When I was first approached about reading Irregardless of Murder I was immediately smitten by the playful title. The main character of the Miss Prentice Cozy Mystery series, Miss Amelia Prentice, is an English teacher and the use of an obvious grammatical error made me smile. I anticipated a plucky spirited mystery and the personality of the book didn’t disappoint me. When I finished the book and turned the final page a lingering feeling of slight disappointment did linger and I still seem unable to identify exactly why. I think, perhaps, that this mystery is a just a bit too light, too convenient and too easy for me to feel really satisfied with the book. It was good but it wasn’t great. I enjoyed it but I didn’t love it. It just left me feeling slightly unfulfilled.The premise of the book is fine. It’s simple enough. An English teacher trips over a corpse of a former student while in the library. She becomes a suspect, becomes involved in the investigation and must work to clear her own name. It is just too convenient of a story for me. It is the same issue I had with another book I read earlier this year. Everything just happens too perfectly and, as a result, the book lacks the tension and conflict you would expect to read in a strong mystery. One of the biggest examples of this is that Miss Prentice seems to know absolutely everybody. I have close friends who are teachers and I am well aware that they cannot go anywhere in town without running into somebody they know. Everyone seems to be either a former student or the relative of a former student. The issue is that while my friends seem to always know someone, Miss Prentice seems to know everyone. The book actually opens with her awakening after being knocked out and starting to speak pig-latin to the paramedic who happens to be a former student. Every encounter seems to be like that. It’s ok but as a result the book lacked tension.There are also heavy religious overtones through the entire book. This didn’t bother me as I am deeply rooted in Christian faith and never find religion in a book offensive. I do feel the need to mention it though as I wouldn’t want to mislead a reader. This may have impacted the storytelling as well because it did read as though there was deliberate effort taken to make this a “clean” mystery. It’s not sexual or violent and too dark. It’s gentle and, at many times, humorous. It’s the kind of book that would probably appeal to high school aged readers or readers who want a very direct and easy mystery. I missed the tension.I find it humorous that the website for this book is Miss Prentice Cozy Mystery. I wouldn’t normally think of the word “cozy” to describe a mystery yet it’s actually quite perfect for Irregardless of Murder. It won’t leave you feeling too confused, too stress or too afraid. It’s a book you can pick up, grab a cup of tea and curl up to read. You will, literally, feel quite cozy. It’s a quick book and can easily be read in two days. At about 320 pages it’s a decent size and more than just a simple afternoon read. It’s probably a book I’d grab to read on the plane or to squeeze in between intense thrillers or more complex books. I can see that it will appeal some readers because of its gentle nature however I can’t claim that it is going to remain a favorite of mine.Review by Ashley LaMarClosed the Cover
Being a grammar nerd, the title of E. E. Kennedy’s first cozy mystery, Irregardless of Murder, picqued my interest. Who could resist a book with a main character and amateur sleuth who is a high school English teacher!? ;) What I found was a fun and twisting ride through a small New England town filled with real folks. If you like cozy mysteries, be sure to check out Irregardless of Murder.Amelia Prentice, known to townspeople of all ages as Miss Prentice, is a 40-something, single teacher. Having devoted herself to family, she finds herself the unwilling owner of a cat and living alone in a big, historic house. When had she become the town’s old maid? Yet as she literally stumbles upon a dead body in the library, she becomes first the main suspect and then the target of the real killer. With the help of Vern, a taxi driver/reporter and old flame Gil, owner/editor of the newspaper, Amelia gets to the bottom of the mysterious goings on.Irregardless of Murder has all the traits of a cozy mystery — small town setting, charming and intelligent amateur sleuth, quirky townspeople and a puzzling mystery. It also includes the hope of love and second chances, and a lake monster! A natural faith message is woven throughout; subtle and never preachy. I had my suspicions about the true murderer, but did not guess the motive. Kennedy’s novel is perfect for weekend or vacation reading or when you just want a little light and entertaining read.Recommended.
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Irregardless of Murder by E. E. Kennedy is one of the best cozy mysteries I have read yet! I love the cast of characters, from Miss Amelia Prentice, the English teacher/amateur sleuth; to her many quirky friends including her best friend, Lily Burns; Marie LeBow, the murder victim's mother; Gil Dickensen, editor of the local newspaper (and Amelia’s former flame); and Gil's nephew, taxi driver/university student Vernon Thomas (Vern - one of my favorites!). A quick & enjoyable read full of good people (and a couple of bad apples), an intriguing mystery, a touch of romance, and a plausible and satisfying conclusion! I look forward to reading the next Miss Prentice book, Death Dangles a Participle, which is ready and waiting for me on my Kindle/pc!
—☺Trish
I’ve never read a “cozy” mystery before, and I’m supposing Irregardless of Murder is one such book. I could be wrong, though. The word “cozy” does seem to describe the feel of this novel. I was delighted with the story and characters.In Irregardless of Murder, Marguerite LeBow had been murdered in the copy room at the public library, and Amelia Prentice is the one to find her. Well, she trips over her upon entering the room, then falls and hits her head. So, she really never sees Marguerite’s corpse at all. As a teacher, Amelia had many of the citizens of her small town as students through the years, such as Marguerite. She had liked Marguerite, and thought her a good student. But Marguerite leaves something behind for Amelia, and her murderer is after it, willing to go to any lengths for it. Amelia has no idea what it is, or how to obtain it herself, so she could give it to the police as evidence. She has some friends to help her along the way: Her best friend, Lily Burns; Marguerite’s mother, Marie; Vern Thomas; Gil Dickensen, Vern’s uncle, and Amelia’s high school sweetheart, among a few others. Will Amelia and her friends discover this evidence before the killer makes Amelia victim #2?Most of the characters in this novel are of middle age, so that group of readers is its target. Although, I’m willing to bet the younger set would like it, too. For those who like a cute, quick, entertaining read, this book is perfect. The Wordsmith Journal strives to guide readers to books of personal interest, with the understanding and respect that what appeals to some may not appeal to others. Therefore we attempt to keep our reviews focused on content, genre and style. The rating is necessary to make use of Goodreads and Amazon. It reflects the reviewer’s own level of enjoyment, but the review is intended to be informative for the benefit of all readers.
—TWJ Magazine
Who would think that trying to make copies in the library could get you knocked out or even killed? It shouldn’t be, but for this one English teacher it is. Coming to, she finds that she has fallen over a former student who happens to be dead. Now strange things happen in her quiet small town and pull her into the midst of it.I have to say that I loved this book. I couldn’t put it down. The characters were absolutely adorable and irresistible. I am one who loves the challenge of discovering who did it, but in this case the characters stole the show and I was too caught up in them to solve the murder.Excellent writing. It was a pleasurable cozy read that left me wanting more, which by the way I have put on my wish list to buy the next two books. I can’t say enough how much I loved these characters and how they interacted. They are the reason I’m going to read the next books in the series.And if you are a freak about grammar, so is the main character. Read the book and you’ll understand the title.Note: I received this book from the author with no expectation of a positive review.
—Rebecca Graf
