Last night, late last night, I finished Live Free or Die—a Granite State Mystery by Jessie Crockett. I finished it late last night and not early this morning because there was no way I was going to bed until I had turned the last page.
Here’s my full disclosure before I go further: At the last Malice Domestic convention, Richard and I got to meet Jessie and her lovely husband Elias. And we were charmed. Seriously charmed. So charmed that it was with trepidation that I set myself down in my pug ch More...

Absolutely loved this book by up and coming author Jessie Crockett!

From the authors website:

The way she sees it, volunteer fire chief Gwen Fifield’s life is about as good as can be. Sure, she’s gained twenty pounds and her property taxes increased just in time for Christmas. But, her basement didn’t flood with the fall rains for the first time in years and the general store has started delivering pizza.

From me:

What a great book! Our heroine Gwen investigates a fire and death at the towns' museu More...

A good book leaves me in a great mood, and a lousy one makes me grumpy. Today was a good day, and so were the hours, carefully stretched out, over the last week or so, when I was reading this wonderful little e-book. It was not a bundle book, it was one I paid for, and it was worth buying and then some.

If you have read my other reviews, you know I am a bit stingier than most with my five stars. If there are gaps in an otherwise enjoyable plot line, it's a four star review. This one earned all fi More...

'Live Free or Die' was a nice cozy mystery read. The story wasn't great literature, but then a cozy usually isn't. The story was pleasant and not over taxing. Forty-seven year old Post Master/Fire chief Gwen was the main character. She lives in a small town called Winslow Falls in New Hampshire. Her life was pretty routine until one of her elderly friends was murdered and her body was left to burn in a museum. There's a potential love interest, a free spirited sister, and a bunch of old men with More...

This mystery plunges right in, with a fire, a body and a refreshingly original protagonist.

Gwen Fifield is assistant chief of the volunteer fire department in her small New Hampshire village. It falls to her to determine who set the fire that killed the elderly head of the local history museum. Evidence – and community sentiment – points to a young teenage immigrant, but Gwen’s not convinced. The more she investigates, the more threats she encounters.

Scenes are highly visual and plotting and pa More...

First, let me disclose I won this book on a Goodreads giveaway. With that out in the open, I still loved this book. Live Free or Die reminded me of the first works of my favorite authors, Steve Hamilton, PJ Parrish and Tess Gerritsen-a little wobbly and trying to find its’ place in literature, but still fantastic. My favorite part of the book was Gwen Fifield, who lives in the rural town of Winslow Falls, New Hampshire town. I live in a town of 400, and trust me; Ms. Crockett describes rural lif More...

About halfway through so far. These characters are too funny! Jessie Crockett describes them so clearly it feels like you are watching them in front of you.

First Reads-thank you. This was a great mystery. First of all, the characters kept me highly entertained. I have not come across a lot of main characters in Gwen's age brackett and it was refreshing. She felt and looked as rundown as the rest of us often get, but still managed to have a few sparks with a love interest of sorts.

When you've re More...

Really good, clean, clever mystery. I never figured out all of it - which is a great thing for me! LOVED the characters in this town and wish I could have stayed longer! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE we need more like this for Kindle readers!

Some REALLY good quotes:
"Ethel didn't douse her cereal with the milk of human kindness"

"It isn't that small towns don't have arsonists and burglars and people who mess with kids. It's that we all know who they are and behave accordingly"

MY FAVORITE:
"Me, I'm more of a More...

Jessie Crockett captured at least some of the New Hampshire experience. I live in Maryland now, but three years ago I moved here from New Hampshire. The state's people are independent-minded and proud of it. Ms. Crockett includes characters who are deeply suspicious of a Brazilian family who moved into their town. I didn't see such xenophobia in the approximate eight years I lived there, but I was from "away" and may not have been privy to bald-faced prejudice.

Overall, the book's pacing is good More...

Gwen Field, Asst Fire Chief of Winslow Falls, NH, becomes the person in charge when the Chief suddenly has a heart attack at a fire when the body of a local is found burned. Enter Hugh Larsen from the Fire Marshall's Office sent up to investigate multiple fires in a small town within weeks.
I enjoyed the characters from a small town in NH/New England and the positions each have when the town is only under 500 people.
The plot is intriguing... who has been setting the fires and for what reasons? I More...

The things I like about this book is that everything is covered in great detail, and explained very well. You understand what is going on in the lives of the people in the small town. There is a budding romance and a mystery.

Things I didn't like as much. Budding romance fizzles that whole book and then nothing. Just when you think she is going to move on from her husbands death, the book ends.

The book drags a little in the middle but moves enough to keep your interest. It was well written and e More...

Live Free or Die has been on my Kindle for awhile. It was a 99 cent score via Kindle mystery reads one night. One thing led to another and it ended up being buried in the list of to-be read titles.

I am glad that I bought it. It was a decent read. The book follows Gwen as Deputy Fire Chief / Postmistress as she uncovers the answer to who is setting fires in her small town and who killed two people heavily involved in the town's museum. Along the way, we meet her sister Augusta and a cast of char More...

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was a hoot. The descriptions of a small NH town could be anywhere. The characters ring so true - similar to people plus just a step more. I think one of my favorite scenes was when she completely destroyed the decorated front yard when she slipped on her crutches. Gwen is a quintessential New Hampshire"ite" with her curiosity and understanding of the people in a small town... I found myself cheering for her!

Having grown up in a small town in the Catskills, I appreciated the way Crockett captured the characters and the feel of a place where everyone knows everyone. The book has a fairly light tone and many humorous moments and turns of phrase, but along with the heavy topics of murder, arson, and greed, it also deals with attitudes toward those who come to this country seeking a better life.
A great read for the price.

I won this book through the Goodreads First Reads Giveaway on 11/19/2010 and received my book on 11/30/2010.

This is my first Jessie Crockett novel, but not my last! The way that she describes things makes me laugh each time. It is almost like she has a bucket on her desk with random descriptive words and then just pulls a couple out when she needs inspiration - they are wacky and completely hilarious!

Getting to the meat of things, this is a really great novel, VERY easy to read - I became really More...

You have to love a book where the main character is both over 40 and overweight. Gwen Fifield is a widow, the postmistress, and the assistant chief of the volunteer fire department in tiny Winslow Falls, New Hampshire. Christmas is approaching and there has been a rash of suspicious fires around the community culminating in the death of the curator of the local museum. Jessie Crockett completely nails life in a small town with its town characters and the "you don't have to mind your business, we More...

Good enough read, esp. for a free Kindle book. I wish the main character wasn't so full of self-depricating doubt on her own physical appearance w/o doing anything about it. The character is smart, the doubt seems manufactured for the story. If she is so worried about it, why not do something - before she "lets" it be done to her by her sister, cinderella style.

I am looking forward to more from the author hopefully; there's a potential start to a good series here.

Great story! I love that it takes place in a small New Hampshire town. I loved the descriptions used in this book and the main character, Gwen's, sarcasm. I couldn't help but picture Rusty DeWees as the Character Hugh. I also enjoyed the history lesson about the No-Nothings. This is the first book I have read by Jessie Crockett, but certainly not the last!

I liked this book because of the realistic small-town people in it. I grew up in a small town and I can imagine the people from descriptions she gave. Everyone knows everyone's business. The end was kind of surprising, but I really had no idea "who done it" until then. There were actually several perpetrators, of different parts of the mystery. Will look for more by this author.

She lives in the tiny town my parents live in and the "gossip" is that it is based on the town so I had to read it out of sheer curiosity. It was a quick and enjoyable read and I was picturing the town of Milton Mills while reading since that hand is atop the church I hope the author writes another book!

Not bad but not great. An interesting set of characters, but very clearly following the cozy-murder playbook. All that said, if another book about this pragmatic fire-fighting, post-office managing crime fighter comes along, I'll read it. I like those kinds of characters.

who'd have thought I'd end up loving this book?! It's a cosy sort of murder mystery with maybe a bit of chick lit sort of romance in it... possibly, I don't read chick lit as a rule! Great read, actually, really enjoyed it. Go grab a copy off t'internet.

It's somewhat better than okay. It has some good twists, and I do like Gwen, the main character. Worth reading when you need a quick, easy read, like on a plane trip or on the beach. Liked it well enough that I will keep this author on my list of those to watch for.

Another small town, quirky townspeople mystery. I enjoyed the budding romance between Gwen and Hugh, and the history of the Know-Nothings. A lot of the characters were a little on the flat side. That being said, the book was a quick read, and a humorous whodunnit.

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway! It was my first first-read, and I must say I was very nervous and feeling some pressure to like the book so I could write a good review. In the end, I didn't have to worry - I did like the book and I like most of the characters. There were a few surprise elements that I would not have guessed, which is always a plus. I would read more from this author.

I just finished Live Free or Die, which I won through the Goodreads Giveaway program and I really enjoyed it.


The characters were interesting and reasonably well developed with a few eccentrics to add color and a chuckle or two. Crockett captured the atmosphere and interactions in a small town very nicely and the mystery was complex with a believable resolution. I did have it partially figured out but not completely so I was hooked all the way to the end. Gwen and Hugh make an interesting couple More...

I absolutely loved this book.I found the writing to be fantastic! Though I have never been to New England(though I am originally from the east coast)I felt as if I had been there before.The small New Hampshire town came alive with fun,quirky characters that I feel I have know my whole life.The back and forth dialog with the main character and her sister is hysterical as well as some of the town folk.This book has it all mystery,suspense,humor and even some very touching moments.Jessie Crockett d More...

This is a fun read especially if you are a New Englander. I became instantly attached to Gwen and the other quirky characters of this small town mystery. Looking forward to reading more from Jessie Crockett.

I like that this took place in the North East. I have never been to that part of the United States, but would like to go sometime. I felt that I know more about the area by just reading this book.