A Brew For Chaos: Enchanted Bay Mysteries #3 by Esme Addison

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The recipe review and food pairings found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing.

A Brew For Chaos
Enchanted Bay Mysteries #3
Esme Addison

Welcome to Bellamy Bay, North Carolina where they are preparing for Octoberfest and a beer competition. Newspaper editor Jonah Fox is set to unveil his prizewinning brew that is so good, it must be magical. So, is that why someone killed him? Was it to get the recipe or is there something more insipid in the works? Perhaps it is tied to the cold case involving missing girls and the mysterious Fisherman. In this third book, there is a slight thriller feel and a bit more paranormal activity to enhance the magical aspects of the mermaid storyline. Like the two books that came before, this one is also a stand-alone cozy with a touch of paranormal.  Aleksandra has settled into her new town with the help of her aunt Lidia and cousins Minka and Kamila who have Mer DNA just like Alex. She is continuing to learn about her healing abilities and to work on her relationship with detective Jack Frazier.  Ms. Addison has done a wonderful job of infusing so much emotion into this story that I felt myself getting ill with Jack's half-truth's and narrowed viewpoint, while at the same time, I want the happy ending for Alex.  

This story takes an unexpected turn with the introduction of real mermaids and government testing that has been kept secret for far too long. There are bits of danger, and misdirection as well as well laid clues that form a picture that is still missing a piece or two. Alex is getting closer to closure related to her mother's disappearance and she has to make some tough decisions. The theme of family and doing what is right versus doing what you are told or scared into thinking what is right. has been woven throughout the story. 

It hurt my heart that what I hoped to be a slow burn has gone up in flames but perhaps there is something or someone else patiently waiting for Alex to be willing to take a chance. I enjoyed this latest edition of the Enchanted Bay Mystery series and was inspired to make potato pancakes with polska kielbasa. I even found a beer brewed by the Coronado Brewing Company that features a mermaid as their logo.

 

Yule Regret It: A Northwoods Mysteries #4 by Annie McEwan

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

Yule Regret It
Northwoods Mysteries Book #4
Annie McEwan

Christmas time, complete with a frozen lake and chilly weather has come to the Coopers Cove Resort located in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Unfortunately, some tempers are running hot, and a cold-hearted killer has “iced” Santa. This is the quintessential Christmas cozy, complete with snowflakes, a Santa, tasty sounding cookies, family togetherness, sweet bits of the slow burn romance, and a dead body. This is book 4 of the Northwoods Mystery series and can be read as a standalone. Our amateur sleuth, Emmylou Cooper, has found a body or two or three since she moved back to work at her family’s rustic resort, but this time there really isn’t a good reason for her to get involved. She is way too busy between Covington’s Christmas Celebration, work at the resort and the usual holiday hustle. She tells Detective Tom that she isn’t getting involved. She tells her family and close friends that she isn’t getting involved. I really think she meant it this time, until her friend Pam is taken in for questioning and asks Emmy to keep an ear out. Can Emmy help it if people open up to her during conversations and tell her things? Not to mention that she has an uncanny ability to be in the right place at both the right and wrong times. Emmy has a bad case of curiosity and Whitney, her bff, does her best to keep Emmy out of trouble, only to be swept up in the thrill of the chase and takes on the role of Watson to Emmy’s Sherlock.    

I adore Emmy and her crew. I like that Emmy has a quirky personality and a tendency to be a tad klutzy which makes her very relatable. She has just enough sass to keep things interesting and a propensity to look at all the possible scenarios when making a list of possible suspects. As with mysteries past, there are plenty to choose from. The victim, Grady, was an ex-con who may or may not have been mistaken for Ray Pickett, the town’s Santa. The town’s gossip gurus know that something is amiss, but Emmy is keeping her “word hole” shut, just like Detective Tom instructed. The colloquialisms are classic! My favorite Emmy-phrase was when she referred to an El Dorado as a mullet car, no offense to the galls’ lifelong friend Marcus with the Mullet.   

If you like a sleuth who could be a part of the Scooby gang, a character who has learned to stand up to bullies, a character who gets the hot cop for a boyfriend, a character who would do anything for a friend, a character who is always quick to share info with the authorities, and has an appreciation for sweet tea, then Emmy is you gal and this series is your jam. Oh, and if you don’t mind cliff hangers, there is one and/or two of those as well.  

Dying to Sell: Hope Street Church Mystery #9 by Ellery Adams & Tina Radcliffe

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

Dying to Sell
Hope Street Church Mystery #9
Ellery Adams and Tina Radcliffe
Beyond the Page Publishing

The latest Hope Street Church Mystery (book 9) has the bible study group getting involved before the body drop at the behest of Grammy Lee. Cooper Lee, a sweet Southern gal who is part of a bible study group made up of a diverse group from a realtor, plumber, baker, and artist. Cooper is a small business owner having just purchased a store front for selling her repurposed bird houses and other unique bits and bobs. If this is your first time reading one of The Hope Street Church Mysteries, you are in for a pleasant and cozy read. Having said that, this series isn't about unicorns and rainbows, it handles very real issues that can be found anywhere, from a small town to a large city. This time around, Grammy Lee, a VERY feisty active adult who is a hoot-n-half and full of sass, has asked the bible study group to get involved on behalf of a friend, before a body turns up. 

Grammy Lee’s friend, Esme Saldado, is being pressured to put her house on the market by her granddaughter Mary’s unscrupulous fiancé Ronald Fortune, a slick real estate agent and con man. Grammy is pushing Cooper hard to get the bible study group working on the case. Normally the group tippy toes around law enforcement, trying their best to be helpful but they are often reminded to keep out. This time, Detective Olson hasn’t necessarily given approval for the group to snoop but he is open to any information that they come across, and he even volunteered that the Feds are involved. Which means that they, the bible study group, will need to tread cautiously because not all is as it seems.   

This is an uplifting series that has a nice sprinkling of scripture and a great illustration of how important community and family can be, the family that you are born into and the family you choose. All of the main characters add so much to the story and their bible verse discussion is insightful. Cooper isn’t the most confident of characters, she is somewhat self-conscious of her beautiful green glass eye (result of a field hockey accident) that is in contrast to her pale blue eye. All of the characters are well rounded, salt of the earth, caring individuals who often come together and support each other. I like that the group works together instead of one character going off on their own. I also appreciate that Magnolia’s Marvels aka mama Maggie’s recipes are shared at the end of the book. I am making a batch of the Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies to share with my family. Perhaps they can help my craving for the next book which cannot get here soon enough.

Fudge and Marriage: A Candy-Coated Mystery #13 by Nancy Coco

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

Fudge and Marriage
A Candy-Coated Mystery #13
Nancy Coco
Kensington Cozies

 

Welcome to Mackinac Island, Michigan, the summer playground for tourists who appreciate great fudge, like the kind that Allie McMurphy makes by hand. This is the perfect venue for a wedding, and it looks like most of the islanders have been invited to witness Allie and Officer Rex Manning tie the knot. If only it could be so simple, but this is a cozy mystery so of course there is going to be an unexpected death, but I was not expecting the family drama. A crazy amount of wedding drama…nope not a bridezilla, but there is a heck of a momzilla, and the rest of the bride’s maternal family is not any better. If their noses go any higher in the air, they are going to walk into something. It is hard to believe that Allie is from a blue-blood family because she is so down to earth. I have read most of the books in the series and I did not realize that she could have been a trust fund baby, but instead she followed her dreams and stayed true to herself.

All of the books are standalone mysteries, but it has been interesting and entertaining to watch Allie and the rest of the crew as the characters have developed and “grown”, especially Allie and Rex. Rex has learned that Allie is going to find bodies and that she is going to get involved, it isn’t an if it is always a when. In this case Allie starts sleuthing to keep Carol and Irma, two very sweet mature friends from the local “book club” aka the ladies who help Allie solve murders, from getting involved in the hunt for their friend Velma’s murderer. On the plus side, it does give Allie something to keep her mind off of the chaos that her mother is creating by adding to an already well-planned event. Allie’s BFF Jen, who is a professional event planner has everything well in hand. I am not sure if I was more enthralled by the mystery, clue gathering and suspect questioning or by the crazy family drama. One humorous aspect to the drama is that Allie’s Aunt Ginny is well aware of her niece's past adventures and she wants to be in on the sleuthing and is almost egging her on. Aunt Ginny was a great character for helping to add brevity in the midst of the drama. Oh, and Rex has some family drama of his own as well. 

So many great parts to this cozy and they all work together like cogs in a machine to keep the story going with plenty of clues and red herrings and a very exciting ending. The characters are so well written that you adore the sweet ones and scowl when reading about the contrary ones, Ms. Coco does an excellent job of making the characters real and relatable. She also does a great job of including delicious recipes. I usually make one of her fudge recipes but this time I tried the Caramel No-bake Cookies which were easy to make and tasty to eat. I am looking forward to the next book in the series, Some Like It Fudgy.

 

Sugar and Spite: A Witch City Mystery by Carol J. Perry

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

Sugar and Spite
A Witch City Mystery
Carol J. Perry
Kensington Cozies

It is Halloween time in the city of Salem, Massachusetts. To many that might sound common place but for Lee Barrett Mondello, program director for WCH TV, it is an opportunity to get out from behind her desk and visit the local sweet shops. These days Lee is watching her weight because she has been putting on a few pounds over the last 8 almost 9 months. That's right, Lee and her husband, police detective Pete are expecting their first baby. If this is your first Witch City Mystery, no worries, this is a stand-alone cozy. 

Lee is feeling pretty ready for this new adventure. She is a strong character and has led a life full of change starting with losing her parents to a plane crash and being raised by her feisty librarian Aunt Ibby, she was widowed at a young age when her race car driving husband died in a car accident and then she found herself investigating one mystery after another as a reporter for WCH TV which led her to meet TV personality and tarot card reading wiccan River North who one of the few people who know something special about Lee. Lee is a "scryer" or if you prefer, a "gazer" which means she can see visions in reflective surfaces. These visions are not always straightforward, but they have all been helpful in past adventures. Unlike other paranormal cozy sleuths, Lee is not a fan of this ability or the flashing lights and unexpected visions. This time when she nearly stumbles over a dead body in the Casa de Chocolate sweets shop, she doesn't see a thing. Lee might not be getting visions, but she is getting weird vibes from the son of the victim.  Salem might be a cozy sized town but that is no reason to run into the same person constantly when there is no logical reason for paths to cross. Lee says that she is looking forward to setting down the mic and picking up the stroller as she transitions to a stay-at-home mom. Stay-at-home moms don't chase down clues or put themselves into possible danger. In fact, Lee is doing her best to steer clear of this mystery, sample candies, and report on the plight of homeless fur babies.

This is a very enjoyable cozy that keeps you guessing as to how Lee's tarot card reading is going to unfold. The usual characters, Aunt Ibby is a wealth of knowledge, not to mention an excellent cook. In addition to having a slight paranormal twist, this series is also culinary. Each mystery comes complete with several recipes so you too can enjoy Aunt Ibby's cooking. For example, I made Aunt Ibby's Slow-Cooker Beef Burgundy, for Halloween dinner. It was easy to make and enjoyable to eat. This mystery was enjoyable to read and a little easy to solve once the pieces started to fall into place. There was a pretty good misdirection that had me going. This was a great Halloween season cozy, and I hope that Ms. Perry continues the series, even though Lee has settled down into the next chapter of her life. 

   

 

Thanks for Muffin: A Merry Muffin Mystery by Victoria Hamilton

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The recipe review and food pairings found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing.

Thanks for Muffin
A Merry Muffin Mystery
Victoria Hamilton
Beyond the Page

Merry Wynter and Percival “Pish” Lincoln are hosting an amazing and elegant inaugural gala to introduce the Wynter Woods Center for the Performing Arts while also serving as a charity fundraising event. People will travel via luxury party buses from Manhattan to Western New York for the opportunity to dress to the nines and have a holiday experience. Among the guests is a variety of talent, from a world-renowned soprano soloist and her equally talented offspring, an actor, a 90s popstar, and a producer/director. Several guests will be staying through the holiday for an amazing Thanksgiving dinner to be enjoyed the next day. The last thing needed for the grand opening weekend, was a disagreeable, philandering, muckraker reporter who ends up dead after streaming an unflattering video and nasty bit of commentary about the gala and the attendees.

This is book 8 of the Merry Muffin Mystery series and I must confess that I think there would be much to gain by reading the preceding episodes. That is not to say that this is not a stand-alone cozy, I was not lost or confused while enjoying the story but having a pre-existing knowledge of characters and relationships would have enhanced my reading experience. Ms. Hamilton does include a “Cast of Characters” at the beginning of the book which helped immensely. She also includes a few recipes at the conclusion of the story which are quite tasty and simple enough for any level of cook to complete. I enjoyed making and eating the savory Cheddar and Buckwheat Scones with a nice bowl of stew. I have plans to also try the Blueberry-Sour Cream Coffee Cake Muffins.  

Merry, our sleuth, is a smart cookie, or baker, I should say. She is easy to relate to and has a real big heart of gold regardless of what some people might think. She isn’t an heiress or an entitled well-to-do, but she is a hard worker with an amazing baking ability that has led to a successful business. The castle she inherited was a bit of a shambles and it did not come with a fix-it fund, so of course she is going to do anything she can to help solve the murder before the news hits the net and threatens all that she and her best buddy Pish have accomplished. Being the smart lady, she is also means that she surrounds herself with smart people. Her smart and hunky husband Virgil, a former cop turned private investigator, is pulled in on the case by local law enforcement. It is always helpful to have an inside man. Merry’s other friends pitch in and help out in a variety of ways. Which is extremely helpful because it seems like suspects are popping up left and right as Merry learns more and more about her guests and their personal histories. Who would have guessed that the gala was going to be seven degrees of Dan Sooner. 

There are plenty of clues and plenty of red herrings to keep you in that armchair sluething your way through the book. I might not have guessed who did the deed, but I really enjoyed reading this culinary cozy and will be going back to the start of the series to not only catch up but to also get all those muffin recipes.   

Tattered Cover: The Secret, Scone, and Book Society by Ellery Adams

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The recipe review and food pairings found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing.

The Tattered Cover
The Secret, Book, and Scone Society
Ellery Adams
Kensington Cozies

If you enjoy slightly edgy cozies with lots of emotion the this is not only a great Halloween read for you but also an awesome series. The Tattered Cover can be read as a stand-alone, but you might enjoy it more if you started at least two books before with Papercuts, just to get the complete book buildup and character arc.

This series is all about second chances, starting with our main character, Nora Pennington. Nora has quite a back story and it is completely fleshed out in Papercuts, but you don't need to know her whole story up front because Ms. Adams does a great job of sharing just enough backstory to keep the reader from being lost but to also make you want to have read the story from the start. But that is not this story, this story starts with a book signing in Nora's bookshop, Miracle Books, located in Miracle Springs, North Carolina. Like any good Halloween themed story, there is also a mystical aspect and a dark and stormy night. There is also a witch, not the usual kind, no, this one comes with a dog since she is a K9 handler for the Sheriff's department. I am not the only one who isn't a fan of Deputy Paula Hollowell, she elicits some serious emotions. Actually, this series is very good at making you feel all the feelings from happy to indignant and everything in-between. Nora's friends Hester, June, and Estella make up the Secret, Book, and Scone Society with her coworker Sheldon, rounding out the merry band of sleuthers.

It is spooky season, Halloween, and this time around there is a murder in the bookstore under unusual circumstances with an interesting group of suspects to keep Nora and her friends busy. In addition to trying to solve the mystery, the group is also planning for Magnolia Salon and Spa owner Estella and Pink Lady Grill owner Jack's new bundle of joy due to arrive any time.  Estella and Jack aren't the only ones with changes on the horizon. Nora is looking at making changes regarding the bookstore, and maybe even her living arrangements since her little home is in the process of being rebuilt. Nora is staying with her guy, Sheriff Grant McCabe. McCabe (as Nora often calls him) is a fine man who tries to see the best in people, sometimes he and Nora don't see eye to eye which causes contention and a little bit of reader anxiety.    

The story is well laid out, but that is to be expected because Ms. Adams is a master of storytelling with an amazing ability to lay a firm foundation within in story/book that highlights different characters and their stories. Nora's amazing friends, the members of the Secret, Book, and Scone Society, each have a story to tell within the pages of the different books. You will not be able to put a single book down and this latest story is no different. This is a great book for armchair sleuthing because the clues are freely given as are suggestions for other great books. Not to worry when it comes to keeping track of Nora's suggestions because you can find them all at the conclusion of the novel. The only thing missing is a few of Hester's recipes from the Gingerbread House Bakery.