Book Review: Horse of a Different Killer by Laura Morrigan

Grace Wilde is an animal behaviorist with a special skill. She has the psychic ability to hear animals thoughts. However this skill doesn't carry over to hearing human thoughts, just animals. Being able to hear human thoughts would be mighty handy for Grace, especially as she's investigating a murder. That is the murder of her sister's abusive ex-husband, and the police have arrested Grace and are accusing her of murder!! In an attempt to clear her sister's name, Grace ends up hot on the trail of not just a killer, but also a missing horse. This is one mystery that is going to take all of Grace's sleuthing skills and psychic ability to solve.

One of my biggest reasons for enjoying this series, besides my natural love of cozy mysteries, is that I really like reading about Grace's abilities. I'm a huge animal lover, and growing up I always wished I could understand my pets. As a kid I thought it would be really fun. Now as an adult, and the human servant to three felines, I'm not sure I want to know what they are thinking about!! However, it's Grace's abilities as a animal psychic that makes this series different to all the cozy mysteries released every month, and I really enjoy this aspect.

I enjoyed the mystery aspect of Horse of a Different Killer, and I had a hard time untangling the clues that were laid about by Laura Morrigan for Grace (and myself too!) to solve. This was definitely a mystery that kept me guessing right until the end.

This series is such a perfect fit for me, with my love of animals and mysteries alike, and I think many animal lovers and readers will simply fall head over heels for it. When a mystery starts with a cute, cuddly koala that Grace is trying to rescue, the cute factor is at a all-time high and you know it can only get better!

If you haven't read it yet, pick up the first book in the series, Woof at the Door.

Check out Horse of a Different Killer by Laura Morrigan at Amazon.

Audiobook Review: Dying for a Cupcake by Denise Swanson

Devereaux “Dev” Sinclair's Dime Store is taking part in a cupcake contest to end all cupcake contests. Kizzy Cutler is the famous Cupcake Queen, and she's returning home to be a part of the contest, and award the grand prize. Not everyone is happy to see Kizzy Cutler though. When her assistant is killed, and attempts are made on Kizzy's life, it is clear that someone wants the Cupcake Queen dead. With Noah and Jake out of town, Dev and friends, along with the help of the sexy new fire chief, Coop, get on the case to find out who is trying to kill Kizzy.\

I have to say Denise Swanson sure knows how to pack a punch with her cozy mysteries. With 21 cozy mysteries published between her two series, she certainly has the experience and this shows in her latest offering, Dying for a Cupcake.

It's a action-packed time for Dev, as she helps with the Cupcake Contest. This isn't the taste-testing, which surely Dev would prefer, but keeping her Dime Store running, keeping Kizzy under control with her infamous short-temper, and more importantly, keeping Kizzy alive! From High School Queen to Cupcake Queen, Kizzy has a natural ability at annoying people, and it turns out she's annoyed one person so much that they want her dead.

Noah and Jake are both absent in this story, with Noah providing medical aid overseas and Jake on the trail of the man who kidnapped his ex-wife, leaving Dev alone to sort through this mess. She's more than capable... after all she's solved three other cases!! However, we have a newcomer on board in the form of the new fire chief, Coop. Sexy as all get up, Coop isn't shy to show his interest for Dev, and I think it will be interesting to see how that storyline plays out in future books.

What I enjoy the most about Denise Swanson's books is she provides a fun adventure, with adorable and obnoxious characters alike, but she touches on some real issues as well. In Dying for a Cupcake, she touches on the tender subject of bullying and does it in a way that is subtle but to the point. I always turn the final page of her books, feeling like I've had satisfied of a great read and a great adventure. 

Whether it's a visit to Scumble River or to Shadow Bend, you can't go wrong with a mystery by Denise Swanson.

I listened to Dying for a Cupcake on audio, and I loved it. I whiled my weekend away knitting, while I soaked up to atmosphere in Shadow Bend, and it was a fantastic listen. I've listened to all four books on audio, and I love Maia Guest's narration. For me, she is the voice of the inhabitants of Shadow Bend, and I'm hoping she will continue to narrate the books in this series.

Check out Dying for a Cupcake by Denise Swanson at Amazon, Audible.

Listen to a Sample of Dying for a Cupcake by Denise Swanson, narrated by Maia Guest:

Book Review: Ladle to the Grave by Connie Archer

Connie Archer is back with another Soup Lover's Mystery with Ladle to the Grave. In Snowflake, Vermont, it's May and the residents are looking to welcome Spring in. However, Spring begins with a big bang, when a few locals participate in a Pagan festival, and one lady ends up dead! When the police determine the cause as poisoning from some herbs in a wine she drank, they start to point their finger at Lucky Jamieson's grandfather, Jack. Now Lucky will have her hands full between managing her soup shop, finding a killer and making a dress for her best friend's upcoming wedding!

Ladle to the Grave was my first trip to Snowflake, VT, but it certainly won't be my last. Living in a country that has six months of winter I'm a big soup person. There is nothing better than curling up with a book and a big bowl of warm, hearty soup in the middle of winter!! That warm, cozy feeling is how I felt reading Ladle to the Grave.

I really liked that Connie Archer started this book off with a murder. There was no slow opening chapters. No, she throws you right into the murder, leaving you to decide who could have wanted to kill this poor lady. Was it someone against the Pagan festival? Or was it something else? From there is a action packed story, as another death drops down on Lucky, and she races against time to figure out the killer before Jack ends up in jail!

Ladle to the Grave was a fun read. As this was my first introduction to the series, I liked that I could read it without feeling lost. Connie Archer sets up the characters nicely for those new to the series, without repeating facts from previous mysteries. I liked the ecclectic mix of characters in Snowflake, and certainly loved the virtual smells of the soups Sage makes in Lucky's soup shop, By the Spoonful.

All in all Ladle to the Grave was a very enjoyable mystery. With a tasty mystery, mouth-watering recipes to try, and even a wine to brew, it hit all the right spots, and I'm looking forward to reading more books in this series.

Check out Ladle to the Grave by Connie Archer.

Giveaway: Win a set of 4 Cozy Mystery March Releases Books

As many readers may know, I generally don't re-read mysteries, so I try to pass these onto others readers. Today I'm passing on four mysteries I've read (and enjoyed!) and I'm passing these onto one lucky person. Each book has been read once, no creased spines, no dog-eared pages. 

One reader will get Assault & Pepper by Leslie Budewitz, Steeped in Evil by Laura Childs, Dying for a Cupcake by Denise Swanson and Suspendered Sentence by Laura Bradford.

Be on the lookout for more giveaways like these: next up with be Ladle to the Grave by Connie Archer, Borrowed Crime by Laurie and many more!

To enter:

1. Comment below, along with an email to contact you if you're the winner.

2. Giveaway is open to US/Canada

3. Giveaway ends at Saturday March 14, 2015 at midnight.

4. The winner will be contacted via email.

Book Review: A Wee Murder in My Shop by Fran Stewart

In Fran Stewart's debut series she introduces readers to Margaret "Peggy" Winn. Peggy lives in Hamelin, Vermont, a town that is like a mini Scotland in America, and owns the Scotshop, a darling little store selling Scottish items. On a trip to Scotland, to purchase more items for her store, she brings home with her an unwanted gift in the form of a 600+ year old ghost, who she names Dirk. With a ghost following her around, marveling at all the changes in the last 600 years, Peggy is determined to carry on with her life, and put the heartbreak of finding her boyfriend in bed with her best friend, behind her. However, this proves difficult when her ex-boyfriend is found dead in her shop and her cousin is accused of murder. With the help of her "wee ghostie" Peggy and her friend set out to clear her cousin's name, and try to find a murderer.

Fran Stewart has done something so incredibly right with this new series. She whisked me away to the land of Scotland right from the beginning, and the magic of Scotland carried through, even when Peggy returned back to Hamelin. Of course this was helped with the Scottish atmosphere of Hamelin, where kilts are aplenty, and of course thanks to Dirk, her wee Scottish ghostie.

Dirk is the perfect gentleman, and everything about the 21st century is a surprise to him! Peggy tries to explain to him, but of course she's talking to a ghost, so at times Dirk has to fumble along for himself, lest Peggy looks like she's talking to thin air!! Dirk was a delight, and at times I found myself copying his old Scottish account, and delighting in his every action and word!

The mystery in this debut book is very interesting, because Fran Stewart doesn't give us many suspects. With a mystery that involved hidden rooms, secrets codes and only a handful of suspects, I certainly had a hard time trying to solve it before Peggy and Dirk!

Fran Stewart's debut is a strong start to what is going to be a fabulous series. She's created very memorable characters, full of charm and mischief, and readers will be fondly recalling this adventure long after they turn the last page. If you haven't picked up this first book in the Scot Shop Mysteries yet, go grab a copy today, because it is going to be one series you don't want to miss!

Purchase A Wee Murder in My Shop by Fran Stewart at Amazon.