October Fest

by Jess Lourey

Overview

What’s October without a festive mood, a chill in the air, and a dead body? There’s big trouble brewing in little Battle Lake in this Lefty-nominated mystery from Amazon Charts bestselling author Jess Lourey.

Cue the accordions: Battle Lake, Minnesota, is kicking off October Fest with polka, sausage, and cold suds. The big inaugural event? A debate between two congressional hopefuls. One, stultifyingly sincere. The other, a foot-in-mouth tippler.

Reporter Mira James is roped into covering their fighting words…and then a murder, when a relentless pit bull of a blogger is found dead at a motor lodge filled to capacity with fellow pundits, campaign entourages, and tourists—all of whom have just become suspects.

Mired to her neck in deadly mudslinging, it’s up to Mira to sort through a pile of the candidates’ dirty laundry and expose a killer who’s giving her the pre-Halloween jitters, all while managing mixed messages from local hottie Johnny Leeson. Who knew the political season could be so scary?

Revised edition: This edition of October Fest includes editorial revisions.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781662519321
Publisher:	Amazon Publishing
Publication date:	09/24/2024
Series:	Murder by Month Mystery , #6
Pages:	237
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 1.25(h) x 9.00(d)

About the Author

Jess Lourey writes about secrets. She’s the bestselling author of thrillers, comic caper mysteries, book club fiction, young adult fiction, and nonfiction. Winner of the Anthony, Thriller, and Minnesota Book Awards, Jess is also an Edgar, Agatha, and Lefty Award–nominated author; TEDx presenter; and recipient of The Loft’s Excellence in Teaching fellowship. Check out her TEDx Talk for the true story behind her debut novel, May Day. She lives in Minneapolis with a rotating batch of foster kittens (and occasional foster puppies, but those goobers are a lot of work). For more information, visit www.jessicalourey.com.

Editorial Reviews

"Lourey has cleverly created an entertaining murder mystery with the most unlikely murder accomplice ever. Her latest is loaded with humor, and many of the descriptions are downright poetic."—Booklist (starred review)

"The story is funny, ribald and brimming with small-town eccentrics."—Kirkus Reviews

"I loved Lourey's quirky, appealing sleuth and her wry yet affectionate look at small town life. No gimmicks, just an intriguing plot with oddball characters. I hope Mira's misfortune of stumbling over a dead body every month lasts for many years!"—Donna Andrews, New York Times bestselling author of Stork Raving Mad

"With snappy jokes and edgy dialog, Lourey brings a Gen-X tone to a traditional mystery. The classic romance setup and her effective handling of eldercare issues enhance a clever plot. More spunky than sweet; get started on this Lefty-nominated series if you've previously missed it."—Library Journal (starred review)

From the Publisher

Smart-alecky Minnesota newspaper reporter Mira James reluctantly attends a congressional political debate. Things are heated between the slick incumbent, Sarah Glokkmann, and her challenger, mousy Arnold Swydecker, but even more contentious is the press. When Bob Webber, an anti-Glokkmann blogger, is found murdered the next morning, the local police are baffled. Who would kill him, and is the motivation some sort of silencing effort? Mira has plenty of other concerns—she also runs Battle Lake's public library; tries to keep up with her octogenarian best friend, Mrs. Berns; struggles with romantic issues; and works valiantly at staying sober. Known locally as the gal who's always around when there's a dead body, Mira does it again in her sixth outing. VERDICT With snappy jokes and edgy dialog, Lourey brings a Gen-X tone to a traditional mystery. The classic romance setup and her effective handling of eldercare issues enhance a clever plot. More spunky than sweet; get started on this Lefty-nominated series if you've previously missed it.

Library Journal

Marriage in the ninth decade.

Mrs. Berns, irascible 86-year-old resident of the Senior Sunset home, has decided she will marry Bernard Mink, a nogoodnik with a record for assault and a vocabulary rivaling Mrs. Malaprop's, in order to stymie her son from resettling her in a maximum-security nursing home. The problem is that Bernard may he a murder suspect in the death of political blogger Bob Webber, who either gassed himself or was asphyxiated in a bedroom at the Big Chief Motor Lodge. Mrs. Berns, laid up in a hospital bed with broken ribs, contusions and a bent leg from a suspicious car accident, asks her best friend Mira James, part-time librarian/part-time reporter for the Battle Lake, Minn.,Gazette (September Fair,2009, etc.), to prove Bernard innocent so that her wedding can go on as planned. Mira's snooping wends past two candidates vying for office, a boring do-gooder and a caustic opportunist, and turns up marital infidelity, a wacky daughter devoted to a gerbil, and many opportunities for Mira to fall off the wagon, which she resists with slightly less enthusiasm than the messages beaming from the big blue eyes of her sometime boyfriend Johnny. When the opportunistic candidate is shot, Mira must corral the killer by executing a sting with the help of her ex, Brad, in time for Mrs. Berns' beautifully staged non-wedding at the church.

The murders aren't very interesting, and the plotting self-destructs at the end, but along the way, the story is funny, ribald and brimming with small-town eccentrics.

Kirkus Reviews