Tag: cozy mystery

REVIEW: Six Cats a Slayin' by Miranda James

REVIEW: Six Cats a Slayin’ by Miranda James

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Berkley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

As Charlie and Diesel prepare for the holiday season, they have their hands – and paws – full.

Someone left five kittens on Charlie’s doorstep with a note saying someone would drown the cats if Charlie wasn’t able to take care of them. Diesel is all in for kitten-sitting while Charlie figures out what to do with the kittens.

Charlie’s new granddaughter is struggling with colic. Her mother, Charlie’s daughter-in-law, is beyond weary, but she is resistant to any offer of help. She seems to think it would mean she was a bad mother. Charlie longs to help them, but he also wants to respect their boundaries.

And finally, Charlie has a new neighbor – a pushy, flirtatious woman. Everything about her is the opposite of what Charlie would choose in a friend. And Gerry Albritton seems to want more than friendship. Hopefully, when Charlie brings Helen Louise to Gerry’s Christmas party, Gerry will get the hint that he’s not interested.

When Gerry dies at her own party, Charlie will have to add sleuthing to his busy to do list. He saw and heard too much at that party that could help lead the police to the killer.

Review

This was an absolute delight! I have been a fan of this series since the start. Charlie is a fantastic protagonist. He’s smart and personable and really cares about others. He recognizes his flaws and tries to learn from his past and the people he loves. Diesel is a hoot! I especially loved all the scenes with Diesel and the kittens. The author did a spectacular job with the descriptions for those scenes. That whole story line was precious.

I loved the family pieces, too. Not only did they expand on the characters from previous books, but they also showed the reader more about Charlie. The evolution of Charlie’s relationship with his son from the first book to this one, for example, has been so satisfying. And the things Charlie has learned helped out another character in this story.

The mystery was terrific. Lots of twists and unusual clues that had to be uncovered. The final solution didn’t come with a lot of punch this time – no last ditch effort to get away with murder or big showdown on the page. That might be disappointing to some readers, but I felt like it maintained the tone of the overall book. I was so charmed by the full story that I was satisfied with how all the pieces came together. This may be my new favorite book in this terrific series. You can read my review of other books from Miranda James/Dean James – including a couple Diesel stories – here.  This is book 10 in the Cat in the Stacks series.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: A Geek Girl's Guide series by Julie Anne Lindsey

REVIEW: A Geek Girl’s Guide series by Julie Anne Lindsey

Posted on by Jaymie

Book One – A Geek Girl’s Guide to Murder – When a friend is found dead in her IT office, “geek girl” Mia is the primary suspect for the new security guy. She’ll go to Comic Con and back to find the real killer.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

 

Book Two – A Geek Girl’s Guide to Arsenic – When an acquaintance at the Renaissance Faire/Craft Fair drops dead in her family’s booth of organic beauty products, Mia’s grandmother’s business is in jeopardy. Mia will have to prove it wasn’t one of their products that poisoned the man if they want to overcome the bad press. What better way to do that but to find the real killer?

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

 

Book Three – A Geek Girl’s Guide to Justice – Mia is barely over the stress of the last time she stumbled onto a murder when she finds an old friend of her grandparents dead. Jake would love nothing more than for Mia to leave this alone. She’s planning Bree’s baby shower and working three jobs. She has more than enough on her plate. But her grandmother wants to know the truth of what happened to her friend. Mia’s just going to ask some questions. How much trouble could that be?

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

 

Review

This series is a treat! I don’t even remember where I first heard of it, but the minute I finished the first one, I asked the local library to order the other two.

The characters are my favorite part of this. Mia has a fascinating family and great chemistry with the love interest. I love that Mia is quirky, smart and independent. She’s a fabulous, strong main character.

The mysteries are good. The second book was the strongest for me. Number three had a different feel because the reader doesn’t know the victim at all before he dies. This made it hard to establish strong suspects for the reader to puzzle through.

There’s lots to enjoy in this series – terrific characters, interesting settings (a gated community, the Ren Faire, etc.), fun mysteries, and plenty of “extra” plot pieces to keep the stories engaging. Check out the whole series!

REVIEW: Hitting the Books by Jenn McKinlay

REVIEW: Hitting the Books by Jenn McKinlay

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Berkley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

It starts out like any other Crafternoon. Beth, the children’s librarian is dressed as the Pigeon. The book club has gathered to make a craft, eat great food, and talk about their book,  A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. And they’re passing around Mary’s new baby. Well, Lindsey wasn’t holding the baby. She’s not a big baby person. She focuses on the scene outside the library so no one tries to hand little Josie to her. That’s why Lindsey sees the car speeding down Main Street and notices Theresa Huston start to step off the curb. Lindsey hears the car speed up and watches helplessly as it slams into Theresa and drives away.

It quickly becomes apparent that Theresa, who survives the accident with a badly broken leg, is in someone’s cross-hairs. Lindsey absolutely should NOT look into things on her own. She’s had too many close calls in the past. But when you watch the attack happen right in front of you, it’s hard to ignore the memory of the accident.

Review

Another great mystery from Jenn McKinlay! Lindsey and her boyfriend Sully are caught up in all the action as are police chief, Emma Plewicki and her boyfriend, Robby Vine. The rest of the series regulars play a background role in most of the story. It was nice to spend time with the familiar characters, but the emphasis of the story is really on the mystery, which is terrific.

I love that the emphasis this time was on preventing a murder rather than an increasing body count. I think it’s great when series authors change up the formula. The mystery was delightfully twisty! There was a balance of action and suspense and a reasonable amount of librarian-level detective work from Lindsey. It all comes together in a satisfying story from one of my favorite series.

This is book 9 in the Library Lover’s Mystery series. I’ve enjoyed all the books so far. The author has two other mystery series as well as a set of romances that I loved. You can read some of my reviews at the link above. Jenn McKinlay is one of the authors I buy automatically – and for good reason. She always delivers!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Till Death Do Us Tart by Ellie Alexander

REVIEW: Till Death Do Us Tart by Ellie Alexander

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin’s Paperbacks in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

It’s wedding time in Ashland, Oregon. When Juliet’s mom and the Professor were struggling to find a venue for the wedding, Juliet and the crew at Torte and most of the town decided to throw a surprise wedding at Uva, the vineyard in which Juliet and her estranged husband, Carlos, had invested.

Speaking of Carlos, he’s coming to town for the wedding and bringing his son, Ramiro, along. Carlos’ secrets about the boy were what caused the rift in his marriage to Juliet. Meeting Ramiro will be the first step in trying to repair their relationship.

And if a secret wedding and a new step-son weren’t enough for Juliet to juggle, she is also right in the middle of renovations at her bake shop, Torte. Juliet has her hands full.

Then her friend Lance drops his bombshell. He thinks his brother might be plotting to kill their father to finagle getting all of his money. Lance wants Juliet to help him keep an eye on his brother and his cronies. When Lance’s father dies, their investigation becomes a hunt for a killer.

Review

Book eight in the Bakeshop Mystery series by Ellie Alexander. As a mystery, this was a bit disappointing for me. I felt like the mystery was only maybe a third of the book. There was a lot of time devoted to the other things going on in Ashland and between the various characters. Thankfully, I really enjoyed those other story elements so this was still an enjoyable read for me.

I love Juliet and the crew at Torte. The relationships, interplay, and growth of the store are part of what I love about this series. The food descriptions always leave me hungry. I’d love to visit a shop like Torte.

If I was looking for an intricate murder mystery to dig into, this would have fallen flat for me. The first part was mostly supposition and theories. The second part was when the traditional mystery really kicked in and that was about halfway through the book. The fact that I care about the characters and the relationships in this series redeemed the reading experience for me. But someone with less connection to the characters might be disappointed with this one. I love when an author does a great job of balancing character development with a strong, central mystery. This did not fit that description for me.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Toucan Keep a Secret by Donna Andrews

REVIEW: Toucan Keep a Secret by Donna Andrews

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Trinity Episcopal Church is an important part of the Caerphilly community and an important place for Meg Langslow and her family. So when their priest goes on maternity leave, Meg of course jumps in to help. Armed with her notebook-that-tells-her-when-to-breathe, Meg is ready to corral obstinate vestry members, supervise a parishioner’s toucan, and keep the church and grounds locked and secured.

Despite the best efforts of Meg and her team, however, someone breaks into the crypt (columbarium), removes some of the cremains from their niches, and bashes one of the more tiresome vestry members on the head.

It seems as though the niches that were disturbed had some connection to an unsolved jewelry heist. Mrs. Beatrice van der Lynden reportedly staged a heist with her son for the insurance money. But the college guys they planned to use ran into some real criminals trying to get in on the job. In the end, two men were dead and the jewels disappeared. Meg can’t see how the dead vestry member ties into the jewelry case, but her specialty is asking questions. She might be surprised by what she uncovers this time.

Review

This is the 23rd book in the delightful Meg Langslow mystery series. Meg is one of my favorite book characters, and she doesn’t disappoint this time.

I love this series for its quirky and eccentric characters. This book introduces some new ones who were a lot of fun. Donna Andrews does an amazing job of building a community I love while not sacrificing the core mystery in each book.

The mystery in this one is good. The contemporary crime ties into a cold case which opens up some interesting investigation options.

I loved the church setting for a lot of the book. There’s no preaching or moralizing that might put off a non-religious reader. But the characters connected to the church – Robyn the priest, Dr. Womble, and the rest – were fun. My favorite part of the whole book was the wrap up piece at the church at the end. There is even a moment there that brought tears to my eyes. It’s a lovely scene in a fantastic story in a series I love.

If you haven’t read any of the Meg Langslow books before, start with the first few (Murder with Peacocks, then Murder with Puffins and then Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos) to get the characters in mind. After that the order probably doesn’t matter. Book 24, Lark! The Herald Angels Sing releases in October, 2018.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Confessions of a Red Herring by Dana Dratch

REVIEW: Confessions of a Red Herring by Dana Dratch

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kensington in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Alexandra Vlodnochek gave up her job as a reporter to pursue a higher paying job at the Coleman and Walters PR firm. No one told her that the new job included expectations that she would take a client up to a hotel room. She thought her loud refusal might get her fired. But she didn’t expect it would get her accused of murder.

Now Alex is trying to clear her name using her investigative reporting skills. But her former coworkers have drunk the Kool-aid and are sharing the company lies with the press. Someone has stolen her identity and is trying to ruin her financially. The one boss who isn’t dead has backed her into a corner where her chances of finding another job that doesn’t involve cleaning toilets are slim. And if that’s not enough to juggle, Alex’s baby brother moves in with his fiancée (who seems to be running a shady business out of Alex’ house) and their un-housebroken puppy. Alex is out of money and out of patience with the hatchet job her former employer is trying to pull on her. She won’t let her entire life be destroyed without a fight.

Review

The sheer volume of things piling onto Alex was overwhelming. It was almost painful to read one more disaster, one more lie, one more manipulation, one more attack on her character.

But Alex was never facing all of that alone. Her family really steps up to help her out in their own unique ways. I really enjoyed the whole cast in this book. Some of the characters are mainly “off stage,” but still bring interesting tidbits to the story. I cannot wait for more books to get to know some of these other characters better.

The mystery wasn’t a big surprise. But I thoroughly enjoyed watching Alex work things out. There were some fantastic, triumphant moments for her that I loved! There were some “sideline scenes” where Alex was trying to earn some money to stay afloat that were enjoyable, even though they had little to nothing to do with solving the murder. Sometimes such things can be aggravating and distracting, but this time they were fun scenes that helped cut some of the tension of the larger story.

This is a fun, sassy story with great characters. I will absolutely keep up with this series in the future! (Some language.)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Crime and Punctuation by Kaitlyn Dunnett

REVIEW: Crime and Punctuation by Kaitlyn Dunnett

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this from Netgalley and Kensington in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Widow Mikki Lincoln has bought her childhood home in Lenape Hollow, NY for her retirement years. But the work needed on the old house is going to be extensive – and expensive. So Mikki takes her experience as a language arts teacher and turns it into a freelance editing business.

Tiffany Smith finds Mikki’s business online. Excited to find an editor in her own community, she shows up on Mikki’s doorstep with her manuscript in hand. She’s written a 1930s mystery based on a true story from Lenape Hollow. Mikki agrees to take Tiffany on as a client, but before she can dig very far into the book, Tiffany is found dead.

The Lenape Hollow grapevine is full of rumors. Maybe it was suicide. Maybe it was her husband whose business maneuvers have thrown the town into a tizzy. Mikki has to wonder if Tiffany’s death has anything to do with the book she wrote, but the police confiscated it right after Tiffany died. But Mikki’s curiosity kicks into high gear when multiple people accuse her of having something else from Tiffany. Then her house is ransacked. Mikki will need to put all the pieces together soon before the murder sets his or her sights on Mikki next.

Review

I love books with reading or writing-related storylines, so I have been looking forward to this for months. While the book is solid, it was slow paced for my preference. It was too easy to set the book down and forget about it. The characters didn’t quite click for me, either. Mikki is fine, but I didn’t connect with her in a way that made me want to keep reading until the story wrapped up. Usually the characters will push me to keep up with a series. In this case, the plot of the next book will really have to grab my attention for me to give the next book a try.

The mystery was well crafted. We didn’t even know what happened with Tiffany for a long time. Then Mikki had to dig into family, colleagues, and the book pieces, all while adjusting to her new community and picking up relationships with old friends. But I felt like the murderer was a little more obvious than I like in a mystery. I like to have to work to puzzle it out. There were lots of other things going on in the book; sometimes that is an asset when it helps diffuse the tension of the larger story or helps develop the characters. This time, for me at least, it was a distraction that kept me from really locking into the story.

I enjoyed the old relationships that kept sneaking up on Mikki. Since this was the first book in the series, that happened a lot, but they were good reminders of Mikki’s context and age and experiences. It was interesting that in many of these old relationships Mikki felt she needed to apologize for abrupt or abrasive behavior with people who were younger that she saw as annoyances as a teen.

For mystery readers who love digging into the community and people around the central mystery, or a slower placed story, this might be a great fit for you.

Rating: ♥♥♥½

REVIEW: As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles by Leslie Budewitz

REVIEW: As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles by Leslie Budewitz

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this from Netgalley and Midnight Ink in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Christmas has come to Jewel Bay, Montana. Erin is working on making sure her family business, Murphy’s Mercantile, has a profitable holiday season. She’s also awaiting the arrival of a new niece or nephew and finalizing plans for her Christmas Eve wedding.

When Merrily Thornton returns to Jewel Bay looking for a second chance with her family, Erin sees a woman only a few years older than she is who needs a good friend. As a teen, Merrily went to prison for embezzling money from a local business. Merrily’s parents were so mortified by her behavior, they disowned her. Almost 20 years later, Merrily hoped they might find it in their hearts to forgive her and get to know the college-aged granddaughter they had never met. But Walt and Taya Thornton want nothing to do with Merrily or her family.

Erin invites Merrily to a holiday cookie exchange, but Merrily never arrives. She’s later found dead. It looks like Merrily started up her money tricks again when her employer discovers money missing from the business. But Erin doesn’t believe Merrily would do that. She’s not even sure Merrily did it the first time. Erin will have to pull out her Spreadsheet of Suspicion once again to track down the killer and the truth.

Review

This was terrific! I read book one when it first came out, but I haven’t been able to keep up with the rest of the series. Now I have to go back and get caught up because this was so fun! I had no trouble following the story without having read the previous books, although several references to earlier events did make me want to catch up soon.

The characters are great – and there are LOTS of them. Like any good cozy, you want the reader to care about the whole community. The author does a great job of creating a full, rich cast and setting while keep the focus on the mystery. I loved Erin and her family and friends. They are people I would hang out with, and Jewel Bay is a place I would love to visit.

The mystery was great. I was able to puzzle out the killer, but not until Erin was putting the last few pieces together. The pacing of the mystery was excellent. Things moved at a comfortable rate and there were no lagging spots that made it hard for me to pick the book back up when I had to set it aside. I was always eager to get back to everything – the characters, Jewel Bay, the wedding plans, and the mystery.

This is book 5 in the series. It’s a little earlier in the year than I usually dive into a Christmas book, but it such a fun story, I found it refreshing. I can’t wait to catch up on all of Erin’s adventures that I have missed.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Cherry Pies & Deadly Lies by Darci Hannah

REVIEW: Cherry Pies & Deadly Lies by Darci Hannah

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Midnight Ink in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Whitney is a little stunned to think one feminine hygiene ad could cause so much trouble. But sure enough, here she stands, in front of her old agency, selling cherry treats that she baked in her kitchen, begging her old boss to give her her job back. To no avail.

When Whitney’s mom calls to say someone has been murdered in the family cherry orchard – and Whitney’s dad is the prime suspect – Whitney drops what little bit of a life she has in Chicago to head home to Wisconsin.

There’s a lot to love about Cherry Cove. The family inn and cherry orchard are precious places to Whitney. Her two best friends and her parents and grandmother live in Cherry Cove. On the down side, so does Tate, the guy who broke her heart, and Jack, her high school nemesis. But the only thing that really matters is finding out what’s going on with her family’s business and clearing her dad of murder charges before it ruins both her family and their business. So Whitney is willing to ignore Jack’s encouragement to stay out of police business and start digging into the people around the inn and the mishaps that started up a few moths ago. Somewhere in all of that is a murderer.

Review

What a fun story! The Wisconsin setting is terrific. I also enjoyed the cherry pieces woven throughout the book. Part of the fun of cozy mysteries is the different themes that set the series apart from the rest. I enjoyed this theme. There were no recipes in my review copy of the book. I don’t know if there will be in the final published product, but it would be a big oversight if there aren’t.

Characters are a huge factor in my enjoyment of a book, and these characters were a lot of fun. I enjoyed Whitney, her best friends in Wisconsin, and her gay best friend from Chicago who drives up to help. Whitney is spunky and smart, and I enjoyed her somewhat reckless antics. I could have done without the love triangle which is often a part of cozy mysteries. That’s the only part of this I didn’t enjoy. That’s just a matter of personal preference.

The mystery was excellent. The tension and suspense were distributed throughout the story and amped up to a great climax. The wrap up to this was everything I love from a great cozy mystery. I will definitely be sticking with this series in the future. A great kick off to this series.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Flowers and Foul Play by Amanda Flower

REVIEW: Flowers and Foul Play by Amanda Flower

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Fiona Knox arrives in Scotland in somewhat of a haze. She lost her flower business in Nashville. Her fiancé left her for their cake decorator. And her beloved godfather died and left her his family cottage and grounds.

One of her favorite parts of her godfather’s land was his garden. But when Fiona arrives at the cottage, the garden has died. The groundskeeper says everything died when Fiona’s godfather died. But now that Fiona has arrived, the garden would revive. Fiona has already noticed the ivy on the walls greening up. It’s like magic. But no magic can help the dead man she finds.

The handsome police officer who shows up to look into the death finds Fiona’s arrival at the same time as the death suspicious. And when the death is ruled a murder, Fiona and the groundskeeper, Hamish, are at the top of his suspect list. But plenty of other folks had a reason to hate the man and want him out of the way. Maybe Fiona can puzzle it out as she gets to know the people in her new town and keep herself and Hamish out of jail.

Review

The first book in the Magic Garden mystery series is a treat! I have enjoyed the author’s Amish Candy Shop mysteries and the Magical Bookshop series. This is a great addition to her cozy mystery collection (she has other series besides these three)!

I enjoyed the unusual setting for this mystery. And the town near Fiona’s new cottage has a lovely, eclectic group of residents. Well, most of them are lovely. The magical elements of the garden are a fun twist on the classic cozy formula. There are still some things to be discovered in future books (like a punchy reveal right at the end of this one), which I am looking forward to reading.

There’s a solid mystery with plenty of plausible suspects. I’m curious to see what becomes of some of the disagreeable people in the book who happened to be innocent – this time.

Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read an electronic review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥