Theater Nights Are Murder (A Poppy McAllister Mystery #4) by Libby Klein

The last thing gluten-free baker Poppy McAllister needs in her life is more drama--or more murder . . . 

Poppy thought her toughest challenge this winter would be sticking to her Paleo diet and filling all her orders for her gluten-free goodies, but now she has to choose between two suitors. She's not the only one with boyfriend drama. Aunt Ginny's long-ago high-school beau, Royce Hanson, a retired Broadway actor, has returned to Cape May, New Jersey, to star in a Senior Center staging of Mamma Mia. Leaving Aunt Ginny to wonder: What's his motivation?

Slated to open February 13th, the problem-plagued production seems to be cursed--with stolen props, sabotage, and even a death threat. But when a cast member plunges to his death from a catwalk, it soon becomes clear a murderer is waiting in the wings. Now Poppy, Aunt Ginny, and a supporting cast must take center stage to catch the killer--before it's curtains for someone else . . .

Includes Seven Recipes from Poppy's Kitchen!

"Fans of Chopped will have fun juggling the complicated set of suspects and following a romantic triangle that has yet to be resolved."
--Kirkus Reviews on Restaurant Weeks Are Murder   Summary via Goodreads)


Sometimes after you finish reading a book, you have to close the book and just sit back and savor what you read.....with books in the Poppy McAllister Mystery series by Libby Klein you have to sit back, close your mouth, check your breathing, rub your eyes, scratch your head and completely recollect yourself before you think about doing anything else !!   And Theater Nights Are Murder, the fourth book in this series is no different except she may have you questioning some things ...... like "What is she thinking ? (meaning the author) or "What the heck is she going to do ? (meaning the main character, Poppy)

I hope, hope, hope, that you are a fan of this series because there is so much to fall in love with !!  (If you aren't a fan yet, hurry up and catch up....) First you have the main character Poppy who moves back to her hometown to help her Aunt Ginny but she does so much more.  She reconnects with her high school boyfriend and she meets a hot Italian love interest who owns a coffeehouse.  Her best friend owns a bookstore and her aunt and her crew of friends are always up to no good !!  

And with Theater Nights Are Murder everyone is involved with a play being put on at the Senior Center and brings back two hometown actors, one Aunt Ginny's old boyfriend and the other is the woman that stole him away !!!  Things are heating up at the Senior Center when someone ends up dead and puts the rest of them on high alert.  Poppy has her hands full trying to get the Bed and Breakfast in top shape as well as baking for Gia's coffeehouse and Tim's restaurant and now she has to keep on Aunt Ginny and friends to make sure no one else gets hurt or worse.......and did I mention that Valentine's Day is coming up and Poppy has to figure out her feelings for Tim and Gia ??

You cannot help but LOVE this series and Theater Nights Are Murder will have you falling in LOVE with everything between the pages and when you think you might know what Klein is thinking....think again !!!  She definitely knows how to keep the reader on their toes and longing for the next book in this series.....



Review by Missi M.

Shadows At The Fair (Antique Print #1) by Lea Wait

Ignorance is truly bliss for recently widowed Maggie Summer, owner of Shadows Antiques, when she arrives at the prestigious Rensselaer County Spring Antiques Fair. Sadly, she won't remain ignorant of the suspiciously high mortality rate among her fellow antiques dealers for long.

Rumors are everywhere. The most recent victim, John Smithson, died of poison at a show just last week, and many of the same dealers are here at Rensselaer. They make the identical circuit year after year, so they know each other well. Or do they?

Murder is still far from Maggie's mind as she arranges her Shadows booth: some Currier & Ives prints here, Winslow Homer wood engravings on the hack wall, other prints arranged on tables and easels by category. With eleven years' experience, she knows her stock. So far the worst thing that has happened was putting the wrong price tag on a Homer engraving and having to sell it for $170 instead of $1,700.

Maggie doesn't intend for that to happen again, and she doesn't intend to worry about murder. This show's security is tight. But she can't help observing her colleagues with fresh eyes. Some, Eke Gussie White in the booth next door, are dear friends, and Gussie's assistant, her twenty-year-old nephew, Ben, who has Down's syndrome, is a delightful new acquaintance. Others, however, even people she's known for years, suddenly seem suspect.

The opening night wine has hardly stopped flowing when death claims another victim. Maggie will still sell a few antique prints, but she'll spend most of her time looking for a killer and trying to save a vulnerable young friend. Will Maggie herself become a potential victim? The answer may be in one of Maggie's prints, but she has hundreds in her booth. Where should she begin?

With its riveting behind-the-scenes glimpse of antiques shows and its revealing data on antique-print values, Shadows at the Fair introduces a captivating new series that unveils the powerful mysteries of antique prints even as it entertains.  (Summary via Goodreads)


You will never guess who did it !!  Never....never....never !!!  And that is perfectly okay and normal for most readers.  If you are like me, your main focus on reading a good cozy mystery is to just go along for the ride, hoping to not get in trouble, and enjoy the story....some readers are lucky that they can figure out the who and why.....but me, I'm good with letting the story grab me.

And in Shadows at the Fair, the first book in Lea Wait's Antique Print Mystery series, that is exactly what Lea does.....she GRABS you !!

In Shadows at the Fair main character Maggie Summer is participating in a very popular Antiques Fair and being that this is not her first, she has friends and knows quite a few of the other dealers so she is hoping for a good time.  Unfortunately a good time is the farthest thing that she has.  There is a cloud over the dealer circle because there have been a few dealers who have died during a few recent shows so there is a heavy police presence at this fair.  That does not stop someone from killing one of the dealers that Maggie considers a friend......and when there is another suspicious death, Maggie takes it upon herself to find out what is going on !!

Lea will have you on the edge of your seat throughout this first book in this series and boy is it an amazing start to what can only be a memorable series.  I, for one, cannot wait to dive into the next book and I hope you will follow me......



Review by Missi M.
 

A Bad Hair Day Cookbook: Recipes from Nancy J. Cohen's Cozy Mystery Series by Nancy J. Cohen

Are you having a bad hair day? Whip out your whisk, snatch up your spoon, and prepare your palate. Inside the pages of this cookbook are recipes that will bring you good cheer.

Enjoy 160+ tasty recipes from Nancy J. Cohen’s popular Bad Hair Day cozy mystery series. Included in this cookbook are excerpts, cooking tips, and anecdotes written by hairstylist and savvy sleuth Marla Vail. From appetizers to desserts, Marla offers cooking tips and tricks along with commentary about the dishes she prepares for her family. Whether you’re a skilled cook or an eager novice, this cookbook will unravel the mystery of cooking. Put on your apron and plan to make some killer recipes! Bonuses Include:

• Meet the Sleuth
• Introduction by Marla Vail
• Cooking Tips
• Excerpts from Series Titles
• Themed Menu Suggestions
• “A Sabbath Dinner” by Nancy’s Mother

For Home Cooks, Food Lovers, Mystery Fans and Cookbook Collectors.  (Summary via Goodreads)


If you are a fan of cozy mysteries you know that some of them discuss food and offer tasty recipes at the end and Nancy J. Cohen has taken that idea even further with her A Bad Hair Day Cookbook.  This is a MUST HAVE for anyone who likes to read and cook !!!

Not only does her cookbook offer tantilizing recipes, in very neat and organized chapters but each recipe explains why she is sharing it and in between categorizes she gives the reader a look into some of her Bad Hair Day books.  Cohen is the author of 16 books in this series and if you aren't a fan yet, you must look into these books.  And if you are unsure I encourage you to grab the Cookbook and get to know Cohen and her main character Marla Vail.

In her Cookbook, there is something for everyone !!!  She has covered everything from appetizers to drinks to desserts with recipes with fish, lamb, beef and even vegetarians.  She has kosher ideas and she even admits when she "borrows" or "steals" a recipe and she is a firm believer in sharing everything tasty !!

So pick up A Bad Hair Day Cookbook for yourself or a chef or baker in the family !!  Share it with all and sit back and enjoy the GREAT food !!!


Review by Missi M.

Amber Dee's Missing Toe (Grandma Bertha Solving Murders Book 3) by Matt Ferraz

Buying a Christmas present for an old lady should be easy, but Winifred Compson wants to get something special for her best friend, Grandma Bertha. The moment she steps into the store and finds a dead body, Winifred realizes she has found the perfect gift: a holiday murder for Grandma Bertha to solve! Things get complicated when the friends find out that the deceased had a toe removed when she was a baby, indicating a much older crime that must also be solved. Can Grandma Bertha crack the case before it ruins her Christmas celebrations?  (Summary via Goodreads)


During the holidays life can get hectic, however, we all have to remember to take time for ourselves and sometimes that "time for ourselves" is getting lost in a cozy mystery.  Matt Ferraz has exactly what you need !!!  Amber Dee's Missing Toe is the latest in his Grandma Bertha Solving Murders Mystery series and it can be read in one sitting. ( I know because I did !!!)  

There's nothing better than hanging with Grandma Bertha and in Amber Dee's Missing Toe, Grandma Bertha has moved out of the shed in her son's backyard and is living in an apartment with Winifred.  Winifred is a dear friend she met when she helped solve a murder involving Winifred.  They became fast friends and now feel like family.  

When Winifred is out shopping trying to find the perfect Christmas gift for Grandma Bertha, she thinks to herself that the perfect gift for her would be a murder to solve and then she walks into a store to find the sales clerk dead !!!  And if that isn't the best gift ever, the constable, Inspector Shaw, asks Grandma Bertha to help with the investigation !!!

Not only is this the perfect Christmas gift for Grandma Bertha, it also gives her purpose and a goal to have the case cleared up before the holiday !!!  Unfortunately the killer has other things in mind when the case puts Winifred in a bad situation......

Amber Dee's Missing Toe is the perfect break from shopping and wrapping those Christmas presents.  I recommend grabbing your copy and curling up with a cup of hot chocolate, some cookies and sitting in the living room with the Christmas tree on and let Grandma Bertha take you away from it all for a while....


Review by Missi M.

Verse and Vengeance (A Magical Bookshop Mystery #4) by Amanda Flower

USA Today bestselling author and Agatha Award winner Amanda Flower turns the charm up to ten in her fourth Magical Bookshop mystery.

With the help of Walt Whitman's works, magical bookshop owner Violet Waverly puts her pedal to the metal to sleuth a bicycle-race murder that tests her mettle.

A bicycle race is not Charming Books proprietor Violet Waverly's idea of a pleasant pastime. But police chief David Rainwater wheelie wants them to enter the Tour de Cascade as a couple, so she reluctantly consents.

The Tour de Cascade is the brainchild of Violet's Grandma Daisy. The race is a fundraiser to build the Cascade Springs Underground Railroad Museum. But not everyone in this Niagara Region village supports the race. As if the bike race weren't tiring enough, pesky private investigator Joel Redding is snooping around Charming Books. It takes all of Violet's and Grandma Daisy's ingenuity to keep Redding from discovering the shop's magical essence--which communicates with Violet through books.

When Redding perishes in an accident during the race, David discovers that the brake line of the private eye's bike was cut. Worse, Violet tops his list of suspects. As Emerson the tuxedo cat and resident crow Faulkner look on, Charming Books steers Violet to the works of Walt Whitman to solve the crime. But no other names ring a bell as culprits, and as David's investigation picks up speed, Violet will have to get in gear to clear her name.   (Summary via Goodreads)



Verse and Vengeance is the fourth book in Amanda Flower's Magical Bookshop Mystery series and the first that I have had the pleasure of reading.....and let me tell you..... I AM HOOKED !!!  There is so much to fall in love with in this series..... 

You have main character Violet Waverly and her Grandma Daisy, the bookstore they own called Charming Books, Grandma Daisy is the mayor of their little village of Cascade Springs, they are close to Niagara Falls, Violet is dating the police chief, everyone knows everyone and they help each other out, there are a cat and bird in the bookstore, there is a tree in the middle of the store and the bookstore is magical !!!

I know that is a lot to take in and I haven't even mentioned murder yet !!!  And in Verse and Vengeance there are TWO deaths that shake this little town !!!  

Grandma/Mayor Daisy is doing everything she can to raise money for renovations to the village hall and the town is getting ready for a bike race.....unfortunately in the middle of the race, a private investigator crashes his bike.  After police chief David Rainwater investigates it is ruled murder because the brake lines were tampered with.  When a friend and past student, Jo Fitzgerald, becomes a person of interest but is no where to be found, Violet takes it upon herself to try to find her before someone else ends up hurt or dead.

Violet, with the help from the magical bookstore giving her "hints" through putting books in her path, will have you wishing you were in Cascade Springs with her.  And Flower knows exactly what to write to have you turning the pages so fast, it will seem like magic.....and if everything else in the book and story don't grab you, the very LAST page will leave you breathless and on the edge of your seat......


Review by Missi M.

Christmas Cocoa Murder (Irish Village Mystery #4.5) by Carlene O'Connor, Maddie Day, Alex Erickson

'Tis the season for hot chocolate and mouthwatering treats. But sometimes too much of a good thing can be downright deadly . . . 

CHRISTMAS COCOA MURDER by CARLENE O'CONNOR
Siobhan O'Sullivan's hopes for a quiet Irish Christmas are dashed when the local Santa turns up dead in a carnival dunk tank of hot cocoa. Now instead of hunting down holiday gifts, she's pursuing a heartless killer. Seems the dead Santa was no angel either, stealing neighborhood dogs to guide his sleigh. But was it his holiday antics--or worse--that led to his death by chocolate?

CHRISTMAS COCOA AND A CORPSE by MADDIE DAY
When local businessman Jed Greenberg is found dead with a Chocolate lab whimpering over his body, the police start sniffing around Robbie Jordan's country restaurant for answers. Was it something in Robbie's hot cocoa that killed Jed, or was it Cocoa the dog? As the suspects pile as high as her holiday tree, Robbie attempts to get to the bottom of the sickly-sweet murder . . .

DEATH BY HOT COCOA by Alex Erickson
A Christmas-themed escape game seems like the perfect pre-holiday treat for bookstore cafe owner Krissy Hancock and her best friend. But when the host is found dead in a pool of hot cocoa, it's up to Krissy and her team to catch the killer--or escape before getting killed.

There's nothing like a hot cup of murder to warm up the holiday season!  (Summary via Goodreads)


It's like getting 3 books in one !!!  Three great stories to get lost in !!!

I was on the edge of my seat reading the scary tale Christmas Cocoa Murder by Carlene O'Connor, then I felt like I was back in my hometown hanging with my friend, Robbie, in Christmas Cocoa by Maddie Day and to finish it off, I had a blast in a Christmas themed escape room in Death by Hot Cocoa by Alex Erickson.  All three stories were so cleverly written with Christmas and murder as the center points and they were all AWESOME !!!



CHRISTMAS COCOA MURDER by CARLENE O'CONNOR

What a wild tale !!  Santa Claus is murdered in a hot chocolate dunk tank during a Christmas festival and main character Siobhan O'Sullivan is on the case....even though she doesn't start working for the police (guards) until the start of the new year....officially !!!

A dead Santa, an Elf that steals, a rivalry between neighboring town Santa's, dogs wearing reindeer antlers, spiked hot chocolate (spiked in a good way...and a bad way)....so many things to turn you off from celebrating Christmas but author Carlene O'Connor will have you loving the season and singing Christmas carols by the time you finish reading Christmas Cocoa Murder  !!!


CHRISTMAS COCOA AND A CORPSE by MADDIE DAY

You should oughta have a snack handy when you dig into Christmas Cocoa and a Corpse by Maddie Day.  Once you start reading this novella, you will not stop until you get to the recipes at the end.

Day has such a knack for kidnapping the reader's attention and keeping you hostage....but it's all good !!  After all you are hanging out in a little town, South Lick, with a great cast of characters and some good comfy food.....oh yeah and a dead body.  But main character Robbie Jordan will have your mind at ease as she navigates around the case.  

In Christmas Cocoa and a Corpse things hit close to home for Robbie (which seems to be the norm for her) when her boyfriend's father is a suspect in a mysterious dead.....and right before Christmas !!   But never fear, Robbie will have everything right as rain, or in this case snow, before the cookies for Santa are out of the oven !!!


DEATH BY HOT COCOA by Alex Erickson  

I had so much fun reading Death by Hot Cocoa by Alex Erickson.  Main character Krissy goes to an escape room with her friend Rita....and the theme is Christmas !!!  How can anything go wrong ???  Well with a title of Death by Hot Cocoa it's a sure bet that something will definitely go wrong !!  When the host of the escape room is found murdered and Krissy and the others are trapped in the middle of it with their cell phones locked away in lockers and no way out,, Krissy takes it upon herself to figure out which one in this group killed the host and why......

Erickson had my full attention from the moment I read the first few sentences and I was so engrossed in the tale that I felt like I was locked in the escape room with everyone.  Even though someone was murdered, this was a real treat to read....what a creative mind !!!


Three amazing stories in one book !!  These stories with grab your attention and you will have a nice little break from life for a bit.  You can read each of them in one sitting easily or you can try to make them last......however you choose to read them, the only thing that matters is that you enjoy them....maybe with a hot beverage other than hot cocoa !!!


Review by Missi M.

Murder Cuts the Mustard (Beryl and Edwina Mystery #3) by Jessica Ellicott

In the lean years following World War I, brash American adventuress Beryl Helliwell and prim and proper Brit Edwina Davenport form a private inquiry agency to make ends meet, hoping that crime does indeed pay . . .

The latest occurrence to disturb the peace in the quaint English village of Walmsley Parva hits rather too close to home—in fact, the prime suspect has taken up residence in Edwina's potting shed. Her elderly gardener Simpkins has been secretly sleeping there after a row with his disreputable brother-in-law and housemate, Hector Lomax.

When Hector is found murdered in the local churchyard, Constable Gibbs comes looking for Simpkins, who was last seen arguing with his kin in the pub the night before. Based on the sad state of her garden, Edwina has grave doubts that the shiftless Simpkins could muster the effort to murder anyone. The two sleuths throw themselves into weeding out suspects and rooting out the real killer.

But this is no garden variety murder. The discovery of a valuable ring, a surprise connection to Colonel Kimberly's Condiment Company, and a second homicide all force Beryl and Edwina to play catch-up as they relish the chance to contain the culprit . . .(Summary via Goodreads)


Murder Cuts the Mustard by Jessica Ellicott is the third book in her Beryl and Edwina Mystery series and it is a HUGE hit !!!  I fell in love with Beryl and Edwina when Beryl crashed in front of Edwina's house in the first book in this series, Murder in an English Village, and that love grows with every one of these books.

In Murder Cuts the Mustard the story and murder are very close to Edwina when her gardener, Simpkins, is the center of things.  First his brother-in-law and roommate, Hector, is found murdered and even though Simpkins is not a suspect, Edwina and Beryl are asked to look into the case when the father of the paperboy is arrested.  Also Simpkins is in possession of a valuable ring that even he does not know the story behind it.  And while Simpkins is trying to deal with the death of his brother-in-law, strangers come to town declaring him the recipient of a huge fortune....one that could change his life forever !!!

While Edwina and Beryl try to help Simpkins deal with all the turmoil, they are also going around town putting the pieces to Hector's last days on earth in order.....they soon realize that there are a list of people that weren't on the best of terms with Hector and they all have very good reasons to have killed him.....

I love Edwina and Beryl !!  I love their relationship and the way they work together.  I thoroughly enjoy reading this series and try to read the books slowly so that I can completely enjoy them and linger in Walmsley Parva hanging out with Edwina and Beryl as long as possible.  I hope to visit as often as I can !!!


Review by Missi M.

A Means to An End (Cold Case Investigation #3) by Lissa Marie Redmond

Detective Lauren Riley risks her life to close the book for good on a killer who's never paid for his crimes.

When cold case detective Lauren Riley returns to work after being stabbed by a fellow police officer, it's clear that her troubles are far from over. The body of a young woman has been found in the same woods as a murder victim from one of Lauren's most horrifying cases. It doesn't take long for Lauren to be back at square one confronting David Spencer, the quietly deranged man she could never prove was a killer. Lauren convinces the police chief to put together a task force to uncover the connections between the brutal slaying of both women and the murder of two cops. But things go south quickly, forcing Lauren into a deadly game that she can't afford to lose.  (Summary via Goodreads)

Okay before I even begin to tell you what I thought about A Means to an End by Lissa Marie Redmond I am going to go on record and say that there should be TWO disclaimers listed in the beginning of the book.  The first should state that the reader should be forewarned when reading this book that when they get to just past the middle of the book, you will NOT want to stop reading until you get to the end.  And then they should also state to the reader that when they get to the very last page in this book, they will feel A LOT of emotions and need to be left alone for a short time after closing the book to get their emotions in check before going on with their regular lifestyle.

A Means to an End is the third book in her Cold Case Investigation Mystery series and, boy, does Redmond know how to capture the readers attention immediately and keep a strong hold on you until the very end.....and even then, the reader is left wanting more !!  And that is especially true with this third book because of the way Redmond ends the story....

Lauren Riley is obsessed with David Spencer, who she helped get away with murder !!  She didn't intend to and didn't know what she was thinking when this all happened way back in the first book in this series, A Cold Day in Hell.  And her obsession boils over in A Means to an End and she will do whatever it takes to put him in jail where he belongs.  Unfortunately Lauren sees red when it comes to David Spencer and no matter what her partner Reese and everyone else says and does, she feels she has to do this alone !!

I would tell you more about Lauren and what happens in this story but I do not want to give ANYHING away and I feel like I might if I keep typing !!  I really cannot say enough to encourage you to read this book.  I honestly think that if you are a fan of this series or this author, it is a given that you will read it.  However if you aren't a fan of either you will be once you read one of these books.  You will have to read all of them and like me, Redmond will be on your list of authors to following and books to read.  I cannot wait to see what happens with Lauren in the fourth book........

Review by Missi M.

Pumped for Murder (A Dead-End Job Mystery #10) by Elaine Viets

From Anthony and Agatha Award-winning author Elaine Viets—the thrilling mystery series about one woman trying to make a living... while other people are making a killing.

Newly married, Helen Hawthorne can’t wait to start her life anew—and start an investigation agency with her PI hubby, Phil. Her penchant for working dead-end jobs comes in handy when they’re hired to look into a fitness fanatic who may be cheating on his wife.

Taking a receptionist job at their subject’s gym, Helen soon discovers that she has to start pumping her own iron if she wants to keep an eye on the weight-lifting lothario. And after Helen and Phil land another case that has them investigating a murder committed in the 80s, Phil is reminded way too much of the bad old days of cocaine cowboys and blood-soaked streets.

With her past finally behind her and a duo of dangerous mysteries to solve, Helen is all set to start sleuthing for real. But if she wants to make a living of it, she’s going to have to do some heavy lifting…

Praise for the Dead-End Job Mysteries by Anthony and Agatha Award-winning author Elaine Viets

“A stubborn and intelligent heroine, a wonderful South Florida setting, and a cast of more-or-less lethal bimbos...I loved this book.”—Charlaine Harris
“Brave Viets preps by actually working the jobs she describes in loving and hilarious detail, giving her offbeat series a healthy balance between the banal and the bizarre.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Laugh-out-loud comedy with enough twists and turns to make it to the top of the mystery bestseller charts.” —Florida Today
“Fans of Janet Evanovich and Parnell Hall will appreciate Viets’s humor.”—South Florida Sun-Sentinel
“Wit, murder, and sunshine . . . it must be Florida. I love this new series.”—Nancy Pickard
“A heroine with a sense of humor and a gift for snappy dialogue.”—Jane Heller   (Summary via Goodreads)


Pumped for Murder by Elaine Viets is the tenth book in her Dead-End Job Mystery series and there is so much for the reader to enjoy and love !!  In Pumped for Murder Helen and her new husband Phil have just opened the doors to their new private investigators business and they are working out of apartment 2C at the Coronado Tropic Apartments and lucky for them they have 2 cases to work on.  Their wonderful and colorful landlady, Margery, put them in touch with her mechanic who wants the death of his brother looked into.  His brother died 25 years ago and they ruled it a suicide but the brother thinks he was murdered.  And then their neighbor and friend, Peggy, introduced them to a friend who wants to know if her husband is cheating on her.  Phil takes the reins in the cold case because some of the research will be easier for him due to his background while Helen takes a job working the front desk of the fitness center where the woman's husband works out at.

Even though Phil and Helen are working some aspects of the cases separately, they still spend plenty of time together as newleyweds and business partners. And both cases turn out to be harder than they expected......

I could read a book about the goings on around the Coronado Tropic Apartments without the murder and mystery....the characters are fun people who get along and sit by the pool every night with snacks and boxed wine....my kind of group.  Now don't get me wrong...I LOVE the trouble Helen gets into and she does it with so little effort !!!

I'm glad that Helen and Phil are FINALLY married and still living at the Coronado and love the fact that the opened their practice there as well.  I also love that even though  Helen is getting her life in order and not hiding out from the law anymore, she is still working dead-end jobs for the cases.  I love all the relationships and friendships that have developed and continue to develop and I love that when I start reading one of the books in this series I can sink into my comfy seat and settle down and hang out with some old friends.  And even though I am reading them in order you do not have to. Viets writes so that whatever book you pick up, you know what is going on immediately !!


Review by Missi M.

Murder on the Island (Belinda Lawrence Murder Mystery #6) by Brian Kavanagh

Belinda and Hazel find themselves on the island of Guernsey where they are invited by Sir Mark's mother, Melba, Lady Sallinger. Other house guests include her parents, a handsome interior designer, a slovenly bookseller, a Jesuit priest, and Catherine, a mysterious woman writer. Soon after, the residents of the old Tudor mansion are thrown into confusion with the discovery of human remains buried in the garden.
The priest tells of the Guernsey Martyrs, burned alive in 1556 for theft, and he believes a silver cup from that theft, is hidden in the house. One murder and a second mysterious death lead to revelations of past crimes that resonate to the present day and result in an exciting resolution tinged by the island's history of Nazi occupation. 

"'Belinda Lawrence is a woman who is highly charged when it comes to solving a mystery. She lets nothing stand in her way right down to entering other people's home without invitation. I like her independent nature, her daring maneuvers, her determination. Mr. Kavanagh did a great job choosing characters that supported and/or worked against Belinda. A good read filled with suspense and mystery.' " - ALTERNATIVE READ
"'Belinda is the type of heroine that will be beloved and leave readers wondering what's happening to her next. I know I will be.' " - AMAZON. Yvonne Reviews.
"'Brian Kavanagh has an amusing turn of phrase and his interpretation of the wonderful English mystery series of yesteryear makes for delightful entertainment.' " - AMAZON. Angela S.
Book Six in the Belinda Lawrence mystery series."   (Summary via Goodreads)



I am a huge fan of the Belinda Lawrence Murder Mystery series by Brian Kavanagh and have to say that Murder on the Island, the sixth book in this series, is, by far, my favorite one....so far !!!

Murder on the Island does not give the reader time to breath !!  This book should come with a warning label !!  The warning would read something like this.... " Please read the following Belinda Lawrence Mystery book in a well lit room, have a drink and a snack handy. Turn cell phone on silence and tell all friends and family you cannot be disturbed.....you will want to read this book in one sitting !!"  You may want to stop reading so that you can absorb what you are reading but it will prove to be very difficult to do.

In Murder on the Island Belinda and Hazel are going to Belinda's future mother-in-law's house with a handful of other guests who include Belinda's fiance, Mark as well as her parents.  The other guests are unknown to Belinda and Hazel and they find them quite interesting....to say the least.  Sadly, but not surprisingly, Mark is called away on business so Belinda is left to deal with her future mother-in-law herself.  Unfortunately when a storm comes in knocking power out it causes more discomfort when the housekeeper is found dead in the garden.  This is right after the gardener digs up the skeleton of a baby.

There are more questions than answers when the dark stormy night brings an unexpected visitor to the house and people are turning out to not be who they say they are.......

I was in SHOCK over a few things that happened in this book, more so than the usual shock in previous books in this series, and am very interested in how Kavanagh is going to take things in the future books.  Somethings cannot be taken back.....or can they ???

I highly recommend reading this series.  These books are very intense and can be read quickly or you can try to read them leisurely....I wish I could have but once I start, it is near impossible to put them down !!!



Review by Missi M.

Ginger Snapped to Death (A Cookies & Chance Mystery # 8) by Catherine Bruns

From USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bruns comes a hilarious holiday whodunit!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…Unless you’re Sally Muccio.
The full-time baker and sometime sleuth is ready to burst into song. She and her husband are expecting a bundle of joy, her sister’s wedding is just around the corner, and it’s Christmas, her favorite time of year. But when Sal’s the victim of a carjacking by Santa himself and a forgotten item links her to a murder, she doesn’t feel like ho-ho-hoing anymore.
Damian Ruger was a drug user, womanizer and first-class jerk. And unfortunately for Sal, she once had a connection to him in high school. The dough really hits the fan when her bakery's gingerbread cookies are found next to his dead body, and Sal's cake server is used as a murder weapon. Someone is trying to frame the expectant mother, but why? Sal has no choice but to try to clear her name...before she and the baby are singing Christmas carols in prison!

*Recipes Included!*

The Cookies & Chance Mysteries:
Tastes Like Murder (book #1)
A Spot of Murder (short story in the "Killer Beach Reads" collection)
Baked to Death (book #2)
Burned to a Crisp (book #3)
Frosted With Revenge (book #4)
Silenced by Sugar (book #5)
A Drizzle Before Dying (short story in the "Pushing Up Daisies" collection)
Crumbled to Pieces (book #6)
Sprinkled in Malice (book #7)
Ginger Snapped to Death (book #8)

What critics are saying:

"A fantastic cozy mystery!"
—InD'Tale Magazine

"I want to visit more with all of the quirky characters just to see what crazy and outrageous things they will do next!"
—Fresh Fiction

"The Cookies and Chance Mystery series is more than just a series....it's a family !! Once you read the first book, you are hooked and feel like a member of the crazy Muccio family."
—Cozy Mystery Book Reviews    (Summary via Goodreads)


OMG !!  OMG  !!  OMG  !!  In a ten star rating system, I give Ginger Snapped to Death a 14 star rating with a side of "What is she thinking ?"   And that can be asked of the author Catherine Bruns AND Sally Muccio Donovan !!!

In Ginger Snapped to Death it is December, just before Christmas and Sally is 9 months pregnant plus her sister, Gianna, is about to walk down the aisle.....so there is a lot going on !!!  If you are a fan of this series, which I so hope you are, then you know that no matter what is going on in Sally's life, nothing is normal and things can go wrong at any second. And boy does it !!!  

When Sally is carjacked by two Santa's you would think that that would be enough to push you over the edge but then a long forgotten boyfriend from high school is found dead and something from the bakery is found near his body, Sally is on the top of the suspect list.  So, of course, even though she is pregnant and ready to pop, her husband warns her to leave it alone, and the police demand she back off, Sally and Josie do the complete opposite.....just like us the reader know and want them to do !!!

Once you start reading Ginger Snapped to Death you are caught up in Sally's life....her loving husband and their relationship, her business and her commitment to the bakery and Josie, her love and hate relationship with her family and their crazy ways, her magnetic nature of getting caught up in murders and not being able to leave the investigating to the police....and all being 9 months pregnant !!!  

With Ginger Snapped to Death being the eighth book in the Cookies & Chance Mystery series and having read all of the books to date and having met the author a number of times and being that I consider the author a friend it is with the utmost of respect that I say that I don't know if I will look at a mall Santa the same way ever again ...... and that's not such a bad thing !!!


Review by Missi M.

Rocky Road & Revenge (Cambria Clyne Mysteries #2) by Erin Huss

From author Erin Huss comes another “hilarious and fun” (Huffington Post) addition to the Cambria Clyne Mysteries. 

For apartment manager, Cambria Clyne, every day is a bad hair day, and her birthday is no exception. At least the rest of her life is in order. Her daughter is thriving in their new home, Cambria is up for a promotion at work, and she’s got two men vying for her attention—the hunky ex-maintenance man and her dreamy baby daddy. As if that wasn’t enough excitement, Cambria’s best friend, Amy, has just landed the role of a lifetime on the hit prime time drama Ghost Confidential. Yes, things are looking up for Cambria Clyne, and this just might be her best birthday yet! 

Until it all goes up in flames. 

Celebrations are put aside when the stars from Ghost Confidential start showing up dead. There’s a killer with a personal vendetta on the loose, and when suspicious items show up in Amy’s possession, it becomes evident that someone is trying to pin the murders on her. Now Cambria must figure out who is attempting to frame her best friend, all the while still taking care of her daughter, dealing with the crazy antics of her residents, choosing between two men, and preparing for a property inspection that could make or break her apartment management career. Will Cambria catch the killer before anyone else shows up dead? Or will this birthday be her last? 

Cambria Clyne Mysteries: 
Strawberry Swirl & Suspicion (prequel short story in the Pushing Up Daisies collection) 
French Vanilla & Felonies (book #1) 
Rocky Road & Revenge (book #2) 

"You cannot help but fall in love with Cambria!" 
—Cozy Mystery Book Reviews    (Summary via Goodreads)


Like I said after reading the first book in the Cambria Clyne Mystery series by Erin Huss, French Vanilla & Felonies, "You cannot help by fall in love with Cambria!" and that goes double for Rocky Road & Revenge.  Cambria Clyne is "all that and a bag of chips" !!

After reading French Vanilla & Felonies, I was a huge fan of Cambria.  I was in love with her and everything about her.  Now after reading Rocky Road & Revenge not only am I a fan of hers but I want to move into the apartment complex she manages and hang out with her on a regular basis !!!

In Rocky Road & Revenge things hit really close to home when Cam's best friend Amy is being framed for the murder of Amy's co-star.....okay....let's back up a bit.  Amy is an actress and Cam's best friend and she also lives in an apartment in the complex Cam manages.  Amy is on a television show where she doesn't get along with her co-star and when the co-star is found murdered, Amy is the prime suspect.  Unfortunately Amy doesn't have an alibi for the time of the murder and things are not looking good for her......

The thing I love the most about Cam is her ability to multi-task.  She is getting the property ready for it's yearly inspection, she is trying to help Amy prove her innocence, she is celebrating a birthday, taking care of her 3 year-old daughter, dating a police detective and trying to figure out the best way to co-parent her daughter with the one night stand that produced said daughter......  Even though things seem to be spiralling out of control and a normal person would hide under their bed, Cam runs at danger straight on....no seriously, she does !! You have to read it to believe it !!!

I highly encourage you to read this series.  Huss will have you holding your breath as you turn the pages, hitting yourself in the forehead while reading one page and then laughing out loud on the next.  She will have you rooted to your seat while you get lost with Cam and all the "fun" that she is having.  And when you get to the end, Huss will have you breathing a sigh of relief and smiling when you put the book down.


Review by Missi M.

Apple Cider Slaying (A Cider Shop Mystery #1) by Julie Anne Lindsey

Apples are at the core of the family business run by Winona Mae Montgomery and her Granny Smythe. But this year's crop is unseasonably ripe with murder . . .

ONE ROTTEN APPLE

Blossom Valley, West Virginia, is home to Smythe Orchards, Winnie and her Granny's beloved twenty-five-acre farm and family business. But any way you slice it, it's struggling. That's why they're trying to drum up business with the "First Annual Christmas at the Orchard," a good old-fashioned holiday festival with enough delicious draw to satisfy apple-picking locals and cider-loving tourists alike--until the whole endeavor takes a sour turn when the body of Nadine Cooper, Granny's long-time, grudge-holding nemesis, is found lodged in the apple press. Now, with Granny the number one suspect, Winnie is hard-pressed to prove her innocence before the real killer delivers another murder . . .

"The characters are delightful . . . Plenty of action and suspense."
--RT Book Reviews on Murder in Real Time

Includes Recipes!  (Summary via Goodreads)



When I started reading Apple Cider Slaying by Julie Anne Lindsey, I was HOOKED !!!  This is a story that a reader can totally get lost in.  A reader can escape to another town, meet some awesome people, fall in love with the area and not want to leave.  I was completely torn with wanting to read the story quickly because it was so good but wanting to read it slow to savor the story and people and not want it to end.  When a reader has that sort of dilemma, you know you have a winner in your hands !!!

You will instantly fall in love with the main character, Winnie, and her granny  !!  You will enjoy that they own a fruit farm and orchard and that granny makes jams, jellies and other things with the fruit that they grow and that Winnie makes gourmet ciders.  

In Apple Cider Slaying Winnie is working on applying for a loan from the bank in order to turn one of the barns on the farm into a cider shop that will be unlike anything around unfortunately when the banker, Mr. Sherman, comes out to the farm to check it out, they find the body of Winnie and Granny's neighbor, Mrs. Cooper.  And when the sheriff finds out that the neighbor and granny did not get along, he sets his investigation pointed at Granny !!  

Winnie has a lot on her plate as she tries to prove to the sheriff that Granny did not kill Mrs. Cooper as well as try to keep the orchard going and get Mr. Sherman back to see that she deserves the loan.....even with the killer trying to stop her !!

I LOVED this first book in Lindsey's Cider Shop Mystery series......I loved Winnie and her granny.  I loved that she adopted two kittens and they are named Kenny and Dolly.  I loved the small town and the people and their relationships.  I LOVED the way Lindsey wrote Winnie and Sheriff Wise's relationship and even laughed out loud a few times !!  I loved hanging out at the orchard and seeing the cider shop develop.  I could keep going on and on with more of the things that I loved with this book but I really want you to read it so I do not want to hold you up any longer.......  I HIGHLY recommend that you get a copy and grab a drink and a snack and start reading.....make sure you are in your comfy seat because you may be there for a while.......


Review by Missi M.