Book four in the Good Buy Girls cozy mystery series. There’s still some of the decades-long rivalry between Maggie and Summer, and now Summer’s mother, Blair, has entered the fray. So why does Maggie feel compelled to help Summer avoid a charge of murder?

The scenarios in this series are just ridiculous. I figured out the culprit about 2 minutes after the murder happened.

The romantic tension between Maggie and Sheriff (and old high school boyfriend) Sam Collins is unbelievable. She is such a mess and has remained stuck in junior high mode despite being a 40-something woman with her own business. And speaking of which, how she remains in business when she closes up shop every other minute to go investigate a murder she has no business looking into is beyond me.

Glad I’m done with this series. ( )

Good-bye Good Buy Girls.

I felt like an adult reading a Nancy Drew book while I was reading this. That seems a bit unfair to Nancy Drew though. More accurately, the writing feels like it's geared towards 4/5th grade reading comprehension levels.

The MC shows a greater maturity in this book than she did in the first two and I've grown to like her and her friends. I just don't like the writing style and here's the thing: Josie Bell is a pseudonym for Jenn McKinlay who writes three other series; all of them very skilfully. In fact I doubt anyone would recognise this writing as coming from the same pen/keyboard those other three series come from.

The mystery plot was... adequate. It was obvious that something was hinky in the hospital (and no, that's not really a spoiler because everyone spends a LOT of time at the hospital in this one), but the murderer wasn't right under the reader's nose the entire time either, so it could be debated whether or not the killer was telegraphed early on in the book.

Regardless, I spent a lot of time in the last couple of chapters yelling "Oh give me a break!" at the book - and if I had to read about the MC wallowing in "babies: does he or doesn't he?" angst for one more page the book was going to achieve terminal velocity.

This book and its three siblings are off the shelves and into the giveaway box. I'll stick with the books Ms. McKinlay is willing to put her real name on. ( )

Maggie Gerber and Summer Phillips have been arch enemies for years. In high school Summer ruined Maggie's relationship with Sam Collins and even though it is years later and Maggie is finally with Sam she still doesn't trust Summer. When she meets Summer's mother Blair, Maggie begins to realize why Summer acts the way she does. Blair is so overwhelming that, much to her surprise, Maggie actually feels a bit sorry for Summer. Maybe because of that, when Summer is suspected of murder Maggie begins to investigate the case much to Sam's dismay. He is right to be worried - the killer isn't afraid to strike again.

“Marked Down For Murder” is the nicely done fourth book in Josie Belle’s Good Buy Girls cozy mystery series (Belle is the pen name of author Jenn McKinlay). I love the relationship between the Good Buy Girls (Maggie, Claire, Ginger, and Joanne). Their bond is especially evident in this book as they await the birth of Joanne’s baby. The relationship between Sam and Maggie is very realistically and romantically done. I love the idea of two high school sweethearts getting together later in life. Slightly less believable is Maggie’s relationship with Summer which is over the top at times but truthfully it had me laughing so hard that I didn't mind, plus Summer becomes more human and believable as the book goes on. The mystery itself is Belle well plotted and just when I thought I had the killer figured out bell through in a plot twist that caught me off-guard and had me rethinking everything that had happened in the book - nicely done! Finally, while I smiled and laughed throughout much of the book, the ending of the book especially made me smile.

“Marked Down For Murder” is another nicely done cozy mystery by Josie Belle/Jenn McKinlay. ( )

No two ways about it-- I love this series. It's a bit of a surprise since I believe the best bargain is getting out of shopping altogether. Just goes to show that these books are about so much more than bargain-hunting women on a mission to shop. Out of all the crime fiction that I read, Maggie Gerber is one of my favorite characters. Her depth of spirit and heart make her a wonderful mother and friend; she's got a good sense of humor; and she's feisty and not afraid of standing up for what she believes in. Maggie sounds like a paragon, doesn't she? Well, she almost is... that feisty temper of hers leads to some rash decisions sometimes.

Maggie's group of friends-- her Good Buy Girls-- is one of the best supporting casts you'll find in any traditional mystery series. Each friend has her own personality, her own quirks, but together they become one formidable team. As the series progresses, each character's life becomes as real as your own. In Marked Down for Murder, I particularly enjoyed watching how Maggie agonized over a potential obstacle in her growing relationship with Sam-- undoubtedly because I faced something very similar myself.

Another thing that puts this series-- and this book in particular-- a cut above the rest is how author Josie Belle (AKA New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay) deals with Maggie's nemesis, Summer Phillips. Summer has always been a bit over the top for me, and I tended to scringe whenever her scenes came up. Not in Marked Down for Murder. By bringing in Summer's mother as a character, we're able to see why Summer behaves the way she does, and although we still may not like her, at least we have a better understanding of her. The author knows that, if you're going to have a highly irrational character, it's better to explain a little of her behavior; otherwise, she's just a caricature.

After singing so much praise of the characters, you're probably wondering if there's a mystery at all in the book. There is, and it's a good one that I enjoyed trying to piece together as the pages turned. There's no doubt about it: if you're in the mood for an enjoyable mystery filled with wonderful characters, all you have to do is get your hands on the Good Buy Girls. ( )