Mind over Murder (Raven's Nest Bookstore Series #1)

you gotta read this one!

clara quinn has a special gift, she can see into the future. it's not a gift she wants. clara has moved back to finn's harbor where she grew up to make it her home again. ana jordan is the next door shopkeeper. she is not happy with the bookstore clara's sister, stephanie, owns and runs. ana is murdered in the storeroom of stephanie's bookstore. stephanie's #1 employee, molly, is the prime suspect. stephanie wants clara to use her sense to help clear molly. clara has tried to supress her talent, so is rusty and it doesn't always work. this is a fast paced mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end. read and enjoy!

fun, easy read

I just started reading these cozy mystery books. Easy reads, perfect for cuddling up before a fire and taking your mind off daily problems. Nicely written. Allison makes the characters seem real. Am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Enjoyable read.

This is a nice cozy with a little bit of an edge. It looks at the problem that small town residents sometimes have of treating someone guilty until proven innocent. I liked the heroine's spunkiness. I'm looking forward to the next one.

Well written who done it

This is a great mystery! It keeps you thinking and i did not guess who done. Enjoyed it and read it in one day

A highly recommended read you have to check out!

In Kingsley's mystery novel, Clara Quinn has returned to Finn's Harbor along with her ability to see the future and read other's thoughts. She's now working at her cousin's bookstore, Raven's Nest. Ana Jordan, the town crier, has been very vocal about her dislike of the bookstore's occult collection and her belief that it is poisoning the town youth. Molly, an employee at the bookstore, has made no secret of her anger over the other woman's statements. When Ana is found murdered, Molly is the number one suspect. Teaming together, Clara and her cousin conduct their own investigation into the real killer.

Kingsley has written a wonderful blend of comfort and mystery. I can't wait for the next installment of A Raven's Nest Bookstore Mystery.

Fun read

Since you've probably already read the book synopsis, I'll get right to the point: This book was a fast read and I found it highly enjoyable. This is a great new cozy with an interesting paranormal element. My only complaint is that it was fairly easy to determine who the murderer was well before the 'reveal'. Since this is the first book in the series, I am willing to forgive that detail in anticipation that the next book will be even better.

Mild, okay for younger set

Simplistic. Easy (too easy) to guess the culprit. Premise rather flimsy. Main characters not very believable, more like characatures than characters. Could be better developed. Rather like reading the final project in a community college fiction writing class.

an okay book, but it didn't grab me.

The characters were pleasant, the plot was fine, but nobody's personalities "grabbed" me. You need to either love a character and root for them or hate them and want to see them get theirs. I would have to know more about each character to feel either emotion.

Twists and turns make for a good mystery

"Mind Over Murder" is a engrossing book that will keep you enthralled from beginning to end. It's time to meet cousins Stephanie and Clara and learn about the Quinn Sense. This first mystery in the Raven's Nest Bookstore series introduces us to a marvelous small town full of interesting characters with enough twists and turns leading up to the murderer revealed to keep the pages flipping.

Kingsley's Mind Over Murder is the breakout must read mystery of the fall season.

Kingsley's Mind Over Murder is the breakout must read mystery of the fall season. Mind Over Murder is the first in a new series from Berkley's Prime Crime imprint and a definite contender for best new cozy series of 2011. Mind Over Murder is a stay in your pajamas all day kind of read. While paranormal mysteries seem to be popping up a bit too much of late and are bordering on saturation, Kingsley dollops in just enough supernatural sparkle to bubble playfully and keep the reader entertained. Article first published as Book Review: Mind Over Murder by Allison Kingsley on Blogcritics.

A Fine Debut

Set in Finn's Harbor, Maine, Stephanie Quinn Dowd owns The Raven's Nest Bookstore. Her cousin, Clara Quinn, has returned to Finn's Harbor unexpectedly without much of a plan. Stephanie has convinced Clara to help her out at the bookstore until she finds another job.

These cousins have always been close but it is not just being family or friendship that keeps them together. It is what Clara calls the family curse. Clara has "Quinn Sense". Little voices in her head that make observations, enable Clara to read other people's thoughts and even see into the future. Clara has spent her life shutting out the voices and willing her "Quinn Sense" to go away. It is the very reason she left Finn's Harbor in the first place. She thought the further she got away the less effective the family curse would be. Stephanie wishes she had the gift and Clara wishes she didn't.

Raven's Nest Bookstore is located downtown among a variety of shops and stores. Right next door is Ana Jordan's stationary store. She is extremely upset with Stephanie because she carries books dealing with the occult in her store. Ana believes Stephanie is corrupting the youth of the town with those books and she has let everyone in the town know of her outrage. Stephanie's employee Molly ends up having a very public argument with Ana on the subject.

The next day Ana is found dead in the bookstore storeroom. She has taken a fatal blow from a bust of Edgar Allan Poe made by Molly. All the evidence seems to point to Molly as the killer, but Stephanie knows it can't be true. She begs Clara to use her "Quinn Sense" to track down the real culprit.



My Thoughts:
Allison Kingsley is another pseudonym of a very well know author. Dorren Roberts Hight also writes as Kate Kingsbury and Rebecca Kent. This is her first contemporary mystery series. Mind Over Murder is a fine debut to this series.

I am not usually a fan paranormal but have been reading a few mild ones lately like this one and I am really enjoying them. I don't have a problem with visions or friendly ghosts or "Quinn Sense" but still not a fan or the undead, vampires or werewolves.

"Quinn Sense" is very subtle, helping Clara piece together the clues and make observations clearly. I enjoy the process of Clara learning about her gift. I am sure it she will continue learning in future editions.

The dialogue between the characters is very real and at points quite humorous. Stephanie's high expectations of Clara's gift kept me laughing as if Clara could just will the murderer to come forward. It is also set in a small town where everyone knows or thinks they know everyone's business and in Finn's Harbor this turns out to be a good thing as even the best laid plans can go awry.

I would say the author's first contemporary mystery is destined to be a huge success as will others in this series!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Berkley Prime Crime. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

a fun paranormal amateur sleuth

In Finn's Harbor, Maine, Stephanie Quinn Dowd persuades her cousin Clara Quinn to manage a shift at her The Raven's Nest bookstore. Clara has the family Quinn Sense; a psychic gift that her cousin wants and she would like Stephanie to have inherited it instead of her. Clara meets store employee Molly Owens who was yelling at the crazy old bat Ana Jordon owner of the shop next door Jordon's Stationer.

Clara finds Ana's murdered corpse in the storage area of the Raven's Nest. Police Chief Dan Peterson and Officer Tin Rossi investigate the homicide in which Poe's bust busted open the head of the victim. The only suspect is Molly. Stephanie encourages Clara to use her Quinn Sense to find out who killed Ana. However, someone tries to frighten her off the case while she also has doubts about her psychic curse.

Mind Over Murder is a fun paranormal amateur sleuth in which the homicide occurs immediately after Clara agrees to temporarily work at the bookstore. Readers will enjoy the escapades of the two cousins who are BFF "sisters". The story line is fast-paced throughout regardless whether the plot focuses on the whodunit or the men wanting to date lofty Clara. It is a sure bet that fans will want to return to the Raven's Nest Bookstore for more Quinn Sense sensational stories.

Harriet Klausner

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.

No text was provided for this review.