A Hex for Danger (An Enchanted Bay Mystery #2) by Esme Addison

The annual Mermaid Festival is the setting for Esme Addison's sunny-yet-sinister second Enchanted Bay mystery, perfect for fans of Heather Blake and Bailey Cates. 

The small town of Bellamy Bay has its share of skeletons in its closet, but it isn't used to bodies turning up in the local history museum. After all, this coastal North Carolina town is much like any other...except, of course, for the mermaids.

Helping to run the family business, an herbal apothecary while keeping her supernatural secret hidden is no easy feat for water witch Aleksandra Daniels. But somehow she's still found time to help her friend Celeste, who has her own Caribbean mermaid heritage plan the annual Mermaid Festival. As fun-seekers throng the beaches, Alex gets to know and is intrigued by renowned artist Neve Ryland, who's in town to decorate the local park with a mermaid-themed mural. Celeste, however, is less enamored with the artist, as Neve has been spending entirely too much one-on-one time with her boyfriend Jasper, director of Bellamy Bay's history museum. Then, a reception for Neve ends abruptly when the artist is found dead in his office.

The police investigation nets Celeste who asks Alex to find the true culprit. With the help of her magically-inclined aunt and cousins, Alex dives in to clear her friends name. But there was more to Neve Ryland than met the eye...and Alex fears she may be in way too deep. Will she catch the crook or be next on the hook?   (Summary via Goodreads)

Mermaids ???  What ???  

The Enchanted Bay Mystery series by Esme Addison is a very unique cozy mystery series and I'm going to do my best to tell you about it without giving away the magical secrets !!

A Hex for Danger is the second book in this series and the coastal town of Bellamy Bay in North Carolina is gearing up for it's annual Mermaid Festival and one person Aleksandra "Alex" Daniels and her family cannot wait.  Alex just recently moved to Bellamy Bay, her mother's hometown, after her father passed away and she was looking for a change and quieter life.  Until recently she was living in Manhattan working as a risk analyst for a big company but she needed to be around people who loved her and even though her mother was gone also, she knew her aunt and cousins would welcome her with open arms.  Which they did and now Alex  is living with her aunt Lidia and cousin Minka and working with them in the family shop Botanika which specializes in herbal apothecracy.  Alex is also learning more about her background and that her mother's side of the family are descendants from a real mermaid and that they possess certain powers and abilities.  

In  A Hex for Danger Neve Ryland who is a remarkable artist comes to town to paint a mural for the festival.  However before the festival fully kicks off, Neve is found dead in an office at the museum during a reception.  And when it is ruled murder Alex's friend, Celeste is taken in for questioning.  Unfortunately the police seem to only have eyes on Celeste as the murderer because it was her boyfriend Jasper's office and Celeste was very jealous of Jasper and Neve's working together.  Alex knows that Celeste would never hurt someone no matter what the situation is and decides to try to clear her name.  Did I forget to mention that Alex's boyfriend is a detective on the police force and assigned to the case ?  And also Alex's other cousin, Kamila is also on the police force as as officer. 

Not only are the police looking into Neve's murder but they have the death of a male that looks to be an accidental overdose whose wife is convinced that he was murdered.  And after Alex meets the wife, she is talked into looking into that case as well.

There is a lot going on in this story and the way that Addison intertwines the stories will have readers wishing they had some mermaid magic and could turn the pages faster.....but you will want to take your time reading every word so that you do not miss anything ..... especially when you get to the last few chapters....there is a lot of things that will blow your human mind !!!!

Review by Missi M.

A Scone of Contention (Key West Food Critic Mystery #11) by Lucy Burdette

A murderer's out to spoil Hayley's honeymoon in national bestselling author Lucy Burdette's eleventh Key West Food Critic Mystery. 

Key Zest food critic Hayley Snow and her groom, police detective Nathan Bransford, thought Scotland was the ideal destination for two newlyweds. That was before they learned they'd be sharing their trip with Nathan's crotchety mother, his sister, and his brother in law, who seem to have conspired to keep the couple apart. Worse, the trip takes a deadly Tartan turn when Hayley watches a man falls to his death from the famous Falkirk Wheel.

No one in Vera's party claims to know the victim, Joseph Booth--but Hayley suspects otherwise. She is troubled to add to the suspect list her mother-in-law's elderly pal, Gloria, who insisted she'd been poisoned when she doubled over with pain after the salad course at the previous night's dinner. The next day, she felt well enough to join her colleagues and Hayley for a boat ride on the Wheel, high above the Forth and Clyde canals.

To clear Miss Gloria's name, Hayley visits the dead man's home, hunting for clues while enjoying Booth's mother's prize-winning cinnamon scones. What she finds troubles her more than ever--the killer may be someone very close to her heart.

Can Hayley, her mother-in-law, and Miss Gloria solve the mystery, or will the killer get away Scot free?  (Summary via Goodreads)

No matter which book in the Key West Food Critic Mystery series by Lucy Burdette you pick up there are two things that you can be guaranteed.....you are going to fall in love with the series and you are going to be hungry the whole time you are reading.

In the Key West Food Critic Mystery series main character Hayley Snow lives on a houseboat on Houseboat Row in Key West in Florida.  Until recently she lived with Miss Gloria but after she married Detective Nathan Bransford they renovated and moved into the houseboat next door.  Hayley works for Key Zest Magazine as a food critic tasting foods and checking out restaurants and writing about them.  She has a pretty good life with all that as well as her mother and her husband Sam live nearby and they are all close.  The only downside of Lucy's life is that she always seems to get involved in a murder case....or maybe that is more on the downside of Nathan's life.

In the eleventh book in the series, A Scone of Contention Hayley and Nathan are going on a sort of honeymoon to visit Nathan's sister Vera in Scotland.  I say sort of honeymoon because Miss Gloria and Nathan's mother, Helen, are also going on the trip.

Unfortunately a lot is going to happen.....right before they leave on their trip Hayley's close friend and another houseboat neighbor Ray has a mishap and gets arrested.  His wife Connie who Hayley has know forever is beside herself and Ray isn't talking.  Then when Hayley and crew get to Scotland they find out that Vera is working on a book with a few people and there is a lot of tension surrounding their work.  On their first night there while attending a dinner party with the group that is working on the book, one of the attendees falls ill and it is believed to be from the food.  There are more mishaps while the group goes touring Scotland and the group try to finalize parts of their book.....

Readers will enjoy reading about Hayley and friends traveling to Scotland and getting to know Nathan's family more.  You will also love reading about the food that they are served and will be thankful when you get to the back of the book to the recipe section.  Burdette has such a knack of drawing you into the story so that you will feel like you are right there along side Hayley as she enjoys her honeymoon....and you don't even have to pack, get your passport ready or leave the comfort of your living room.  You will be a fan of this series and will enjoy watching Hayley grow and experience and embrace life.

Review by Missi M.

The Ghost Camper's Tall Tales (Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic #3) by Elizabeth Pantley

A magic mirror. An enchanted world. A mysterious story-telling ghost. A hilarious, perpetually annoyed witch. A smart, sassy cat. A mystery of finding a dead body . . . of someone who was already dead. Visit Destiny Falls and escape to a great time.

A mysterious old man keeps popping up to tell Hayden a series of tall tales. Who is he? And is he actually glowing? Are his stories fiction, or is he telling her the history of her family, the enchanted islands, and the witch? And why did a dead body show up . . . of someone who was already dead? Can Hayden and her quirky sidekick, Latifa unscramble this mystery?

Hayden’s adventures in the magical world of Destiny Falls continue in this gripping story that answers your questions about the mysterious world she entered through a mirror in book one, Falling into Magic. We learn more about her missing mother, whose story begins in book two, The Disappearance of Emily. 


“I. Can’t. Even! Elizabeth Pantley, amazingly, magically, has outdone herself once again! The mystery, magic, carefully and delicately woven story and history held me captive!” ~ Georgeanne, Goodreads

“I absolutely LOVE book 3 of this series! An intriguing story... So many new twists and turns!” ~ Linda, Goodreads

Reviews for The Destiny Falls Series

"A captivating read! I couldn't put it down." ~ Goodreads

"My favorite series in the whole wide world." ~ Elza Reads

"Will blow you away!" ~ Cozy Mystery Book Reviews

"A mix of unique characters, romance, mystery, and magic.” ~ Goodreads

"Just when I thought I knew who the killer was, BAM, a twist." ~ Leslie, Storeybook Reviews


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Elizabeth Pantley is the international bestselling author of The No-Cry Sleep Solution and twelve other books for parents. Her books are published in over twenty languages. She is also the author of the popular Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic series. She lives in the Pacific Northwest and is the mother of four and Nana to one. She hopes you have as much fun reading the Destiny Falls books as she enjoys writing them. Visit her & sign up for her mailing list at nocrysolution.com.    (Summary via Goodreads)

The Ghost Camper's Tall Tales is the third book in the Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic series by Elizabeth Pantley and even though you don't have to read the previous books, I highly recommend it.  There is so much with this series that I'd love for you to have the complete picture.

In this series we are introduced to Hayden who fell through a magical mirror and ended up in a place called Destiny Falls where she is introduced to a whole family she never knew existed.  She was raised by her grandmother and great-grandmother after her father and brother went missing and her mother ran away.  But after she falls through the mirror she is reunited with her father and brother as well as her paternal grandparents, two half-sisters, a half-brother and a fairy tale estate and town.....but there is a dark side that she is pulled toward that is beyond dangerous.  

In The Ghost Camper's Tall Tales, book three, Hayden is still getting to know her new family and the town they live in and she is enjoying everything about it....except for finding dead bodies.  For some unknown reason it seems she is always tied to a dead body and the story behind it and in this book, that is again the same thing,

While Hayden and her friend Olivia are out on a hike they come across what they think is a jacket in the bushes but it turns out to be a dead body.....but this particular body was thought to be dead a month ago but it looks like the body in front of them only recently died.  Once it is confirmed that the body is indeed Kerbie Gomez, that leaves everyone scrambling to find out what happened.  Kerbie had been convicted on a murder and was believed to be in police custody and being transported somewhere when the car went over a cliff and caught on fire.  Even though his body wasn't recovered, there was no way anyone could have survived....or so they thought.

Luckily Hayden runs the Destiny Falls Observer which allows her to be in on the investigations....which she would do even if she wasn't allowed.  She cannot seem to leave the investigations to the professionals.

In the Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic series there is good magic and bad magic.  Destiny Falls and its citizens consist of good and there is an island called Gladstone which is thought to be where the bad magic lives.  In The Ghost Camper's Tall Tales Hayden receives a letter presumably from her mother and it says that she did not run away like everyone thought but she was taken to reside at Gladstone and she has been trying to leave to get to Hayden but there is a power that keeps her away.

While Hayden and crew are trying to figure out Kerbie's story, Hayden tells her family about the letter from her mother and they try to find out if it is indeed from her mother.  Hayden loves her family and will do whatever she can to reunite them all.....even if it is dangerous !!

Readers cannot help but fall in love with Hayden and Destiny Falls and want to move there with her.  You will love how the estate and the rooms change to accommodate the situation, that her cat and her can communicate with each other, the love the family has for each other and the town and all the businesses Hayden visits.  

There is so much that I can continue to tell you about this series, the people, the town, the magic, the storyline and the secrets but that will take away from you grabbing your copies and start reading.  Once you open one of the books in this series, you will be taken to a magical place, with a touch of danger, and a lot of secrets to discover and like Hayden, you will NOT want it to end !!!

Review by Missi M.

 

Bert and Norah: Murder in the Ozarks (The Bert and Norah Mysteries Book 4) by Bernard Burgess

Cases have slowed for B & N Investigations during the summer of 2018. With their new investigator, Becky, returned from a Montana case, Bert and Norah accept a case in Arkansas, a cold case of a woman, Annabel Leery, missing without a trace for two years. With coywolf tracking and companion animal, Missy, sharing rides between the two vehicles, the team travels to Mountain View, Arkansas, a small community situated in the Ozark Mountains. Thus, begins the search for clues, a search which even takes the team from a theory of sasquatch abduction to the obscure trail of a mysterious man. Piecing the clues together, and aided by Norah's psychic insights and Becky's interview skills, the team finally gets the break they were looking for. The break in the case, though, requires that they pack up and leave Arkansas, on a trail which none of them could have forseen, except perhaps Norah. Her glimpses of the future show the grave dangers they must face if they're to have any chance of finding out what happened to Annie. The team have to call upon all their abilities as they undertake a surveillance wrought with challenge and threat. Will the murder in the Ozarks be revealed? Will the personal feelings among the team survive the case of Annabel Leery? Or will they be torn apart by the stresses?  (Summary via Amazon)

In the Bert and Norah Mystery series by Bernard Burgess, Bert and Norah have always worked well together....which is easy for them as they are husband and wife, have had a great life together, raised 2 daughters, are grandparents and Norah's spirit, since her death, has been linked to Bert and they continue as a married couple except in the physical sense.  Luckily Bert has the ability as a medium to see people's spirits which is helpful in their business, B & N Investigators.  Recently they have added an employee, Becky Thompson, who is becoming more than just an employee.

In the fourth book in this series, Bert and Norah : Murder in the Ozarks B & N Investigators are hired to look into the mysterious disappearance of Annabel Leery who walked out of her front door in Mountain View, Arkansas one morning and was never seen again.  She has been missing for two years and her family, mainly the nephew she raised since he was a baby, want to know what happened to her.

So Bert, Norah, Becky and their canine coywolf Missy pack up in Cody, Wyoming and head to Mountain View Arkansas to begin their case.  They had no idea that this case would get very confusing and lead them to Texas and a secluded and potentially dangerous ranch.

Readers will thoroughly enjoy this book as well as the other books in this series.  Burgess puts the words to paper so that they read fluently and your eyes will take them in quickly.  There is no way that the reader will not be captive to the story and everything going on.  Burgess even throws a "love triangle" in the mix as Bert and Becky struggle with their growing feelings.  Even though Norah loves and is connected to Bert, she knows that he needs more than she can give him and she is ready for Bert to move forward.....she just has some convincing to do.  Readers will enjoy that storyline and may even get emotional at times.  And the story behind Annabel's disappearance and what the investigators uncover will totally shock readers !!

I highly recommend grabbing your copy of Bert and Norah : Murder in the Ozarks as well as the previous three books.....they are a read you will be glad you read !!

Review by Missi M.

Much Ado about Nauticaling (Whit and Whiskers Mystery #1) by Gabby Allan

Whitney Dagner is your tour guide to a Pacific paradise that's to die for--only to find it's a place people are also willing to kill for--in Gabby Allan's Much Ado About Nauticaling, first in the "Whit and Whiskers Mystery" series. 

After far too many years in the Los Angeles corporate world, Whitney Dagner has come home to Santa Catalina Island off the California coast to help her brother Nick run Nautically Yours, the family tourism business. Between gift shop shifts selling all manner of T-shirts and tchotchkes and keeping her feline Whiskers in fine fettle, she pilots the Sea Bounder, a glass bottom boat showing tourists the underwater sights of aquatic plants, marine life--and a murder victim?

The self-proclaimed Master of the Island, Jules Tisdale was a wealthy man with business interests throughout Catalina who was about to be honored as Person of the Year before someone strangled him with his own tie and tossed his body into the water. That someone appears to be Nick, who had a raw deal from Jules and no alibi the night of his murder. To clear her brother's name, Whit will have to investigate Jules' shady associates and not exactly grief-stricken family members--with the unwelcome help of Felix Ramirez, police diver and Whit's ex-boyfriend who's looking to rekindle their relationship.  (Summary via Goodreads)

There is NO way that you won't fall in LOVE with Much Ado about Nauticaling by Gabby Allan.  There is so much to love that you will not want the story to end !!

Much Ado about Nauticaling is the first book in the Whit and Whiskers Mystery series and the stage is set beautifully.  And with the "stage" being an island, how can you not want to stay there forever ?

In Much Ado about Nauticaling we are introduced to Whitney "Whit" Dagner and her cat Whiskers who just moved from Los Angeles and a busy office job back to her hometown Santa Catalina island to help her brother Nick with the family business as well as open up a gift shop.  Whit and Nick's grandparents, Pops and Goldy, have handed down the family business, Nautically Yours, so that they can retire and enjoy island time.  Nautically Yours is a glass bottomed boat touring business where they take tourists out to explore the underwater world through the bottom of the boat.  Unfortunately they did not know that after giving a tour to a group of towns people celebrating the Person of the Year they would be trying to prove Nick's innocence from killing the Person of the Year !!

Jules Tisdale, the Person of the Year, was suppose to leave the tour boat and head to a dinner celebrating his new title but it doesn't look like he made it when shortly after Whit and Nick see him under the boat..... dead  !!  And if that isn't enough of a shock, the police have Nick as their one and only suspect !!  So while Nick is in hiding, Whit takes it upon herself to compile a list of more likely suspects.  She enlists the help of her best friend and roommate, Maribel and her ex-boyfriend Felix who just moved to the island to be closer to Whit. (There is way more to that story but Whit won't entertain that while she works on helping her brother) Unfortunately Maribel works at the front desk at the police department and Felix is a part time diver for them so they are limited in what they can do, say and keep secret from their jobs.

Readers will love riding along with Whit in her golf cart as she travels around the island talking to whoever she can to help clear Nick's name.  Luckily no one thinks that he killed Jules but no one knows who did it.  And as she talks to more and more people, her lists of people who could have done it grows without any evidence to support it......

Readers will get lost in this story immediately !!  Come on....it's an island where the main means of transportation is a golf cart !!  And the characters are definitely people you will want to hang around with as much as possible.....even if you are helping solve a murder.  And Whit's family business and opening up a gift shop are jobs you can't even really labels "jobs" because you know they are a blast to do !!  And the people...come on again !!  She calls her grandparents Pops and Goldy and they are an absolute HOOT !!  And it sounds like Felix is a keeper if only Whit can give him a chance to talk and allow them to explore their feelings.....oh well, there is always the second book to do all that....which if the way this book ended is any indication of that, we are in for another ride of our lives....but that's okay, the golf cart can only go 15 miles per hour so we can still enjoy the scenery !!!

Review by Missi M.