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Murder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber – Review by Ayla Phipps

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Murder in a Gated CommunityMurder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Drama. My oh my where to begin. I love mystery and suspense books and this book seemed to fit into that, but it was so much more. This is the first book I have read by Laura Koerber, and I will certainly be looking into more of her work after this little treat.
While this book wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be it was a fun little read for a rainy Sunday. Told from several perspectives of the Oaken Acres community we get a well-rounded look at life in the quiet little gated retirement community in Washington state. Instantly I was drawn not only to Jane and Leslie but in some ways truly felt an understanding towards Hazel. Yes, I know things are tense where Hazel is concerned especially when it comes to the garden that she found. That said also have an understanding to how Theresa feels, though I initially strongly disliked her when first starting the book. So many interesting characters and so many different stories and substories that make it easy to envision and feel like you’re there with a bag of popcorn watching the chaos play out.
Will Hazel be able to keep her garden plot and the secrets it hides? Can Jane succeed in helping Andrea’s dog not be so lonely? While the world the author places her story is fiction it is reality all over the world. The “gated communities” look appealing, but they are no different than any other neighborhood. With drama, arguing, vengeful dreams played out in our heads, and broken hearts over lonely pets locked alone in garages for days. Not only could I picture this community existing in my own small mountain town, but I could see the characters’ traits in my neighbors. If you like a little mystery, some suspense, a lot of drama and some humor sprinkled in while watching friendships form to get through the pains of being alone this is the book for you. Now I’m off to take a stroll through the rest of this talented author’s work.

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Murder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber – Review by Darian Vester

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Murder in a Gated CommunityMurder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thought the book was going to be a Cozy Mystery, it’s not, you find out who the murderer is instantly. That’s not a bad thing, I really enjoyed the book. I wish things with Hazel would have ended differently, I feel it would have been funny if she was taken to jail. Anyone in a nosey HOA would have loved seeing that. At first I didn’t care for Jane and Leslie but I’m glad to see their friendship, along with Andrea, grow.

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Murder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber – Review by Elizabeth Sanchez

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Murder in a Gated CommunityMurder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Murder in a Gated Community was alright but not great. There were a lot of characters and I didn’t get invested in any of them. I was hoping for a bit more suspense, but instead felt it was just a bunch of busybodies… The murder was not very exciting to me, and I felt like there should have been more depth into Hazel. Or really any of the characters. I didn’t feel they were very developed or complex enough to make me care about any of them.
The writing style was very unique. With the meeting notes and letters to the board. Unlike anything I’ve read.

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Reviewed by @way2gosmartguy

Murder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber – Review by Mandy Ott

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Murder in a Gated CommunityMurder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber

While a fairly short, quick novella, Murder in a Gated Community is quite entertaining. The title, however, is slightly misleading. Many of the residents in the gated community of Oaken Acres are older, retired individuals. The community is quiet, less than kid friendly, and filled with nosey neighbors. While ideal for some, I found the idea of being so close to neighbors a little unpleasant. The HOA has lots of rules and regulations to follow as well. It seems as if many of the community members have no problems following these rules and regulations. But, just as in life, there is always a few willing to stretch and bend the rules. Overall, Laura Koerber delivers oddly realistic, believable characters and the differing points of view along the way make this story one of a kind!

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Murder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber – Review by Jennifer Gordon

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Murder in a Gated CommunityMurder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I didn’t really know what to expect from this fairly short novella, as the blurb was a little vague, however I was hooked from page one. I thought it was going to be a typical cozy mystery, but the fairly lighthearted storyline about the residents of an upscale gated community, Oaken Acres, has a quirky and unique plot. The characters are all well defined and I felt like I knew them all by the end of the story, the majority of the narrative is centred on the community garden and it’s politics. The descriptive narrative brought both the setting of Oaken Acres and its residents vividly to life, and I felt immersed in their world, of dog barking, gardening plot disputes, drones and golfers. This darkly funny story definitely kept me turning the pages, the meetings from the BOD meetings in particular providing some laugh out loud moments. The list of characters at the beginning was very useful, and I enjoyed the authors writing style, whilst the unpredictable plot kept me guessing as to the outcome of the story. A quick read which had me captivated throughout.

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Murder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber – Review by Ashley McMillon

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Murder in a Gated CommunityMurder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was one that I just simply could not put down! From the note from the author on the first page I knew this would be an extremely entertaining book. There were silly moments and moments that made me upset in this book and the author took the time to be able to produce a book in this manner! I know one thing, I’m extremely happy my mom never had to live in a place like this!

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Murder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber – Review by Amanda Haller-Doris

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Murder in a Gated CommunityMurder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was such a fun book, not something you would necessarily expect from the title, but I greatly enjoyed it. I thought the author did a great job of creating multi-dimensional characters and the very deliberate way she brought them all together was fantastic. Clearly Barney the dog was hands down my favorite character, but I loved the friendship that blossomed between the characters. She did a great job of building the suspense about the murder and how it happened. I loved the interludes that had the HOA notes and correspondence as it really helped paint a picture of the HOA and the member in it. It was a very amusing book with a lot of heart in it. I absolutely recommend people give it a whirl!

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Murder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber – Review by Elisha Johnson

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Murder in a Gated CommunityMurder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Murder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber- 4 out of 5 stars

I was surprised by this read to say the least. At times I was laughing, I never would have expected that from a book with Murder in the title. The author brings life to this gated retirement community of seniors. Each senior has their own back story with love, secrets, and heartache. I love how well rounded the character development is throughout the book. I do wish the author would have brought everything to a solid end but maybe she has more in-store for us in the future.

Review by @elishajohnson

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Murder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber – Review by Jessie Hopkins

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Regardless of the size of a neighborhood, do we ever really know our neighbors?
Retirement communities typically have a slow-going pace with committees and activities to help with socializing. Yet, keeping to one’s self can sound very appealing to many. Retirement, aging and end of life can cause some struggles to deal with, both physically and emotionally.
Jane, Leslie, Andrea and Hazel are all at different stages of finding where they belong in this world after recent changes in their lives. Jane, Leslie & Andrea find one another and forge their own friendship while Hazel deals with her life changes on her own.
A quick but good read.

Murder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber – Review by Rosanna Ingram

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Murder in a Gated CommunityMurder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a very quick read!

In the community of Oaken Acres, these retirees are living their day-to-day lives while dealing with the struggles that come with a retirement community…HOAs that won’t budge on their rules, yapping dogs, nosy neighbors, neighbors moving, and…murder?!?

I don’t want to give anything away because it is a shorter book and you really should just jump right in. The author does give a little index of characters at the beginning that helps when figuring out who holds what position and does what in the community. It tends to go back and forth between characters rather quickly.

While each of the characters has their own story that will remind you of someone you know in real life…there seems to be a bigger picture at play here. It’s a snapshot of any elderly community in the country (maybe a little exaggerated) and that’s what really drew me in. It was a good story that I enjoyed reading.

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Murder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber – Review by Beverly Finnie

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Murder in a Gated CommunityMurder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Murder in a Gated Community was different. It was written from the point of view of a few people that could sometimes be confusing. The way the author wrote the characters at first I thought it was a retirement community. But then there was a family with a child. Even then the characters reminded me of the ones who always yelled at us when we were outside playing as kids. Because we were running around, our ball/frisbee ended up on their lawn, ect. Older grumpier people, hence why I initially thought it was a retirement community.
There’s a lot going on in such a short story. Jane is trying to deal with her ailing wife while moving on. Hazel is fighting for her garden plot, I wonder why? And Theresa is dealing with the backlash of it all.
So when the community is rocked it’s a question of how to move forward.
It’s not a basic whodunnit type story. It’s one with a lot of “Karen’s” people constantly complaining about little things to the community board of directors and how they handle the outcomes.

@placexba
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Murder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber – Review by Felicia Bates

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Murder in a Gated CommunityMurder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Murder in a Gated community was the perfect short read to liven up my week. The cast of characters was a lot of fun and took me back to my days as a nurse in an assisted living community and silently watching the interactions between “neighbors”. This was a fun story with wit and a humor that kept me engaged from start to finish. I enjoyed the scattered communication with the BOD and that each chapter had a title. As mentioned, I really did enjoy this short read and I’m curious to see what else the author has for me to delve into.

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Murder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber- Review by Laura Jones

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https://www.amazon.com/review/R1MTR5YUIYVXJC/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5718923175

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/3439618269?list=reviews

Murder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber – Review by Nakyshia Leger

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Murder in a Gated CommunityMurder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Murder in a Gated Community is an entertaining short story about life after retirement. When all you have to worry about is which neighbor is doing what, there is bound to be some drama involved! The quirky characters match wits as they fight over things like community gardens, pets, and who does what behind closed doors. If you are looking for a quick but entertaining read, look no further and pick up this story!

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Murder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber – Review by Christine Baranek

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Murder in a Gated CommunityMurder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Murder in a Gated Community
By: Laura Koerber

This book reminds me a little of a real housewives series if the housewives were older. The story is about older people in a gated community dealing with each of their own very complicated issues. The friendships within this community definitely seem real and the fact that many of these characters seem to have no filter also makes it seem very realistic. This is filled with funny anecdotes and little stories of each of the neighbors. This is just a fun read of a neighborhood. I truly loved this story and the characters within it.

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Murder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber – Review by Susan Ratchford

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Murder in a Gated CommunityMurder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Murder In A Gated Community
By: Laura Koerber
Review by: Susan Ratchford
4 Stars

Not at all what I was expecting but Murder In A Gated Community by Laura Koerber was a really good read and a unique look on suburbia. Koerber put such wit and humor into this book I couldn’t help but smile the whole way through! With moments that are tragic yet beautiful and also very relatable! I loved Hazel’s story and the meaning behind every word! This novella is definitely worth your time if you want a meaningful story full of laugh out loud moments. This book was definitely deep and made me think about growing older and how life changes. Please if you have the time check out this unexpected gem you will be glad you did!

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Murder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber – Review by Bobbi Wagner

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Murder in a Gated CommunityMurder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is an author that I have enjoyed reading from the first book I picked up. I enjoy their writing style as well as their attention to details that make their stories pop. I found this book to be well written and engaging. The characters are creative, connectable and add so much to the story. They made the story easy to read and add some humor as well. This is a story about a gated community that is full of drama and secrets. This is a fast paced story that has great growth throughout which added to the entertainment value of this story. I really enjoyed reading this story about this community and the mystery the characters added to it. I highly recommend this book.

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Review by @bjwagner

Murder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber – Review by Santana Hicks

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Murder in a Gated CommunityMurder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is a day in life of multiple seniors in a gated community. A woman who will do anything to keep her plot in the community garden. A dog being left to its own devices while its owner is away, barking non stop making a few members angry. Maybe even angry enough to do something about it. A tiny woman with a huge dog who farts a lot. A very active HOA with its own agenda. All these things seem basic enough. No way are any of these grounds for murder…right?

I have read a few novellas from this author. While they normally write more towards a fantasy aspect, I was excited to try something different from them. The book was quite amusing. Each character had their own things to deal with with a big personality. It was like reading a soap opera with a bunch of seniors. So much drama. I loved it.

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Murder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber – Review by Felicia Bates

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Murder in a Gated CommunityMurder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Murder in a Gated community was the perfect short read to liven up my week. The cast of characters was a lot of fun and took me back to my days as a nurse in an assisted living community and silently watching the interactions between “neighbors”. This was a fun story with wit and a humor that kept me engaged from start to finish. I enjoyed the scattered communication with the BOD and that each chapter had a title. As mentioned, I really did enjoy this short read and I’m curious to see what else the author has for me to delve into.

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Murder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber – Review by Rayne East

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Murder in a Gated CommunityMurder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 stars
Short cozy mystery
This entertaining quick read was engaging as it was quirky. With fun characters, interesting plot and intriguing mystery it was a brilliant way to spend a lazy afternoon. The humour has a sharp edge at times, which I appreciated and also adds that extra layer. Recommend.

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Murder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber – Review by Tanya Wall, July 2023

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Murder in a Gated CommunityMurder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a highly entertaining quick read! The characters were fun to get to know and to see how their relationships evolved. I giggled quite a few times. The gated community is very realistic – how people interact and pass rules and bylaws. I enjoyed the novella, it is a good Saturday at the lake book.

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Murder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber – Review by Jennifer Crain

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Murder in a Gated CommunityMurder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I personally dislike HOAs, having lived in one that didn’t allow for more eco friendly yards and did nothing when neighbors emptied their pool repeatedly into my yard, so I loved the refreshing take and bickering between the neighbors in this book. Instead of a “whodunnit” mystery, this one revolves more around the culture of the community and trying to come to a consensus on what the community means to the members that live there.

I loved the funny anecdotes the best, from the bickering about the Oxford comma at a board meeting to stealing a neighbor’s dog with good intentions. A fast summer read novella that I would recommend reading.

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@bookworm1909

Murder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber – Review by Kerry Baker

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Murder in a Gated CommunityMurder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When I started reading this book I went into it blind, without reading the blurb or any reviews. From the title, I expected a cozy mystery with some quirky hero who figures it all out. Instead, I got an entertaining story about a community of people, all with different stories and histories. It was lovely getting to know the characters, even if the book were a slower pace than I had expected.
This author is still relatively new to me. Having only read a few books I am still getting used to her writing style but I enjoy the fact that each book is so different. This book was thoroughly enjoyable.

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Murder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber – Review by Rebeca Elliott Figueiras

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Murder in a Gated CommunityMurder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect before reading this, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It had me hooked from the start and the premise was brilliant, leading you one way before revealing its true nature.

I loved the humour sprinkled in, it had me smiling like an idiot while reading thankfully my only audience consisted of a cat and dog.
The scenes and characters were well-written and made believable. The issues they each face made it truly feel like a small community, each with their own contributions and life stories.

I enjoyed the story the author told and look forward to reading more from this author.

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Murder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber – Review by Tausha Treadway

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Murder in a Gated CommunityMurder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Murder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber. This is such a fun romp. I thought it might be kind of dull being about older people but it is such a fun read. These people are like overgrown teenagers. Its a community of older individuals that are able to take care of themselves. Its called Oaken Acres community and the people all have drama and problems. One woman is mad because the dog is barking across the street, one is plotting to kill someone just because she doesn’t like them and one has major drama with her ex husband who is abusive. Some have animals, some have family and there are a lot of lies, betrayal, politics and friendships. I caught myself laughing out loud several times. This is a short fun read that is more than a cozy mystery!

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Murder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber – Review by Angela Hayes

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Murder in a Gated CommunityMurder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

 

3 Stars

 

Murder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber is a fun cozy mystery set in a retirement community. This is something a little different from Ms. Koerber, but I enjoyed following along on this entertaining read.
This is a short story, so it makes for a very quick and easy read. I easily read it during my lunch break.
I enjoyed Ms. Koerber’s dark humour which added an extra element of interest to the overall story. The idea of this gated community and the neighborhood ‘politics’, a cast of quirky characters, drama, friendships, and all their dynamics made this a really fun read.
I did feel that there were a few loose threads at the end that I would have liked to have seen ‘tied’ up- but perhaps Ms. Koerber is leaving things a bit ‘open’ to allow for more stories set in this retirement community. I will have to wait and see…
Anyway, Happy Reading…

Thank you, Laura Koerber!

 

Reviewed by @angelahayes

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Murder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber – Review by Julie Johnson

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Murder in a Gated CommunityMurder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Imagine a community that is for retired folks who are still completely independent that is surrounded by lush green grass, a garden, and lots of nosy neighbors! Sounds like Hometown, USA these days!!

This story focuses on people who live within the Oaken Acres community who are all fractured in some sort of way. You have a widow who plots to kill someone just because she doesn’t like them, a lonely woman who hates the sound of the dog barking next door, the abused woman trying to escape the evil hands of her ex-husband…this book mostly features women.

I struggled a bit to get into this story because I thought it might be a bit more of a thriller. It’s really more of a laid back, sometimes snarky, sometimes funny story about this lovely community. All the things that happen within a HOA are covered here. The murder happened long ago and you learn more about it but I was hoping for a bit more with this book.

Overall, a good book to read. Many will be able to substitute names of those they know to make this story more interesting.

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Murder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber – Review by Sheri Schrader

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Murder in a Gated CommunityMurder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Murder in a Gated Community is an interesting novella for senior citizens in a gated community. This is a slice-of-life story of seniors and their day-to-day living in their community. The characters were interesting, albeit somewhat what you would expect in a senior community. You learn about all of the politics of a HOA and how some like to make life miserable for others. The different characters are familiar if you live in a closed community. Because of being familiar with the different types of personalities, there was a good bit of humor in the story to me. I found this story interesting and relatable. The writing was solid, and I like that they kept the story from getting overly long. I enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

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Murder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber – Review by Jenni Bishop

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Murder in a Gated CommunityMurder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 stars
Laura Koerber surprises her readers by having a varied genre of telling a story. Murder in a Gated Community is different again and certainly a surprise.
Imagine a group of old people in a gated community with no filter. Not the norm for stories, no but it does lend for some humour and wit. The old adage about being old but not dead rings true for most of the inhabitants of Oaken Acres in this entertaining story.
The plot is intriguing and definitely unexpected but fun and had me laughing out loud at times. With furry friends, secrets, lies, garden politics, challenges, longing, friendships. It is a story with a deeper meaning of looking at your past and adjusting to where you are now.
This heart-warming tale is full of a colourful cast of characters each having their own heartaches, issues, grumps, gripes and whinging.
Unfortunately, the ending felt like there was a lot left unresolved and ended abruptly. Whether or not that leaves it open for more I don’t know but I felt a little lost. Having said that I did enjoy the story.
If you enjoy murder mysteries, you will enjoy Murder in a Gated Community.

Reviewed by @jennadb

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Murder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber – Review by Jo Wright

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Murder in a Gated CommunityMurder in a Gated Community by Laura Koerber
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If I had known this book was about snarky elderly women with twisted thoughts… I would have read it sooner!! Murder in a Gated Community is such an awesome short story. I really love the way that Koerber develops the characters and how the animals come into play. I love that they all have their own mental issues, but I was surprised by the end, definitely went a different way than I anticipated this bitter, wild-card of a woman would fall off her rocker. Loved it! Put it on your list!

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