The Mango Murders (Key West Food Critic Mystery Book # 15) by Lucy Burdette

The turquoise waters of Key West are stained with pink in this explosive 15th installment of the Key West Food Critic mysteries from USA Today bestselling author Lucy Burdette.

Food critic Hayley Snow’s employer, Key Zest, is throwing the event of the season, a lavish cocktail party catered by Janet Snow, Hayley’s mother. As Hayley boards the luxurious cruise, she anticipates a smooth sailing soirée filled with shimmering cocktails, mouthwatering mango-infused delicacies, and new supporters for the e-zine. But as the boat sets sail, the festivities take a tragic turn when an explosion rocks the vessel, plunging the party guests into chaos.

In the days that follow, Hayley learns that a local culinary entrepreneur died in the explosion and it was no accident–someone on board had a deadly agenda. With the tropical city of Key West as her backdrop, Hayley navigates a web of secrets and lies. Her investigation takes her from the shadowy corners of island politics to fierce competition between high-end event caterers and personal vendettas.

With the clock ticking and the stakes higher than ever, Hayley must rely on her keen intuition to unmask a cunning culprit before they strike again.  (Summary via Goodreads)

Miss Gloria is turning 85 !!!  Having an entire book dedicated to her and her parties would be enough for readers of the Key West Food Critic Mystery series but author Lucy Burdette knows that her dedicated fans can handle more .....  and she does not disappoint !!

The Mango Murders is the fifteenth book in this series and main character Hayley will have a lot going on, like always.  Like I said Miss Gloria, who is Hayley and her husband Nathan's neighbor on Houseboat Row, is having a birthday and they are going to be partying !! They have a weekend full of parties and Miss Gloria's sons and daughters-in-law will be in town to celebrate !!

But before they can concentrate on Miss Gloria and her birthday Hayley has a work function.  Her boss Palamina has organized and is hosting a cocktail party and has chartered a boat for the event.  Hayley's mother and step-father have been hired to cater the event.  Unfortunately the boat has an explosion on board throwing everyone out and into the water.  They soon learn that there was one person killed as a result and the authorities are leaning towards murder.

As always, Hayley wants to solve the case even though Nathan who is the deputy chief of police and his department are more than capable of solving it and it's their jobs !!  Hayley feels this is personally in two ways with first her employer was hosting the event and secondly her mother wss the caterer hired. 

Readers will fall in love with everything about this series.  The series has a special place in my heart.  When I was visiting my mom who lived in Florida I had one of these books with me to read.  My mom showed an interest so I left it with her to read.  She has since passed so every time I have the pleasure of opening the latest book in the series, I feel like mom is with me.

So whatever reason you have for reading these books, I hope you feel a connection and enjoy them like I do !!!  Happy reading !!!

A Ghostwriter's Guide to Murder by Melinda Mullet

Charming yet wickedly imaginative mystery ghostwriter Maeve Gardner finds herself at the center of a murder investigation with more twists and turns than any story she's ever written, perfect for fans of Anthony Horowitz and Richard Osman.

Maeve Gardner kills people for a living. A dodgy occupation perhaps, but as ghostwriter for the long-running Simon Hills mysteries, Maeve has planned the perfect murder time and again and she enjoys it. She dreams of writing something under her own name someday rather than babysitting her adopted character Simon, but at least she’s writing. And as one of the burnt-out souls who’ve run away from dry land to live on London’s waterways, she has the joy of working from the home she a colorful houseboat. Life on the canals is grand, but when her cheating ex-boyfriend turns up floating face down in the water outside her boat, murdered, and the police arrest her, the plot takes a wayward turn. 

Suddenly, Maeve is thrust into one of her own crime dramas, complete with missing money, violent thugs, extortion, and conspiracy. Only this time, there is no real-life Simon Hill to come to her aid. Instead, with the help of friends from the river–India, owner of a popular floating bookshop; Paul, the exceedingly attractive landlord of the local pub; and Ash, Maeve’s quiet, nerdy neighbor who is keeping some secrets of his own–Maeve may have a shot at saving herself. 

As Maeve and her motley crew of would-be investigators find themselves wondering if they are in over their heads, a killer lurks and won’t hesitate to kill again…  (Summary via Goodreads)

WOW !!!   A Ghostwriter's Guide to Murder by Melinda Mullet was so fun to read !!  

In A Ghostwriter's Guide to Murder readers are introduced to main character Maeve Gardner, her loveable dog Captain and a group of people who become true friends when she finds she needs their help and they deliver !!

Maeve lives on a houseboat and writes about murders for a long standing Simon Hills mystery series.  Little did she know that she was going to become the main suspect in a real life murder !!!   Maeve catches Captain biting into a rubber tire bumper on the dock. When she goes to check it out, she finds money hidden into the hole.  She knows it isn't hers so she returns it to it's hiding spot and goes to the police to report it.  When she returns with the cops, the money is gone !!  And while the police are there, they discover a body floating in the water .... and it turns out to be her ex-boyfriend, Gavin.

Maeve hasn't seen Gavin in months since they broke up and he moved on with the woman he cheated on her with.  Even though she hated him and what he did she didn't want to have him dead and to die that way.  But the police aren't so sure and when the murder weapon is determined to be something on her boat with her fingerprints on it, she is arrested for his murder.

Luckily while Maeve is at the police station her friends, India, Paul, and Ashley decide to do some investigating themselves.  Soon each of them has their own line of research going and hopefully one of them will clear Maeve.

Fortunately Maeve is released from jail and can also help with the investigating.  She needs to clear her name so she can return to her life of just writing about murders.

I have found that books written with characters living on houseboats is quite fascinating.  I am not a boat person and am very claustrophobic so you would never find me doing it but I cannot help but appreciate those that do, even if it is in a story.  

Readers will enjoy this book with the author providing viewpoints of the main characters by designating chapters to what they are doing.  It allows the reader to see all the different "balls in the air" that this story requires .... and even though Mullet doesn't designate them for Captain, you are provided with little tidbits here and there.

If you cannot tell, I will say it to be sure, I highly recommend grabbing your copy of A Ghostwriter's Guide to Murder, a comfy seat and let Mullet entertain you for a spell.

 

Solid Gold Murder (Golden Motel Mystery Book # 2) by Ellen Byron

Dee Stern’s Golden Motel-of-the-Mountains promises a tranquil getaway for outdoor lovers in the scenic Californian village of Foundgold. But when Dee accidentally triggers a modern gold rush, she suddenly turns her peaceful retreat into a hotspot for mayhem and murder . . .

With the summer season looming, former Hollywood sitcom writer Dee Stern has one small goal—scrubbing her motel’s unflattering moniker as the “Murder Motel.” Dee and ex-husband-turned-business-partner Jeff Cornetta are excited to introduce a family-friendly panning activity complete with fool’s gold just in time for the peak tourist months. Except neither could have anticipated the discovery of a real gold nugget or the ensuing social media frenzy. In a flash, the viral sensation draws grizzled prospectors, wide-eyed adventurers, and trend-chasing thrill seekers to the abandoned mines scattered around the woods . . .

The instant popularity proves great for business, but it also attracts a group of out-of-touch Silicon Valley techies with dreams of striking it rich—again. Dee finds herself particularly annoyed by the insufferably smug Sylvan Burr, a retired CEO who sold his startup before age 30 and won’t let anyone forget it. But things take a sinister turn when Sylvan meets a grim fate at the bottom of a mineshaft, leaving Dee at the center of a deadly mystery that could end her days as a motelier. And while Sylvan had plenty of enemies, Dee suddenly faces adversaries rooting against her own success. Now, with her life and the future of the Golden Motel hanging by a thread, Dee must unearth a minefield of suspects and outwit a greedy killer before she finally digs herself too deep . . .  (Summay via Goodreads)

Sometimes readers come across a book that they fall in love with .... that is exactly what happened when I read A Very Woodsy Murder. This was the first book in the Golden Motel Mystery series written by Ellen Byron.  So much to love and knowing it was the first book in a series made it even better !!!  So when I received the second book, Solid Gold Murder, I waited as long as I could then had to tear into it !! 

One thing I think readers will appreciate is the Who's Who in the beginning of the books.  This gives the reader an idea of the characters and their roles in the books.

Okay let's get into Solid Gold Murder ... Dee, who co-owns the Golden Motel with her best friend Jeff, is recording her father as he gives a lesson on how to pan for gold in the sluice to a father and son staying at the hotel.  It is suppose to be a fun event for families to do while there.  Unfortunately as a result they find that they have a few real specs of gold !!  And Dee was so excited that she accidentally shared the video !!

Soon the hotel is full with people who are there to pan for gold in areas around the hotel.  Dee and Jeff have their hands full wih all kinds of interesting people.  They even have a foursome of young techie rich kids and a married couple that is down on their luck hoping for something good.

Sadly things get out of hand and one of the techie's ends up missing but is soon found dead in an abandoned mine shaft.  Sylvan Burr, the leader of his little group, had ruffled quite a few tail feathers so the suspect list is quite long.  Dee and Jeff will do whatever they can to solve this murder so that they can try to get people to stop calling it the Murder Motel .... which isn't going to be easy !!! 

The Golden Motel Mystery series is so fun !!  Byron has creative a great setting for the books, with colorful characters, two interesting towns and even without the murders, it would still be a fun series to get lost into.

Marsupials Are Murder (Merry Wrath Mysteries Book # 34) by Leslie Langtry

From USA Today bestselling author Leslie Langtry comes a murder mystery as wild as the Outback...

Merry Wrath's troop is going Down Under! When young Mayor Ava of Who’s There, Iowa gets a call for help from Mayor Sheila of their sister city in Doover, Australia, the girls in the troop waste no time in packing their bags for a trip halfway around the world—of course, with their fearless ex-CIA agent turned Girl Scout leader, Merry Wrath, in tow. Merry thinks this is a great opportunity to see another part of the world with the girls and her more-than-slightly-koala-obsessed co-leader, Kelly.

Met by Sheila, her Girl Guide troop, and a few kangaroo bodyguards, Ava and the girls get to work to help the mayor fight her obnoxious City Council. While the girls assist Sheila, Merry and Kelly plan to spend the time looking for koalas and taking in the sites of the Blue Mountain town in New South Wales. Being in another hemisphere, what could possibly go wrong?

Unfortunately, even halfway around the world, Murder Magnet Merry lives up to her reputation, when one of the council members' bodies is found in the bush. To make things worse, the police think Mayor Sheila is the murderer! Merry and the gang race to find a dangerous killer before they have to go home and Sheila goes to jail!

What critics are saying about Leslie Langtry's

"I laughed so hard I cried on multiple occasions! Girl Scouts, the CIA, and the Yakuza... what could possibly go wrong?"
~ Fresh Fiction

"Darkly funny and wildly over the top, this mystery answers the burning question, 'Do assassin skills and Girl Scout merit badges mix…?'"
~ RT BOOKreviews

"Mixing a deadly sense of humor and plenty of sexy sizzle, Leslie Langtry creates a brilliantly original, laughter-rich mix of contemporary romance and suspense."
~ Chicago Tribune

"Langtry gets the fun started from page one."
~ Publisher's Weekly    (Summary via Goodreads)

I don't know how Leslie Langtry does it but with Marsupials Are Murder being the thirty-fourth book in her Merry Wrath Mystery series, she does it !!  She definitely brings it every time !!!  And fans are going to love this one .... Merry, her best friend Kelly, and their girl scout troop and mayor are heading down under !!!

Thirteen year old Ava is the mayor of Who's There, Iowa, and her friends consist of her girl scout troop as well as her council and they have unbelievable skills that will amaze you.  Ava has been in contact with Mayor Sheila from their sister city in Doover, Austrailia and they have organized a trip to go and help Sheila and her council.

Unfortunately even though they are far away from home and their track record of solving murders in their home state, they will find themselves in the middle of another murder case.  When they are on a bush walk, Merry and Sheila find the body of Seb Butcher, a member of the city council.  Even though it looks like it might just be an innocent death, Merry and Kelly know better and begin to organize things. Then when Sheila is brought in and arrested for the murder, they all pitch in to prove her innocence.

With having thirty-four books published in one series, you know that this is something worth looking into.  I, to be honest, came into the series not that long ago but if I could I would definitely go back and read all of the previous books because you know they would be a hoot !!!

Books & Bribes (A Book Store Cozy Mystery Book # 1) by Lucinda Race

Enjoy this clean, paranormal cozy mystery by award winning and bestselling author, Lucinda Race.

In a small town like Pembroke, Maine, everyone has something to hide. But when bookstore owner Lily Michaels takes a tumble and hits her head, and her cat Milo starts talking to her, she discovers she has something to hide, too. She’s a witch, and Milo is her familiar. And she’s not the only one in town. Lily has been hiding something else, too. Even though she’s always kept Gage Erikson in the friend zone, her feelings for the man Milo calls Detective Cutie go a lot deeper than she’s willing to admit.

Gage has a secret too. He’s always had a crush on Lily. But if he gives into his feelings, it might mess up the wonderful friendship they have. With his cowboy boots and cherry red pickup truck and knack for just letting folks talk, people might underestimate just how good a detective Gage actually is. But is he good enough to discover all of Lily’s secrets?

Somebody in Pembroke knows a lot about the secrets people are keeping, and isn’t above a little blackmail. While Lily struggles with learning how to be a witch, she works with Gage to uncover the truth, and a new kind of magic develops between them. Will they continue to be just friends, or will they finally admit to the secret love they’ve been hiding?

Books and Bribes is the first novel in A Book Store Cozy Mystery Series, although each book can be read as standalone. A sweet and clean cozy mystery with a guaranteed the culprit is caught. Happy reading!  (Summary via Goodreads)

Books & Bribes is the first book in the Book Store Cozy Mystery series by Lucinda Race and from the moment you start reading this book, you will be hooked !!  Race knows how to get you invested immediately !!!

In Books & Bribes readers are introduced to main character Lily right after a dusty book falls off a shelf in her bookshop.  It knocks her out briefly and  when she comes to she finds out that she can understand her cat Milo.  And then he informs her that she is a witch !!  

Now if that doesn't keep you turning the pages, hold on......

Before Lily can thoroughly grasp all that, she has to get to the library for movie night.  Unfortunately before movie night gets underway, she and those that are gathered for the movie, hear a scream and Lily recognizes it as her Aunt Mimi.  When they get to where Aunt Mimi is, they find her standing over the body of the mean librarian Flora .... holding the murder weapon !!!

Still need more convincing .....

The detective on the case is Gage who Lily has secretly loved forever and Gage feels the same way but neither is willing to chance their friendship by admitting their true feelings.  Oh and Gage has Aunt Mimi on the top of the suspect list so Lily decides she will investigate the murder herself ..... lots of tension there but fun for the reader !!!!

And the last thing I will share with you because I am pretty confident that you don't need more convincing but will give you like a bonus tidbit ..... Race provides most chapters in Lily's "voice" but every so often she gives you a glimpse of what in going through Gage's mind also.

Books & Bribes is a fun read with a captivating tale that is paving the way for the future books in the series.  I am totally a fan and cannot wait to see where the next book takes me ......

Puzzles and Premieres (Magical Mystery Book Club # 10) by Elizabeth Pantley

When this club selects a book, magic happens!

This book club does more than read their books – they are absorbed right into the story to become the amateur sleuths! To exit the book and get back home, they need to solve the mystery and reach The End.

In this journey, they travel to a mountaintop ski town to experience the enchanting setting of a famous film festival. They’ll meet movie stars, producers, and directors. They’ll watch a film premiere, go skiing, and eat at fancy restaurants. It’s all very glamorous and exciting – until a famous actress disappears.

The book club is on the case! They discover clues in the most unusual way - by putting together enchanted jigsaw puzzles.

As usual, the club finds plenty of time to enjoy the unique setting of their journey, as they put together the mystery – one puzzle piece at a time.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Reviews from book 9 of the Magical Mystery Book Club

“I can’t put these books down. I pull late-nighters just to see what will happen next!”

“Truly amazing, unique, fun – and totally twisted – in a super hilarious way.”

“These books are like Pringles. Once you pop ... you won't want to stop reading!”

“I shock myself by becoming so engrossed in this series that the outside world just slips away!”

“I have been waiting anxiously for the newest book of this amazing series, and I was not disappointed! I had a hard time putting it down – which is the way it was with all the books in this series.”

“I’m hoping that Pantley has a million of these books left to write. I can’t imagine any other books that have kept my interest this long. The characters are so much fun, and the story line is always fresh and exciting.  (Summary via Goodreads)

Puzzles and Premieres is the tenth book in the Magical Mystery Book Club series written by Elizabeth Pantley so I'm not going to take the time to explain the club and the characters.  Pantley provides that before you begin Chapter 1.  And seeing as this is the tenth book I am hoping you are like me and know all about the club, the characters and their previous adventures.  If not. and this the first book you are reading in this series, that's fine.  But don't be surprised if you fall in love and want to go back and read the others.

Okay ...... In Puzzles andd Premieres the group with their friendly library Olm choose the next book to venture into and the magical library whisks them into the book.  They find themselves in a winter wonderland at a ski resort that is hosting a film festival.  The Snapdragon Inn, as always, is transformed to fit into the story.

The name of the town is Jigsaw Valley and the group finds that in order to know what to focus on, they have to solve a jigsaw puzzle that magically appears.  Unfortunately with every puzzle they work on, they find that some pieces are missing and have to go to the place that the puzzle reveals and they will find the pieces there.  The first puzzle takes the group to a vintage clothing shop where they come across Gloria ... who happens to be a ghost who they can see and talk to and Mollie is overjoyed !! 

At first the group believes they are there to look into Gloria's death but when another puzzle leads them to a cabin they find an up and coming actress dead in the snow .....  

The group with the additional of Gloria works well together and can investigate a number of things as they split up into groups.  And boy is this one a HOOT !!!  It's amazing how this group can get anything done with all the different personalities but they do !!

I would love to dissect Pantley's brain to see how she comes up with these storylines and keeps the series exciting and the readers on their toes.  The Magical Mystery Book Club series is one of my favorite series with so much to love.  Anytime I can open one of these books, I know that I will be in for an exciting adventure !!!

  

There'll Be Shell to Pay (A Haunted Shell Shop Mystery Book # 2) by Molly MacRae

When she’s not selling seashells by the North Carolina seashore from her shell shop, Maureen Nash is a crime-solving sleuth with a ghost pirate for a supernatural sidekick . . .

Maureen is still getting used to life on Ocracoke Island, learning how to play the “shell game” of her business—and ghost whispering with the spirit of Emrys Lloyd, the eighteenth-century Welsh pirate who haunts her shop, The Moon Shell. The spectral buccaneer has unburied a treasure hidden in the shop’s attic that turns out to be antique shell art stolen from Maureen’s late husband’s family years ago.

Victor “Shelly” Sullivan and his wife Lenrose visit the shop and specifically inquire about these rare items. Not only is it suspicious that this shell collector should arrive around the time Maureen found the art, but Emrys insists that Sullivan’s wife is an imposter because Lenrose is dead. A woman’s corpse the police have been unable to identify was discovered by the Fig Ladies, a group who formed an online fig appreciation society. They’re meeting on Ocracoke for the first time in person and count Lenrose among their number, so the woman can’t possibly be dead.

But Lenrose’s behavior doesn’t quite match the person the Fig Ladies interacted with online. Now, Maureen and Emrys—with assistance from the Fig Ladies—must prove the real Lenrose is dead and unmask her mysterious pretender before a desperate murderer strikes again . . .  (Summary via Goodreads)

I fell in love with Come Shell or High Water, the first book in the Haunted Shell Shop Mystery series by Molly MacRae, and was looking forward to the next book.  There'll Be Shell to Pay, the second book in this series did not disappoint !!!  MacRae makes readers fall in love with everything within this series !!

Maureen's late husband Jeff and his family have ties to Ocracoke Island and when Maureen finds out that the Moon Shell shop was willed to Jeff or his heir, she decides to visit it and falls in love with the shop, the island, her neighbors, the cat and ghost that came with the shop and so much more.

Unfortunately Maureen and her neighbors, brother and sister duo, Glady and Burt, seem to get involved in "helping" Captain Tate in solving the murder cases ... with the help of the resident ghost Emrys.

In There'll be Shell to Pay Maureen returns to the island after packing up some belongings from her old house.  She is looking forward to unpacking and making the apartment above the shop cozier.  But it isn't long before Maureen is pulled into a murder case, especially when her resident ghost was able to write a note to Captain Tate and signed her name to it.  Usually Emrys is floating around the shop or apartment as he is "tied" to the shell that the shop is named after.  Seeing as Maureen is the only one that can see and communicate with him, she has to figure out where he is.

I don't want to say much more because I don't want to give away too much.  You really need to read the book so you can be swept away to the island and enjoy everything it has to offer.

MacRae is able to open the readers imagination.  While you read this book and the first one, you will have no problems "seeing" everything and may even feel like you have sand in your toes.  I would love to venture to Ocracoke Island and stay for a bit.  And boy, oh boy, the way that she ends There'll Be Shell to Pay !!!  Dang, now I have to wait to see where she takes the story next .... but that's okay, I'll be ready !!!!!