A Mother's Day Murder (Mt. Abrams Mysteries Book 1)

This is an awesome read. I gave it five stars because it deserves it. I like to read a book that keeps me wanting to read it. The Author did a wonderful job on this book. A two thumbs up! If you like a good mystery, read this book....

I loved this book. Kept me guessing until the final chapter. And a great twist at the end. And it had me laughing out loud every now and then. Can't wait to read more of these stories.?????

I do love Dee Ernst's writing. I think it makes for a real story that you can connect to, but it has so much entertainment, you know you are definitely relaxing and reading a book, my favorite pastime.

In my opinion it was too short! I loved reading this book, it was funny and witty. I like all of the characters, especially Ellie. She is the mom I aspire to be. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

This book had me from the beginning. The characters are likable and the setting was somewhere I would imagine living. I would love to read more from this author. Once I started I had a hard time putting it down.

a warmed-over bore as chick-lit. The usual divorcee having trouble choosing between two men, both of whom she finds very attractive *physically*.

Remember in the olden days, when a woman got married once and stayed married, and she never had to choose, because she had already chosen a long time ago?

Unfortunately, this book was poorly edited which I was the beginning of the end for me. Rave reviews by those who receive advance copies only serve to mislead and, subsequently, irritate the misled reader! The book is not worth the time I wasted on it.

I love Dee Ernst's writing but I can only give this book 3 stars. It's worth reading but I didn't love it. Maybe I just didn't smoothly make the switch of her writing in a different genre because her romance books are definitely 5 star stuff with rich full characters, a great story line and the special humor that Dee has.

I was really looking forward to reading A Mother's Day Murder when I received a free copy and I will gladly read anything the woman writes. Remember a 3 star is still a good read and she got me with an ending that surprised and pleased me.

I received a pre-print copy of this story to read in exchange for an honest review, which I will provide now. In all, I enjoyed this book. It's the first one I've read by this author and I would read more by her in the future. The writing is done well and descriptions are interspersed not given all in a lump at the beginning of a paragraph, which makes for a quicker read. The entire town comes to life on the pages and it felt like I was living there or had been there, although that was aided by growing up in one myself. I loved the sense of knowing the town, as if it was a separate character of its own. That being said, I gave it four stars for a reason. There are a lot of characters introduced and I didn't feel as if I ever really kept all of them straight, but bear in mind that this is the first in what is going to be a series, so there is plenty of time to get to know the individual characters later. The mystery felt a bit like an afterthought. If you want to read a mystery alone you may be disappointed. It felt more like a romance with a mystery entwined, although I'm not complaining at all. I loved the build up and characters all came to life. I really liked them, all of them, even the ones you never really get to know well. They could have been real people and everything was realistic, which is another thing I enjoyed. I look forward to the next book in this series.

I LOVED this novella, the first book in the new series by Dee Ernst. You cannot help but get lost in the story, so much that you might be done with it before you know it.

You will fall right into step with Ellie and her friends as they walk around the lake in the quaint little town of Mt. Abrams. You will get so caught up in the story and the people that you will feel like you are right there with them as they try to find out where their neighbor Lacey went, why she would leave her two sons behind and why her husband is acting stranger than usual.

Even though this is a novella, it has a lot going on !! It is a GREAT start to a new series you will want to follow. Dee Ernst has a way of grabbing your interest right away and has a knack for opening the readers imagination. I did not want to leave Mt. Abrams but I know that before long I will be back there walking with Ellie and the rest of them !!!

I have been a fan-girl for Dee Ernst since I discovered "Better Off Without Him" and I haven't stopped. Her new series is quite a switch from women with friends to women with friends and murder! The characters are so very well written, I know these ladies. I AM one of these ladies and living in a small community I can alternately laugh and cringe at the goings on in the pages of this first-in-the-series book. I particularly loved the fact that though this is a murder mystery, there wasn't graphic violence. Some have voiced concern at the number of characters in this story, I'm assuming that in the future books these characters will all have return engagements and like in a small town, it's WHO you know not what you know that really counts. All in all, I'm waiting anxiously for the next installment of the little town of Mt Abrams. Dee, let me know if a house comes up for sale, I feel certain I'd fit right in.

(Reviewer's Note: I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review). I have previously enjoyed all of Dee's books--especially the fact that the heroines are close to my age and stage in life. This book was no exception. The main character and those closest to her are likable and interesting; enough so that I finished the book quickly. While I enjoyed the overall story, there were a lot of characters to keep track of and some of the character development was lacking. I got to a pivotal point in the story and was like, "Wait. Who?". A couple of the secondary characters (the ex-husband, the new love interest) weren't well developed, and I'm guessing this is simply because of the book's shorter format and that these people will be fleshed out as the series continues. Overall, I enjoyed the book and look forward to the second in the series.

Once you move away from the major cities in the States you find all sorts of interesting places. Mt. Abrams is one of those places. Everyone knows every one else's business. However, rather like Cabot Cove, which always looked picturesque whenever Jessica Fletcher was darting about solving murders, Mt. Abrams might be best avoided? People will probably keep turning up dead if this turns into a lengthy series. This story has a strong cast of characters possessing all the traits that you would expect from a small town. I could get to like reading about Mt. Abrams and the characters in this story that live there, but I don't believe I'll be moving there anytime soon.

“Everyone who lived there was, of course, lying”

Mt. Abrams is a picturesque fictional town in New Jersey, populated by average suburban characters living every-day lives and attending to their families, jobs, homes, and other quotidian matters, including a tad of snooping into each others’ lives. The populace likes to claim of Mt. Abrams that “nothing ever happens here”, but, as author Dee Ernst tells us in the opening chapter of A Mother’s Day Murder, “Everyone who lived there was, or course, lying”.

The narrator of the book is Ellie Rocca, a 50-ish divorcee with a successful home-based editing career, two daughters (Tess, age 10, and Cait, age 24) living at home, a great group of friends, and just enough free time and intelligence to decide to look into the disappearance of a not-so-popular neighbor, Lacey Mitchell (half of what Shelly Goodwin, Ellie’s friend, refers to as a “Stepford Couple”; Ellie says of the couple “They looked like the type of people you couldn’t imagine doing anything even vaguely distasteful”).

A Mother’s Day Murder is a cozy mystery, a genre of which I am a fan; I greatly admire the ability of cozy writers to spin simple-seeming tales which in fact encompass a necessary skill to create identifiable characters, interesting locales, brisk dialog, and a logical plot.

Readers of Dee Ernst’s popular, romantic comedies-of-manners will find all of the author’s prior-proven talents evident in A Mother’s Day Murder, which is the first of a promised series. Ernst is excellent at providing each character with a humorous “tag”: of neighbor Kate, we learn “It was too bad she couldn’t keep her mouth shut for more than seven seconds at a time”; Ellie’s mother, residing in assisted living, accuses another resident of stealing things even though, in Ellie’s words Justine “couldn’t steal a cotton ball without upping her oxygen intake”.

Ernst unfolds the story in a relaxing pace, leavening plot progression with history of the town of Mt. Abrams, Ellie’s own personal story, and her relationships with her neighbors, children, and suitors. Along with the mystery and humor, the author writes lovely, emotional passages; favorites of mine are the slightly-dismissive Cait helping Ellie dress for a date, as well as passages dealing with Tess’s reaction to Cait’s plan to move away from home. These are well-written scenes that provide welcome, heartwarming interludes.

With incidents such as the discovery of a receipt in a car (and others; I don’t wish to reveal too much plot) Ernst proves herself an able writer of mystery. The only flaw is perhaps a shortage of the mystery’s plot. A Mother’s Day Mystery is an excellent cozy mystery and a great beginning to a new series; I highly recommend it.

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review! YAY! I love Dee's writing and characters, and this, the first of the Mt. Abrams Mysteries series, was right in line with her other books. I read the whole book in one sitting. The plot was engaging, the characters interesting and believable, and I loved the setting.....it made me want to move there. The protagonist is my age, divorced with 2 daughters, and I could really relate to the situations they are placed in in the book.
I can't wait to read the second in the series!

I am a big fan of Dee Ernst because I enjoy her characterizations and writing style. Because of that I received an advance copy of the book so I could provide an honest review. This book is a bit different from her usual topics but her characters are just as real and complete as ever. They are people I wish to know! I could see myself taking my dog on walks with my girlfriends and chatting about the neighborhood, and analyzing things that seem out of place. My only problem was with how abruptly the murder was solved. It all made sense; I just wish she had eased into it a bit more at the end. That being said, it was an enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

Meet Ellie Rocca, a 50-ish freelance editor who lives in a restored Victorian home in a vintage town, Mt. Abrams, whose inhabitants all say “nothing ever happens here.” Ellie has a 10-year old daughter, Tessa, and a 24-year old daughter, Caitlyn, who marked the beginning and end of her marriage to Marc, now relatively absent from her life. Ellie has energy and determination as evidenced by two things: the years it took to renovate her Victorian home and her successful efforts to lose weight.
Ellie has an arsenal of friends who populate the neighborhood where Ellie lives. As daily walking buddies, friends Shelly and Carol, best friend and long-time resident respectively, as well as Maggie, concert violist, are keen observers of neighborhood goings-on as they walk around town. Ellie is a bright, inquisitive, catalyst for these daily discussions.
Small town life revolves around kids’ activities, Garden Club members feuding over “brick pavers” versus “grass” for the library park, work, pets, and Victorian buildings. The daily walk Ellie and her friends take begins at the school bus stop. Along the way, the friends hash out the locals’ latest exploits. Ellie’s daughters provide both humor and agitation for their loving mother. Caitlyn announces she will move to Paris and Tessa tries her best to foil this plan.
When a neighbor’s wife goes missing and her husband turns up dead in his garage, Ellie and her friends embark on some amateur sleuthing. The couple in question, the Mitchells, are wealthy with two sons, who are perceived as the perfect couple with the perfect home in the neighborhood. It seems that no one really knew the family very well.
Seeking some help from law enforcement, Ellie’s friend, Carol directs Ellie to Sam, a local detective. Sparks fly at the encounter of Ellie and Sam. Author Ernst creates a rich potential relationship between Ellie and Sam. However, much-absent ex-husband Marc, makes a move and reveals he still loves Ellie.
Taking an opportunity to search the Mitchell’s home when the ladies find an open door creates more questions about where Lacey Mitchell has gone as well as a stern warning from Sam. Ellie takes matters into her own hands anyway and must fight for her own life as she confronts a suspicious member of the community.
Ernst’s previous novels reveal a flair for excellent dialogue, funny characters and romantic relationship development. She carries these skills into the Mt. Abrams mystery series opener. The large cast of characters we are introduced to in “A Mother’s Day Murder” will provide a rich source of future storylines. While there is some inconsistency in the development of friends in the novel, I hope the author will reveal more about them in future books in the series. She has laid the foundation for a great cozy mystery series. If you like dialogue-driven, funny and approachable characters, dogs, architecture, and working out, you’ll want to read this.
A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review.
vreynolds

I received a free copy for an honest review. I really enjoyed reading this book. All the characters came to life with her writing. I actually felt I was virtually with each one. And, to top it off, the main character was in my age group....Well close enough. LoL Please don't get me wrong. I do enjoy "living through" many of the youngsters in books, too. It's just always nice knowing I won't be "sore" the next day from keeping up with all the young activities. Really good book!

I really enjoy Dee Ernst's writing, and A Mother's Day Murder did not disappoint! The story moved quickly and was an intriguing mystery. I found myself getting invested in the characters and trying to figure out what had happened! This is a great, short, easy read that is probably best consumed in a single setting. I'm looking forward to reading more in this series!

Note: I received a free advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received an early copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed the book, Dee Ernst is always good at character development, and this book was no exception. I am able to see the characters clearly because she describes them, both physically and mentally so well. The first half of the book flowed very well and I really had no idea how it would end, which kept me reading. I was a bit disappointed with the way it all wrapped so easily and so quickly, a bit contrived for me. But the book was enjoyable overall and I look forward to the next in the series.

I enjoyed this book and it caught my attention after the first chapter or so. It was fun and light hearted. I was able to read it in about 2 days, it would have been quicker but work has to come first. If you want a quick mystery to read I would suggest you pick up this book. It will have you chuckling in no time.

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I liked the way the story flowed and the characters were well written. I did feel that the mystery was wrapped up to suddenly.

A fun, quick read. The book introduces us to some of the citizens of this small, quaint town. I was drawn into the story by the main character and found the story to be very entertaining. I am hoping my questions about the characters can be answered in subsequent books.

I received an advance copy of the book in for my honest opinion of the book.

This was a fun read with several twists that I never saw coming. I read it in one sitting and enjoyed the characters immensely as I usually do in most of Dee's books. I received a free copy of this book in return for my honest review. I can't wait to read the next book!

I have enjoyed Dee's stories! I was a lucky fan who got an advanced free copy to give my honest review! I do not read mystery stories on a daily bases, but this was good! You really get a feel for the characters and the story. A page turner with a surprise ending!!!! I highly recommend this book!

I really enjoyed the hometown feel of this book and all the different characters. I love Dee's writing and this book didn't disappoint. The murder was solved a bit quickly in my opinion, but I enjoyed the book all the same. Great job!

Great, quick read to which anyone living in a community can relate. The characters come alive, and the mystery takes a few twists and turns as it progresses. I enjoyed the book and look forward to the next one in the series.

I was sent a Mother's Day Murder but I received a Founders Day Murder twice. The title said mother day murder but the contents were founders day. Did not get to read it, but due like Founders day murder

This was a great story filled with friendship, red herrings, romance, regret, architecture, and small town stories. Did I mention people that disappear, a murder/suicide and a whale of an ending. Just the kind of a story to read on a cold winter afternoon, wrapped in an Afghan, in front of a fire. Bet the next one will be just as good.

I really enjoyed this mystery.It was good and I really didn't get who did the murder until I was told at the end of the story. It certainly was a good read. I did have a problem keeping up with all the friends and characters who lived in the small town.I do think that you would like this book.

This story was easy to read and flowed so easily I couldn't put it down. Ellie and her Mt Abrams friends are the kind of friends we all should have. Of course a hot date gave Ellie a good distraction while trying to figure out who dun it.

Very interesting with a few twists and turns otherwise a fairly predictable mystery. I prefer more detailed reading. I will not be reading anymore of these types of books and it made me feel lose some faith in [...]

I enjoyed reading this mystery for a few reasons. First of all I couldn't figure out who done it half way through the book like so many other mysteries. Another reason is that the ladies who are trying to figure out what is going on, did not try and solve it by themselves. They actually talked to a detective in the police department and told him what was going on. Also they didn't keep evidence to hamper the police in solving what was going on.In addition, there was more going on in the story besides figuring out the mystery.