A Very Woodsy Murder : A Golden Motel Mystery by Ellen Byron

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing these ARCs in exchange for honest reviews. The recipe reviews and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing. 

A Very Woodsy Murder : A Golden Motel Mystery #1
Ellen Byron
Kensington Publishing Corp. 

The Golden motel is a hidden treasure nestled in the Sierra foothills, a respite for sitcom writer Dee Stern and her data analyst ex-husband Jeff Cornetta.  Neither have hospitality services experience but are giving it a go as budding moteliers in the rustic mountain setting. Unfortunately, the motel isn’t the only thing that is in the woods and no I not referring to Stoney the bear.  This was not how Dee saw her new venture going, nothing like finding the dead body of your first guest, writer Michael Adam Baker. Dee remembers Michael Allen as being the most devious backstabbing writer whom she ever had the displeasure of working with. There goes that Yelp review he was holding over their heads. The suspects are plentiful, was it someone from Michael’s past in Goldgone or someone from his present. The guy was no prince and while some(one) might have heralded him as a “son” of Goldgone there were plenty of people who had nothing good to say about him. 

Ellen Byron has done it again, created another awesome cozy mystery. Ms. Byron has a flair for creating characters that are characters. From the Goldsgone Mercantile and Emporium owner named Verity Donner - yes that Donner Gillespie to Elmira Williker the Foundgold shop owner who can’t bake but is one heck of a cook plus she’s the Mayor. There is also the extremely helpful older couple Ma’am and her husband, Mister Ma’am who live a stone’s throw from the Golden and sort of come and go out of nowhere. My favorite character by far is Serena Finlay-Katz, wife to a big time Hollywood agent and the creator of amazing charcuterie snacks. The funny thing about Serena, you just never know if she is carrying the baby in the sling and the dog in carriage or the other way around. Thankfully there is a “Who’s Who” at the front of the book to help keep the players straight. There are quite a few colorful characters, heck I don’t think there is a single ordinary person out of either town. 

This cozy does a great job of keeping you entertained and intrigued. Each new character adds another layer of enjoyment and suspicion as the clues mount and the red herrings are running up stream. By the end of this well spun yarn you will find yourself craving trail mix and down home cooking while considering how to work “tarnation” into your next sentence. Even though this isn’t technically a culinary cozy, there are some mighty fine vittles mentioned in the book and I am glad to see that there are recipes in the back. I tried out the Cowboy Casserole which was both simple and delicious. I am looking forward to the next installment and recipes.

A Smoking Bun: A Bakeshop Mystery by Ellie Alexander

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing these ARCs in exchange for honest reviews. The recipe reviews and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing.  

A Smoking Bun: A Bakeshop Mystery
Ellie Alexander
St. Martin’s Press

A post-Christmas visit with Carlos’s family has Jules both excited and slightly nervous. I am not sure how she pulls it all together but I sure do like Jules’s attitude toward the visitors/new family. I started reading this series halfway in and have really enjoyed the story arc and how much Jules has changed the way she looks at things. She has learned that change happens and sometime it is hard but usually it is needed and it is good. For example, so much has changed since she returned to Ashland. The Torte bakeshop is doing gangbusters and the folks that work that are quite a gang. Actually, they are more like family. They are a well-oiled machine the way they work together, laugh together, build a jump dummy together…and so the mystery begins. The victim, Fitz Baskin, was a rather rude and unscrupulous person and was obviously up to no good. Unfortunately barista extraordinaire Andy’s good friend, Ski Patrol Shawn, is number 1 on the suspect list. Andy can’t help himself but to ask Jules to look into things. Not that Lance needs an invitation to get himself and Jules involved. I am actually surprised that given the cold weather and Lance's flair for the dramatic that he doesn't take to donning a deerstalker caps and get to investigating. 

Suspects include an eco-activist, an auditor, the lodge owner who is working hard to keep the historic family run mountain lodge going, and tenacious tour guide. Jules has hosting duties and bakes to be baked, when is she supposed to find time to sleuth? The situation is chilly but the mystery and the food is hot. Yummy dishes and desserts are described in detail and also found at the back of the book. I chose to make the Chicken and Chickpea Buns recipe and can report back that they are easy to make as the perfect meal for a chilly day. The story is like a well groomed slope but be careful that the red herrings don't lead you off the path and into the trees. There is more to this mystery than just a dead obnoxious opportunist. A great read with great descriptive food scenes that are thankfully followed up with recipes at the end. I am looking forward to the next Bakeshop Mystery. 

One of You : A Tower District Mystery by Lorie Lewis Ham

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing these ARCs in exchange for honest reviews. The recipe reviews and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing.  

One of You: A Tower Mystery
Tower District Mysteries Book 2
Lorie Lewis Ham
Kings River Life

Tower District Fresno is a place of culinary delights, entertaining esthetics, and murder. Well what did you expect, it is Mysteryfest so of course there is going to be a murder mystery but one would never have expected it to be the Queen of Cozy, that’s right the Queen of Cozy is dead…in Fresno. What started out as a MysteryFest has become a MurderFest and the Tower District’s newest resident, Roxi Carlucci, is going to help find out why. This is the second book in the Tower District Mystery Series and I think that it is every bit as good as the series starter if not better. Book two picks up with Roxi helping her friend Clark to get his bookshop ready for Mysteryfest and the authors of Bradford Publishing, namely Marilyn Bradford the Queen of Cozy.  Everyone liked Marilyn; the same cannot be said about her husband Edward, the owner of Bradford Publishing. Many people were surprised that Edward wasn’t the victim and while he makes for a perfect suspect, he has a really good alibi and an ability to act. 

This is an engaging story full of surprises and unique events that capture your attention with the introduction of each suspect and the secrets they carry. Did Marilyn know those secrets; was her "tell-all" book going to tell all about her fellow authors? The Tower Gossip Twitter account has been hacked and is up and running again adding fuel to the fire and anyone can be a target, even Roxi. How is it that the Tower Gossip is either in step with or a step ahead of Roxi and Stephan? How can Nathan still seem so perfect? There are some serious plot twists that keep you guessing a little like trick or treat, it is Halloween after all.  

This is a great continuation of the series starter but it can be read as a stand-alone. Roxi does a great job helping with both the MysteryFest and the investigation, while also taking care of the furries, being sure to grab great tasting food, brainstorm with best bud Lucas, engage in a little cosplay Camelot style, and hanging out with Clark (she still isn’t looking to start a relationship). As with the first story, the characters are diverse, relatable, and engaging.  I look forward to the next installment and will be trying a glass of Orange Up in the meantime. 

One of Us: A Tower Mystery
Tower District Mysteries Book 1
Lorie Lewis Ham
Kings River Life

I have never had a desire to visit Fresno, even when I lived in the Sacramento area and was somewhat close to the town. After I finished the book I went and looked up the Fresno Tower District and now I am considering adding it to my “cozy mystery destination” list. The food and art deco buildings are just a small part of what makes this mystery so good. The main character, Roxi is a children’s book author who has been dropped by her publisher. Unable to afford the California coast she concedes to move to Fresno and live with her cousin Stephan. Roxi and Stephan are family lower “f” and they are part of a Family with a capital “F” (as in Mob Family). Stephan, having turned his back on the Family business, has his own investigation business and happily extends an offer of employment. In addition he also gets Roxi a volunteer position at the local theater. Roxi has back stage access to the show and the drama but a front row seat to the murder, a most mysterious murder because the victim was so quiet and unassuming that no one could have possibly had a motive for murder.

 Roxi is inquisitive, smart, sassy, sensitive, relatable, and perfect for the role of amateur sleuth. Did I mention that she has a unique pet, a Dumbo rat (yep had to look that up as well).  Another unique aspect to this story is the Tower Gossip website and Tower Gossip Twitter account. Tower Gossip parallels the once popular TV series Gossip Girl, complete with a mysterious figure who seems to know all and teases with bits of details to create gossip and drama. Slightly less mysterious is the cast of suspects who have something to hide. There is a director who is regular Jekyll & Hyde during rehearsals, a dark and complicated writer, the dog walker has to be included because of the murder weapon, a leading man who is too perfect, and an art academy owner who may be in financial turmoil.  In between trips to wonderful sounding eateries

The story draws you in and includes real emotions and real family crisis subjects such as being bipolar and suicide. The clues are easy enough to follow and the red herrings are convincing enough to lead you astray. This is an excellent start to a new series.

Rhythm and Clues: The Record Shop Mysteries by Olivia Blacke

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing these ARCs in exchange for honest reviews. The recipe reviews and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing.  

Rhythm and Clues
The Record Shop Mysteries
St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Olivia Blacke

Little did Juni know that by accepting free hockey tickets in a private booth that she would be getting herself involved in another murder mystery. The tickets didn’t come with strings, just a sales pitch from over aged frat boy Zach Fjord of Fjord Capital. Zack Fjord and Savannah Goodwin of Fjord Capital contact make an offer of financial backing that would take control away from the sisters, and supposedly give them peace of mind and capital for growth. Peace of mind is a great thing to have, and the sisters have worked hard to get Sip & Spin Records up and going so when the rain storm gets worse, Tansy and Juni grab Daffy the cat and sandbag the doorways to protect their product. That’s when they see car lights followed by sounds of a car crash. It starts to get really mysterious when the sisters find a crashed car with no driver and a dead Zach Fjord in the passenger seat.

Juni can’t help herself, she just feels that Savannah needs her help to find out what happened the night of the storm. There are several suspects some business and some personal. Turns out that Zach had a way with the ladies but not so much way with the finances. Not everyone was happy with their partnership arrangements with Fjord Capital. Juni does the usual poking into things when she isn’t making coffee and selling records. She ruffles feathers and asks questions that made people uneasy. Juni is a fun character to read, quick witted and with a good heart. So good that she has the attention of two men and she doesn’t want to hurt either of them. I am not a fan of the multiple suitors for the sleuth and am happy to say that Juniper makes a decision. The story kept my attention and the light-heartedness kept me chuckling. I look forward to the next trip to Cedar River, Texas and the Sip & Spin Records shop.

Crime and Cherry Pits: An Organic Cozy Mystery -Farm to Table Mysteries #4 by Amanda Flowers

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing these ARCs in exchange for honest reviews. The recipe reviews and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing.  

Crime and Cherry Pits: An Organic CozyMystery
Farm to Table Mysteries #4
Amanda Flowers 

It is time for the Traverse City Cherry Festival and an opportunity for Shiloh Bellamy to show off what the Organic Bellamy Farm of Cherry Glenn has to offer. Shiloh’s incredibly talented assistant/farm director Chesney Stevens has created a booth that is sure to be memorable since it looks like a giant berry basket overflowing with cherries and stocked full of amazing cherry baked goods and soap. The other memorable thing about this festival is the death of Dane Fullbright at the cherry pit spitting contest. The death makes her cousin Stacey a prime suspect and a prime target for town gossip. 

Stacey and Shiloh are on the outs because of an inheritance issue and newly found fortune in stocks left over from book 2 (In Farm’s Way). They need each other in more ways than one if Stacey is going to get off of the suspect list under the description of “woman scorned.”    What with the very public and loud disagreement and the words “over my dead body” were heard. Stacey says she didn’t know that Dane Fullbright was married so maybe his wife had it with his philandering ways? This is borderline LA style drama, something that Shiloh is familiar with having been in Hollywood TV production. Shiloh’s dad isn’t helping things and seems to be a rather cantankerous individual who could be a bit more supportive of the hard work that Shiloh put into making the farm functional.

Shiloh has her hands full working the booth, searching for clues, asking questions, making baked goods, running errands, and keeping her eyes and ears open. Thankfully, Chesney fully supports the side sleuthing while BFF Kristy is less supportive and more worried about Shi’s safety, while the handsome and smart Sheriff Milan Penbrook knows better than to disregard Shiloh’s ability to get people to talk. Unlike Quinn Killian, EMT and almost love interest, but he can’t seem to make up his mind between the ghosts of the past and the promise of a great future which means he might have missed his chance.

 There are plenty of suspects for Shiloh to follow-up with. Was Dane murdered for tenure like his wife Lily says? Maybe he sweet talked one too many ladies since there are several who make good suspects, such as Lily his wife. He was a bit of a shyster maybe there is one or more persons mad because they were burned by a “fundraiser” he oversaw. You won’t be able to stop turning pages as Shiloh does her thing with and sometimes without back-up. 

This story has some sweet and some tart moments which make Shiloh relatable and someone whom you want to see happy and successful. I look forward to seeing what she does next and hopefully there will be some yummy cherry related recipes in the next installment.

The Grim Steeper : A Witches' Brew Mystery Book 3 by Gretchen Rue

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing these ARCs in exchange for honest reviews. The recipe reviews and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing.  

The Grim Steeper
A Witches Brew Mystery #3
Gretchen Rue
Crooked Lane Books 

This time The Earl’s Study tea and bookshop has gone to the birds. Phoebe Winchester, store owner, sometime sleuth, and newish witch, is hosting bird enthusiast and author, Sebastian Marlow for one of his book tour stops.  Sebastian aka the Backyard Bird Man considered an expert birder who is easy on the eyes, has a huge announcement to make during his upcoming author event at Phoebe‘s books store.  So of course he ends up being the victim. Everyone loved Sebastian, or seemed to love him so why was he murdered? Like all good cozy sleuths, Phoebe has a need to find out the “who” and the” why.” 

I am not sure how Phoebe finds time to look for clues and ask questions. Most of her time is divided up between baking amazing sourdough bread from a homemade starter (refer to book 2 Death of a Thousand Sips), running the bookstore, (maybe) dating a dark-haired private investigator, and worrying about her magic acting wonky and unpredictable. It’s that last part, the magic acting wonky that could lead to a sticky situation, people aren’t used to seeing things floating and Phoebe’s witchy abilities are on the down low. The town has one other witch, Phoebe’s friend Honey, who can read runes but cannot offer a clear path for the mystery or guidance on what Phoebe needs to do for her magic.     

Suspects include the former manager and best friend who was “let go” the day before the group arrives at Phoebe’s place for their tour stop. Maybe it is one of Sebastian’s team, or maybe someone else altogether. Everyone seems to be up to something and Phoebe was asked by Detective Martin to keep her eyes and ears open. Good thing her long-time friend (and maybe more), Rich Lofting is a former cop and currently a very good private investigator who is willing to indulge her and conduct stakeouts. The interactions between these two are fun and adorable as they dance around the “should we take this out of the friend zone” attitudes. Rich may or may not know about Phoebe’s extra abilities, he knew her aunt Eudora, who was the subject of small town rumors about being a witch. Her teas helped a little too well, such a finding love and getting sleep. 

The plot is well constructed and the clues well placed. The red herrings make it a challenge and the character interactions keep you turning pages as well as chuckling. Being a fan of the culinary cozies I was very happy to see that there were recipes at the conclusion of the story. I had sourdough starter already going after reading book two and used it to make the blueberry lemon sourdough bread. Both the story and the sourdough were highly enjoyable and I cannot wait to see what happens next. The ending is a doozy! 

Pinned 4 Murder : A Sophie Kimball Mystery by J.C. Eaton

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing these ARCs in exchange for honest reviews. The recipe reviews and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing. 

Pinned 4 Murder
Sophie Kimball Mystery
J.C. Eaton
Beyond the Page Publishing

This is another great Sophie Kimball mystery. In fact it is one was the zaniest yet with lizards, itching powder, a cyber scamming sweetheart, and the neurotic chiweenie known as Steadman. Each and every one of the Sophie Kimball mysteries is a stand-alone and they just keep getting better and better. Phee works as the bookkeeper for Williams Investigations with her investigator husband Marshall and boss Nate. All three of them relocated from the icy tundra of Minnesota, with Nate being the first to make the change in latitude. I don’t want to give too much background away because it is such a fun story line that I would not do it credit. What I can say is that it all started with Phee going out to Arizona to help her mom who tends to exaggerate the severity of a situation and she always seems to get Phee into the middle all kinds of crazy. This time it involves a development company with plans to update the local bowling alley to make it hip and fun for the younger crowd. Seems like a funny thing to do since the bowling alley is located in a retirement community. Orlando Fleish is the victim which is ironic because he was involved with a scam that involved convincing people to sell their homes and move to a life-care community, turning them into victims. Small spoiler, the adventures that Phee gets involved in because of her mom somehow end up intertwined with the crimes that boss Nate, and husband Marshall are either hired to solve or are retained by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. The clues are many, the misdirection misdirects, and the hijinks are hilarious.