THE GLASS HOUSE
SERIES: A PIP Inc. Mystery #1
GENRE: Cozy Mystery
PUBLISHER: Good Read Publishing
RELEASE DATE: July 23, 2019
PAGES: 271
Law Librarian Pat Pirard got an unexpected thirty-fifth birthday present: a pink slip. Now she has nine weeks to reinvent herself before she runs out of money.
Her best friend Syda gives her a glass forming class as a birthday present and distraction where Pat gets another surprise: a murder.
The Glass House is a delightful start to a new cozy mystery series!
Pat makes a compelling & engaging heroine turned informal private investigator – she’s smart, witty, and determined, though she giggles a bit too much for me. Her life takes several rather dramatic turns early on in the story, a rollercoaster ride of sorts from elation to despair to shock and even a nice dash of romance. But while she responds like any of us would in those situations she is also full of pluck which makes her even more likable.
The writing flows nicely, at a steady pace – though sometimes it felt like important scenes had been skipped. The mystery is very well plotted with plenty of clues, suspects, and red herrings to keep you on your toes. I thought I had it figured out but I totally didn’t lol. Pat & Tim’s romance is sweet and swoony, and they made me smile when they were together. Back to my point I made earlier about feeling like some scenes were skipped…. this was most noticeable in their relationship. We were told how their feelings were growing but I guess I needed to be shown more of the chemistry & emotions involved in the falling in love process to fully be on board.
Bottom Line: Smart, clever, and witty – with a dash of romance – The Glass House is truly a delightful read. Pat is the ideal cozy heroine and her dog Dot & cat Wimsey have just as much personality as (if not more than) the other supporting characters. Tim complements her well as a love interest, too. The multi-layered mystery is highly engaging and keeps you guessing. The editing could have been tighter (several errors in the finished copy) and the characters a little more dimensional but overall it’s a great book. I can’t wait for more in this series!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I was gifted by the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)
My Rating: 4 stars / loved it
KissingBook Level: 3 / may forget to breathe on occasion
Reviewer’s Note: Readers may want to be aware that there is some mild profanity and subtle innuendo in this book.
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Nancy Lynn Jarvis was a Santa Cruz, California, Realtor® for more than twenty years before she fell in love with writing and let her license lapse.
After earning a BA in behavioral science from San Jose State University, she worked in the advertising department of the San Jose Mercury News. A move to Santa Cruz meant a new job as a librarian and later a stint as the business manager for Shakespeare/Santa Cruz at UCSC.
Nancy’s work history reflects her philosophy: people should try something radically different every few years, a philosophy she applies to her writing, as well. She has written seven Regan McHenry Real Estate Mysteries; a stand-alone novel “Mags and the AARP Gang” about a group of octogenarian bank robbers; edited “Cozy Food: 128 Cozy Mystery Writers Share Their Favorite Recipes” and a short story anthology, “Santa Cruz Weird;” and even done a little insider’s book, “The Truth About Hosting Airbnb” about her first year as a host.
“The Glass House” is the first book in a planned series of PIP Inc. Mysteries. Now she’s trying to figure out when to work on another series she’d love to do called “Geezers with Tools” about two older handymen who will solve mysteries in the course of doing their work, and setting up writer retreats at her house.
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Nancy Lynn Jarvis is offering an ebook copy of The Glass House to one of my readers! (open internationally except where prohibited by law or logistics) This giveaway is subject to Reading Is My SuperPower’s giveaway policies which can be found here. Enter via the Rafflecopter form below.
What about you? What interests you most about The Glass House?
What a great combo, mystery, humor and romance. I’m in.
Thanks for having The Glass House on your page. The real Pat that the character is based on says she doesn’t giggle (she does) but I may have to tone that down for both of you in the next book.
LOL! if you don’t it won’t be the end of the world for me 😉
Sounds fun!
SOUNDS FUN.