October 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. 

OCTOBER 25TH RELEASES

A Trip with Trouble
The Mountain Lodge Mysteries
Diane Kelly
St. Martin Paperbacks

Grab a warm cup of cider to pair with this story of Biker babes, the Blue Ridge Mountains, family drama, mystery and the Mountaintop Lodge. It is fall in the North Carolina mountains where the leaves are an array of autumn color and the air is as crisp as the apples used for making cider.  Dangerous Curves, a Raleigh biker club for ladies is staying at Misty Murphy's lodge for a week of riding and relaxation, these ladies don't rest, they are too busy seeing the sites. At least until their group leader  is found the victim of an unfortunate accident, or was it an accident. Possible culprits turn up around each turn as Misty's thoughts weave in and out with each passing day and each passing guest interaction.  Was it a fellow biker with a temper, something related to the recent motorcycle thefts, or the entitled stepson who wanted access to more money from a family trust, or was it something else all together?  A nice amount of mystery, romance, girl power. 

OCTOBER 11TH RELEASES 

A Christmas Candy Killing

A Killer Chocolate Mystery
Christina Romeril
Crooked Lane Books

This story had me at chocolate! An engaging tale that gets you in the mood for Christmas and all things sweet and sleuth related. I was hooked by the delicious sounding chocolate candies and the tantalizing tale of murder. Have you ever watched one of those Most Wanted shows and then thought that just maybe your neighbor wasn’t the person you thought they were? Nope, me either (thank goodness). Poor Jane, she so wanted to be a sleuth, and not just a member of Sleuth, the book club that meets at Alex and Hannah’s confections and mystery bookshop, instead she becomes the victim. Did she cry wolf one too many times? The town of seems to be filled with a slightly older demographic and I do believe that this is the first time that I have read about a 43 year old, single, sleuth. Single by choice following an early marriage that only lasted a year, Alex is a bit gun-shy, but maybe there is a little something to those looks that her neighbor Tom has been giving her. Tom is one of the few who are not on the suspect list, he’s a pastor and former prison warden after all, he is also a little older than Hannah, which is probably why she just isn’t sure, and since he has only been a widower for six months, she really doesn’t think that dating is on his mind…is it? There are plenty of other people on the suspect list even though Jane wasn’t a gossip, which is quite rare in the small town atmosphere; unfortunately, it still left a bitter taste in more than one mouth.   As suspect #2, Alex is determined to find the real killer since the Sheriff is looking to wrap up this case in time for Christmas with as little effort as possible. Thank goodness she has Hannah (her twin) and a few other friends to help her. Plus, who can say no to a Christmas visitor who comes bearing chocolates in exchange for answering a few questions? Great gang of friends and each is decidedly different much like that box of Killer Chocolates. I cannot wait for the next one to come out and to try my hand at making chocolates, that way I can make some to snack on while reading the next Killer Chocolate Mystery.

Crime for the Books
A Jane Doe Book Club Mystery
Kate Young
Crooked Lane Books

Perfect for the Halloween season, a Murder Mystery parties are all fun and games until it goes a too far. A bit of a locked room scenario, the Jane Does including Grandma Daisy Moody (she is a hoot and a half) must put their heads together to figure out this Agatha Christie style crime. With Southern charm and style, Lyla demonstrates why she is not to be underestimated, especially with Uncle Calvin is AWOL in South America. This story has suspense, Southern sass, unusual suspects, and a few misdirects to keep you guessing. 

Dashing Through the Snow Birds

Donna Andrews

A Meg Langslow Mystery

Minotaur Books

Be sure to brush up on your French or French cooking because the Canadians are coming to dinner and they might be around for Christmas, unfortunately so is there extremely crass and kill worthy boss. There are worse places to be, in fact if I could choose any cozy mystery family to spend time with; it would be Meg’s family, the Hollingsworths. Not only are there more than a couple dozen, they are friendly, helpful, and organized beyond belief. This is an easy one to see who is going to be the victim but not so easy to see who is going to be the killer. Even with Meg’s ever present notebook that “reminders her when to breathe,” this story was like an advent calendar with suspects and clues being added each day. Meg does her usual job of staying off of her Mom’s assignment radar while, prepping for Christmas, looking for the elusive junkos (snow birds), helping the Canadians to feel as at home as possible, and solving the murder. Just thinking about all that she undertakes makes me winded.  

Live and Let Grind
A Coffee Lover’s Mystery Book
Tara Lush
Crooked Lane Books

Orange Vanilla cold brew or orange vanilla muffins are a great pairing for this latest Coffee Lover’s mystery. Something sweet to snack on while contemplating the sandy shores, the quiet town of Devil’s Beach, and the colorful characters of Florida. A peaceful town, as long as you don’t have that neighbor who doesn’t seem to care that it is early on a Saturday morning and most people would like to sleep in as opposed to hearing the obnoxious whine of mechanized landscaping machinery, such as the neighbor who runs the leaf blower ALL THE TIME? It’s enough to make you want to scream or find a way to silence the machine, not that either Lana or Erica would ever even consider doing more than complaining. So if they didn’t do the deed, maybe it was the young widow who spends her days roller skating like it’s 1975.  Perhaps it was a former business partner? Maybe the other folks on Lana and Tara’s street had enough of his nonsense, after all, did you hear about what he did to the manatee mailbox? There are just so many suspects and clues to be checked out, when Lana isn’t busy running Perkatory her family coffee shop, spending time with police officer Noah, and trying to keep not get a concussion from shaking her head over her Dad’s monkey antics. Highly entertaining and keeps you turning the pages while pondering the amazing coffee creations that Tara comes up with. I have to wonder if all laid-off investigative journalists are as creative with getting to the truth as Lana.  Looking forward to the next installment!