Thursday, April 17, 2014

Buried in Bargains by Josie Belle


First Line: "Mom, you need to get a grip," Laura Gerber said to her mother as they trudged up the sidewalk through the center of St. Stanley, Virginia.

It's My Sister's Closet's first holiday season, and the Good Buy Girls are hunting for cheap (yet stylish) wrapping paper so thrift store owner and head GBG member Maggie Gerber can offer free gift wrap. It should be a time of good cheer, but pregnant Good Buy Girl Joanne Claramotta is acting more like Ebenezer. There's more than hormone surges at work here. Her husband has hired a pretty young thing to work at their deli, and Joanne just can't fight the feeling that Michael's eye has strayed from her whale-like figure to the svelte Diane Jenkins.

Calming her down is going to prove all but impossible when Maggie finds Michael unconscious on the deli floor... with the strangled body of Diane not far away. Soon Maggie needs to be calmed down as well because Diane was a woman with no paper trail and no past. She's afraid that when Michael's secrets come to light, the holidays may be ruined for them all.

I've come to the conclusion that one of the reasons why I enjoy Josie Belle's Good Buy Girls mysteries so much is that, by reading them, I experience something I've never had: the close friendship and emotional support of a group of women. These books almost make me want to start wearing nail polish and looking for bargains on shoes. Almost. (Sorry, Jenn, but I never was and never will be a girly girl.) This time around, Maggie and her friends are still dealing with the dangerous diva, Summer Phillips, but the emphasis is less on bargains and cat fights, and more on family, relationships, and a first-rate mystery.

Another thing that I love about this series is that no character is really left behind. When a long-married couple splits in one book, they don't disappear; we get to see how they deal with living apart. When these amateur sleuths help a dead woman's daughter, the next book shows us how she is coping-- and how she is able to move on with her life. This is definitely a series about family and about friends, and while a killer is being hunted, Buried in Bargains really delivers. A word of warning: when reading about the fancy dress Christmas ball, please have tissues on hand. You will need them. It's one of the very best cry-for-happy scenes I've read in a long, long time. I also have to admit that finally getting a chance to see Maggie's daughter was a bonus-- as well as watching further progress in the relationship between Maggie and Sheriff Sam Collins.

If you love feeling invested in the crime fiction you read, get hold of the Good Buy Girls series. The whodunit aspects are good, and the cast of characters is so strong that you'll wish you could move to St. Stanley, Virginia, to become a part of such a loving, supportive group. Buried in Bargains is the best of the bunch so far. It can be read as a standalone since the author does provide enough backstory for you to get a feel for the characters, but I'd advise that you read 'em all. Why deny yourself the pleasure?

Bring on the next one-- I have my coupons ready!


Buried in Bargains by Josie Belle (AKA Jenn McKinlay)
ISBN: 9780425252307
Berkley Prime Crime © 2013
Mass Market Paperback, 272 pages

Cozy Mystery, #3 Good Buy Girls mystery
Rating: A-
Source: Purchased at The Poisoned Pen. 


12 comments:

  1. Cathy - I really must catch up on this series. I've heard such good things about it from you and others. Shame on me for not trying it yet!

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  2. Thank you, Cathy! Best. Review. Ever.

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    1. It's easy to write a review like this when such a talented writer is the cause.

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  3. What a wonderful review. I have an earlier book from this series on my tbr pile and I think it will have to move up on the pile. Looking forward to catching up with these stories.

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    1. I think you'll really enjoy them, Eileen. I tend to be rather tough on cozies, but I love these Good Buy Girls.

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  4. Absolutely a wonderfully written series! Of all her series this ranks 2nd for me. The best one for me is her Library Lover's series. I'm partial to all things library!

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    1. I literally grew up in a library, Linda, so I'm partial to them, too!

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  5. This is the first one I read of this series. I loved it. Even reading alone it made me laugh out loud at times.

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    1. I love books that can make me laugh. I'm so glad you enjoyed this one, Peggy!

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  6. So many series on my wish list and so little time to get to them. However, lately I've been trying some genres I don't usually read, and thus remembering why I don't read them. When they're done, I'll get back to my favorite kind of books - mystery novels. For one thing, I miss books that make me laugh.

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    1. I wonder if we all do this: try genres we don't normally read only to be reminded of why we don't read them? I've done that, too, and will undoubtedly continue to do so!

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