On Borrowed Crime: A Jane Doe Book Club Mystery

Kate Young

Oct 2020 · A Jane Doe Book Club Mystery Book 1 · Crooked Lane Books

About this ebook

Sleuth alongside the quirky members of a mystery book club in this Georgia-set cozy mystery full of sweet tea, Southern charm, family drama, and a tantalizing bit of romance!

The Jane Doe book club enjoys guessing whodunit, but when murder happens in their midst, they discover solving crimes isn’t fun and games.

Lyla Moody loves her sleepy little town of Sweet Mountain, Georgia. She likes her job as receptionist for her uncle’s private investigative firm, her fellow true crime obsessed Jane Doe members are the friends she’s always wanted, and her parents just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. But recently, with her best friend Melanie on vacation, and her ex-boyfriend and horrible cousin becoming an item and moving in next door to her, her idyllic life is on the fritz. The cherry on top of it all is finding Carol, a member of the club, dead and shoved into a suitcase, left at Lyla’s front door.

Unusual circumstances notwithstanding, with Carol’s heart condition, the coroner rules Carol’s death undetermined. But when they discover the suitcase belongs to Melanie, who had returned from her vacation the following morning, Sweet Mountain police begin to suspect Lyla’s best friend. Determined that police are following the wrong trail, to clear her friend’s name, and to not allow Carol become one of the club’s studied cold cases, Lyla begins to seek out the real killer. That is, until she becomes the one sought after. Now, finding the truth could turn her into the killer’s next plot twist, unless she wins the game of cat and mouse.

Ratings and reviews

psychological, thriller, private-investigators, law-enforcement, murder-investigation, southern, small-town**** Lyla works for her uncle in his PI office, lives alone because she doesn't care to live with her wealthy dysfunctional parents (and her fun Grandmother), belongs to a book club devoted to solving fictional crimes, when crime comes to her house in the form of a fellow clubber's body stuffed into a suitcase resembling the one another friend took with her on a cruise. The characters are varied and well presented, the twists and red herrings entertaining, the plot a mite slow at times. All in all, it was a very good read. I requested and received a free ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books/Penguin Random House Publishers via NetGalley. Thank you!

As a fan of Kate Young's other series, I was excited to be approved for an ARC of On Borrowed Crime, the first book in the new A Jane Doe Book Club Mystery, from NetGalley, but the book left me a bit ambivalent. I expected a cozy mystery but the harshness of the appearance of the body and the intricate relationship Layla has with her mother takes the book to a level not common in cozy or amateur mystery novels. I loved that the mystery was extremely complex and that the author provided hints, many of which were easier to identify after the fact than as I was reading. I love a subtle trail of clues! There is an awkward dichotomy between the complexity of the rest of the book and the protagonist's emotional immaturity, not to mention her long-time obsession with Jane Doe victims. One of the stronger elements of the story centered about her mother who felt like a 1950's-1970's perfect little housewife, but who apparently came from a problematic background that she is still striving to leave behind. At first her efforts to fit in her husband's world make her appear weak, but as we see more of her, we learn that she is in fact quite strong; she just feels the need to hide that strength as she plays good doctor's wife. I look forward to discovering more of her depths. She is not an anachronism in this book. Only a few elements like cell phones clearly placed the book as a contemporary novel. Will I read more of this series? Probably, I would like to see Layla grow up in her dealings with men and her intended career path, but I am hoping that will happen as she works with her uncle and develops a grown-up romance. I was impressed with the variety and depth book club members and look forward to getting to know them better. I am eager to discover more about her mother's past and to see who she really is. I loved the grandmother and will enjoy spending more time with here. And of course, Kate Young writes a heck of a mystery! My thanks to NetGalley for approving my request for an ARC of On Borrowed Crime. The opinions expressed are all mine. #NetGalley #OnBorrowedCrime

On Borrowed Crime is the first instalment in the Jane Doe Book Club Mystery series and is a super fun read. It is fresh, quirky, charming and If you are looking for a new cozy mystery to sink your teeth into, then I recommend you adding this one to your reading list. Kate Young has put together a well plotted mystery, that caught my attention immediately. The story plays out a bit more darker than a traditional cozy mystery, but still has all the other elements that make this genre so much fun to read. I enjoyed how there are red herring’s that are peppered throughout along the way, which leads the reader away from the real culprit, making for a surprise reveal. The cast of characters are colourful and they shine through the pages. I loved Layla and she made for a really great lead. She is a sassy southerner who I could completely relate to and I look forward to reading more about her. The supporting cast play out their roles well and each add their own personality to the story. I liked the setting of Sweet Mountain Georgia which Kate Young brings to life beautifully. The incorporation of a true crime obsessed book club (The Jane Doe Book Club – Brilliant name!) is a great touch and Layla’s employment as a receptionist at her uncle’s PI business, paves the way for her to become embroiled in the case, as a budding PI herself, but more so as the deceased is a friend of hers. A new author to me, Kate Young has a very easy style and I found her writing to be very fluid and engaging. The story flows well, moves at a steady pace and kept me wanting to flick the pages. The series has a lot of potential and I look forward to seeing its development in future books.

About the author

Kate Young is a member of Sisters in Crime and the Guppy Chapter. She is married and the mother of three. She lives in a small town in Georgia and when she is not writing her own books, she's reading or cooking.