To Slip the Bonds of Earth (Katharine Wright Book # 1) by Amanda Flower

While not as famous as her older siblings Wilbur and Orville, the celebrated inventors of flight, Katharine Wright is equally inventive – especially when it comes to solving crimes – in USA Today bestselling author Amanda Flower’s radiant new historical mystery series inspired by the real sister of the Wright Brothers.

December 1903: While Wilbur and Orville Wright’s flying machine is quite literally taking off in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina with its historic fifty-seven second flight, their sister Katharine is back home in Dayton, Ohio, running the bicycle shop, teaching Latin, and looking after the family. A Latin teacher and suffragette, Katharine is fiercely independent, intellectual, and the only Wright sibling to finish college. But at twenty-nine, she’s frustrated by the gender inequality in academia and is for a new challenge. She never suspects it will be sleuthing…

Returning home to Dayton, Wilbur and Orville accept an invitation to a friend’s party. Nervous about leaving their as-yet-unpatented flyer plans unattended, Wilbur decides to bring them to the festivities . . . where they are stolen right out from under his nose. As always, it’s Katharine’s job to problem solve—and in this case, crime-solve.

As she sets out to uncover the thief among their circle of friends, Katharine soon gets more than she bargained She finds her number one suspect dead with a letter opener lodged in his chest. It seems the patent is the least of her brothers’ worries. They have a far more earthbound concern—prison. Now Katharine will have to keep her feet on the ground and put all her skills to work to make sure Wilbur and Orville are free to fly another day.  (Summary via Goodreads)

I love when I am reading a book and I cannot put it down !!!  I hate when I am reading a book and I cannot put it down !!!  And I know other readers feel exactly what I mean !!  As much as you love the book and cannot stop reading it, you are also torn because you don't want to get to the end because then it will be over.....

To Slip the Bonds of Earth is the first book in the new Katharine Wright Mystery series by Amanda Flower and it is a HIT !!

In To Slip the Bonds of Earth Flower writes about the Wright Brothers and their family but have their sister, Katharine, as the focal point.  Katharine's brothers Orville and Wilbur are away working on their flying machine and send a telegram home stating that they have achieved their goal !!  Soon after the telegram is received the two Wright brothers return home for the Christmas holiday and to celebrate. 

Unfortunately things do not go as planned as Katharine's best friend Agnes invites her to a holiday party at the Shaw's grand estate.  Katharine would love to stay home because she had to discipline Benny Shaw, one of her students, right before the holiday break.  So she gets her brother Orville to attend the party with her.  Sadly neither of the Wright siblings knew that they would come across a dead body in the billards room, Orville will lose important papers, and Benny will be arrested for the murder !!!

Katharine should be spending her holiday break getting in the Christmas spirit shopping, baking cookies,  and spending time with her family.  But she finds herself looking into the murder because she knows that Benny is innocent and Orville has asked her to help him find the missing papers so he doesn't have to disappoint and upset Wilbur.

Readers will LOVE this story ... there is so much going on that you will be roped in immediately and unable to unravel yourself ... not that you would want to.  You will love the storyline, the characters, oh who am I kidding .... you will love everything !!!  I cannot stress it enough ... this is a book and a series that you didn't know you needed in your life until now !!!!

  

Death at the Spring Fling (Aloha Lagoon Mysteries Book # 21) by Rosalie Spielman

From author Rosalie Spielman comes a killer new beach read!  It's springtime in Aloha Lagoon, Hawaii, and romance is in the air! Along with murderous intentions…

The dive shop where Kiki Hepburn works is sponsoring the first annual Aloha Lagoon Resort Spring Fling Dance, and naturally is in charge of the "Under The Sea" themed décor. In between hanging crepe paper jellyfish tentacles and paper mâché honu, Kiki witnesses an argument between two men, and is unsurprised to see her old foe Ruby Nakasoma right in between them. But what does surprise her is when, during the dance, Kiki and her boyfriend Dex find one of the men dead, with Ruby leaning over him holding a vicious looking murder weapon! Kiki thinks Ruby's true nature has finally caught up to her, but when Ruby makes a heartfelt appeal for help, Kiki starts looking for a murderer who may or may not be finished…

With Dex undercover and suspects as bountiful as springtime hormones, bike-riding delivery men, a tree-trimming cougar on the prowl, and a nose-booping jack-of-all-trades make their way under Kiki's magnifying glass. Will she find the murderer before they find another victim?

What critics are saying "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)

I don't think that I really need to say anything when it comes to the Aloha Lagoon Mystery series published by Gemma Halliday Publishing seeing as there are twenty-one books in this amazing series with the twenty second being released soon !!!  But I will seeing as I LOVE this series and everything about it.

First I believe it needs to be mentioned that this series is written by numerous authors.  These authors write about their own characters and storyline with a few things in common with the other books ... they all center around the Aloha Lagoon Resort on Kauai in Hawaii, the businesses are the same in every book and the detective assigned to each murder is always Detective Ray Kahoalani .... and yes there is ALWAYS a murder to solve.

In Death at the Spring Fling by Rosalie Spielman main character Kiki Hepburn is just trying to spend time with her gorgeous boyfriend Dex, work with him and his father at the Aloha Lagoon Dive Shop, and hang out with her landlady Auntie Akamai, who is Dex's aunt.  

Unfortunately at the Spring Fling, which Kiki and Dex helped decorate, they come across a dead body and Kiki's kind of enemy Ruby standing over the deceased holding the murder weapon !! Of course Ruby denies killing Riley who is her ex-boyfriend.  But she doesn't make things better when she goes in hiding !!

Kiki has no intentions of looking into the murder like she has in the past.  The only reason she has done it before is because she needed to clear someone she loved or she was asked.  There is no way Ruby will ask her to look into Riley's murder especially seeing as the two do not get along.  So I am sure everyone will be shocked when Ruby does ask for help ... Kiki's help !!

So Kiki decides to look into Riley's murder but in order to do that she is going to have to rely on Dex.  Dex ends up going undercover by getting a job doing deliveries on his bike, even though he could do it with his Jeep, to help see what Riley was doing.

Readers will be hooked from the beginning of this book as well as all the previous books in this amazing series !!  It is always a treat when you can get lost at the Aloha Lagoon Resort with whichever characters and author you pick !! This will easliey become a favorite of yours and you will be on the look out for future books so that you can dive right in !!!

To learn more about this series, go to :

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

Better Safe Than Sorry (A Sgt. Windflower Mystery Book # 14) by Mike Martin

Winston Windflower is enjoying his retirement from the RCMP in Grand Bank, Newfoundland, happily spending time with his young family, but feeling a little restless. Corporal Eddie Tizzard is running the Marystown detachment and struggling with the demands of the role while his own family grows.

When a new drug threatens the community a body -- the wrong body -- is found dead in a hearse, and then another drug-connected death occurs, and Tizzard knows he's dealing with a deadly menace in their quiet, close-knit community.

Windflower finds himself inexorably and not unhappily drawn back into the action, first in an unofficial role to help snare the drug dealers and then back to active duty in a community that desperately needs his steady hand and good judgement.

Our favorite Mountie, Sgt. Windflower and his fellow courageous cops in small-town Grand Bank, Newfoundland are back to fight a new threat in this compelling page-turner. Award-winning author Mike Martin once again brings us a stirring story, blending down-home Newfoundland charm with the warmth of family life.

“Windflower is a cook, a storyteller, a family man with contacts that stop you in your tracks with that special Windflower phrase or relationship. The setting is a story by itself. Together the author, Mike Martin, spins a tale centred in Grand Bank Newfoundland with colour, winter storms, crime, and Mounties that live on their stomachs.” 
— Don Graves, Canadian Mystery Reviews

“Be prepared to be charmed by Windflower, a food-loving sergeant who could possibly be Canada’s most polite Mountie.”
— Halifax Chronicle-Herald

“Dangerous Waters is an engaging thriller with a superb cast”
— Kirkus Reviews  (Summary via Ottawa Press and Publishing)

Better Safe Than Sorry is the latest book in the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series by Mike Martin and if you are a fan, you know that you are in store for an entertaining and captivating story.  With fourteen books in this series you know Martin is doing something right !!

The Sgt. Windflower Mystery series follows Winston Windflower who works for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, his family and friends in Grand Bank, Newfoundland.  As the series progresses there are a lot of changes in Windflower's life, some good, some bad and others great.

In Better Safe Than Sorry Windflower who is now the community safety office in Grand Banks and the surrounding areas is informed that there is a new deadly drug being distributed called Green Monsters.  He begins to circulate and get the word out about this drug and the dangers of using it.  And Windflower's close friend who is currently the Acting Inspector, Edward Tizzard, is looking into a dead body in a hearse.  Once the hearse arrived to the funeral home, the funeral directed found out that it wasn't the body he was expected.  The body, which is a young woman, has also not died of natural causes.

The office that Windflower works out of in Grand Bank was actually closed and the new detachment office is in nearby Marytown.  The Marytown office is where Tizzard is stationed along with his wife Office Carrie Evanchuk.  And things are going to get complicated and exciting soon with Tizzard having to look to Windflower for help .... lots of help.  Unfortunately Windflower and his wife Sheila have a comfortable life with their two young daughters, Stella and Amelia Louise, and the bed and breakfast that is open in season and Windflower is safe in his new career.

Windflower will do anything for the law and his Mountie family as long as he isn't in danger and Sheila has given the green light on whatever he is being dragged into.  And in Better Safe Than Sorry he is going to be dragged right into the middle of everything as his drug concerns will intertwine with things going on in Marytown with Tizzard.

Readers cannot get enough of Windflower and this series ...whether it is when Windflower is just walking around town with his dog, Lady or playing with the girls, or making dinner, or deep into a case and is on the job, you are HOOKED !!!  You fall in love immediately with everything and everyone !! You will love the relationships, the cases, the town and when they talk about food ... and there is a lot of food mentioned.  So I highly encourage you to grab a snack and a drink, go to your comfy seat and dig in .....

To preorder this book, go to https://www.ottawapressandpublishing.com/

Molten Death (An Orchid Isle Mystery Book # 1) by Leslie Karst

A glimpse of a quickly melting corpse at the foot of a volcano has amateur sleuth and food enthusiast Valerie Corbin shocked. But how can she investigate a murder, when there's no evidence the victim ever existed?

The first Orchid Isle cozy mystery, set in tropical Hilo, Hawai'i, introduces a fun and feisty LGBTQ+ couple who swap surfing lessons for sleuthing sessions! Retired caterer Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen have come to the Big Island of Hawai'i to treat themselves to a well-earned tropical vacation. After the recent loss of her brother, Valerie is in sore need of a distraction from her troubles and is looking forward to enjoying the delicious food and vibrant culture the state has to offer. 

Early one morning, the couple and their friend - tattooed local boy, Isaac - set out to see an active lava flow, and Valerie is mesmerized by the shape-shifting mass of orange and red creeping over the field of black rock. Spying a boot in the distance, she strides off alone, pondering how it could have gotten there, only to realize to her horror that the boot is still attached to a leg - a leg which is slowly being engulfed by the hot lava. Valerie's convinced a murder has been committed - but as she's the only witness to the now-vanished corpse, who's going to believe her?

Determined to prove what she saw, and get justice for the unknown victim, Valerie launches her own investigation. But, thrown into a Hawaiian culture far from the luaus and tiki bars of glossy tourist magazines, she soon begins to fear she may be the next one to end up entombed in shiny black rock . . .The amiable characters, stunning backdrop and culinary delights make this the perfect cozy of fans who enjoy a tropical vacation with a twisty murder mystery and compelling Hawai'ian culture - paired with an added bonus of recipes of local Hawai'ian dishes!  (Summary via Goodreads)

Molten Death is the first book in the new Orchid Isle Mystery series by Leslie Karst.  And if you know Karst, I know her via Facebook, you shouldn't be surprised that she is centering this new series in Hawaii.

In Molten Death Valerie and her wife Kristen are vacationing in Hilo, Hawaii at Kristen's friend Isaac's house.  They are there to relax and allow Valerie to grieve the death of her brother Charlie which she lost in a horrible accident.  Unfortunately when they go to visit the site of an active volcano flow, Valerie sees a boot and part of a leg being covered by the hot lava and disappearing.  And sadly Kristen and Isaac were no where near her when she witnessed this so they do not believe her when she tries to explain.  Because this traumatic siting is so close to the way her brother died, Valerie cannot stop thinking about it.

So instead of having a nice, relaxing vacation taking in the sites of Hawaii, Valerie is unable to stop thinking about the boot and when she learns of a local reported as missing, she goes full force into learning everything she can about the missing person.  Unfortunately Kristen and Isaac do not believe her and think that she is wasting her time and vacation looking into something that didn't happen.  This puts a lot of tension on their relationship and Valerie knows that she cannot stop with things until she gets to the bottom of everything.  This makes things difficult as Valerie doesn't know anyone and when she begins asking questions about people she doesn't know, people become on edge.....

Readers will love this series and luckily Karst has a glossary in the back of the book defining all the Hawaiian words and slang she uses throughout the book so readers can use slang as well.

Readers will thoroughly love this story and for once this book does not have the main character fighting with the police or detectives throughout the "investigation" which is a nice change but doesn't take anything away from the story,  And knowing how familiar the author is with Hawaii makes the readers feel like they are there along for the ride.  Happy traveling readers !!!