Review: Murder On Parade

OK, so I’m back to the cozy mysteries. Well, I’m sure you’re wondering if I ever really left. But, I figured that since I have reviewed three out of four of the books in Melanie Jackson’s Chloe Boston series, I should at least complete the package.

Since we are in the midst of the holiday season, I thought that it would be nice to review Jackson’s Murder On Parade. This book is $3.99, and at that price, it’s certainly worth it.

A wedding is drawing near, and Chloe is right in the thick of the planning. When her cousin has a minor (but potentially major) accident, Chloe decides to check it out. She suspects sabotage. And, once you’ve met Chloe’s cousin, you wouldn’t doubt it.

Of course, a murder occurs. And Chloe wonders if it is somehow related to the accident. Chloe solves the murder and the accident (no doubt, this is Chloe Boston that we’re talking about).

I am on the fence about this book. A bit ambivalent. Because it runs a little short. I love the Chloe Boston series, but this one was a little bit less meaty than the others. It never really feels rushed, just like the solution came too quickly and easily. And without much help from her team.

I would still recommend it if you like the series, it’s nice to round out the whole series with the final book (although I do hope that Mrs. Jackson will eventually write more in the series).

So, a series recap: The first two books were excellent. The third book was very good. The fourth book is somewhere between OK and good.

One thing that I did like about this book was the murderer. I don’t want to give too much away, but if you like your murderers to be offbeat and a little loony, this killer is for you. This killer is loony with a side order of nuts. Yum.

Again, I highly recommend this series. It’s some really nice independent cozy fiction, although the fourth book missed the mark just a tad. Had I not read the first three books, I wouldn’t be disappointed. The author just set the mark very high with the first three.

In addition, this book contains a nice sample of The First Book of Dreams: Metropolis. This is a book written by the author and her husband (Brian Jackson) as a joint effort. It is not a cozy mystery. I would classify it as a Sci-Fi / Fantasy book.

I read the sample and found the concept and writing both very intriguing. I do expect to read the book and review it for you (although my TBR list is fairly lengthy, and it may be a few months for that one). What I read of the sample was very interesting and easily worth the $3.99 price tag.

There are currently three books in the Book of Dreams series, so if you prefer your reading in series format (which I do) it’s worth checking out.

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