Confession Is Murder

A Lucille Mystery #1

by Peg Cochran

For middle-aged “Jersey girl” Lucille Mazzarella, only two things in life really count—her family and her friends. When her brother-in-law’s body falls out of a church confessional, everything she holds dear is threatened, especially when the police arrest her husband for the murder.


Plagued by hot flashes, a thickening waistline, a mother addicted to the home shopping channel, and a sexy old flame who’s come back to town, Lucille really has her hands full. And while she may not know much about solving crimes, this traditional churchgoer with very modern attitudes knows that with some prayers, some fast thinking, and some even faster talk she might just be able to nail the killer and restore order to her life.


About the Author:


Peg Cochran is the author of the nationally bestselling Gourmet De-Lite series and the Cranberry Cove Mysteries, and also, writing as Meg London, the Sweet Nothings Vintage Lingerie series. She has two daughters, a stepdaughter and stepson, a beautiful granddaughter, a cat named Frazzle, and a West Highland white terrier named Reggie.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Mystery Thriller

207 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2012

About the author

Mystery writing lets Peg indulge her curiosity under the guise of “work” (aka research). She put pen to paper at age seven when she wrote plays and forced her cousins to perform them at Christmas dinner. She switched to mysteries when she discovered the perfect hiding place for a body down the street from her house.

When she’s not writing, she spends her time reading, cooking, spoiling her granddaughter and checking her books' stats on Amazon.

A former Jersey girl, Peg now resides in Michigan. She is the author of the Open Book Series (written as Margaret Loudon), the Murder, She Reported series, the Cranberry Cove Series, the Farmer’s Daughter series, the Gourmet De-Lite series, the Lucille series, and the Sweet Nothings Lingerie series (written as Meg London.)

Reviews

[Sue Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Confession is Murder is the first in the latest series by Peg Cochran. This series “stars” Lucille, a middle age mother and wife who finds the dead body of her sister-in-laws husband in the confessional at the local church. There is more than one death in this book, and you will have a hard time figuring out who done it….at least I did. This book didn’t leave me wanting anything and I will be reading the next and the book after that in the series. I enjoy Peg Cochran’s books. She can make you feel like you are in the scene and hear and feel the same things the characters do. I always look forward to her next book in a series and I’m sure this series will be the same way.

[Shirley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable read with an twisty plot, interesting characters, hidden secrets, and humor sprinkled throughout. The setting is in New Jersey, but it is not explicitly pointed out at the beginning. I thought the grammar was poor until I realized it was written with a specific dialect in mind. From that point on, I heard the Jersey accent loud and clear. The characters are clearly Italian and Catholic, and there was a specific Saint prayed to for every possible scenario the MC encountered. Not being Catholic, I felt a bit out of my element there. Enjoyed the MC, who was older, a bit overweight, and loved her family.

[Jeannie and Louis Rigod · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very entertaining book for a first novel and ends up making you want to read the next book soon.

Lucille is a devoted Catholic wife and mother who is going through some of life's bumpy hills. Lucille's husband, Frank has used her savings (to visit the Pope,) without her okay. This is a large enough sin that he is thrown out of the house. Lucille isn't alone though. Bernadette, the Mazarella's only child still lives at home and that presents more problems.

Lucille works for the local parish and is changing flowers when she finds a body in the confessional. Not only is Bernadette's boyfriend accused of the crime, a spotlight also shines upon Frank as he is partner and brother-in-law of the victim.

There is humor as Lucille calls upon most of the Saints of the Catholic church, current and past. This book does stereotype New Jersey a bit. I feel it was only due to trying to add a personality to the characters.

Lucille is likable and figures out the killer to rescue Frank and Bernadette. Secrets are also uncovered.

[Marta Louise Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute cozy catholic mystery

This cozy mystery brings back memories of my growing up in the Catholic church. Lucille is adorable character trying to keep marriage and parenting an adult child in check. Something about the sweet characters seem real and heartfelt. Enjoyed the story a lot. Looking forward the the next book and what else can happen in smallish town with tons of nosey Italian family members and a cute RC church.

[Anna Hanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Confession is murder

Lucille is shocked to find her brother-in-law tumbling out of the confessional at church when she goes in to tend the flowers. When the police suspect her nephew, and then her husband, she knows she must figure out who killed him so she can clear their names.

[Judi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very light read

After a long stint reading science fiction etc, I thought a light beach read was in order. Although the general who done it storyline generally held my interest, there were a significant number of times where the time line just didn’t follow.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kindle

[Linda Griffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining read although there were some inconsistencies . Brought back memories of Jersey!

[Nyssy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not use to...

I am not use to this author writing bad novels but this one was just bad from the get-go. 😐 What was with the "yo"? Who says that anymore! 🤔

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

never watched Jersey Shores, but feel like I walked into an episode...

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and funny.

[DelAnne Frazee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Confession is Murder - Lucille Mystery 1
Author: Peg Cochran
Published: 10-9-13
Publisher: Beyond the Page Pubishing
Pages: 207
Genre: Mystery, Thrillers & Suspense
Sub Genre: Amateur Sleuths; Cozy Mystery; Women Sleuths
ISBN: 9781837349813
ASIN: B00FQPQ7M4
Reviewer: DelAnne
Reviewed For: NetGalley
My Rating: 4 1/2 Stars


.
Lucille Mazzarella is a typical Christian housewife and mother. Her world revolves around the church, her family and friends. Replacing the flowers in the sanctuary Lucille finds the body of her brother-in-law, Joseph when he falls out of the confessional. Shaken she returns home but there is no Frankie there to comfort her as she had kicked him out the night before when he withdrew her Vacation savings from the bank. Money she had been saving for a trip to the Vatican hoping for an audience with the Pope. After attending the funeral separate there is no way to hide the fact Frankie is not living in their home. Then her best friend Flo's son is arrested for murdering Joseph and when he is released and another has a warrant issued on him Lucille knows she must step up her game and find the real killer and find a way to forgive Joseph and fix her marriage before it is too late. Just who does Betty think she is flirting with her husband



Confession is Murder is the first book in the new series by the talented Peg Cochran and as a whole is very good. I read book 4, Room With a Pew first and was pleased to see than Ms. Cochran writes each book as a stand-alone, but wanted to read the series from the first so that I could still see the growth of the characters. If you enjoy light humorous cozy mysteries with charming characters with a down home flavor, then you will love the Lucille Mystery series. The only problem was the over abundance of use of colloquiums. As I have never been to New Jersey before other than for a few hours when visiting New York, I am not sure if that is the speech patterns are normal or not, but the heavy uses made it trying at times to concentrate on the story. I do not remember Room with a Pew being this way so maybe it lightens as the series progresses. Other than that I adored being introduced to Lucille, Flo and the others. My overall rating is 4 1/2 out of five stars.



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[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucille Mazzarella is a middle-aged housewife living in New Jersey. The most important things in her life are her husband, daughter and her extended family and friends. Things go crazy for Lucille when she throws her husband out of the house, her daughter has boyfriend problems, her mother buys non-stop from QVC and most of all…she stumbles upon her brother-in-law who falls out of a church confessional, very much dead!

Lucille’s husband, Frankie, and her brother-in-law, Joseph, are partners in a pest control business. The primary suspect in Joseph’s murder is Frankie. Lucille is not about to let her estranged husband go down for a murder she knows he didn’t commit, so she begins her own investigation. Along the way she runs into one of her old flames, Richie Sambuco and he still makes her heart flutter.

Much to Lucille’s surprise, she learns that there were a couple of people who wanted Joseph dead. The story takes a few twists and turns and leads Lucille to many of her family and friend’s darkest secrets.

Lucille is a fun character. She’s from a large Italian family. Their weekly family dinners are at her house. She faces realistic problems such as hot flashes, weight gain, and a husband she loves, but is not sure she can keep the marriage going. Lucille is a character that readers can fall in love with and care about. Her best friend Flo is another one of those characters readers will love. The entire cast of characters are fun, quirky and realistic.

The story moved along at a nice, fast pace. There’s both humor and mystery throughout the story. What I thought was great was that there was a reason she was sticking her nose in the investigation – to save her estranged husband. Sometimes the amateur sleuths have you scratching your heads, wondering why they are butting into things. Not this time.

I already have the second book in this series on my e-reader and it looks good too.


FTC Disclosure: NetGalley provided me with a copy of this book to review. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucille Mazzarella, from Jersey, is an endearing fun-loving girl, who cares about her family and her friends. In this book, she finds her brother-in-law dead in the confessional at the local church, where she works and sets out to figure out what happened. Along the way, she copes with a pregnant but totally unambitious daughter, friends who surprise her with longstanding secrets they never did tell her though being BFF, a husband who, like her, is going through the strains or middle age and a stale marriage, and a long forgotten beau who chased her in school. The author has provided a heartfelt and warm picture of a great small, Jersey town, where nothing is secret or sacred, and what goes on is usually not what everyone thinks is going on. I loved the down home feel of the book. These are ordinary folks, trying to do their best to get by in life. The mystery of Joseph’s death is intriguing, as we follow Lucille through many twists and turns to the finding of the true facts. The author definitely knows how to weave a good tale. I especially enjoyed the way everyone, as is generally the case in a small town or community, knew everyone else from way back when and had formed ideas, opinions and fondness for each other over the years. I definitely felt like I had become part of the community and their lives. I have not read anything else by this author but will look for her books after reading this one. Anyone who enjoys a good book, filled with memories of what life was in the past and how it made you what you are today will enjoy this book. The mystery is genuine and intriguing. The characters endearing. The writing superb and well done. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

[RO G'ma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading Confession Is Murder. The story moved along quickly, with laugh out loud moments, the quirky characters and surprise ending were great. The storyline flows smoothly, which makes for an enjoyable read.

Writing in the vernacular when the characters are speaking is one thing, but to write an entire book with incorrect pronouns, wrong verb tenses and double negatives distracts from the story. There were times when I couldn’t determine if there was a typo, a missing word or a word that should have been removed in editing. I think the "Jersey talk" for the characters speaking roles is great, but not for the narrative.

This comment is relates to personal preference not writing style … one of the reasons I enjoy reading cozies is because there is usually very little, if any, profanity. The frequent use of profanity in this book was surprising since the book begins with a murder in a church and many references are made to the church and praying to various Saints. Most of the profanity seemed to be from female characters, which I found unusual. There are occasions where profanity fits a scene or a character, but the swearing in this book didn’t.

Looking past the profanity and colloquialism, I enjoyed reading this book. As an entertaining read, it’s five stars and is a book I’d recommend to others. I am looking forward to reading more books written by Peg Cochran. I’ve put Unholy Matrimony and Hit and Nun on my wish list and also want to check out her Cranberry Cove Mysteries and A Gourmet De-Lite Mystery series.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Teresa Kander · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first experience with this author. While I like the premise of the series (a middle aged woman devoted to family, friends, and faith) and enjoyed the characters, I had a few issues with the writing. I can understand using dialect in the dialogue of characters, but when it comes in the descriptive/explanatory paragraphs as well, it becomes too much of a distraction.

Other than that, this was a great book. Lucille is determined to find the killer of her brother-in-law, to exonerate the son of her friend, Flo, and to work out her marital problems with husband Frank. She seems to have a saint to pray to in every situation, which I found interesting and educational. The weekly family dinners at Lucille's house with her large extended Italian family, are a constant source of humor.

I will check out other books in this series before I decide whether or not to give up on it. I would hope that future installments will have cleaned up the dialect issue for a more professional sound.

**I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.**

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lucille is a middle aged woman who works at her church, cooks and bakes for everyone she knows and has just asked her husband to move out.

This is a quick mystery read. And I am a big fan of cozy mysteries.

First of all, Lucille is an interesting character and as a lead, she is very viable. The secondary characters all add to the story. And the plot is well developed. People who are in the small town where Lucille lives are all either related in some way, or they attend the same church.

If I were from New Jersey, the book would not please me. Somehow I do not believe that everyone there has a poor grasp of grammar. But, once I got past that, it was an interesting quick read.

I did figure out the villain before the end of the story, but over all the mystery is a fun one. Everyone in the book seems to expect Lucille to do everything for them, so it is no surprise that she feels the necessity of solving the murder.

She has ideas about who to question and she is not afraid to ask them.

All in all, a good quick read.

[Nancy]

For middle-aged "Jersey girl," Lucille Mazzarella, only two things in life really count--her family and her friends. When her brother-in-law's body falls out of the confessional at church, everything she holds dear is threatened, especially when the police arrest her husband for the murder. Plagued by hot flashes, a thickening waistline, a mother addicted to the home shopping channel and tempted by a sexy old flame come back to town, Lucille really has her hands full. But while Lucille may not know much about solving crimes, she does know her patron saints. With some prayers, fast thinking and even faster talk, Lucille manages to nail the killer and restore order to her life.

Lucille's number one favorite patron saint: St. Jude, patron saint of lost causes. Because Bernadette is pregnant and unmarried, her boyfriend is in jail, Lucille's husband might be playing around, her best friend could be a murderer, and Lucille has gained ten pounds thanks to her latest diet.

TERRIBLE. DIDN'T FINISH. Jersey setting, Italian poor grammar.

[Janet Emson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the publishers via Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Lucille Mazzarella is at work in her local church when out of the confessional tumbles her brother-in-law Joseph. She soon realises that he is dead and that he was murdered. With her loved ones implicated she decides to take matters into her own hands and investigate for herself.

I love a 'cozy' mystery and this has all the makings of such a book, it has the small town atmosphere, quirky characters and a 'gentle' murder. Lucille investigates in the haphazard way that most of the protagonists in cozy mysteries do when they are first starting out and the pacing of the story is quick and easy to read.

However sadly this book just wasn't for me. There are heavy religious references throughout the story and this I personally found off-putting. This is only down to my personal preferences however and the blurb should have given me a clue.

[Debbie Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucille Mazzarella has a very full, and somewhat busy, life. Not only does she do all of the house work, she works at church, has a mom who is addicted to the shopping channel, a middle-aged waistline that seems to be expanding and a husband who has wiped out her savings account. Oh, then there is the small problem of her brother-in-law that fell out of the confessional, at her feet, very dead.

Lucille, along with her best friend Flo and a host of Saints, solve the murder and hopefully, for now, put life back to the normal, chaotic way it should be.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I am glad Peg Cochran wrote this and I look forward to finding out more about Lucille, her family, friends and the daily chaos that makes up their lives.

[DonnaCarol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasnt sure how I was going to like this book as I read the first few chapters.I was concerned that the language might be a problem, but it was kept quite light and it actually did seem to fit the characters and was not added awkwardly for "affect and drama". The more I read, the more they all came to life. Even those that made short appearances, like Cousin Louis. Good humor. The murderer was woven skillfully in amongst other suspects leaving me changing my mind every few chapters about "who done it". I enjoyed this book and will try another by Peg Cochran.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did like the story that was written here. I really liked the references to the patron saints throughout the book. Lucille is quite interesting. And I didn't really guess who did it at all.

The one thing I did not care for was the grammar. It was quite distracting to me. But I am sure it was supposed to be part of Lucille's character and it can not have been easy to write it that way.

I will read the next book in the series sometime. It will be fun to see which other patron saints Lucille calls upon.

[Sally Malkowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peg Cochran is a new author to me, but she will henceforth be engraved in my memory bank. Her characters are believeable and loveable and ... human. Her style is one I can easily associate with ... dialogue, humor, and knowledge of the subject(s) (the Catholic Church, solving a murder and the Italian culture). Bravo, Peg! I would rate this book 4 and 3/4 stars if I could! I look forward to a sequel.

[Gina Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucille is working at the church when the body of her brother-in-law slides out of the confessional and lands in her path. First her daughter's boyfriend is arrested, and then someone even closer to her. Lucille starts to investigate the crime on her own and what she uncovers is that people have been keeping a lot of secret. Can she get down to the bottom of what really happened? An interesting mystery.
* I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

a Cute cozy about a mature, Lucille, living in her Italian neighborhood in New Jersey. She works at the local Catholic church and her husband and his friend run a local pest control company until she finds the friend dead in the confessional and her husband arrested for murder. An old boyfriend is the lead detective and the cast of suspects all grew up together. A nice little read.

[Annie Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book it was funny, serious at times. I never would have thought that Connie had killed Joseph. Clearly she was off her rocker. But, you couldn't really tell because she didn't show any outward signs. I would recommend this book to all my friends and family. I was given this book in exchange for a honest review. Loved loved it. I'm on to the next one. Keep them coming Peg!!

[Terri Crossley · Rating 5 out of 5]

With big Sunday dinners and prayers to every saint you could think of I felt like I was back at home while reading this book! With laughter, romance, and mystery this book has it all and will keep you guessing till the very end! I highly recommend this book and hope you will give it a try you won't be disappointed!

[Belinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read that kept my interest all the way through. I got used to the grammar suited to the characters and ended up reading this in super fast time. The quirky Italian characters were so much fun to follow through their adventures. Lucille is every woman. Good mystery too! I recommend.

[Cheryl · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried to read this. I'm always looking for new mystery/cozy mystery series. But I couldn't get past the horrible grammar. I get that it's dialog and it's supposed to sound like you're listening to their conversation. But it was so bad, it was just way too much of a distraction and comes across sounding ignorant.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

The characters were hysterical and I really enjoyed that aspect (reminded me of my Italian family), but I don't know if it would be as funny reading a series with those characters, so this will probably be the only book that I read if it is a series.