Cremains of the Day (A Tallie Graver Mystery #1) by Misty Simon

There's no reverse on the hearse . . .

For Tallulah Graver, marrying wealthy Waldo Phillips seemed like the best way out of the family business, the Graver Funeral Home. But when her marriage falls apart and Tallie is left with next to nothing, she turns to cleaning houses to make ends meet. As humbling as it is to tidy the mansions of the snobby socialites she used to call friends, at least she doesn't have to be around dead bodies. Until . . . 
She discovers one of her employers lying in a closet with a knife sticking out of her chest. This unpleasant shock seems to be part of a web of weird experiences: Tallie's friend Gina's shop is broken into, her ex is stun-gunned where it hurts the most, and now she's receiving flowers from the dead woman. Granted the deliveryman is handsome, but seriously, that's enough to cast a pall over anyone's day. Now Tallie needs to dig deep to clean up this mess--before she finds herself in a grave situation.   (Summary via Goodreads)

In Cremains of the Day by Misty Simon there is no way that readers will not be drawn to main character Tallulah "Tallie" Graver and cannot help but feel sorry for her.  Tallie is recently divorced and is living above the family business which is a funeral parlor.  When she was married she was in the "rich, stuck up crowd", now she is cleaning the houses of those so called friends.  She is also rebuilding her friendship with her best friend Gina who she wasn't very nice to when she was married.

In Cremains of the Day Tallie is helping Gina with the food for after a funeral and stumbles upon Gina's cousin Katie tied up in Gina's shop and her ex-husband unresponsive in the alley behind the shop.  Luckily he is not dead, just stun gunned.  While Tallie is trying to wrap her head around all that, she goes to the house of one of her ex-friends who has become unbearable to clean for and finds her dead body in a closet !!

All Tallie wants to do is rebuild her life and open up a tea shop next door to her friend's cafe so that she can stop cleaning houses and helping out at her family's funeral parlor.  Unfortunately that is not going to happen when Max, an old friend of her brother returns to town and tells her that her life is in danger and that her ex-husband hasn't been completely honest with a lot of things.  While Tallie tries to figure things out, she finds it harder and harder to trust anyone....especially Max.

Cremains of the Day is the first book in the Tallie Graver Mystery series and it is full of page turning excitement.  Like I said readers cannot help but want to root for Tallie and hope that she can get out of the trouble that her ex put her in.  Simon's writing will have you captivated in the story and not want to leave....even when it gets scary !!!

Review by Missi M.

Hanging By a Thread (Second Treasures Mysteries #3) by Margaret Evans

 

The evidence hangs on threads from a garment in Laura Keene’s thrift shop, a suit less than a year old but belonging to a young man who has left town, or so everyone thinks. During the town’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade, a terrible discovery is made, and a story of blackmail, jealousy and greed are brought to light in the third installment of Margaret Evans's thrilling Second Treasures Mysteries, “Hanging By a Thread.”   (Summary via Goodreads)

There is no way readers cannot be fans of the Second Treasures Mystery series by Margaret Evans.  Once you read the first book, Twice Sold Murder, she leaves readers with unanswered questions that make it a must to return to the series with Priced to Kill, the second book and so on.  And Hanging By a Thread, the third book in this series will leave readers with main character Laura Keene coming to a realization with the last line of the book......but the answer to that realization will not be revealed until the fourth book......we hope !!

In the Second Treasures Mystery series Laura Keene has moved back to her hometown of Raging Ford in Minnesota after she left 11 years ago when her parents were murdered and she moved to live with her great-aunt Rose.  After her great-aunt died she decided to move back home where she opened up Second Treasures, a thrift shop.  She also lives above the store and has reconnected with some close friends and has taken one of those friendships to the next level.  Laura and Sergeant Connor Fitzpatrick had been best buds growing up and now that she has moved back home and they are adults, they have decided to start dating and see where that leads.....if only Laura can stay out of murder investigations.

In Hanging By a Thread the town is getting ready to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and Laura is doing a lot inside the store to promote the holiday.  She is also still preparing taxes for some people as well as being on the St. Patrick's Day celebration committee.  She always has a lot on her plate but when a sports jacket appears in a bag for donation at her front door and the jacket is a custom made jacket with the owner's name being that of a local man that worked at the bank but disappeared 2 years ago, you know Laura is going to have to find answers.  And, of course, Connor cannot help her because it is an open investigation.  When another employee from the bank is reported missing and the supervisor looks into the employees work log, she finds some very questionable activity.

Even when Laura tries to stay out of things, it seems she has a magnetic pull and she can't seem to turn her brain off from thinking about things and trying to find answers to questions......no matter how many times Connor begs her to stop.

No only is Laura continuing to find out what happened to her parents and who killed them with every book, there is also a "new" case to help solve and when the police make her a police consultant, the door is wide open for her to help the police.  

I love this series and the fact that Evans always leaves readers with a cliff hanging finish guaranteeing that you will be back to read the next book and with Hanging By a Thread the last 3 sentences will leave you speechless and shocked !!!  I cannot get to A Dress to Die For fast enough !!!

Review by Missi M.

 

Saddled with Murder (Dr. Kate Vet Mysteries #1) by Eileen Brady

 

Veterinarian and amateur sleuth Kate Turner has her hands full trying to juggle two boyfriends, a thriving practice, and a criminal investigation

It's the Christmas season and veterinarian Kate Turner is not feeling very jolly. She's overworked, unappreciated, and dealing with two dissatisfied clients. Throw in a very complicated personal life and Kate's definitely got a case of the holiday blues.

To make matters worse, Kate's ex-boyfriend, Jeremy, is mugged and robbed after they have a heated argument in the hospital parking lot. Then, two of her dissatisfied clients turn up dead (which really gets Kate's tinsel in a tangle). All of these events seem like coincidences, but they add up to something much more venomous.

Saddled with Murder is a cozy holiday mystery from beloved author Eileen Brady that explores the fragility and resiliency of animals and humans whose trust has been broken, and will keep animal-loving readers riveted until the last page.   (Summary via Goodreads)

 

In Saddled with Murder by Eileen Brady Dr. Kate Turner has her hands full.  She has taken on a one-year job commitment working at the Oak Falls Animal Hospital while the current veterinarian takes a year long vacation traveling the world.  Her days are full dealing with in house appointments as well as doing house calls.  She is also in the process of trying to figure out her personal life.....her father, who she hasn't spoken to in years has asked her and her grandfather to his house for Christmas and she might have two boyfriends.  Good thing her year long job commitment provided an apartment above the garage at the animal hospital.

While the staff is enjoying an early Christmas celebration, Kate is video recorded as making a Christmas wish....wishing two unhappy clients would go away.  This recording which clearly shows Kate wishing this and another employee, Mari, providing the names of the clients and Pinky, the grounds keeper for the hospital adding a name of his own goes viral.  And when these people turn up dead, the suspect list is longer than Santa's naughty list.  Lucky for Kate one of her relationship interests, Luke, is a police officer taking time out to attend law school so they decide to put their heads together and look into these deaths.  Unfortunately when Kate's other love interest, Jeremy, is mugged, she is put in a very awkward situation.

Readers will love how the balance in Saddled with Murder devotes time for Kate's personal and professional lives and allows her to overthink the Christmas wish and what happened after......  Kate cannot stop looking at the number of views and reading the comments.  Readers will love the relationships she has with her co-workers and Luke and Jeremy.  Readers may end up leaning more towards Luke over Jeremy for obvious reasons....which I won't indulge here.  You will have to read it and decide for yourself....even though Kate will be the one making that decision, or rather Brady will.

If you are an animal lover, murder mystery lover with a hint of romance Saddle with Murder is the perfect fit for you !!  I highly recommend obtaining your copy and getting lost in the story......

Review by Missi M.

Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings (Mrs. Claus #1) by Liz Ireland

 

It's the first Christmas in Santaland for April Claus--but it may also be her last unless she can uncover a villain with a killer Christmas wish. . . 

Love is full of surprises--though few compare to realizing that you're marrying the real-life Santa. April Claus dearly loves her new husband, Nick, but adjusting to life in the North Pole is not all sugarplums and candy canes. Especially when a cantankerous elf named Giblet Hollyberry is killed--felled by a black widow spider in his stocking--shortly after publicly arguing with Nick.

Christmastown is hardly a hotbed of crime, aside from mishaps caused by too much eggnog, but April disagrees with Constable Crinkle's verdict of accidental death. As April sets out to find the culprit, it'll mean putting the future of Christmas on the line--and hoping her own name isn't on a lethal naughty list . . .  (Summary via Goodreads)

I did NOT want to finish reading Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings by Liz Ireland.  This book was so fun to read and the way Ireland writes and describes things, your imagination will explode !!  You will feel like you can clearly see everything and feel the cold !!

Main character April is newly married to Santa Claus.  Yes that is what I said and it's true !!  She met him when he was on vacation and staying at her inn, The Coast Inn, in Cloudberry Bay in Oregon.  They had a whirlwind romance that turned into a marriage and April moving to Santaland and taking on some responsibilities as the new Mrs. Claus.  This is going to also be Nick's first Christmas as Santa Claus.  Nick's brother Chris was the last Santa but was killed during a hunting excursion a few months back.

April and Nick live in Castle Kringle in Christmastown with Nick's mother who is the dowager Mrs. Claus and still handles most of the household responsibilities.  Also living in the Castle are Martin and Lucia, Nicks's brother and sister, Tiffany, Chris' widow, and their son Christopher.  In Santaland not only are humans living there but there are elves, reindeers that talk as well as talking, moving snowmen !!!  It is definitely a place I want to visit !!

It is the week before Christmas and there is a lot for the family to do to prepare for the big day as well as a lot of festivities in town.  Unfortunately when Nick is told that an elf has been killed, he rushes to find out what happened.  Later that day one of the snowmen is found murdered, blow torched to just a puddle.  

Sadly everything points to Nick as the main suspect and when the town calls on Detective Jake, not Jack, Frost to come to town to investigate, everyone knows that things are serious !!  Even April is suspicious of Nick......

Christmas is doomed  !!!  Unless April can find out what happened to the elf and snowman and clear Nicks name.

Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings is like a Hallmark movie that took a wrong turn.  Or like a Lifetime movie with a kick !

Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings is a must read !!  Not only will it attract the mystery lover part of your brain but it will attract the Christmas spirit in you.  With talking reindeer, elves and Santa how can you not want to make a cup of cocoa and settle in ?  There is a lot to love with this book and I am very,very glad that it says that it is Mrs. Claus #1 which means that there will be more books in this series and I cannot wait !!!  I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve waiting for Santa to show up.......

Review by Missi M.

Jeopardy in High Heels (High Heels #12) by Gemma Halliday & Catherine Bruns

 

When death hits a contestant on America's favorite game show, fashion designer turned amateur sleuth is on the case!

I'll take "What is Murder" for $200 please, Alex?

Maddie Springer may know more about fabulous heels than tough trivia, but she's thrilled when her hairdresser-to-the-stars stepfather, Fernando, earns a spot on a celebrity edition of American's favorite game show. But she's not so thrilled when, after taping ends, one of the other contestants dies, the media are suddenly everywhere, and one reporter in particular is threatening to not only point the finger at Fernando, but also expose his biggest secrets to the world!

The victim was Doggy Z, a famous rap artist turned recreational marijuana supporter turned cooking show co-host. And it seems everyone in his life had a reason to want him dead—from the 4 ex-wives he was serially unfaithful to, to his deceptively wholesome looking cooking show co-host, to the network executive seen arguing with Dog just before his death, and even the soap opera star who competed against him on the trivia show. Now it's up to Maddie to sift through the suspects and figure out just which person the rapper may have wronged enough to want him dead. With the help of her Hollywood BFF, her hot homicide detective husband, and her endearingly meddling mom, can Maddie track down a cold blooded killer... before she finds herself in final jeopardy?  (Summary via Goodreads)

A book written by Gemma Halliday AND Catherine Bruns.....well reading that is a no brainer !!! These two authors are amazing by themselves but when put together their writing talent is explosive !!!!

Jeopardy in High Heels is the twelfth book in the High Heels Mystery series and you are going to be in love !!  There is so much within this book to capture readers attention and continue its firm grasp on it until you finish the book.  

Main character Maddie has a busy life.  She is married to a police detective, has twins in preschool, is a fashion shoe designer, has a best friend, Dana, who is an actress and family that she will do anything for !!  

In Jeopardy in High Heels Maddie's step-father who is the owner of Fernando's which is a hair salon that caters to the famous and rich is a contestant on Celebrity Jeopardy.  Maddie and Dana are in the audience with Maddie's mom and her best friend to cheer him on.  The other two contestants are an actress on a soap opera and a rapper by the name of Doggy Z.  During the taping of the show it appears that Doggy Z is more out of it than he usually is.  It is rumored that he is always high but during the taping he looks like he is completely out of it.

That evening Maddie's husband, Ramirez, is called into work.  It isn't until later that evening that she learns that the case that he was called into was for Doggy Z.  He was found dead at him home that evening.  Of course Maddie cannot stop thinking about his performance during the taping of Jeopardy and when a gossip reporter finds out that her husband is working on the case, she wants insider information.  Maddie refuses to give in to her until she threatens to out Fernando for the fraud that he is which could destroy his business.  So Maddie, Dana and gossip reporter Tina "work together" to solve the case keeping Fernando's secret safe.

There is a LONG list of suspects regarding Doggy Z's murder...... and 4 of them are his ex-wives !!  Maddie and Dana take it upon themselves to look into his death and though Maddie has a lot on her plate and her husband is the detective assigned to the case and they should really just let him do his job, they are pulled into it.....

Jeopardy in High Heels is such a fun story to read with the characters and the storyline.  Readers cannot help but enjoy it....who doesn't like Jeopardy ?  We may not know the answers or who killed Doggy Z but what's the harm of riding along with Maddie while she looks into it ??

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and knowing it was written by a dynamic duo made it that much better.  Halliday and Bruns alone are magnificient in their storytelling abilities but when paired together, it is a masterpiece !!!

Review by Missi M.

Murder for Reel (An Usherette Mystery) by Matt Ferraz

In the late 1950s, the Palladium Movie Theater was the most popular place in Emberview, Colorado. In her first night working as an usherette at the Palladium, young Katrina Stevens is excited to be starting her dream job. During the screening of a science-fiction film, her boss and owner of the theater, Don Keller, is found murdered in the projection booth. Don’s murder causes an uproar and soon the Palladium is facing closure. To support the theater, Katrina organizes a film festival to show old movies from reels that Don kept in storage. However, Don’s murderer has other plans, and unless Katrina can find out who the killer is, the Palladium––and Katrina herself––are in great danger.  (Summary via Amazon)

Murder for Reel centers around a movie theatre,in a small town Emberview, Colorado, a young girls first job as an usherette and her love for the cinema.  All innocent things.....one would think.

In Murder for Reel Katrina Stevens is starting her first day as usherette for her town's movie theatre, the Palladium.  It is 1957 and during those days, cinemas had a young person dressed in a uniform and flashlight making sure movie goers were being quiet and respectful of others while the movies played.  Katrina had longed for this job for years and couldn't believe that she was finally wearing the uniform and getting a pep talk from her boss, Don Keller.  Little did either one of them know that that was going to be the last time Don spoke to anyone.

Don was the owner of the Palladium for over 30 years and he sat in the projector booth working the movie reels.  Back in those days, the movies came in multiple reels and it was crucial for the projector operator to pay attention and change the reel at the exact moment so that the movie didn't have a gap. 

During the first movie of Katrina's first day on the job, something goes wrong when the final reel of the movie doesn't start and the audience is left looking at a blank screen.  Before Katrina can calm the audience down, another co-worker, Cindy, runs into the theatre with blood on her hands saying that Don is dead !!

Katrina fell in love with the Palladium at an early age and now that she was a part of it, she didn't want to lose it.  So she decides to find out who killed Don and why.  Unfortunately Don had a dark past that started years ago when he was in Hollywood and a long time secret he takes to the grave.......or maybe not......

Murder for Reel will capture the reader's attention immediately and you will be hooked until you read the last word.  Katrina is a very likable character and you will be rooting for her throughout the story. 
This book takes a lot of twists and turns that the reader cannot even imagine. Ferraz knows how to write the story with all the twists and turns but keep the reader focused and not lost.

I am a huge fan of Ferraz and was very honored when I got to page 12 and read "police inspector Stockwell" and when asked Ferraz said it was a tribute to me.  Thank you Matt and as I have said before....anything you write, I will read.  And I will continue to encourage others to read your work !!!


Grab your copy at :   https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08LYP9XRW?fbclid=IwAR0zLLopCYSrnan0iYeu6YzPLyAqMBg83ueXoVSnDWFbgIQSkBx5Pzt4W7A

Review by Missi M.

Murder on the Precipice by Penny Goetjen

 

Set in an old family-run inn on the rocky, tumultuous coast of Maine, Murder on the Precipice engages readers in a captivating escapade. Elizabeth Pennington, a successful Manhattan interior designer, grew up in the inn and is thrilled to leave behind her tyrannical boss and the big city for a few days, accepting her grandmother's invitation to return to her childhood home. Upon her arrival, Elizabeth learns a young female guest is missing in a case eerily similar to an unsolved disappearance on the property years earlier. She makes it her mission to find the girl and save the inn. But in her search for answers, Elizabeth uncovers shocking details that challenge everything she thought she knew about herself, her family, and her past.  (Summary via Goodreads)

HOLY COW !!!  OMG !!!! OH MY GOD !!

I don't even know how to start this review......  I am completely at a loss of words.  I don't know how to fully wrap my head around what I read in Murder on the Precipice by Penny Goetjen.....and I mean this in the best way possible.  Goetjen not only captures your attention, she holds it hostage !!

When readers begin reading Murder on the Precipice everything is normal....we are hanging with Elizabeth, Lizzi, Pennington, who is an interior designer with an overbearing boss, is a work-a-holic and is getting ready to go home to Maine for the Labor Day weekend.  She is returning to her family home which is the Pennington Point Inn which her grandmother Amelia owns and runs.  Her grandmother had called her asking for help thinking one of the handymen has gone missing.  Elizabeth's college friend, Rashelle, works at the Inn so Lizzi is excited to spend time with her as well as her grandmother.

When Lizzi arrives not only does she hear about the handyman missing but it also appears that a 14 year old girl that is staying at the Inn with her parents is missing as well.  Before Lizzi can settle in and unpack, she is introduced to the new tennis pro teacher and learns that an attorney is harrassing Amelia to sell the Inn and all the property that goes with it.  Lizzi also cannot get away from her overworking boss who constantly calls her looking for designs for one of their biggest clients.

While you are reading Murder on the Precipice you will be totally engrossed in the story and Goetjen takes the reader down quite a few different avenues but they will all bring you back to the Inn.  Lizzi definitely has her hands full trying to navigate everything and when the police put her at the top of the suspect list in the missing girl case, you will be shocked at what she does !!!

An old missing girl case....a current missing girl case......old tunnels underground......the lighthouse .....family.....friends old and new.....secrets old and new.....commitment.......mystery .....hurricane.......and so much more when you open this book  !!!

There is so much more that I would love to tell you about regarding Murder on the Precipice but I don't want to give any more away and I really think you should read it for yourself.  I highly recommend grabbing a copy of this book and escaping to your favorite quiet place....you are not going to want to be disturbed !!!

Review by Missi M.