Book Review (and a Giveaway!): Address to Die For by Mary Feliz

For professional organizer Maggie McDonald, moving her family into a new home should be the perfect organizational challenge. But murder was definitely not on the to-do list . . .

Maggie McDonald has a penchant for order that isn’t confined to her clients’ closets, kitchens, and sock drawers. As she lays out her plan to transfer her family to the hundred-year-old house her husband, Max, has inherited in the hills above Silicon Valley, she has every expectation for their new life to fall neatly into place. But as the family bounces up the driveway of their new home, she’s shocked to discover the house’s dilapidated condition. When her husband finds the caretaker face-down in their new basement, it’s the detectives who end up moving in. What a mess! While the investigation unravels and the family camps out in a barn, a killer remains at large—exactly the sort of loose end Maggie can’t help but clean up . . .

SERIES: Maggie McDonald Mysteries #1
GENRE: Cozy Mystery
PUBLISHER: Lyrical Underground
RELEASE DATE: July 19, 2016
PAGES: 320

I am finding that I very much enjoy both the predictability and the creativity of cozy mysteries. Predictability – because most follow a typical formula (pet, small town, local businesses with cute names, amateur sleuth, hint of romantic potential, etc). Creativity – because each author takes this formula and puts their own twist on it.

Mary Feliz’s debut cozy Address to Die For follows the typical formula but with unique elements that give it its own flair. For starters, Maggie isn’t technically a single mom though she ends up as one for most of the book. She has what seems like a solid marriage, and I would have actually liked to see more of her husband in the story. Hopefully he will play a larger role in further books. We can instantly relate to Maggie from the moment she steps out of her car to discover that the house they hoped was “turn key ready” is anything but. From the broken windows to the hole in the porch… to, you know, the dead body in the basement. And it all goes downhill from there LOL.

Seriously, poor Maggie. She’s super resilient though. I would have packed it in and called it a day as soon as my husband told me about the body in the basement. Heck, I pretty much feel that way if we see evidence of mice… so yeah, dead body? I’m outta there.

Along the way, with everything going downhill fast, Maggie gets to know the local police department very well. I absolutely adored several of the local characters, including a couple of the police officers, and I’m looking forward to spending more time with them all in later books.  Well…. maybe not the murderer. But all the rest, definitely! 🙂

Bottom Line: Address to Die For is one of those books where the writing, the plot, the characters – it all “clicks” right from the very first word. I was caught up in the story immediately and didn’t want to put it down until I’d figured out whodunit and made sure Maggie and her people were safe and sound. Engaging writing, interesting characters, and a well-plotted mystery. Enjoyable for any cozy mystery fan and even for readers just starting out in the genre.

(I received a copy of this book in exchange for only my honest review.)

My Rating: 4 stars / Loved it!

Reviewer’s Note: This is a book written for the general market. While it contains a couple (and I mean that literally) of minor profanities, it is otherwise clean. I have no problems recommending it for my readers who prefer “clean” or Christian fiction.

Mary Feliz has lived in five states and two countries but calls Silicon Valley home. Traveling to other areas of the United States, she’s frequently reminded that what seems normal in the high-tech heartland can seem decidedly odd to the rest of the country. A big fan of irony, serendipity, diversity, and quirky intelligence tempered with gentle humor, Mary strives to bring these elements into her writing, although her characters tend to take these elements to a whole new level. She’s a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and National Association of Professional Organizers. Mary is a Smith College graduate with a degree in Sociology. She lives in Northern California with her husband, near the homes of their two adult offspring. Visit Mary online at MaryFeliz.com, or follow her on Twitter @MaryFelizAuthor.

What about you? What’s your personal worst “moving day” disaster story?

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