Today, I am very happy to be participating in the blog tour for "The Game Changer" by Jennifer Brown, a delightful cozy mystery featuring charming characters, an engaging story, and descriptions of baked goods that are guaranteed to leave your mouth watering. Every so often, I like to pick up a cozy mystery as a change of pace from the many romance novels I read, and "The Game Changer" was a particularly fun example of the genre. My full review of this story is below, but in short, I would recommend it for readers who have enjoyed such series as Lilian Jackson Braun's "The Cat Who..." or Diane Mott Davidson's Goldy Bear culinary mysteries. Readers of small town romance may also enjoy this tale because of its setting in the adorably quirky town of Parkwood, Missouri and the potential for a relationship between main character Hollis Bisbee and police officer Brooks Hopkins.
For a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card courtesy of the author, Jennifer Brown, click here! (Giveaway closes on January 18.)
About "The Game Changer"
Hollis and Daisy love podcasting about murder cases…
But can they solve one?
Hollis Bisbee used to be a big-city crime reporter. Now, she’s a small-town journalist, and she’s bored. She and a young mom, talented baker Daisy Mueller, start the Knock ‘Em Dead podcast—"Where murder and muffins meet!" It’s all fun, games, and baking tips until murder comes to Parkwood.
After a brutal homecoming game loss, the coach of the rival football team is the victim of a hit-and-run in the high school parking lot. The entire town is on edge, and the star quarterback—who happens to be the police chief’s son—may just look the guiltiest of all.
With Hollis’s investigative skills and Daisy’s famous muffins…and in spite of the charming rookie police officer tasked with keeping Hollis out of the way…the podcasting duo sets out to solve their first real case.
This cozy mystery includes a killer free recipe for Daisy’s Cherry Chocolate Chunk Muffins.
My Review
Jennifer Brown's "The Game Changer" was a cute and funny cozy mystery, with just a hint of romance on the side to keep things interesting. The central mystery involving the hit-and-run death of a local football coach was well-crafted, and the culprit wasn't immediately obvious to me. Despite my initial expectations, main characters Hollis and Daisy turned out to be clever investigators, and the secondary focus on Daisy's baking was a nice bonus. Reading about all of Daisy's delicious treats certainly made me hungry as I was reading!
Both of the main characters were very likeable, and I enjoyed their easy friendship and amusing conversations. Daisy was genuinely nice, sweet, and positive, and I was amazed at how she managed to remain so calm despite the chaos of raising four young children and launching a baking business at the same time. Hollis, the book's narrator as well as the podcast's lead investigator, was a bit more reserved than Daisy but still a lot of fun. I appreciated Hollis's character arc over the course of the book as she came to terms with how her life had changed since moving from Chicago to Parkwood, and ultimately realizing that she was ready to call the quirky little town home.
The book's secondary characters were also pretty great. For example, police officer Brooks Hopkins was a nice love interest for Hollis. He was handsome, flirty, and intelligent, and their banter back and forth made me laugh. I could see their relationship developing into something more serious if this story turns into a series. Hollis's mom and aunt were also very amusing, and her phone calls with them were hilarious. I hope to learn more about Hollis's family should there be future books in this series.
Overall, "The Game Changer" was an enjoyable read and I hope there will be more books in this series.
*ARC provided by the author/publisher via InkSlingerPR. All opinions expressed are my own.
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