Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!
I am pleased to share my thoughts about
Murder Pays a Call: A Keri Armstrong Cozy Mystery by Nancy J Cohen today!
Murder Pays a Call: A Keri Armstrong Cozy Mystery
by Nancy J Cohen
About Murder Pays A Call
Murder Pays a Call: A Keri Armstrong Cozy Mystery
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Florida
Publisher : Orange Grove Press
Publication date : September 9, 2025
Print length : 290 pages
ISBN-10 : 1952886376
ISBN-13 : 978-1952886379
Digital ASIN : B0F8NNP8NN
Personal concierge Keri Armstrong will accept almost any job, but solving murders wasn’t on her to-do list—until now.
When personal concierge Keri Armstrong swings by her favorite client’s mansion to drop off groceries, she expects a heartfelt chat along with a cup of tea—not Fiona Sullivan dead in bed and her room ransacked. Though police chalk it up to a botched robbery, Keri isn’t so sure. Whispers around town suggest Fiona wasn’t as adored as Keri had believed, and many of the philanthropist’s so-called friends in affluent Sunny Grove, Florida seem glad she’s gone.
Keri refuses to let Fiona’s memory be reduced to malicious gossip. Armed with a keen eye, insider access, and a fully charged tablet, she sets out to uncover the truth. Soon her file of suspects grows faster than her to-do list. Between sneaky neighbors, resentful relatives, and tight-lipped charity board members, Fiona left behind a trail of frenemies who’d happily skip her memorial brunch.
As Keri digs deeper, she discovers her late mentor had a gift for extracting people’s secrets and using them like fine china—carefully storing them until they could serve a purpose. But Fiona also kept a few skeletons in her own walk-in closet. Now, with danger creeping closer, Keri must race to crack the case before her number comes up next… and Murder Pays a Call.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Keri Armstrong has a personal concierge business in Sunny Grove, Florida. They do everything from organizing corporate events to doing grocery shopping, picking up dry cleaning, and more for their clients, working moms, and the elderly. Keri’s favorite client and mentor is Fiona Sullivan. She enjoys spending time with her each week to go over her needs. Fiona is a major benefactor of a local nonprofit, and she has been working closely with Keri to make sure everything is perfect for their upcoming event. But when she arrives to deliver her groceries and their weekly chat, she finds the woman dead in her bed and the room a mess.
While the police classify her death as a robbery gone wrong, Keri believes there is another reason for Fiona’s death. She is taken aback by what Fiona’s friends are saying about her. Keri had an excellent relationship with her mentor, but many others cannot say the same. It appears Fiona was quite the opportunist. She would dig deep for dirt on the movers and shakers, her neighbors, and relatives, and use that info when it suited her purpose. This means Keri has a long list of suspects. As she delves into Fiona’s past, she finds the deceased had a few secrets of her own. And the more questions Keri asks, the more she puts a target on her back.
Can Keri reveal Fiona’s killer? Or will the killer pay a call on her?
As a fan of Nancy J. Cohen, Bad Hair Day Mysteries, I am thrilled she is introducing us to a brand new set of characters and their stories.
Keri Armstrong is a dynamic character, juggling a lot of balls in the air as she grows her business. I was happy to see that she knew she couldn’t run her business without help. Ms. Cohen has surrounded Keri with an excellent supporting cast. Purdy is her office manager. A certified accountant with a great attention to detail, he handles bookkeeping and vendor contracts. Anastasia (Staz), who could have been a model, has a degree in information technology and handles virtual office jobs, website updates, and social media campaigns. They work very well together. We also meet Keri’s friends, Lora, Michelle, and Pam. They were all roommates in college. Lora works at a local print shop, and when her personal life blows up, she moves in with Keri. Pam is a journalist with contacts and access that come in handy when investigating a murder. Michelle works as an art historian in Sarasota.
The mystery is complicated by the number of suspects, their secrets, and their dishonesty. Keri is determined to get to the truth even if it puts her in danger. Intermixed with this strong murder plotline, the author inserts interesting subplots involving different characters, which allow them to continue to develop within the story. This is hard to do in the first book of a series. Through those, readers are cleverly diverted away from the actual guilty party. Maybe because I read and watch so many mysteries, I took note of a clue and filed it in my memory. That clue had me hyper-focused on a character. It was fun to continue reading to see if I was right, and delighted when the puzzle pieces started to fit together for Keri. This led to an emotional reveal for one person and a terrifying time for them and Keri.
I was pleased to see that while Fiona had a darker side, she cared for Kari with her full heart.
Murder Pays a Call has set this series off to a marvelous start. With a strong puzzling mystery and well-developed characters, this story was a real page-turner. I love the personal concierge theme. It opens up the possibility of another long-running series for Nancy J. Cohen. I can’t wait to see what she has up her sleeve for Keri and the A Friend In Need Agency next.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC.
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About Nancy J. Cohen
Nancy J. Cohen writes the Bad Hair Day Mysteries featuring South Florida hairstylist Marla Vail and the Keri Armstrong cozy mysteries. Her books have won numerous awards including her nonfiction titles, Writing the Cozy Mystery and A Bad Hair Day Cookbook. Active in the writing community, Nancy is a past president of Mystery Writers of America Florida Chapter. When not busy writing, she enjoys reading, fine dining, cruising, and visiting Disney World.
Author Links
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” “As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.” I am also an affiliate of Bookshop.org and I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.” These funds are often used for gift cards and other giveaways.
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It sounds like a really interesting book. Thank you for sharing.
Something new by her to explore.