Book Review: Murder at Cape Costumers (Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery, #7) by Maddie Day

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Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing, and Kensington Cozies for providing me with an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Murder at Cape Costumers (Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery, #7)  by Maddie Day  for free in exchange for my honest review. As a fan of the author Maddie Day, I was thoroughly excited to read this cozy mystery, but unfortunately, I didn't connect to this series. This latest installment of Maddie Day's Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery  opens with the town of Westham, Massachusetts being happy that a new costume shop and alterations store has opened in their town just before Halloween.  However, when one of the owners of the shop finds her elderly boyfriend murdered in the shop, the entire town becomes suspicious of her, the co-owner, and everyone else. To top things off, Mac's sister in law has gone missing, and she along with her husband are having to care for two young children. Mac knows she has to help solve both of these mysteries with the help ...
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Book Review: Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau

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Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau is a coming of age novel taking place in Baltimore, Maryland.

Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau is a coming of age novel taking place in Baltimore, Maryland. During the 1970's, fourteen year old Mary Jane is caught in the middle of her family's conservative ideals and the progressive ideals of the Cone family where she is a summer nanny. Mary Jane is a sheltered teen who enjoys cooking with her mother, listening to Broadway Show Tunes, and singing in the church choir. On the first day of work, she is shocked at the mess in the Cone's home and introduces them to home cooked meals and keeping the house clean. In return, Mary Jane gets a front row seat to sex, drugs, and rock & roll.

This novel was the selected for the book club I belong to. Again, this is a novel that I likely wouldn't have chosen to read on my own, but I was glad I did. Mary Jane is the first novel I've read by Jessica Anya Blau, and I was impressed with her storytelling. 

Touching on race, class, and stereotypes, along with drugs and infidelity, it reminded me that there are people who still hold the conservative beliefs that many held in the 1970's. I loved the fact that Mary Jane was exposed to different viewpoints that she normally didn't hear and began to question the world around her, eventually leading to her developing her own opinions. Jessica Anya Blau got the tone and perspective of a teenager perfect in my opinion. Although the story is told from a child's perspective, it is not suitable for young children to read.

Some might find the beginning of the story a bit slow like I did, but as the story developed, I found it to be more interesting and couldn't wait to find out how the tale would unfold. The majority of the characters were likable and most were well developed. I found myself caring what would happen to them, even the ones I didn't particularly like. I wasn't sure if Mary Jane would have an ending I would enjoy, but surprisingly, I was satisfied with how the author wrapped it up.

All in all, I gave Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau four out of five stars. I will likely read other novels written by this author, and I would love to see her write a sequel to this book.


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