August 2023 Cozy New Releases

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.  

Birder She Wrote
A Meg Langslow Mystery
Donna Andrews
Minotaur Publishing

This isn’t your ordinary story about the birds and the bees. This book is filled with hummingbirds and honeybees, NIMBYs, and a (much) lesser Southern Living magazine, plus a murder. Meg Langslow is one of my all-time favorite cozy protagonists because she has an amazing sense of humor plus ability to be rational and level-headed which probably stems from the fact that she carries a notebook that “tells her when to breathe.”   Did I mention that she has the most unusual job of all the cozy main characters that I have read about, she is a blacksmith. Meg is unlike anyone I have ever known, yet she is completely relatable. The mystery draws you in and the characters keep you turning pages.  Even though I have read this series for years, I would not be lost if this was my first. The back stories are nicely woven in to each and every book and this one is no different. This book was a pleasant way to spend an afternoon, and an evening, and an afternoon.

A Crime in the Crumbs
A Key West Food Critic Mystery
Lucy Burdette
Crooked Lane Books

Truly enjoyable as I would give this 5 scones out of 5. This newest Key West Food Critic Mystery brings the Scone Sisters, introduced in the Scone of Contention (book 11) to Key West for a UK Bakeoff in the US challenge. It seems to spiral like a cinnamon roll after their arrival, missing bakeware supplies, a BnB that goes up in flames, contestants who aren't the best bakers, a missing agent, an amazing cook who is dealing with a controlling husband (yep, he is the victim) and Ms. Gloria's over protective sons to round it all out. Hailey is amazing, as usual, and you don't have to be familiar with the series to understand who she is, what she does, and who her friends are. I had an idea of who the guilty party was but the red herrings did make me question myself numerous times, plus the race to the reveal had me on the edge of my seat turning pages just as quickly as possible to get to the whole story. The only thing more satisfying than this mystery is the amazing recipes that are included, which seems only fair since Ms. Burdette has us salivating with the food descriptions found on almost every other page. I for one will be making some yummy garlicky shrimp for dinner tomorrow and cinnamon scones to follow for breakfast the next morning. 

Halloween Cupcake Murder
Kensington Cozies

Much like a candy corn, these stories are short, sweet, and multilayered. Each story has incorporated a cupcake as a main part of the story. These are quick reads or novellas, which whet your appetite for the series that they are taken from. All three stories are stand-alone but you will want to read the other offerings in the various series.

Halloween Cupcake Murder
Carlene O’Connor

Did you know that Halloween or rather its roots were founded in Ireland? Samhain the ancient Druidic observance plays a big part in this mystery. There is also a mysterious Cave of the Cat painting, and a possible coven. What lead to the murder and what does a free cupcake with a key in the center have to do with it. Was it because the antiques store owner was a wheeler-dealer, a card shark, or a crazy old codger?  Expat Tara Mehan is left with the entire estate and she had only met the man the same day he died. If that doesn’t shout “investigate this mystery,” I am not sure what would.

Mrs. Claus and the Candy Corn Caper
Liz Ireland

Santa Land and candy corn craziness mixed with cupcakes, but what else would you expect Mrs. Claus to be dealing with. With each new holiday introduction, there seems to be murder and a little bit of Christmas Town chaos.   April Claus will need determine if the death was caused by a woman scorned, a baking betrayal or someone out for candy corn.

A Triple Layer Halloween Murder
Carol J. Perry

An astronaut, a missing baker, and a ginger cat with marmalade feet are the clues that Lee Barrett and husband/detective Pete Mondello have to work with to determine what happened to the local baker and why. Was it due to gambling debts or was there something else going on with his mysterious disappearance that ended in murder.