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Laughing Can Kill You
He who laughs last, laughs longest.
Unless he’s dead.
When romance author Hazel Rose is dropped by her publisher, she sees herself
heading down a path strewn with has-been authors. While disappointed, Hazel won’t give up without a fight—she signs up for a mystery-writing class, thinking that crime fiction will jumpstart her career.
But what’s a mystery-writing class without a mystery? So when Randy Zimmerman, an obnoxious classmate given to laughing at others’ expense, is murdered, Hazel tackles the case. Solving a real-life murder will surely lend authenticity to her creative writing.
She recruits her book group pals to help with the investigation. Trouble is, there are more suspects than they bargained for—even Hazel herself, who endured Randy’s thumbs-way-down review of her writing, had a motive.
A second body drives the stakes higher, and Hazel doubles her efforts to find who’s behind the murders, unearthing secrets that a killer would go to any lengths to keep hidden.
Will Hazel succeed? Or will this be “The End” for her?
Unless he’s dead.
When romance author Hazel Rose is dropped by her publisher, she sees herself
heading down a path strewn with has-been authors. While disappointed, Hazel won’t give up without a fight—she signs up for a mystery-writing class, thinking that crime fiction will jumpstart her career.
But what’s a mystery-writing class without a mystery? So when Randy Zimmerman, an obnoxious classmate given to laughing at others’ expense, is murdered, Hazel tackles the case. Solving a real-life murder will surely lend authenticity to her creative writing.
She recruits her book group pals to help with the investigation. Trouble is, there are more suspects than they bargained for—even Hazel herself, who endured Randy’s thumbs-way-down review of her writing, had a motive.
A second body drives the stakes higher, and Hazel doubles her efforts to find who’s behind the murders, unearthing secrets that a killer would go to any lengths to keep hidden.
Will Hazel succeed? Or will this be “The End” for her?
320 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 25, 2021
5 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
About the author
Maggie King
14 books113 followersMaggie King is the author of the Hazel Rose Book Group Mysteries. The series features Hazel Rose, a romance writer and amateur detective living in Richmond, Virginia. Maggie also contributed short stories to the VIRGINIA IS FOR MYSTERIES series, 50 SHADES OF CABERNET, DEADLY SOUTHERN CHARM, MURDER BY THE GLASS, DEATH BY CUPCAKE, FIRST COMES LOVE, THEN COMES MURDER, and CRIME IN THE OLD DOMINION.
Maggie lives in Richmond, Virginia, with her husband Glen and cat, Olive.
Visit Maggie at www.MaggieKing.com, Facebook at facebook.com/MaggieKingAuthor, Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/MaggieKingA..., and BlueSky at @meking.bsky.social.
Maggie lives in Richmond, Virginia, with her husband Glen and cat, Olive.
Visit Maggie at www.MaggieKing.com, Facebook at facebook.com/MaggieKingAuthor, Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/MaggieKingA..., and BlueSky at @meking.bsky.social.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 13, 2021
This standalone murder mystery follows two previous books about Hazel Rose, the romance writer who solves murders with the help of her circle of book-group friends. In this satisfying story, Hazel finds herself a suspect when an aspiring author is bashed to death soon after ridiculing Hazel's books publicly.
Real-life author, Maggie King, knows just how to construct a murder mystery to keep readers guessing and predicting until the very end. In Hazel's case, the very end is nearly the actual end of Hazel's existence as the murderer tries to eliminate Hazel in the final confrontation.
You'll enjoy this well-paced mystery even more because it contains no gutter dialogue, gory violence, or gratuitous sex. Author Maggie King relies on good old excellent story-telling to keep you in suspense and eager to join Hazel's search for a killer.
Real-life author, Maggie King, knows just how to construct a murder mystery to keep readers guessing and predicting until the very end. In Hazel's case, the very end is nearly the actual end of Hazel's existence as the murderer tries to eliminate Hazel in the final confrontation.
You'll enjoy this well-paced mystery even more because it contains no gutter dialogue, gory violence, or gratuitous sex. Author Maggie King relies on good old excellent story-telling to keep you in suspense and eager to join Hazel's search for a killer.
January 22, 2022
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Hazel Rose is back and her writing career is in peril. Dropped by her publisher she decides combining mystery with her usual romance themes may just save her from being a has-been. She signs up for a class being taught by successful best-selling mystery author Claudia Marlowe. Prior to the class, the authors meet at a book signing where future classmate and author hopeful Randy Zimmerman brags his book will rival the works of John Grisham. He also seems to find humor in everything and spews some hurtful words. Shortly thereafter the man is found dead, by Hazel no less, and she and her book club have another murder to solve. One where she and other authors find themselves prominent on the suspect list.
Can Hazel find the killer or has she written her last word?
While part of a series this book easily stands on its own. The author provides plenty of background information so readers new to the series will not feel lost at all.
Hazel Rose is an excellent protagonist. She is a genuinely nice person. Her natural curiosity suits her well both in her storytelling and sleuthing. I love that she is an author dealing with all the hurdles in the publishing world and gives readers a look behind the scenes. She is surrounded by the required set of quirky characters that are unique and each intriguing in their own ways. Randy Zimmerman was a real piece of work who left a lot of enemies in his wake. The suspect pool is large but manageable.
The story is very well-written with Hazel meeting with the suspects one by one trying to determine who could have done Randy in. There is plenty of humor layered throughout and the dialogues are top-notch. The story moves along at a very comfortable pace. I was very entertained by Hazel’s process and the final confrontation was very exciting when things almost went horribly wrong.
I did enjoy the way Ms. King sets a scene. I can tell how much she loves where she lives. Her descriptions gave a great vision of the time and place.
Laughing Can Kill You has an interesting amateur sleuth, a nice cast of supporting characters, a wonderful setting, and a captivating mystery. I hope to visit Hazel Rose again soon, I want to know how her writing career is faring. I am sure a dead body or two will give her plenty of ideas.
Hazel Rose is back and her writing career is in peril. Dropped by her publisher she decides combining mystery with her usual romance themes may just save her from being a has-been. She signs up for a class being taught by successful best-selling mystery author Claudia Marlowe. Prior to the class, the authors meet at a book signing where future classmate and author hopeful Randy Zimmerman brags his book will rival the works of John Grisham. He also seems to find humor in everything and spews some hurtful words. Shortly thereafter the man is found dead, by Hazel no less, and she and her book club have another murder to solve. One where she and other authors find themselves prominent on the suspect list.
Can Hazel find the killer or has she written her last word?
While part of a series this book easily stands on its own. The author provides plenty of background information so readers new to the series will not feel lost at all.
Hazel Rose is an excellent protagonist. She is a genuinely nice person. Her natural curiosity suits her well both in her storytelling and sleuthing. I love that she is an author dealing with all the hurdles in the publishing world and gives readers a look behind the scenes. She is surrounded by the required set of quirky characters that are unique and each intriguing in their own ways. Randy Zimmerman was a real piece of work who left a lot of enemies in his wake. The suspect pool is large but manageable.
The story is very well-written with Hazel meeting with the suspects one by one trying to determine who could have done Randy in. There is plenty of humor layered throughout and the dialogues are top-notch. The story moves along at a very comfortable pace. I was very entertained by Hazel’s process and the final confrontation was very exciting when things almost went horribly wrong.
I did enjoy the way Ms. King sets a scene. I can tell how much she loves where she lives. Her descriptions gave a great vision of the time and place.
Laughing Can Kill You has an interesting amateur sleuth, a nice cast of supporting characters, a wonderful setting, and a captivating mystery. I hope to visit Hazel Rose again soon, I want to know how her writing career is faring. I am sure a dead body or two will give her plenty of ideas.
February 27, 2022
Laughing Can Kill You Earns 5/5 Manuscripts…Engaging Entertainment!
Hazel Rose is a popular author with eight bestselling romance novels, but her ninth book didn’t do as well, so her publisher gave a swift “goodbye.” She and her cousin and best friend Lucy Hooper are set to attend a six-week mystery writing course led by bestselling crime writer Claudia Marlowe knowing the insights provided might save Hazel’s writing career. The other attendees are quite diverse in background, experience, and personality, but the one interesting participant, however, is Randall Zimmerman, Esq., whose ego, lack of filter, and “laughing” taunts may challenge everyone’s sensibilities. At a book signing event, Hazel found she’d accidentally picked up Zimmerman’s prized manuscript, and attempts to return it to him. However, Hazel and her husband, retired police detective turned true crime author, instead discovers Zimmerman’s body…dead!
Maggie King has penned an engaging predicament for her author turned sleuth Hazel Rose. Hazel had solved a few suspicious deaths before and connections to a previous investigation are made in this third book, however, it didn’t seem necessary to have read those books first to stay engaged. The victim is the perfect karmic choice described as despicable, selfish, and uncaring, so the suspect list is an entertaining challenge to weed through: an ex-wife, a wife, friends, family, colleagues, clients, the ones he laughed at...it seems just about everyone has a motive. The book is longer than I prefer and at the beginning some of the finger pointing seemed a bit of a stretch as realistic motives, but as the drama unfolded, details, new connections, a few closeted skeletons, and another murder victim led to some compelling, if not perilous, justice. There was an abundance of talk about writing in the writing course and later in Hazel’s own class, along with discussions about individual projects, mentoring, and varying styles of the writers. This contributed to lot of characters to manage and took a bit away from the main issue of investigating a murder, then two. However, I loved it…clever, intriguing, and satisfying karma!
Disclosure: I received an ARC from the author. My review is voluntary with honest insights and comments.
Hazel Rose is a popular author with eight bestselling romance novels, but her ninth book didn’t do as well, so her publisher gave a swift “goodbye.” She and her cousin and best friend Lucy Hooper are set to attend a six-week mystery writing course led by bestselling crime writer Claudia Marlowe knowing the insights provided might save Hazel’s writing career. The other attendees are quite diverse in background, experience, and personality, but the one interesting participant, however, is Randall Zimmerman, Esq., whose ego, lack of filter, and “laughing” taunts may challenge everyone’s sensibilities. At a book signing event, Hazel found she’d accidentally picked up Zimmerman’s prized manuscript, and attempts to return it to him. However, Hazel and her husband, retired police detective turned true crime author, instead discovers Zimmerman’s body…dead!
Maggie King has penned an engaging predicament for her author turned sleuth Hazel Rose. Hazel had solved a few suspicious deaths before and connections to a previous investigation are made in this third book, however, it didn’t seem necessary to have read those books first to stay engaged. The victim is the perfect karmic choice described as despicable, selfish, and uncaring, so the suspect list is an entertaining challenge to weed through: an ex-wife, a wife, friends, family, colleagues, clients, the ones he laughed at...it seems just about everyone has a motive. The book is longer than I prefer and at the beginning some of the finger pointing seemed a bit of a stretch as realistic motives, but as the drama unfolded, details, new connections, a few closeted skeletons, and another murder victim led to some compelling, if not perilous, justice. There was an abundance of talk about writing in the writing course and later in Hazel’s own class, along with discussions about individual projects, mentoring, and varying styles of the writers. This contributed to lot of characters to manage and took a bit away from the main issue of investigating a murder, then two. However, I loved it…clever, intriguing, and satisfying karma!
Disclosure: I received an ARC from the author. My review is voluntary with honest insights and comments.
December 6, 2021
Maggie King’s inimitable detective, romance author Hazel Rose, is back for another installment of Ms. King’s book group mystery series. The story begins with Hazel moaning to a friend that’s she’s been dumped by her publisher, and then she must suffer the indignity of attending a book signing by a group of mystery authors. There she meets Randy Zimmerman, a true jackass, who will soon end up dead.
Naturally, Hazel herself comes under suspicion, so she feels she has to investigate the murder. Because of Randy’s abrasive personality, there is no shortage of suspects. Much of the story from this point on consists of witty repartee with the various persons of interest as Hazel travels about the city. As with the other books in the series, Laughing Can Kill You is set in Richmond, Virginia. The author’s long familiarity with her hometown enables her to bring her setting to vivid life, making it an important character in its own right.
Laughing Can Kill You has all of the elements of an excellent cozy mystery—an amateur sleuth with an interesting profession, a detailed setting, an intricate plot with a logical and satisfying resolution, and a host of oddball characters, each of whom had had ample reason to have committed the crime. It proved to be a great read.
Naturally, Hazel herself comes under suspicion, so she feels she has to investigate the murder. Because of Randy’s abrasive personality, there is no shortage of suspects. Much of the story from this point on consists of witty repartee with the various persons of interest as Hazel travels about the city. As with the other books in the series, Laughing Can Kill You is set in Richmond, Virginia. The author’s long familiarity with her hometown enables her to bring her setting to vivid life, making it an important character in its own right.
Laughing Can Kill You has all of the elements of an excellent cozy mystery—an amateur sleuth with an interesting profession, a detailed setting, an intricate plot with a logical and satisfying resolution, and a host of oddball characters, each of whom had had ample reason to have committed the crime. It proved to be a great read.
November 30, 2021
A thoroughly enjoyable cozy
When romance writer Hazel Rose decides to turn her latest romance plot into a murder mystery, she has no idea that she will soon be embarking on a real-life murder investigation.
Author Maggie King has hit all the proper notes for an enjoyable cozy mystery in this third installment in the Hazel Rose Book Group mysteries. There are a reasonable number of suspects - enough to keep the reader guessing, but not so many that one looses track of the possibilities. There is misdirection. There are subtle clues planted along the way.
The story is well written and moves at a good pace to a satisfying climax. All in all, this is a thoroughly enjoyable cozy mystery in the best tradition of Agatha Christie.
When romance writer Hazel Rose decides to turn her latest romance plot into a murder mystery, she has no idea that she will soon be embarking on a real-life murder investigation.
Author Maggie King has hit all the proper notes for an enjoyable cozy mystery in this third installment in the Hazel Rose Book Group mysteries. There are a reasonable number of suspects - enough to keep the reader guessing, but not so many that one looses track of the possibilities. There is misdirection. There are subtle clues planted along the way.
The story is well written and moves at a good pace to a satisfying climax. All in all, this is a thoroughly enjoyable cozy mystery in the best tradition of Agatha Christie.
December 1, 2021
Maggie King returns with another mystery in her Hazel Rose Book Group series. After a disastrous meeting during a book signing with a caustic writer, Hazel Rose picks up his manuscript by mistake. She and her husband set up a meeting at the writer's house to return the notebook only to find his dead body. Although Hazel vows never to investigate a murder again, she's drawn in. A large caste of vividly-portrayed characters populate the story. Red herrings send Hazel down false paths to an ending both satisfying and unexpected.
April 6, 2022
I loved this story because the opening scene hooked me from the first word. I found Hazel to be realistic. A character that a reader can relate to because she has actual life problems.
I found that this was entertaining because the characters jump off the page. They are not flat and it made me want to read on to the very end.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I found that this was entertaining because the characters jump off the page. They are not flat and it made me want to read on to the very end.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 6, 2022
This latest in the Hazel Rose Book Group mysteries is just as entertaining as the other books in the series. Laughing Can Kill You is the story of Hazel Rose, a mystery/romance writer who unknowingly ends up with a manuscript written by a novice writer. When she returns the manuscript to the writer’s home, she finds him dead – blunt force trauma, a sculpture to the head. In spite of her husband’s warning not to, Hazel decides to investigate the murder and calls upon the extensive resources of her book group members to assist. Hazel can tell they are close to discovering the murderer when threats and attempts are made on her life. In a dramatic close, the killer is revealed and as the saying goes, it’s always the quiet ones you have to watch out for.
One of my favorite things about this series is the characters. With each book, I learn more about their backgrounds. For example, in this story, I learned Hazel’s ex-policeman husband teaches and is a writer, too. I also collected more tidbits about the Virginia setting in which all the murders take place. Picture a diverse, urbanized, revitalized Cabot Cove (“Murder She Wrote” fans know the reference) and you’re there. A final note on the plus side is the writer’s writing style – catchy phrasing, vivid description, a natural unfolding of the story, lots of good suspects to consider.
One drawback I ran into with this story is the slow pacing at the start. However, the action picks up about a third of the way through and then things go pretty fast. Soon, I was at the final scene when the killer is unmasked. In fact, it’s one of my favorite scenes.
Interspersed in the story is writing advice. Curious, I know! But, our heroine, Hazel takes a writing class from a bestselling author who happens to be one of the suspects. That is not only a good plot device but also a very clever way to dish out real-world writing advice to would-be writers reading a fictional book.
Laughing Can Kill You is a fun, light read, meaning there are no life-changing themes or messages to carry beyond “the end.” In these challenging times, that's a plus! Go ahead and make the investment. You’ll be glad you did.
One of my favorite things about this series is the characters. With each book, I learn more about their backgrounds. For example, in this story, I learned Hazel’s ex-policeman husband teaches and is a writer, too. I also collected more tidbits about the Virginia setting in which all the murders take place. Picture a diverse, urbanized, revitalized Cabot Cove (“Murder She Wrote” fans know the reference) and you’re there. A final note on the plus side is the writer’s writing style – catchy phrasing, vivid description, a natural unfolding of the story, lots of good suspects to consider.
One drawback I ran into with this story is the slow pacing at the start. However, the action picks up about a third of the way through and then things go pretty fast. Soon, I was at the final scene when the killer is unmasked. In fact, it’s one of my favorite scenes.
Interspersed in the story is writing advice. Curious, I know! But, our heroine, Hazel takes a writing class from a bestselling author who happens to be one of the suspects. That is not only a good plot device but also a very clever way to dish out real-world writing advice to would-be writers reading a fictional book.
Laughing Can Kill You is a fun, light read, meaning there are no life-changing themes or messages to carry beyond “the end.” In these challenging times, that's a plus! Go ahead and make the investment. You’ll be glad you did.
February 13, 2022
Laughing Can Kill You captures all the cozy mystery elements from a likable amateur sleuth and an unlikable murder victim to an inviting setting. Two of King’s strengths as an author lie in her ability to describe characters and settings. Laughing Can Kill You contains a long list of major and minor characters. King skillfully provides relevant information about each one that allows the reader to then fill in the gaps and make further assumptions about what the characters might be like or what they are going through. Also, her ability to describe the physical locations referenced in her book is excellent. At times, I felt as if I was right there in Virginia, walking around the historic city of Richmond with the characters and popping into various restaurants and shops with them.
I think the fun of reading a mystery lies in solving the case before the author solves it for you, and King does not make it easy as she introduces character after character of potential suspects. I maintained a mental list of characters and their possible motives as I dug through the clues. Just when I was convinced I had the answer, King would drop another hint that would make me reconsider my suspicions and alter course. My brain felt much like a pinball bouncing between tidbits of information! And despite my solving the mystery of “whodunit,” King still surprised me with twists and turns I did not see coming.
I am officially a fan of cozy mysteries and an even bigger fan of Maggie King!
Full review available at The Redhead Notes.
I think the fun of reading a mystery lies in solving the case before the author solves it for you, and King does not make it easy as she introduces character after character of potential suspects. I maintained a mental list of characters and their possible motives as I dug through the clues. Just when I was convinced I had the answer, King would drop another hint that would make me reconsider my suspicions and alter course. My brain felt much like a pinball bouncing between tidbits of information! And despite my solving the mystery of “whodunit,” King still surprised me with twists and turns I did not see coming.
I am officially a fan of cozy mysteries and an even bigger fan of Maggie King!
Full review available at The Redhead Notes.
August 3, 2022
Book TW/CW: Off-screen death
This is the third book in the series, it is not necessary to have read the other books to read this one, though doing so would provide you more insight to the relationships between the main characters.
Summary: Amateur sleuth, Hazel Rose, finds herself in the middle of yet another murder investigation, this time the murder of a man that she recently met at the signing of her most recent romance book. A sense of obligation to one of the main suspects propels Hazel forward to find out who the killer is, but will she and her faithful cadre of book club friends find them before they find her?
This is a cozy mystery and I found it quite enjoyable. The characters are extremely well written and the plot itself is quite good. The mystery kept me guessing until moments before the killer was revealed. My biggest complaint is that the story seemed to lag in the middle but did eventually pick up again in the last quarter of the book. My only other, more minor, complaint is that the author would occasionally jump from the present to the future saying things like "We had little to worry about on that score-but we didn't know that yet."
I will absolutely be reading future books in this series and will be going back to read the first two.
A copy of this book was provided to me for free in exchange for an honest review. This has not affected my review and rating.
This is the third book in the series, it is not necessary to have read the other books to read this one, though doing so would provide you more insight to the relationships between the main characters.
Summary: Amateur sleuth, Hazel Rose, finds herself in the middle of yet another murder investigation, this time the murder of a man that she recently met at the signing of her most recent romance book. A sense of obligation to one of the main suspects propels Hazel forward to find out who the killer is, but will she and her faithful cadre of book club friends find them before they find her?
This is a cozy mystery and I found it quite enjoyable. The characters are extremely well written and the plot itself is quite good. The mystery kept me guessing until moments before the killer was revealed. My biggest complaint is that the story seemed to lag in the middle but did eventually pick up again in the last quarter of the book. My only other, more minor, complaint is that the author would occasionally jump from the present to the future saying things like "We had little to worry about on that score-but we didn't know that yet."
I will absolutely be reading future books in this series and will be going back to read the first two.
A copy of this book was provided to me for free in exchange for an honest review. This has not affected my review and rating.
July 14, 2022
The basic premise is that the protagonist is a struggling writer and is attending a writing class, to write a mystery, then ends up investigating a real death.
I struggled with the writing style as so much of it was conversation between the characters and could've been explained in a different way. There was also over description of some concepts such as what Linked In is, but other phrases such as 'Roman a clef' were used with no explanation given. This seems to be a self-published book and would benefit from going through a formal editing process.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for providing an unbiased opinion. I have not read any other books by this author.
I struggled with the writing style as so much of it was conversation between the characters and could've been explained in a different way. There was also over description of some concepts such as what Linked In is, but other phrases such as 'Roman a clef' were used with no explanation given. This seems to be a self-published book and would benefit from going through a formal editing process.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for providing an unbiased opinion. I have not read any other books by this author.
July 25, 2022
This started out quick, fast and entertaining. I like the author's writing style. The characters are all engaging and written with a lot of warmth and wit. But, the story really started to slow and drag half way through and I found myself losing interest and counting the pages to see how close I was to the end. A pity because up to that point, I found it to be rather quick and interesting. I also guessed who the murderer was and their motive at the half way point so what started out as so promising became a bit disappointing towards the end. This would've been better if 75 or so pages were shaved off.
Still, I'm glad to have read this. I did like the characters.
Still, I'm glad to have read this. I did like the characters.
July 7, 2022
An average mystery. Simple writing with a mediocre plot. The book didn’t engage me, and I had to really focus while reading the book. The one positive for me was the way the author portrayed the writing class. It was interesting learning different ways to cover certain aspects of book writing. That’s the main reason I gave it 3 stars instead of 2 stars.
My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions expressed are
my own.
My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions expressed are
my own.
September 3, 2022
As an author of romantic suspense, I immediately engage with the plight of the main character, Hazel Rose, as she transitions from a romance writer into mysteries. The dialog is sprightly and great at revealing character. I love the bits of humor including author signings: “My own signature remained unfashionably legible.” Having a range of character ages, plus Hazel’s husband as a retired homicide detective, is also appealing. I’m a fan of foreshadowing, and it’s used to good effect here.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews