Death at a Scottish Halloween: A Scottish Shire Mystery #8 by Traci Hall

 

Murder at a Scottish Halloween

The Scottish Shire Mysteries #8

Traci Hall

Book 8 of the Scottish Shire Mystery series is the first one to be set during the Samhain season, and main character Paisley Shaw is ready to celebrate Halloween even though it will not include activities with her son Brody as he is not so little anymore. This series is set in the coastal town of Nairn, which is a real place in Scotland and is on my cozy mystery location bucket list. Paisley is a small business owner who specializes in yarn and all things knitting related. She even sells items that she has artfully crafted such as an adorable witch hat. Her cozy store has enabled her to take care of herself, her son Brody, and her Grandpa, and her great employees have enabled her to be able to step away from the store to sleuth when needed. Paisley never goes looking for murder or mystery, but she cannot stand by and do nothing when it involves her friends or family. This time is no different as Paisley dons a mama bear attitude to protect her son when a soccer hazing leads to a wrong place at the wrong time. Some things to know about this series is that Paisley is a kindhearted and fiercely loyal character who would do anything for her son Brody. She has been on an amazing journey of character development since the series started but you do not have to be a current reader of the series to know what is going on or what has transpired. Ms. Hall does a great job of knitting bits of Paisley’s past history throughout the story without giving away solutions to past mysteries. In addition to the fictional aspects of the story, Ms. Hall also includes current events, real situations, and real locations such as Rait Castle, home of the story’s Rait Wraith. The victim was giving a very realistic portrayal of the wraith at her brother’s bidding, but what happened and why. Paisley doesn’t start out looking into the untimely and unfortunate death, she starts out trying to protect her teenage son who is struggling with finding the dead girl and feelings of guilt and shame. What is a mother to do when she sees her child hurting? Well in Paisley’s case, she uses her sharp mind and friendly demeanor to follow the clues. It also helps that local Detective Inspector Mack Zeffer is rather fond of her and respects her ability to figure things out and is happy to share information. Theirs has been a relationship that resembled a roller coaster, highs and lows and all together worth it. This story has a plot, a subplot, various suspects, laughter and tears, not to mention a thriller of a reveal. There are a few red herrings and all things cozy including an adorable dog named Wallace who gets to wear bat wings as his Halloween costume. The story was easy to follow and hard to put down, plus there is mention a Dundee fruitcake, which sounded so tasty that I just had to try one. Mine did not have the height of a traditional Dundee fruitcake, but it was the perfect afternoon tea accompaniment. As good as the cake was, the ending of the story is amazing, and I can’t wait to see what comes next.

Hysteria at the Historical Society: A Halloween Bookshop Mystery #3 - By Emmiline Duncan

A locked vault cozy mystery during the Christmas season in the year-round Halloween Town of Elyan Hollow that had me craving a cookie pie.

Hysteria at the Historical Society
A Halloween Bookshop Mystery #3
Emmiline Duncan

Welcome back to the hauntingly cozy town of Elyan Hollow, Oregon as it celebrates the winter holidays in a very “Nightmare Before Christmas” way. But what else would you expect from a town that voted to theme the city center with year-round Halloween. There is even a Santa Paws scavenger hunt, which Bailey Briggs, proprietor of the Lazy Bones bookshop helped to organize. I bet you are imagining puppy paws, and you would be wrong because in Elyan Hollow there are a variety of Santa Sasquatch to be found in various stores and locations. 

The true nightmare in this cozy mystery seems to stem from the rivaling historical societies. What was once one had become two after a disagreement over coffee, but that was years ago and doesn’t have a bearing on this story. This story is book three of the Halloween Bookshop Mysteries and it does a very good job as a stand-alone cozy mystery. This story starts with a verbal altercation including imputed honor and ends up with a locked vault murder in the town’s new escape room. Bailey might have been able to step back from investigating, if only it hadn’t happened at her friend (with potential) Finn’s new escape room, during the test run and if she and her dad, best-selling horror author Rex Abbot had not been at the scene. So how does a man get murdered in a locked bank vault in such a small group of people? Sounds like an easy one to figure out, right? Wrong. There is more than meets the eye to this location and the participants. First off, the victim, Walter, who was a member of the Historical Society of Elyan Hollow, was a man of unplumbed depths.  His best friend Graham Clark, the director of the same society had been seen in an animated discussion with Walter just earlier that day. There are other witnessed confrontations with Karolyn Robertson, the Society’s treasurer, ex-wife Emma and grown sons Daniel and Ant. Last but not least is Jude Collins, the director of Elyan Hollow Historical Society. Jade and Walter had words and Graham made accusations. 

Detective Whitlock definitely has his work cut out for him. His wife, Bianca who works part time for Bailey, would really like for Bailey to do that thing that she does so well and help solve this mystery so that Detective Whitlock can spend time with his kids this Christmas. Bailey has her sleuthing cap on and is ready to ask questions regardless of how pointed they may seem with Jack as her wingman or wing dog that looks like a big white abominable snow dog aka a Great Pyrenees, he is truly a gentle giant. That is unless he can sense a bad vibe coming off of someone. 

This was a very entertaining holiday locked room who-done-it and while I thought I had figured it out, I was way off. The plot moves the overall storyline ahead at a great pace and there is even a sly little cliffhanger at the end.  The only thing that it is missing are some pie recipes to tie in the amazing twenty-four-hour pie vending machine. I went in search for a pie cookie recipe and settled on a pecan pie cookie that is so good!

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and/or 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.

Bubble Bubble Tea & Trouble: A Tea by the Sea Mystery by Vicki Delaney

A tedious tour guide, a ghosthunters' gathering, and twin peril await Lily and the crew.

Bubble Bubble Tea & Trouble
Tea by the Sea Mystery
Vicki Delaney
Kensington Books

In case this is your first Tea By The Sea mystery, you don't need to worry about being lost or confused. Vicki Delaney does a great job of including bits of backstory for the main characters. For example, Lily is Rose's granddaughter and owner of the tearoom which is located at the front of the B&B's property. Lily was a professional pastry chef, who was lured away from a Michelin star Manhattan restaurant, by Rose, to remodel an old cottage into said tearoom. Lily wouldn't have it any other way, except maybe for the uptick in murders since she opened the tearoom. If you haven't already guessed it, Lily is our reluctant sleuth who knows how to lay out a proper afternoon tea, be a pushy friend when needed, and has the most adorable labradoodle named Éclair because of her coloring. Each of the main characters have interesting backstories that make them relatable for the reader. I don't usually lean towards liking one character more than another in this series but this time around, I was really identifying with Bernadette "Bernie" Murphy, the amazon warrior as Lily calls her, who is currently struggling to get the first draft of her first ever historical novel, finished. Just like Bernie, I too am trying to keep my fingers on the keyboard and out of research rabbit holes while trudging along with my own work in progress. However, unlike Bernie, I haven't left my day job, and I am not quite as quite as skilled when it comes to online research. Bernie has mad computer skills. It is possible that she may be a little too skilled according to Detective Amy Redmond.  

The research skills are very useful and needed because this latest group of guests is most unusual. Bernie gets the lowdown on each of the ghost tour participants. There is a lottery winner, an active wear designer, a lady who is bored of lunching, a wannabe spiritualist, and an accented charlatan. There is also a ghost story about a set of twins and the death of a set of twins. So many loose strings to try and tie together that it is no wonder that Bernie is distracted from working on her own book when she has yet another murder mystery to help Lily solve.   

The solution was not one that I could have guessed, even if I had created a spreadsheet or a murder board. The one thing I did surmise correctly was that there would be some yummy treats in store. There are three wonderful recipes featured at the back of the book, making me think that I might just need to make all three to pair with my review. 

Dungeons and Danger: The Ravensea Castle Series by Elizabeth Penney

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. 

Dungeons and Danger
The Ravensea Castle Book #2
Elizabeth Penney
St. Martin's Publishing

Book two of the Ravensea Castle series starts on All Hallows Eve, during the day with a Viking Fest event located near the Ravensea Castle. The Castle is located in picturesque Yorkshire UK, near the historic and cozy town of Monkwell and has been in the Asquinth family since 1138. If you haven't read the series starter, Bodies and Battlements, don't worry, Dungeons and Danger is a cozy stand-alone that gives plenty of background. Nora Asquith, our reluctant sleuth, has an herbal apothecary business, and innkeeper. In order to save the castle financially, she came up with the idea to turn it into a Bed and Breakfast. Her father, Arthur, is the official host and family historian. He has a unique way with words and loves to educate guests about the history of the area, the family, and the ghosts. That's right, Ravensea plays host to no less than four, and Ravensea most likely has more ghosts per square foot than any other building on the island.

Which brings us to the main plot point of the story.  The castle is playing host to Professor Noman Tweedy who is interested in the Red Maiden, a Viking shield maiden named Rusla, or rather he is interested in finding her hoard which could be worth millions. He is willing to split the profits 50/50 with the family, supposedly that is the going rate.  As for the other guests starting at the castle, there is a ghost hunting film crew from the show Britain's Got Ghosts that has asked to document Ravensea's ghostly occupants for a possible episode with both visual and audio equipment. Nora would love to get some good publicity for the business. As luck would have it, the two groups know each other, and there is no love lost, but there are claims of stolen research.  

As with any cozy, things go awry, and there is a body plus several suspects. Thankfully, there is also an easy-going detective inspector, Finlay Cole, who just happens to be Nora's boyfriend, and he happens to be very supportive of her thoughts when it comes to the investigation. That is not to say that he wants her running off and confronting suspects on her own. Which is why we have Tamsyn, her sister, who is a popular actress, and a decent Watson to Nora's Holmes. 

One of the things that I really enjoy about this book, and the series overall is how close the family is. Nora, Tamsyn, Will, their dad, housekeeper/cook Janet Fagen and her handyman husband Guy are an "all for one and one for all" sort of group. In a world where people can be cantankerous and negative, this cozy group supports one another. I also enjoy the detailed descriptions and well thought out the mystery, including the various paranormal presences. I am definitely looking forward to book number three.

Keep reading is you would like to see what I thought about the series starter, Bodies and Battlements.

Bodies and Battlements
The Ravensea Castle Book #1
Elizabeth Penney
St. Martin's Publishing

This series starter was so enjoyable. It takes place in picturesque Yorkshire UK at the Ravensea Castle near the historic and cozy town of Monkwell. So, when you read, imagine everyone speaking with a bit of a Yorkshire accent. I am not sure which aspect I found more enjoyable, the furry friends, the ghost of Sir Percival, the tantalizing food, the respectful romance, or the use of demonstrative words such as harpy or quisby and even ronyon. The story involves a family with a historic home, or rather a castle and to help keep the castle from going into disrepair, the main character, Nora Asquith, gets the idea to turn it into a bed and breakfast, absolutely brilliant idea. Unfortunately, not everyone is on board with the idea, newcomer Hilda Dibble is quite vocal about her opposition to the enterprise. At least she is until Nora finds her body in the herb garden. We know that Nora isn't the killer, but does the handsome detective inspector who has just transferred to the local constabulary and is also a paying guest at the castle until his rental space is available, going to believe her? 

Who could have wanted Hilda dead? Was it related to the castle or something else entirely. The sisters once at opposition regarding the monetization of the castle, join forces to get to the bottom of this mystery. A mystery with several twists and turns not to mention a boat ride, smugglers. This book has proven to be the start of another great cozy mystery series set in the UK. The main characters are down to earth and quite relatable. I am also happy to report that Nora and her sister Tamsyn, are not the sort who take unsafe chances or investigate on their own. All of the castle characters are quite levelheaded even resident ghost Sir Percival, who is essentially a floating head. That's right, this cozy has paranormal aspects, but it is all good and all in the family, at least most of them are past family.

This was a great series starter that had me hooked from the beginning, with a strong but relatable sleuth who cares about family, justice, and fur babies of all sizes. The clues are well placed, the banter between the sisters is entertaining, and I was unable to set the book down except to grab a snack so I could continue reading. This is going to be another great series by Elizabeth Penney and I can't wait to read the next one. 

Eight Enchanted Elixirs: A Kitchen Witch Mystery by Lynn Cahoon

Result scrutiny, hellhound training under house arrest, Grandma's ex-boyfriend drama, and the demise of an embittered examiner...what else will kitchen witch Mia have to contend with?     

Eight Enchanted Elixirs
A Kitchen Witch Mystery 
Lynn Cahoon
Kensington Cozies

• Lynn Cahoon has once again crafted a paranormal cozy with characters who seem as normal as you or I, which include the all too familiar ups and downs associated with work, family, and the expectations of others. Mia Malone, Magic Springs most magical kitchen witch and creative cook for example, could care less about the score she received for the coven's national council exam although the allowance provided by the National Coven for being a level five witch, could come in handy for repairs and remodeling projects at the Academy. Mia was just happy to have the ordeal behind her. Unfortunately book 8 starts out with Mia being forced to retake the exam, and this time a special examiner with Salem witch family history will put her through the paces in an unrelenting fashion.
• It isn't as if Mia doesn't have enough normal stress from her job at the Lodge which she needs in order to help keep, or her catering business, Mia's Morsels, afloat until it can support itself. Surely the Goddess isn't testing her with some paranormal stress as well. Between the jaw dropping cliffhanger of book seven aka Mary Alice Carpenter's back-from-the-dead ex-boyfriend Dorian Alexander popping back into town and proposing marriage. Then there is the situation with Mia's boyfriend, Trent, being stuck under house arrest for six weeks while Cerby, his little Maltese has in-home hellhound training with another one of Trent’s past admirers. I really appreciate how well developed the relationship is between Mia and Trent, a healthy and trusting relationship but that doesn’t mean that Mia won’t be open to a calming mantra with a chamomile chaser. This series continues to deliver everything that a paranormal cozy fan is looking for: magic on a mission, relatable characters, and a murder that ties all the loose ends together. There are multiple subplots, and several loose ends, but not a lot of suspects. The academy society has some great members who are going to do what it takes to get the answers they need.
• There are clues sprinkled throughout, a few red herrings, and a solution that had me shaking my head. The solution was right there but those red herrings got me off track. This book is cozy and culinary with such a fun story that concludes with a very tasty and easy pumpkin muffin recipe. I whipped up a batch using fresh pumpkin frozen from last year's Jack-o’-lantern pumpkin and the flavor was fresh with just the right amount of sweetness. The same can be said about the book, there is just the right amount of sweetness, the right amount of spice, and all the characters work together to solve the mystery while propelling the overall story arc forward. This story line continues to allude to a magical conflict, so I hope that means more books.
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Thank you to the authors, publishers, and/or 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.

The Diva Poaches a Bad Egg: A Domestic Diva Mystery #18 by Krista Davis

A confusing case of subterfuge and the discovery of a dead body are the last things Sophie was planning on, and then the husband's family asked her to investigate.

The Diva Poaches a Bad Egg

A Domestic Diva Mystery #18

Krista Davis

Kensington

Sophie Winston, event planner, masterful cook, amateur sleuth is asked to investigate a murder. Not by the police, heavens no, Detective Wolf would have none of that. No, it seems that Sophie's reputation for helping the local police to solve crimes has made her a little bit of a celebrity in the town of Alexandria, Virginia. The victim's husband becomes suspect number one, which is where the request to look into things originates. Mike Nofsinger's family adored his wife Denise almost as much as Mike himself, there is no way he could have hurt her. So, if Mike didn't do it who did? 

Sophie is an excellent amateur sleuth because while she makes a point of reminding people that she is not a professional investigator. In addition, she also works to get to the truth, which she shares with Detectives Wolf and Wong. Sophie seldom goes rogue by putting herself into dangerous situations, at least not on purpose.  This mystery is multifaceted with plenty of clues as well as distractions giving the reader an ending that was unexpected and heart-warming. 

There are as many twists and turns to this story as there are bits of helpful advice from both Sophie, as well as Natasha, Sophie's friend who is a borderline frenemy. The advice column inserts make for a humorous distraction as well as some very good bits of advice. Also included in this culinary cozy is a recipe for Eggs Benedict. Don't let the idea of poaching an egg in boiling water intimidate you, author Krista Davis gives excellent directions. There is also a great recipe for pumpkin donut holes that are baked instead of fried. I couldn't decide between the two, so I made both.

               

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. 

 

 

Murder by Meringue: A Darcy and Mozart Cozy Culinary Mystery by Greta Sinclair

A honeymoon interrupted by murder, meringue, and an adorable foodie schnoodle named Mozart. 

Murder by Meringue
A Vivid Sydney Cozy Culinary Murder Mystery
A Darcy and Mozart Culinary Cozy
Greta Sinclair

Book #12 of the Darcy and Mozart Culinary Cozy series takes us on Darcy and Marcus’s much anticipated and needed honeymoon. Which was originally delayed due to Marcus’s Interpol police work, but now the two are off to Australia for a bit of post-matrimonial holiday bliss during Vivid Sydney, a multi-day event of Lights, Music, Minds, and Food. What was sure to be an amazing time for The Wandering Foodie’s golden girl food critic at least until Darcy’s best friend who is supposed to be stateside with Mozart the schnoodle shows up at Pavlova After Dark and photojournalist Lizzie's innocence when judge and former boyfriend, Jules Ransom takes his first and last bite of authentic Australian Pavlova. Did you know that pavlova was originally from Australia, I did not until I read this book.

It took me one day to devour this story because I could not put it down. Even as a first-time reader of the series I was never lost, there were no spoilers for previous books. I also appreciated how well Darcy and Marcus worked together. If you have read a cozy or two then you know the romance part where the sleuth ends up in all kinds of predicaments and the law enforcement character, and often love interest, has learned that the sleuth is going to do what she does especially when a friend who is really family is in the line of fire. The mutual respect that both characters show each other is nice and comforting, everything that a cozy should be. Kudos to Darcy for learning to compromise and for not going rogue, or off on her own. With Lizzie in the nick (Aussie for jail), Darcy is joined by Mozart and Bluey, no not a blue cartoon dog…Bluey is a Crocodile Dundee style food show roadie who was able to see what so many people missed. He becomes the Watson to Darcy’s Sherlock not to mention that he respects Mozart, even refers to him as “the little foreman.” These two have their work cut out for them with a handful of suspects and a vitriol spewing victim who reveled in drama. 

I think that I just might have to put Vivid Sydney on my cozy book location bucket list. It is a real event that looks absolutely AMAZING. Not to mention that I learned all sorts of new vocabulary words thanks to the author’s research, be sure to check out the glossary at the back of the book. It's these details that really enhance a mystery. Do you know what else is at the conclusion of the story? The recipe for pavlova is at the back, and it goes step by step which gives me the perfect recipe pairing for this book as well as the idea to make a Pavlova Bar to take to couples class next week.

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and/or 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.