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A New Orleans Mystery #1
A Streetcar Named Murder
Blackmail in the Big Easy turns to cold-blooded murder in this debut cozy mystery perfect for fans of Jane K. Cleland.
When the mysterious letter arrives by courier, Valerie Cooper doesn’t know what to make of it. She’s become the beneficiary of her late husband’s estranged uncle’s will—a man she never knew—and inherited a majority partnership in the family’s company, New Orleans Fine Antiques. Valerie knows nothing about antiques, but she decides to learn the business and become an active partner. She’s also got her hands full fending off Collette, a woman who wants to sell the huge old house in the Irish Channel neighborhood Valerie and her husband painstakingly renovated.
Valerie isn’t interested in selling—but when her best friend Lauren, drags her to a costume party for the women’s Mardi Gras club, the Krewe of Athena, she stumbles over Collette’s body, a jeweled dagger sticking out of her chest. In a rush of panic, Valerie recognizes the dagger from her shop—and before she knows it, she’s become murder suspect number one.
Egged on by Lauren, she starts digging into Collette’s business dealings, and the deeper she digs, the dirtier it gets. Now all fingers are pointing at Valerie. In a desperate bid to clear her name, Valerie frantically tries to find who could have gotten hold of the dagger. But among a cadre of guests in full costume, it could be impossible to find the thief—and unmask the real killer.
When the mysterious letter arrives by courier, Valerie Cooper doesn’t know what to make of it. She’s become the beneficiary of her late husband’s estranged uncle’s will—a man she never knew—and inherited a majority partnership in the family’s company, New Orleans Fine Antiques. Valerie knows nothing about antiques, but she decides to learn the business and become an active partner. She’s also got her hands full fending off Collette, a woman who wants to sell the huge old house in the Irish Channel neighborhood Valerie and her husband painstakingly renovated.
Valerie isn’t interested in selling—but when her best friend Lauren, drags her to a costume party for the women’s Mardi Gras club, the Krewe of Athena, she stumbles over Collette’s body, a jeweled dagger sticking out of her chest. In a rush of panic, Valerie recognizes the dagger from her shop—and before she knows it, she’s become murder suspect number one.
Egged on by Lauren, she starts digging into Collette’s business dealings, and the deeper she digs, the dirtier it gets. Now all fingers are pointing at Valerie. In a desperate bid to clear her name, Valerie frantically tries to find who could have gotten hold of the dagger. But among a cadre of guests in full costume, it could be impossible to find the thief—and unmask the real killer.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 6, 2022
41 people are currently reading
408 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
December 4, 2022
Our main character is Valerie Cooper, widow, mother of two grown boys, living comfortably in New Orleans but still grieving for her husband and her empty nest. A major bequest from her husband's uncle, a man she never knew, makes her realise she still has a life to lead. Of course this is a cosy mystery so she pretty soon discovers a dead body, meets a charming detective and nearly gets herself and her best friend killed.
Overall I enjoyed the book very much. The mystery was good although I guessed the secret and the culprit pretty quickly. I enjoyed the characters and the dialogue was good. However there was far too much description. Pages of it. A simple trip from home to a shop took pages of how Valerie looked, what she wore, why she does not look good, which streets she drove down, what the place she is visiting looks like from the outside, what it looks like from the inside...... you get the picture. In fact the author makes sure you do! I prefer it if a little is left to my imagination.
Still a very readable mystery especially if you enjoy lots of detail. Three stars.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Overall I enjoyed the book very much. The mystery was good although I guessed the secret and the culprit pretty quickly. I enjoyed the characters and the dialogue was good. However there was far too much description. Pages of it. A simple trip from home to a shop took pages of how Valerie looked, what she wore, why she does not look good, which streets she drove down, what the place she is visiting looks like from the outside, what it looks like from the inside...... you get the picture. In fact the author makes sure you do! I prefer it if a little is left to my imagination.
Still a very readable mystery especially if you enjoy lots of detail. Three stars.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
September 15, 2022
I liked the southern setting of this debut cozy as New Orleans is rich with history, mystery, and magic. I tried hard to like the protagonist, Valerie, but could not connect to her personality. Actually, I liked the character of her best friend, Lorna, the best. It was frustrating that the murder didn’t happen until 53% through the story which is quite unusual in a cozy mystery. Parts of the story were interesting; however, there was repetition that wasn’t needed. I did enjoy the humor at the beginning. Many readers may enjoy the story; however, the characters just didn’t appeal to me.
I reviewed an un-edited, digital arc provided by NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books. All opinions are my own.
I reviewed an un-edited, digital arc provided by NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books. All opinions are my own.
December 9, 2022
Valerie Cooper is facing changes in her life. A young widow, her twin sons are now off at college, and she struggling to fill her days. An unexpected letter reveals she’s inherited the estate of one of her late husband’s great uncles, a man that Valerie didn’t know existed. The inheritance includes an antique shop. Meanwhile, Valerie attends a Halloween costume ball, but the night ends when she finds a woman she knows stabbed to death outside the dance. What is going on?
I sat down to read this hoping to find a new series I’d enjoy. Sadly, it was very disappointing. The author tried for something different when it came to the plot, which I appreciate, but the result wasn’t plotted well at all but did pick up in the second half. It wasn’t helped by Valerie’s constant reflections on her life before her husband died and questioning why she’d never heard of this great uncle. While this is important for Valerie’s character growth, it got to be a bit much. Unfortunately, the ARC I read was also riddled with errors that should have been caught in editing, some of which made me question if what I saw from the suspects was the suspects hiding something or the sloppy editing. Meanwhile, the author goes too far in making the victim unlikeable, turning her one dimensional. I did like Valerie and her family and friends. But there is not enough good here to recommend the book.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
I sat down to read this hoping to find a new series I’d enjoy. Sadly, it was very disappointing. The author tried for something different when it came to the plot, which I appreciate, but the result wasn’t plotted well at all but did pick up in the second half. It wasn’t helped by Valerie’s constant reflections on her life before her husband died and questioning why she’d never heard of this great uncle. While this is important for Valerie’s character growth, it got to be a bit much. Unfortunately, the ARC I read was also riddled with errors that should have been caught in editing, some of which made me question if what I saw from the suspects was the suspects hiding something or the sloppy editing. Meanwhile, the author goes too far in making the victim unlikeable, turning her one dimensional. I did like Valerie and her family and friends. But there is not enough good here to recommend the book.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
December 16, 2022
I always love reading books set in Louisiana but cringe when things are not quite right (I have not heard anyone refer to Mardi Gras as Fat Tuesday, ever). I was pleased to hear the Northshore mentioned but sad that it had to be a made-up town. The story was slow and the murder didn’t happen until over halfway through at which point I was actually rooting for someone to die (and if Valerie said “the widow Cooper” one more time, I would have hoped for her demise). There was so much monotony – what time she gets up, what she’s wearing, what she’s doing – that it was hard to really get into this story. Valerie, herself, was unlikeable, as were most of the characters, particularly her best friend, Lorna. I doubt I will continue with this series despite its setting.
I received a copy from #NetGalley for an honest review.
I received a copy from #NetGalley for an honest review.
January 2, 2023
This tale is set in Louisiana and the main character is one Valerie Cooper who inherits the majority share of her late husband’s estranged uncle’s business, New Orleans Fine Antiques. A solid mystery, a plot involving secrets from the past and old family feuds and a no-nonsense lead made this a great read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley and this is my own unbiased opinion.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley and this is my own unbiased opinion.
July 15, 2022
When Valerie Cooper, a widower and empty nester receives a letter saying she has inherited quite a bit of estate and part ownership of a business her life becomes much more busy. And when she discovers a body much more interesting. Will she find out why her husbands estranged uncle left everything to her and her sons when she didn’t even know he existed? Will she be able to find out who the killer is before suspicion is cast on her? I love that this book is based in New Orleans and the author does a fantastic job of setting the scene. A little slow start on the story line and some parts were frustrating but overall a fun quick mystery read. Thank you #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review
January 1, 2023
A Streetcar Named Murder is the first book in a new cozy mystery series. I read the Arc of this book in November and got very delayed in writing a review and now I am in a fix because I can't remember the minute details about the book. The things I do recall are:
▪️ The murder and the subsequent mystery took a long time coming and by the time it finally occurred I had already begun to wonder if the person (who was hinted at becoming the victim early on) would ever be killed off!
▪️ The description of New Orleans was good... I have not visited the city but I got the feel of how it is through the author's description.
▪️ There was too much repetition in terms of Valerie's day to day activities and I think is the reason why I can't recall the events in the book clearly.
▪️ I kept wondering why the book was titled 'A Streetcar Named Murder'. From what I understood, a streetcar is a form of transportation and it clearly had no role to play in the murder.
▪️ Didn't take a complete shine to most of the characters (dead or alive).
Okay looks like I do remember quite a bit loll!
I received an e-Arc of the book from the publisher Crooked Lane Books and the author via NetGalley.
Rating: ⭐⭐✨💫
▪️ The murder and the subsequent mystery took a long time coming and by the time it finally occurred I had already begun to wonder if the person (who was hinted at becoming the victim early on) would ever be killed off!
▪️ The description of New Orleans was good... I have not visited the city but I got the feel of how it is through the author's description.
▪️ There was too much repetition in terms of Valerie's day to day activities and I think is the reason why I can't recall the events in the book clearly.
▪️ I kept wondering why the book was titled 'A Streetcar Named Murder'. From what I understood, a streetcar is a form of transportation and it clearly had no role to play in the murder.
▪️ Didn't take a complete shine to most of the characters (dead or alive).
Okay looks like I do remember quite a bit loll!
I received an e-Arc of the book from the publisher Crooked Lane Books and the author via NetGalley.
Rating: ⭐⭐✨💫
January 21, 2023
When a middle-aged New Orleanis widow learns shes inherited his share in an antiques store from her husband's unknown great-uncle, it seems to solve her financial problems--but it opens a a whole set of problems. She learns that the "mean girl" real estate woman who has always aimed snide comments on her was her fireman-husband's former girlfriend. When she finds the woman's body, the police briefly suspect her. Luckily, her best friend and next-door neighbor, a larger-than=life romance writer, has her back when the murderer comes after her.
August 14, 2022
2.8 out of 5 stars (rounded up to 3 stars)
Widow and mother Valerie has recently come into a large inheritance from her late husband’s uncle. To her knowledge, her husband didn’t even have an uncle. Now, she’s dealing with the realization that she and her sons have inherited a fortune. But this newly inherited antique business may be just what Valerie needs in her life… that is, until she finds a dead body. As the new owner of the shop, Valerie must clear her name as a suspect in the murder.
~~
This book made me feel very conflicted. On one hand, I enjoyed the overall storyline. On the other hand, I had a difficult time connecting to the characters.
Valerie seemed to dwell on the same few things throughout the whole book. Here’s are some examples:
1. Her late husband. I know he was a big part of her life, and she is still grieving over him. BUT, as a reader, we didn’t need to be reminded of that every couple of pages.
2. She would also repeatedly mention that she is up every day at the same time, six in the morning. This was ok to mention a few times, but we definitely didn’t need to know that as many times as Valerie mentioned it.
There were a couple other things she kept on repeating, which started getting kind of irritating.
I also really hated her friend Lorna. Lorna really irritated me throughout the whole book. In fact, it was a bit shocking that Valerie decided to become her friend. Based off Valerie’s recounting of how they met, I was really stunned by Lorna’s behavior.
At the time that they first met, Valerie’s twin boys were toddlers. Of course, toddlers being toddlers, they were having a bit of a meltdown. Lorna (a complete stranger at the time) knocks on the door and somehow instantly can calm the boys down with a few words and a sharp stare. Armed with a bottle of wine and a charming smile, Lorna precedes to tell a stunned Valerie “you’ve got to tame the little beasts when they’re young or they’ll grow up to be monsters. Date rapists or something equally horrible.”
Um, what?! If a complete stranger knocked on my door, critiqued my parenting, and said that about my theoretical kids, I would be LIVID! Like ma’am, leave the bottle of wine and get out of my house. Because the twins were having a tantrum, all of a sudden they’ll become date rapists? What?! This was literally one tantrum that Lorna had seen, and she felt she had the right to say that? And to top it all off, Valerie seems to remember this memory with great fondness. I know it’s only a few pages of the book, but it really left a bad impression towards Lorna for the rest of the time.
~~
Despite my struggles with the characters, the book was still a cute cozy mystery! If you can ignore Lorna and get past Valerie’s tendency to dwell on stuff, the book is still quite interesting. Even though there wasn’t as much of a mystery as I would have liked, I would still want to read the next books in the series, as I did enjoy it overall.
Thanks to the author and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
Widow and mother Valerie has recently come into a large inheritance from her late husband’s uncle. To her knowledge, her husband didn’t even have an uncle. Now, she’s dealing with the realization that she and her sons have inherited a fortune. But this newly inherited antique business may be just what Valerie needs in her life… that is, until she finds a dead body. As the new owner of the shop, Valerie must clear her name as a suspect in the murder.
~~
This book made me feel very conflicted. On one hand, I enjoyed the overall storyline. On the other hand, I had a difficult time connecting to the characters.
Valerie seemed to dwell on the same few things throughout the whole book. Here’s are some examples:
1. Her late husband. I know he was a big part of her life, and she is still grieving over him. BUT, as a reader, we didn’t need to be reminded of that every couple of pages.
2. She would also repeatedly mention that she is up every day at the same time, six in the morning. This was ok to mention a few times, but we definitely didn’t need to know that as many times as Valerie mentioned it.
There were a couple other things she kept on repeating, which started getting kind of irritating.
I also really hated her friend Lorna. Lorna really irritated me throughout the whole book. In fact, it was a bit shocking that Valerie decided to become her friend. Based off Valerie’s recounting of how they met, I was really stunned by Lorna’s behavior.
At the time that they first met, Valerie’s twin boys were toddlers. Of course, toddlers being toddlers, they were having a bit of a meltdown. Lorna (a complete stranger at the time) knocks on the door and somehow instantly can calm the boys down with a few words and a sharp stare. Armed with a bottle of wine and a charming smile, Lorna precedes to tell a stunned Valerie “you’ve got to tame the little beasts when they’re young or they’ll grow up to be monsters. Date rapists or something equally horrible.”
Um, what?! If a complete stranger knocked on my door, critiqued my parenting, and said that about my theoretical kids, I would be LIVID! Like ma’am, leave the bottle of wine and get out of my house. Because the twins were having a tantrum, all of a sudden they’ll become date rapists? What?! This was literally one tantrum that Lorna had seen, and she felt she had the right to say that? And to top it all off, Valerie seems to remember this memory with great fondness. I know it’s only a few pages of the book, but it really left a bad impression towards Lorna for the rest of the time.
~~
Despite my struggles with the characters, the book was still a cute cozy mystery! If you can ignore Lorna and get past Valerie’s tendency to dwell on stuff, the book is still quite interesting. Even though there wasn’t as much of a mystery as I would have liked, I would still want to read the next books in the series, as I did enjoy it overall.
Thanks to the author and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
January 14, 2023
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Valerie Cooper lost her husband, Tony, the love of her life, in an on-the-job accident as a fireman a few years ago leaving her to raise their twin sons alone. She was very involved in activities when the boys were in school but they have now gone away to college and Valerie is dealing with an empty nest and looking for ways to fill her days. Thankfully she has a great friend and next-door neighbor, Lorna who does her best to keep Valerie busy.
Then Valerie receives a puzzling letter from an attorney telling her she has been named in Tony’s uncle Arthur’s will. She didn’t even know Tony had an uncle, Arthur. After meeting with the lawyer she learns he had quite an estate. A trust has been set up for her sons and she has inherited a majority interest in an antique store, New Orleans Fine Antiques. Not knowing much about antiques she is excited to learn and looks forward to working there. But everyone is not happy about her inheritance.
Collette, a real estate agent has been after Valerie to sell her house claiming she has a perfect buyer. Valerie and Collette’s sons all attended the same school and while they worked together, they were definitely not friends. And she really does not want to sell her house.
After several tries to dissuade Collette, someone else takes care of the problem. When Valerie attends a Mardi Gras Masquerade party with Lorna she finds Collette’s dead body outside of the event. A jeweled dagger stuck in her chest. A dagger from New Orleans Fine Antiques, Valerie’s new inheritance.
Now high on the suspect list Valerie must do everything she can to clear her name and reveal the real killer before she becomes their next victim.
I really loved the way this story started.
The first rule of life in New Orleans is Any time you leave your house not looking your best, you’ll run into your nemesis.
What a great first line. You just know this has happened before to main character Valerie Cooper and it is about to happen again. I could tell immediately I was going to enjoy this author’s sense of humor and was looking forward to a story full of it. Sadly that was not the case. I liked Valerie but the humor wasn’t at the level I had expected. She spent a lot of time lamenting about her life and things her husband didn’t tell her or things she didn’t care to know at the time but he really should have told her anyway. I also hated that she picked up on phrase from Collette and carried it and repeated it over and over again. A lot of this was set up by the premise of the story, which I loved, an unexpected inheritance that was going to change her life and connections to the people involved. It was just offputting the way it was dwelled on over and over again.
I did love Valerie’s friend Lorna. (Not Lauren as stated on the book cover text and the online synopsis.) A well-known author that loved to live life to the fullest even with a mother that drove her crazy with her daily calls. Lorna is a confident woman who doesn’t care what other people think. She is funny, kind, has no trouble speaking her mind, and is a great friend to Valerie. At the masquerade party, she was drinking bad wine and out on the dance floor having a great time while Valerie was a wallflower, sitting in a corner complaining about her sore feet and eavesdropping on other guests. Okay, what she heard started the ball rolling to finding a dead body but the girl needs to learn how to have some fun.
Surprisingly that ball rolling didn’t happen until more than halfway through the book. This story had a clear case of first story in the series – itis. The author had to introduce all the characters, set up their connections, and give enough of a backstory for the story to go in the direction he wanted. Then he had to get to the murder and its aftermath. Because of that, it is really hard to plot out a complex mystery within the pages allowed. This one was really easy to solve. We knew early who the victim would be and what weapon would be used. I found myself just waiting for it to happen. Then as suspects were revealed and questions were asked the twists turned out to be very minor leaving the Whodunit factor a little lacking.
I did enjoy the setting of the Big Easy, a place filled with possibilities of murder and mayhem. The information about the Krewes was very interesting. The descriptions of all the places were nice but sometimes the minute details got to be a little much.
All that being said, there are some good bones here. We now know the characters and there is plenty of room for development. This gives the author the opportunity to give readers a slam-bang mystery with a lot of depth and twists in book two. I would like to visit these characters again to see what happens next. I do hope the humor found at the beginning of this book shines all the way through the next one and that there is less repetition and detail of known things.
A Streetcar Named Murder is a satisfactory start for this series. I hope the author pulls everything together for the next installment and the publisher fixes Lorna’s name in the synopsis of this one soon.
Valerie Cooper lost her husband, Tony, the love of her life, in an on-the-job accident as a fireman a few years ago leaving her to raise their twin sons alone. She was very involved in activities when the boys were in school but they have now gone away to college and Valerie is dealing with an empty nest and looking for ways to fill her days. Thankfully she has a great friend and next-door neighbor, Lorna who does her best to keep Valerie busy.
Then Valerie receives a puzzling letter from an attorney telling her she has been named in Tony’s uncle Arthur’s will. She didn’t even know Tony had an uncle, Arthur. After meeting with the lawyer she learns he had quite an estate. A trust has been set up for her sons and she has inherited a majority interest in an antique store, New Orleans Fine Antiques. Not knowing much about antiques she is excited to learn and looks forward to working there. But everyone is not happy about her inheritance.
Collette, a real estate agent has been after Valerie to sell her house claiming she has a perfect buyer. Valerie and Collette’s sons all attended the same school and while they worked together, they were definitely not friends. And she really does not want to sell her house.
After several tries to dissuade Collette, someone else takes care of the problem. When Valerie attends a Mardi Gras Masquerade party with Lorna she finds Collette’s dead body outside of the event. A jeweled dagger stuck in her chest. A dagger from New Orleans Fine Antiques, Valerie’s new inheritance.
Now high on the suspect list Valerie must do everything she can to clear her name and reveal the real killer before she becomes their next victim.
I really loved the way this story started.
The first rule of life in New Orleans is Any time you leave your house not looking your best, you’ll run into your nemesis.
What a great first line. You just know this has happened before to main character Valerie Cooper and it is about to happen again. I could tell immediately I was going to enjoy this author’s sense of humor and was looking forward to a story full of it. Sadly that was not the case. I liked Valerie but the humor wasn’t at the level I had expected. She spent a lot of time lamenting about her life and things her husband didn’t tell her or things she didn’t care to know at the time but he really should have told her anyway. I also hated that she picked up on phrase from Collette and carried it and repeated it over and over again. A lot of this was set up by the premise of the story, which I loved, an unexpected inheritance that was going to change her life and connections to the people involved. It was just offputting the way it was dwelled on over and over again.
I did love Valerie’s friend Lorna. (Not Lauren as stated on the book cover text and the online synopsis.) A well-known author that loved to live life to the fullest even with a mother that drove her crazy with her daily calls. Lorna is a confident woman who doesn’t care what other people think. She is funny, kind, has no trouble speaking her mind, and is a great friend to Valerie. At the masquerade party, she was drinking bad wine and out on the dance floor having a great time while Valerie was a wallflower, sitting in a corner complaining about her sore feet and eavesdropping on other guests. Okay, what she heard started the ball rolling to finding a dead body but the girl needs to learn how to have some fun.
Surprisingly that ball rolling didn’t happen until more than halfway through the book. This story had a clear case of first story in the series – itis. The author had to introduce all the characters, set up their connections, and give enough of a backstory for the story to go in the direction he wanted. Then he had to get to the murder and its aftermath. Because of that, it is really hard to plot out a complex mystery within the pages allowed. This one was really easy to solve. We knew early who the victim would be and what weapon would be used. I found myself just waiting for it to happen. Then as suspects were revealed and questions were asked the twists turned out to be very minor leaving the Whodunit factor a little lacking.
I did enjoy the setting of the Big Easy, a place filled with possibilities of murder and mayhem. The information about the Krewes was very interesting. The descriptions of all the places were nice but sometimes the minute details got to be a little much.
All that being said, there are some good bones here. We now know the characters and there is plenty of room for development. This gives the author the opportunity to give readers a slam-bang mystery with a lot of depth and twists in book two. I would like to visit these characters again to see what happens next. I do hope the humor found at the beginning of this book shines all the way through the next one and that there is less repetition and detail of known things.
A Streetcar Named Murder is a satisfactory start for this series. I hope the author pulls everything together for the next installment and the publisher fixes Lorna’s name in the synopsis of this one soon.
September 28, 2022
I really liked this debut in a new mystery series. It is set in New Orleans where we meet Valerie. She is a widow and a recent empty nester of twin boys. She is surprised when Collette approaches her about selling her house. She never thought about it before but maybe she should downsize now that it's just her, but the house has SO many memories. Then a letter arrives saying all heirs of her husband have become beneficiaries of her late husband's uncle that she has never met or heard about.
I really enjoyed this mystery and look forward to reading more in the series. I was given an eARC by the publisher through NetGalley.
I really enjoyed this mystery and look forward to reading more in the series. I was given an eARC by the publisher through NetGalley.
October 1, 2024
This was a good cozy. I enjoyed it.
First off this is set in New Orleans, and I am a bit obsessed with the city and everything about it, even though I've sadly never been there. But I love it and way things are done there so almost any story set there will get me to give it a chance and this story wove in the feel and life of the city which was fun.
I also enjoyed the plot, even though it was a bit labyrinthine and complicated, it was engaging and kept my attention the whole way through.
I also really liked the characters. Everyone was interesting and likable.
I would definitely watch for future books in this series. It was a good start to a cozy series.
First off this is set in New Orleans, and I am a bit obsessed with the city and everything about it, even though I've sadly never been there. But I love it and way things are done there so almost any story set there will get me to give it a chance and this story wove in the feel and life of the city which was fun.
I also enjoyed the plot, even though it was a bit labyrinthine and complicated, it was engaging and kept my attention the whole way through.
I also really liked the characters. Everyone was interesting and likable.
I would definitely watch for future books in this series. It was a good start to a cozy series.
December 7, 2022
A Streetcar Named Murder is the first book in the A New Orleans Mystery series by T. G. Herren.
The story was well-written and moved at a decent pace. The characters just didn’t draw me in. The main character, Valarie, has two brothers-in-law and a sister-in-law who must have a very profitable construction for her to have two boys in college and not have a job outside the home.
This book is alright; just not my cup of tea.
The story was well-written and moved at a decent pace. The characters just didn’t draw me in. The main character, Valarie, has two brothers-in-law and a sister-in-law who must have a very profitable construction for her to have two boys in college and not have a job outside the home.
This book is alright; just not my cup of tea.
December 30, 2022
This is a really different cozy mystery. In fact it didn't seem like a mystery at all for over half the book. A murder does not happen until the second half of the book. The first half is setting up the characters and is loaded with description. I read more about the streets and buildings of New Orleans than I really cared for. There is a great deal of descriptive prose in the novel as well as long passages of character thought. Because of the structure of the first half of the book, I did not find the novel engaging at all. There was a tiny bit of suspense near the end.
I think the characters were crafted well, however. Colette comes across as a truly mean woman who any number of people would rather see dead than put up with her any longer. So there are a number of possible suspects. Valerie was a suitable heroine. It did not seem realistic that she did not know why Colette hated her. If the community was such a gossip mill as other characters indicate, it was odd she did not know the reason for hate.
This is a novel for cozy mystery readers who don't mind the murder being somewhat a minor focus of the novel as a whole. Potential readers should also like long descriptive passages about New Orleans, being immersed in the architecture and culture of the city.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.
I think the characters were crafted well, however. Colette comes across as a truly mean woman who any number of people would rather see dead than put up with her any longer. So there are a number of possible suspects. Valerie was a suitable heroine. It did not seem realistic that she did not know why Colette hated her. If the community was such a gossip mill as other characters indicate, it was odd she did not know the reason for hate.
This is a novel for cozy mystery readers who don't mind the murder being somewhat a minor focus of the novel as a whole. Potential readers should also like long descriptive passages about New Orleans, being immersed in the architecture and culture of the city.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.
September 11, 2022
Although the title of the book is rather random (there's no streetcar involved anywhere in the story), the tale itself is very enjoyable with a complex cast of characters that are well fleshed out. I was surprised that the first death in the story was not looked at more closely, but since it's of someone who's unknown to the MC, I suppose it's not too surprising.
Ultimately, the mystery in the first part of the book is trying to figure out who the previously unknown uncle is and why he would leave his estate to the MC's deceased husband's heirs. Later, when the MC's nemesis is killed, the sleuthing turns to finding out why the victim hated the MC so much and who might have killed her.
Overall, I enjoyed the pacing, the setting and the characters. There was some unnecessary repetition that could be tightened up a bit. But nothing that detracted from the story itself very much.
I did receive an advance review copy of the book, which still required a lot of editing. So I hope that's resolved in the final version. My rating assumes that it will be.
Thank you to T.G. Herren, Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an advanced review copy.
Ultimately, the mystery in the first part of the book is trying to figure out who the previously unknown uncle is and why he would leave his estate to the MC's deceased husband's heirs. Later, when the MC's nemesis is killed, the sleuthing turns to finding out why the victim hated the MC so much and who might have killed her.
Overall, I enjoyed the pacing, the setting and the characters. There was some unnecessary repetition that could be tightened up a bit. But nothing that detracted from the story itself very much.
I did receive an advance review copy of the book, which still required a lot of editing. So I hope that's resolved in the final version. My rating assumes that it will be.
Thank you to T.G. Herren, Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an advanced review copy.
December 24, 2022
A streetcar Named Murder is the first book in "A New Orleans Mystery" by T.G. Herren. I did finish the book, but the characters didn't draw me in to what was going on in their lives, and with that being said, it's not a bad book!
Valerie's husband was a fire fighter who had passed away, and their twin sons were away at college,
leaving Valerie just sort of living, with no real purpose, until she is contacted by an Attorney, who notifies her that she has inherited her husbands Uncle's estate. Not only is she left money, she is left an antique store, which she knows nothing about! She didn't know that her late husband even had an Uncle, let alone a rich one!
I want to thank NetGalley, and the Publisher for allowing me to read this book, and to be able to leave my honest review, which is my own opinion.
Valerie's husband was a fire fighter who had passed away, and their twin sons were away at college,
leaving Valerie just sort of living, with no real purpose, until she is contacted by an Attorney, who notifies her that she has inherited her husbands Uncle's estate. Not only is she left money, she is left an antique store, which she knows nothing about! She didn't know that her late husband even had an Uncle, let alone a rich one!
I want to thank NetGalley, and the Publisher for allowing me to read this book, and to be able to leave my honest review, which is my own opinion.
February 25, 2023
I know I don't like a book when I dread having to pick it back up and keep reading. I had no investment in the characters, especially Valerie Cooper, who strikes me as someone who needs a swift kick in the pants and a backbone. Her friend Lorna was much more to my liking but even she got irritating after a bit. This book was one big snooze and didn't hold my interest. I struggled to finish.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. Opinions in this review are my own.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. Opinions in this review are my own.
September 5, 2022
A very charming cozy mystery with a terrific sense of place. TG Herren clearly knows New Orleans well, and peppers the narrative with interesting tidbits about the people and places in the city. The murder doesn't happen until well into the book, but Herren's writing and the interesting characters carry the narrative very well.
December 16, 2022
Widow Valerie Cooper is an empty nester. Her sons are away at college and all she has is a huge house. One of the local real estate agents, Collette, is trying to talk her into selling, but Valerie has no intentions of selling the house she and her husband bought together. Collette is not one to give up.
Then, she receives a notice from the lawyer of her late husband’s uncle and learns she has inherited his estate. It’s a huge shock especially since her husband never mentioned the uncle. Valerie can’t help wondering why he would leave his whole estate to strangers. However, she decides an antique shop would be the perfect thing to keep her occupied.
When Valerie and her best friend attend a costume party, she is completely stunned when she finds Collette’s dead body. The police immediately turn their suspicion Valerie’s way since she and the victim squabbled over selling her home. Valerie is determined to prove her innocence.
I really enjoy books set in New Orleans, so I was excited to see a new cozy series set in that city. However, it took me a long time to get involved in the story. It felt as if the first half of the book was to introduce us to the characters and the atmosphere. That sometimes happens when it’s the first book in a series.
I didn't warm up to the characters right away, but eventually I did. I really liked Valerie and her best friend Lauren. They make a great team.
I would have liked to see more of a build up for the murder. It was slow-moving for me in some spots. Halfway through the book, things really sped up and I couldn’t wait to find out who did it. I guessed some things correctly but not the culprit. There were a couple of interesting twists thrown into the story.
All in all, the series got off to a decent start and I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes next.
FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Then, she receives a notice from the lawyer of her late husband’s uncle and learns she has inherited his estate. It’s a huge shock especially since her husband never mentioned the uncle. Valerie can’t help wondering why he would leave his whole estate to strangers. However, she decides an antique shop would be the perfect thing to keep her occupied.
When Valerie and her best friend attend a costume party, she is completely stunned when she finds Collette’s dead body. The police immediately turn their suspicion Valerie’s way since she and the victim squabbled over selling her home. Valerie is determined to prove her innocence.
I really enjoy books set in New Orleans, so I was excited to see a new cozy series set in that city. However, it took me a long time to get involved in the story. It felt as if the first half of the book was to introduce us to the characters and the atmosphere. That sometimes happens when it’s the first book in a series.
I didn't warm up to the characters right away, but eventually I did. I really liked Valerie and her best friend Lauren. They make a great team.
I would have liked to see more of a build up for the murder. It was slow-moving for me in some spots. Halfway through the book, things really sped up and I couldn’t wait to find out who did it. I guessed some things correctly but not the culprit. There were a couple of interesting twists thrown into the story.
All in all, the series got off to a decent start and I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes next.
FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
December 3, 2022
This was a good start to a new series. The setting is New Orleans - what's not to like about that? Valerie is ready for a new chapter since her husband died and her sons have left the nest. It comes to her in the form of a letter telling her that she and her sons have inherited a majority partnership in New Orleans Fine Antiques. Her late husband's estranged uncle is the source and she didn't even know he existed. Things get really complicated when she discovers that her new business partner is a relative of the woman who is hounding her to sell her house. When that same woman, Collette, turns up dead at a party Valerie attends that makes Valerie the prime suspect. In true cozy mystery fashion, Valerie and her friend Lauren start their own investigation to reveal the killer.
I loved the setting and the antiques theme. The puzzle was complex enough to keep me wondering to the final pages and Valerie was a likable main character. I'll be adding this series to my list to see what else is in store for Valerie.
My thanks to the publisher Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
I loved the setting and the antiques theme. The puzzle was complex enough to keep me wondering to the final pages and Valerie was a likable main character. I'll be adding this series to my list to see what else is in store for Valerie.
My thanks to the publisher Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
November 27, 2022
A Streetcar Named Murder by T.G. Herren in the first book in the New Orleans Cozy Mystery Series. I found this a charming read with a fun setting of New Orleans. The author has captured all the culture, mystery and food of New Orleans.
The protagnist Valerie was a likable character as she goes through major life changes, inheritance of a business and solving a murder. of a nemisis. The charcters were richly drawn to the story and added fun to the story. I like that the sleuth was not the majority of the book as the author took time to develop her charcters and the setting. This is a cozy I look forward to returning to . Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity . I highly recommend this delightful fun cozy series.
The protagnist Valerie was a likable character as she goes through major life changes, inheritance of a business and solving a murder. of a nemisis. The charcters were richly drawn to the story and added fun to the story. I like that the sleuth was not the majority of the book as the author took time to develop her charcters and the setting. This is a cozy I look forward to returning to . Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity . I highly recommend this delightful fun cozy series.
November 30, 2022
Review to come
January 5, 2023
I read and reviewed this for Mystery Scene Magazine and it made my top 20 of 22 novel list
March 11, 2023
I needed something easy to read during the work week and this was the perfect little mystery.
April 8, 2023
New author to me. Great book and mystery. I love to read books that are set near where I lived for decades. I hope there are more books in this series.
December 15, 2022
I was really looking forward to this book and just disappointed. It was almost like reading an essay, to over explained, to everything. There were things I really liked, but overall while there was promise, it just didn’t follow through.
December 13, 2022
If you like Hallmark Channel mysteries, you’ll love this. Yes, it’s that awful.
January 30, 2023
I really enjoyed this cozy. It is set in New Orleans. Valerie Cooper is adjusting to the loss of her husband as well as empty nest syndrome. Her twin sons are now in college. She is notified that she has inherited the estate of her husbands estranged Uncle. She didn't even know of this Uncle and her husband never mentioned him, why? If that's not enough to overwhelm her, an old acquaintance from the parents group of her sons' high school seems to be stalking her, wanting to sell her house. Valerie was never friendly with Collette so this is weird. When Collette turns up dead and Valerie finds the body, she becomes the number one suspect.
It's a fun and engaging mystery. Kind of two mysteries rolled into one. The murder and the inheritance. Fun characters and the writing style is easy-to-read. A nice escape.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book and offer my unbiased opinion.
It's a fun and engaging mystery. Kind of two mysteries rolled into one. The murder and the inheritance. Fun characters and the writing style is easy-to-read. A nice escape.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book and offer my unbiased opinion.
December 1, 2022
I liked the whole premise of Valerie inheriting a business and not having known her husband's uncle and I liked the key characters a lot. Her friend Lorna cracked me up! Who wouldn't love a bestie like her, right? Dee was a good character too and she made for a nice workplace companion for Valerie. Val's sons were such characters, they were so funny in places.
I did feel in parts of the book that it got overly wordy and maybe a bit too descriptive of past events to the point that I had to hunt for the dialogue that was presently going on. Then I found a few name discrepancies and minor plot discrepancies, none of which I made a note of and none of which terribly affected the outcome or my enjoyment. But it's something I felt I needed to point out. Maybe it was just to set the tone for this first book and give tons of backstory. The description of the town and shops was just about right, and I could almost feel like I was right there in NOLA. And that's my favorite way to travel, by reading. :)
I was right about something that turned out to be a good plot twist. There were a few people I didn't want to be the killer, so I was happy at that outcome but the person I guessed wasn't right. That was one hairy showdown with Lorna right there in the thick of it with Val, so they both succeeded in outsmarting the perp. The book releases Dec. 6, 2022.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.
I did feel in parts of the book that it got overly wordy and maybe a bit too descriptive of past events to the point that I had to hunt for the dialogue that was presently going on. Then I found a few name discrepancies and minor plot discrepancies, none of which I made a note of and none of which terribly affected the outcome or my enjoyment. But it's something I felt I needed to point out. Maybe it was just to set the tone for this first book and give tons of backstory. The description of the town and shops was just about right, and I could almost feel like I was right there in NOLA. And that's my favorite way to travel, by reading. :)
I was right about something that turned out to be a good plot twist. There were a few people I didn't want to be the killer, so I was happy at that outcome but the person I guessed wasn't right. That was one hairy showdown with Lorna right there in the thick of it with Val, so they both succeeded in outsmarting the perp. The book releases Dec. 6, 2022.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.
February 21, 2023
Valerie Cooper is trying to move through life following the death of her beloved husband, as well as her twin sons leaving for college. One day she receives a letter that she and her sons are the beneficiaries of an estranged uncle’s last will and testament. Part of the inheritance is Rare Things, an antiques company. Valerie decides to work part-time at the store, but her new partner is also the father of Collette, the woman who wants to sell Valerie’s house, and a mean woman.
Valerie’s friend Lorna is invited to a Mardi Gras party, and she drags Valerie along. The costume party, however, turns deadly as Valerie finds Collette with a dagger in her chest. A dagger that was at Rare Things.
After the death, Valerie is shocked to learn the dead woman hated Valerie, and sets about trying to discover why. Unfortunately, that also makes Valerie the obvious suspect, but could she also be a potential victim?
I have not read any of T.G Herren’s novels prior to this one.
The story has a lot of potential, but I could not see it as a series, more as a standalone. The mystery was threefold. Who was Uncle Arthur? Why did Collette hate Valerie? And who killed Collette? I found these questions intriguing and kept reading because I wanted to see the answers. I was sufficiently satisfied that each was answered and there were no loose ends.
However, there was quite a bit of repetition. I don’t believe it was necessary to say over and over that Valerie was a widow. Instead, I wish that the author had explained earlier and better how Valerie become a widow. It also would have made the connection with Collette clearer because I had many questions as to how she couldn’t possible have known about such-and-such.
Overall, I rate this novel 3 out of 5 stars.
Valerie’s friend Lorna is invited to a Mardi Gras party, and she drags Valerie along. The costume party, however, turns deadly as Valerie finds Collette with a dagger in her chest. A dagger that was at Rare Things.
After the death, Valerie is shocked to learn the dead woman hated Valerie, and sets about trying to discover why. Unfortunately, that also makes Valerie the obvious suspect, but could she also be a potential victim?
I have not read any of T.G Herren’s novels prior to this one.
The story has a lot of potential, but I could not see it as a series, more as a standalone. The mystery was threefold. Who was Uncle Arthur? Why did Collette hate Valerie? And who killed Collette? I found these questions intriguing and kept reading because I wanted to see the answers. I was sufficiently satisfied that each was answered and there were no loose ends.
However, there was quite a bit of repetition. I don’t believe it was necessary to say over and over that Valerie was a widow. Instead, I wish that the author had explained earlier and better how Valerie become a widow. It also would have made the connection with Collette clearer because I had many questions as to how she couldn’t possible have known about such-and-such.
Overall, I rate this novel 3 out of 5 stars.
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