Illinois Valley Woman Book Club

In My Book Ou r a n a lysi s of I n Hot Water , A Misty Bay Tea Room Mystery by Ka te K i n g s b ur y

When choosing In Hot Water by Kate Kingsbury for this magazine’s latest book club selection, I was sure I had picked a crowd-pleaser. Cozy mysteries like this with female lead characters seem like a good fit for our magazine.

In Hot Water is set in the charming town of Misty Bay, and the three amateur women detectives we’re introduced to work in a tea shop. Tearoom owner Vivian Wainwright and her assistants Gracie and Jenna need to clear Jenna’s name as the number one suspect after someone is murdered.

Without giving away too much in case you haven’t read it yet, here’s what we thought of this bestselling author’s book.

JEANETTE SMITH, REGIONAL ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

This had such promise – a cozy mystery series set in a tearoom on the Oregon coast – but was not well executed. Unfortunately, within a couple of chapters, I knew who the murderer was and quickly lost interest. I enjoyed the setting, but I didn’t feel like the characters were well-rounded enough to be believable. They were bland, the story wasn’t that engaging, and the pace seemed very slow at times.

I ended up skimming most of the book. I do not plan on reading the other books in this series.

SHANNON SERPETTE, NICHE EDITOR

Let me start by saying I’m no Sherlock Holmes. I love mysteries, but I don’t usually correct guess who the murderer or culprit is. That being said, like Jeanette, I also figured out who the murderer was in the first few chapters. That’s a forgivable offense in a mystery as long as the book is entertaining. But, unfortunately, I would say this is one of the most boring books I have ever read.

It was a huge disappointment for me because it had everything I love – tea, a mystery, a quaint setting, and women characters who aren’t constantly in competition with each other. I thought I was going to love it, and instead, it became a real chore to finish it. I had to give myself pep talks just to find the strength to start the next chapter. The writing was subpar, the dialogue was awkward at best, and in all honesty, I hated everything about this book.

The book we’ll be discussing in the next issue of Illinois Valley Woman is The Homewreckers: A Novel by Mary Kay Andrews.

To have your thoughts and observations on this book published in our next Illinois Valley Woman magazine, email

sserpette@shawmedia.com

by July 15. Please include your name and city of residence along with your comments, and let us know why you liked or disliked this book. And if you have any future book suggestions, we’d love to hear them.

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