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Running from Scissors
A runner disappears under mysterious circumstances. Nobody suspects murder, except Lacy. And she knows if-or, more likely, when-the body turns up, all fingers will be pointing at her. How do you outpace a corpse, outwit a scissor-wielding maniac, outrun a handsome detective, and prove not only Whodunit but Howdunit? Let the race begin... Lacy Purdy loves her new town, her new job, and her old cat, Meatball. And she loves to run. This summer, she'll be running for her life. A phantom lurks in the shadows of Run For It, the local running store, terrorizing an unpopular run group leader with an arsenal of sharp, shiny scissors. Lacy can't stand mean-girl Marlene and everybody knows it, so when she mysteriously disappears in the middle of a run, Lacy suspects foul play. Everyone else suspects Lacy. Enter Ruby Maplethorpe, an acerbic senior citizen who befriends Lacy and her feisty friend Stax, an indie bookseller. Ruby warns that someone in their circle is not who they seem, and they'll need her help if they want to stay one stride ahead of both the killer and the law. And she should know about murder, because Ruby is none other than classic mystery novelist Pearl Oakley, who spent a lifetime devising her own intricate plots. Finding herself cast as a character in someone else's story, Ruby's more than happy to accept the challenge. But Lacy isn't sure if Ruby is reading the clues correctly. Is the course they're on rocketing them towards a final solution or a dead(ly) end? Join the running store ladies-Lacy, Ruby, and Stax-in a race against time to unmask a diabolical killer before Lacy becomes the prime suspect. . .or the next victim. Running from Scissors is the first adventure in the deliciously addictive new 'Running Store Mystery' series by T.C. Wescott. If you love funny, juicy, twisty page-turners with cuddly cats, book stores, impossible murders, midnight rambles, and cozy environs brimming with mystery, then you will love Running from Scissors.
288 pages, Paperback
Published July 6, 2018
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454 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
January 6, 2019
Lacy newly shifted to this town 6 months ago, is a runner and has skirmishes with the running leader Marlene off and on. Her best friend Stax (a bookstore owner) and Ruby (a writer) soon join her and get embroiled in solving the murder of Marlene where Lacy was the primary suspect.
My second book by author T. C. Wescott, the main characters described were certainly varied. Ruby was the cutest in this trio with her brilliant mind and keen sense of detection having written many murder mysteries herself. But she was enigmatic. Stax was the loudmouthed best friend who was all heart and had some good. But she kept talking at serious scenes too. Lacy was sweet and kind but too judgmental yet not a good judge of people. She was kinda dumb at some scenes. And the entire story was through her POV. The other characters of this town were also not charming enough to get me invested in this story.
The book had parts of a cozy murder mystery, but most of it had a very slow pace. The ending just topped it off, THE FINAL REVEAL JUST DRAGGED FOR PAGES. I wanted to know WHO, WHY, and HOW of the murder mystery, but by the time the story ended, I had lost my interest.
The book had potential, but didn't live up to its expectations.
My second book by author T. C. Wescott, the main characters described were certainly varied. Ruby was the cutest in this trio with her brilliant mind and keen sense of detection having written many murder mysteries herself. But she was enigmatic. Stax was the loudmouthed best friend who was all heart and had some good. But she kept talking at serious scenes too. Lacy was sweet and kind but too judgmental yet not a good judge of people. She was kinda dumb at some scenes. And the entire story was through her POV. The other characters of this town were also not charming enough to get me invested in this story.
The book had parts of a cozy murder mystery, but most of it had a very slow pace. The ending just topped it off, THE FINAL REVEAL JUST DRAGGED FOR PAGES. I wanted to know WHO, WHY, and HOW of the murder mystery, but by the time the story ended, I had lost my interest.
The book had potential, but didn't live up to its expectations.
December 1, 2018
Running and reading mysteries are two of my biggest hobbies. So this book was like catching two birds with one stone. The murder was very unique and intriguing since it wasn't clear how exactly the victim was killed during the trail race until the reveal in the end.
Lucy, Stax and Ruby, the 3 sleuths, are an interesting bunch that surprisingly find together to solve the mystery. Ruby a former mystery writer and older lady is very determined to uncover the truth and doesn't mind to use questionable undertakings to do just that.
It was a very interesting and entertaining story that kept me hooked all the way to the end and I am looking forward to the next one in this series.
I requested this book from NetGalley and am thankful that Better Mousetrap Books and the author provided me with an advance copy.
Lucy, Stax and Ruby, the 3 sleuths, are an interesting bunch that surprisingly find together to solve the mystery. Ruby a former mystery writer and older lady is very determined to uncover the truth and doesn't mind to use questionable undertakings to do just that.
It was a very interesting and entertaining story that kept me hooked all the way to the end and I am looking forward to the next one in this series.
I requested this book from NetGalley and am thankful that Better Mousetrap Books and the author provided me with an advance copy.
December 11, 2018
I have seen quite a few interesting reviews of this book and I actually picked it up before I read any of this on its own merit. The blurb, the cover and the title are interesting enough and it is always a pleasure to start a new series. In this story, we are introduced to the newest residence of the town in question. The entire town seems to have an abundance of people who like running as a form of exercise and pleasure. This is the focus since all the key characters either bond or have bonded with this shared love. Even the enemies of the piece revolve in the same universe. We have the basic formula of a mean lady who thrives off her feeling of superiority and our main lady Lacy. When the former goes missing and danger is suspected, Lacy thinks she might be held responsible. Her friend Stax and new friend Ruby decide to take a very serious approach to cracking the case. The rest of the tale is how they work it out. There is a bit of humour, a lot of camaraderie and no loose thread left unexplained. It is a pretty solid base to build up a series on and the people are very relatable and/or interesting. I look forward to the next book of the series.
November 6, 2018
Full review: http://swiftcoffee.blog/2018/10/24/ru...
It was a quick read that I honestly enjoyed! The only thing I had actual problems with is the occasional mixture of present and past tense. That was irritating, but not so frequent that it would take away from the enjoyment and appreciating of the novel.
This book is a healthy mixture of a classic crime story's slow flow and modern fiction's easy going. The author took the recipe of those clever stories of simple times, of mysteries of the Golden Age, and put it all in a modern small town setting. At first I thought this is a weird concept but it worked so good! As a huge fan of those classics, I was certainly pleased with the way this story was written. The unfolding of the mystery, the happenings, the long revealing towards the ending, the atmosphere, everything felt a bit like in an old British suspense, yet it didn't feel off for being set in today's America. It was about thinking and being smart, like in the old days when there was time for things like this. I found it great!
I loved the characters! I have to admit I'm far from a runner (in fact that is probably the only kind of movement that I would NEVER EVER be persuaded to do...and believe me, that's something. I'm quite lazy when it comes to not-mental work), and I thought I wouldn't be able to appreciate all this 'runner society' in this book, but I found myself falling in love with all these quirky characters, and I could relate way more than I thought I would. I loved the main character, Lacy, her friend Stax, and don't get me started on the old lady who's kind of a mixture of Miss Marple and her creator, Agatha Christie! The others were great as well, even those that we didn't get to see a lot were ones that I thought I would want to know more about.
I know objectively this book is probably not a full 5-star one (though since it's a debut fiction novel, and only the first of a series, I'm sure this can change in the future), but hey, I felt like it was! I found myself intrigued and invested. So... 4.5 stars from me!
It was a quick read that I honestly enjoyed! The only thing I had actual problems with is the occasional mixture of present and past tense. That was irritating, but not so frequent that it would take away from the enjoyment and appreciating of the novel.
This book is a healthy mixture of a classic crime story's slow flow and modern fiction's easy going. The author took the recipe of those clever stories of simple times, of mysteries of the Golden Age, and put it all in a modern small town setting. At first I thought this is a weird concept but it worked so good! As a huge fan of those classics, I was certainly pleased with the way this story was written. The unfolding of the mystery, the happenings, the long revealing towards the ending, the atmosphere, everything felt a bit like in an old British suspense, yet it didn't feel off for being set in today's America. It was about thinking and being smart, like in the old days when there was time for things like this. I found it great!
I loved the characters! I have to admit I'm far from a runner (in fact that is probably the only kind of movement that I would NEVER EVER be persuaded to do...and believe me, that's something. I'm quite lazy when it comes to not-mental work), and I thought I wouldn't be able to appreciate all this 'runner society' in this book, but I found myself falling in love with all these quirky characters, and I could relate way more than I thought I would. I loved the main character, Lacy, her friend Stax, and don't get me started on the old lady who's kind of a mixture of Miss Marple and her creator, Agatha Christie! The others were great as well, even those that we didn't get to see a lot were ones that I thought I would want to know more about.
I know objectively this book is probably not a full 5-star one (though since it's a debut fiction novel, and only the first of a series, I'm sure this can change in the future), but hey, I felt like it was! I found myself intrigued and invested. So... 4.5 stars from me!
July 8, 2018
‘The eyes don’t lie, but the way we interpret the data we receive can be misleading if we’re denied a key piece of information.’
Author T.C. Wescott makes an impressive literary debut with this solid little suspense thriller. Not to be confused with Running with Scissors, the 2002 memoir by American writer Augusten Burroughs, Westcott offers no biographical data – female/male, country of origin, etc. But we do recognize the subtitle ‘A Running Store Mystery Book 1) that this is the initial volume of a planned series the author describes as a ‘funny, juicy, twisty page-turners with cuddly cats, book stores, impossible murders, midnight rambles, and cozy environs brimming with mystery.’
From the first pages we discover the story takes place in Oklahoma, Cedar Mill to be exact, and the center of the tale revolves around a group of running ladies sponsored by the Run For It Running store – Lacy, Ruby and Stax. For a lighthearted cozy mystery T.C. Wescott provides a colorful curtain raiser: ‘Today’s the day. I’m going to kill her, I think to myself as I pull my purse from under my arm. I reach in and wiggle my fingers around until they find their target, never taking my eyes off the woman in front of me. I could shoot her or run her down with my car. No, somebody else’s car. A rental? Too obvious. Heck, I’m spoiled for choice! I tear my eyes away to look at the item in my hand. Knife, hired assassin, force of nature. Sky’s the limit! Whatever your pleasure, just name your poison! Ha! Hmmm… Poison. Now there’s an idea. “Is something wrong, Lacy?” says the lady behind the register. She says it again before I snap out of my angry daydream and remember why I am here. “Sorry, Jess, just trying to keep my head from exploding. Or somebody else’s if I get my hands on them.” I still drip sweat from a three-mile run and regret not swinging by the car for a towel. I can see myself in the mirror behind the counter and realize I look more like a zombie apocalypse survivor than a relatively fit runner in her mid-forties. It could be worse, I reassure myself. I could look like one of the zombies. “Another fruitful run under the auspices of Marlene, I take it?” Jess asks with a knowing wink. She knows whenever I speak of murder, I speak of Marlene. “Yeah, fruitful,” I reply. “If I had any fruit I would have thrown it at her head.” Jess leans across the counter toward me. “No fruit on the course.” She now seems more like a bartender than a sales person at a running store. “A couple of guys in the Chamber of Commerce come in here every couple of months and pay top dollar for our best shoes. I don’t know what they do with them, because the old ones still look new two months later. But I’m pretty sure Marti doesn’t want them stepping in tomatoes if it can be helped.” “I was thinking more of a pitted fruit. Harder impact.”
A fine setup with a strong dollop of humor and the plot unfolds – ‘Lacy Purdy loves her new town, her new job, and her old cat, Meatball. And she loves to run. This summer, she’ll be running for her life. A phantom lurks in the shadows of Run For It, the local running store, terrorizing an unpopular run group leader with an arsenal of sharp, shiny scissors. Lacy can’t stand mean-girl Marlene and everybody knows it, so when she mysteriously disappears in the middle of a run, Lacy suspects foul play. Everyone else suspects Lacy. Enter Ruby Maplethorpe, an acerbic senior citizen who befriends Lacy and her feisty friend Stax, an indie bookseller. Ruby warns that someone in their circle is not who they seem, and they’ll need her help if they want to stay one stride ahead of both the killer and the law. And she should know about murder, because Ruby is none other than classic mystery novelist Pearl Oakley, who spent a lifetime devising her own intricate plots. Finding herself cast as a character in someone else’s story, Ruby’s more than happy to accept the challenge. But Lacy isn’t sure if Ruby is reading the clues correctly. Is the course they’re on rocketing them towards a final solution or a dead(ly) end? Join the running store ladies—Lacy, Ruby, and Stax—in a race against time to unmask a diabolical killer before Lacy becomes the prime suspect. . .or the next victim.
A runner disappears under mysterious circumstances. Nobody suspects murder, except Lacy. And she knows if—or, more likely, when—the body turns up, all fingers will be pointing at her. How do you outpace a corpse, outwit a scissor-wielding maniac, outrun a handsome detective, and prove not only Whodunit but Howdunit? Let the race begin…’
This is a fun, ‘cozy’ mystery, populated with a terrific cast of characters that makes for a delightfully entertaining read – a promise of a series of escapades that should be very popular! Recommended.
Author T.C. Wescott makes an impressive literary debut with this solid little suspense thriller. Not to be confused with Running with Scissors, the 2002 memoir by American writer Augusten Burroughs, Westcott offers no biographical data – female/male, country of origin, etc. But we do recognize the subtitle ‘A Running Store Mystery Book 1) that this is the initial volume of a planned series the author describes as a ‘funny, juicy, twisty page-turners with cuddly cats, book stores, impossible murders, midnight rambles, and cozy environs brimming with mystery.’
From the first pages we discover the story takes place in Oklahoma, Cedar Mill to be exact, and the center of the tale revolves around a group of running ladies sponsored by the Run For It Running store – Lacy, Ruby and Stax. For a lighthearted cozy mystery T.C. Wescott provides a colorful curtain raiser: ‘Today’s the day. I’m going to kill her, I think to myself as I pull my purse from under my arm. I reach in and wiggle my fingers around until they find their target, never taking my eyes off the woman in front of me. I could shoot her or run her down with my car. No, somebody else’s car. A rental? Too obvious. Heck, I’m spoiled for choice! I tear my eyes away to look at the item in my hand. Knife, hired assassin, force of nature. Sky’s the limit! Whatever your pleasure, just name your poison! Ha! Hmmm… Poison. Now there’s an idea. “Is something wrong, Lacy?” says the lady behind the register. She says it again before I snap out of my angry daydream and remember why I am here. “Sorry, Jess, just trying to keep my head from exploding. Or somebody else’s if I get my hands on them.” I still drip sweat from a three-mile run and regret not swinging by the car for a towel. I can see myself in the mirror behind the counter and realize I look more like a zombie apocalypse survivor than a relatively fit runner in her mid-forties. It could be worse, I reassure myself. I could look like one of the zombies. “Another fruitful run under the auspices of Marlene, I take it?” Jess asks with a knowing wink. She knows whenever I speak of murder, I speak of Marlene. “Yeah, fruitful,” I reply. “If I had any fruit I would have thrown it at her head.” Jess leans across the counter toward me. “No fruit on the course.” She now seems more like a bartender than a sales person at a running store. “A couple of guys in the Chamber of Commerce come in here every couple of months and pay top dollar for our best shoes. I don’t know what they do with them, because the old ones still look new two months later. But I’m pretty sure Marti doesn’t want them stepping in tomatoes if it can be helped.” “I was thinking more of a pitted fruit. Harder impact.”
A fine setup with a strong dollop of humor and the plot unfolds – ‘Lacy Purdy loves her new town, her new job, and her old cat, Meatball. And she loves to run. This summer, she’ll be running for her life. A phantom lurks in the shadows of Run For It, the local running store, terrorizing an unpopular run group leader with an arsenal of sharp, shiny scissors. Lacy can’t stand mean-girl Marlene and everybody knows it, so when she mysteriously disappears in the middle of a run, Lacy suspects foul play. Everyone else suspects Lacy. Enter Ruby Maplethorpe, an acerbic senior citizen who befriends Lacy and her feisty friend Stax, an indie bookseller. Ruby warns that someone in their circle is not who they seem, and they’ll need her help if they want to stay one stride ahead of both the killer and the law. And she should know about murder, because Ruby is none other than classic mystery novelist Pearl Oakley, who spent a lifetime devising her own intricate plots. Finding herself cast as a character in someone else’s story, Ruby’s more than happy to accept the challenge. But Lacy isn’t sure if Ruby is reading the clues correctly. Is the course they’re on rocketing them towards a final solution or a dead(ly) end? Join the running store ladies—Lacy, Ruby, and Stax—in a race against time to unmask a diabolical killer before Lacy becomes the prime suspect. . .or the next victim.
A runner disappears under mysterious circumstances. Nobody suspects murder, except Lacy. And she knows if—or, more likely, when—the body turns up, all fingers will be pointing at her. How do you outpace a corpse, outwit a scissor-wielding maniac, outrun a handsome detective, and prove not only Whodunit but Howdunit? Let the race begin…’
This is a fun, ‘cozy’ mystery, populated with a terrific cast of characters that makes for a delightfully entertaining read – a promise of a series of escapades that should be very popular! Recommended.
November 8, 2018
Running From Scissors (A Running Store Mystery #1) by T.C. Westcott
How could I possibly pass up this Advanced Reader’s Copy with my blog name, Blunt Scissors Book Reviews, and my Instagram handle, @thatgirlrunswithbluntscissors ?
I’m also a runner so a murder mystery that takes place in running group based out of a local running store was really appealing. Add to that, Staxx, the best friend of the protagonist, Lacy, owns a local bookstore that she and her brother inherited from their parents.
Scissors – check
Running – check
Books – check
I’m in!
Lacy, recently divorced, starts her life over in a small Oklahoma town. As part of her fresh start she takes up running. Her local running store hosts group runs on the weekends as well as during the week for all levels of runners.
There are the usual group dynamics that are a part of any group including the queen bee and her friends. Marlene is not well liked outside her own little group of friends and even that is a bit questionable. Lacy has made her dislike of Marlene quite clear but remains a part of the group.
Someone starts sending Marlene messages in the form of barber scissors; most notably a pair stabbed in her car tire. This is obviously troubling to Marlene and but life continues on.
Then on a long trail race, Marlene never crosses the finish line.
The whodunit commences here with a cast of characters from the running group and store all being examined for their motives.
Ruby, one of the group’s older and slower runners, was a best-selling mystery author in her former life. She still has her mystery solving skills and ropes Lacy and Staxx and running a parallel investigation to the police investigation.
From there, suspects are brought up, then eliminated, and brought back again once Marlene’s body is found and this missing person investigation intensifies into a murder investigation.
This was my first exposure to the “modern cozy mystery”. If you’re unfamiliar with the genre, it’s basically a murder mystery without the gory details of violence and mystery solving using detective skills rather than the latest and greatest forensic testing.
Ruby added an Agatha Christie flair to the plot which I enjoyed immensely as a life long Christie reader.
This was a quick read with quirky characters in a quirky town. It was a nice change of pace after reading several sad and/or intense books.
What I enjoyed about the book: the return to the cozy crime fighting methods. It was executed well in this book and Ruby was a wonderful character to bridge the gap between the old style and the more modern style of the genre.
What I enjoyed less about this book: this is small because a character is who they are but Staxx, a character intended to be a bit over the top and rough around the edges, irritated me at times. This is small in the grand scheme of things but I did find myself skipping some of her dialogue toward the end because I already knew that whatever she would be saying would be grating to me.
Who would enjoy this book? Anyone who loves running (or not), appreciates the quirks of runners, and like the cozy mystery genre. An Agatha Christie fan would be at the top of my list of someone to recommend this book to.
This was a quick and fun read and I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.
Thank you to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader’s Copy that I received for free in exchange for my honest opinion.
How could I possibly pass up this Advanced Reader’s Copy with my blog name, Blunt Scissors Book Reviews, and my Instagram handle, @thatgirlrunswithbluntscissors ?
I’m also a runner so a murder mystery that takes place in running group based out of a local running store was really appealing. Add to that, Staxx, the best friend of the protagonist, Lacy, owns a local bookstore that she and her brother inherited from their parents.
Scissors – check
Running – check
Books – check
I’m in!
Lacy, recently divorced, starts her life over in a small Oklahoma town. As part of her fresh start she takes up running. Her local running store hosts group runs on the weekends as well as during the week for all levels of runners.
There are the usual group dynamics that are a part of any group including the queen bee and her friends. Marlene is not well liked outside her own little group of friends and even that is a bit questionable. Lacy has made her dislike of Marlene quite clear but remains a part of the group.
Someone starts sending Marlene messages in the form of barber scissors; most notably a pair stabbed in her car tire. This is obviously troubling to Marlene and but life continues on.
Then on a long trail race, Marlene never crosses the finish line.
The whodunit commences here with a cast of characters from the running group and store all being examined for their motives.
Ruby, one of the group’s older and slower runners, was a best-selling mystery author in her former life. She still has her mystery solving skills and ropes Lacy and Staxx and running a parallel investigation to the police investigation.
From there, suspects are brought up, then eliminated, and brought back again once Marlene’s body is found and this missing person investigation intensifies into a murder investigation.
This was my first exposure to the “modern cozy mystery”. If you’re unfamiliar with the genre, it’s basically a murder mystery without the gory details of violence and mystery solving using detective skills rather than the latest and greatest forensic testing.
Ruby added an Agatha Christie flair to the plot which I enjoyed immensely as a life long Christie reader.
This was a quick read with quirky characters in a quirky town. It was a nice change of pace after reading several sad and/or intense books.
What I enjoyed about the book: the return to the cozy crime fighting methods. It was executed well in this book and Ruby was a wonderful character to bridge the gap between the old style and the more modern style of the genre.
What I enjoyed less about this book: this is small because a character is who they are but Staxx, a character intended to be a bit over the top and rough around the edges, irritated me at times. This is small in the grand scheme of things but I did find myself skipping some of her dialogue toward the end because I already knew that whatever she would be saying would be grating to me.
Who would enjoy this book? Anyone who loves running (or not), appreciates the quirks of runners, and like the cozy mystery genre. An Agatha Christie fan would be at the top of my list of someone to recommend this book to.
This was a quick and fun read and I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.
Thank you to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader’s Copy that I received for free in exchange for my honest opinion.
November 14, 2018
I am a runner. I like mysteries. This should be THE cozy series for me! However, several things didn't seem to hit their mark. I didn't like how many of the characters interacted with each other; condescending and/or rude and these were people who were friends. I appreciated that the author didn't assume that readers would know everything about running and explained different things as the story went along; however, the continual reference to a race as a run grated on my nerves. Finally, the reveal at the end took way too long! I believe it was supposed to have a Poirot like feel to it, but even the esteemed Monsieur would have gotten annoyed with the drawn out process. As this is the first in a series, I have given it an extra star because I know there are backgrounds and foundations that need to be set. That said, I am not sure I will read the next book in the series.
A copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and BooksGoSocial in exchange for an honest review.
A copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and BooksGoSocial in exchange for an honest review.
October 11, 2018
3/5 (digital copy provided by Netgalley and Better Mousetrap Books)
Short review:
Some parts work for me with the charm of cozy mystery. Some, however, just 'meh'. It picked up the suspense towards the end, but the revelation was just. too. damn. slow.
Lacy, a 40-something divorcee, took up running as a hoby and soon got tangled in a murder mystery. Accompanied by Stax, her old friend, and Ruby, her new friend (who also a writer), she tried to solve the mystery and maybe not getting killed while solving it.
Running From Scissor has a clever title, clever women (huzza for the Lacy-Stax-Ruby trio), and a cozy vibe. I dislike how Ruby dragged her explanations of whodunit. It was like watching a screenplay of 1985 Clue, but in a bad way.
Short review:
Some parts work for me with the charm of cozy mystery. Some, however, just 'meh'. It picked up the suspense towards the end, but the revelation was just. too. damn. slow.
Lacy, a 40-something divorcee, took up running as a hoby and soon got tangled in a murder mystery. Accompanied by Stax, her old friend, and Ruby, her new friend (who also a writer), she tried to solve the mystery and maybe not getting killed while solving it.
Running From Scissor has a clever title, clever women (huzza for the Lacy-Stax-Ruby trio), and a cozy vibe. I dislike how Ruby dragged her explanations of whodunit. It was like watching a screenplay of 1985 Clue, but in a bad way.
July 5, 2018
A clever old fashioned whodunit
Brilliant. If you love Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Margery Allingham or any of the writers from the Golden Age of crime, you are in for a treat. She has moved to the small town after her divorce and has joined the local running club. Here she makes two new friends. On a local running meet, one of the runners disappears. How and why are two questions raised. No one apart from the three take this seriously until her body turns up in an alley. Was she killed by the person who was stalking her? A fantastic clever plot that will keep you guessing until the end and the characters are superb. From the naive heroine to her brash BFF to the cool analytical new BFF.
Brilliant. If you love Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Margery Allingham or any of the writers from the Golden Age of crime, you are in for a treat. She has moved to the small town after her divorce and has joined the local running club. Here she makes two new friends. On a local running meet, one of the runners disappears. How and why are two questions raised. No one apart from the three take this seriously until her body turns up in an alley. Was she killed by the person who was stalking her? A fantastic clever plot that will keep you guessing until the end and the characters are superb. From the naive heroine to her brash BFF to the cool analytical new BFF.
October 8, 2018
I have to say I hated the book. The story doesn't flow and some parts the story is so convoluted it's maddening, I almost gave up. I'll never read another book from this author.
October 21, 2018
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is a fun cozy mystery set in the small town of Cedar Mill --a small town where everyone knows everyone. Lacy Purdy is involved in a running group with her friends Stax and Ruby. Lacy and Marlene, the leader of the running group, do not get along and Lacy even comments [and daydreams] that she would like to kill her. So, when Marlene goes missing during a run and is ultimately found murdered -- Lacy might be the prime suspect.
Of the three friends, I liked Ruby the most. She is an older woman, who in another life, was a mystery writer named Pearl Oakley in the peer group of Agatha Christie -- and, as it turns out, Lacy is a big fan of the Pearl Oakley written mysteries. And in true Miss Marple fashion, she takes the lead in investigating the missing person/murder case of Marlene with the help of Lacy and Stax.
Another enjoyable aspect of the book is the flirtation/brewing romance between Lacy and the handsome police detective. I am sure that this relationship will be explored further in upcoming stories.
I listened to this book and the narrator, Natalie Naudus, is pitch perfect for this book.
I will be continuing with this series.
This is a fun cozy mystery set in the small town of Cedar Mill --a small town where everyone knows everyone. Lacy Purdy is involved in a running group with her friends Stax and Ruby. Lacy and Marlene, the leader of the running group, do not get along and Lacy even comments [and daydreams] that she would like to kill her. So, when Marlene goes missing during a run and is ultimately found murdered -- Lacy might be the prime suspect.
Of the three friends, I liked Ruby the most. She is an older woman, who in another life, was a mystery writer named Pearl Oakley in the peer group of Agatha Christie -- and, as it turns out, Lacy is a big fan of the Pearl Oakley written mysteries. And in true Miss Marple fashion, she takes the lead in investigating the missing person/murder case of Marlene with the help of Lacy and Stax.
Another enjoyable aspect of the book is the flirtation/brewing romance between Lacy and the handsome police detective. I am sure that this relationship will be explored further in upcoming stories.
I listened to this book and the narrator, Natalie Naudus, is pitch perfect for this book.
I will be continuing with this series.
October 14, 2018
Wonderful Cozy Who Dunnit
This is the first book written by this author that I have read. I won't be the last! This is a modern and cozy version of a classic Who Dunnit. There are plenty of suspects and motives. The final reveal is better than any Perry Mason. I will be looking for more of this author's work. I received this book for free and this is my honest review.
This is the first book written by this author that I have read. I won't be the last! This is a modern and cozy version of a classic Who Dunnit. There are plenty of suspects and motives. The final reveal is better than any Perry Mason. I will be looking for more of this author's work. I received this book for free and this is my honest review.
October 25, 2018
An intelligent cozy mystery. Lots of red herrings scattered around, and good fun too. These small towns in America amaze me with the variety of people who live in them and the shops they contain.
A good story well told.
A good story well told.
July 13, 2018
This book by author T.C. Wescott, the first in the A Running Store Mystery Series, will take the reader on a mysterious adventure as they work to help figure out what exactly happened to a runner who disappeared one day.
Lacy Purdy has just moved into a new town and has become friendly with many of the locals, except for a woman named Marlene. When she goes missing, the town instantly suspects Lacy with having to do something with it. When it seems everyone is against her, Purdy does find the help of one person – Ruby Maplethorpe. Maplethorpe is a mystery writer who helps guide Purdy with trying to find out who might have kidnapped Marlene. It’s up to Purdy to find out what happened before it’s too late.
If you enjoy cozy mysteries, you’ll definitely want to check out this book. It’s fun, suspenseful, and filled with great characters.
Lacy Purdy has just moved into a new town and has become friendly with many of the locals, except for a woman named Marlene. When she goes missing, the town instantly suspects Lacy with having to do something with it. When it seems everyone is against her, Purdy does find the help of one person – Ruby Maplethorpe. Maplethorpe is a mystery writer who helps guide Purdy with trying to find out who might have kidnapped Marlene. It’s up to Purdy to find out what happened before it’s too late.
If you enjoy cozy mysteries, you’ll definitely want to check out this book. It’s fun, suspenseful, and filled with great characters.
November 6, 2018
Full review: http://swiftcoffee.blog/2018/10/24/ru...
It was a quick read that I honestly enjoyed! The only thing I had actual problems with is the occasional mixture of present and past tense. That was irritating, but not so frequent that it would take away from the enjoyment and appreciating of the novel.
This book is a healthy mixture of a classic crime story's slow flow and modern fiction's easy going. The author took the recipe of those clever stories of simple times, of mysteries of the Golden Age, and put it all in a modern small town setting. At first I thought this is a weird concept but it worked so good! As a huge fan of those classics, I was certainly pleased with the way this story was written. The unfolding of the mystery, the happenings, the long revealing towards the ending, the atmosphere, everything felt a bit like in an old British suspense, yet it didn't feel off for being set in today's America. It was about thinking and being smart, like in the old days when there was time for things like this. I found it great!
I put this book into the 'classic crime' category besides cozy mystery because though it is not an actual classic, but it has the major attributes of those.
I loved the characters! I have to admit I'm far from a runner (in fact that is probably the only kind of movement that I would NEVER EVER be persuaded to do...and believe me, that's something. I'm quite lazy when it comes to not-mental work), and I thought I wouldn't be able to appreciate all this 'runner society' in this book, but I found myself falling in love with all these quirky characters, and I could relate way more than I thought I would. I loved the main character, Lacy, her friend Stax, and don't get me started on the old lady who's kind of a mixture of Miss Marple and her creator, Agatha Christie! The others were great as well, even those that we didn't get to see a lot were ones that I thought I would want to know more about.
I know objectively this book is probably not a full 5-star one (though since it's a debut fiction novel, and only the first of a series, I'm sure this can change in the future), but hey, I felt like it was! I found myself intrigued and invested. So... I gave it 4.5!
It was a quick read that I honestly enjoyed! The only thing I had actual problems with is the occasional mixture of present and past tense. That was irritating, but not so frequent that it would take away from the enjoyment and appreciating of the novel.
This book is a healthy mixture of a classic crime story's slow flow and modern fiction's easy going. The author took the recipe of those clever stories of simple times, of mysteries of the Golden Age, and put it all in a modern small town setting. At first I thought this is a weird concept but it worked so good! As a huge fan of those classics, I was certainly pleased with the way this story was written. The unfolding of the mystery, the happenings, the long revealing towards the ending, the atmosphere, everything felt a bit like in an old British suspense, yet it didn't feel off for being set in today's America. It was about thinking and being smart, like in the old days when there was time for things like this. I found it great!
I put this book into the 'classic crime' category besides cozy mystery because though it is not an actual classic, but it has the major attributes of those.
I loved the characters! I have to admit I'm far from a runner (in fact that is probably the only kind of movement that I would NEVER EVER be persuaded to do...and believe me, that's something. I'm quite lazy when it comes to not-mental work), and I thought I wouldn't be able to appreciate all this 'runner society' in this book, but I found myself falling in love with all these quirky characters, and I could relate way more than I thought I would. I loved the main character, Lacy, her friend Stax, and don't get me started on the old lady who's kind of a mixture of Miss Marple and her creator, Agatha Christie! The others were great as well, even those that we didn't get to see a lot were ones that I thought I would want to know more about.
I know objectively this book is probably not a full 5-star one (though since it's a debut fiction novel, and only the first of a series, I'm sure this can change in the future), but hey, I felt like it was! I found myself intrigued and invested. So... I gave it 4.5!
April 30, 2019
Audio book review
This is my first from the author. But it’s not from the narrator.
This one has many layers and will have you scratching your head wondering what is next .
Heroine is Lacy Purdy, she’s a divorced 45 yr old .that lives in Cedar Hill near Tulsa OK . Lacy Is very active she loves running and taking parts in clubs around town . She decided to join a running group called Run For It which is owned by Marti and Chase Reynolds. Even thought she’s active she doesn’t have a steady partner. She doesn’t feel right dating . While in the group she does make a steady friend Juanita.
In the running group there is some friction with a major runner , she becomes the main suspect when that runner disappears.
How does she clear her name what happened to the other female.
Natalie was great telling this story . She has a clear , smooth and sexy voice . Her voice is calm .
This is my first from the author. But it’s not from the narrator.
This one has many layers and will have you scratching your head wondering what is next .
Heroine is Lacy Purdy, she’s a divorced 45 yr old .that lives in Cedar Hill near Tulsa OK . Lacy Is very active she loves running and taking parts in clubs around town . She decided to join a running group called Run For It which is owned by Marti and Chase Reynolds. Even thought she’s active she doesn’t have a steady partner. She doesn’t feel right dating . While in the group she does make a steady friend Juanita.
In the running group there is some friction with a major runner , she becomes the main suspect when that runner disappears.
How does she clear her name what happened to the other female.
Natalie was great telling this story . She has a clear , smooth and sexy voice . Her voice is calm .
August 16, 2021
I'd needed to read my review copy of this book for aaages, and was delighted when I discovered the audiobook was out by the time I got round to it. Running from Scissors is one of the first 'cozy mysteries' I've read, and I really enjoyed the vibe.
I definitely found myself captivated by the mystery aspect of the story; I would be annoyed at the protagonist for not being more suspicious of certain characters, and really felt as though for a time I my world was this small town. The story also does a wonderful job of making you feel simultaneously like you already are a runner in this running club and making you long for the running lifestyle —complete with running club gossip, race day jitters, and sports clothes shopping.
My favourite line is this one: "but melancholy is like a spoiled child —sometimes the only way to get it to go away is so humor it a while."
I definitely found myself captivated by the mystery aspect of the story; I would be annoyed at the protagonist for not being more suspicious of certain characters, and really felt as though for a time I my world was this small town. The story also does a wonderful job of making you feel simultaneously like you already are a runner in this running club and making you long for the running lifestyle —complete with running club gossip, race day jitters, and sports clothes shopping.
My favourite line is this one: "but melancholy is like a spoiled child —sometimes the only way to get it to go away is so humor it a while."
October 27, 2018
This is my first T.C. Wescott's book. This was a fun cozy mystery, which takes place in the small town of Cedar Mill. The three main characters, Lacy, Ruby and Stax, are really interesting characters. I loved the slow burn relationship between Lacy and Luke, the handsome detective Bentley. The storyline was action packed and intriguing, but the conclusion dragged a little. In some ways, this cozy mystery reminded me the Aurora Teagarden Series. I liked the running group background story. The narration was really well done and entertaining. Natalie Naudus done an amazing job with all the characters! I received this free review copy audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily left this review.
October 29, 2018
I love that this story takes place in my home state of Oklahoma. The only thing I didn't care for in this story was the long drawn out reveal. I love women sleuth stories. Them not being a trained professional makes it all the better as unorthodox methods to getting to the truth. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
March 21, 2019
Oh I don't know! I struggled with this one,parts were a really good murder mystery others were just too slow and I found myself finding it a chore to read. Overall I think I felt meh about it,the first half was gripping unfortunately for me by the middle I was loosing interest. Very disappointing as it had such potential!
December 19, 2018
Enjoyable, quirky cosy murder mystery with a running theme. If this is intended as a series it has promise as there are a few interesting characters but they need room to develop.
November 16, 2019
Nice whodunit
It's been along time since I've read a mystery that takes after Christie's parlour reveal scene at the end, where all is made clear. Enjoyed the read!
It's been along time since I've read a mystery that takes after Christie's parlour reveal scene at the end, where all is made clear. Enjoyed the read!
January 11, 2019
Lacy joins a running club to make new friends in Cedar Mill after her divorce. Why not she likes running. When a member of the running group goes missing Stax and Ruby, Lacy's new best friends, set out to solve the mystery of their missing running mate. I like this book because I like the running group scenario. T.C. author 'Running from Scissors' found a quirky set of characters and made them strange buddies. This book is written with humor. It portrays a running group in a believable way. 'Running from Scissors' is a fun cozy mystery and you will never believe who did it.
January 6, 2019
Running from Scissors by T. C. Wescott, a first book in A Running Store Mystery series is a gripping and absorbing tale.
It takes readers deep into the world of running, teaching us of inns and outs of this sport. I never knew it was so complex and how many factors feature in it.
Lacy loves her new town, after her crushing divorce, she loves her running community and her new friends, but she doesn't like Marlene, a fellow runner who is unexplainably mean to her. But when Marlene disappears during a train run, Lacy is the one who literally runs into her dead body.
Lacy is by pure chance joined by a former famous mystery writer and her best friend in solving this puzzle.
I loved that mystery writer gets to solve real life mysteries and how quirky she is.
Situations were realistically presented, amateur sleuths behaved according and there were many scary moments, I liked easy banter between main character and the handsome detective.
Even though I particularly enjoy British style mystery where everyone meets for a killer to be revealed I found in this case it dragged on for a unnecessarily long time and it got quite confusing to follow after some time.
It takes readers deep into the world of running, teaching us of inns and outs of this sport. I never knew it was so complex and how many factors feature in it.
Lacy loves her new town, after her crushing divorce, she loves her running community and her new friends, but she doesn't like Marlene, a fellow runner who is unexplainably mean to her. But when Marlene disappears during a train run, Lacy is the one who literally runs into her dead body.
Lacy is by pure chance joined by a former famous mystery writer and her best friend in solving this puzzle.
I loved that mystery writer gets to solve real life mysteries and how quirky she is.
Situations were realistically presented, amateur sleuths behaved according and there were many scary moments, I liked easy banter between main character and the handsome detective.
Even though I particularly enjoy British style mystery where everyone meets for a killer to be revealed I found in this case it dragged on for a unnecessarily long time and it got quite confusing to follow after some time.
March 24, 2019
Divorcee Lacy Purdy loves her new town of Cedar Mill, Oklahoma and her running group and the local running store, Run For It. But Lacy can't stand Marlene, her group's run leader. Marlene is being tormented by an unknown stalker who leaves behind barber scissors that remind her of the unsolved murder of a young woman at a hair salon she had owned. When Marlene mysteriously disappears in the middle of a trail run, Lacy suspects foul play. With the help of elderly runner Ruby Maplethorpe, who befriends Lacy and her feisty friend Stax, Lacy tries to figure out how Marlene vanished. Ruby uses her investigative skills as classic mystery novelist Pearl Oakley to sort through the various clues and suspects.
This was a fun cozy read and the first book in the Running Store mystery series.
I received an eARC via Netgalley and Better Mousetrap Books with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.
This was a fun cozy read and the first book in the Running Store mystery series.
I received an eARC via Netgalley and Better Mousetrap Books with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.
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