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. 

Death In The Dark: The Novel Detectives Book 2 by Ellie Alexander

It started out like every other day at the Secret Bookcase bookshop, until a man staggered in covered in blood...

Death in the Dark
A Novel Detectives Mystery Book 2
Ellie Alexander
Storm Publishing 

Book two of A Novel Detectives Mystery series is a stand-alone cozy but it starts out like a noire mystery complete with a man who has no memory of the night before or why he would be covered in blood. Josh Bynaum, the local track team head coach and English teacher, comes stumbling into the office. Redwood Grove is a quiet and cozy town. The kind of cozy town with a mystery bookstore called The Secret Staircase that doubles as the office for The Novel Detectives, the professional and dynamic sleuthing duo of Annie Murray and Fletcher Hughes. Annie and Fletcher decide to take the case and in the process of retracing Josh’s footsteps, they discover the body of assistant track coach Rob Meyers. 

Of course, the blood-caked client and the body drop grabbed my attention and teased me into reading more. Josh seems like the obvious choice for a person of interest, maybe even a suspect, but he isn’t the only one. There is plenty of suspicion to go around. Thankfully, the police are wise enough to utilize the talents of the Novel Detectives since there will be quite a bit of footwork to do for this case. There is a rival high school team’s coach, a very vocal and rich booster parent, the school administration and a few teachers. Is this a case of Occom’s Razor or is there a dark and sinister subplot. Okay not so dark or sinister, this is a cozy mystery after all. You can’t help but to keep turning pages as Annie and Fletcher follow the clues and ask the questions.  

All of the characters are well crafted; the descriptions make it incredibly easy to picture all that takes place. I was even craving a spring chicken sandwich after reading about the lunch that Annie’s boyfriend Liam had made for her at the Stag Head pub. Fletcher Hughes is the quintessential (young) Sherlockian and I think it is very unique that he and Annie are such good friends. Dr. Caldwell, the local detective, was Annie’s criminal justice professor and mentor. Annie has an interesting back story so be sure to read the series starter, A Very Novel Murder. Even Professor Plum the furry feline character has quite the bit of character, as do Jekyll and Hyde the shop’s pseudo mascots who take up residence just outside the bookshop.

I look forward to catching up by reading the series starter and then checking out books three, A Murder at the Mansion.

Thank you to the publisher/author/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.

Tides Wait For No Witch: Spelltide Bay Magic Mysteries #1 by Natalie Summers

What would you do if you inherited a house, a business, a family, and the power of a water witch and had no idea as to why?

Tides Wait For No Witch
Spelltide Bay Magic Mysteries #1
Natalie Summers

What a fun series starter that instantly draws the reader in with new twists and turns with almost every chapter! If you are a fan of the cozy character, Mitzy Moon, then you are going to be absolutely charmed by Sara Rivers. This cozy is set on an island off of the Northwest Pacific coast, an island with a town that is occupied by the most interesting and unusual of characters, and apparently everybody knows everybody else's business. Imagine the surprise when Sara, who recently lost her mom and her job, learns that she has inherited a house and so much more. Sara who has had to be strong for the majority of her life, because she and her mom only had each other and they were constantly on the move. Sara will learn the importance of community, of family, of giving back, and helping others. That is not to say that she did not have it in her, but rather she did not have opportunities thrust upon her to stretch those people skills.

The emotional roller coaster of this cozy is tempered with a bit of sass, a family secret, a smoking FBI agent, and a whole support system unlike anything that Sara could have ever imagined. Sara is going to need a whole lot of yarn to crochet herself back to a happy place. The paranormal parts make the story even more colorful than I could have ever imagined. Almost everyone has a special ability, okay, almost everyone is a witch of one sort or another. Sara is half water witch and half undine; I had to look up the definition of undine. Essentially, Sara is one with the water and the water is one with her which also means that the water "speaks" to her as does Ollie, the kleptomaniac otter. He is so much fun and such a cutie! Sara's dad Bennett makes magic in the kitchen, half-sister Frothy has the gift of foresight (sort of), Bennet's mom Warra likes to play with fire, and his dad Torrent has water abilities. Oh, and that smoking hot FBI guy, well he's part dragon on his mother's side. How could you not want to pick this book up and start reading?

Still not sure, then let me tell you about the murder mystery aspect.

There are artifacts, tunnels, and tidewolves, oh my. Not to mention that the mysterious benefactor, great-aunt Katrika left behind a house, a business, and a whole lot of secrets, but no straightforward answers to any of Sara's questions. Like why does no one think it odd that a perfectly healthy woman just falls down dead on the beach in the middle of the night? Sara relies on her wits and some new skills to sus out the clues. For example, she interviews orca whales that transfigure into wolves. The addition of the Innuit mythical Akhlut folklore aka tidewolves is a nice touch. This story has so many layers. It is similar to varying dive depths in the ocean, and the deeper Sara gets, the darker and murkier the mystery becomes. While this mystery is sure to be a stand-alone, not everything is revealed by the end of this tale.

Sara is a character after my own heart, with a touch of sass, a good head on her shoulders, a dash of daring, a whole lot of heart, and a healthy appetite for good food. Reading about all of the tasty baked goods inspired me to bake a batch of Sourdough Chocolate Chip Scones, which might console me while I wait for the next book.

Thank you to the publisher/author/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 Handyman's Last Bite: Bay View Harbor Mystery Series #1 by Elaine L. Orr

The one time the handyman pays for an order instead of helping himself to a sample turns out to be the last time...

The Handyman’s Last Bite
Bay View Harbor Mystery Series #1
Elaine L. Orr

Gypsy Lee Miller has left the big city of Washington D.C., to return to the quiet and cozy town of Bay View Harbor located along the Chesapeake. A town where everybody knows your name and your business, just ask Mrs. Carnahan, if you can’t say anything nice, go sit next to her. What can I say, almost every cozy small town mystery has a Mrs. Carnahan. Almost every town also has a bakery, and this is where Gypsy Lee (I really like the unusual name) has joined forces with her cousin Linda, to provide the town with some truly tasty baked goods such as muffins, cookies, scones, and brownies. Recipes for several of the baked goods mentioned can be found at the back of the book. I struggled to make a choice to pair with my review but finally settled on the Oatmeal Apple Cookies since I have never made apple cookies of any type.

Gypsy Lee’s plan was to work hard with her cousin to get the bakery to a profitable point while reintegrating herself into Bay View Harbor. It was a well thought out plan, at least until local handyman Gordy Steele takes a bite of a lemon cupcake and falls down dead. The interesting thing about Gordy is that he reminds you of the character Wimpy from the Popeye cartoons who “would gladly pay you tomorrow, for a hamburger today.” It seems that Gordy owed people money and people may have been paying Gordy to do more than just fix an awning or paint a kitchen. Suspects abound from the town mayor to a couple of poker buddies. The gossip is that a killer cupcake “did in” the handyman, so of course, just as the bakery is getting going, the rumor mill is causing the progress to come to a halt. Not to mention that it is a crime scene that will require a closing, testing of ingredients, and clean up before reopening. Well, this is Gypsy Lee’s life savings on the line, and she can’t possibly stand back and wait for justice or the police to get the crime solved. Even if the detective is an old friend, a handsome and single old friend. A friend who warns her multiple times to stay out of the investigation, but do you think she is going to listen. Honestly, what amateur sleuth in a cozy, ever listens. In her defense, Gypsy Lee is slightly encouraged by her yoga teaching bestie, Tessa, to get involved. Tessa is just one of the interesting and entertaining characters.  

This is a great series starter with a nice lineup of characters. There is even some character growth just in the first book alone from more than one main character. I was not surprised by who the culprit turned out to be, but I did think there were more crimes to be solved. My guess is that this is a subtle cliffhanger hook that will keep me in suspense until the next book comes out. Until then I will console myself with various cookie recipes straight from the Bay View Harbor Bakery. 

Thank you to the author 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.

Seven Secret Spellcasters: A Kitchen Witch Mystery by Lynn Cahoon

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.

Seven Secret Spellcasters
A Kitchen Witch Mystery 
Lynn Cahoon
Kensington Cozies

All Hallows Eve is quickly approaching as is the conclusion of Mia's training as she prepares to take the coven's national council exam while working full time as an inhouse caterer for the swanky Magic Springs Lodge, in an attempt to keep her personal catering and meal prep business, Mia's Morsels, afloat. 

Welcome to Magic Springs, a beautiful and cozy town located in Idaho that is home to a variety of interestingly magical characters such as Mina Malone, who is a kitchen witch who makes magic in the kitchen, plus her magic is used to create harmony and balance in our world. Not only does the town have magical beings but Mia's home complete with commercial kitchen, a renovated school, is magical and haunted and warded against those who wish her ill. It is as if the school is alive. Reminds me a little of the casita from Encanto, but without the singing. But with regards to her cooking, those recipes that are shared in each Kitchen Witch Book are amazing. Other characters include Mia's boyfriend, Trent Majors, who comes from a magical family as well, but he chose to transfer his abilities over to his younger brother, Levi. and yet, the Goddess gifted him a hellhound protector that resembles a Maltese pup, named Cerby. No one is really supposed to know about Cerby, or Cerby's little friend, an adolescent purple dragon named Buddy. So many secrets can be found in this story, in fact it is like a great big secret society, and I don't mean the local coven either. Mia's Gran is not always forthcoming with details but maybe she is distracted what with an upcoming wedding. One is never too old for romance. But who has time for romance when there is a Lodge job that has a new and slightly demanding boss. At least Blake is a witch, just not a local one and she insists that she needs to stay under the radar and away from coven members. So, what is she hiding??? The newest member of this merry band is Finn, a waif-like girl who can hear Gloria the kitchen witch doll that hangs (literally) in the kitchen, with her melodic giggle. Poor Finn, she knows nothing about the world of witches and yet she comes down with dragon pox, not to mention that the library seems to like her. 

In addition to a bevy of witches, a sketchy boss, a hellhound, a half leprechaun, an incubus, not to mention a dragon, OH MY. Just another day in Magic Springs and poor Mark Baldwin, married to a witch, newish dad to a witch, completely human guy who has been assisted by Mia to solve magical murders with Mia. That almost sounds like a show title with drama. Magic Springs has plenty of drama, from pushy coven members who get even pushier when Mia tests out at a level three (gasp) as that is supposed to be unheard of, especially for a kitchen witch. I actually felt annoyed on Mia's behalf to both the pandering and the skepticism. This series just pulls you in one page at a time until you find yourself at the end of the book, wondering how you didn't catch on the killer sooner, and why do you have to wait until next year to get the next book. The overall story arc has been really good, and the character development of secondary characters is one of the best.

To sum this review up, this is not only a paranormal cozy, but also a culinary cozy, which makes it doubly good.  The romance and friendship aspects are as sweet as the peach cobbler recipe found at the back of the book. I know because how could I not make a recipe that looked so baker friendly and tasty at the same time. I cannot wait for the next installment as things were definitely left with a jaw-dropping cliffhanger...

Vows and Villainy: The Cambridge Bookshop 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. 

Vows and Villainy
The Cambridge Bookshop
Elizabeth Penney

Having read all of the Cambridge Bookshop series, I have to say that this was my favorite one yet and not just because of all the wedding goings on. Both Molly's good friend Daisy and her great-aunt Violet. Let's take a moment to appreciate the fact that Aunt Vi, age 71, is marrying her childhood beau and consider her sage words, that "if you have a chance for happiness...grab it with both hands."  Aunt Vi is a fun character, but she isn't our sleuth, that would be her great-niece, Molly Kimball aka the Vermont Beauty according to the tabloids. You see, Molly is dating Kieran, the younger son of Lord and Lady Scott, no pressure there, thankfully they adore her. Molly has a kind heart and a very inquisitive mind and can't help herself when it comes to puzzles, especially ones that might trouble to those she considers family or friends. 

Such is the case when Molly and a few other ladies are out for a walk around the Hazelhurst House grounds and they come upon actor and instructor Sir Nigel Peck floating in the moat like Ophelia among the water lilies. No, this is not a case of method acting. To make matters worse, Isla St. James accuses Kieran's older brother, Alan, of having done the deed most foul. Molly knows that Alan can't possibly be the murderer, and she feels the need to make sure that his name is at the bottom of the suspect list. Sir Nigel, the victim, might have been an incredible actor, but it seems that he may have been a heartless instructor and was named in a civil suit for the death of a student, Otto Van Wyk.

There are plenty of suspects with motives that could include anger, money, love, revenge, and even jealousy. Molly knows that as the maid of honor that there is no way that she can't do everything she can to make sure that Daisy and Tim have the perfect wedding day or at least as close as she can get it. This does give Molly the opportunity to be extra helpful to the Scott family, not that they don't already adore her just as much as Kieran does. The romance aspects of this cozy series are seriously cozy and just add that little extra something. I am also a fan of the fact that Molly is a smart gal who does not go places without backup and she considers all possible avenues until she can rule it out. 

As with all of the other books in this series, this is a standalone mystery that does a great job of providing a well-crafted mystery with likeable characters, a dash of romance, and just the right amount of humor. This book, this series, has inspired me to look up the recipe for Butterfly Cupcakes, using a Victorian Sponge recipe, you can make a simple yet elegant treat, with your choice of jam fillings. I've read about how great Daisy's Butterfly Cupcakes are that I just had to give it a go for myself.