Feature & Giveaway: In Hot Water by J.J. Cook

Today we are featuring a book in J.J. Cook's Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mysteries, In Hot Water:

Stella Griffin should be bubbling over with joy now that she’s the full-time fire chief of Sweet Pepper, except trouble is brewing on her doorstep. An angry resident has purchased her cabin, and—with a bulldozer in tow—is ready to tear it down. But as Stella worries over the fate of her home and Eric, her ghostly roommate, there’s soon an even greater cause for alarm. 

A suspicious house fire in the pricey Sunset Beach community at Sweet Pepper Lake claims the life of ex-state representative Barney Falk. The nature of the death has Stella feeling out of her depth, so she teams up with the state’s arson investigator. Moving full steam ahead with the case, they must smoke out a killer before the firebug strikes again…

Today we're giving away one paperback of In Hot Water by J.J. Cook.

To enter to win: 

1. Leave a comment below with your email address. Don't want to leave a email? Email cozymysterybookreviews@gmail.com with a subject line of "In Hot Water" and we will enter you. 

2. We're shipping this one US/Canada only!! 

3. Giveaway closes on April 23, 2015 at midnight and we will contact the winner by email.

Giveaway: Jennifer L. Hart Swag Pack

Today is the release of Jennifer L Hart's new book, Murder A la Flambe:

If you can’t take the heat, stay out of the kitchen… 

Andy Buckland isn't thrilled when sexpot celebrity chef Lacy L'Amour decides to open a competing ethnic restaurant in small-town Beaverton...right across the street from Andy's pasta shop, the Bowtie Angel. And matters heat up when L'Amour sets her sights on both Andy's customers and her man, Malcolm Jones, who has been acting strange lately. But all of that pales in comparison when Andy’s long lost daughter is suspected of arson. Suddenly the town’s outrage reaches a rapid boil, and the future of the Buckland-Rosetti clan is about to go up in flames. Can Andy beat the competition, keep her man, and catch an arsonist before her hard won reputation is reduced to cinders?[summary via Amazon]

Check back later today as we will be sharing our review!!

In the meantime we have two super swag packs to giveaway! These fun packs include a pen, CANDY, stickers, a temporary tattoo, cards and an excerpt of Final Notice. Did I mention CANDY?

To enter: 

1. Leave a comment below with your email address. Don't want to leave a email? Email cozymysterybookreviews@gmail.com with a subject line of "Murder A La Flambe" and we will enter you. 

2. We're shipping this one US/Canada only!! 

3. Giveaway closes on April 21, 2015 at midnight and we will contact the winner by email.

Don't forget to check out Murder Al Dente and Murder a La Flambe at Amazon.

Feature & Giveaway: Grace Against the Clock by Julie Hyzy

Today we are featuring a book in the Manor House Mysteries by Julie Hyzy, Grace Against the Clock.

When Marshfield Manor hosts a charity event, Grace Wheaton, the mansion’s curator and manager, is happy to lend a helping hand—until a killer makes an unwanted donation…

With the town clock in desperate need of repair, local lawyer Joyce Swedburg and her ex-husband, Dr. Leland Keay, are trying to put their differences aside to organize a benefit at Marshfield Manor to raise money to restore the beautiful timepiece. While Grace appreciates the opportunity to support such a good cause, the tension between the unhappy exes is giving her the urge to put both of the organizers in time out.

But after Leland collapses on stage during the festivities, poisoned, Grace suspects there was more going on behind the scenes. Now, she’s in a race to catch a ticked off murderer, and, if she’s going to prevent anyone else from getting hurt, every second will count…[summary via Amazon]

Today we're giving away one paperback of Grace Against the Clock.

To enter: 

1. Leave a comment below with your email address. Don't want to leave a email? Email cozymysterybookreviews@gmail.com with a subject line of "Grace Against the Clock" and we will enter you. 

2. We're shipping this one US/Canada only!! 

3. Giveaway closes on April 22, 2015 at midnight and we will contact the winner by email.

Feature & Giveaway: Extra Sensory Deception by Allison Kingsley

Today we are featuring a fabulous series set in a bookstore...

You don’t have to be a psychic to know: The rodeo is coming to town! Clara’s boyfriend, Rick Sanders, invites her to the show to meet his high school buddy and expert calf roper, Wes Carlton. But when Clara’s Quinn Sense offers her a disturbing vision involving a rodeo clown, she worries that there will be more danger at the rodeo than just the traditional bucking bronco. 

Of course, her premonition turns out to be accurate, and a dead body is discovered behind the concert stage, strangled by Wes’s piggin’ string. Rick is sure that there’s no way Wes could have murdered anyone, but he’s going to need Clara’s Quinn Sense to keep the authorities from roping the wrong suspect...[summary via Amazon]

We're giving away one paperback of Extra Sensory Deception for one lucky reader to read.

To enter: 

1. Leave a comment below with your email address. Don't want to leave a email? Email cozymysterybookreviews@gmail.com with a subject line of "Extra Sensory Deception" and we will enter you. 

2. We're shipping this one US/Canada only!! 

3. Giveaway closes on April 19, 2015 at midnight and we will contact the winner by email.

Feature & Giveaway: License to Dill by Mary Ellen Hughes

It's time to feature and giveaway a new cozy mystery!

Piper Lamb knows how to make fruits and vegetables keep for months. Unfortunately, it’s the people around her who are expiring too soon…

After her fiancé left her, Piper came to Cloverdale to rebuild her life and open up her shop, Piper’s Picklings, to sell pickles and preserves. When her ex decides to drop in for a visit—just as things are heating up between her and a local Christmas tree farmer—Piper finds herself in a jam.

But there are other visitors to worry about…

An Italian soccer team is set to play the Cloverdale All-Stars in an exhibition game. Their manager, Raffaele Conti, was a bitter rival of Piper’s dill supplier, local farmer Gerald Standley. After Conti is found dead in Standley’s field, Piper must work to clear Gerald’s name and find out who relished killing Raffaele before the town is soured by another death.[summary via Amazon]

Today we're giving away one paperback of License to Dill for one lucky reader.

To enter: 

1. Leave a comment below with your email address. Don't want to leave a email? Email cozymysterybookreviews@gmail.com with a subject line of "License to Dill" and we will enter you. 

2. We're shipping this one US/Canada only!! 

3. Giveaway closes on April 18, 2015 at midnight and we will contact the winner by email.

Feature & Giveaway: For Whom the Bluebell Tolls by Beverly Allen

Today we are featuring a great book in the Bridal Bouquet Shop Mysteries, For Whom The Bluebell Tolls by Beverly Allen:

Everything is coming up roses for Audrey when her dazzling creations are picked to be featured on a wedding reality show. The hot series is filming an episode about a bride who’s bonkers for bells, and Audrey’s bouquets of campanulas, calla lilies, and Bells-of-Ireland are perfect for the bridal theme.

But Audrey’s debut quickly becomes a hothouse of trouble. Her ex, Brad, shows up as a crew member on the show, threatening her blossoming relationship with Nick the baker. To make matters worse, when one of the show’s hosts is found dead in the bell tower of a historic church, all the evidence points toward Brad.

Now Audrey needs to weed out the real killer before someone else’s chance at stardom is permanently nipped in the bud . . .[summary via Amazon]

We're giving away one paperback copy of For Whom the Bluebell Tolls for one lucky reader!

To enter: 

1. Leave a comment below with your email address. Don't want to leave a email? Email cozymysterybookreviews@gmail.com with a subject line of "For Whom the Bluebell Tolls" and we will enter you. 

2. We're shipping this one US/Canada only!! 

3. Giveaway closes on April 17, 2015 at midnight and we will contact the winner by email.

Feature & Giveaway: The Cat, the Vagabond and the Victim by Leann Sweeney

Today we're featuring a book that is being released on audiobook today, The Cat, the Vagabond and the Victim by Leann Sweeney:

When Clyde the cat travels two hundred miles back home only to find his former owner dead, the story makes national news. While everyone seems eager to tell Clyde’s incredible tale, someone needs to step up to care for him. Because the media attention is creating chaos at the local shelter, cat quilter Jillian Hart agrees to foster the loyal orange tabby, hoping his location is kept secret.

But while the media circus around Clyde continues, Jillian learns the real story behind his owner’s death—he was murdered. Why would an eldery man already dying from a serious illness become a murder victim? As the local police search for an answer, Clyde makes another escape. Jillian is drawn into the case when she finds Clyde has returned to his home again—and he’s found another body. When the motive behind these murders is finally revealed, Jillian understands Clyde is in danger of becoming the next victim, and she must help find the killer before the claws really come out.…[summary via Amazon]

The Cat, the Vagabond and the Victim is the sixth book in the Cats in Trouble Mysteries and is available today at Audible.

Today we are giving away ONE paperback copy of The Cat, the Vagabond and the Victim.

To enter: 

1. Leave a comment below with your email address. Don't want to leave a email? Email cozymysterybookreviews@gmail.com with a subject line of "The Cat, The Vagabond and the Victim" and we will enter you. 

2. We're shipping this one US/Canada only!! 

3. Giveaway closes on April 16, 2015 at midnight and we will contact the winner by email.

Feature & Giveaway: An Early Wake by Sheila Connolly

Our Clean Off the Shelves Giveaways continue! Today we are featuring An Early Wake by Sheila Connolly.

This is one of our favorite series and we're excited to pass a paperback copy onto one lucky reader!

Pub owner Maura Donovan may have Irish kin, but she doesn’t seem to have the luck of the Irish. Who could have foreseen that bringing live music back to Sullivan’s Pub would lead to a dead musician?

Summer is ending in County Cork, Ireland, and with it the tourist season. Expat Maura Donovan is determined to keep Sullivan’s Pub in the black as the days grow shorter—but how? When she hears that the place was once a hot spot for Irish musicians who’d come play in the back room, she wonders if bringing back live music might be Sullivan’s salvation.

As word gets out, legendary musicians begin to appear at the pub, and the first impromptu jam session brings in scores of music lovers. But things hit a sour note when Maura finds a dead musician in the back room the next morning. With a slew of potential suspects, it’s going to take more than a pint and a good think to force a murderer to face the music.[summary via Amazon]

This series is also available on Audible, and whatever way you read it, you will love it!

To enter:

1. Leave a comment below with your email address. Don't want to leave a email? Email cozymysterybookreviews@gmail.com with a subject line of "An Early Wake" and we will enter you.

2. We're shipping this one US/Canada only!!

3. Giveaway closes on April 15, 2015 at midnight and we will contact the winner by email.

Feature & Giveaway: Spell Booked by Jim & Joyce Lavene

Today we are featuring a new series by the writing duo Jim & Joyce Lavene, the Retired Witches Mysteries. The first book in the series is Spell Booked:

Once upon a time in Wilmington, North Carolina, three witches ran a curio shop named Smuggler’s Arcane. But as the years passed, their magical powers started to fade—leaving them no choice but to conjure up a retirement package…

Before they could blink their eyes or twitch their noses, Molly, Elsie, and Olivia somehow became eligible for AARP. But they can’t fly off to Boca Raton just yet. First they must give up their magic, recruit and train three new witches, and pass on their cherished spellbook.

They’ve barely begun to consider potential practitioners when Olivia winds up dead and their spellbook is stolen. To honor their friend and reclaim their spells, Molly and Elsie are about to go wand-to-wand with a dangerous young witch more powerful than the trio was in their prime. And this time they’re going to need more than magic up their sleeves…

We have ONE paperback copy of Spell Booked to give away! 

To enter:
1. Leave a comment below with your email address. Don't want to leave a email? Email cozymysterybookreviews@gmail.com with a subject line of "Spell Booked" and we will enter you. 

2. We're shipping this one US/Canada only!! 

3. Giveaway closes on April 14, 2015 at midnight and we will contact the winner by email.

Feature & Giveaway: Fry Another Day by J.J. Cook

The Cleaning Off the Shelves Giveaways continue. Today we have a book in the Biscuit Bowl Food Truck Mysteries.

From the national bestselling author of the Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mysteries comes the second in a new series featuring Zoe Chase, a Southern food truck chef who serves justice on the side.

With a few loyal friends in tow—including her handsome attorney, Miguel, and her cat, Crème Brûlée—Zoe drives the Biscuit Bowl to Charlotte, North Carolina, to enter a nationally televised food truck race. The contest features challenges across the Southeast, and with a fifty-thousand-dollar grand prize, competition isn’t just fierce—it’s killer.

As everyone gears up for the first challenge, another food trucker from Zoe’s hometown is found dead. The race rolls on, but when the body count rises, police begin to suspect Miguel. Now Zoe must race to catch the killer before her attorney needs an attorney.

We have ONE paperback copy of Fry Another Day to give away!
To enter:
1. Leave a comment below with your email address. Don't want to leave a email? Email cozymysterybookreviews@gmail.com with a subject line of "Fry Another Day" and we will enter you.
2. We're shipping this one US/Canada only!!
3. Giveaway closes on April 13, 2015 at midnight and we will contact the winner by email.

Feature & Giveaway: Nightmares Can Be Murder by Mary Kennedy

The Cleaning Off the Shelves Giveaways continue. Today we have the first book in a new series by Mary Kennedy:

Business consultant Taylor Blake has returned to Savannah, Georgia, to help her sister Allison turn her dream of running an old-fashioned candy store into a reality. Allison is also interested in dream interpretation and invites Taylor to her Friday night Dream Club, where members meet once a week to share and analyze their dreams.

When a local dance instructor, Chico Hernandez, is found dead in his studio, and the murder scene has an eerie resemblance to one of the dreams shared at their meeting, Taylor can’t help but be intrigued. And when her sister, who was briefly involved with the dance teacher, becomes the prime suspect, Taylor and their fellow club members can’t be caught napping. It’s up to them to dream up a solution to the murder before Allison faces a real-life nightmare.

We have ONE paperback copy of Nightmares Can Be Murder to give away!

To enter:

1. Leave a comment below with your email address. Don't want to leave a email? Email cozymysterybookreviews@gmail.com with a subject line of "Nightmares Can Be Murder" and we will enter you.

2. We're shipping this one US/Canada only!!

3. Giveaway closes on April 12, 2015 at midnight and we will contact the winner by email.

Feature & Giveaway: Lethal Letters by Ellery Adams

If you follow us on Facebook you will know we announced last night that we're cleaning the shelves out! We have a stack of duplicate copies, books we've read and we want to clean the shelves. We will be giving away one book a day until they're gone!

Up first is Lethal Letters by Ellery Adams.

Restaurant owner and aspiring novelist Olivia Limoges is busy planning a delicious menu for Oyster Bay’s biggest soiree of the spring. But she’ll need to serve some justice as well after one resident gets eighty-sixed…

Everyone’s got their hands full in Oyster Bay, North Carolina. Aside from two upcoming weddings, there’s also the historical society’s annual fund-raiser: the Secret Garden Party and Candlelit Ball. Adding to the excitement, Olivia witnesses the discovery of a time capsule in the foundation of a local church. The historical society president hopes to display its contents at their party, but when the items are finally revealed to the public, Olivia notices one of them has vanished.

After a frightening find beneath the pier—the body of Ruthie Holcomb—Olivia is certain there’s a connection between the young woman’s death and the missing piece from the time capsule. With the help of her fellow Bayside Book Writers, Olivia sets out to uncover some clues and ensure a killer has no reason to celebrate…[summary via Amazon]

We have ONE copy of Lethal Letters to give away!

To enter:
1. Leave a comment below with your email address. Don't want to leave a email? Email cozymysterybookreviews@gmail.com with a subject line of "Lethal Letters" and we will enter you.
2. We're shipping this one US/Canada only!!
3. Giveaway closes on April 11, 2015 at midnight and we will contact the winner by email.

Giveaway: Win a Set of 4 Cozy Mysteries

Hello happy readers!! It's New Release Tuesday and unfortunately I don't have the April releases to give away today, but I do have something else that is super special. Four Fabulous Cozy Mysteries.

One lucky winner is going to win:

• Meow If It's Murder by T.C. LoTempio
• By Book or By Crook by Eva Gates
• On Borrowed Time by Jenn McKinlay
• A Vision in Velvet by Juliet Blackwell

I've linked our reviews above, why not check out our thoughts? We will have our review for On Borrowed Time up in a few days.

Do you want to win these books?

To enter:

1. Leave a comment below with your email address.

Don't want to leave a email? Email cozymysterybookreviews@gmail.com with a subject line of "Cozy Books Giveaway" and we will enter you.

2. We're shipping this one international!!

3. Giveaway closes on April 10, 2015 at midnight and we will contact the winner by email.

Good luck everyone and Happy New Release Day!

Audiobook Review: Death at the Door by Carolyn Hart

Annie and Max are back for their 24th adventure together, and it is definitely going to take all their sleuthing powers to solve this one! On the peaceful and tranquil island of Broward's Rock murder and mayhem is brewing. A local doctor, Paul Martin, is found dead and the authorities rule it as suicide. Shortly after a housewife is found battered to death. Her artist husband is accused of murder. Meanwhile the doctor's sister doesn't believe that her brother would commit suicide and begs Annie and Max to investigate. As the delve deeper they untangle a mysterious web that will rock the peaceful island!

Carolyn Hart is a seasoned cozy mystery author and she stands in a class all of her own. I absolutely adore her writing style. For those that aren't sure if cozy mysteries are not right for them, I always encourage them to start with Death on Demand, the first book in this series. She has a style that is intelligent, heart-warming and really pulls you in. Her books are not fluffy, and with Annie's husband, Max, running a PI business you get a little bit of a police procedural feel to them as well. 

Death at the Door is the 24th book in this series and Carolyn Hart has kept the same consistent five-star quality through all her books. Annie runs the the Death on Demand Bookstore and Max runs a PI business. Together they solve crimes and to my mind are the modern day Tommy and Tuppence. 

This mystery was interesting because we actually start with Paul Martin, prior to his death. We get a look into his mind. He knows something about someone, but the reader doesn't find out who or what quite yet. As I read my mind wandered back to those early scenes, and I tried to piece everything together. 

I love every visit back to Broward's Rock and this one was no different to the others. I enjoyed my visit with Agatha, the bookstore cat, and Dorothy L, Annie and Max's cat at home, and of course the bookstore, Death on Demand.

If you are looking for a tantalizing mystery this spring, I strongly recommend you read Death at the Door. This story will leave you for a longing for more adventures with Annie and Max, and luckily there are 23 other adventures!

I listened to Death at the Door on audio, with Kate Reading narrating. I've listened to several of the books in this series on audiobook and I really enjoy Kate's narration. She really brings these characters alive, and improves on a fantastic cozy mystery.

Check out Death at the Door by Carolyn Hart at Amazon, Audible.

Book Review: Well Read, Then Dead by Terrie Moran

In Terrie Moran's debut mystery series she creates murder and mayhem with a unique setting in Well Read, Then Dead. Mary "Sassy" Cabot and Bridget Mayfield are best friends and together run the Read 'Em and Eat Bookstore Cafe. Life is pretty tranquil in their sunny town of Fort Meyers Beach. It seems the most rowdy it gets is at the heated discussions of the book club, especially when fellow book club member Rowena Gustavson starts debating each book. However life in the small town is about to become very interesting when the the quietest member of the book club, Delia Batson, is found dead. Delia's cousin, Augusta, is absolutely distraught by her death, and asks Sassy for help on finding her killer!!

I want to pack myself on a one-way trip to the Read 'Em and Eat Bookstore Cafe. The second I walked through those doors in the first chapter of Well Read, Then Dead I was absolutely smitten. Everything from the delicious food and drinks to the tables that each sport on articles, photos and excerpts of all my favorite mystery authors! I was in book lover heaven. I knew any mystery that started with this setting had to be a good one and I was right!!

Sassy takes us into her life as owner of Read 'Em and Eat Bookstore Cafe and the lives of her friends and residents of Fort Meyers Beach. They're an eclectic bunch and it was a delight to meet them and try to solve a mystery.

Apart from the delectable treats and the cozy atmosphere of the bookstore cafe, what I loved the most were the surprises! Delia was the last person I expected to be the victim! When a story starts with a boisterous personality like Rowena, I for sure had her pegged as the victim. I couldn't fathom why anyone would want to kill Delia, and I knew both Sassy (and me!) had our work cut out for us trying to find the killer!!

I'm about 8 months behind everyone else that has been raving about this series. With so many cozies on my shelf I hadn't gotten to this one before now, and I really wish I had squeezed the time in to read it when it was released, last August. Terrie Moran delighted me to little itty bitty pieces with this mystery full of southern charm and friendship. I felt the anguish that Augusta felt at the loss of her cousin and the triumph that Sassy feels when she finally solves the case!

If you haven't picked up Well Read, Then Dead pick it up today. You will be delighted by the charm of the Read 'Em and Eat Bookstore Cafe and all the residents of Fort Meyers Beach.

Check out Well Read Then Dead by Terrie Moran at Amazon.

Giveaway: A Well Read, Then Dead Tote Bag from Terrie Moran

Terrie Moran is the author of the popular series, Read 'Em and Eat Mysteries. Her debut novel, Well Read, Then Dead, received rave reviews and she's getting ready for the release of book 2, Caught Read Handed in July. 

Terrie Farley Moran is celebrating the April 8th release of Well Read, Then Dead in large print format by giving away a colorful tote bag. You can reach Terrie on her web page and on Facebook. And why not let your library know that Well Read, Then Dead is now available in LARGE PRINT.

Today Terrie is giving away one tote bag to one lucky reader! Isn't this tote gorgeous?

To enter:

1. Leave a comment below with your email address. Don't want to leave your email? Then email us at cozymysterybookreviews@gmail.com with subject "Well Read Then Dead" tote and we will enter you to win!

2. Giveaway closes on April 4, 2015 at midnight and we will contact the winner via email.

3. Giveaway is open US only.

If you haven't checked out Well Read, Then Dead then head to your closest library, bookstore or why not check it out Amazon.

Nestled in the barrier islands of Florida’s Gulf Coast, Fort Myers Beach is home to Mary “Sassy” Cabot and Bridget Mayfield—owners of the bookstore café, Read ’Em and Eat. But when they’re not dishing about books or serving up scones, Sassy and Bridgy are keeping tabs on hard-boiled murder. 

Read ’Em and Eat is known for its delicious breakfast and lunch treats, along with quite a colorful clientele. If it’s not Rowena Gustavson loudly debating the merits of the current book club selection, it’s Miss Augusta Maddox lecturing tourists on rumors of sunken treasure among the islands. It’s no wonder Sassy’s favorite is Delia Batson, a regular at the Emily Dickinson table. 

Augusta’s cousin and best friend Delia is painfully shy—which makes the news of her murder all the more shocking. No one is more distraught than Augusta, and Sassy wants to help any way she can. But Augusta doesn’t have time for sympathy. She wants Delia’s killer found—and she’s not taking no for an answer. Now Sassy is on the case, and she’d better act fast before there’s any more trouble in paradise.