May Day by Jess Lourey

I finished reading May Day by Jess Lourey yesterday and absolutely enjoyed reading every page of this cozy mystery novel. Jess Lourey is a new author to me and May Day is the first novel in Lourey's Murder-by-Month Mysteries series. 

I love Jess Lourey's writing style. She knows how to create a great story that captures and holds your attention from page one. I actually read this book in three days and would have probably finished reading it sooner if I wasn't so busy living life! 

Best of all, the lead character Lourey has created, Mira James, is like a breath of fresh air. Ms. James is smart, witty and different from other leading cozy sleuths I've read of late.

The following is a book description of May Day from Jess Lourey's website for a taste of what this cozy novel is all about:

A hip, humorous, and gripping account of small-town murder, this novel is the first in a series of comic caper mysteries featuring Mira James, an urban woman with rural Minnesota roots.

Minneapolitan Mira James has been taking it easy since college graduation - too easy. Due to a dead-end job and a cheating boyfriend, the Twin Cities have lost their charm, and Mira decides to begin a new life in rural Battle Lake. Right away she is offered jobs as an assistant librarian and part-time reporter, and falls into an unexpected romance with a guy who seems to be the perfect man -- until he turns up dead between the reference stacks her tenth day on the job.

Anxious to learn more about the man who had briefly stolen her heart, Mira delves into the hidden mysteries of Battle Lake, including a old land deed with ancient Ojibwe secrets, an obscure octogenarian crowd with freaky social lives, and a handful of thirty something high school buddies who hold bitter, decades-old grudges. Mira soon discovers that unknown dangers are concealed under the polite exterior of this quirky small town, and revenge is a tator-tot hot dish best served cold.

You may also enjoy reading an excerpt of May Day from the author's website!! Click on the link above to download a pdf excerpt for your reading pleasure.

Until my next post, happy reading!