June 2022 New Cozies

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. 

JUNE 28th RELEASES 

A Hint of Mischief
A Fairy Garden Mystery
Daryl Wood Gerber
Kensington

 I know that it might sound silly but after reading this latest Fairy Garden Mystery I REALLY want to attend fairy party, or at least find a shop where I can make an awesome fairy garden. This story starts out right away with a party of interesting characters who knew each other in college, a mysterious thief, a murder, the unexplained appearance of fairy doors, and another fairy for Fiona to interact with.   Courtney and her friends are busy, busy, busy, getting everything coordinated for the full sized fairy/birthday party from party games to decorations including a mural and tasty foods (such as cauliflower poppers and bacon & avocado toast).  Courtney, much like her righteous Fairy friend Fiona, has a strong sense of doing the right thing, and seeing to it that there is justice for the victim and a champion for the innocent suspects. This is a unique sort of Holmes and Watson relationship with a good dose of positivity, fun, and recipes in each story. These are stand-alone stories but you will enjoy them so much that you will want to read them in order.   

Muddled Through
A Maine Clambake Mystery #10
Barbara Ross
Kensington Books

Great title for so many reasons, you can be muddled, a situation can be muddled, a cocktail can have a muddled ingredient, and a person can do the muddling, which should not be confused with meddling. Although, Julia does seem to meddle aka investigate. This story has you drawn in, right at the beginning, and you can’t help but empathize with Julia as she teeters back forth between helping and not helping. The initial crime is gut-wrenching and it can be hard to say “no” to family and Lizzie is rather insistent.  She has quite a bit on her plate as it is what with the recent break up (Shucked Apart), helping with the family business, taking care of the renovation work on Windsholme and then there is that awkwardness about dating or not dating and having to move back home, again. There seemed, at least to the authorities, to be only one suspect but I thought of at least two others and was still WAY off. This mystery certainly has its share of red herrings which just muddied the investigative waters, but once that same mud was thrown around and worked it began to take shape. I still did not figure it out before the big reveal. I was just as invested in the story as Julia and completely forgot that she had plans to see to. Not sure where the romance angle is going, which has me a bit muddled, not unlike Zoey who asked for a status update. Perhaps I will just make some Mushroom Soup and Butterscotch Cookies to enjoy while I contemplate the possible outcomes, thank goodness the recipes and a few others have been provided at the conclusion. Thanks Ms. Ross!

Lady of the Bones
Carolyn Haines
Minotaur Books

The latest Sarah Booth Delaney mystery is very well named as there are a few ladies in this story and several bones. First is Sara Booth’s live-in ghost who has no bones, Jitty, or her haint, as Sarah Booth often refers to her. If I remember correctly, Jitty is one of Sarah Booth’s ancestors and a spectral reminder that Sarah Booth’s biological clock is ticking and that she needs to get busy with that lawman of hers, Coleman. Jitty also delights in popping up in unusual locations in unusual forms to bring cryptic tidings from the great beyond. The mystery starts right away grabbing your attention when an old friend of Sarah Booth’s mama; Frankie Moore, someone who was Ethel Mertz to Libby Delaney’s Lucy Ricardo shows up on the doorstep. The ladies had a relationship not unlike that of Tinkie and Sarah Booth as partners of the Delaney Detective Agency. A missing daughter who was hot on the trail of a big story ends up missing days after her roommate disappears leaving behind a slew of suspects including a youth cult leader. On the eve of Halloween in the Big Easy, anything can happen, you can just feel it in your bones. 

JUNE 7th RELEASES 

Peril at Pennington Manor
Tracy Gardner
Crooked Lane Books

What started out as an amazing opportunity to catalog and appraise a manor full of amazing antiques becomes a mystery of reproductions and murder, with a dash of aristocratic drama and a hearty helping of truth and trust. Many suspects to choose from but who has the most compelling motive? was it for money, love/jealousy, or envy. just as many red herrings as there are suspects to keep you not only guessing but also page turning. The only time I lingered on a page was to to look up the recipe to make baked chicken with tomatoes and capers, delish! A read-alone but more fun when you've read the series starter. Plenty of interesting characters both cozy and otherwise.