Category: Mystery and Suspense

A Midwinter’s Tail by Bethany Blake

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A Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery

A Midwinter’s Tail (Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery #4) 5 STARS

If I could go on a winter holiday, it would be to the pet-friendly Pocono Mountains town of Sylvan Creek. I love everything about the people and the place. The author makes the town seem so warm and inviting, well I mean yeah they have murders, but they are usually targeted. I wouldn’t feel unsafe there lol.

Daphne Templeton is a free-spirited pet sitter, armed only with a Ph.D. in Philosophy and a stubborn Basset Hound, who has become an amateur sleuth.

In this installment of the series, a former classmate and nemesis returns to Sylvan Creek. She plans on opening a big box discount pet store from her chain that she runs. In a town full of small business owners, especially pet shops, everyone is none to happy about this news. When her body is found soon after, the list of suspects seem vast, but someone has an obvious motive. However, it is very obvious that the suspect did not do it. Daphne, working better with Detective Jonathan Black, is hell bent on solving this murder and clearing her friend’s name.

This novel is just oozing with Christmas and Winter Bliss. As cold as it is in Sylvan Creek, relationships are heating up, both human and canine. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I adore the series but this was my favorite thus far. I am a Christmas enthusiast, so I am quite certain that aspect of the book helped.

This series is a fun way to escape the day or intrigue those who love a good “who dunnit” series. I swear, I have yet to figure it out in this series. I really enjoyed the detail of the story and character development, even all the dogs have great character development. A lot of cozies that I read, I describe as quick and fun, I would not describe this one as such. Ms. Blake is very detailed in her plot and characters, so you really get to dive into the story. I would not say one style is better than the other because I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to continuing on with the series.

I have this book in both digital (NetGalley) and audio versions. The narrator, Elise Arsenault, does an amazing job.

Crepe Expectations by Sarah Fox

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Crêpe Expectations (Pancake House Mystery #5) 4Stars

This series is up there with some of my absolute favorites. Okay so I have a million favorites, but this series is up there. This series has everything, mystery, romance, sadness, joy, and a few twists that will keep you guessing. I cannot wait to see what Ms. Fox has in store for us next time.

Protagonist, Marley McKinney, inherits an old Victorian home and a Pancake House restaurant on the Pacific Coast when her uncle passes away. Needing a change, Marley uproots her city life to start over and accept her inheritance. Marley makes some great friends and finds love but she also finds dead bodies.

In this installment of the Pancake House Mysteries, Wildwood Cove is hosting an amateur chef competition. When one of the contestants fall suspiciously ill, Marley begins looking into a possible case of sabotage and blackmail. Also, when Marley visits her landscaper boyfriend Brett at the site of the Victorian mansion that’s being restored, she discovers a sweet little kitten; oh, and human remains. How old are the remains and were they there due to foul play? Could the case of the old bones and the current competition mishaps be connected? Read the book to find out.

What I love about the last few books in the series, we are presented with cold cases. I often wonder if someone HAS to die in a Cozy. Sometimes a good mystery is all we need. Obviously, someone died at some point, but when it has happened years prior, it is sometimes easier to digest.

Even though this is set outside of Seattle, the main setting is the pancake house. One of my favorite places ever is Gatlinburg, Tennessee which is filled with delicious and beautiful pancake houses. So that was a score with me immediately.

Oh and the recipes in the book are to die for!!

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley as well as having the audio version narrated by Marguerite Gavin. I highly recommend this series.

Sadie by Courtney Summers

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“Forgettable people in fly over states”

Sadie (Hardcover) 5 STARS

I am not sure where to even start. Not many books leave me speechless, but this one….

I listened to the audiobook and I HIGHLY recommend it. Although its an excellent books, I feel like the audio version gives it that extra boost to smack it out of the park. Especially for those who enjoy pod casts, this is a must for you.

Forgettable people in fly over states… this is Sadie’s life in a nutshell. No one cares about a dead or missing girl from the trailer park in Nowheresville, USA. No one cares until a reporter and pod caster brings this story to life for the world.

A dead body and then a missing girl a year later. Could this be a serial? It may be thought to be, until the trail shows Sadie out for vengeance for the death of her sister. Will she ever find the answers that she is looking for? More importantly, will she survive on the road she is taking to find the answers?

This was excellent. I haven’t really listened to pod casts but I think I may start. This book touches on addiction, mental illness, love and loss, regret, molestation, poverty, and predators. I have read a few novels in the past by Courtney Summers and have enjoyed them, but this, this one just had IT. I felt like I was with Sadie every step of the way and felt every figurative and literal punch in the gut she did. This is one of those books that will stick with you for a long, long time. #bookhangover

Murder With Cucumber Sandwiches by Karen Rose Smith

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A Daisy’s Tea Garden Mystery

Murder with Cucumber Sandwiches (Daisy’s Tea Garden Mystery #3) 5 Stars

I adore this series. The setting of a small town tea shop, the cast of characters, and the sweet and sinister plot lines have made the Daisy’s Tea Garden Mysteries one of my top series.

First and foremost, I love any book, especially a cozy, that has a middle aged (give or take a few years) protagonist. Also, when said protagonist is a single woman battling her own insecurities while trying to keep it together for her family, that’s the perfect recipe to connect emotionally with the books.

In this series, Daisy, a widow with 2 teenage daughters, returns to her small, home town to be closer to her family. In need of a fresh start, Daisy and her aunt Iris open a Tea Shop. Although the business is very successful, its seems a dark cloud has been hovering around the town, especially the tea shop. With murder and mystery popping up in town, Daisy or someone she cares about always seem to be a suspect.

In this installment of the series, a local food critic is going around town reviewing local businesses. With the extremely unfavorable reviews he is giving, it is no surprise that he meets an untimely demise. The twist, it may have been food from Daisy’s Tea Garden that did him in. With her staff being prime suspects, Daisy and her somewhat boyfriend, Jonas, are on the case. If that’s not enough, there seems to be something going on within her own family.

I had no idea who the culprit was of the murder and the why. I did have my a strong idea of what was going on with Daisy’s family. This book, although Cozy, has a strong emotional theme. The sense of strength, family, support, and love are very strong in this novel. When a book can surprise me, make me laugh out loud, and tear up with emotion, it gets a 5 Star rating.

I received an advanced digital copy of this book from NetGalley in return for my honest review.

I am highly anticipating the release of book 4, Murder with Cherry Tarts, 11/26/19.

The Domestic Diva Mysteries by Krista Davis

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“So Cozy, you’ll think you are one of the characters.”


The Diva Sweetens the Pie (A Domestic Diva Mystery #12) 5 STARS

This week, Krista Davis released The Diva Sweetens the Pie, book 12 of The Domestic Diva Mystery Series. I cannot sing the praises of this series loud enough. Book 1, The Diva Runs Out of Thyme, released in 2008. For whatever reason, I did not start reading this series until last year. If you still have not read this series, I am urging you to stop what you are doing and read it now!

The core characters of the series, Sophie, Nina, Bernie, Mars, and more, even Natasha, are so well developed that you will forget you are reading a book. You immediately become invested in this cast, you feel like you are a part of the gang. I can also add, the animals’ personalities even shine through. Every book in the series introduces several new characters but its never too much. You never lose focus or become overwhelmed. I have no idea how she does it. Every book is amazing. You would think maybe at least 1 out 12 may have just been okay, but that is not the case. I have never enjoyed a series as much as I enjoy this one. You will laugh out loud, you will be angered and disappointed, you will be surprised and you will long for the next book.

A little about the books…

The books are set in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. Sophie and her semi nemesis Natasha are dueling divas with advice columns; think Ann Landers, Dear Abby, and Hints from Heloise all wrapped into one. Sophie and Natasha have been competing against each other since childhood. I would give their relationship the title of Frenemies.

In each book, Old Town Alexandria starts off just like any small southern town. There is usually a competition, festival, or holiday around the corner that everyone is gearing up and coming to town for. Coincidentally, there is always a murder to investigate as well. Sophie, along with her best friend Nina and the rest of the gang, are the sleuths that get to the bottom of it all. I like to think of them as an adult, southern Scooby Gang, yes they even have a dog!

My description of the series does not do it justice. Anyone that follows my reviews on Goodreads, knows that I am a harsh critic. So if I am telling you to read this series, read this series LOL. I give this series overall 5 Stars!!

If you have never read a Cozy Mystery, this is the series for you. If you have never tried an audio book, this is the series for you. The narrator, Hillary Huber, is phenomenal. If you are skeptical about listening to books on audio, this will change your mind.

Krista Davis also has two other Cozy Mystery Series;
Paws and Claws Mystery and Pen & Ink Mysteries

I have read and/or listened to all of the books Ms. Davis currently has released. Pen & Ink and Paws and Claws both have an amazing cast of characters.

Paws and Claws takes place at a mountain resort that revolves around pets and pet lovers. There are currently 5 books released in this series with book 6 scheduled for release October 1, 2019.

Pen & Ink revolves around a small town bookstore. Who doesn’t enjoy books about books? There are currently 2 books released in this series.

To find out more about Krista Davis and her books, please visit her website at http://www.kristadavis.com/

You can also follow her on social media and on Goodreads.





Escaping from Houdini (Stalking Jack the Ripper, Book 3) by Kerri Maniscalco

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”
A cruise ship, elitists, power, fame, a carnival, magic and a killer… This book has it all.”


Escaping from Houdini (Stalking Jack the Ripper, #3) 5 STARS

Holy Hell, that is what this book is like living in. I have been on board with this series since I first heard about the upcoming release of book 1, Stalking Jack the Ripper.


Like most people, thanks to the internet and the ID channel, I am truly fascinated with serial killers and murders. I have been a fan of the mystery of Jack the Ripper for quite some time. Admittedly, Stalking Jack the Ripper was not my favorite book in the series. I was actually a tad disappointed in the story; however, I fell in love with the characters and that is what compelled me to continue on with the series. The books in this series have gotten progressively better and more disturbing in a good way.


Its like Ms. Maniscalco has entered the deepest, most disturbed parts of my mind and pulled out the characters that I have had an unhealthy relationship with over the years and developed fantastic stories around them for my entertainment.


This book makes you question so much of your own mind and morality. What are you willing to risk for temptation and adventure? What kind of bargain are you willing to strike to seek what you desire?
A cruise ship, elitists, power, fame, a carnival, magic and a killer… This book has it all. I did not want this book to end. And thanks to this book, I am now researching information on yet another serial killer (I won’t give any spoilers). The lead up to book 4 was done impeccably well. I am already familiar with the Devil in the White City story, so I am impatiently waiting for book 4. I am saddened that this is listed as the last book in the series. I can just hope that she begins a new series on the same path with new core characters.

As always, the phenomenal Nicola Barber gives a fantastic performance as narrator. She makes these stories come to life and makes the already amazing books spectacular.

Two Can Keep A Secret by Karen McManus

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“If Mean Girls was set in a small town, in a horror movie!!”

Two Can Keep a Secret  4 STARS

WOW!! Karen McManus does it again. If you were a fan of One of Us is Lying, you will love Two Can Keep a Secret!

This is like Mean Girls in a small town meets horror movie! When twins Ellery and Ezra leave California to stay with their grandmother in a small town in Vermont, they get more than a culture shock, they become entangled into the web of lies and secrets that this town has been carrying for many years. Someone is making sure the secrets in this town stay hidden and will do whatever they have to to keep it that way, including murder. Every so many years, a beautiful “princess” goes missing. This year is no different. With Homecoming just around the corner, someone is going out of their way to make sure history repeats itself. Are all the past events connected in some way? Is there a copycat on the prowl? As you read, you make connections and think you have it all figured out just to have the next chapter blow your mind. I did not see the end coming, at all!! The twist is shocking and somewhat disturbing.

There are a few things the author leaves a little open at the end. I am pretty sure this is a stand alone but I really need some closure on a few things.