A Batter of Life and Death (A Bakeshop Mystery, #2) 4.5 STARS
I am so invested in the cast of this series and its only book two.
Community, sweets, family, friendship, reality tv, and murder.
Picture your favorite Hallmark Movie meets The Great British Bake Off but with Murder.
I must warn you… this is a highly addictive and binge worthy series. Be prepared to clear your calendar.
I had the audio version of this book… moving on to book 3!!
What Not to Wear to a Graveyard (Resale Boutique #2.5) 4 STARS
What an action packed novella!! I normally don’t do novellas but I love Debra Sennefelder’s stories and this series is so enjoyable, I couldn’t pass it up.
New to the Resale Boutique?? Kelly Quinn was a fashion buyer in Manhattan before inheriting her grandmother’s outdated consignment shop. Giving up her high fashion life, Kelly returns to her home town of Lucky Cove to turn the consignment shop into an up scale resale boutique.
Halloween, a missing dog, and a dead socialite… Yes please!!
I was shocked by the reveal. I really couldn’t believe how jam packed these 97 pages were!!
If you want a quick read, even if you haven’t read this series, you will not be disappointed.
I cannot wait to read book 3, How to Frame a Fashionista, set to release November 24, 2020.
I had a digital copy of this book from Netgalley.
Dead-End Detective (Piper and Porter Mystery, #1) 5 STARS
Amanda Flower is an author that I will read anything she publishes. Throw in the fact that this is a Hallmark published book, well that just sweetens the pot.
I adore that, finally, a sleuthing protagonist in a cozy mystery is a licensed PI. Darby Piper’s world is about to change when the tables turn and she goes from being the investigator to the investigated. When all the clues of a murder are pointing straight to her, she has to sleuth like she has never sleuthed before to clear her name and save her business. With the time and evidence against her and the help of an unlikely partner, Darby must solve this once and for all before she goes to prison, or worse, becomes the next victim.
I figured out the who early on but had to wait for the clues to develop to piece together the why. It was a good plot and I hope to see this on Hallmark Mysteries and Movies.
I cannot wait for the next installment of this series and to see how new partners and a possible love triangle plays out.
I had a digital copy (from Netgalley) and the audio version narrated by Laura Faye Smith.
Knit of the Living Dead (A Knit & Nibble Mystery #6) 4 STARS
I highly recommend this series for crafters, wanna be crafters, cozy lovers, and lovers of small town mysteries.
Knit and Nibble is one of my top series, mainly for the close “knit” group (pun intended). I love the community and the knitting group. I love for small town life; however, I could do without the murders.
In this installment, its Halloween. I adore Fall themed cozies. Pamela and Bettina joined by Nel this go around, use their sleuthing skills to get to the bottom of murders, yes that is plural.
I did thoroughly enjoy this book, but it was not one of the stand outs in this series for me. I was hoping for more Fall for one, Penny didn’t come in town, and the murders (not to spoil) were not anyone of importance in my opinion. Maybe its just me as I am totally invested in the series and I know its ending next year, I just wanted more.
Again, this was still a 4 Star Mystery!
I enjoyed the digital version of this book (from Netgalley) as well as the audio version.
A Call for Kelp 5 STARS
Southern Charm on the Carolina Beach, sweet tea, boardwalks, tourist shops, and murder, what’s not to love???
In A Seaside Cafe Mystery Series, Everly Swan moves home to small town Charm, North Carolina where she opens her dream tea shop, Sun, Sand, and Tea.
She has been under the microscope since moving back to Charm. The Swan women of the island are said to be cursed in love; falling in love and losing their mate at a young age. Swan women don’t leave the island either. Well, Everly did and returned after suffering at love but since she has been back, death has followed in her wake. Since her return, the easy life of Charm has seen one too many murders, and the town is starting to think there is something to this curse of the Swans.
With an amazing core cast (the eccentric aunts, handsome detective Grady, the best bestie Amelia, Denise, and Wyatt), Everly has the support team she needs to run her dream business and solve murders.
In this installment, A celebrity visitor meets an unfortunate demise. Knowing that the deceased had a past with her grandmother, Everly decides to put on her sleuthing hat. However, someone has it out for Everly before she even starts digging. Can Everly get to the bottom of this mystery BEEfore its too late??
I received an advanced digital copy of this book from NetGalley. I cannot wait for book 5, Closely Harbored Secrets to release December 29, 2020.
The Paper Girl of Paris 5 STARS
I came across this book on a New Releases’ Post for May 26, 2020. I adore novels with dual timelines and I enjoy Historical Fiction, so I was immediately intrigued. This has the typical plot; person of today finds letter or photograph leading to some past unknown. This story sucked me in from the beginning.
A good portion of Historical Fiction novels center around WW II. While I understand the importance and interest, I prefer the stories to be more about the people than the war itself. I found this novel to be more of a “behind the scenes” story. This was more of a coming of age story with a historical past and a dash of mystery. Maybe because it is in the Young Adult genre, I just found it to be refreshing.
Sixteen year old Alice and her parents travel to Paris after finding out her deceased grandmother left her an apartment, an apartment that has been locked for more than seventy years. When she unlocks the apartment, she also unlocks secrets about her family’s past. Alice, along with her new “friend” Paul, set out on a journey to find the missing pieces of her grandmother’s past. Alice finds out a lot about history, her broken family, herself, and a little bit about love.
I would recommend this book to Historical Fiction lovers of all ages or anyone interested in a Coming of Age story with a historical past.
I had the audio version of this book narrated by Liza Seneca. She was a great narrator and did a fantastic job with all the accents.
Murder in the Wine Country (A Kelly Jackson Mystery #6) 4STARS
I feel like this series is one of those extremely well kept secrets and we need to get the secret out!!
I love everything about the Kelly Jackson Mysteries… the plot, the setting, the characters, and the mysteries. This series has something for everyone. The setting of Redwood Cove is to die for, no pun intended. The characters are all very well developed, likable, and they all play their part in the stories. From Tommy, the child with Asperger Syndrome, and his dog Fred to all the Silver Sentinels, there is definitely a character for you. There is always a new hobby or event to explore in town and Janet Finsilver has a way of making you feel like you are experiencing it with the cast.
In this installment, its a wine tasting event. When an accident and burglary turn out to be more sinister than originally suspected, Kelly and the Silver Sentinels are on the case.
One other thing that really sticks out in the later novels, the charity developed for the aid and care of Veterans. This is a subject near and dear to my heart and the author does a great job bringing awareness.
This series is one of my favorite Cozy Mystery Series, it is carefree and entertaining. I love a series with senior sleuths. These books are easily one sitting reads and I highly recommending binging this series.
I had an advanced digital copy from NetGalley and Kensington Publishing Corporation. I also had this book in audio format. The narrator, Reba Buhr, did a fabulous job.
I am looking forward to a book 7 and more adventures at Redwood Cove.
The Book of Candlelight (Secret, Book, & Scone Society, #3) 4STARS
I love this series and I just love Nora so much. Although I do not have a tragic past, I somehow seem to identify with her. I love her character and how she is always there for her friends and towns folk.
In this installment, Nora and the gang are dealing with a multitude of crimes. Not only is someone defacing the groups’ property, its very personal. Add to that, a murder or two, and Nora has her hands full.
There are a few new characters that I hope will be around for the next book. There are also a few relationships developing.
Although the personal connection with this novel was not there like the one I had with Secret, Book and Scone Society, the story was still deep and moving. This is NOT a traditional COZY Mystery Series. Although there is nothing graphic, there are romantic scenes and some of the things discussed in the group are very deep and dark. I only say that because there are a some cozy readers that take offense to anything more than a kiss or a cuss stronger than darn.
I look forward to future journeys with Nora.
I received and read this digital copy of the novel from NetGalley.
Hems and Homicide (Apron Shop #1) 4STARS
Iris Buckley decides to return to her hometown, Blueberry Cove, Maine, to help out her grandmother after her grandfather’s death. She is ready to bring her online hand-made apron designs to a real store, Ruffles & Bows. Finding a store front was difficult so there was no shock in finding the space in poor condition with a lot of work to do. What was shocking, finding a skeleton in the basement.
With help of her best friend and her granny, Iris wants to find out what happened to the person and lay these old bones to rest. Iris finds out that digging up the past can bring plenty of problems to the future.
This book has many twists, all the way to the end. I enjoyed the author’s character development. The relationship between Iris and her granny felt real. I also enjoyed the budding romances.
I am looking forward to continuing on with the series and learning more about all the characters.
I had this book in both digital format from NetGalley and audio format from Audible. The narrator, Kim Niemi, did a great job.
Staging is Murder (A Laura Bishop Mystery #1) 4STARS
Laura Bishop is a home stager. She is currently staging a 19th century mansion with the help of her assistant, Tyrone. The one thing Laura could not have dreamed of, a murder of the home owner, and no, it was not staged. Due to an accident, Tyrone becomes suspect number one and is locked in jail. With the help of her best friend and Tyrone’s grandmother, Laura sets out to solve the crime and clear Tyrone’s name. However, the murderer is on to Laura. Can she solve this crime before she becomes a victim.
This was a great debut novel and start to a new series. I am looking forward to seeing what Laura gets into next along with the help of her new employee. I am also hoping for a romantic relationship for Laura and Doug.
I listened to the audible version of this novel narrated by Emily Durante. She did a fantastic job.
Room of Required Reading 