Pinned 4 Murder : A Sophie Kimball Mystery by J.C. Eaton

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. 

Pinned 4 Murder
Sophie Kimball Mystery
J.C. Eaton
Beyond the Page Publishing

This is another great Sophie Kimball mystery. In fact it is one was the zaniest yet with lizards, itching powder, a cyber scamming sweetheart, and the neurotic chiweenie known as Steadman. Each and every one of the Sophie Kimball mysteries is a stand-alone and they just keep getting better and better. Phee works as the bookkeeper for Williams Investigations with her investigator husband Marshall and boss Nate. All three of them relocated from the icy tundra of Minnesota, with Nate being the first to make the change in latitude. I don’t want to give too much background away because it is such a fun story line that I would not do it credit. What I can say is that it all started with Phee going out to Arizona to help her mom who tends to exaggerate the severity of a situation and she always seems to get Phee into the middle all kinds of crazy. This time it involves a development company with plans to update the local bowling alley to make it hip and fun for the younger crowd. Seems like a funny thing to do since the bowling alley is located in a retirement community. Orlando Fleish is the victim which is ironic because he was involved with a scam that involved convincing people to sell their homes and move to a life-care community, turning them into victims. Small spoiler, the adventures that Phee gets involved in because of her mom somehow end up intertwined with the crimes that boss Nate, and husband Marshall are either hired to solve or are retained by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. The clues are many, the misdirection misdirects, and the hijinks are hilarious.

Between a Flock and a Hard Place: A Meg Langslow Mystery by Donna Andrews

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.

Between a Flock and a Hard Place: A Meg Langlsow Mystery
Donna Andrews
Minotaur Books

 

Book 35 of the Meg Langslow series is just as good as the ones that came before. I do miss reading about Meg working as a blacksmith, she hasn’t quite she just seems a little busy. I used to want to be part of Meg’s mom’s family, now I think that the best position would be to have a parent who is a Hollingsworth and the other is a Shifley. Once you get two chapters into the story you will see what I mean. About two chapters into the story is about where the crazy begins and I am not talking about the murder. The crazy starts with the turkeys. Feral turkeys, yes you read that correctly, feral turkeys and they have been relocated under cover of night to the home where a reality remodel show is taking place. No one seems to know how the turkeys were moved but it has halted production of the show. In addition, Mayor Randall Shifley, who owns his own construction company, has halted the work on the remodel because at least one load bearing wall has been knocked down. There is absolute chaos going on but Meg does a great job keeping it together as the Mayor’s assistant thanks to her calm demeanor and her notebook that “tells her when to breathe.” The victim is not the nicest of people, Meg questions neighbors and learns that Mrs. Smetkamp is a bit snippy and should probably have bought in the Westlake community (read Birder, She Wrote) rather than remodeling a classically styled house. The former owner is not happy with the proposed changes and shows up often acting like an unofficial HOA board member to voice his disapproval. The producer disappears which is a bit concerning, is he running because he is guilty of murder or is he another victim? Meg learns from husband Michael’s coworker Gloria who also lives next to the remodel mishap that her tenant Kevin, is renting out the attic and quite possibly stealing power to run his bank of servers so who knows what else he may be capable of. It is a bit creepy how he keeps looking out between the curtains while the volunteers round up the turkeys and the police handle the murder.

As you can see there are plenty of suspects, plenty of crazy, and plenty of entertainment. It would not be a Caerphilly cozy without those aspects. I give it a five turkeys out of five.     

The Murders in Great Diddling: A Novel by Katarina Bivald

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.

The Murders in Great Diddling: A Novel
Katarina Bivald
Poisoned Pen Press

 Some of the best mysteries cozy or otherwise take place in small English country towns. I would say that this novel has cozy undertones but it also has some language making it a little edgier than your standard cozy. The main character, author Berit Gradner, needed a change of pace to get back her writing mojo so she got a cottage in Great Diddling (you will never guess what the name means). The town has all the bits that small Cornish town should have including a manor house. Another thing that small towns have is secrets, and this one is no different. The only thing that is not a secret is just how much the locals despise Reginald Trent, not even his aunt Daphne is fond of him. It is no wonder that he ends up being the victim.

Once the beginning pieces of the plot are laid down, the story really goes off with quite a bang. Oh and what a bang it was, giving everyone a bit to gossip about. Being that this is a small town there is no local constabulary which means that Detective Inspector Ian Ahmed is not a local and not likely to get any real answers from the townsfolk, unless he is interested in gossip. What DI Ahmed does learn is that Trent was a wheeler dealer and described in such a way that made it easy to sympathize with the business owners that he was threatening.  Penny Elmer referred to Trent as a snake and others thought of him as a bully, but no one thought of him as particularly brilliant.

The other characters in the story are absolutely brilliant (as in amazing), I would go as far as to say bloody brilliant. The story is given by multiple points of view, not just the sleuth, or even the sleuth and the Detective Inspector. Each of them has a secret or two and they are pretty good at improvising. Imagine turning a murder into a tourist event featuring mystery books and writers. It is a little macabre but also very original and the townsfolk are 100% behind the idea. Berit has her work cut out for her as she takes on the task of following clues and asking questions. She has a quiet way about her and some quirky habits. I especially like that she lays down flat on the floor (at home) to get a different perspective because don’t things look different from the floor. Berit’s new assistant Sally, aka her agent’s inexperienced daughter, is not entirely sure what to think of the new boss, the town, or the sleuthing. Sally was sent by her mom to make sure that Berit is writing her next novel. The only thing Berit has been writing down in her journal is the clues that she has uncovered. This was a highly enjoyable story and the multiple points of view kept it interesting. So grab a cup of tea, use the good china if you have it or find a seat in the garden because this story will capture your attention.     

Murder at an Irish Chipper - An Irish Village Mystery by Carlene O'Connor

 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 an Irish Chipper
An Irish Village Mystery
Carlene O’Connor
Kensington Cozies

 

What does a family have to do to get a seaside holiday/honeymoon without a murder?  I suppose it wasn’t their fault that they happened upon a real life “War of the Roses” divorce complete with crazy shenanigans. Shiobán and McDara just wanted to treat the O'Sullivan clan to some cooler temperatures and family fun what they got was a murder disguised as an accident. At least there were some tasty fish & chips and a nice inn to stay. The local constabulary, Detective Sergeant Liam Healy, is in need of McDara’s expertise; and Shiobán, well she can’t help but to ask questions, start a suspect list and get to involved. The stage was set to look like an accident but there are plenty of suspects who may have wanted Vera Cowley or the former Mrs. Chips as she was known locally, to have said accident. In addition to Mr. Chips and his new lady love aka Tara Flaherty, Vera’s ex-best friend, there are a few towns folk who seem to be involved in a shady thing or two at least that is what Vera thought.  Shiobá is not your usual cozy sleuth because she has the professional skills but she is such an engaging character that you can’t help but to be drawn in. In addition to being a great garda she is also an amazing big sister who has kept her family together and safe throughout the series. This series is so well put together that I hope it continues on for many more installments. Each sibling is coming into their own and Shiobán and McDara have just started their new life together. They are a great couple who respect each other’s abilities and the dialogue is so engaging. That being said, they are not infallible and just like the reader, they too can be led astray by red herrings. This one caught me off guard with the “who” and the “why”. I’m not sure what I enjoy more, hearing the Irish accent in my head as I read or the amazing foods found in each story. Another great Irish Village Mystery, I would give it 5 out of 5 fish n chips.

Puzzle Me a Murder - An Alice Pepper Lonely Hearts and Puzzle Club Mystery by Roz Noonan (Series Starter)

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.

Puzzle Me A Murder
An Alice Pepper Lonely Hearts and Puzzle Club Mystery
Roz Noonan

This is a series starter that starts off pretty well. Alice Pepper, former chef/restaurant owner turned librarian is someone who likes a good puzzle, literally. Alice and friends put together several puzzles during the story as they “puzzle” out not only a murder but also a few cold case mysteries. Alice is a mature sleuth, not a Miss Marple, more of a Jessica Fletcher, and she is surrounded by friends and family who are more than happy to help with the investigation. I was quickly drawn into the story. The pace was perfect and the clues made sense, but there were still a little misdirection to keep you guessing.

This mystery is like an onion, it starts out with Alice consoling lifelong friend Ruby, who just learned that her husband George is a philandering jerk. Threats of “I’m going to kill him,” lands Ruby at the top of the suspect list. After all, George was an upstanding citizen, the city comptroller, and the man who helped with the apprehension of the Cola Bandits. George looked good on paper, which is more than can be said about the town budget. The other supporting characters of the story are all unique and entertaining. Ruby is a sophisticated no nonsense business lady who has a way with words. Virginia, Alice’s sister is a middle school vice principal by day and a bit of a free spirit in her off time. Then there are the twin granddaughters who couldn’t be more different. Now that I think of it, they are somewhat like Grandma Alice and her sister. Madison is a local police officer assigned to assist Detective  Bedrosian while the Chief is out of town on vacation. Taylor, Madison’s twin, lives in Alice’s basement so she doesn’t have to pay rent because it isn’t a room with a bed. Yes, Taylor is a bit of a free spirit who hasn’t quite figured out what she wants to be when she grows up.  

The list of suspect starts to grow, as does Alice’s attraction to Stone Donahue, the manager of the West Hazel Senior Center where Alice and Virginia take their Aunt Gildy for dinner night on Wednesdays. Although Alice feels an attraction to the cowboy-handsome Stone, she also has some hurts from her “amicable” divorce that left her life in need of repair for her finances, her heart, and her soul.    

The stage was well set and the overall series arc has a great foundation. Alice does a good job of describing her past but I am left with some questions about Alice’s daughter “who shall not be named” and what recipe she use to make that delish sounding Chicken Francais.  Overall this is a very enjoyable cozy and I look forward to the next one in the series.

Torn Asunder - A Maine Clambake Mystery by Barbara Ross

  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. 

Torn Asunder
A Maine Clambake Mystery
Barbara Ross
Kensington Cozies

 What a great way to end the series. Yes, that is right; this is book 12, the final one in the Maine Clambake series which means no more amazing lobster related recipes and the end of a well written story arc. Spoiler alert, there is an excellent epilogue as well as a very tasty orange and fennel salad recipe among many other tasty sounding recipes. On to the story…imagine your friend and business partner is getting married, it is her rehearsal dinner and you are the maid of honor, the wedding planner, the venue coordinator and the caterer (essentially). Zoey has all the confidence that Julia has this covered but Julia has a case of pre-wedding jitters. There are all sorts of people there at the Snowden Family Clambake venue from Zoey’s art friends to Jaime’s New England family. Now imagine there is one person that no one seems to know but everyone has talked to and he falls down dead. That gives a whole new take on party crashing. Something doesn’t make sense someone has to know him because people don’t show up a rehearsal dinner on a private island without knowing someone. To add a little more mayhem to this already tense situation, there is a storm and not everyone made it off of the island but they did make it to Julia‘s family home, Windsholme, which has become the venue. Then the story takes an even more unusual turn as people start answering Detective Tom‘s questions and a most interesting picture is painted because it seems that several members of the wedding party have had dealings with mysterious and somewhat conniving Mr. Clarkson. There are plenty of suspects, a surging storm, and misdirection at every turn. The story had me hooked and while I was distracted by the amazing foods being described I was able to figure out the “who” and the “why” but not the “when” or the “how”. I found this series about 6 books in and while I now know how it all ends, I am still going to go back to the beginning to see how it all started. I give this book 5 out of 5 lobsters or wedding cakes, your choice.