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Bossy Nos & Circulation Woes (2025) by Amanda M. Lee is the twenty‑fifth installment in the Avery Shaw Mystery series, and it matters because Lee combines small‑town journalism settings, sharp‑tongued sleuth Avery Shaw, and a high‑stakes serial‑murder investigation to deliver a cozy mystery with both bite and wit. The novel was released on February 4, 2025 through Independently Published.
Setting & Author Context
Amanda M. Lee sets Bossy Nos & Circulation Woes in Macomb County, Michigan—a familiar locale for the Avery Shaw Mystery series. The setting → contributes to the tone by anchoring the story in everyday newsroom chaos and local law‑enforcement drama. Lee’s authorial style → fuses newsroom banter, snarky protagonist narration, and investigative suspense; Amanda M. Lee → has built her series around Avery Shaw’s reporter role and her tangles with both print‑media deadlines and murder investigations. The setting of a weekly newspaper and a local sheriff’s office in Michigan → grounds the cozy mystery structure in a realistic, relatable world.
Plot Summary (No Spoilers)
In Bossy Nos & Circulation Woes, reporter Avery Shaw believes she has nothing but routine ahead—she is used to dealing with ducks invading her pool and circulation numbers under pressure. But when her chosen nemesis, Tad Ludington, leads a task force that arrests her cousin Mario on suspicion of serial murder, the easy rhythm of Avery’s life → shatters. Mario → is accused without bodies being found—a problem that forces Avery → investigates deeper than ever. She teams up (reluctantly) with Sheriff Jake Farrell, and together they → uncover that a killer may indeed be at work in Macomb County. The conflict arises when Avery → challenges Tad’s assumptions while navigating newsroom politics, family loyalty, and a mounting mystery. Readers follow Avery’s journey from reporter to detective‑adjacent, witnessing both the professional and personal stakes escalate rapidly.
Characters & Themes
Main characters:
- Avery Shaw (reporter protagonist) → represents tenacity, snark, and the drive to uncover truth.
- Mario (Avery’s cousin) → represents vulnerable family ties and the collateral damage of investigations.
- Tad Ludington (arch‑nemesis) → represents institutional ambition, antagonism toward Avery, and procedural rigidity.
- Sheriff Jake Farrell → represents law‑enforcement authority, reluctant partnership with Avery, and conflict over control.
Major themes:
- Loyalty and betrayal: Avery’s loyalty to Mario → conflicts with her professional duty to investigate.
- Media power and ethics: The newsroom environment → highlights how press deadlines, circulation pressures, and public image affect true investigative work.
- Identity and redemption: Mario’s past and present trouble → underscore how characters seek redemption amid escalating suspicion.
- Control versus collaboration: Avery → challenges Tad’s evidence‑free approach while working with Jake, reflecting the broader theme of who controls the narrative.
Amanda M. Lee → emphasises humor, character voice and a protagonist who refuses to give up—traits consistent with the Avery Shaw Mystery series.
Tropes & Reader Experience
Bossy Nos & Circulation Woes draws on cozy‑mystery tropes: an amateur sleuth (Avery) in a professional setting (newspaper), a small‑town environment where everyone knows someone, suspicion cast across familiar faces, and a fast‑moving investigation with lightly dark edges. Tropes → define reader expectations: witty banter, a likable protagonist, a twisty but not overly graphic investigation. Amanda M. Lee delivers a blend of snark and suspense; readers → experience an enjoyable escape with enough puzzle to satisfy mystery fans without heavy gore or overly bleak tone. Reviewers on Goodreads describe the installment as one of Avery’s best, calling it “my favorite Avery Shaw Mystery so far.”
Series Placement / Reading Order
This novel is Book #25 in the Avery Shaw Mystery series by Amanda M. Lee.
Recent placement in the series helps long‑time readers follow character arcs, but the book can be enjoyed as a stand‑alone thanks to its self‑contained investigation and limited reliance on earlier plots. The series → created by Amanda M. Lee continues to build Avery’s newsroom world while each book features a fresh mystery.
Reader Suitability / Why Read It
Readers who enjoy cozy mysteries set in professional or workplace settings, who appreciate strong female protagonists with wit and grit, and who like newsroom‑based sleuthing will find Bossy Nos & Circulation Woes appealing. The novel → appeals to fans of investigative humor, character‑driven plots and light‑tension mystery rather than horror or gritty crime. The story → inspires enjoyment, curiosity and a sense of justice served—with a strong dose of snark.
Continue the Avery Shaw Mystery Series
Read other books in the Avery Shaw Mystery Series.