January Thaw (The Murder-By-Month Mysteries, 9)

I love all her books!

Keeping in mind that this is a light-weight, cozy mystery story, pour yourself a good cup of coffee and relax in your easy chair with this fun little novel. Mira James and her geriatric side-kick, Mrs. Berns, think they hear a kitten or crying child in a dark alley. Since this is safe little Battle Lake, MN, they aren't too concerned checking it out. But they are assaulted by a couple of thugs and are now fearful in their normally safe community. Soon thereafter one of the guys from the alley is found dead under the ice in the lake. Throw in a drug rink, a new craft brewery, and a haunted mansion and there are plenty of angles to keep the reader entertained.

jumped around too much. I expected a more straight-line mystery, like the early ones in Metropolis, llinois with the fiberglass statue of Superman. Did not finish.

Love this series especially the ending of this one. Love Mira with Johnny. Love Mrs. Berns and Jed.

This is #9 in the Murder of the Murder of the Month Mystery series and Jess Lourey continues to entertain her readers with laugh out loud high jinks and edge of your seat drama.
Since I am also from Minnesota and live not to far from Battle Lake where the story unfolds I could really relate to the stories. Especially the weather!
A great read!!

Jess knows how to engage the reader with a great plot with multiple layers that may or may not connected and a great cast of characters that includes Mira, the ever-present Mrs. Berns as well as Johnny and the other cast that crosses Mira’s path. The dialogue is exceptional and the setting gave me the feeling that I was standing in a cold January Minnesota. Once again, Jess entertained me with her written words and I look forward to visiting Mira and the gang in February Fever, the next book in this fabulous series.

And who wouldn't be? The part-time public library director in Battle Lake, Minnesota, has discovered at least one dead body per month since she arrived in town last Spring. Her most recent interactions with bad guys and investigations have left her so scared that she's taken to sleeping UNDER her bed. How can she get herself out of this funk and back to a reasonable life -- the one that includes being nestled in the arms of her charming boyfriend, Johnny Leeson?

Well, being mugged by a couple of druggies from Chicago doesn't help matters at all. Seems there's a new gang in town. Literally. And before you know it, not only has Mira had contact with these thugs, but she's also spied a body in the lake that may have ties to the newcomers. Mira's got to figure out what's going on. But at the same time, she needs to run the library, write a newspaper article about a local history museum, and put in some PI-in-training hours to find a missing person. AND make time for Johnny. AND deal with Mrs. Berns, her ever-exasperating library staffer and co-conspirator in crime-related shenanigans. Really, it's a wonder the woman even has a chance to breathe. We have to turn the pages quickly just to keep up with her.

Once again, author Jess Lourey has crafted an intricate and satisfying series of plot lines that have no choice but to converge. Mira James is one of the most likable people in contemporary mysteries. And she has to get everything done in order to understand the situation herself, and to reveal it to everyone else. This time, readers will probably put two and two together on at least one front, before Mira does. It still makes for intriguing and fun reading. And even at the end, we're left with questions. Will Mira get her PI license? Will Mrs. Berns continue to be her sidekick? Will love prevail with Johnny Leeson? I have to admit that I'm already a little sad that we may share only three more escapades with these people.

To be fair: I've been a fan of this series since the beginning. I met and chatted with author Jess Lourey at a book signing for [[ASIN:0738731366 November Hunt]] in 2011. I've interacted with her on Facebook. I've found her to be an approachable author who doesn't hesitate to help and to motivate other writers. I probably won't read the non-mystery books that she has planned -- she's got lots! -- but I will devour the rest of this series.

"January Thaw" is highly recommended for any mystery lover. You don't need to have read the previous Murder-by-Month episodes before this one; but as is often the case, your reading experience will be greatly enhanced if you do. Begin at the beginning with [[ASIN:0738708380 May Day]]. By the time you read all nine, Jess's "February Fever" will be further along in the printing pipeline, and you won't have to wait too long to catch up with Mira James again.

5 STARS

I really like and care about Mira James. Jess Lourey did a good job of making the characters feel real. I did not want to put the book down. I did not realize that I had read a previous book featuring Mira two years ago.(My Memory I used to remember all the books I read.)

The book starts strong and keeps you interested and wanting to know more about the different characters and their relationships to each other.

Mira James works at the library, newspaper and working to become a detective. She cares about the people in her small town of Battle Creek, MN. She has a bad habit of finding a dead body at least once per month. She is house sitting for a friend.

Mira and her friend get accosted in an alley. Before anything bad happens they are rescued by Maurice a black man that has come in the library a lot the past week. He knows the two men who have gang tattoos.

The book has a lot of drama, action, crimes as Mira tries to figure out how and who are doing things in town. Plus she has a case to look into and lots of questions she wants the answer too.

Mira has two good friends who are senior citizens that help her get into trouble. They bring some humor along with finding out information to help her solve the problems and questions she has.

I would love to go back and read all the books in the series sometime. I want to read more of Jess Lourey books in the future.
I was given this ebook to read and asked to give honest review of it when finished by NetGalley and Midnight Ink.
One source says this book comes out in Aug and three more show Jan. 8, 2014. Midnight Ink publisher.