Get It Now Needled To Death (A Helping Hands Mystery #1) Assembled By Annelise Ryan Disseminated As Digital Copy

enjoyed this book for the most part, I don't think it really fits the category of cozy mystery though, It was mostly about Hildy the main character and her issues, She even goes to see her therapist to discuss them, The investigation is limited but the ending is fast and answers all the questions, NeedledToDeath NetGalley Hospital social worker Hildy Schneider leads a bereavement support group, She is surprised when new member Sharon Cochran makes is clear she is there not only to seek comfort, but also to ask for help in finding her sons murderer.
Hildy has a couple of contacts in law enforcement and learns Tobys death was determined to be a suicide, but there were a few things that didnt add up, Hildy takes this information and runs with it and is convinced the young man did not take his own life,

Soon, Hildy is working with Sorenson, Wisconsin police detective Bob Richmond to catch a killer,

“Needled to Death” is the first in a new series, However, it is really a spinoff of her Mattie Winston series, Mattie works for the Medical Examiners office and had dealings with Hildy on a prior case, Mattie makes a brief appearance in this book, but its Hildy that takes center stage, working sidebyside with Bob Richmond to learn more about Tobys suspicious death, I like that Hildy is not a perfect character, She is perceptive, caring, and quirky and can even be a bit manipulative to get what she wants, However, she uses her insights into people, gained through schooling and getting through a tough childhood, to help others, I love the fact that although she isnt a beauty queen, Bob isnt the only one who seems to be interested in Hildy romantically since, I dont know if there will be triangle in future books or if her relationship with Jonah, the evidence technician for the police department, will become more of a friend.
Either way, I like her interactions with both men,

In addition to a refreshing main character, the case itself is also interesting, The book deals with serious topics like suicide and drug abuse, but has a sense of humor without being too silly, Something seems off about Tobys death and I recognized some of the clues introduced by the author, but I would never have guessed the truth about what really happened, Hildy puts herself in danger to get the evidence needed to solve the case, but luckily shes not alone in her sleuthing, I wish there had been a scene or at least an epilogue with Hildy sharing information about the case with her bereavement group, but I still really liked the book.
This case seems to be opening new doors for Hildy in both her career and her personal life, and I look forward to reading more books featuring Hildy,

I received this book from NetGalley, through the courtesy of Kensington Books, The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review, Needled to Death is the first book in A Helping Hands Mystery series which is a spinoff of A Mattie Winston Mystery series, Needled to Death can be read as a standalone though, Hildy Schneider is a social worker, pleasantly plump, single, and has some quirks, Hildys mother was murdered when she was seven years old, She then found herself in the foster care system where Hildy was a less than an ideal child, She moved from home to home until she aged out of the system, Being in the foster care system left Hildy with an odd habit or two that she has been unable to shed, When Sharon Cochran asks for the grief support groups assistance in proving her son was murdered, Hildy wants to help because her mothers case is still unsolved, Hildy talks with Mattie Winston and then teams up with Detective Bob Richmond, Hildy became assertive with Bob regarding the case and also worked up the courage to ask him out on a date, Bob is a handsome and has been working out since he was shot, Hildy is surprised to learn he is fiftytwo he does not look his age, Jonas Kriedeman, an evidence technician, is attracted to Hildy and invites her to dinner, The mystery is multilayered with a twist or two, Hildy stumbles upon an interesting find that, in my opinion, was the best part of the mystery, I was happy that all the details of the case are revealed providing a satisfying conclusion, I found it fascinating when Hildy was trying to lift a print and how she was able to utilize it, I did find Needled to Death to be a slow starter and I did not like the repetitive details that Hildy was in the foster care system, bad homes, she has no family, her mothers history.
I like that the author took the time to establish the main characters and there are descriptive details on each character, I did not like that Needled to Death is written in the first person it was unappealing to me, P. J. , the neighbors daughter, was a delightful addition to the book, I liked her frank nature, Roscoe, Hildys golden retriever, is a protective and comforting dog, He was a sweetie. Those readers who enjoy A Mattie Winston Mystery series will be delighted with A Helping Hands Mystery series, Needled to Death has a protective pooch, a dashing detective, a cold case, a perplexing puzzle and a caring counselor, It was slow going to start with but then characters showed up from the Mattie Winston series and I was hooked, I loved the story and the characters, A great read.star

Dont bother reading this book, It is the first in a new series and is just a disjointed mess, I started reading this book not realizing it was the FIRST in the series, I thought it was at least book two or three because Annelise Ryan writes it in such a way that makes you think you have missed important backstory.

There are just so many weird details such as the main character Hildy is apparently very short however, she doesnt ever say how short or even why it is such a large part of the storyline.
Its just oddly bizarre. Another example, Hildy is an almostyearold woman with kleptomania tendencies who has never been married and apparently overweight, yet she has two men both in law enforcement wanting to date her within the first part of the book, it just doesnt make much sense.
It came off as the author wanted the main character HIldy to mirror the character of Stephanie Plum and/or other like characters,
I just cannot recommend this book, It is just a poorly written mess and it makes me wonder how Needled to Death ever got published,



I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley, The views given are my own, NeedledToDeath NetGalley Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

First of all, I liked how this took a different approach to the wholesleuth/detective theme most cozies have going on.
There is usually a distinct difference, but in this one the Police are using social workers to help solve crimes or offer a different perspective, and Hildy gets to see more of the background of police work.
At the same time it retains a cozy feel without violence although there IS mentions of drug use and sexual abuse later on so it both conforms to the genre but skirts being something completely different at the same time.


I really liked Hildy as a character especially refreshing is her attitude to men, if she likes someone she just sees where it goes without pressure, She has a few good contacts as well that help round out that usual cozy network, and I can see it building with her police friends as well,

I really did enjoy this one, even if it technically ends up darker than I'd normally like, Five. This is the first book in a new series that spun off of the Mattie Winston Mysteries that I enjoy, Hildy is a therapist who runs a bereavement group as well as working at the local hospital, At one of her group meeting, a bereaved mother tells the group that she doesn't believe her son committed suicide, but that someone killed him, Hildy offers to help her find out what happened, but it might not be what the mother wants to hear, Hildy contacts her friend Mattie at the coronor's office and gets the idea that Mattie believes there is more to his death as well, Hildy asks Mattie to contact the local detective on her behalf and Hildy's investigation begins,

I really enjoyed the characters in this story, Hildy is great. She has a lot of background history that comes to play in this story and helps her in her investigation, but you will have to read it to find out what it is.
Her neighbour,year old PJ, who walks her dog and does odd jobs is great, A bit different, again you will need to meet her to understand, but she gives the story a great human piece, Bob Richmond, the local detective she works with is another wonderful part of the story, Whether he is really allowing Hidly to coerce him into working together or he wants to work with her will be up to you to decide, The mystery is quite complex and requires a lot of leg work, a lot of interviews and research to move forward, Of course, Hildy is the one to discover a lead to solve the whole thing, but puts herself in danger, accidentally, while following it, I liked the ending and was quite surprised with the motive and culprit, I will definitely read more in this series, The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request, The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own, Synopsis:

As a colleague of deputy coroner Mattie Winston, social worker Clothilde "Hildy" Schneider is no stranger to unsolved murders at Sorenson General Hospital, Except this time, it's up to her to crack the case, . .

Motivated by her own difficult past, Hildy has an unparalleled commitment to supporting troubled clients through grief and addiction in Sorenson, Wisconsin, But when a distraught group therapy member reveals disturbing details about her late son's potential murder, Hildy goes from dedicated mental health professional to inoverherhead amateur sleuth, . .

Alongside her loyal therapy Golden Retriever, Hildy stumbles through incriminating cluesand an unlikely partnership with Detective Bob Richmond, the irresistibly headstrong cop who shares her passion for helping others.
With signs of foul play surfacing all over town, can Hildy and Detective Richmond pinpoint the deadly traits of a sharpwitted killer before another seat gets filled at grief therapy

Praise for Annelise Ryan and her Mattie Winston series

"The funniest deputy coroner to cut up a corpse since, well, ever!"
Laura Levine, author of Killer Cruise

"The forensic details will interest Patricia Cornwell readers.
. . while the often slapstick humor and the blossoming romance between Mattie and Hurley will draw Evanovich fans, "
Booklist Goodreads

:

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is a quick easy read, The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me into the story from the very beginning,

The characters are well developed and well rounded, Hildy is hardworking, fair and sympathetic, Her own life has been rough and she wants others to get through their own troubled past like she did, So when a woman at Hildys grief therapy group insists that her son did not kill himself but instead was murdered, Hildy wants to help the woman prove it, But it will not be easy,

The mystery was solid and well thought out, There were enough clues to sift through and suspects to consider and it was not easily solved,

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery, The fact that Hildy is a social worker should provide a lot of murderous possibilities,

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate,





The narrator was horrible, Mystery books should not be read by someone who talks like they are narrating a porn movie,
Thankful that the book was on Hoopla as the print in the physical copy I bought was TEENY, so I was able to dump said horrible narrator and just read the book.

"Titillating" is not a word that should be used over and over again,
There is a potential FREAKING LOVE TRIANGLE and I am not happy, As I really like Hildy as a MC she is deeply flawed and is aware that she is as she is also aware that makes her who she is and why she is good with her job and she is VERY relatable.
Especially to someone who has OCD, Though odd food items have never ever ended up in my pocket without me knowing it and I actually really like Bob the first suitor and think they work well together as he too is flawed and is very open about that and is open to the fact that Hildy has issues.
I despise love triangles they are lazy writing and I really hope this isn't headed down that path, Hildy and Bob and Jonas are better characters than that and deserve more than a stupid triangle that will ONLY end in heartbreak and it won't be the adults,
PJ is an awesome character and the author writes her very well, I love her.

Overall, this was just okay for me, The book kind of dragged on though there were parts that were really good and I kind of felt I should have read the Mattie Winston book that introduces Hildy, but wasn't aware until I was actually READING this one.
Sigh. It wasn't bad, it wasn't great, It was okay. I have the next one from NetGalley and I am hoping that it will be better, as second books often are in a new series, I like Hildy enough to keep going, but I am not sure I will go pastdepends on what happens with that read,
Needled to Death is the first book in Annelise Ryans A Helping Hands Mystery series, The storyline is well and flows at a steady pace, This is a little grittier than your typical cozy mystery, but it does contain all of the requisite cozy elements and doesnt include graphic violence, gratuitous adult situations, or harsh adult language.


Clothilde “Hildy” Schneider is a social worker at Sorenson General Hospital and oversees a bereavement support group in Sorenson, Wisconsin where she shares her home with Roscoe, a golden retriever, who not only provides comfort to her but also to patients.
Hildys insightful young neighbor, PJ, walks Roscoe several times each day, Hildys mother was murdered when she was seven, and she experienced a painful upbringing in the foster system, Hildy is hopeful that one day the person who killed her will be caught, A new member of the bereavement support group, Sharon Cochran, who lost her only child, Toby, two weeks ago, tells the group that the authorities believe her son committed suicide or accidentally overdosed on heroin, asks the group to help her prove Toby was murdered.
The group is intrigued by Sharons story and Hildy agrees to look into the case, She contacts Mattie Winston, who is a death investigator for the MEs office, who believes there is something a little sketchy about the case, After visiting Sharons home and taking possession of Tobys computer and an intriguing picture he repeatedly drew, she contacts police detective, Bob Richmond, and manages to create enough doubt that he agrees to reopen the case.
Hildy has good instincts and works closely with the detective in an effort to learn the truth, Hildy is attracted to Detective Richmond, but when Jonas Kriedeman, an evidence technician and single father of Sofie, his sevenyearold daughter, invites her to dinner, shes flattered and accepts his invitation.


I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it,
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