FEBRUARY 21st RELEASE
In Farms Way
Farm to Table Mysteries
Amanda Flowers
Poisoned Pen Press
After reading this I am on the hunt for a cherry stout and might have to settle for a Black and Red, (my version of a Black and Tan) using a cherry beer and a dark stout. I wonder how it would taste in a chocolate stout cake, hmmmm. Anyway, I digress from the plot of this stand-alone cozy that gives you plenty of back story, when needed. For example, the relationship between Shiloh and her father is not warm and fuzzy, rather, it is a tad chilly and stiff like the winter weather they are experiencing. This character aspect is very true to life, I could imagine a parent having a difficult time showing love to others, even their own child, while dealing with the loss of their spouse. Thank goodness for Shiloh’s grandmother, who was able to pick up that slack as it were when Shiloh’s dad pulled away, mourning. I like the way Shiloh is working towards a better relationship without compromising herself. She does point out that therapy has made her progress possible. Several of the characters have some hard-hitting character development which draws you into the story even more. Speaking of the story, very typical cozy where our protagonist is asked to help get a friend off of the police suspect list. There are many characters as well as some questionable goings-ons. Was it a marriage of convenience gone wrong, a jealous and over eager brewer, maybe someone who had been wronged in the past? So many suspects can make it a challenge to sleuthing out the culprit or at least finding reasonable doubt. While it appears that Shiloh has her share of challenges it also looks like she is going to have her share of good fortune. I look forward to seeing what she does with both her business/farm life and her personal life in the next book. As an added bonus the book has instructions on how to make a bird treat to help our feathered friends during the cold wintery weather.
Murder at an Irish Bakery
An Irish Village Mystery
Carlene O'Connor
Kensington Cozies
The Great
British Bake Show version of Chopped meets Survivor, and an amazing Stout
Chocolate Cake recipe included. Garda Siobhan O’Sullivan, newly wed and looking
forward to this piece of cake event assignment at a local bakery housed within
a historic mill, while her husband, DS Macdara Flannery is out of town
attending work related meetings. The best of the best in Ireland and set to
compete and hopefully the proceeds with help to repair the wheel that hasn’t
turned for as long as Siobhan can remember. As with any reality show, there is
drama, even before the cooking event starts off. Protestor drama, contestant
drama (suspects), cooking chaos drama (can someone say sabotage), oh and a death
that leads to even more drama. But isn’t that what reality TV is all about,
drama? Siobhan, fellow Garda, Aretta, and DS Macdara (arriving in time for cake
and clues) have plenty of suspects, with plenty of motives. There is even a bit
of bait and switch and a mysteriously elusive attorney who gives a rather
unusual (fake) name. The one thing that Siobhan wants as much as catching the
culprit is a piece of pie or a baked good. Speaking of baked goods, there is an
AMAZING Chocolate Guinness Cake recipe at the end of the book that pairs quite
nicely with a cup of coffee and this book. This is a stand-alone mystery from
an entertaining series that you are going to want to start from the beginning with.
Primer and Punishment
House Flipping Mystery
Diane Kelly
St. Martin’s Paperbacks
If you like
binging home improvement shows that include demo work, you are going to enjoy
this House Flipping Mystery! Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck, were
successful turning an old motel into a swanky Nashville apartment complex, so
let’s see what they can do with a house boat named the Skinny Dipper. This will
be a challenging job to be sure, what with a ruptured pontoon, the need for new
floor work, a bit of paint, a new motor, and a less than ideal boat slip
neighbor. Said neighbor, Grant Hardisty, is a slick one, obviously good at
using charm and guile to get his way, this guy has more ex-wives than most
people his age. He is living on a pretty nice houseboat that he got for a low–low
price in what was to be a temporary arrangement with a friend in need, and he is
getting ready to be a bartender on disability because of a slip and fall
accident that should be paying out shortly. Not sure how much better his life can
get since he seems to spend all his time fishing in the river and trolling the
dating apps. Ms. Flower does a great job of fleshing this guy out well enough
for readers to know that he is going to be the victim because he has ticked off
too many people. I am not sure that I will ever look at a chemical ice pack
quite the same way again and I am once again amazed at the research skills and
imagination of cozy authors. On the flip side are the entries and thoughts of
Whitney’s adorable kitty cat adding a little something extra cozy to the story
from his viewpoint, which is not related to sleuthing but all about his world
as he sees things. Good as a stand-alone but better as part of the series.
FEBRUARY 14th RELEASE
A Killer Unleashed
Low Country Dog Walker Mystery
Jackie Layton
Beyond the Page
FEBRUARY 7th RELEASE
Murder at an Irish Castle
An Irish Castle Mystery
Ellie Brannigan
Crooked Lane Books
Audio Version
Great series starter, excellent
narrator, and left me wanting more in addition to some lemon shortbread. This
is a new twist on the SoCal city mouse meets the Irish country mouse to solve a
murder. This cozy starts with the worst birthday, EVER! Poor Rayne McGrath,
just turned 30 and within 24 hours is hit with a one-two punch as she learns
that her partner/boyfriend/maybe fiancé has stolen her business (literally),
emptied the bank account and disappeared. On top of all that Rayne learns that
her Uncle, the brother of her beloved but deceased Dad, has passed away and her
presence is requested in Ireland for the reading of the will. How can she
possibly leave when her life is in chaos? Rayne’s TV star mom, encourages her
to take some time and pay her respects, after all she hadn’t been to Ireland
since right before her father passed away and it would be good to go. Rayne
learns that she is now the Lady of the Manor, has a newly discovered cousin
Ciara, and a town and farm that is in debt. Rayne gets the manor and all that
entails while Ciara, gets to be the manager of the estate (no hard feelings
there, right) and they have one year to get things in the black. What does a
posh, hoity-toity, wedding dress designer know about running an estate that the
entire town relies on and looks to for support? Not to mention that Uncle Nevin
might not have just died of a heart condition.
Ciara believes that the death is natural is completely rawmaish (not
true) and there are plenty of suspects to question. The only person who
couldn’t have possibly been involved was Rayne. Cousin Ciara is none too shy in
expressing her thoughts about how much useful, Jimmy Choo wearing, Rayne is
going to be. Rayne isn’t sure herself but you can just feel her determination
leap from the pages. Beverly Hills Bridal Boutique owner to Lady of the Manor,
and boy does she have some ideas that just might save the day and with the help
of her cousin, they just might solve the crime. I am definitely looking forward
to the next Irish Castle Mystery.
Six Sweets Under
A True Confections Mystery
Sarah Fox
Berkley Prime Crime
I was blown
away by the amazing backdrop of a canal town, here is the US. This mystery has
all the ingredients for a winning cozy, and to top it off with
chocolate…superb. Former actress Becca Ransom returns home and returns to the
family sweet shop to take over the mantle of chocolatier. Hollywood might have
had glitz but Larch Haven is home and home is often where the heart is.
Speaking of which, Becca will have a choice to make as to who she will share
her heart with, will it be the Hollywood attorney she has been seeing or will
it be…? All seems good yet bittersweet as the town remembers a young girl who
went missing years ago. Shortly after the town’s gathering to observe the
anniversary of her disappearance is followed by the death/murder of the town
curmudgeon and possible sneak thief. It was no secret that no one enjoyed Archie
Smith’s company. At least that is what Pops, Becca’s granddad says since his
scooter went missing, but then Pops becomes suspect No. 1, and Becca decides
that she can’t stand around crafting chocolate goodies with Pops as a person of
interest, even if Officer Sawyer Maguire doesn’t really think that Pop is
guilty. Becca and her BFF Dizzy, town librarian with sweet research skills, are
on the trail of a killer.
