Jess Lourey Reviews

Added March 27, 2006

May Day

A Murder by Month Mystery

Author: Jess Lourey
Publisher: Midnight Ink Books
Available At: Bookstores Everywhere
Publishing Date: March 2006
Genre: Mystery
Format: Trade Paperback
Price: $13.95
ISBN: 0-7387-0838-0
Author Email/Website: http://www.jesslourey.com/
Reviewer: Joyce Hanzo
Rating: 7 Gargoyles

If it's May, it's time for a murder! And if this series continues, every month will feature a corpse. May Day starts the action rolling with a clever mystery and some snappy writing.

Mira James works as an assistant librarian in the sleepy town of Battle Lake. As she was sorting some books, she stumbled over the dead body of a recent lover. She decides to do some sleuthing on her own which leads her into the sordid bedrooms of some of the town's most prominent citizens. Mira's investigation reveals more than just her boyfriend's killer; she uncovers dirty little secrets and some shocking surprises.

Author Jess Lourey's writing has the perfect dash of sass! These pages are filled with fresh dialogue, kinky characters and an offbeat mystery. There is plenty to hold the reader's attention, with such diverse items as ancient Ojibwe burial places and naked senior citizens. Setting the novel in a small town gives it a friendly feel, as these quaint, yet curious characters come to life.

Although the murder investigation was well done, providing readers with interesting clues and a few red herrings, the sexual references were jarring at times. The nature and type of sex acts seemed out of place with the story line and actually detracted from the excellent writing and quirky characterizations. The end result made the book an odd mix of chick-lit and cozy mystery. It's obvious this author could write well in either genre, but the combination of both created a hybrid that was a bit unsettling.

Overall, May Day is a fun book and Jess Lourey is an author with talent. Let's see what she has in store for us in June!

Return to top of page.

This page was last updated on January 1, 2008

This page and all its contents are Copyright© 2002-2008 In the Library Reviews and the individual reviewers. Except where noted, all graphics are Copyright© Eos Development and are used with permission. All book covers are Copyright© their respective publishers and are used with permission. The In the Library Reviews logo is Copyright© 2002 by In the Library Reviews/Sharyn McGinty. Site maintained by In the Library Reviews.