One of my favorite things is a Kindle Short Read.

Just put ‘short cozy mystery’ into Amazon’s search engine and a list pops up. I’m a fan of short reads, because I can read a book in a single sitting. Many are even short enough to be read in an hour, as was the case with The Art & Craft of Murder (Whistler Cove Cozy Mystery Series Book 1) by Cozy Cat Parker.

Book Review #3:

The Art & Craft of Murder 

By Cozy Cat Parker

Short Reads take about the same amount of time as watching a television show, but I can read it on my cell phone, Kindle or computer app. It’s a great, satisfying break. 

I love the niche so much, I started writing short cozies. Finding ones I love to read, however, has been a bit harder as the novella format hasn’t really exploded yet, but the mysteries are paced faster with plenty of chances to ‘play along’ and solve the deadly puzzle.

Luckily, The Art & Craft of Murder fits the novella format I love.

The Pros & Cons And My Final Verdict:

Pros: Whistler Cove is an idyllic seaside location with a cast of characters that bicker and intrigue the reader. I enjoyed how the main character, Misty, doesn’t set out to be a sleuth, she just turns out to be one naturally.

Cons: The book contains some grammar issues, and a strange use of a single quote mark for dialogue, instead of the one English teachers and every other book uses–the double quote. The story also spends a lot of time in the main character’s coffee/tea shop talking about what is happening elsewhere. It definitely gives that cozy feel, but the reader really isn’t able to solve the murder. Overhearing all these conversations, however, it’s clear who will be killed, how they are killed, and the ending felt telegraphed too early.

Final verdict: On a scale of Hmmm to Fun to Read to Must Read… The Art & Craft of Murder is a Hmmm.

I found the book on a free download (and it was still free the last time I checked), so that’s always a plus. I’d read one more in the series to see how things develop for Misty. However, I prefer to solve the mystery with the main character, and there just wasn’t enough ‘solving potential’ in the story. If you are a reader that prefers to join your characters at a cafe table and hear them gossip, then you’d probably rate this book higher.