The Ghost and the Dead Librarian (Haunted Bookshop Detective Mystery Book # 1) by Cleo Coyle

 A Library Journal "Mystery Pick of the Month" In an utterly charming new mystery from New York Times bestselling author Cleo Coyle, a smalltown Rhode Island bookshop owner investigates the death of an eccentric librarian with the help of a wisecracking, 1940s gumshoe ghost.

As a young widow, Penelope moved back to her quaint Rhode Island town to give her young son a safer home and her aunt’s dying bookshop new life. Using her late husband’s insurance money, Pen polished the store into a local treasure. But her updates did more than attract new customers. They roused a dead private eye from his big sleep.

With Pen’s affection for hardboiled detective stories, it’s no surprise she’s developed a fondness for the wisecracking yet oddly likeable spirit. Sure, Jack’s cold spots are exasperating, along with his proclivity for putting noir fiction in the cozy section. But murder was Jack’s business in life, and his PI skills come in awfully handy when the body of an eccentric librarian is found amid the bookshop’s aisles.

For years, Dory jokingly called herself “The Dead Librarian” because of her hobby of collecting and writing local obituaries. Now, in death, she’s discovered with her own eerily pre-written obit. Was it a suicide note? Jack and Pen say no and their certainty takes them from a ghost town’s ancient cemetery to a posh Newport mansion. Then another body drop and a mysterious stranger makes Pen a shocking offer, one that may change her life—and Jack’s afterlife. But unless Jack can help Pen prove who “checked out” the librarian, a ruthless killer may close the book on her.

"This spin-off of Coyle's 'Haunted Bookshop' series blends cozy mystery, supernatural intrigue, and classic noir influences into a suspenseful small-town murder mystery....Combining humor, literary references, ghostly interventions, and layered community drama, the novel explores how hidden truths from the past continue to haunt the present." —Library Journal (*Starred Review)

"INGENIOUS...EXCEPTIONALLY VIVID....Jack and Pen, along with a host of colorful characters, solve an assortment of crimes in a variety of places across nearly a century." —Kirkus Reviews  (Summary via Goodreads)

I haven't read any of the books in the Haunted Bookshop Mystery series by Cleo Coyle so I was a little concerned when I started reading The Ghost and the Dead Librarian which is the first book in the Haunted Bookshop Detective Mystery series.  This first book, they are saying is a spin-off of that series, but I wasn't lost at all.

In The Ghost and the Dead Librarian, we are introduced to Penelope who co-owns a bookstore with her aunt, has a young son, and she talks to a dead ghost.  Jack, used to be a private investigator in the 01940's and was shot and killed in Pen's family bookstore.  Now he is "stuck" at the bookstore but can communicate with Pen.  And if Pen leaves the store as long as she is carrying a certain coin, Jack will be with her.  Pen cannot see Jack, but they have long conversations in her head.

Okay now onto the murder .....  The bookstore is hosting an author event for a new release.  Dory, the Dead Librarian, who writes local obituaries has written a book that not everyone is happy to see it printed.  On the night of her book signing Pen finds her alone in part of the bookstore dead holding her own typed obituary.

Pen knows that there is no way that Dory was suicidal and would not have killed herself especially on such an important night.  So, Jack persuades her look into Dory's death, with his help of course.

There is a lot more that I can tell you, more avenues the book goes down, but I cannot tell you everything.  If I did that, there would be no point for you to read it.  

If you have read the other series, then you are most likely just getting together with old friends in a way.  However, if you are like me and reading this without the other series, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.  

I know paranormal cozies aren't for everyone, but I like to get lost in them from time to time.  It's fun and different and they add something different to the story for sure.

Deck the Halls with Boughs of Murder (Christmas Tree Farm Mystery Book # 7) by Jacqueline Frost

Mistletoe and murder go hand in hand in the seventh installment of the Christmas Tree Farm mysteries from bestselling author Jacqueline Frost.

New parents Holly White and Sheriff Evan Gray are sleep deprived, but incandescently happy to be celebrating their baby’s first Christmas. Their family, friends, and neighbors are spoiling the newest addition. Adding to the perfect holiday season is the recent completion of their newly built home. All that’s left to do is move in and send off those change of address cards. But their cup full of cheer turns sour when Holly discovers a dead body.

It all started with a sweet trip down memory lane–Candy Cane Lane and Toyland were two of Holly’s favorites as a child, and she had been looking forward to sharing them with her baby. Then she stumbled upon the body of Greysen, the animal keeper, left among the reindeer at the petting zoo.

Earlier in the day, Holly witnessed a fight between Greysen and a stranger. Stranger still, the reindeer petting zoo had originally been empty that day–no reindeer in sight until they reappeared along with a corpse.

As Holly fights to keep the Christmas spirit alive, she is Greysen’s only chance at justice–and her baby’s only chance at a happy first Christmas.  (Summary via Goodreads)

I love the Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series by Jacqueline Frost.  There is so much within this series that they don't really need to have a murder, readers will still love them !!   Although the murders and main character Holly getting involved are the backbone of it all I guess.

So anyway, Deck the Halls with Boughs of Murder is the seventh book in the series, and we have seen a lot of changes, mostly all good.  Holly moved back to her hometown of Mistletoe and helps at the family tree farm that has much more than trees, she married the Sheriff, Evan, they have a daughter, Joy, and are getting ready to move into the house they had built on land on the tree farm.  And that is just them....there is a lot going on with their family and friends as well. How Holly finds time to solve murders that occur in town is only something Santa Claus knows....

In Deck the Halls with Boughs of Murder Holly and Libby return to Toyland after Holly and her mom took Joy there during the day.  They are hoping to find mittens that Joy lost.  They do find the mittens but also hear the animals who seem agitated.  When they go to investigate to make sure the animals are okay, they find a dead body.

Holly, being the curious type, cannot help but ask questions and look into the death.  Even when she keeps getting threats to back off, they just push her in the wrong direction.

As with the previous books in this series, there is a lot going on and so much that you don't want it to end.  I would love to live in Mistletoe and hang out at The Hearth everyday drinking hot yummy beverages and eating all the cupcakes that Caroline makes.  (Caroline is Holly's best friend, owns a cupcake shop and has a dreamy boyfriend)  You will fall in love with everything within this series, and there is always a surprise or two to keep you hooked !!!  

A Field Guide to Death and Deceit (A Harry & Emma Mystery Series Book # 2) by Michelle L. Cullen

Widower and anthropologist Harry Lancaster and his Gen Z colleague Emma are back for more murder and mayhem when they stumble upon a dead farmer.

This delightful sequel to A Field Guide to Murder is perfect for fans of Richard Osman and Benjamin Stevenson.

When Harry Lancaster agrees to meet his former sweetheart Willow at a farm on the outskirts of town, Emma’s suspicions run high, and she insists on joining him. When they show up for Harry’s rendezvous, Willow is nowhere to be found—and they discover the farm’s owner dead, with a corn rake embedded in his back. 

After being interrogated by the police, Harry and Emma arrive at this house to find a bereft Willow, who admits she lost her life savings in a real estate scam involving the farm. Worried Willow will become the main murder suspect, Harry decides to help her, despite Emma’s concerns. 

To bring the swindlers—and murderer—to justice, Harry recruits his potentially shady, financial-whiz brother and a neighborhood teenage hacker. Then Willow’s realtor is declared missing, and Harry’s brother is caught up in the fray. 

As Harry, Emma, and team unearth clues, they increasingly dodge the police, stalkers, and danger in their race to save Willow and Harry’s brother before anyone else turns up dead.  (Summary via Goodreads)

A Field Guide to Death and Deceit is the second book in the Harry & Emma Mystery series by Michelle L. Cullen and it is just as captivating as the first, if not more.

In A Field Guide to Death and Deceit Harry and Emma have just returned from a three-month consulting job in South Asia and before they can write up their reports and findings, they are pulled into a case helping an old girlfriend of Harry's.  Harry hasn't seen Willow in over fifty years when he left home for a summer vacation which led to him finding his one true love.  However, when she calls and asks him to help her, he jumps at it.  Luckily Emma won't let him go and meet her alone, so she goes with him.

Unfortunately, when they get to the place where Willow asks him to meet her, all they find is a dead male. Before they can wrap their heads around anything, Harry's brother, Edgar, shows up in town.

As the group tries to piece together what is going on and how to help Willow, they realize there is a lot going on and getting to the bottom of things is going to take all of them working together ... but there are a lot of secrets and trust issues that need addressing as well.

Cullen really knows how to write a story keeping the reader on their toes.  You cannot help but love the story and the web she weaves.  You love the characters and their relationships.  

My advice is to let Cullen and her characters take you on their journey.  I tried to figure out who were the bad guys and the wrongdoings involved, but I decided to relax and let it go.  You will thank me.  

The Ghost Moon Tide (The Manatee Bay Cozy Mystery Series Book # 2) by Taffy Beach

Three holidays. Two ghosts.

And a town that knows how to take care of its own.

It’s October 1998, and Manatee Bay is swept up in the Spooks and Spirits Festival—a bold new autumn weekend where Halloween, Samhain, and the Day of the Dead share the same stage beneath a rare Ghost Moon. Main Street sparkles with skeletons dressed in satin and lace, food stalls perfumed with cinnamon and citrus, the sounds of Caribbean drums and salsa lessons, and a float parade that feels more Mardi Gras than small-town Florida.

But when a late-season hurricane exposes a skeleton long buried in the sand, whispers of the town’s Prohibition-era past begin to stir. And when the lighthouse ghost appears again—just as she has for more than half a century—the old stories suddenly feel far less harmless.

As a playful séance turns chilling and an unwelcome outsider’s arrival sparks deadly consequences, Kate finds herself caught between buried secrets and fresh bloodshed. With Police Chief Tom breathing down her neck, Kate realizes that Manatee Bay has its own way of handling those who slip through the cracks of the justice system.

Because in Manatee Bay, the past doesn’t stay buried.

And when the law falls short, the tide has a way of evening the score.

Under the 1998 Ghost Moon, some sins rise to the surface, and some are handled quietly.

A haunting coastal mystery filled with small-town secrets, family legacy, and festival-night danger, *The Ghost Moon Tides* is the second book in the Manatee Bay Cozy Mystery series. (Summary via Goodreads)

I don't know where to begin when talking about The Ghost Moon Tide by Taffy Beach.  This is the second book in her Manatee Bay Cozy Mystery series, and she knows how to pack a punch sorta speak.

If you have read the first book in this series, Tides, Lies and Alibis, you were introduced to a town and its residents. The town is Manatee Bay, and the residents are people who are dedicated to it.  A lot of the residents have been there for many years with generations before them establishing the town.

The people of Manatee Bay, some of them, have secrets, old and new, which we learn about in this second book.

In The Ghost Moon Tide Manatee Bay is gearing up for a three Halloween themed event which makes sense seeing as at the lighthouse they have a ghost.  This dates back to 1926, and the story is that a sister jumped off the lighthouse one night after her brother went missing.  She was having trouble with a gentleman and it's rumored that her brother went to defend her honor and was never seen after.

The story is brought to the present, which in this series is 1998, when a skeletal body is uncovered.  This gets everyone talking and where better to chat than at the High Tides Bakery where main characters Kat and Cindy are along with others in their crew.   There is a lot of speculation regarding the skeletal body but once it is confirmed that it is that of Mateo, the brother who went missing, everyone wants, no NEEDS to know, what is going on.

Mateo and his sister who jumped, Rosa, still have a sister living in Manatee Bay, Maria and she has something that everyone wants....Rosa's journal.  In this journal she writes about the advancements made toward her and how uncomfortable she was.

But how important is a case like this going to be ?  Well, when there are generations still living in Manatee Bay, it turns out to be very important.  And Kat and Cindy are really interested in finding out what happened as Kat's grandmother put the seed in their ears when they were teenagers .....

Now .... I could have went down a few other avenues regarding this story.  Like I said I didn't know where to begin and that is because there is a lot going on within this story.  It all falls into place as you read, and all makes sense in that "Aha" moment.  I chose to take you down one train of thought just to give you an idea of the story.  I leave it in your capable hands to pick up the book and get heading down the other avenues.

Multitasking Murder (Merry Wrath Mysteries Book # 40) by Leslie Langtry

From USA Today bestselling author Leslie Langtry comes the 40th installment in her laugh-out-loud mystery series!

Something old…something new…

It’s going to be a weekend to remember in Who’s There Iowa for multitasking ex-spy turned Girl Scout leader Merry Wrath! She has local medical examiner, Dr. Soo Jin Body’s, wedding, the grand opening of the Obladi Zoo Aviary, the graduation party for the Cult of Nicoderm’s teen druids, and her one of her troop and the youngest elected town official, Mayor Ava’s, re-election! As if that wasn’t enough chaos, someone is sending threatening letters warning these events to stop or else!

Someone murdered…and some kind of clue!

Merry's worries about things like the mayoral candidate who thinks aliens have packed explosives under her house, squeezing Officer Kevin Dooley’s mysterious plus one into an unforgiving wedding reception seating plan, and the little problem of Hilly the assassin showing up with new her pet European wolf pale in comparison to what comes next. When someone is found murdered backstage at the mayoral debate, Merry decides she should take the threats seriously. With the packed weekend fast approaching, can Merry find out who is behind the letters and catch a killer before the bridal bouquet is thrown?

What critics are saying about Leslie Langtry's books:

"I laughed so hard I cried on multiple occasions! Girl Scouts, the CIA, and the Yakuza... what could possibly go wrong?"
~ Fresh Fiction

"The Merry Wrath Mystery series has so much to love, and it is so different from other cozy mysteries that you can't help but be drawn to it."
~ Cozy Mystery Book Reviews

"Mixing a deadly sense of humor and plenty of sexy sizzle, Leslie Langtry creates a brilliantly original, laughter-rich mix of contemporary romance and suspense."
~ Chicago Tribune

"Langtry gets the fun started from page one."
~ Publisher's Weekly  (Summary via Goodreads)

As it is stated in the Author's Notes at the end of Multitasking Murder, this is the fortieth book in the Merry Wrath Mystery series by Leslie Langtry.  And Langtry cannot believe that she has written that many and thankfully for us readers, she doesn't have plans of stopping.

Langtry started the Merry Wrath Mystery series with a Girls Scout Troop in kindergarten and Merry becomes their troop leader when her CIA spy job comes to an abrupt end. I'm not sure when, no I haven't read all of the books in this series, but one of the girls in the troop becomes the youngest Mayor of their town, Who's There.

Since I have become a devoted reader of this series, I have seen the troop with the guidance of Merry and their other troop leader, Kelly, run that town with such power and grace.  And Merry has had a crucial role in making Who's There the murder capital of Iowa ..... but luckily her husband is the Chief of Police.

Okay so in Multitasking Murder Merry and crew are gearing up for a busy weekend.  There are four events happening that involve Merry with the troop also involved in a few. The medical examiner and one of the police officers are getting married with everyone in the bridal party, the zoo is opening an addition that they were instrumental in helping with, the election for Mayor results is to be announced and a group of high school students that worship Merry are graduating.

And to add more stress to the weekend people involved in these events are receiving threatening letters.  

So Merry and Kelly with the help of Hilly (who is a CIA assassin) do some interviewing and investigating while trying not to get into trouble or cause more trouble and stress.

This is such a fun series to read, I know I say that in every review, but it is.  I am always amazed at Langtry's imagination and have to applaud her for the success of having 40 books in one series published.  That is awesome !!!!

I highly encourage you to continue reading this series or if you haven't read any yet, go ahead and get started.  I think you'll be busy for a while but you will have a ton of fun reading !!!

Fighting Edge (Timber Creek K-9 Mystery Book # 11) by Margaret Mizushima

Major crimes intersect in this nail-biting installment of the Timber Creek K-9 mysteries by award–winning author Margaret Mizushima.

A routine welfare check becomes a nightmare when Deputy Mattie Walker finds a young mother dead and a hysterical toddler, possibly the only witness to a brutal crime. Before the investigative team can start piecing together what happened, Mattie discovers another criminal act in Timber Creek.

During a traffic stop for speeding, Mattie observes a nervous driver and a teenage passenger frozen with fear. A quick sweep of the car with her K-9 partner, Robo, reveals a dangerous mix of drugs and suspected human trafficking, providing Mattie with grounds to arrest the driver. After she places the teenager in protective custody, the sheriff’s department hands the case over to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.

As the team gathers evidence and information, Mattie’s husband, veterinarian Cole Walker, notices suspicious activity during ambulatory calls at dog kennels, indicating yet a third crime lurking in the shadows. What begins as isolated incidents quickly reveals a chilling Organized crime has infiltrated their rural mountain community.

Every clue leads to more questions, and each answer brings them closer to greater danger. Do Mattie and her law enforcement partners have what it takes to shut down this criminal ring before it claims more victims? And could its next victim be someone Mattie loves?  (Summary via Goodreads)

 

Fighting Edge, the eleventh book in the Timber Creek K-9 Mystery series by Margaret Mizushima, is a fast paced, on the edge of your seat story .... just like the previous ten books were.

In Fighting Edge main character Deputy Mattie Walker starts her day on a routine welfare check for a young mother and her infant daughter which ends up a homicide investigation.  Then before she can wrap her head around that a routine traffic stop leads to a drug bust and a questionable relationship between the occupants.  

Between these two instances Mattie, her K-9 dog Robo and the rest of her team will be lead down a rocky and emotional road.

Then there is Mattie's veterinarian husband Cole who takes on a new client to check a dog for breeding purposes and that turns into so much more and may tie into Mattie's cases.

The Timber Creek K-9 Mystery series is a great series, it has so much for readers to fall in love with.  As soon as you open one of the books, you will struggle to stop reading.  This is a series that you will continually be saying "one more chapter" until there are no chapters left.

And with Fighting Edge there are so many rocky situations as well as exciting moments that you will be along for the ride and unable to stop.

Flimflam Fairy (Magical Cozy Mystery Bookstore Book # 1) by Elizabeth Pantley

 A fun cozy mystery adventure with an enchanted bookstore and a clever talking cat!

Best friends Willa and Lucy buy an enchanted bookstore full of charmed books. One wisp of magic later, they're whisked inside a story, transformed into amateur sleuths, and joined by Banjo, a charming talking cat. There is no way out until the mystery is solved.

This adventure drops them in Whisperglow Village, a world of color, wonder, and fairies, where one of the most beloved residents in town has just been murdered, found clutching a cryptic note from a con man.

Villagers don't lock their doors here. They never imagined this could happen, and they certainly never could have imagined whodunit.

Can Willa, Lucy, and Banjo unmask the killer, solve the case, and make it back to their own cozy bookstore before the story closes its final page?

~ ~ ~


If you like the idea of an enchanted bookstore with charmed books, check out the companion series – The Magical Cozy Mystery Book Club. 11 book series available in eBook, paperback, audiobook, and Kindle Unlimited.  (Summary via Goodreads)

Elizabeth Pantley is the QUEEN of magical book clubs and mystical adventures and with this first book in her Magical Cozy Mystery Bookstore series, Flimflam Fairy, the titles say it all .... okay that's not true.  Obviously, some people will need more to go with so here we go ....

In this new series, Magical Cozy Mystery Bookstore, readers are introduced to Willa and Lucy who are two retired women who decide to throw darts at the map and take a vacation wherever the darts land.  Who would have known that both darts would land on the same place ....hmmm.  

Anyway, when they get to Thistlebloom in Arizona they fall in love with the town and somehow get talked into buying a bookstore.  They then find out that the bookstore and the house behind it where they move into are magical.  And that they get to travel inside a cozy book to see if they like it and will recommend it to book clubs.  Oh, and they are traveling with a talking cat, Banjo.

Their first adventure takes them to Whisperglow Village which is a place full of colorful fairies with colorful wings, everything around them is colorful and things are so different but in a good way.  That is until they happen upon a memorial in the park honoring a fairy, Meadow, who was recently strangled.

So, Willa, Lucy and Banjo figure they are there to solve Meadow's murder until they realize they are in a time jump and Meadow hasn't died yet .....

They begin their investigating and soon learn that there are a few fairies that were conned and maybe they are looking for the con artist.  Unfortunately, they are working against the clock to solve the case before it gets to the time when Meadow was strangled ....

If you are a fan of Harry Potter or Pantley's other's series,The Magical Cozy Mystery Book Club, I am sure you will love being swept into this one.  The Magical Cozy Mystery Book Club series has a whole group of members with a talking cat who can be annoying, jumping into the books but they get to pick their books and there are other differences that make both series unique.  I feel that readers will love the differences and look forward to jumping into the books.