by Elise Bryant
narrated by Aure Nash
(post may contain affiliate links)
It’s Elementary is the first book in the Mavis Miller cozy mystery series by Elise Bryant.
I borrowed the audiobook from my local library. I think the narrator did a pretty good job! Her comedic timing was phenomenal.
I liked Mavis as our main character. She’s an overworked single mom who is asked to be in charge of the elementary school PTA’s new DEI committee. There are definitely some love-to-hate-them characters in this book, and I liked the potential start for romance for Mavis (though it does feel a smidge too far in the insta-love direction for me, personally).
The biggest star of this book for me was Mavis’ daughter Pearl. Especially her list of nemeses. She was a hoot.
My biggest complaint about the book is the pacing. The ending felt really hurried after the middle dragged on a bit. It feels like there are more than enough plot threads, and I also figured out the various whodunits fairly early on.
I’ll definitely be moving on with the series, though!
CW: casual racism and classism, domestic abuse, kidnapping, bullying
If you want to see more from me, check out my Bookstagram, TheStoryGraph, or Bluesky.
The Mavis Miller series includes:
- It’s Elementary
- The Game Is Afoot
ruse reviews 