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The Death of the Party: A Saddle Creek Cozy Mystery Book 1
"Maggie Aldrich will have you laughing till your side hurts all while keeping you on the edge of your seat in this action-packed, page turning small town cozy mystery!" - CarolAnn Williams - Booksprout
Upon moving back to small town America, the last thing newbie reporter Jackie Robinson expects to discover is a dead body. And not just any dead body. Local football legend and popular native son Barry Bartmore - the "King" of Saddle Creek.
Much to the chagrin of Officer Tony Torres, her first unrequited crush, Jackie puts on her reporter's hat and takes the case. She’s determined to write a breakout story and forget her own sketchy past, no matter who gets in her way. But when BFF Amy becomes the prime suspect, things start to get hairy. Can Jackie clear Amy’s name without digging up her own secrets? Or will the irresistable and determined Officer Torres stop her dead in her tracks?
Upon moving back to small town America, the last thing newbie reporter Jackie Robinson expects to discover is a dead body. And not just any dead body. Local football legend and popular native son Barry Bartmore - the "King" of Saddle Creek.
Much to the chagrin of Officer Tony Torres, her first unrequited crush, Jackie puts on her reporter's hat and takes the case. She’s determined to write a breakout story and forget her own sketchy past, no matter who gets in her way. But when BFF Amy becomes the prime suspect, things start to get hairy. Can Jackie clear Amy’s name without digging up her own secrets? Or will the irresistable and determined Officer Torres stop her dead in her tracks?
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Published April 17, 2024
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About the author
Maggie Aldrich
5 books169 followersMaggie Aldrich is an avid reader, freelance writer, and yoga instructor who tends to catastrophize all situations.
"Good grief, you should become a writer, you're always making stuff up!" her family said. And so, she did.
Winner of the 2017 Bess Streeter Aldrich Short Story Competition - Adult Division, Maggie lives on an acreage in middle America with her husband, daughter, cats, and other various unattended wild animals.
All book are available on Amazon at: https://amzn.to/2OOZIfO
Visit her Facebook page for announcements, promos, and updates: Facebook.com/MaggieAldrichWrites
"Good grief, you should become a writer, you're always making stuff up!" her family said. And so, she did.
Winner of the 2017 Bess Streeter Aldrich Short Story Competition - Adult Division, Maggie lives on an acreage in middle America with her husband, daughter, cats, and other various unattended wild animals.
All book are available on Amazon at: https://amzn.to/2OOZIfO
Visit her Facebook page for announcements, promos, and updates: Facebook.com/MaggieAldrichWrites
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 14, 2021
I ate this book up. I couldn't put it down. Since it had a Halloween theme at the start it was the perfect Halloween read. I enjoyed trying to figure out the mysteries (there were a couple) right along with Jackie and the others. There were a few characters that really got under my skin and I just wished the main character, Jackie, would kick them to the curb - (maybe she did, maybe she didn't - you'll have to read it and see!). I am looking forward to another Saddle Creek Mystery.
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October 29, 2021Author note: Boy, this book was hard to write...only because the idea of it had been in my mind for years. But, it's one of my funniest books yet, IMO. ;-) I love the characters. I love the community. I love the friendships. And the hot guy makes it more interesting too.
Book Junkie Reviews says, "Between a town full of suspects, uninvited visitors, and Jackie’s neighbors and friends, The Death of the Party is incredibly entertaining. The descriptions drew me into Saddle Creek, and the characters made me want to move there. Ms. Aldrich kept me guessing to the end."
https://abookjunkiereviews.wordpress....
I'm so glad I can provide laughter, joy, and loads of entertaiment to people through my work. That warms my heart!
Book Junkie Reviews says, "Between a town full of suspects, uninvited visitors, and Jackie’s neighbors and friends, The Death of the Party is incredibly entertaining. The descriptions drew me into Saddle Creek, and the characters made me want to move there. Ms. Aldrich kept me guessing to the end."
https://abookjunkiereviews.wordpress....
I'm so glad I can provide laughter, joy, and loads of entertaiment to people through my work. That warms my heart!
October 29, 2021
Author Maggie Aldrich has begun another fantastic cozy mystery series with her latest novel, The Death of the Party. The setting is realistic, the characters are fun, and the antics are hilarious.
Jackie returns to her home town in disgrace. Her late Aunt Mabel being her guardian angel, Jackie has a roof over her head and a job as a reporter for the tiny town of Saddle Creek. When a wealthy and much hated local is found dead, Jackie has much more to report on besides the locals’ cats getting stuck in trees.
One would think that Jackie having spent much of her life in Austin she would have been more saavy, but she is still the small-town, trusting girl she used to be, which of course, gets her into a few “situations”. I enjoyed Jackie, her friend Amy, and Jackie’s very involved (nosy) neighbors. The characters and their interactions screamed “authentic depiction of live in a small town”. With the addition of a hot, local cop on the same case, Ms. Aldrich threw in a hint of a (clean) romance.
Between a town full of suspects, uninvited visitors, and Jackie’s neighbors and friends, The Death of the Party is incredibly entertaining. The descriptions drew me into Saddle Creek, and the characters made me want to move there. Ms. Aldrich kept me guessing to the end.
For more reading recommendations, visit Book Junkie Reviews at www.abookjunkiereviews.wordpress.com
Jackie returns to her home town in disgrace. Her late Aunt Mabel being her guardian angel, Jackie has a roof over her head and a job as a reporter for the tiny town of Saddle Creek. When a wealthy and much hated local is found dead, Jackie has much more to report on besides the locals’ cats getting stuck in trees.
One would think that Jackie having spent much of her life in Austin she would have been more saavy, but she is still the small-town, trusting girl she used to be, which of course, gets her into a few “situations”. I enjoyed Jackie, her friend Amy, and Jackie’s very involved (nosy) neighbors. The characters and their interactions screamed “authentic depiction of live in a small town”. With the addition of a hot, local cop on the same case, Ms. Aldrich threw in a hint of a (clean) romance.
Between a town full of suspects, uninvited visitors, and Jackie’s neighbors and friends, The Death of the Party is incredibly entertaining. The descriptions drew me into Saddle Creek, and the characters made me want to move there. Ms. Aldrich kept me guessing to the end.
For more reading recommendations, visit Book Junkie Reviews at www.abookjunkiereviews.wordpress.com
October 28, 2021
Loved this book. I have to confess that I am a friend of Maggie’s but her books just keep getting better.
Midway through her book I had to run to the kitchen to get chips and salsa. Her description of the local Mexican restaurant made me hungry. The book is a bit romance, mystery and down right hilarious.
Can’t wait for the next book!
Midway through her book I had to run to the kitchen to get chips and salsa. Her description of the local Mexican restaurant made me hungry. The book is a bit romance, mystery and down right hilarious.
Can’t wait for the next book!
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November 10, 2021life, love echoes, death and trying to survive it all in a small town
will a first crush revisited bring her jail instead of romance?
is death more likely than the fresh start she was hoping for?
murder plus awkward equals fun reading
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
will a first crush revisited bring her jail instead of romance?
is death more likely than the fresh start she was hoping for?
murder plus awkward equals fun reading
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 12, 2021
Maggie Aldrich will have you laughing till your side hurts all while keeping you on the edge of your seat in this action-packed, page turning small town cozy mystery!
Small town murder of former hometown jock.
Saddle Creek is a small town with less than 7000 residents. Former hometown jock throws his yearly party trying to reclaim his youth.
OK, being from a small town myself I felt as if I was there right alongside the characters in the book! Is that not like most small towns? A jock from high school not ever wanting to grow up ( I know you are picturing the one from your hometown right now, am I correct).
This book was so entertaining with its well established characters. I truly found it hard to put this book down and I finished it in one day! I feel as though I was able to bond with the town folk in Saddle Creek and I am eagerly waiting for the next book to come out so I can continue reading about my new found “friends”.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.
Small town murder of former hometown jock.
Saddle Creek is a small town with less than 7000 residents. Former hometown jock throws his yearly party trying to reclaim his youth.
OK, being from a small town myself I felt as if I was there right alongside the characters in the book! Is that not like most small towns? A jock from high school not ever wanting to grow up ( I know you are picturing the one from your hometown right now, am I correct).
This book was so entertaining with its well established characters. I truly found it hard to put this book down and I finished it in one day! I feel as though I was able to bond with the town folk in Saddle Creek and I am eagerly waiting for the next book to come out so I can continue reading about my new found “friends”.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.
October 30, 2021
This was a small town cozy mystery with a touch of romance.
Jackie Robinson recently moved back to Saddle Creek, Texas after 20 years in Austin. She was a financial analyst until her fiance was arrested for fraud. She recently inherited her Great Aunt Mabel's estate including her home and black cat Hobbes. She has reconnected with her childhood best friend, Amy who is the local pharmacist. Currently she is working as the new local best and crime scene reporter for The Herald.
Barry Bartmore a wealthy and powerful local golden boy throws an annual 80's Halloween party. This year he is found floating face down in his hot tub during the party. There is no shortage of suspects as Barry was hated by many of the locals. While reporting on his demise, Jackie, Amy and Officer Tony Torres solve the mystery but have to deal with her ex fiance, her abusive older sister and a slew of greedy drama queens.?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Jackie Robinson recently moved back to Saddle Creek, Texas after 20 years in Austin. She was a financial analyst until her fiance was arrested for fraud. She recently inherited her Great Aunt Mabel's estate including her home and black cat Hobbes. She has reconnected with her childhood best friend, Amy who is the local pharmacist. Currently she is working as the new local best and crime scene reporter for The Herald.
Barry Bartmore a wealthy and powerful local golden boy throws an annual 80's Halloween party. This year he is found floating face down in his hot tub during the party. There is no shortage of suspects as Barry was hated by many of the locals. While reporting on his demise, Jackie, Amy and Officer Tony Torres solve the mystery but have to deal with her ex fiance, her abusive older sister and a slew of greedy drama queens.?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 26, 2021
What a fun read. Too many people had a motive for killing the wealthy man-about-town victim, and Jackie Robinson's job demands she cover the story. Her past, and her feelings for the local hunky cop, demand she investigate. And she turns up perhaps too many possibilities. And feels perhaps a little too much.
Mystery and romance blend with humor as Maggie Aldrich creates a page-turning situation and witty, quirky characters.
Can't wait for the next Saddle Creek Cozy!
Mystery and romance blend with humor as Maggie Aldrich creates a page-turning situation and witty, quirky characters.
Can't wait for the next Saddle Creek Cozy!
October 22, 2021
I liked reading this… ok, full disclosure, I loved it! Mystery, crime, family drama (s), romance ( clean), fun and wit. Everything you might want-except perhaps aliens- you might find in here. I had such good laughs out of this book, I have to chuckle thinking back. Oh, not to forget the wonderful tabby! And the neighbors at its best! A first class trip to small town Texas. If I would be sure they make them police officers as described… I certainly would have to pack up and go living in Saddle Creek…if I knew where it was…
Enjoy your read!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Enjoy your read!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 7, 2021
this was a great start to the Saddle Creek Cozy Mysteries, it had what I wanted from a cozy mystery and that type of story. The characters were great and I enjoyed trying to solve this mystery.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 4, 2021
The Death of the Party is the first book in the Saddle Creek Cozy Mystery series. This book is a fantastic start to this series. It is fun to read and has likable characters, nosy neighbours, humour, murder, and mystery.
I read and reviewed this book with no obligation.
I read and reviewed this book with no obligation.
October 16, 2024
Humdrum story - particularly formulaic with no character development at all. Pat scenarios, with the "oh, yeah" offered by notes and emails, and no one held accountable. Wrap up Amy's role with a "she became a hero"-style paragraph, and kiss the good guy. I dropped it another star level for the word misuse and I may or may not have considered dropping yet another for the repeated use of one annoying, sophomoric tactic. Full disclosure: I did. And for the misuse of the 10-code (perhaps one town uses 10-65 for dead body, but for most, 10-65 is armed robbery).
Earl is a loveable hardware store owner, somewhat paunchy and awkward on first meeting, but somehow becomes Amy's soulmate with no explanation. Tony is given no credit for anything since the third grade. Miss Clarabelle is a nosy busybody except when she gives out rum muffins or clues. Vanessa and Ida Mae are caricatures. Julia and Damien are flat, uninteresting mopes. Nope. Maybe should've rated it at 1.
Earl is a loveable hardware store owner, somewhat paunchy and awkward on first meeting, but somehow becomes Amy's soulmate with no explanation. Tony is given no credit for anything since the third grade. Miss Clarabelle is a nosy busybody except when she gives out rum muffins or clues. Vanessa and Ida Mae are caricatures. Julia and Damien are flat, uninteresting mopes. Nope. Maybe should've rated it at 1.
June 11, 2022
I love this book actually I love all three of Ms. Aldrich's books I've read. I'm looking forward to Saddle Creek Mysteries, #2 and others.
Jacqueline (aka, Jack and Jackie) Robinson has returned to her hometown to live and work. She was working in the city in a high-powered job making a good living and gets engaged to a crook who is taken away in handcuffs at her wedding, saving her from the burden of actually marrying the horrible fiancee. She takes a job as a reporter with the small-town online newspaper.
The book is full of interactions with old-school friends and enemies that add considerable humor to the storyline. One of the friends is Tony, the town's sheriff. I won't tell you anymore because you will want to read all about it.
I highly recommend The Death of the Party (Saddle Creek Mysteries, #1)
Jacqueline (aka, Jack and Jackie) Robinson has returned to her hometown to live and work. She was working in the city in a high-powered job making a good living and gets engaged to a crook who is taken away in handcuffs at her wedding, saving her from the burden of actually marrying the horrible fiancee. She takes a job as a reporter with the small-town online newspaper.
The book is full of interactions with old-school friends and enemies that add considerable humor to the storyline. One of the friends is Tony, the town's sheriff. I won't tell you anymore because you will want to read all about it.
I highly recommend The Death of the Party (Saddle Creek Mysteries, #1)
November 26, 2021
This is the 2nd book I've read written by Maggie Aldrich; I can’t wait to read more of her books.
This is the 1st book in the Saddle Creek Cozy Mystery Series; it is a stand-alone book. The story is about Jackie Robinson; she’s moved back her hometown, she’s a reporter and the first case she’s assigned is the murder of King, working with Tony and trying to clear her best friend Amy.
I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
This is the 1st book in the Saddle Creek Cozy Mystery Series; it is a stand-alone book. The story is about Jackie Robinson; she’s moved back her hometown, she’s a reporter and the first case she’s assigned is the murder of King, working with Tony and trying to clear her best friend Amy.
I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
March 26, 2022
This book was a quick fun read, perfect for my beach vacation! I’m sure I was smiling the whole time I read it and I KNOW I laughed out loud several times. The characters were loveable and the author does a good job with descriptions so I was able to picture everything vividly as I read the story. I can’t wait for the next book to come out!
July 6, 2025
Excellent mystery with great characters.
I truly enjoyed this story. It has a great mystery that had quite a surprise. And a lot of funny scenes, especially between the 3 main characters. I would have loved to see Jackie's ex and sister get there just deserts, although reading what Jackie believed would happen was ok too.
I truly enjoyed this story. It has a great mystery that had quite a surprise. And a lot of funny scenes, especially between the 3 main characters. I would have loved to see Jackie's ex and sister get there just deserts, although reading what Jackie believed would happen was ok too.
April 1, 2024
1 star
April 26, 2024
Small town takes murder…again. I liked this one filled with family ties and a sprinkle of romance. Very cute lil story
January 16, 2025
I liked this story, it was fun and sassy at times. I was hoping there would be a second book but it looks like the author stopped writing.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews