Nursery Rhyme Murders Collection: Mysteries not for the faint of heart!

WOW, these were wonderful!! I love mystery murder books and these really were great. All the plots were well done, the characters interacted well with each other, lots of suspense and I don't think I guessed the ending of any of them they were that well written. Once I knew "who did it" I can remember getting the clues. Looking forward to more books by Ben Hopkin. I've learned lately that some of the "indie" authors are as good as or even better than some of the more established authors and at a price I can afford. Well don Ben, keep up the good work.

This set of books is a great deal- 7 books for 7.99 and a sneak peek at some really wonderful other books from the author. This series of books start off a little slow but takes off after that. They hook you in with their characters. The mix of the cast is just right- a little quirky, but that makes them easy to remember from first introduction. Yes, Had is a strange one but I think he is the one that brings this odd group together and makes them work somehow, the peacekeeper. As the books go along, we gain a few more members to the group. Some of the books are better than others, as all series go. Each has its own individual plot but there is a common backstory and another major plot running throughout the books that keep you reading from book to book, not wanting to put this set down. That's the fun to having them all to read back to back and that's the way a book lover really wants to read- who wants to leave their favorite characters at the end of a book only to have to wait months to years for the next installment? Here you have them all. The only problem though is that after having this huge set, when you do finally come to the end, it is even more disappointing than finishing a single good book. So hopefully (pretty please!) we may see more from this little group of misfit detectives. On a side note, I was having problems with downloading some of the books that were supposed to have been automatically uploaded to the set. As suggested at the end of the book, I contacted the author. He was fabulous and answered right away, helping me solve my problem and get onto more happy reading. I love a friendly author. Thanks much, Mr. Hopkin! My next stop is your Darc Murders Collection.

Usually when an author gets cutsie with titles, it's the best part of the book. Mr. Hopkin broke that chain. The Nursery Rhyme Murders are top of the line stories; both the short and long mysteries are great reads. The plots are well-planned & executed, with a single case running through all of the stories (either as a continuing main or side story). I've read 4 stories, and ( spoiler alert) the original mystery is not solved yet. The characters are developed layer by layer, and are never stagnant or predictable -- they are always "themselves"; no tricks for the author's convenience. These are well-crafted, fun to read, can't wait for the next one, download now mysteries. Oh, in case you miss the info, the rest of the series can be loaded automatically & for free.

Nursery Rhyme Murders Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary A BAU agent, along with local cop, find a serial killer through other agents dissing them. This must be one of the beginning of Ms. McCray's series written with Ben Joplin. Absolutely no high tech (even avoidance of cell phones). No screaming car chases. Just good thinking by a BAU agent and her local cop. Humpty Dumpty One special agent, one ex-special agent devastated by a family matter, and two cops with very special skills, searching for a mass murderer who has seemingly returned after a long absence. Again, very low tech, even to the point the team could not "hear me now." Again no major car chases (I guess it really depends on what you call a major car chase). There are some squeamish parts, hard to look away from. Is Humpty put where he needs putting? Depends on where you think that is supposed to be. A very, very special member joins the team. Also written with Ben Hopkin. Old Woman in a Shoe Ms. McCray and Mr. Hopkin give us a brief respite from Humpty Dumpty. However one team member is having a crisis of conscience. Can the other team members help before it's too late? And perhaps the last pages gives us a clue this was only a brief respite. We All Fall Down Also written with Ben Hopkin, this episode is heartbreaking. The broken member of the team is outwitted, brought out of their near psychotic break just in time. Humpty Dumpty has a new playmate, and it will take the entire team to keep each member alive. Even better cars here, Ms. McCray is really getting her need for speed flowing. Eenie, Meenie, Moe A valued member of the team is caught in another dilemma never expected, but steps up to the plate once again (this time from a very angry source's help). Will this team member be able to overcome the guilt? Time will tell. Jack and Jill I will preface by saying I did not like the ending to this at all. Not. At. All. Although signs have been showing the way, as with all good mysteries, the rhyme Jack and Jill literally solved all the Humpty murders. There is one part that made absolutely no sense, but I will take it. It appears not one but two team members join the gang, and they won't be who you surmise. To know for sure, keep reading Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater, which is too short for any type of brief review. Look fast, because the two team members are there, but again, they aren't obvious. This is a series of books, which until the very end, I was unaware all were co-written with Ben Hopkin. Each story adds to the rest of them, and the last, while revealing the two newest members of the core team, also gives a taste of Harbinger, an entirely different series. This early effort by these two prolific writers shows them continually trying to see if the readers will accept this. Or what about this? Not by any means having read these in any type of order, I believe this book is terrific either as the start of all the series - most of which are very, very different - or while waiting for a new one to show up.

I found the books to be a good read but it was a little hard to get past all the racial innuendos. They distracted from the storyline. It seemed as though the author was trying to hard to push a point across. Stick to the story line and leave the politics out of it unless it has a direct bearing on the plot.

I was pleasantly surprised with this collection. I was hooked by this book. The characters are an interesting mix of cultures and stereotypes and I thought they were very interesting and I enjoyed reading about them. The stories are short and action packed and kept me wondering and trying to guess who. Had kept me laughing with his antics and personality. Even though he was mentally messed up I really liked Joshua and would continue to read more books with him as the main character. I enjoyed his relationship with Bella, it saw how they actually saved each other the day he found her. As the books went on I became less and less interested in Coop. Her "breakdown" or loss of self esteem just seemed too over the top and too much drama and self pity. The only reason that I didn't give it five stars is because I never found out who really was Humpty Dumpty. I am hoping that the next installment (sent for free) answers at least that one question.

Mary, Mary is the perfect start for this collection. We meet and get to know Joshua Coop, and Had. They just come alive as real people in my mind, I can see everything as it happens through their eyes and I feel the anguish, frustrations and loss as they do. Mary, Mary is a quick but great read, it leads us into Humpty Dumpty where things get complicated for our cast in unimaginable ways and we also meet Reggie, who proves to be a worthwhile addition to the Team. There are so many twists and turns to this collection so far, The short story at the stopping point really got me with the jolt at the end! Who is this guy???? Mr. Hopkins and Carolyn McCray you have yet another hit on your hands....Rock On!

This had a "gory" warning at the beginning...but never got intense at all (to me). I had hopes for more intensity, but it was pretty average in that aspect. The Humpty story was good, I will read more of this series. The other books offer a glimpse into other story lines, with different characters, etc. a couple I really liked and will be buying soon! A few I didn't care for, one I didn't even get into (Mayflower murders), definitely not for me, but others may like this time period and enjoy that writing style (different style than the others in this collection). A good collection, definitely worth looking into!

I bought this while waiting for further novels from the authors that I had been reading for some time. What a find!! I thoroughly enjoyed this collection. It may have included some short stories but what stories!! I for one cannot wait to read more about Coop, Had Joshua and co. And all preview s of other books are sending me to Amazon to purchase the full books. Recommended to everyone.

Loved all these books! Very suspenseful and the characters were all very well developed and interesting!

Not sure why there always has to be a love triangle????

Enjoyable crime stories, well written and with a nice bit of tension. Well worth the money

Did not read