Book Reviews for My Mystery Novel Imogene in New Orleans

hmurphy – June 13, 2015 1 Comment

It’s been six months since I published the murder mystery Imogene in New Orleans. I wanted to post a few of my favorite reviews on my novel. They’ve been better than I expected and I couldn’t be more pleased. I had hoped to find some readers, but the people I’ve met along this adventure have been truly amazing.

Amber and Kevin, two of my new buds. Please notice how odd my pants look. All this sitting-at-a-desk-writing has not been good for my figure, but I love the pic with these fun people

Deep South Magazine wrote a fine review: “As I followed all the twists and turns of Murphy’s mystery and arrived at the conclusion of who killed Glenway, I was sorry to see this tale come to an end.”

Picture posted on Deep South’s Instagram account: https://instagram.com/deepsouthmag/.

Hannah Givens wrote a gracious review of the book on her blog: “I actually bought this on my Kindle and read it in short chunks on my breaks at work, waiting on dinner meetups, things like that, and it was the perfect strategy for me… I can’t know how I might’ve felt about it reading it all the way through, but reading a little at a time, I started looking forward to my “Imogene breaks” and I’m a bit sad they’re finished.”

She was also gracious enough to invite me to write a guest post on her blog.

Hannah is awesome.

One of the best things that’s happened to me since writing this book, is I’ve met people like Hannah and other supporters. My friend in New Orleans, Ron Joullian, introduced me to a great character named Frank Perez. He and Ron both love the Crescent City and they book give excellent tours of the French Quarter. Frank is a writer himself and a truly talented individual. His review in Ambush Magazine was flattering. “As the mystery unfolds, readers are treated to a host of characters that could easily by real life Quarterites. There is a touch of genius in the character of Imogene, an elderly, salty, down-to-earth woman- think Wife of Bath meets Miss Marple, but with an Alabama accent.”

What an honor! I cannot thank Frank enough for such a nice review, and I’m really looking forward to taking one of his Strange True Tours in New Orleans.

Frank Perez on tour!

A librarian at the Birmingham Public Library wrote a really wonderful review of the book: “This is a delightful whodunit, with charming characters, beignets, horse-drawn carriages, jazz music, murder, intrigue, corruption, night clubs, chases, good friends, hustlers, artists, parades, and a spoiled bulldog. Let Imogene, Goose, and the boys gently lead you on their comical search for the killer!” I want to thank Kelly Laney for penning that review. She’s one of the best there is and I truly appreciate her.

Picture of a circulating copy of Imogene in New Orleans, available for checkout from the Birmingham Public Library.

And most recently, a young lady from The Netherlands named Myrthe Dijkslag wrote a fine piece about Imogene and the boys. Myrthe says ,”a very interesting band of characters who should not be solving a murder, yet manage to do so without getting themselves killed in the process. From beginning to end the book is filled with excitement, action and a New Orleans atmosphere. It’s definitely worth a read!” Her review meant a lot to me, especially considering how interesting and well-read Myrthe is.

Picture taken and posted by Myrthe on her Instagram account.

I have also gotten some wonderful reviews on both Amazon and Goodreads from both strangers and friends. It’s been a wild ride these last six months and I’m looking forward to connecting with more readers in the future, and to writing more mysteries featuring Imogene and the boys (and Goose).