You can tell by the illustrated cover alone that Panic Button by Kylie Logan is a cozy mystery. Technically, a cozy mystery is a crime novel without the gore (think Miss Marple) and they usually have an artist's impression of an idyllic setting on the front.

Panic Button is centred around a charm string and in the Victorian era, young girls collected and traded buttons and threaded them onto a charm string. It was said that when they'd collected their 1000th button, they would meet their Prince Charming.

The main character of the series runs a button shop, and given I like buttons and was moderately interested in the creation of charm strings, I thought this would make a fun and easy-going read on the plane home from Hawaii.

It did, but it also confirmed that cozy mysteries just aren't enough to keep my interest. The main character investigating the crime was just too much for me, but very indicative of the genre. ( )

Synopsis: Josie is thoroughly entranced by a charm string ~ a collection of buttons from the 1800s ~ and is doing her best to appraise them. However, the owner of these buttons believes that they, and thus their owner, are cursed. It appears that this is true because moments after the owner reclaims the string, she is murdered and the buttons scattered across the alley next to Josie's shop. Nev asks for Josie's help in examining the buttons and solving the murder.
Review: It is refreshing that this cozy mystery doesn't follow the formula of the female being seen as a hindrance to an investigation. The description of the drowned town is just enough to tweak the reader's interest but not so much as to give one nightmares. The story did remind me of the movie National Treasure and the using of a sculptured piece as a key. ( )

First off, avoid the acknowledgments until after you've read the book. I wouldn't say there are spoilers in it, but she does say enough that a plot point is totally given away and the book lost a little something for me because of it. Plus, I sort of guessed the murderer early although Ms. Logan provided many suspects and motivations.

Still, this is an enjoyable read, with good characters and I like the dynamic between Josie and Nev - it's refreshing to see the romantic interest work together instead of always butting heads. I very much enjoyed the story line about Ardent Lake and the resevoir, but I would have enjoyed it even more had I not spoiled it for myself by reading the acknowledgements at the beginning - I missed out on the build up, I think.

A good entry in a good series, I look forward to the next book. ( )

Panic Button is the third book in the A Button Box Mystery series by Kylie Logan.

Josie Giancola, owner of The Button Box, has been contacted by Angela Morningside to give her an appraisal on a Charm String. Angela has inherited it from a great Aunt, who has recently passed. Angela feels that the charm string is cursed. Both her great aunt and she have had small kitchen fires, an attempted break in at her house and a major argument with her boyfriend, Larry. When Angela returns to pick up the charm string she is late and appears to be quite agitated. Shortly after she leaves, Josie leaves for the evening starts on a walk and finds Angela straggled, with murder weapon being the charm string. Josie may not believe in curses, but this certainly gives her food for thought. A charm string is comprised of 1,000 buttons, but the police have only been able to collect 999 of the buttons. Since Josie had taken picture of all the buttons she knows which is missing, but doesn't understand the significance of the button.

So with the blessing of her good friend Nev, a Chicago police detective assigned to the case, they head for Advent, IL to attend the wake and funeral for Angela. After a couple visits to Advent, Josie is looking at Susan, the curator of museum that was going to get the charm string. She had been dating Larry before Angela. Larry, the boyfriend, who seems to have something to hide. Marci, who is starting her own museum and who was originally offered the charm string. And Charles, Angela's cousin, who received nothing from the aunt estate.

A very enjoyable and well laid out story. I had to change my opinion more than once on who the murderer was.

I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.



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