Tides, Lies, and Alibis by Taffy Beach

Northern Exposure meets Carl Hiaasen with a Jimmy Buffett twang.

A faded dynasty, a mouthy parrot, and a pastry-fueled murder...

It’s February 1998, and Kate McGregor has a system: avoid the town’s eccentric gossip, stay inside her inherited Gilded Age home, and focus on the quirky local crafts in her consignment gallery. Between her meddling Scottish father and her best friend Cindy’s unconventional Hide Tides Bakery regulars, Kate’s introverted life is already louder than she’d like—and that’s before you count her rescued family zoo of cats, dogs, and a macaw.

But the peace of Manatee Bay is fragile. When a widely disliked local figure drops dead at the Spring Berry Festival, the trail leads straight to Cindy’s award-winning pastries. To save her friend and the town’s favorite gossip hub, Kate must step out of the shadows of her family’s dark history and into the spotlight of a murder investigation.

In Manatee Bay, the secrets are as deep as the Gulf.

Backed by a quirky cast of characters, including an 88-year-old attorney who made her grandmother a deathbed promise, Kate must untangle a web of old wealth intrigues, long-standing lies, and new grudges. Can she clear her friend's name, or will the dark history of her own family’s ruined fortune catch up to her first?

This is the first of six books (releasing every 14-18 weeks). While the contemporary murders are solved in each book, an overriding arc explores the clouded family history and scandalous mysteries that have haunted the town since Kate's grandfather’s time.  (Summary via Goodreads)

Tides, Lies, and Alibis by Taffy Beach is the first book in her Manatee Bay Cozy Mystery series and it sets the stage beautifully.

In Tides, Lies and Alibis best friends Kate and Cindy are getting ready for a busy weekend with the Spring Berry Festival in Manatee Bay happening.  Cindy is preparing her famous cream puffs for the festivities and Kate does her part and delivers them around town.  

Unfortunately, even though no one is supposed to eat any until during the actual festival, it seems that Alex Mudd, the primary school principal who nobody likes, may have sampled one.  Alex comes across him staggering and acting drunk and shortly dies but she cannot help but notice that there may be traces of a cream puff on his shirt.

Even though he wasn't well liked, Kate knows that she has to investigate for so many reasons .... most importantly to prove her best friend's innocence and save their businesses.  But Cindy, Kate's father and her family lawyer and friend won't let her go it alone. 

Kate and Cindy have been friends forever, live together with a few cats, a dog and a very vocal parrot, each running a business on the ground floor of their home but now with Mudd's death all of that is in jeopardy.  And the local Chief of Police seems to have something against Kate and her family, and it appears that he may already have the case closed.

Readers will love this first book as you get to know the characters and "some" of their secrets.  Kate and Cindy have a friendship that you will want, not to mention their home, pets and jobs.  You will want to live in Manatee Bay, even with a recent murder there.  There is so much you will want to be a part of that you will be wishing you could pack a bag and visit as soon as possible.  Luckily, we have more books coming so we have to wait patiently .....

Gimme Shelter (A Layla Virtue Mystery Book # 2) by Libby Klein

This whip-smart, witty series packs an emotional punch within an engaging mystery as Layla Virtue, a 30-something recovering alcoholic and former cop turned party musician, finds a sideline in solving murders from her new home in a Potomac County trailer park…

An unforgettable mystery brimming with hilarity and heart for readers of Margot Douaihy, Jane Pek, and Darynda Jones.

As the song says, you can’t always get what you want. Maybe that’s why, instead of fulfilling her youthful dream of being a rock star, Layla Fortune is living in a trailer park while playing third-rate gigs, including a stint at a ʼ70s Abba brunch. Given everything else she’s been through lately, she’s not complaining (much) about satin ruffles and go-go boots. She has a squad of supportive new BFFs, and she’s reclaimed a relationship with her famous rocker dad. His recent diagnosis has brought them even closer—sharing the trailer park’s lake house, which he’s had remodeled in typically over-the-top style.

Layla’s dad loves his new community and the feeling seems mutual. So, why is one of them blackmailing him? It’s a mystery almost as baffling as the assignment Layla receives from her former look into the brutal murder of a mild-mannered school teacher. Archie Wilkins was bludgeoned with a candelabra, shot up with drugs, and stuffed into a church confessional. Not the kind of outcome expected for a guy reputed to be the world’s nicest.

Perhaps Archie had secrets. Perhaps everyone does, including Layla’s one-time cop colleagues. She’s been blaming herself for a deadly ambush that destroyed her career and her peace of mind, but as her new friends help Layla regain her memories, a different picture emerges, and it’s one that forces her to question so much that she’s taken as truth . . .  (Summary via Goodreads)

Even though Gimme Shelter is only the second book in the Layla Virtue Mystery series by Libby Klein, I am already a HUGE fan !!  

In Gimme Shelter Layla is learning to live her new life, one where she is no longer on the police force, is the new owner of the trailer park she lives in thanks to her rich and famous rockstar dad, going to AA meetings with three women who she now calls friends and trying to take care of her dad who has early dementia.

Thanksgiving is around the corner and Layla and her dad are moving into their new home, the owner's cottage on the property of the trailer park after he had it renovated.  But before she can really grasp what she is seeing, she is approached by an old co-worker on the force to help look into a murder that they haven't had any luck with solving.

Layla is not sure who she can trust on the force and still has a lot of questions regarding an op that she was in charge of went wrong killing her entire team.  So, while she works through that with her friend and neighbor Nick as well as her AA posse, they will all work together to try to solve Archie Wilkins murder.  But trying to find someone who wanted a second-grade teacher and all-around good guy dead will be hard, especially seeing as the police have come up empty.

I fell in love with this series with the first book, Vice and Virtue, because there are so many things going on to keep your interest as well as fall in love with.  The only bad thing is having to wait, patiently, for the next one because Klein knows how to end the book keeping readers on the hook.

Mares and Murder( A Merry Wrath Mystery Book # 39) by Leslie Langtry

From USA Today bestselling author Leslie Langtry comes a hilarious mystery on a dude ranch full of surprises!

Hold your horses!

The end of summer still holds surprises when ex-CIA agent turned Girl Scout leader Merry Wrath Ferguson gets an offer to take her troop of girls to a dude ranch in Colorado! Demon’s Point Dude Ranch is owned by a college friend who wants Merry’s troop to test the staff and trail ride. The girls are gung ho, rounding out the troop with goth girl Draconia and Future Espionage Agents of America member Ardith.

You can’t look a gift horse in the mouth…

The troop is really champing at the bit to go on the remote, three-day trail ride through the Rockies and find the abandoned gold mining camp hidden there, until disaster happens and they find themselves cut off from the rest of the world. When the only person who knows another way back ends up murdered, the group has to change horses in midstream to figure out how to get back to the ranch. Merry needs her horse sense to find the killer before Happy Trails turns into Murder Trails!

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

"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)

I honestly do not know how authors do it .... Leslie Langtry is the author of the Merry Wrath Mystery series and Mares and Murder is the THIRTY-NINTH book in the series !!  What is there to say about a book or series when there are that many books ???

The Merry Wrath Mystery series is a very special and unique series, it has a lot of different things within it to make readers huge fans.  

You have the main character Merry along with her best friend Kelly running a Girl Scout troop with a group of girls since they were in kindergarten.  They are now in middle school and more grown up than either troop leader would like.  Betty, one of the girls, is the Mayor of Who's There and has been since she was eleven.  There are four girls names Kaitlyn, they look alike and will be major soccer players eventually.  They have Ava who will run businesses in the future, Lauren who talks to all the animals and Inez who is just off the charts crazy.  And recently they have added two additional girls to the group who may end up in the troop, Draconia (who is all about goth) and Ardith (who is a member of Betty's Future Espionage Agents of America club) if they can survive their latest debacle .....

In Mare and Murder the group is invited to Demon's Point Dude Ranch.  The ranch is owned by Merry's old friend from college, Jodie, and she invited them to come experience the ranch before it actually opens so they can work out any problems.

And boy will there be problems !!!  When the group goes on a trail ride for a few days, they find out a landslide took out the path they were to return on and then the woman that nobody liked on the ranch is found stabbed, they find themselves in a little bit of a pickle ..... with more things happened that make Merry and Kelly question their insanity and if they can get the troop out safely.

With thirty-nine books in this series, you know there are fans out there and if you aren't a fan yet, you have enough books to keep you going for a while.  There are so many things I love within this series but I think the thing I like the most is Lauren's ability to talk to the animals and how no one seems to question that .... so fun !!!

Before Her Last Breath (Sam Lawson Book # 6) by David K. Wilson

East Texas private detective Sam Lawson is in a race against time when his fiancé, Carla Davenport, is abducted by a notorious serial killer bent on revenge. 

Taunting Sam and the FBI, the killer reveals the exact time he will murder Carla. Sam watches helplessly as the FBI heads off on what he knows is a wild goose chase. Knowing he is Carla’s only hope, he enlists the help of actor Josh Cole, who had helped him on a previous case, and the two follow a twisted trail of clues they hope will lead them to the killer before it’s too late.
 
As the clock ticks, Sam’s actions grow increasingly desperate and risky. Will he be able to figure out where Carla is being kept? And can he get there in time to save her? This tightly woven mystery thriller is the sixth installment in the popular Sam Lawson Mystery series by David K. Wilson. Fast paced and gripping, it’s a suspenseful roller coaster ride you won’t want to end. Get your copy of Before Her Last Breath today.  (Summary via Goodreads)

Before Her Last Breath by David K. Wilson is the sixth book in the Sam Lawson Mystery series and you have to love the guy .... author and character.

In Before Her Last Breath Sam's fiancé is abducted from their home by his old partner who has been abducting and killing women for years.  Sam was able to save the last victim and thought he killed Mullen in the process, but they were all fooled and let down their guards leaving Mullen wide open to take Carla.

Now Mullen has Carla and Sam has to fight the clock to get to them and save her.  However, Mullen isn't going to make it easy.  Luckily Sam has some friends, one you wouldn't expect, who are going to do what they can to help him.

The chapters in Before Her Last Breath are broken down by time, with chapter one starting at Wednesday at 6:45 pm when Mullen takes Carla, Sam is on the scene at 7:15 pm when he realizes something isn't right.  Then the chapters break down the story giving readers the time working towards Sam's 8 pm deadline on Thursday.  By doing it this way author Wilson makes sure the reader is just as anxious as Sam and his crew.  And you can feel Carla's fear along with Mullen's sick way of thinking.

Before Her Last Breath is so, I don't even know what word to use to describe it, but once you open and begin reading, you are incapable as stopping as Sam is determined in the chase.  I read this book in the afternoon, stopped for dinner, then picked it right up again.  I had to know if Mullen's was stopped and Carla was safe before I could go to bed.  I know it sounds weird for a book, but, seriously, once you start, you CANNOT stop !!!!

Lies Lost and Found (A Lake Amelia Mystery series Book # 2) by Jacqueline Boulden

Someone is willing to kill to keep the truth from coming out.

When Rose Webster discovers a hidden stash of money and a desperate note in her late father’s den, she’s pulled into a dangerous investigation that escalates the closer she gets to the truth. A photojournalist who’s sidelined by injury, Rose follows the trail of the whistleblower and uncovers the abuse of immigrant workers at a lakeside inn in the Adirondack Mountains. Rose is driven by a sense of justice and moral duty to stop the exploitation of the workers, but she can’t do it alone.

Kelsey Jacobs moved to upstate New York to flee her ex-boyfriend and get a fresh start. She first learned of the abuse of immigrants fifteen years earlier, but when Kelsey’s investigation led to threats against her life, she panicked and disappeared. Is Kelsey still alive? Can Rose track her down and enlist her help to expose a powerful business owner’s darkest crimes?

The deeper Rose digs, the clearer it becomes that her father’s sudden death may not have been natural. Now her determination to bring down the unscrupulous businessman is deeply personal as she tries to find out if he killed her father.

A gripping blend of mystery, sisterhood, and social justice, Lies Lost and Found is a compelling investigative howdunit set in the quiet but dangerous shadows of a small town.  (Summary via Goodreads)

Reading books should make the reader feel some kind of emotion, at least a good book should.  And boy does Lies Lost and Found by Jacqueline Boulden do exactly that !!  I had book anxiety reading it ... in a good way !!

Lies Lost and Found is the second book in Boulden's Lake Amelia Mystery series but you do not have to have read Family Ties Family Lies, the first book.  I would recommend reading it, only because it is a great read but it's not necessary if you don't, you will still know what is going on.  So, let's talk about the book ..... 

In Lies Lost and Found Rose has been staying in her parents' house due to her mom passing away recently and she is still recovering from an accident that resulted in surgery, so she is not able to work.  She has been slowly going through things and decides to clean her father's den (he passed years ago) when she finds a secret compartment in the bookcase with a note and ten thousand dollars.  The note is not signed and is not completely clear as to why the money other than to hope her father will continue the investigation.

Rose's dad had been an attorney helping working class and immigrant people so she wasn't sure why the person who wrote the note would have been in the danger they were in.

Kelsey, who wrote the note some fifteen years earlier, right before Rose's dad, her boss, died had been looking into some immigrant women who looked to be being mistreated by their bosses.  Unfortunately, she gets spooked and moves away hoping Randall, Rose's dad, will look into the case further.

Rose eventually locates Kelsey and Kelsey reluctantly ends up returning to Lake Amelia and the two end up uncovering more than they bargained for.  Luckily, they have Maxi, Rose's half-sister who is also a deputy sheriff, Mary who worked at the lawn firm plus Mary's husband Sam who is a private investigator to help with things because they ate going to need all the help they can get.

One thing I loved while reading Lies Lost and Found is that Boulden designates a chapter to Rose in the present time, then switches to Kelsey back in 2010 when things started.  It allows readers to really see the whole picture.  And the story is so intense that you will so engrossed in it that everything else around you will fade away.

A Poisonous Pour (A Cece Barton Mystery Book # 3) by Maddie Day

Since moving from L.A. to California’s verdant wine country, widowed single mom Cece Barton has gone from Colinas wine bar manager to wine bar owner—with a chaser of sleuthing . . .

It’s Memorial Day weekend and Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley is buzzing with activity. For Cece, business at Vino y Vida is going great, as is her romance with new beau, Benjamin. Meanwhile, Cece’s neighbor, Richard Flora, is stirring up controversy with his newest article, an exposé of Regan Greene, power-hungry chair of a valley district organization. Also in the mix is the town’s upcoming big classic car show, paired with wine tastings . . .

Cece is concerned the tastings will cut into her holiday weekend profits—until she and her mechanic, Josie Jarvin, are asked to co-sponsor a booth. . . . At the show, Cece spots Regan Greene, who is displaying her restored green ’72 Thunderbird convertible. As Cece pours tastes, she witnesses several heated discussions with Regan—including an argument with wine afficionado and new Colinas hardware store owner Greg Jardis. Otherwise, all goes smoothly—until Sunday brings shocking news. Regan has been murdered . . .

Rumors fly that Richard may have orchestrated the homicide—or even committed it. But Cece knows that’s absurd. And others in Cece’s orbit seem to have discomfiting connections to Regan, from Cece’s employee, Dane, to her winemaking teacher’s sister, Yolanda, to Colinas Mayor Guittierez. And after Yolanda visits the wine bar, Benjamin says he recognizes her from a road race.

Determined to clear Richard’s name, and failing to extract any clues from detectives, Cece once again enlists her twin, Allie, as her partner-in-sleuthing. But they’ll have to act quickly, before the trail goes sour . . .  (Summary via Goodreads)

Even though the Cece Barton Mystery series by Maddie Day is about murder, I can't help but think I could do without the murder and just hang out with Cece and friends at her wine bar, Vino y Vida .... but the murder keeps readers on their toes so I will be also.

A Poisonous Pour is the third book in this series, and you will fall in love, if you aren't already.  

The story starts with Cece and her friend Jo attending a vintage car show paired with wine tasting.  Jo is there with her classic truck as well as promoting her automotive business while Cece is there with her vintage Mustang as well as providing tasting and selling the wine she has at her wine bar.  

While at the event Cece witnesses a woman having heated talks with multiple people, one being her employee, Dane. She learns that the woman, Regan Greene, is the director of the Alexander Valley District Association which is to support businesses and monitor county functions to prevent corruption.

Cece decides to learn more about Regan out of curiosity as well as the AVDA until she learns that Regan died and it looks like it was murder.  And when she finds out that her elderly neighbor and friend, Richard, is on the suspect list, her determination to uncover the murderer becomes top on her to do list.

Readers cannot help but enjoy this series.  And I say enjoy because you are hanging out with a fun-loving woman, her two cats, her eclectic group of friends, at some nice businesses.  You are hanging out at Cece's wine bar, her friend's diner and another's art gallery, the playground with her twin nephews or her backyard with the cats and Richard.  You will love her determination to solve the murder so that she can go back to enjoying life.   

I highly recommend grabbing a glass of wine or cup of coffee and a snack while you escape to Colinas  ....

.

The Bush Tea Murder (A Caribbean Island Mystery Book # 1) by Ashley-Ruth Bernier

Culinary journalist Naomi Sinclair is cooking up a maelstrom of trouble upon her return to the blue waters of her native Saint Thomas.

A new cozy mystery set in the US Virgin Islands, this charming amateur sleuth will enrapture readers of Joanne Fluke and Carrie Doyle.

Food journalist Naomi Sinclair doesn’t expect a side of murder with her passion fruit juice. But when her return to Saint Thomas heralds a series of troubling cases, ranging from petty theft to cold-blooded murder, that threaten her tight-knit community, that is exactly the kind of unsavory treat she must sink her teeth into.

Luckily for her neighbors, Naomi is as adept at solving puzzles as rolling johnnycake dough—a good thing, since her island community, though small, keeps serving up plenty of trouble. With the help of her friends and her crush, Mateo, Naomi must navigate the tumultuous turquoise waters of life in the Caribbean, all as her beloved father battles an illness that keeps tugging her back to her island amid her rising career stateside.

Rich with mouthwatering recipes, lush landscapes, and a hefty dose of fun under the sun, The Bush Tea Murder has all the ingredients to make up the perfect beach read.  (Summary via Goodreads)

I'm always excited when I have the chance to read a book by a new author or a book in a new series and I had both with The Bush Tea Murder, the first book in the Caribbean Island Mystery series by Ashley-Run Bernier.  I was very excited to be spending time on an island with Naomi, her friends and lots of mouthwatering dishes and drinks.  But sadly, I was disappointed and had a difficult time finishing the book.

When I read and review a book, whether I liked it or not, I always let readers know what I did like within the story.  I want to be honest and truthful and just because the book wasn't for me, doesn't mean it won't be for others.

In The Bush Tea Murder main character Naomi, who has a television show centered around food, is approached to host a different show.  She along with another co-worker, is given a year to provide a first episode for a television show regarding a cold case murder that has food involved.  She instantly knows the case she wants to showcase so she sets her sites on that and returns to St. Thomas to begin her research, interviews and investigation.

The story goes in a lot of different directions.  Sometimes readers are back at the television station offices where she is presenting her story, then it jumps to back to a certain time in the past year.  During that time, she finds herself instrumental in solving some smaller present cases as well as the case she is working on.  

Naomi also learns that her father has been ill and she tries to be there for that and then there is Mateo, I think he is what got me through the book.  Their relationship is awesome !!

Okay..... The Bush Tea Murder is categorized as a cozy mystery and although there is no strict definition of it, the main rule of thumb seems to be that the story contains no graphic violence and generally no swearing or sex.  In The Bush Tea Murder there was quite a bit of cursing throughout.  The only reason I kept reading is that the worst swear word was NOT used.  I have been reviewing cozy mysteries for over 10 years and have had this problem less than 10 times, so I think I am doing pretty good.  However, I do know that cursing can be a turn off for some readers.

Even though I was not a fan of this book, I don't want you to take just my word for it.  Please read other reviews and maybe begin reading it yourself if it sounds like something you will enjoy.  I never listen to others' opinions when it comes to a movie I want to see and I refuse to read reviews on them so take that into consideration.

A Change in Plans (The Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series Book 17) by Mike Martin

A quiet afternoon. A deadly hit-and-run. And a case that reaches far beyond Newfoundland’s shores.

RCMP officer Winston Windflower is looking forward to a rare afternoon off in Grand Bank. But when a routine hit-and-run quickly turns into a murder investigation, Windflower finds himself pulled into something far more dangerous than anyone expected.

What begins as a local tragedy soon reveals a trail of fentanyl, money, and bodies stretching across provincial lines. Windflower assembles a team of Mounties from Newfoundland and Labrador and joins forces with police in southern Ontario to dismantle an international drug-smuggling ring operating in the shadows.

But the case turns deeply personal when fellow Mountie Fil Romano is kidnapped. As negotiations unfold and higher-ups at HQ consider granting safe passage to powerful drug lords in exchange for Romano’s life, Windflower faces one of the most difficult moments of his career. Trust the system or trust his instincts. With time running out and lives on the line, Windflower must lean on his team, his training, and the steadfast support of his family and community. Because in Grand Bank, loyalty runs deep and no one gets left behind.

In Book 17 of the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series, bestselling author Mike Martin delivers another compelling read with small-town warmth and high-stakes investigation, where food is shared, friendships are tested, and courage is measured not just in action but in heart.

Sgt. Windflower Mysteries
Bestselling and Award-Winning Light Mysteries

#1 Best-selling Cozy Mystery on Amazon
Winner of the Bony Blithe Award for Best Light Mystery
Silver Medallist at the Reader’s Choice Awards
Shortlisted for LOLA 2024 Must-Read Book of the Year

★★★★★ Praise for the Best-Selling and Award-Winning Sgt. Windflower Mysteries ★★★★★

“Both longtime fans of Sgt. Windflower and new readers alike will find themselves captivated by this compelling blend of small-town life and crime-solving adventure.”
~ The Reading Room

“I enjoy visiting with Windflower and his lovely family, the beautiful and peaceful area they live in and the closeness of the people there with each other. It feels like going home again each time I visit with these characters.”
~ Jem’s Books

“Martin’s detailed origin stories help readers understand the unique relationships without referencing previous novels and the dialogue feels original as he expertly captures the essence of an investigation within a close-knit community. The detective sequences will attract crime genre enthusiasts due to their meticulous attention to detail.”
~ Readers’ Favorite  (Summary via Goodreads)

A Change in Plans is the seventeenth book in the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series by Mike Martin and even though this series is set in Grand Bank, a small town in Canada and I live in New York in the United States, I always feel like I'm home when reading these books.  The town and the people are so familiar to me that I thoroughly enjoy my time while the book is open ... and if I'm being honest, I'm always a little sad when I finish the book.

In A Change in Plans main character Sgt. Windflower is, as always, busy with his job and his home life but you won't hear him complaining too much about either.  While he is enjoying a little alone time picking berries so his wife, Sheila can bake something yummy, he gets interrupted with a call from an employee to report a hit and run at a local Walmart.  This hit and run will eventually take him and his team into something much bigger.

After the victim of the hit and run dies, she is linked to someone in town that gets himself into some hot water that ends up boiling over when drugs and a significant amount of money is found in his house.  Windflower's team is very good at their jobs and before long they have uncovered a lot more than they expected but they will handle it like the champs that Windflower knows them to be.

Even when Windflower is under pressure, he seems so cool and collected, and residents of Grand Bank and the surrounding areas will be safer because of that.  He always makes sure of that.

Readers cannot help but enjoy this series.  Even though there are some nail biting, adrenaline pumping things going on, it is balanced out by the personal parts of the story.  Yes, Windflower could be chasing down a killer or a drug dealer, but he is always grounded with his wife and two daughters, his friends and his community.  I personally enjoy when he does his smudging and reconnects with his deceased Auntie and Uncle and gives back to the earth.

One piece of advice that I will give readers, which I probably have in the past, is make sure you have a snack handy when reading this series.  Martin loves his food and sharing it with readers.  I, for one, am planning on having fish for dinner tonight because of that.

The Long Shadow of Murder (A Will Rees/Shaker Mystery Book # 12) by Eleanor Kuhns

When the body of a visitor is found in the woods by the local Shaker community, suspicion immediately falls on them. Rees is reluctant to believe anyone in this peaceful community committed murder. And Hans Bergin arrived with his wife, his brother-in-law and sister-in-law. They had their own reasons to want Bergin dead.

But as Rees investigates, he discovers everyone, including a recent Shaker convert, have secrets of their own, some stretching all the way back to the Revolutionary War.

Who, among the many suspects, decided to take matters in their own hands? Bergin's wife and other family? The new Shaker? Or someone else entirely?  (Summary via Goodreads)

The Long Shadow of Murder by Eleanor Kuhns is the twelfth book in her Will Rees/Shaker Mystery series and regardless of if this is your first time opening one of the books in this series, it won't be your last.

Yes, all of the books in this series revolve around a murder but in The Long Shadow of Murder readers will have to help Rees, his wife Lydia and Constable Rouge solve more than one this time.

In The Long Shadow of Murder Rees and Constable Rouge are called to look into the disappearance of a man visiting and staying at a local boardinghouse with his wife, sister-in-law and brother-in-law.  They are told the gentleman went out to the Shaker community to attend their Sunday service to see the "naked women dance".

But when he did not return, they were called in to find him ... and they did murdered and hidden under brush and leaves.  

Usually, the Constable and Rees do not work well together but in this one, they will have to seeing as the murdered victim is not from the area and it seems no one living there would have any reason to want him dead.  But when another person is found murdered in the same way, Rees will look to his very pregnant wife, Lydia, to help out.  She seems to always see things the men overlook.

The Will Rees/Shaker Mystery series is so captivating.  Seeing as this series takes place way before electricity, cell phones and computers, it is interesting to see how the cases are solved as well as how the characters lived.  You will definitely finish these books having learned something and that is just an added bonus.

Muskets, Mutts, And Murder (A Samantha Davies Mystery Book # 8) by S.A. Kazlo

Spring has finally sprung in Wings Fall, New York and Samantha Davies-Johnson along with her fellow rug hookers, the Loopy  Ladies, are participating in an annual reenactment at a local pre- Revolutionary War fort, Fort Henry, as camp followers. The Loopy Ladies instead of rug hooking are doing their patriot duty and are knitting hats for veterans. A number of their significant others are among the reenactors and will be recreating the battle between the French and the British. Sam's newish husband, Hank, who is the lead detective on the Wings Falls Police and her Southern Belle cousin, Candie Parker-Hogan's husband, Mark, the Mayor of Wings Falls, are newly minted reenactor soldiers participating in the event. 

All seems to be going well until Orville Garber and Wesley Munro get into a heated argument as to who should fill the recently vacated commander of their unit, a prized position. Wesley feels it should go to him since he is descended from the original commander of the fort. Sam has her hopes on Orville getting the honor as he was her much-loved high school math teacher. 

As the day progresses, a mock battle is held. After all the musket smoke clears, a French reenactor is found dead on the battlefield. Only gunpowder charges were to be used at these events. Who used a real musket ball and why? Unfortunately for Orville, the musket ball is traced back to him by the three slashes he etches into his musket balls identify it as his. Samantha can't believe the kind and patient man who helped her all those years ago to pass math would do such a thing.

To add to Samantha's stress, her beloved dachshund, Porkchop, is behaving in a very unwelcoming manner towards his girlfriend, Nina, Hank's miniature bulldog. Can Sam figure out what has caused Porkchop's change of affection towards his BFF before any fur flies and at the same time prove Orville innocent before the real murderer targets her?  (Summary via Goodreads)

I could live in Wings Falls, I would totally fit in immediately.  If only it were a real place and not the setting of the Samantha Davies Mystery series written by S.A. Kazlo.  And with Muskets, Mutts, and Murder being the eighth book, I'm pretty sure I would know my way around this delightful town .... and I would try to stay clear of the murders and the investigations but with Sam and her cousin Candie being my best friends, I can't promise that.

In Muskets, Mutts, and Murder Sam and Candie are hanging around with their Loopy Ladies group knitting hats to go to local veterans while their husbands, lead detective of Wings Falls Police Department, Hank and the town Mayor, Mark, participate in an re-enactment at the local British fort.  They think the re-enactment of the French and British battle goes well until one of the participant's is laying on the ground when the smoke clears.

Even though the talk around the incident is that the gentlemen suffered an ankle injury, Sam knows that to be incorrect when the coroner arrives.

Sam also knows that even though she is married to the lead detective, there will be no secrets spilled during pillow talk so when her old math teacher is arrested for the murder, her and Candie will do what they can to fill in the blanks.

I cannot stress it enough how awesome this series is.  Not only will readers fall in love with Wings Falls and the businesses, but the people are a huge part of it as well.  Just hanging out with Sam and Candie at their favorite table at Sweetie Pie's or all of them at The Smiling Pig would be a treat.  And even though I am more of a cat person, I would love cuddles with Sam's dog,Porkchop, Hank's dog, Nina and Candie's dog, Annie. And who couldn't listen to Candie's southern talk all day ?

Truffle Trouble (An Amish Candy Shop Mystery # 10) by Amanda Flower

Combining the sugar rush of candy making with a fascinating look at Amish life, a quirky whodunit, and a sweet romance between chocolatier Bailey King and Sheriff Aiden Brody, Amanda Flower’s USA Today bestselling Amish Candy Shop Mysteries continue, as summer wedding season comes to the village of Harvest, Ohio…

Horror d'oeuvres

Summer is finally upon the village of Harvest, Ohio, nestled in picturesque Amish Country, and folks are abuzz over their very own Bailey King’s upcoming June wedding. The Amish Candy shop owner and star of TV’s Bailey’s Amish Sweets is marrying Holmes County Sheriff Aiden Brody. To sweeten the occasion will be a scrumptious giant chocolate truffle wedding cake, made especially for the happy couple by Bailey’s New York City mentor, Jean Pierre. Other than the risk of the ring bearer, Jethro the pig, taking a bite out of the confection, what could go wrong?

As it turns out, a food-related disaster does befall the day. But with Bailey in the mix, it’s nothing so pedestrian as a peckish pig. At the reception, a wedding guest dies after sampling the hors d'oeuvres. Café owner and new caterer Darcy Woodin, who made all the food except the desserts, is pegged by police as the number one suspect. Even more incriminating, the victim is one of Darcy's ex-boyfriends . . .

Still, Bailey is friends with Darcy, and she’s certain the young woman is innocent. Even before the first dance with her new husband, Bailey’s on the case. Can she help solve it in time for her honeymoon—or will a killer try to end her happily ever after before it’s even begun . . .?

Recipe included!   (Summary via Goodreads)

The Amish Candy Shop Mystery series by Amanda Flower is a great series to get lost in, there is so much to love, and with Truffle Trouble being the tenth book in the series, I think you are guaranteed a good read !!

In Truffle Trouble Bailey and Aiden are finally getting married and everyone is invited !!  Harvest Square is going to be the place to be, for all of Harvest, Ohio.  Not only are friends and family invited but the English and Amish communities are invited as well.  And with Bailey as popular as she is and Aiden being the County Sheriff, it is going to be the event of the year.

Unfortunately, that is not true when Bailey goes into the kitchen and finds the caterer, and her friend, Darcy, standing over a dead body ..... on Bailey's wedding day !!

Obviously, the newlyweds postpone their honeymoon so that Aiden can work the case.  Luckily, they didn't go on their trip because Bailey finds her grandmother collapsed on the floor of the candy shop the next day.  

There is so much going on that I cannot imagine Bailey being able to think straighten, especially when she is roped into helping with the Summer Soiree which is scheduled for later in the week when she should be on her honeymoon.  She does it only because it gives her a chance to talk to the people involved seeing as the murdered victim was one of winery owners as well as a participant on the event.

Every time Bailey thinks that she has narrowed the suspect list down she finds out something else about someone and that adds to the list.  However, she is determined to find out who killed Jason and clear her friend's name.

Readers cannot help but love this series. With the characters, the town, the Amish and English communities working together and the animals, Jetro especially, will pull you in !!  Once you start reading, you will not want to stop ... my advice to you is make sure you have chocolate on hand.

Death On Location (Sam Lawson Mystery series Book # 5) by David K. Wilson

Entertaining, funny and suspenseful, Death on Location is the fifth installment in the popular Sam Lawson Mystery series by David K. Wilson.

When the alligator-eaten remains of an 80s TV star are discovered while filming a movie in the East Texas swamps, local detective Sam Lawson is hired to find out if the actor was just an unfortunate midnight snack or the victim of murder.

However, the producer who hired Sam has a plot twist of his own. He insists that one of the movie’s actors shadow Sam to see how a real detective works. Josh Cole, known for his straight-to-cable romantic comedies and aww-shucks personality, is eager to learn and Sam soon finds he can use his celebrity status to his advantage. The two soon form an unlikely partnership that has them investigating beautiful actresses, a giant Bigfoot and a local drug kingpin. From alligator-infested swamps to a Dallas strip club, Sam and Josh retrace the victim’s final days in hopes of shining a spotlight on the murderer.

But while Sam is busy solving this murder, a serial killer from his past is lurking in the shadows… with his eye on Sam’s fiancé.  (Summary via Goodreads)

Death on Location by David K. Wilson is the fifth book in the Sam Lawson Mystery series and you cannot help but love the main character and with him switching from being a police officer to a private investigator will have you loving him more ... if that is possible.

In Death on Location Sam is hired by the producer of a movie that is filming in the area when one of the actors is found dead.  The body, or parts of the body after what looks like an alligator attack, is found on site where the movie is being filmed and the producer wants it solved immediately.  So, even though Sam's old co-workers are on the case, he is hired.  Unfortunately, Sam is provided a "partner", Josh Cole another actor from the movie.  Josh has always done romance movies, and this is his first as a detective.

Even though they are an unlikely pair, they work together well and play off each other's weaknesses.  And when the police make an arrest on the case, Sam can't help but feel that they are wrong, so he and Josh still investigate.  Luckily, they do or the real killer would have gotten away .....

There is more going on in Sam's life also that keeps interfering, but he is able to stay on course and work everything out even when the other case he is working on takes a turn .....

The Sam Lawson Mystery series is a captivating series to get hooked on, there is so much to love.  Even though Sam can be rough at times, you know he is focused and determined and cares which makes you love him more.  I highly recommend grabbing your copy and digging in.

A Scoop of Deceit (Coffee & Cream Cafe Mystery series Book 7) by Lena Gregory

 From author Lena Gregory comes another decadently delightful cozy mystery ...

Spring has finally sprung on the south shore of eastern Long Island, New York, and Danika Delaney is ready to take a break from running her old-fashioned malt shop, the Coffee & Cream Café, to help her mom start planting for the season. With visions of colorful tulips and delicate daffodils in mind, Danika and her mother browse through the local garden center, where they can’t help but notice a confrontation between out-of-towner Sebastian Krane and the local cashier. Unfortunately, as Krane storms off, aggravated and not paying attention, he hops into his BMW, and crashes right into Mrs. Delaney as she’s backing up in her borrowed pickup truck. As if that weren't enough to put a damper on her sunny mood, Krane then has the nerve to file a lawsuit against her. But when Dani shows up at his mansion to try to straighten things out, she finds him dead, with a knife in his back. Apparently, someone had it out for Sebastian. Someone other than her mother. A fact Dani she sets out to prove with the help of her sidekicks, Gwen and Eli, wading through a slew of shady suspects from the victim's stormy past. Can Dani clear her mother's name and find the truth behind Krane's murder? Or will Dani be in danger of pushing up daisies herself this spring?

What critics are saying about Lena

"Readers are going to fall in LOVE. I can tell you right now that this series is going to be a huge success!!!"
~Cozy Mystery Book Reviews

"I didn’t want it to end!"
~Kings River Life Magazine

"Author Lena Gregory sure didn’t disappoint. She cooked up a tale so tasty I devoured it!"
~Lisa Ks Book Reviews   (Summary via Goodreads)

A Scoop of Deceit is the seventh book in the Coffee & Cream Cafe Mystery series by Lena Gregory and seeing as this is a cozy mystery series, I would like to talk about some other things within this book and series.

In this series you have main character Danika, Dani, her enormous family, her tight circle of friends, the business her uncle gave to her to run, the adorable town they all live in and a dreamy detective.

Dani has taken over her uncle Jimmie's ice cream shop and turned it into Coffee & Cream Cafe serving ice cream and tasty coffee drinks.  Even though Uncle Jimmie "retired", he still spends a lot of time there allowing Dani to hang out with her best friends, Eli and Gwen.  And with Eli dating Dani's sister Meghan, they are getting closer.  Plus, it helps when the friends have sleepovers, Meghan usually makes a killer dinner .... because, yeah, they are most likely discussing the latest murder in their little town.  Another thing that is great with this series is that no matter what is going on on Sunday, the entire family, and it is big, along with some friends, all gather at Dani's mom's house for Sunday dinner.

Now in A Scoop of Deceit Dani goes with her mom and aunt to the local garden center to pick up plants for Dani's mom to plant. Unfortunately, as they leave, they are involved in a car accident with a gentleman who isn't very nice.  Even though they know it was his fault, he threatens to sue.  Luckily no one was hurt but the next day when Dani goes to Mr. Krane's house to try to talk him out of suing her mom, they find him dead, with a knife in his back.

And once Dani, Eli and Gwen start looking into Mr. Krane and his life, they realize the suspect list is longer than you could imagine and they find it hard to feel sorry for him. And even though dreamy detective Jake keeps telling Dani to leave the investigating to him, she still gets in hot water .... but for a good reason.

I would read this series without the murders and Dani working the cases, but there would have to be a reason for the detective's presence, he has to be there.  This series could easily be a romance series .... I would be all for that !!  But I'll stick with it as a cozy mystery series as it is intended.

Spellbound by Murder (A Mystic Hollow Bookshop Mystery Book 1) by Stacie Ramey

Gilmore Girls meets Charmed in this spellbinding cozy mystery featuring a magical bookshop run by three generations of women.

When her grandmother suffers a nasty fall and asks for help managing the family business, coffee-addicted single mother Veronica Blackthorne moves her sixteen-year-old romcom-obsessed daughter to Mystic Hollow, Connecticut. Veronica is ecstatic to return to New England, but when she arrives, she quickly finds out that Mystic Hollow Books, her grandmother’s pride and joy, needs more than a little TLC.

Hoping to save the bookstore from a big box rival, Veronica enlists her sometimes-mentor and sometimes-crush Adam Whitford, a controversial but popular author, as the keynote speaker to kick off a literary festival that will hopefully bring in a new wave of customers. But when Adam turns up dead, all that romantic potential turns into a nightmare as Veronica becomes the prime suspect in his murder.

As the local sheriff investigates his murder, Veronica decides to take matters into her own hands to solve the case and clear her name. With the bookstore’s future on the line, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Until her gran reveals the biggest secret of all–the bookstore is magical and it was a botched love spell that led to this entire mess.

Witty and heartfelt, this mystery explores the price of magic and how it might be heftier than one can hope, perfect for fans of Amanda Flower and Nina Simon.  (Summary via Goodreads)

Spellbound by Murder is the first book in Stacie Ramey's A Mystic Hollow Bookshop Mystery series and I loved it and I think you will also.

In Spellbound by Murder main character Veronica who is living in Florida with her teenage daughter Phoebe gets a call from her grandmother that she needs Veronica to come home to Mystic Hollow.  She claims that she took a bad fall and needs help with the family bookstore.  But when they arrive it seems Gran is fine, but Veronica overlooks that little lie because she really is happy to be home and Phoebe seems to like it also.

They are just in time to help finish organizing the literary festival and Veronica comes to the rescue when the keynote speaker cancels.  She is able to get a friend and author to come take her place.  Veronica and Adam have a little history, so she agrees to meet him in the bell tower the one night .... unfortunately, she gets there just as he goes over the edge.  

When the local sheriff, Mack, zones in on Veronica as a suspect, she obviously is going to do what she can to prove her innocence.  Little did she know that she would have two tech savvy teenage girls, her grandmother, an owl and the magic surrounding the bookstore and Mystic Hollow.

I am a fan of magic, who isn't since Harry Potter was published, and when you can add it to solving a murder .... yes please !!  And it doesn't matter who many stories you read with magic in them, they are all different and draw the reader in, like they have a spell attached to them.

I highly encourage you to read this book and put it on your watch list for future books.  I'm sure it will cast its spell on you ......