Top Notch (A Mia Murphy Mystery)

Stephanie has made me a believer! This is my second time reading a mystery as I am usually a fantasy fiction reader! This book kept a smile on my face and had me laughing out loud!! I cannot wait for book 3! This book is a must read!! Mia is awesomely funny and witty! She will keep you laughing!

Where to start? We pick up right after Mia’s last adventure in this book and Mia has a way of attracting bodies. Not only does Mia find a body early in this story, she manages to get attached to it. This story has murder, arson, and a whole lot else going on. Mai has to tap into the tools of her old trade to help her, Lucy and Hattie solve the case. Several close calls, but a totally engaging story. This book was worth the wait, and I’m excited for what’s next!

Ok I want to be the fourth member of this crew. I seriously love Mia, Hattie and Lucy. I swear the antics they get up to and get themselves in are hilarious! The chemistry between these gals is legit amazing. They feed off each other perfectly. I really love Mia though, she is such an awesome character. Her inner monologue and thought process had me laughing quite a bit. And I mean of course I can’t forget about King Tut, he pretty much steals each scene he’s in hehe Trying to figure out who did it was fun from the beginning to the end. You first went one way thinking ok yeah I know who and then you keep reading and are like wait a second maybe it’s not them, and then another angle comes in. I swear the book keeps you laughing and on your toes. I can’t wait to find out what Mia and her besties get up to next! I highly recommend this one. I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving an honest review. Ok I want to be the fourth member of this crew. I seriously love Mia, Hattie and Lucy. I swear the antics they get up to and get themselves in are hilarious! The chemistry between these gals is legit amazing. They feed off each other perfectly. I really love Mia though, she is such an awesome character. Her inner monologue and thought process had me laughing quite a bit. And I mean of course I can’t forget about King Tut, he pretty much steals each scene he’s in hehe Trying to figure out who did it was fun from the beginning to the end. You first went one way thinking ok yeah I know who and then you keep reading and are like wait a second maybe it’s not them, and then another angle comes in. I swear the book keeps you laughing and on your toes. I can’t wait to find out what Mia and her besties get up to next! I highly recommend this one. I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Mia Murphy and her best friends/amateur sleuths continue in their bumbling adventures in solving murders. This book starts approximately 24 hours after the last book ended but it’s still a stand alone book. You can read and enjoy this one without reading the first book. However, it is worth reading the whole series because they’re delightful stories. Just like the first book, the story hooked me in and took me along for a hilarious and twisty ride while Mia makes and enacts somewhat cockamamie plans to solve crimes. Mia has a colorful past. She is the daughter of a conwoman and pickpocket and she spent the last two years as an FBI informant to help convict her drug kingpin husband. She’s determined to fix up the marina she purchased in Bass Derby, a small town in Maine, and become a happy law abiding resident. Unfortunately, a dead body has been found by Mia (the discovery of which was over-the-top horrifyingly hilarious) and one of Mia’s friends is the prime suspect. Not trusting the cops and wanting to save her friend, Mia attempts to locate the real murderer. The amateur sleuths get themselves into absurdly funny and sometimes dangerous situations. They are witty and endearing characters who are also real, relatable people who have flaws, but are really trying to just do their best. The majority of the same characters from the first book are in this story plus a few new ones have been added. This book has a little bit of everything like you would expect from a good cozy mystery - sweet moments, strong friendships, snort worthy situations, real life issues, imperfect characters, painful pasts, dangerous situations, small town quirky people, shady characters, incompetent police, competent sexy police, twists and turns, moral dilemmas, self-reflection, a ferocious but loyal cat, mystery and secrets. The book was well written, contained witty dialogue, characters with depth and an engaging storyline. I definitely need more Mia Murphy in my life. I willingly reviewed an early copy of this book.