's not to say it was bad, but it was just not for me. Sarah Winston is recently divorced, and her ex-husband is the police chief. She's receiving threatening sounding phone calls, but refuses to go to the police for that very reason. Sarah is also a garage sale enthusiast (what initially drew me to this series) and a volunteer at a thrift store. She has several bags of clothing to sort through when she finds a bloody shirt and uniform. The shirt is her ex's and the uniform belongs to the woman he cheated with who has disappeared. Needless to say, Sarah is unwillingly involved in a possible murder case.
The first thing I noticed about Tagged for Death was that it a more gloomy tone than other Cozies I've read. I don't mind darker stories, but this one just depressing and no fun to read. Sarah's marriage fell apart, her husband is having a baby with a much younger woman, she doesn't have many friends, and now she's the center of a murder investigation. There was nothing light or funny and that really dragged the story down for me. Not that murder is a happy topic, but I figured her passion for garage sells would add something quirky, but it didn't.
Tagged for Death was also more military focused than I expected, and I didn't really enjoy this aspect at all. Sarah's husband was in the air force, as was the woman he cheated with. The thrift store Sarah works at is also on base, so she spends a lot of time there. She also talks about the military a lot, and I just didn't care. I wanted to know more about her and her interests, i.e. garage sales! She does visit some, but she doesn't use that knowledge to help her solve the case at all. It was just the starting point at getting involved.
There were two more things that really bothered me about Tagged for Death, because they made no sense. The first is that the police force are constantly harassing Sarah under some guise of looking out for their own. It's not like she did anything wrong; it was her husband who cheated, and as far as I could tell, he had no negative or hostile feelings toward her. His co-workers just make things up to write her tickets for, and generally bother her. The second was directly linked to the murder. Sarah finds some human bones, including a skull, behind the thrift store and they think it might be the missing woman. However, the bones were perfectly clean and she had only been missing for a day. Did no one find that suspicious? It's obvious the bones had been planted, but whatever.
In the end, Tagged for Death didn't fully work out for me. Military books rarely, if ever, hold my interest, and this one actually snuck up on me. The few scenes of the garage sales were interesting, since Sarah was truly into them, and I did learn a few things. I also wish the tone hadn't been so dreary, since it made the mystery kind of a bummer. There were some great twists though, which I never saw coming.
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.
December 6, 2014
This is the best cozy mysteries that t have read in this year. The story is told in a first person and you feel her emotions as the takes various avenues as it is told. Sarah anguished is felt at her betrayal of her husband CJ fling with a 19 year old cadet. Her feelings the as the Ellington Police harass her and being allow on the airbase by suffrage. She wraps herself doing the the one thing that she understands, graduates. Her dismay as she finds two blood covered shirts in the yard sale bags she brought. As one is CJ and the other is Triffany who is missing. The other characters are also rounded out so you are attracted to them. Sarah now is working to help CJ from a MURDER charge. Much of the story is original; no sex or violence. The ending is a surprise and will make you think. I am reading for the next book.
Full Disclosure: I received a free copy from Kingston Books through Netgalley for an honest review. I would like to thank them for the opportunity to read and review this book. The opinions are my own.
Full Disclosure: I received a free copy from Kingston Books through Netgalley for an honest review. I would like to thank them for the opportunity to read and review this book. The opinions are my own.
March 6, 2021
Tagged for Death is a nice mystery that describes how you end up with a business organizing yard and tag sales perfectly. I watched my parents do that when they retired. The on and off base life seems very true also. I'm looking forward to reading more in the series.
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