This is a cozy murder mystery novel with a reluctant amateur sleuth. Emma Westlake would gladly let the local police investigate the sudden death of a client of her Friend for Hire service. She is egged on by two friends, and together the three of them are sleuthing to solve the mystery. The story is set in the town of Sweet Falls, Tennessee, which has the gossip and quirky characters often found in small town America. There's a good sense of place created to give background to the mystery. For Emma, her dog Scout plays a big part in her life, although she encounters a couple of handsome potential boyfriends.

The story is well-plotted, with a cast of potential suspects for Emma and her friends to investigate. It moves along at a good pace. There's a satisfying conclusion when the killer is identified.

Recommended as a good cozy mystery. ( )

A Plus One for Murder by Laura Bradford is the first cozy in A Friend for Hire Mystery and it was a blast and different than so many other cozies because the main character actually thinks the police should handle the investigating. But her two clients who turn into friends convince her otherwise.

The dynamic between the three sleuths is fantastic, and Bradford even had one of the characters comment on it which gave us a bit of a four wall feel, which just added to my amusement.
We get a main character, Emma and her dog, Scout (the best dog in the world and whom Emma loves so much!), which is a fairly typical main character who is going through a life change and finds herself wrapped up in a murder mystery. I think the Friend for Hire (not an escort!) angle that Brandford came up with is fantastic because we will continually meet new people throughout the series and I can even see Emma traveling to other states/countries, depending on what the person hiring her would want.
There is also Dottie, the 80 year old wealthy woman, Dottie, who is fearless and Stephanie, a self-proclaimed True Crime addict and a middle aged woman whom I feel many readers can relate to… always very busy and when she does have down time she has no motivation to do anything.
Can you tell I was blown away by the characters?!?

The reader also gets a well written mystery with some red herrings and clues that can have you guessing the killer before the three friends… if you pay attention. And lastly, a possible love interest, whom I am looking forward to knowing more about… along with his wonderful father.

Already have book two in the Friend for Hire Mysteries, A Perilous Pal, on my TBR pile and am excited for July 2022, when it comes out! ( )

A Plus One for Murder by Laura Bradford has Emma Westlake starting A Friend for Hire after her travel agency dies a slow death. She is hired by Brian Hill to be in the audience when he reads a poem at open mic night and clap when he is done. Emma learns that Brian is not well-liked in the community, and he invited four of his nemeses to the event. Brian tells Emma that each one of them would like him dead. Brian is in the middle of reading his poem when he collapses on the stage. Brian will not be able to finish reading his poem because he is dead. Emma is shocked and quickly heads home. When Brian’s death is ruled a homicide, Emma is convinced to look into his death by two of her clients. Can Emma along with Dottie and Stephanie find Brian’s killer? A Plus One for Murder by Laura Bradford is the debut of A Friend for Hire Mystery series. I thought the premise of being a friend for hire was unique for cozy mysteries. Emma Westlake is an okay character. I thought that Dottie and Stephanie overshadowed her along with her dog, Scout. I also thought she was underdeveloped. Details on Emma’s life were lacking. Personally, I thought Dottie would have been better as the protagonist. She is a hoot. Dottie is an intelligent woman who has clever ideas. She loves to read cozy mysteries which is why she encourages Emma to do a little sleuthing (with her guidance, of course). Scout is a cutie. He is a sweet and smart dog. The mystery was straightforward. It was very obvious what killed the victim. I was surprised at Emma for leaving the scene without speaking to police and for withholding pertinent information. There are four suspects in the murder. Emma reluctantly investigates at the urging of Stephanie and Dottie. Emma’s two sidekicks end up being the predominant sleuths. Emma eventually jumps on the sleuthing bandwagon and becomes involved in searching for Brian’s killer. There is misdirection to keep readers distracted and good clues to help with solving the crime. I did not find it challenging to identify the guilty party. There are two potential love interests for Emma. I am hoping that Emma will pick one, so we do not end up with a lingering love triangle. With a little fine tuning to Emma’s characters, A Friend for Hire Mystery series will delight cozy mystery readers. There is a preview of A Perilous Pal at the end of the book. A Plus One for Murder is a cute cozy mystery with a cuddly canine, a departed poet, a dashing detective, creative clients, shady suspects, a greenhouse overflowing with flowers, and an unenthusiastic sleuth. ( )