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.
Murder at the Pumpkin Pageant
A Beacon Bakeshop Mystery
Darci Hannah
Kensington Cozies
WOW, this was a harrowing cozy with some
nail biting, page turning, reading-with-the-lights-on parts. Oh and some really
good recipes! This time the Beacon Bakeshop owned by Lindsey Bakewell plays
host to ghost hunters, high school hijinks, and a macabre murder. On the plus
side there are recipes for the wonderful sounding baked goods such as pumpkin
scones with maple glaze (YUM). A live airing of a ghost hunter group goes terribly
wrong and now the bakeshop crew must put away the treats and use all their best
tricks to solve this latest mystery. There are plenty of suspects, a fellow
teacher, the high school hooligans, oddly reclusive teenagers, the neighbor,
and a treasure hunter. There are also plenty of tasty treats and recipes at the
end of the story. This edition of the Beacon Bakeshop Mysteries comes with
happy news and some not so happy news but I don’t want to spoil any of it.
Death of A Clam Digger
A Hayley Powell Mystery
Lee Hollis
Kensington Publishing Corp.
Romeo and Juliet meets the Hatfields and the McCoys at a clam bake. As usual, we are supplied with a really good mystery that draws you in because you think you know what is going on, but do you really? Then there are the column contributions and wonderful beverage and food recipes. I had no idea there were that many ways to prepare clams. Hayley does a great job of running the restaurant, being a staunch supporter of young love, and keeping her jealousy in check (for the most part). As usual, this is a stand alone cozy mystery, shoot, Hayley didn't know about 's past girlfriend so we are all in that dark about that one. I was quite invested in this story and could not only feel Hayley's emotions but you empathize with her as well. The usual supporting cast of characters, of which I must say, Mona, is one of my favorites. How that woman has any energy is beyond me. A good number of well laid clues as well as a few bait and switch red herrings. I so wish that my choice for the guilty party had been a part of the dastardly deed, but the ending worked out just as well. Looking forward to the next Hayley Powell mystery and appetizing recipes. In the mean time, I will try out the WOW Your Guests Easy Clam Cakes for a weekend treat.
Pink Lemonade Cake Murder
A Hannah Swenson Mystery
Joanne Fluke
Kensington Cozies
Reading a Hannah Swenson Mystery is like sitting down with an old friend. This is a comfortable cozy series that incorporates murder, mystery, and mouth-watering sweet and savory treats. This newest trip to the Cookie Jar, picks right up from where the last one ended, with Mike contemplating the apathy he now feels for his job. The body drop is a few chapters in, not too far but not right away. The suspects start with Dolores, Hannah’s Mom (as she finds the body) so I guess that Hannah can no longer be teased for being a body magnet. This one takes a different avenue than what I am used to with Mike not being a lead player. The clues were laid out as well as the recipes and the story moves at a quick pace. I am still not a fan of the triangle. It also seems that Bill and crew have become dependent on Hannah as a consultant which is not how I saw the series going. All in all it still delivers on cozy content and great easy to make recipes like the Sweet & Sour Chicken for the crockpot that I plan to make with pork instead of chicken.
Fatal Groove
The Record Shop Mysteries
Olivia Blacke
St. Martin
Bluebonnets, blue lips, and men in blue (I am imagining blue). This is the second in the series but my first time reading and I was thoroughly taken by the three sisters. Juniper aka Juni is a completely relatable character. In fact she is someone you would want to know as well as being your barista. The blue bonnet festival is in high gear and the annual treasure hole digging has lots of participants but not one of them strikes gold or fabled stolen money. What does happen, is that Mayor Bob enjoys a cup of coffee and that is the last thing he does. That coffee came from the Sip & Spin Record’s festival booth belonging to the Jessup sisters; Juni, Tansy, and Maggie. One sister served him the coffee and another found his body. Well that is most unfortunate. The last thing the sisters need is for their new business venture, the Sip & Spin Record shop, to be closed, possibly for good. It turns out that Mayor Bob was hunting for the famous very money from the bank robbery from 1956. He isn’t the only one since it looks like his office is missing a few odd items. Mayor Bob liked to pick up robbery related items from Ebay. I have always thought that if you can’t find it on Amazon most likely it will show up on Ebay. Unfortunately for Mayor Bob, he isn’t the only treasure hunter and just maybe he found the clue they all needed. Normally the spouse would be the first on the suspect list, but Mrs. Mayor was on an Alaskan Cruise. I went on one of those once and they have the best of everything. Except for coffee, the cruise coffee does not compare to the Sip & Spin offerings. There are some amazing flavor combination coffee creations and I think that recipes should be included. There are suspects at City Hall as well as local treasure hunters. No one, especially the local police think that the Jessup sisters have anything do with it. After all, Juni is semi-dating the detective Beauregard Russel aka Beau the guy who broke her heart years ago. Juni is also semi-dating Teddy Garza longtime friend. Maggie is team Beau while Tansy is team Teddy. Which brings me to the only part of this series that I am not a fan of is the triangle. I am strictly a straight line person, or rather a one sleuth with one romantic interest. It can be instant attraction, old friends to new love, or even a slow burn between stubborn suitors. I get too angsty over more than one romance because I am almost sure that it won’t end well for someone and I like the HEA (Happy Ever After) aspects of cozies.
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