I don’t know it it’s just me (maybe it’s the books I’m picking up) but cosy crime seems to be trending these days towards the cosy and away from the crime. So it was with Ellie Alexander’s A Murder on the Mountain, and it’s fine, it really is, but…it’s just short on what I’m looking for in a crime novel.
The book is set in Portland, Oregon, where wannabe investigative reporter Meg finds herself with a job at an extreme sports publication. Here, naturally, she is required to become involved in extreme sports at which (of course) she is inexperienced and so, expectedly, gets herself into a lot of scrapes. During one of these, as she is covering the filming of an extreme sports competition, she witnesses one of the competitors falling past her to his death as she clings to the side of a mountain.
It wouldn’t be cosy crime of Meg didn’t immediately need to get to the bottom of it, despite being warned off by both the sheriff and a mysterious personage we assume to be the killer. So far, so mainstream.
The trouble is, I found it all a bit…twee. It’s not just that Meg is improbably ditzy for a reporter, and keeps getting herself into situations which would have been avoided if she’d done as the Sheriff told her and stayed at home. It’s that the crime itself is incredibly sketchy. There are no witnesses to see how the victims came to fall and yet the Sheriff concludes that it’s homicide. We never find out why. Most of the investigation is Meg digging around to find out the background of the contestants which, let’s face it, is something the police would be perfectly able to do for themselves — probably rather better and rather quicker.
What we did get, instead of the crime, was a lot of froth. We had the detail on what Meg snd her friends wear, and eat, and detailed explanations of where they live. The secondary characters — friends, family, suspects — are stereotypes and without depth. Difficult mother, grandmother into crystals and alternative therapy, handsome boss vs male best friend, successful female best friend with smug boyfriend — the tropes are all there but there’s nothing to make them any more than one dimensional. That said, Meg herself, despite being on the irritating side, does at least have a complex backstory with which I was engaged, though not enough to read on beyond the end of this book to discover more.
I loved the setting, though, and was following the action with Google Maps open on my phone. The descriptions were great and really evoked the awe-inspiring setting of the Columbia Rover and its gorge, and I did like the touch of including information about all the locations at the end of the book.
Overall, though the tone veered way too much towards the frothiness of a light romcom for my taste. Cosy or not, I’m looking for a little bit more of an edge than this in a crime novel, I’m afraid.

A Murder on the Mountain is the first in the series, and I'm already itching to read the second book.
The story follows Meg, a reporter on her first big assignment for an extreme sports magazine. Unfortunately, Meg, who lied to get the job, has to get involved in the activities alongside the participants in order to write her article. This was one of the most humorous aspects of the novel. Meg had no intention of completing the climb and pulled every delaying tactic she had up her sleeve to slow the pace of the team down, all whilst being decked out in trendy pink climbing gear and lugging an overpacked backpack. I could imagine her horror at the prospect of hiking up a mountain, and found her reactions completely relatable. At the same time, I loved the author's descriptions of the area. Not only could I picture the entire scene, but it left me wanting to see it in real life.
The mystery of who killed Lenny and why had me stumped, and I suspected everyone at some stage, except Matt, of course. The 'who' surprised me in the end, but I thought the 'why' was a little bit weak.
Meg has a nice support cast of friends and a grandmother, Gam, who is a little bit eccentric. There's a gentle romantic subplot bubbling behind the scenes. Matt is in love with Meg, while she is crushing on her boss, Greg. There is also the backstory of her father's death, which may not have been an accident. So, there are lots of threads to pull together for subsequent titles in the series, and I can't wait.

I originally read this book when it was first released under a different name, although I didn't realize it until a few pages in. I didn't remember the killer or main plot points, so I decided to re read it and I enjoyed it more then the the first time. THe Pacific northwest scenery was beautifully described and I loved the characters of Matt and Meg's Grandmother. Meg seems to have a great support team surrounding her after the tragic death of her investigative reporter father. I this book Meg takes on a reporting job at an adventure magazine, even though she's terrified of heights and is not exactly outdoorsy. She desperately needs the cash and a way into the struggling reporting industry so she pushed herself to take the plunge. She ends up covering an adventure race and it's final three contestants and witnesses one of their deaths. She gets pulled into the investigation and it puts her in hot water. Overall I enjoyed this re-read and I know the underlaying mystery of this series surrounding Meg's father is very compelling. Meg could be a touch less naive at times, but she is in her early/mid twenties so I'll let that slide. 4 stars.

This was a very different book. Still cozy mystery but the extreme sport and magazine writing aspect was interesting! Kept me interested throughout. And I definitely was surprised by the killer!

This is going to be a great new series. One full of adventure and suspense plus a murder or two. What's a cozy without one of those. Ellie Alexander is a seasoned author with lots of great works under her belt. .This is bound to be her next best seller.

Meg Reed fudges her resume a little bit in order to get a job at an adventure magazine. On her first day covering a TV adventure race, Meg witnesses the death of one of the contestants. As the daughter of a famous investigative reporter, Meg can't help but discover if the death was an accident or a murder. A fun new series from Ellie Alexander.

Ellie Alexander has a masterful way of intermixing serious topics with humor in all her series, and this is the start of another great one. I love how Meg has to overcome the death of her father as she tries to make a name for herself as a journalist. Just like Pops. Even though there is a murder, it’s easy to laugh at the clumsy Meg faking her way through her new job at an outdoor adventure magazine while trying not to let her boss realize that she’s petrified of heights and isn’t thrilled with hiking. A good read overall! Thank you to NetGalley for a review copy.

Ellie Alexander is one of my all time favorite cozy mystery authors. This story kept me engaged throughout and was difficult to put down. So many thrilling, edge of my seat moments. Also, I didn’t figure out who the murderer was until it was revealed. Highly recommend and I’m so excited about the next in the series.

I was blessed with an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own and I highly recommend.

A Murder on the Mountain e by Ellie Alexander the 1st instalment in the "Meg Reed Investigates Mystery" series. I really enjoyed this story and found it to be a great start to a new cozy series! This series will definitely be on my must read list. What’s worse than being terrified of heights when you’re a reporter for an adventure magazine? Witnessing a murder from the top of a cliff.

I’m a huge fan of Ellie Alexander's mysteries, so I was thrilled to dive into her new series. The setting of the Pacific Northwest and the Columbia River Gorge is breathtaking . This cleverly crafted tale masterfully weaves together two intriguing mysteries: the murder of Lenny and the cold case of her father’s accident / murder, which I suspect will be a recurring thread throughout the series. With the aid of her friends Jill and Matt , plus we can’t forget Gam, her grandmother who practices Reki and has some psychic powers.

The plot is engaging, and the characters are well developed. I thoroughly enjoyed this series debut and highly recommend it to all my fellow cozy mystery lovers - I can't wait to see what's in store for Meg in book two.


I requested and received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Storm Publishing and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.

A Murder on the Mountain is the first book in Ellie Alexander’s Meg Reed Investigates series. Originally published in 2014 by Kensington under the title Scene of the Climb by Kate Dyer-Seeley, this reissued version includes updated content and marks the relaunch of the series.

The story follows Meg Reed, a recent journalism graduate struggling to find work in a dying industry. A chance meeting lands her a job at an extreme adventure magazine despite her complete lack of experience in outdoor reporting and experience in extreme adventures. As Meg fakes it ’til she makes it, readers get to learn the ropes of both the job and the mystery world alongside her.

This is a fun, fast-paced introduction to a series with plenty of room to grow. I’m looking forward to following Meg on her next big assignment.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A Murder On A Mountain was a great cozy murder mystery book. The story seemed to pick up pace throughout the book which kept me interested. A light read with a bit of humor.

Thank tou netgalley and Storm Publishing for this arc.

Another fun cozy murder mystery. Enjoyed the outdoor adventure theme and it lead to me looking up some beautiful places.

There was a good amount of mystery and twists to this. Sounds like they're are 2 underlying mysteries we'll be seeing throughout the series. One about her dad and one about her boss.

4 stars, it was a fun quick read.

Thank you Ellie Alexander ( @ellie_alexander ), Storm Publishing ( @stormbooks_co ), and NetGalley ( @netgalley ) for allowing me to read A Murder on the Mountain (out now).

Meg Reed, daughter of an investigative reporter, is launching her own writing career. Meg lands a spot at an outdoor magazine that is a sponsor of an adventure race. Unfortunately, Meg isn’t the most outdoorsy person. While hiking and hanging on to a mountainside for dear life (literally), she sees one of the contestants fall to their death. Now she’s not only covering the race, but uncovering the secrets of the people involved with the race.

This is Alexander’s very first cozy mystery. I’m so glad they are being re-released, and can read all about Meg Reed!

Alexander is the master of description. From the lush landscape of the Pacific Northwest to the delicious food, you really feel like you are part of the story.

#AMurderontheMountain #NetGalley #EllieAlexander #StormPublishing

This is the first in the Meg Reed Investigates series by Ellie Alexander. I have enjoyed each series by Ms. Alexander that I have read. Netgalley gave me an opportunity to read this one.

Meg has been couchsurfing since graduation. She needs a job, has a background in journalism, and hasn’t recovered from her father’s death.
In comes Greg Dixon, publisher at Northwest Extreme. He offers her a writing job due to her father’s reputation.

Meg really isn’t an extreme adventurer but does give it ago. There are three finalists for the competition/reality TV show. One is killed and plenty of people are suspect.

I enjoyed Meg and Matt’s interactions, the local scenery, and landmarks.

I was given an advanced readers copy. Thank you Netgalley. These are my own opinions.

I had no idea this book even existed before it was re-released. I was hooked from the start. I am not an outdoorsy person, but I really enjoyed this book. I instantly felt so many emotions for Meg and wanted her to succeed. I was able to live vicariously through her attempts at being an adventurous, outdoorsy type. I loved the memories of her father. It made me happy and sad at the same time because of my own father. I cannot forget the ending!! It makes you want to know more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

I mistakenly requested this thinking it was a new book in the Meg Reed series, which I read years ago, but then realized the first one was just rereleased under a new title. While I eventually grew to love Meg and the series on the whole, as with other series by Ellie Alexander, it takes me awhile to get into them. I’m not sure why as the writing is always easy to follow and flows well. For Meg, in particular, I am not a fan of the deception, of her pretending to be an outdoor enthusiast when she isn’t, and how she doesn’t even heed the most basic of warnings – break in the hiking shoes before going on a hike – to make her life easier and her feet happier. I will, of course, continue with the series as I did grow to enjoy it and I love the setting, and I hope newer ones will come out.

I was so pleasantly surprised by this cozy murder mystery! The characters are very captivating and they catch your heart right away. What a wonderful novel to sit down with a cup of warm tea. I absolutely devoured it! Can’t wait for a sequel!

This is the first book in the Meg Reed Investigates by Ellie Alexander and it was such a fun, easy book to read. Meg is an interesting main character and I loved her. Another great series and looking forward to more in the series.

The first in a re-released series, A Murder on the Mountain is an entertaining beginning. The heroine is funny and plucky and the mystery is solid. Lots of outdoor scenes and info about extreme sports and those who find them appealing. (Hint: not our protagonist!) Plenty of red herrings provide much food for thought.

Meg Reed manages to get a job with a high active participation sports magazine in spite of having absolutely no idea about anything sporty or active. Pink fluffy ski boots! The group she's with is competing for a million dollar prize and are, frankly, a bunch of unlikable characters. One fell of a cliff and Meg sort of witnessed it. She decided it was murder and set out to find 'who done it'. I think that she is supposed to be about 30 years old but behaved like a young adult with all that that entails. She's never grown up. The scenery was lovely though. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.