Deadly Crush (Cece Barton Mystery Book # 2 ) by Maddie Day

It’s the beginning of a new year, and for widowed single mom and recent L.A. transplant to California wine country, Cece Barton, that means green hillsides, flowing streams from winter rains, pruned vineyards—and a murder to solve . . . 

After a mostly stress-free Christmas with her college-age daughter, and despite enjoying a current budding romance with fellow newcomer, Benjamin Cohen, it’s time for Cece to focus on Vino y Vida, the Colinas wine bar she manages. Electrical work and an outdoor security camera are needed, and she’s hired local electrician Karl Meier to do the job, along with the help of his nephew Ian. But she regrets her choice when she witnesses Karl needlessy berating Ian in her presence. On top of that, Karl leers at her, then presents her with an inflated bill before the work is complete. Still, she’s shocked when she gets a call from Karl’s ex-wife, Josie, that she’s found Karl . . . crushed to death beneath the lift in her automotive shop. 

Cece convinces Josie to call the police, even though Josie is terrified. After all, Karl was an abusive husband, was threatening her, and she has no alibi. With Josie’s future on the line, and maybe her own, Cece starts her own investigation. From the customers Karl cheated to the other women he harassed, she finds there’s no lack of suspects—other than the shelter kittens to whom he was an uncharacteristically sweet volunteer. With a bouquet of motives and unanswered questions, Cece is going to need the help of her twin, Allie, who owns a nearby B & B, as she dives into Karl’s past—before the killer catches up with her, and the lights go out for good . . .(Summary via Goodreads)

Grab a snack, a comfy blanket and a glass of wine (and leave the bottle nearby) because as soon as you opening up Deadly Crush, the second book in the Cece Barton Mystery series by Maddie Day, you are not going to be moving off the couch or chair.  

In Deadly Crush main character Cece Barton takes her beloved car, Blue, to her friends garage for a tune up. But before Jo can get to work on Blue, she called Cece to come to the garage immediately.  Once Jo gets to the garage she finds Jo's ex-husband Karl dead .... crushed under the lift in the garage.  Cece had Karl in her wine bar the day before working on an electrical issue and even though she didn't know him well, she wasn't a big fan of him.

Cece soon learns that not many people in Colinas had fond memories of their experiences with the electrician but she knows that there is no way that Jo killed him.  So she finds herself asking questions trying to get to know the person Karl was.  As she does this her list of suspects grows and grows .... and, of course, as word gets out that she is talking, some want to tell her more but others may be trying to silence her.

If you are not a fan of Maddie Day I cannot stress it enough that you need to be !!  Your life will be so much better as you read her books and get to know the characters.  And with the Cece Barton Mystery series, it is encouraged for you to have a glass of wine or as Cece likes, a couple fingers of scotch.  It helps with the reading process ..... well, it wouldn't hurt.  But a nice cup of tea or coffee is acceptable as well.  Whatever your beverage of choice may be, grab it and dig in to Deadly Crush.

Murder at the Lemonberry Tea (Beacon Bakeshop Book # 6 ) by Darci Hannah

Lindsey Bakewell’s iconic lighthouse bakeshop in beautiful Beacon Harbor, Michigan, is hosting a celebrity cookbook author from the UK—but the notorious diva is now DOA . . . 

Lindsey’s patrons have a new outdoor patio where they can eat their treats in the glorious summer weather. But even more exciting is that the Beacon Bakeshop is going to host British celebrity chef Vivi Lemonberry—and what could be a more appropriate event than a tea party?   

What Lindsey didn’t realize is that Vivi is here to put some distance between herself and her recent professional and personal scandals. Despite assurances that Vivi is as sweet as a chocolate-dipped strawberry, Lindsey is cooling rapidly toward the culinary icon . . . especially after she banishes Lindsey’s beloved dog, Wellington, from the bakeshop and then flirts outrageously with Lindsey’s boyfriend.  

She’s not the only one feeling hostile, though. While Vivi’s in the middle of making a tart in front of the cameras, a woman runs up and slaps her. Soon, Vivi’s nowhere to be found, and folks are speculating on whether she’s run off with her secret lover or just laying low due to embarrassment. That is, until Lindsey finds a body bobbing near the surface of Lake Michigan. It’s a sour ending for the diva, but Lindsey is determined to squeeze the truth out of every clue until she finds the killer . .   (Summary via Goodreads)

I am a huge fan of books with a lighthouse as one of the main focal points and the Beacon Bakeshop series by Darci Hannah is one of them.

The Beacon Bakeshop series centers around Lindsey Bakewell and her bakeshop in a lighthouse in Beacon Harbor, Michigan.  Not only is the shop in the lighthouse but she lives there as well.  You have to admit that is cool and you want to live there or at least visit .... just try to plan your visit when there isn't a murder and Lindsey and her crew aren't busy trying to solve the case ... I mean help the police solve it.

Lindsey, her boyfriend Rory and her best friend Kennedy and Kennedy's ex-boyfriend Tucker who is a police officer always seem to meet and work out the murder and suspect list.  Unfortunately the murder in Murder at the Lemonberry Tea hits too close to home for Lindsey as it happens because she is the one who brought everyone to town ....

In Murder at the Lemonberry Tea Lindsey is hosting an event featuring Vivi Lemonberry who is a celebrity baker and cookbook author from the UK.  It is a very exciting time as Kennedy's mother, sister, and grandmother are there as well.  Unfortunately during the planned event another cookbook and baking celebrity shows up and slaps Vivi.  This ends the event and Vivi seems to go into hiding.

Sadly when Lindsey and Rory are out for her scuba diving lesson, she finds Vivi's body weighed down in the lake.  And it looks like the killer may be trying to frame Lindsey.  This gets the group together quickly and the dry erase board out and the suspect list started.  

While they try to uncover Vivi's killer, the soon learn that Vivi had a lot of enemies and there are more people in Beacon Harbor who have motive.

Readers will have a blast reading this story.  Hannah will have you trying to take notes of your own to try to uncover the killer but as with the story and Lindsey and crew, things will unravel quickly and you won't know who to trust and who to believe .......

Planes, Candy Canes, and Hearses: ( A Cookies & Chance Mysteries novella, book # 14.5) by Catherine Bruns

From USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bruns comes a tasty holiday treat....

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas for Sally Muccio. The part-time sleuth and full-time baker is up to her elbows in sugar and a puzzling mystery that threatens to ruin her jolly holiday...

As Sal and her good friend Josie prepare to close their bakery to enjoy Christmas Eve, as well as Sal’s daughter’s birthday, a last-minute sojourn to the airport interferes. Sal mistakenly thinks this will be a quick outing to pick up her father from a business trip. But with the weather outside frightful, and her delightful father nowhere to be found, her fears quickly begin to escalate.

Where is Domenic Muccio, and why isn’t he answering his phone? And who is the mysterious companion he was seen leaving the airport with? If Sal doesn’t find her father soon, no one will be rocking around the Christmas tree.

Includes a delicious recipe for candy cane cookies!

What critics are

"A fantastic cozy mystery!"
~ InD'Tale Magazine

"I want to visit more with all of the quirky characters just to see what crazy and outrageous things they will do next!"
~ Fresh Fiction

"The Cookies and Chance Mystery series is more than just a series....it's a family !! Once you read the first book, you are hooked and feel like a member of the crazy Muccio family."
~ Cozy Mystery Book Reviews  (Summary via Goodreads)

Anyone that knows me knows that the Cookie & Chance Mystery series by Catherine Bruns is my favorite series.  Any time that I can escape with Sally, Josie, Mike and the rest of the families you know that I'm doing it.  And I will stay there as long as I want .....  unfortinately with Planes, Candy Canes, and Hearses my time with them is very short as this is a novella.  However, even though it is a short story, it is still packed with a great captivating tale ..... 

In Planes, Candy Canes and Hearses it is Christmas Eve and a very pregnant Sally has to pick up her dad from the airport and then go to her parents house for Christmas Eve dinner and her daughter Cookie's birthday celebration.  But, of course, it isn't that simple.  First Sally's car won't start so Josie takes her in the van.  Then secondly when they get to the airport Domenic is no where to be found but his luggage is still on the carousel .....

Sally tries not to panic but it is not like her dad to be missing.  Yes he is very wierd but he would never want his family to worry.  

Sally has to find her dad and get him and herself safely to dinner or else ...... 

Once you read any of the books in the Cookies & Chance Mystery series you are a devoted fan !!!  You may try to read the stories slowly so that your time with the characters will last but once you start reading you will not want to stop !!!!

Mashed Potato Murder (A Merry Wrath Mysteries novella) by Leslie Langtry

From USA Today bestselling author Leslie Langtry comes a hilarious holiday "homicide" you'll never forget!

It’s Thanksgiving—time for family, fun and… murder?

Thanksgiving would seem to be the holiday for sharing—that is, except for the bloodbath that usually occurs over the last crescent roll. This year, ex-CIA agent turned Girl Scout leader, Merry Wrath, has to host the turkeystravaganza with her husband Rex’s family and a few friends. And with eccentric-eater Officer Kevin Dooley around, she also has to set up a security perimeter to defend the leftovers.

Turns out, the turkey’s not the only thing that is dead…

Things really get interesting when the world’s most terrifying thirteen-year-old, Betty, shows up with a Murder Mystery Game, where everyone is a character and the victim only pretends to be dead. But there are secrets served up with the turkey and gravy, and Merry realizes she doesn’t know everything about her kith and kin. At least it’s only a pretend murder, but Merry has a reputation to protect. Can she solve the "murder" before everyone else and keep her spot as the best amateur detective in the family?

What critics are saying about Leslie Langtry's

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

"Darkly funny and wildly over the top, this mystery answers the burning question, 'Do assassin skills and Girl Scout merit badges mix…?'"
~ RT BOOKreviews

"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)

Mashed Potato Murder is a novella in the Merry Wrath Mystery series by Leslie Langtry and it is just in time for Thanksgiving.

In Mashed Potato Murder Merry and her husband Rex are hosting Thanksgiving at their house for a group of their friends as both sets of parents have other plans.  Little did they know that they were going to have to protect their leftovers from a very hungry Officer Kevin Dooley who can't help that he is always hungry.

Another surprise is when Betty, a member of the Girl Scout troop that Merry leads, brings a game for everyone to play and things get scary.  Everyone is provided with an envelope giving them information about their character in the game.  Then when one of them is murdered, they have to find out who the guilty party is but are only allowed to ask a few questions to the other players.

With over thirty books and novellas in the Merry Wrath Mystery series readers know that they are in for a good story.  Obviously Langtry knows what she is doing.  And the fun thing about Mashed Potato Murder is that no one really dies, it's all for fun !!!

I'll Be Home for Mischief (Christmas Tree Farm Mystery Book # 5) by Jacqueline Frost

Innkeeper Holly White is decking the halls this Christmas season, but someone is on the naughty list when a body is discovered in the fifth installment in the Christmas Tree Farm mystery series from bestselling author Jacqueline Frost.

It’s Christmastime in Mistletoe, Maine, and the Historical Society has launched a widespread campaign to celebrate the town’s 150th anniversary. Descendants of the founding family, the Snows, have returned for the first time, and Holly is determined to make the family’s visit magical. In an attempt to put Mistletoe on the map, Holly’s mother, a respected local baker, attempts to break a record by baking the world’s largest gingerbread man, but her plans are whisked away when Mr. Snow’s body ends up in the batter. 

When Mr. Moore, the local mistletoe farmer, is accused of the crime, Holly reprises her role as amateur sleuth to protect the sweet older man. Between hosting the inconsolable Mrs. Snow and other guests at the inn, receiving threatening messages telling her to stop her investigation, and preparing for her first wedding anniversary with Sheriff Evan Gray, she might need a Christmas miracle to survive.

When someone breaks into Holly’s office and scratches a warning into her desk, she knows she has little time left. Can Holly uncover the killer before someone else gets burned, or is her involvement a recipe for trouble?  (Summary via Goodreads)

It doesn't matter if you are reading the first book in the Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series, Twelve Slays of Christmas, or the latest and fifth book, I'll Be Home for Mischief, author Jacqueline Frost is guaranteed to win you over !!  This series has so much for readers to love and she sets the stage beautifully so that you feel like you are right there inside the story.

In I'll Be Home for Mischief the town of Mistletoe, Maine is gearing up for the Christmas season and Holly White and her parents are ready at their tree farm.  Now this tree farm is so much more .... they have the inn decked out in holiday decorations that Holly oversees, the Hearth that Holly's mom runs and bakes delicious treats, the grounds that her father is in.  And this year the town and Historical Society are celebrating their 150th anniversary and they have turned downtown into a Victorian Christmas.

Holly's mom is also trying to get into the Guiness Book of World's Record by making the largest gingerbread man cookie.  Unfortunately before the cookie can be baked, they find one of the guests staying at the inn dead in the batter.  And you know what Holly is going to do .... even though her husband the Sheriff would like her to stay as far away as possible.  Now we know that that will be impossible for her and she wouldn't be her if she didn't do whatever she can to ensure her town and everyone living and visiting there is safe.

The Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series is such a treat to read.  As soon as you finish the first chapter you are hooked !!!  It opens your imagination wide open and you can picture everything, you may even think you can smell the baked goods and taste the hot cocoa !!  I know I can !!!  You will fall in love with the characters and want to be in their little, amazing group.  And the way that Frost builds up the characters and their lives, you know you are a fan and will be back with every new book she writes so that you can grow with them as you settle in and visit .....

Gingerbread Danger (An Amish Candy Shop Mystery Book # 9) by Amanda Flower

Amanda Flower’s USA Today bestselling Amish Candy Shop Mysteries combines a fascinating look at Amish life with the sugar rush of candy making, a quirky whodunit, and a hint of romance between chocolatier Bailey King and her law enforcer boyfriend. This eighth installment raises the charm even more, as Christmas preparations are underway in the small town of Harvest, Ohio.

Amish Candy shop owner and star of TV’s Bailey’s Amish Sweets, Bailey King has a lot to be excited about. She’s happily engaged to Aiden Brody, newly appointed county sheriff, and her candy factory is finally having its grand opening in Harvest, Ohio—just before Christmas! Bailey is ready to let the sweet celebrations
begin . . .

With the help of local community organizer Margot Rawlings, Harvest will have a Candy Land themed Christmas on the village square—featuring Bailey’s recently perfected recipe for gingerbread men. When the big day comes, everything is going well—until bitter news arrives. One of Bailey’s Amish friends has been killed in an apparent accident just outside the candy factory. Aiden is promptly on the case—with more than a little input from Bailey . . .

Together, they soon learn that the victim was working for some powerful men in the county, and in doing so was spying on his own Amish community. Still, Bailey is determined to find the perpetrator. If she can’t cut out the killer from the rest of the suspects, her gingerbread men won’t be the only ones in danger of disappearing . . .  (Summary via Goodreads)

The Amish Candy Shop Mystery series by Amanda Flower is a great series to get lost in and Gingerbread Danger, the ninth book is out !!!

In Gingerbread Danger the town of Harvest is celebrating the Christmas holiday season with a Candy Land game on the town square for children of all ages to enjoy and main character Bailey King and her candy shop and factory are supplying the candy for the game.  This time of year the candy shop is always busy and this is the first year for her new candy factory and both are going well ..... until the organizer of the event, Margot, insists on putting one of the huge game pieces on the roof of the factory without talking to Bailey.  Bailey doesn't want it there so she asks her employee, Zeph, to remove it.

Unfortunately there is what seems to be an accident and Zeph falls to his death from the roof.  But Bailey being Bailey doesn't think it's that simple so she sets out to find out more about Zeph.  But looking into Zeph will not be easy seeing as he was part of the one Amish community but she learns that he was living elsewhere and not acting Amish anymore.  Luckily Zeph's sister, Lida, works for Bailey so maybe she can help ....

There is a lot going on in Gingerbread Danger .... the town square is set up for everyone to enjoy the holidays, Bailey's two businesses are extremely busy, Bailey's parents are visiting and her mother wants to plan Bailey and Aiden's wedding, Bailey's soon to be mother-in-law keeps asking Bailey to pig sit, Jethro, and Aiden is again in the middle of a serious possible murder case and trying to keep Bailey from doing her own investigating, businesses and homes are being robbed which is putting everyone on edge ......... and more that you wil have to read about on your own !!!

Anytime that a reader can escape into a good book is a good day and Flower knows how to make that experience one to remember even after you finish the story.  The Amish Candy Shop Mystery series is a real treat to devour and I highly encourage you to dig in !!!