Essence of Foul Play (An Aroma Wellness Mystery Book #1) by Daryl Wood Gerber

Emma Brennan may have her head in a cloud of eucalyptus, but her feet are firmly planted on the ground in breathtaking Carmel, California, as she prepares to open her new spa business, Aroma Wellness. But all the reiki, shiatsu, and massage in the world can’t help her relax when she’s accused of murder . . .

Everything is going smoothly as Emma prepares for the grand opening of the spa. The therapy rooms are painted. The sales shop and café are stocked with meditative and delicious goodies, from essential oils to avocado masks and prickly pear massages. The fountain in the Courtyard of Peace is burbling with good vibrations. In fact, there isn’t a whiff of trouble until that morning when Emma is shocked to learn that a rival spa owner has been bludgeoned . . . with an item from the goodwill basket Emma gave her. Worse, a witness is pointing the finger at Emma . . .
 
With the police treating Emma like she’s the only suspect, and the town’s anti New Age anything posse badmouthing her every step of the way, she’s left with no choice but to conduct her own investigation. Incensed by the accusations but empowered by her cousin, her nana, and her trusted Birman cat, Vivi, Emma reviews the potpourri of possible suspects, determined to uncover the essence of foul play—before she’s cold-pressed for murder . . .
 
Praise for Daryl Wood Gerber’s Fairy Garden Mysteries
 
“A charming cozy with gardening tips, recipes, and a raft of suspects for those who don’t believe in fairies.” — Kirkus Reviews
 
“Enchanting series launch from Agatha Award winner Gerber. . . . Cozy fans will wish upon a star for more.” —Publishers Weekly

“A winner . . . Fans of Laura Childs’ work will enjoy.” —Booklist   (Summary via Goodreads)

Essence of Foul Play is the first book in the new Aroma Wellness Mystery series written by Daryl Wood Gerber and she captures your attention immediately.  You will find yourself wanting to be a new resident in Carmel-By-the-Sea and as luck would have it, there may be a place to rent near main character Emma.

In Essence of Foul Play main character Emma is ready to open her spa, Aroma Wellness.  There is so much to do within Aroma Wellness, whether it is to have a massage, facial or mani-pedi, or eat at the cafe run by Emma's cousin, Sierra, or browse the gift shop.  This story could focus on all of this and be a great read but Gerber makes it better with a death ....

Emma's old college friend Willow also has a spa in town, which has been open for a few years already, and is not happy with Emma for opening up one.  Even though Emma insists that Carmel is big enough for both spas, Willow is not satisfied.  Emma decides to get together a gift basket and take it to Willow as a sort of peace offering.

Unfortunately Willow is found murdered in her spa and one of Emma's peace offering gifts is the murder weapon .... and it looks like the detective on the case has her at the top of the suspect list !!

All Emma wants to do is run her spa, make people feel relaxed and pretty, spend time with her famiy and friends, and cuddle with her cat.  But with that dark cloud hanging over her head, she is anything but relaxed.

Readers will love this book amd the story within.  You will love that there is a list of characters in the beginning of the story and it is broken down by human and fairies and animals ..... yes fairies !!  How cool is that ?!?!  You will want to stay inside the story for as long as you can to ensure that everything ends well and Emma can continue with her dream.  I highly encourage you to add this book to you to be read list immediately !!!

Death in the Great Dismal (Will Rees Mysteries Book # 9) by Eleanor Kuhns

Finding themselves in a slave community hidden within the Great Dismal Swamp, Will Rees and his wife Lydia get caught up in a dangerous murder case where no one trusts them.

September 1800 , Maine . Will Rees is beseeched by Tobias, an old friend abducted by slave catchers years before, to travel south to Virginia to help transport his pregnant wife, Ruth, back north. Though he's reluctant, Will's wife Lydia convinces him to go . . . on the condition she accompanies them.

Upon arriving in a small community of absconded slaves hiding within the Great Dismal Swamp, Will and Lydia are met with distrust. Tensions are high and a fight breaks out between Tobias and Scipio, a philanderer with a bounty on his head known for conning men out of money. The following day Scipio is found dead - shot in the back.

Stuck within the hostile Great Dismal and with slave catchers on the prowl, Will and Lydia find themselves caught up in their most dangerous case yet.  (Summary via Goodreads)

Death in the Great Dismal is the ninth book in the Will Rees Mystery series written by Eleanor Kuhns and this one will have you scratching your head ....

In Death in the Great Dismal Will is asked by his friend Tobias to travel to the Great Dismal Swamp in Virginia to help bring his pregnant wife back to Maine.  Will knows that he shouldn't go because he and his wife Lydia are having marital problems and he really needs to deal with that.  But Lydia surprises him by telling him he needs to go but she is going with them.

Once they get to the little village where Ruth is living, things do not go as planned at all.  Shortly after arriving one of the men from the village is found dead in the woods, murdered, shot in the back.  It seems that two of the villagers, Jackman and Aunt Suke, are the ones that are in charge and when they ask Will to find out who murdered Scipio he cannot say no.  

Besides the murder delaying their departure, it seems that Ruth is not sure if she wants to leave with Tobias or stay in the village.  Will and Lydia try to help the couple out but they are also trying to work through something within their marriage .... but they never seem to find the time to talk about that.

Will is going to have a difficult time trying to find Scipio's murderer seeing as he knows nothing about the people in the village and the members of the village do not trust him at all.  

Readers cannot help getting pulled into this book, or any of the others in this series.  You will fall in love with the characters and even though this story takes place somewhere new and completely outside of anyones's comfort zone, you will be turning the pages as fast as you can to see what happens next because you never know what Kuhns will throw out there .....

The Coral Conspiracy (Aloha Lagoon Resort Mystery Book 24) by Rosalie Spielman)

From author Rosalie Spielman comes a coral-ful new mystery!

Recent graduate Nelly O'Hare was looking forward to studying the picturesque coral reefs of Aloha Lagoon, Hawaii, expecting her new job to be full of sun, surf, and satisfying work. What she wasn't expecting was a pair of arguing professors, an attraction to the resort's hot golf pro, and a totally dysfunctional academic study...ending in murder!

When one of her new bosses is found dead, not only is her ocean study in jeopardy, but the local police are also suddenly asking questions that Nelly doesn't have answers to. Luckily her best friend, Kiki Hepburn, is no stranger to murder investigations, and along with Auntie Akamai and the loud-mouthed Paulie the parrot, she vows to help Nelly find the true killer. From the professor's mousy assistant, to the suspicious man and his weird crabs in the next office, to the impressive ex-wife with a new boyfriend and pampered pooch, there are no shortage of suspects who might have wanted the victim dead. Especially when Nelly discovers that someone seems to have been sabotaging the study findings.

With danger lurking just below the murky surface, Nelly is finding out not everything in Aloha Lagoon is as sunny as it seems. As Nelly closes in on the killer, someone is closing in on Nelly...and if she's not careful, the coral won't be the only thing endangered in Aloha Lagoon!


What critics are

"Death on a Cliff Earns 5/5 Vacation Photos…Engaging Twist & Turns! Cozy Gem!"
~ Kings River Life Magazine

"You are going to want to visit Aloha Lagoon Resort as much as possible, and you will not want to leave!"
~ Cozy Mystery Book Reviews

About Aloha
There's trouble in paradise...
Welcome to Aloha Lagoon, one of Hawaii's hidden treasures. A little bit of tropical paradise nestled along the coast of Kauai, this resort town boasts luxurious accommodation, friendly island atmosphere...and only a slightly higher than normal murder rate. While mysterious circumstances may be the norm on our corner of the island, we're certain that our staff and Lagoon natives will make your stay in Aloha Lagoon one you will never forget!  (Summary via Goodreads)

The Aloha Lagoon Resort Mystery series is an awesome series centered around the Aloha Lagoon Resort in Hawaii and written by multiple authors, most with numerous books. All of the books center around the resort with multiple things in common in them, whether it is people like Detective Ray and Auntie Akamai or the Lava Pot and other businesses.  Rosalie Spielman is one of those authors having written a few surrounding Kiki Hepburn and her adventures including murder and her helping Detective Ray "solve" them.  

And now with The Coral Conspiracy, the twenty-fourth book, Rosalie is introducing us to a new character, Nelly O'Hare, who is Kiki's best friend since they met in college.  Nelly has come to Hawaii to work as an intern on a study of coral reefs for her doctoral thesis for college.  But from the moment that she landed and her luggage did not, she rushes to the office to find the two professors arguing and the cute tenant in the office across the hall wishes her luck because they fight all the time, she wonders if she can do it !!

Luckily Kiki and her fiance, Dex, encourage her to hang in there and she decides she will .... after all it has to get better, right ? Wrong !!   A few days later when Nelly gets to the office, Professor Ord, one of the professors looks to be sitting at his desk until she gets a closer look and realizes that he is dead !!  And she can't help but wonder if Professor Maurtina did it.  After all, they have been fighting ever since Nelly arrived.

Nelly has no idea what she is expected to do .... does she look into flights home, wait it out, look for a job ?  Fortunately her luggage finally catches up to her but someone tried to break into her hotel room.  She also learns that the funding for the study she is there for didn't include her and her expenses so if she wants to stay she is going to have to find a place to stay.  Thankfully she has Kiki and Auntie Akamai there to pick her up and help her out !!!

With twenty-four books in the Aloha Lagoon Mystery series I am sure you will find favorites things or authors or characters or what not.  I can tell you that you will love ALL of it !!!  And Gemma Halliday Publishing even has a website devoted to the series.  Check in out ....

https://www.gemmahallidaypublishing.com/aloha-lagoon-mysteries

Puppied to Death (A Barkview Dog Mystery Book # 10) by C.B. Wilson

A Murder, an Ancient Secret, and a Puppy You Can’t Help but LoveA desperate call from her sister sends investigative reporter Cat Hawl on a rescue mission to Hawaii. But when she arrives, it's more than she bargained for. Not only is a tea sommelier found dead, but a mischievous puppy has turned the crime scene into a dog’s breakfast. And to top it off, Cat’s sister, Lani, has gone missing. Is she a witness or on the run?

With local police suspecting the worst, Cat takes matters into her own hands. Armed with the help of the sharp-witted Miss Marple Mahjong Mamas, she starts uncovering clues that point to a centuries-old mystery tied to the Forbidden City. Could a thousand-year-old legend be the key to the mounting body count and chaotic puppy mayhem?

Join Cat on her quirky, whirlwind adventure, where a trail of tea leaves leads her through a mystery that's as puzzling as a puppy's antics. Cozy mystery lovers will find themselves charmed and intrigued at every twist and turn!

"Buckle up your seat belt! It's full speed ahead for this fast-paced, humorous mystery whose killer ending will catch you by surprise! An absolute delight!"
~J.C. Eaton, author of The Sophie Kimball Mysteries, The Wine Trail Mysteries, The Charcuterie Shop Mysteries, The Marcie Rayner Mysteries

For dog lovers and cozy mystery fans alike, Puppied to Death delivers a satisfying tale of intrigue and charm. Whether this is your first visit to Barkview or you’ve followed Cat’s adventures from the start, this delightful ninth installment will leave you eager for the next mystery to unfold. -Chanticleer 5-star review.  (Summary via Goodreads)

Puppied to Death is the tenth book in the Barkview Dog Mystery series written by C.B. Wilson and it was the first book that I have had the pleasure of reading.  Granted it probably wasn't the best book to begin reading seeing as the book did not take place in the town of the main character but Wilson makes it easy to follow along with the new cast of characters list in the beginning of the book, even including the animals.

 In Puppied to Death main character Cat Hawl goes back home to Hawaii when her mother calls frantic when Lani, Cat's sister, is missing and one of her dog walking clients is found murdered in her home. Things get real when she gets there and is introduced to the Miss Marple Mahjong Mama's and they are out for blood.  

As soon as Cat gets off the airplane she is sucked into a crazy case revolving around tea.  You would think that there is nothing special about tea but you will be seriously wrong.  And someone is sending the group wierd cryptic messages using Mahjong tiles.  Eventually Cat's husband Russ and her stepfather join the team and they are unstoppable.

Readers will become lost in the story instantly regardless to if it's the first book in the series you are reading or any of the previous ones.  You will love the characters, the setting, and the murder and the surrounding story is very unique and captivating.  If you missed any of the previous books I encouraged to go grab them and read them all !!!! 

 

The Four Queens of Crime by Rosanne Limoncelli

In this debut mystery DCI Lilian Wyles, the first woman detective chief inspector in the CID, is determined to find a killer with the help of the four queens of crime, Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham, perfect for fans of Elly Griffiths and Claudia Gray.

1938, London. The four queens of British crime fiction, Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham, are hosting a gala to raise money for the Women’s Volunteer Service to help Britain prepare for war. Baronet Sir Henry Heathcote has loaned Hursley House for the event and all the elites of London society are attending. The gala is a brilliant success, despite a few hiccups, but the next morning Sir Henry is found dead in the library. 

Detective Chief Inspectors Lilian Wyles and Richard Davidson from Scotland Yard are quickly summoned and discover a cluster of potential suspects among the guests, including an upset fiancée, a politically ambitious son, a reserved but protective brother, an irate son-in-law, a rebellious teenage daughter, and the deputy home secretary. 

Quietly recruiting the four queens of crime, DCI Wyles must sort through the messy aftermath of Sir Henry’s death to solve the mystery and identify the killer.   (Summary via Goodreads)

Rosanne Limoncelli knocks it out of the park in her debut mystery The Four Queens of Crime !!!  And how could she not have a winner when she enlists the help of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh and Margery Allingham as themselves in her story !!

In The Four Queens of Crime the four authors are hosting a gala at a very prominient family's house.  The gala is to raise money for the Women's Volunteer Service to help prepare for war.  Baronet Sir Henry Heathcote has opened his home, Hursley House, for the event and there will be a lot of very important people in attendance.

While the gala itself was a success, Sir Henry and his personal side was not. 

The party went on well past midnight and everyone was exhausted from the guests to the staff, and the family. The guests that were staying for the weekend went to bed late but were up early and in the dining room when they heard the scream !! When they rushed to see what the scream was about they found Sir Henry dead in his library.

Detective Chief Inspectors Richard Davidson and Lilian Wyles are called in as soon as it is determined that Sir Henry was murdered.  Unfortunately they are not going to have an easy time with the family, staff and guests.  When Lilian gets Richard to agree they could use a little help, it is no wonder that they ask the four mystery authors to just listen and encourage the family members to open up.

Readers will love this story !!!  The fact that the entire length of the story takes place within a few days time is quite addicting.  Readers are locked in immediately and may need to take notes as well.  Luckily Limoncelli provides readers with a list of the characters in the front of the book so if you forget who someone is you have it there.  I believe that this is going to be a series and author to watch.

Murder in an Irish Garden (Irish Village Mystery Book # 11) by Carlene O'Connor

Everything’s coming up roses for garda Siobhán and the rest of O’Sullivan family in quaint Kilbane, County Cork, Ireland—until a murder investigation blooms out of a deadly gardening competition.

While Siobhán studies for her Detective Sargeant exams, her brother, Eoin, prepares for the grand opening of his new restaurant, The O’Sullivan Six, and concocts a plan to enter Kilbane’s Top Garden Contest to boost business. But trouble brews when Eoin hires a mercurial landscape designer known for her killer designs. His new partner’s unflattering reputation and questionable practices nearly eclipse her talents—and plunge the prestigious competition into chaos.

A lush and intricate winning garden emerges from the controversy, with a spectacular golden statue in the center of the display. But in a devastating twist, the work of art leads to the shocking discovery of a bold and brutal work of murder.

Everyone in town has an opinion about who committed the crime and planted the evidence, from easily bribed sponsors to green-with-envy gardeners. And with another golden statue found in Eoin’s garden display, rumors about his involvement intensify. As local gossip buzzes and a list of suspects grows, it’s up to quick-witted Siobhán and her husband, Macdara, to suss out the guilty culprit’s identity . . . before the competition buries another victim.  (Summary via Goodreads)

Okay I have not read all of the books in the Irish Village Mystery series by Carlene O'Connor, however, the ones that I have read I have loved !!  And if I ever have extra time this will be one series that I will catch up on.

This series follows the O'Sullivan six siblings.  They lost their parents so they have had to grow up quickly and they have done a good job with Siobhan taking the reins and mothering the others.  But now in the eleventh book, Murder in an Irish Garden, Siobhan is married and her and her husband have a murder case that will test them .... personally and professionally.

Siobhan is trying to study for her Detective Sargeant's exam to be like her husband Macdara but they are called into a crazy murder case with a suspect list that is longer than they could ever imagine.  Kilbane's Top Garden Contest is about to begin with a handful of contestants ready to show off their green thumbs.  Unfortunately the contestant who is constructing the garden for Siobhan's brother Eoin's new restaurant is found murdered and the other contestants gardens damaged.  

As Siobhan and Macdara being the investigation, they are unable to cross any names off of the suspect list and as they dive deeper, they seem to add more names......

Readers cannot help but love this series.  O'Connor knows how to draw you in and make you want to stay.  And with this story, you will be at a loss as to who is guilty and who is innocent and when the case is solved, you will sit back and feel exhausted but in a good way !!!  So grab a snack and a cuppa and your copy of Murder in an Irish Garden and sit back and enjoy !!!

Two Weddings and a Murder (A Lady & Lady's Maid Mystery Book # 9) by Alyssa Maxwell

As Lady Phoebe and her betrothed say their vows of holy matrimony, a killer has vowed unholy vengeance on the town’s chief inspector . . .

June 1922: The blessed day has finally arrived. Phoebe Renshaw and Owen Seabright are to be wed, and lady’s maid Eva Huntford could not be more delighted for her lady’s happiness. But she is disturbed by one notable absence from the ceremony—her beau, Police Constable Miles Brannock. When Miles finally does appear, breathlessly running into the reception at Foxwood Hall, he brings grim he’s found Chief Inspector Isaac Perkins murdered, shot in his home in his favorite parlor chair with his own gun.
 
A policeman naturally makes enemies, especially those of questionable character. In charge of finding his former boss’s killer, Miles reviews the details of the crime scene. The murder weapon has been wiped clean and left on the table next to the remnants of the chief inspector’s sausage pasty and coffee reeking of a bit of whiskey. No sign of forced entry. A seemingly peaceful scene—other than the bullet hole in the victim.
 
Before Miles can make much progress in his investigation, a Scotland Yard detective arrives in Little Barlow to take over the case—and promptly focuses his suspicions on the constable himself, who he reasons had motive and opportunity. Coming to their maid’s defense, Phoebe and Owen postpone their honeymoon to join Eva in clearing her beau’s good name and unmasking the identity of the true killer . . .  (Summary via Goodreads)

Two Weddings and a Murder is the ninth and final book in the Lady & Lady's Maid Mystery series written by Alyssa Maxwell .... it is hard for me to wrap my head around that.  When you're a reader and you find an author and/or series that you like, you want to read all of the books out there and it becomes a part of you.  You look forward to the next book to be published so that you can return to the town, time period and people that you have grown to love.

Maxwell is going out with a bang with this final book, Two Weddings and a Murder ....

Main character Phoebe Renshaw gets married and she and Owen couldn't be happier but Phoebe notices her Lady's Maid and friend, more friend than maid really, is unsettled.  Then she realizes that Eva's love interest Constable Miles Brannock missed the wedding.  Sadly they learn why ... Chief Inspector Perkins did not show up to work and when the Constable when calling at his house, he found the Chief Inspector dead.

Unfortunately a detective was sent into town to investigate the murder and he immediately arrests Miles for the murder.  Eva rushes to tell Phoebe and luckily Phoebe convinces her grandfather to go and talk to the detective.  It is decided that Miles be placed on house arrest while the detective looks into the case.  Phoebe and Eva know what that means so Phoebe convinces her new husband to postpone their honeymoon so they can also look into the case.

It is not going to be easy, and maybe that is what Maxwell wanted with this being the last book, because this is the longest suspect list ever !!  There is a houseful of guests staying at Foxwood Hall as they are there for the wedding.  Also Phoebe's grandfather has allowed a caravan of gypsies to camp on some of his property.  Phoebe and Eva also learn that someone that the Chief Inspector sent to jail was recently released and he may feel he has reasons to kill him.

Okay so yes Phoebe will again uncover the truth and the guilty party will be arrested and everyone can breathe a sigh of relief and you will have a blast trying to keep up with everything.

Now let me take a minute to say a few things.  

First I hope that you have been a devoted fan like myself and have fallen in love with the series, and will be a little sad that it must come to an end.  If you aren't a fan and are thinking about it, please go grab copies of all the other books and this one and get cracking. You will completely love them.  

Secondly I want to THANK Alyssa for writing this series and providing me with another town and another family to love.  The times that I spend with one of the books in this series open were very happy times.  I loved traveling back in time and experiences things through your eyes and brilliant mind.