Entitled To Kill (St. Marin's Cozy Mystery Series #2) by A.C.F. Bookens

Entitled To Kill (St. Marin's Cozy Mystery Series #2) Reviews

• 
  Louie the Mustache Matos

  We, mystery fans, are a strange lot. Give us a McGuffin that hooks our mysteries together (a unique place, an intrepidly brilliant or cowardly investigator, or small town like Cabot Cove) and we will watch weekly or read serials because we enjoy said hook. Entitled to Kill is the second St. Marins Cozy Mystery by A. C. F. Bookens. Harvey Beckett is our amateur sleuth who owns a fantastic bookstore and has the misfortune (?) of finding dead bodies near her store. In the prequel novella, she is living in San Francisco before she moves to the Maryland suburbs (she finds a dead body in San Francisco, too.) So, this preface is meant to communicate that suspension of disbelief is required here, but if you love mysteries like I love them, this should be old hat to you. However, I really love the way Bookens tells a story and I believe that if you are a bibliophile that digs mysteries, Bookens should be added to your list. Just saying.
• 
  Lisa

  The more I read of this series, the more I love everything about it, especially the people of St. Marin's and their deepening friendships and developing relationships. In this second book of the series, St. Marin's feels even more like a real place I could visit. I can envision the shops, especially the bookstore and I'd expect to see the quirky cast of characters milling about town. A.C.F. Bookens has created a setting I want to return to again and again as a reader, even with the occasional dead body turning up in the most unlikely of places!
  
  This installment introduced us to a few more new characters and the ever-present unsolved murder that amateur sleuth Harvey Beckett can't keep away from no matter how hard she tries. A hint of suspense and some chuckle-worthy lines and cringe-worthy antics make this a quick, enjoyable read.
  
  I read an advanced copy of the book. Review reflects my honest opinion.
• 
  ☼Bookish pam in Virginia☼

  
  Lots of cozy. Lots of friends and family.
  Not enough plot. Not enough believable actions.
• 
  Terry Nichols

  This was an excellent book. I enjoyed reading it very much. I look forward to reading the next book. I received a better copy of the book from the author.
• 
  Lola

  I was in the mood for a comforting and cozy read, so I decided to pick up this book. It turned out to be exactly the type of read I was in the mood for. Even after one book this series already feels so comfortable and familiar to return to. I enjoyed spending time with Harvey and her friends. And visiting Harevy's bookstore again.
  
  Entitled to Kill has plenty of daily life scenes, cozy scenes, great side characters and ofcourse a mystery. Just like in book 1 the mystery wasn't my favorite part of the book, but that's mostly because I just really enjoy the daily life scenes. The mystery was an interesting one with the lack of suspects. It kept me guessing for a bit, but I wasn't fully engaged with it. I managed to guess the culprit correctly as I felt a few hints were kinda obvious. The motive did surprise me as I hadn't figured that part out. I didn't really care for how Harvey promises not to do any sleuthing and then still did it. I would rather she owns it and isn't going to promise anything or actually keeps her promise. The way she initially got involved felt a bit forced, but it did make for a good reason to get her involved.
  
  There's just something so fun and comforting about the series. I also like how it feels quite realistic at times. Harvey gets tired or overwhelmed, the emotions make sense and even the stress and joy of running your own business felt spot on. One thing that did bother me was how a few things get wrapped up a bit too nicely with a positive twist at the end, I wouldn't have minded that some relationships remain strained or some characters never will be close. On the other hand it is fun to see the development in some relationships like how Harvey is now friends with someone who was a suspect in book 1.
  
  I find Harvey a likable character. I like how her curiosity gets her involved in the mystery, but how she usually is smart about it and keeps her friends updated. I like her blossoming romance with Daniel, it's very sweet and I like how it progresses throughout the books. Harvey has a great group of friends around her and we see plenty more of her friends as well. The dogs are also fun to read about and I like how they are in a lot of scenes, even though they don't always claim the spotlight.
  
  To summarize: I really enjoyed this book. I liked the cozy and comforting feel of this series so far. It's so fun returning to this town and spending time with Harvey and at her bookstore while she solves another mystery. The mystery was interesting enough, although I feel like I enjoy the daily life scenes even more. The mystery kept me guessing at first, but I managed to guess the culprit correctly. I like Harvey and how her personality traits get her involved in the mystery. There is a great group of side characters around Harvey and it's fun to read about them. I am looking forward to reading the next book!
• 
  Kristen

  I enjoy this cozy series. It is a fun, fast easy-reading series.
  
  I love the small town of St. Marin's to start with. It is what you like to think small towns are really like . . . well, aside from the murders, of course!
  
  I find Harvey charming in spite of her penchant for inserting herself into murder investigations and getting herself into stupidly dangerous situations. She's just so likable it's hard to fault her. Plus, she loves books and coffee, and I love books and coffee, so this series and I are pretty much a match made in heaven!
  
  I also love all the supporting characters in this series. All of Harvey's extended family of friends and relatives are just really nice people and together they make for a world I just enjoy visiting with each next book in this series. This is a cozy world I plan to continue visiting and reading.
• 
  Johanna

  This is such a fun and cute cosy mystery series.
• 
  Juliet Minerva Swift

  This was a strong sequel to the first book in this series, and definitely cemented my interest in this author.
  
  It still didn’t reach the 5-star mark for me due to a few reasons, one of which is the discussion on domestic abuse being a bit simplistic. The main characters decided to go to the abused woman's house obviously causing more bad than good. The woman’s reaction is also not very realistic, considering the previous encounter with Harvey had not been right.
  
  Another issue I had was that the storyline with Daniel was too fast! I can’t tell if it’s because maybe the author wasn’t sure if there would be many books?
  
  I definitely liked the relationship with Harvey and her parents. We start with her mum and dad being a bit egoistic and self-centred, but they finally recognise what they did wrong and grew on me. Their behaviour is a bit convenient and quite mushy but I found the whole resolution very sweet.
  
  And I think this is a characteristic of these books so far. Harvey and her friends are all so nice, and situations turn out to be so convenient most of the time. However, I don’t see this as a bad thing, I get it that her friends and her parents moving in St. Marins all at the same time is so not realistic, but god I wish it was! Similarly, Miranda at the end realises she had accused Marcus because she was racist without knowing. I thought it good to show her working on herself to realise she had internalised racism and apologising. And again, it’s a bit on the nose, but the message feels correct to me, and it’s not something I have been seeing much in cosy mysteries.
  
  As for the mystery, the killer was way too obvious, and Harvey’s sleuthing skills weren’t really put to use again since Homer was the only suspect. Harvey again didn’t realise he was the killer until he attacked, but it definitely feels like an improvement compared to the previous book.
  
  I am considering taking a break from the series to be able to savour it, but I can’t resist starting the next book right away!
• 
  Nikki

  The 2nd in this wonderful cosy mystery series set in a bookshop in St Marins.
  
  This time, Harvey finds the body of local grumpy farmer Huckabee Harris, dead in the Farm Shop. She's determined to find out what happened to him, but will her investigating lead her into trouble. Certainly, Sheriff Tucker and Daniel, local mechanic and special friend of off Harvey's think so and they do their best to dissuade her from any thoughts of finding it what happened.
  
  As well as a murder, Harvey's Mum and Dad turn up unexpectedly; Harvey takes on another member of staff, Marcus; Stephen and Walter (friends from San Francisco) visit again, and Mayhem and Taco spend their days sleeping in the window, soaking up the sun's rays.
  
  All in all a wonderful book, bring on the next book in the series!
• 
  Trick Wiley

  This is the second book in the series of the small town people where murder seems to find everyone.. The characters in this book you will get to know as you read the series,seems like this town finds murder ..the main characters have a personality of their own where the more you read,the more you get to know them very well.. Just a bunch of happy people who seem to gather at the local bookstore and then some kind of mystery killing of death happens. This fantastic mystery murder read you will not be disappointed in. I really enjoy these books,and you will also. Off to read book three and you won't be disappointed when you try to solve this murder!! It's a little long for me but it's so worth it!
• 
  Celest

  Another Exciting Mystery
  
  ACF Bookens is becoming one of my favorites. She writes a vivid story that pulls me into it. Like a lot of readers, I see the stories unfolding in my mind like watching a movie. So I like the details and description of people and places. This book was full of surprises and exciting moments that kept me guessing and reading to see what happens next. It has great characters, an intriguing murder or two to solve, and a little romance. I recommend this series to anyone who likes cozy mysteries.
• 
  Melissa

  3.5 stars
  
  When Harvey Beckett stumbles upon the body of a local dairy farmer she finds herself embroiled in yet another murder mystery. Just like Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote, she can't help but investigate. Along the way she learns about the farmer's daughter domestic abuse situation and feels compelled to help even when the husband of said daughter ends up dead and she might be suspect #1.
  
  Another cozy read in the St. Marin's series that I enjoyed. Harvey and her cast of friends are wonderful and I love hearing about their adventures. I also appreciated the author's discussion about domestic violence and how she refrained from any victim blaming that is sadly all too common in domestic violence conversations.
• 
  JR

  My adoration of this series continues. It delivers so beautifully on the cozy end of the spectrum, and the mystery side isn't neglected either. I'm especially fond of the friend group being built in this series. It's also wonderful to have a cozy mystery series that casually includes the existence of POC and LGBT folks as main characters.
  
  I've already gone and bought the next book, and I'm excited to see where the series goes next.
• 
  Carole

  Book was mainly 3 star for me - mostly enjoyed the found family aspect of the stories. However I am not a fan of TSTL female sleuths who are asked not to interfere or investigate and then make really stupid/bad decisions and don't call for backup when there is time to do so. Reduced rating by 1 star for TSTL choices.
  
  Will give the series one more chance by reading next book because it is free under Kobo Plus. Romance also was glossed over and not fleshed out enough.
• 
  Jean

  I find the St. Marin’s Cozy Mystery Series to be current, interesting, and charming. Harvey, the bookstore owner, has a full life: running her shop, enjoying falling in love, making sure her dearest friends spend time together, caring for her pets, coping with personal problems, and, in true cozy tradition, finding dead bodies! Except for the murder rate, we would all love to live in St. Marin’s, Maryland. The books are a breath of fresh air. I highly recommend this book and the series.
• 
  dnsyl57

  Entitled To Kill is the 2nd book in the St Marin's Cozy Mystery Series by A C F Bookens.
  
  Several nice twists and a few surprises in this book. Admittedly, I figured out "who done it" long before Harvey did but getting to where Harvey figures it out was a fun read. I love the diversity of the characters, the conversations, the inclusion of some very serious and relevant issues and the references to real books!
• 
  Larry

  This was an excellent story, with all the hallmarks of a great cozy mystery. Family, friends, and sleuthing, along with laughter, moral reminding, and good food. This story has it all. I am very taken with the main and supporting characters, the plot is easily followed and the happy ending is all a quiet reader could ask for. I definitely recommend this book.
• 
  Donna McMullen

  Entitled to kill
  
  My 3rd book by ACT Bookens. I'm really enjoying her characters. I love the town And group of family Harvey has made. If she could only just stop running into dead bodies.
• 
  Tracey Sinclair

  Not much in the way of plot, and the writing is often clunky (also the ebook is often poorly proofed and formatted) but if you like cosy mysteries that are heavier on location and lots of likeable characters than narrative this series has charm.
• 
  Susan

  A pleasant enough cozy mystery set in my favorite
  place, a bookstore, with a cast of good characters
• 
  Mary

  Cozy. Had it solved early in the book.
• 
  Danielle Mccoy

  I had a fairly good idea of who committed the crimes but it was well done. I'm still impressed by how this author handles race relations.