A Justified Murder by Jude Deveraux was an excellent murder mystery novel that took some wild twists and turns I didn't expect!

Sara, Kate and Jack work together to try to solve an old woman's murder. Everyone seems to like her... or do they? There's more than meets the eye when this elderly woman is brutally murdered, and the plot begins to thicken when her drama is released into the public...

I honestly adored this book! It was sweet, simple and yet so thrilling all at the same time. It felt very cozy yet it wasn't a total contemporary, cozy mystery. It was packed full of unique stories that I hadn't expected (but I also hadn't read the first book in this series, so who knows... maybe I would have seen them coming!).

This book can easily be read as a standalone, but I know I want to pick up the remaining books in this series now. It was super enjoyable and enough information was given for me to understand what was going on in the story.

I will say this: If you are looking for a murder mystery book where you will be able to connect the dots, this book is not it. It's a bit more scattered brained and the kind of book you just sink into and let it ride itself out. There was no way you could guess what was going to happen until the information was given by the author. There's no dots to connect.

I am very curious if this romantic relationship that was being hinted at develops... I guess I gotta find the rest of the series to find out!

Four out of five stars.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. ( )

Lily of the valley blooming in Atlanta in July?
( )

I listened to this second case for the Medlars, but think it would have been better had I read it with my eyes. The narrator didn't make the voices distinct for me. I was often wondering who was doing the talking. It was even harder because parts of the story were told in flashbacks which give one or two of the current suspects motives.

The story concerns the death of a woman who was described as sweet and forgiving. Her manner of death - shot, stabbed, and poisoned - seems to indicate that she wasn't as nice as first look told.

Bestselling author Sara Medlin, her real estate saleswoman niece Kate, and adopted grandson Jack Wyatt were successful in their first case. But they have decided that it was too dangerous and wish people would quit coming to tell them about Janet. Even the Sheriff wants them to investigate.

As they begin looking into Janet's life, they find a number of people who wanted her dead. The suspects range from the woman who sold Janet her house to teenage mean girls to Jack's foreman who is worried about losing custody of his son. There were others too.

Sara, Kate, and Jack soon learn that Janet was never satisfied until she got revenge for even the smallest slight. The woman who beat her in a crocheting contest had her sheshed burned down. The beautician who accidentally dyed her hair green had Janet put her out of business by establishing a competitor next door.

I liked the byplay between Jack and Kate and wonder if she's really as clueless about how much he likes her as she seems.

It was a nice mystery with a sort of surprising ending. I just think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read it with my eyes. ( )

Another nice installment of the Medlar mystery series. This is an enjoyable read. The audiobook was a relaxing listen. ( )

Janet Beeson is murdered. When Janet's body is discovered, everyone is shocked by the violence of the attack. The sweet little old woman has been shot, stabbed and poisoned, but no one can imagine who would want to harm one of the town's kindest, most helpful residents. Sara, Kate and Jack are determined to leave this case to the professionals. But they are soon bombarded by townspeople eager to tell their stories and clear their names with the trio who solved the Morris murders. Even the sheriff is hoping they'll lend their skills to a crime that seems to have no explanation and no motive. And once the town gets talking, they begin to see that there are more secrets buried in quiet Lachlan than anyone could have imagined. ( )