Book Review: Murder at the PTA (Maya and Sandra Mystery, #1) by Lee Hollis

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Murder at the PTA (Maya and Sandra Mystery, #1) by Lee Hollis is the first installment in the Maya and Sandra Mystery series, a cozy mystery series centered on private investigators. The story follows Sandra Wallage , the wife of a U.S. senator and the newly elected president of Portland High School’s PTA, who becomes the latest target of a vicious gossip website called Dirty Laundry . After a heated PTA meeting, Sandra crosses paths with Maya Kendrick , a private investigator who has uncovered the identity of the person behind the gossip site. When the two women attempt to confront the culprit, they instead discover a dead body. Was it really a suicide, or did someone have a motive for murder? I’m a longtime fan of books by Lee Hollis , which is actually the pen name for sibling writing duo Rick Copp and Holly Simason . They’ve written several cozy mystery series, and what I appreciate most about their books is that they aren’t overly kitschy, unlike some other cozy mysteries I’ve ...
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Book Review: The Professor (Detective Marlitt Kaplan, #2) by Lauren Nossett

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The Professor (Detective Marlitt Kaplan, #2) by Lauren Nossett continues where The Resemblance (Detective Marlitt Kaplan, #1) left off.

The Professor (Detective Marlitt Kaplan, #2) by Lauren Nossett continues where The Resemblance (Detective Marlitt Kaplan, #1) left off.  Marlitt Kaplan is recovering and is recruited by her mother to look into the death of a student and exonerate a professor.  Going undercover, nothing is as it seems.  Will Marlitt be able to prove that Dr. Verena Sobek is innocent in time?

I received an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of this book for free in exchange for my honest review from NetGalley.  Having read Nossett's debut novel, I couldn't wait to read the sequel.  At the same time, I was unsure if it would live up to its predecessor, so I put off reading the story for a while.

It's been quite a while since I finished reading The Professor, but I find myself still thinking about the story and characters and wanting to lose myself in the story all over again.  I am hoping for another installment and that this will end up being a long running series.  For whatever reason, this book and series has just really stuck with me.

From the first page all the way to the last page, Lauren Nossett weaved an intricate story that absolutely captivated me.  It was one of those books that I couldn't wait to finish, but at the same time, I didn't want it to end.  I totally wanted to play hooky from work to finish it!

Although the author does recap what happened in the first novel throughout The Professor, it's best to read the first book before reading this one.  Five out of five stars is what I gave this book.


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