Karen S. (BoysMom) - My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Exciting and fun, with lots of action and animals that can communicate with their human.
Moving Is Murder is the first book in a new cozy mystery series by author Nellie H. Steele, and I think it will be a great one! With underdog amateur sleuth Ellie Byrne, you get a 50-something woman on a mission to make good on her second change at a happy, successful life. Ellie's husband did her wrong, but she's gotten the opportunity to make lemonade out of the lemon of a situation he left behind. The main character and her backstory are relatable, the murder mystery compelling, and the ensuing investigation solid with plenty of collateral action for the heroine to overcome.
The little town of Salem Falls, while quaint from the outside looking in, has its dramas bubbling right below the surface, and Ellie's Aunt Susie was up to her eyebrows in all of it. As this is the debut novel of the series, readers meet a goodly variety of interesting town residents and business people, many of whom become suspects in Susie's murders. Hopefully, most will return in future books.I really enjoyed the personalities of both Lola and Cleo: very dog-like and cat-like, I thought. Cleo is somewhat sly and snarky, full of drama, and the smart one of the pair. Lola does what a dog's going to do and gets carried away at times, barking at her surroundings and chasing things that maybe she shouldn't. She has such a good heart, and I was completely caught up in her drama.
With a compelling plot and engaging characters, I recommend MOVING IS MURDER to cozy mystery readers who enjoy stories where animals can communicate with their humans, settings in the New York/Pennsylvania region of the United States, and more mature amateur sleuths.I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.
