A Pinch of Poison (A Lady & Lady's Maid Mystery #2) by Alyssa Maxwell

In post–World War I England, Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her lady’s maid, Eva Huntford, encounter an uncharitable killer at a charity luncheon sponsored by a posh school for girls . . . 

Good deeds build good character, and good character is what the Haverleigh School for Young Ladies is all about. Lady Phoebe—with the tireless assistance of Eva—has organized a luncheon at the school to benefit wounded veterans of the Great War, encouraging the students to participate in the cooking and the baking. But too many cooks do more than spoil the broth—they add up to a recipe for disaster when the school’s headmistress, Miss Finch, is poisoned. 

The girls at Haverleigh all come from highly respected families, none of whom will countenance their darling daughters being harassed like common criminals by the local police. So Lady Phoebe steps in to handle the wealthy young debutantes with tact and discretion, while Eva cozies up to the staff. Did one of the girls resent the headmistress enough to do her in? Did a teacher bear a grudge? What about the school nurse, clearly shell shocked from her service in the war? No one is above suspicion, not even members of the school’s governing body, some of whom objected to Miss Finch’s “modern” methods.

But Lady Phoebe and Eva will have to sleuth with great stealth—or the cornered killer may try to teach someone else a lethal lesson.  (Summary via Goodreads)


I am a HUGE fan of Alyssa Maxwell ! !  Her stories are so easy to get lost in !  Sometimes I don't want to return to the present.  I love traveling through time back to days where things were simple and proper.  

Even though it is set in a time where things were simple, there was still death and murder.  And Lady Phoebe always seems to get in the middle of it.   In a Pinch of Poison it is no different.  

The headmistress of the girl's school that Amelia attends dies after eating a meal prepared and served by the girl's.  And when they have to close the school so that no one else gets injured and the police can investigate, Lady Phoebe and Eva decide to see what they can find out from the girls and employees.   While helping with the investigation Lady Phoebe and Eva are also helping with schooling some of the girls whose parents are abroad and they have no where else to go.

I love the fact that Alyssa Maxwell always has you thinking while you are reading.  I like the fact that there are many possibilities and you start to like the characters and hope that they didn't commit murder...even though you know that one of them did.  She also has an amazing talent in how she inter-mingles ALL of the characters and settings.

I truly enjoy traveling back in time with Lady Phoebe and Eva and I'm positive that you will also !!  Let Alyssa Maxwell take you there !!

Reviewed by Missi S. 

The Cat of Christmas Present (Whales and Tails Cozy Mystery Book 10) by Kathi Daley

With less than two weeks until Christmas Cait stumbles across a man who had been washed up onto the beach. The man is very much alive, but after suffering a blow to the head, he cannot seem to remember who he is or how he came to be on the island. Cait and visiting cat Clarence set out to discover Prince Charming's identity only to find that their charismatic guest may not be so charming after all.  (Summary via Goodreads)


Kathi Daley has done it again! This is an amazing series and mystery full of Christmas hope. I will say I was crying at the end but I am not going to give any spoilers. Kathi Daley amazes me with every book I read and review. I love all of her series and could never choose a favorite because each are all great. 

This one is perfect for Christmas and for the feeling of hope that I was lacking this season. You rock Kathi, thank you.

Review by Penny M.

A Story to Kill (Cat Latimer Mystery #1) by Lynn Cahoon

Former English professor Cat Latimer is back in Colorado, hosting writers’ retreats in the big blue Victorian she’s inherited, much to her surprise, from none other than her carousing ex-husband! Now it’s an authors’ getaway—but Cat won’t let anyone get away with murder…
The bed-and-breakfast is open for business, and bestselling author Tom Cook is among its first guests. Cat doesn’t know why he came all the way from New York, but she’s glad to have him among the quirkier—and far less famous—attendees.

Cat’s high school sweetheart Seth, who’s fixing up the weathered home, brings on mixed emotions for Cat…some of them a little overpowering. But it’s her uncle, the local police chief, whom she’ll call for help when there’s a surprise ending for Tom Cook in his cozy guest room. Will a killer have the last word on the new life Cat has barely begun?  (Summary via Goodreads)


A Story to Kill was so fun to read !!!  If you like getting lost in a book, this is a book you must read !!!  The setting of most of the story is in a bed and breakfast whose owner  is focusing on it  being a Writer's Retreat.

Cat inherits the house from her ex-husband according to his will.  She moves back into it with her best friend, Shauna.  Shauna does all of the cooking, errands and dealing with the guests so that Cat can continue writing her 3rd book.  Unfortunately one of the guests is found murdered in his room and he was a very popular author.  Luckily Cat's uncle is the Police Chief so he is on top of everything.  But who would want to kill the author ?  Who knew he was there ?  Could it have been one of the other guests ?

Once the murder occurs the week goes downhill pretty quick.  Will this be the end of Cat's dream to have a bed and breakfast writer's retreat ???  Can Uncle Pete solve the murder before the end of the week ?

Cat has so much going on between running the bed and breafast, trying to get her word count in every day and trying to get a grasp on her feelings for Seth, her high school sweetheart who just so happens to be working on renovations to the house as well as keep the current guests some what satisfied or at least keep them alive.

Lynn Cahoon has a great first book in this Cat Latimer Mystery series.... I LOVED getting lost in the big bed and breakfast.  I felt like I was a guest......  Need a retreat of your own ?  Wanna get away for a bit ?  Let Lynn and Cat take you there.

Reviewed by Missi S.   

Death of a Wolfman ( Lily Gayle Lambert, #1) by Susan Boles

The first book in the Lily Gayle Lambert Mystery series. Quicker than she can stitch together the threads of a genealogy project she's just signed on to research, Lily Gayle Lambert finds herself embroiled in investigating the murder of a stranger who suffers from 'wolfman syndrome’. And, when a member of a prominent family turns up dead soon after the 'wolfman', Lily Gayle must find the link between the two and solve the mystery before she becomes the next target. Escaping from a trailer in the woods owned by two good ole boys and a confrontation with the eldest son of the town's wealthiest family have Lily Gayle hot on the trail of the killer…much to the consternation of her cousin. Who just happens to be the County Sheriff. With the help of her lifelong best friend, Dixie, and town busybody, Miss Edna, she pieces together the clues leading to a conclusion that shocks the entire town.  (Summary Goodreads)



Lily Gayle lives in a small town where everyone knows everyone and everything about each other.  That is except for the Mitchell family.  The Mitchell family is the oldest family in town going back hundreds of years.
Lily Gayle is asked to do a genealogy report of the family but LizBeth Mitchell.  Unfortunately before she gets started on her research a dead body is found.

Having dinner with her cousin who happens to be the County Sheriff, he gets the call.  Thinking it is nothing he allows her to ride with him.  That turns out to be a bad decision because once Lily Gayle sees the body, she takes it upon herself to start investigating on her own.

There is so much to like about Death of a Wolfman....the small town feeling, the friendships, the relationship between Lily Gayle and Ben.

As this is the first book in the series, I plan on visiting this little town as often as Susan Boles will allow.

Review by Missi S.

The Grrr-eat Tiger Chase (Beatrice Young Cozy Cat Mysteries #8) by Alannah Rogers

Beatrice Young almost died and no one's seen her since. So when a 500-pound Siberian tiger is stolen from a roadside attraction near the small town of Ashbrook, New Hampshire, it's up to her trusty friends Matthew and the sheriff to solve the case.

The plot thickens as the men discover the controversy surrounding Omar the tiger—the animal rights activists who want to free him, the owner who wants to keep him, and maybe even the exotic animal traders who want to sell him.

It's a dangerous case and Matthew and the sheriff quickly become the prey, not the hunters. Beatrice and her three crime-solving cats better make it back in time, before it all goes horribly wrong...

The Grrr-eat Tiger Chase is the eighth book in the Beatrice Young cozy cat mystery series. These books can be read in any order but are extra delightful when enjoyed in sequence. This story is especially satisfactory if you read book seven, The Paw-sitively Cheerful Poisoner, first.  (Summary via Goodreads)


I have never read any of this authors books before, and this being later in the series, I had no problem getting to know the characters in the book. I liked this story.  It was a fast and easy read. 

Interestingly the main character is 63 and very active.  I am 60 and thankful that I never had to face any "tigers on the loose" like Bee has in this story.   She is a determined independent woman and plans on staying that way...that's what keeps her young. 

Glad I had the chance to read this and recommend this to everyone.

Review by Rosemary

Betting on Murder: A Clara Callaway Mystery by Lillian Dore

Journey back to 1920s England, and join young Lady Clara Callaway and her lady’s maid, Alice Hart, as they go detecting together! 

The race is on when Clara Callaway, Giles and Alice find themselves at the scene of another murder. Champion jockey Michael Maloney has been killed mid-race, and now it’s up to Clara to track down the culprit. Is someone trying to fix the races, or does the motive go deeper than money? 

So when a corrupt owner, an angry bookie, and a jealous lover begin to crowd the field, the case becomes more tangled than ever before. And when their detecting leads Alice into grave danger, Clara begins to wonder. Have they finally gone too far?   (Summary via Goodreads)



If you have a free afternoon, reading Betting on Murder by Lillian Dore is just the treat you need.  Following Lady Clara and friends to the race track will be so fun !!  

No matter what Lady Clara does there is always excitement and Betting on Murder is no exception.  Unfortunately the excitement is murder and the victim is the jockey on the favored horse and the jockey is killed while racing !!

Lady Clara and her lady's maid begin to question family and friends of the jockey as well as the owner of the horse.  Would the owner of a horse go as far as shooting his jockey with an arrow ??  The owner of the race track ??  The bookie that is losing money on the horse ?  Can Lady Clara and Alice solve this crime ?  Will they do it before someone else gets hurt ??

I LOVE the Clara Callaway Mystery series !!!  The novella's are just the right size if you have an afternoon free.  Grab a cup of tea and take a trip back in time !!!

Review by Missi S.

Spicy Lasagna Murder: Book 13 in The Darling Deli Series (Darling Deli #13) by Patti Benning

With business thriving and her relationship with the private detective, David Morris, going better than ever, Moira Darling is on top of the world. Events take a sudden turn, however, when a fun date at the corn maze with David devolves into a nightmare. While struggling to recover from her own injuries, and unexpectedly finding herself responsible for yet another furry friend, the deli owner must dig deeper than ever before to find out who the murderer is, and this time the killer just might be the person that she least suspects.  (Summary ia Goodreads)


Cannot say enough about how much I love this series! The characters have grown so much from the first book to this one. Awesome. Very fun, full of energy read. 

Moira is on top of the world with her relationship with David and how her business is doing. Also very excited about how Candice is doing with her candy store and boyfriend Eli. On a date to a popular corn maze with David things go literally up in flames and thus begins another mystery and murder with Moira smack dab in the middle. She tries to save the people inside but unfortunately she is unable to save anyone as well as becomes a victim herself. They say time heals all wounds but this one may run deeper than anyone could realize.

Looking forward to book 14.

Review by Penny M.