2.5 rounded up? I feel conflicted about this one. It's almost mis-marketed as a mystery, because it functions more like a women's fiction novel about a bunch of twenty- and thirtysomethings getting their careers and love lives together as a result of a manic pixie dream old lady's meddling, just with a murder as the catalyst for them all meeting her. Anyone expecting a strong investigation, even a strong amateur sleuth investigation, will probably be disappointed, but the tone is a bit too rough at times for this to really count as a cozy. It feels like a very in-between book: in between genres, in between whether I liked it or not. On the upside, though, Vera is a charming character who brings the lion's share of humor and heart to the book. I could have used more chapters from her POV.