Dead Post Society: A House Flipper Mystery by Diane Kelly

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The recipe review and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing. 

Dead Post Society: A House Flipper Mystery
Diane Kelly
Minotaur Books

Book 7 in the House Flipper series is just as good as the six that preceded it. While looking over the grounds of a dilapidated boarding school, house flipper and carpenter Whitney convinces her cousin and business partner Buck to purchase and flip the very sad and run-down headmaster's home, a once grand Victorian with good bones.   A house with good bones, but bad and tragic history, and Whitney can't help but to get caught up in the cold case involving a murder-suicide when she finds a bullet lodged in a cracked porch post. 

The mystery drew me in every bit as much as it drew in Whitney. The story just didn't add up and there were plenty of suspects, including one very psychotic former TV personality who really should not be allowed to work with the public. There were some great clues laid out and some good attempts to misdirect. Whitney does a great job with both internet research and (steel-toed) boots on the ground pounding the pavement clue hunting. Plenty of suspects in plenty of places to keep us guessing. Oh and one more fun aspect of the book is that we get the point of view for Sawdust, Whitney's sweet kitty. Sawdust has been a hero more than once in the past.

Highly enjoyable plot great and diverse characters. I am a big fan of sleuths who work well with local law enforcement and vice versa. Whitney is married to a cop who supports her sleuthing not that he doesn't worry about her safety as they make plans for their future. I am making plans to make the Lemon Pistachio Orzo Salad to share with family thanks to the recipe at the conclusion of the story. 

Snuffling Up Bones by DonnaRae Menard

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The recipe review and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing. 

Snuffling Up Bones
A Pig and I Mystery
DonnaRae Menard

If you are a fan of cozy mysteries that revolve around saving animals, then this new release is going to be your new favorite. Introducing Doris Flynn, a recent widow and a woman with an amazing amount of love for all animals great and small.  I am not kidding when I say great, because the biggest animal on the property is a 450-pound Hampshire pig named Buttercup Belle. If you have ever seen The Ugly Dachshund, then you know that a big dog can think of itself as a little dog or even a lap dog. The same appears to be true for Buttercup. She is trained much like a dog, and she behaves, much like a dog.  There is one difference, Buttercup responds to singing cues and she will even join in at times. Just wait until you get to the Buttercup bathing scene of the book, you will laugh out loud.  

In addition to Doris, is her daughter, Melanie who has moved home as a result of developing MS and the loss of her dad, Ian. Ian died almost a year ago of a heart attack. I have to wonder if there isn’t the possibility of a future story arc regarding Ian’s death. Front and center to this story are two head strong as well as heart strong ladies and one rather large farm complete with two family dogs, one really big pig, chickens, one dog getting prepped for a new home, and a full cattery (eight cats I think). I feel tired just reading about all the work that Doris does and that doesn’t even include cleaning the house or the sleuthing that she starts after Buttercup snuffles up some bones on a hiking trail behind the homestead. I can completely relate to Doris and her desire to do ANYTHING besides cleaning the house.  

Not only is this an interesting story because of Buttercup’s part in finding the bones, but also because there are so many truly human or real aspects, like Melanie’s MS, and Rose Anne’s job as the medicolegal investigator, which is an occupation that I have not come across in my mystery reading. I also liked that Doris has a good working relationship with Sheriff Neddel, the new, and somewhat attractive, guy in town. The mystery is so interesting that I found it difficult to put the book down. The suspects are plentiful and there is gossip aplenty. Between bigotry and a lost memory this mystery gets more mysterious and even a little bit dangerous. I was bouncing between subjects up until the reveal and I didn’t come close to guessing the whole plot line.  I do hope that this one becomes a series.

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The Potting Shed Murder : Hill House Vintage Murder Mysteries by Paula Sutton

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The recipe review and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing. 

The Potting Shed Murder
Hill House Vintage Murder Mysteries
Paula Sutton
Renegade Books

Daphne Brewster, shoot producer for the Stylish Home magazine, has had enough of the hustle and bustle of inner-city London, not to mention the crime, and has relocated with her husband James, daughter Immy, and twin sons Archie and Flynn to the quiet town of Pudding Corner near Pepperbridge. Where it seems that "death, murder, secrets and betrayals were all wrapped up in the bucolic beauty of a village nestled within fields and country air." This was an excellent series starter for the Hill House Vintage Murder Mysteries series. With a few chapters that are multiple points of view and flashbacks, you get a story within a story, within a story.

Daphne is a strong character, but also kindhearted with a desire to defend the excluded and overlooked. She has no need to climb a social ladder like Marianne Forbes or try to be in the good graces of Augusta Papplewick, school headmaster's wife. Those two are a couple of mean gals. Daphne, on the other hand, really doesn’t care what the locals think and chooses to befriend Minerva Leek, a Wiccan who may have grown up in the small town and is a local, but because she is different, she is considered an outcast. These characters are so well described, and their emotions are so strong that you become engrossed in the story. There is a "mean girl," a quiet recluse, a frustrated housewife, and a couple of gossip gals. On the more positive side, Daphne and James’s children have adjusted quite well and made a friend of a young boy named Silver, the son of Minerva Leek. With the lower cost of living, Daphne is able to be a stay-at-home mom but finds that she has a knack and a creative flair for refinishing furniture and creating wonderful and decorative pieces. There is even an available storefront for the newly nicknamed Vintage Lady to conduct her new business venture. I like how Daphne is given an outlet for her creative nature. Her husband, James, would rather she didn’t find an outlet for her curious nature.    

This was a mystery that kept me guessing. Every suspect has motive and opportunity to have visited the headmaster while he relaxed in his happy place. Each personal story that Daphne collects/learns is like a puzzle piece and a picture begins to take shape, and then Daphne discovers another clue that changes everything. Every suspect has motive and opportunity to have visited the headmaster while he relaxed in his happy place. This is going to be a most excellent series that has inspired me to look up a recipe for Jamaican Ginger Cake, so stay tuned.

Murder Runs in the Family by Tamara Berry

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The recipe review and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing. 

Murder Runs in the Family
Tamara Berry
Poisoned Pen Press

Tamara Berry has crafted yet another thoroughly entertaining cozy and I hope this is the start of a new and sassy series. The main character, Amber decides that her life needs a new direction, so she heads to Arizona to find the grandma she was never allowed to meet because according to Moonbeam Effervescence aka Effie, aka Amber’s mom, Grandma Judith aka Jade, is the most selfish person who ever existed and is not to be spoken of or to. How could an inquisitive almost official PI not want to solve that mystery?    

The last thing Amber expected was to discover that her wayward grandma was also the creator of Death Comes Calling, a podcast that she has listened to for the last three years on stakeouts with Bones. Bones, the EX-boyfriend, make sure you understand that he is the EX-boyfriend, is a former Navy Seal, animal loving, official private investigator, and a Neanderthal. I am not sure how Amber doesn’t lose it every time he calls her “babe,” but I do understand why she decided it was time to move on from the role of girlfriend/secretary/underling.

There is more than meets the eyes when it comes to grandma Jade’s posse, shifty septuagenarians, who double as the podcast crew. As she follows the clues we start to see more than what is on the surface. I enjoyed the great introspection by Amber as she analyzes how she seems to be the black sheep in her family but apparently the truth is that it just skipped a generation. Amber’s family isn’t exactly warm and fuzzy which pulls on your heartstrings. In addition to looking inward, Amber starts to really look at Jade’s friends. They are definitely more than just a couple of retirees who spend time baking croissants, taking and placing bets, possibly hacking into the local servers, or playing hide the turtle (no that is not a euphemism). Who would have guessed that you could use Nextdoor to report pet sightings.   

There is one person whom Amber has some difficulty getting to know, Ethan Adler, a guy too young to be in retirement, turns out he is recuperating from a hip surgery. Do I detect a little interest on Amber’s part?

Just wait until you get to the solution to this mystery. I was reading it and shaking my head. I had to read it twice because the first time I literally said “wait…what…no way!” Unless I am mistaken, the next book was tee’d up at the conclusion of this one and I can’t wait to see if PI Amber is in fact able to find Ethan the vet.

Death on a Serving Board : A Charcuterie Shop Mystery by JC Eaton

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The recipe review and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing. 

Death on a Serving Board
A Charcuterie Shop Mystery
JC Eaton
Level Best Books  

This was my first time reading a book from the Charcuterie Shop Mystery series. I have been a fan of JC Eaton for a while and can be found laughing out loud over the chaos that is often associated with both the Wine Trail mysteries and the Sophie Kimball mysteries. I am not surprised that Death on a Serving Board delivered on all cozy aspects including comedy that I have come to expect from this amazing husband and wife writing team. 

The first thing you notice about this book is the cover art. Who could have guessed that a charcuterie board could be so artful, or that teaching a class of adult students on how to create such a masterpiece would drive a person to drink. Char-Board owner Katie Aubrey thought it would be a great idea, increase business for the café, maybe even find a possible part time server. What she found was a headache and a dead body. Well she didn't find the body. Actually there was two bodies and while she didn't find either of them they are way too close for comfort both figuratively and literally. Katie is spurred on to sleuth by her ghost of a roommate, food critic, Edith Ellory. The house that Katie is renting came with the usual rental items and the former owner, Edith. While you don't have to read the two previous books to have a good idea of the who, what, where, and when, but I am most likely going to binge read them very soon.  Edith is not a ghost for the faint of heart. She likes to pop up in a swirl of colored haze and drive Katie crazy. And crazy is what people are going to start thinking about Katie if she doesn't get a handle on talking back to Edith since no one can hear their conversations, well not both sides of it. People often tell Katie that she looks like she has seen a ghost and while her verbal response is that she is tired or thinking thoughts, what she would really like to say is "yes, seen one, talked to one, yelled at one, you name it." The back and forth with Edith keeps you chuckling and heaven help Katie when time comes to tell Ian. 

While some aspects of work and home drive Katie crazy, there are great aspects of the book that keep her sane. The crew at The Cha-Board, Javie, Matt, and Lilly-Ann are ready and willing to work hard and support Katie when she is hatching a plan or "The Plan." Katie also gets support and a little extra from aspiring chef Ian Monroe whom she has been seeing for a few months now and couldn't be happier. Ian is willing to actually go looking for clues with Katie which is HUGE in  my book. The couple that sleuths together stays (alive) together. As with any good cozy, there is also a canine companion by the name of Speedbump, a laid back beagle that also came with the rental. To round out this cast is local law enforcement, Deputy Vincent, not a fan of Katie's poking but also not a combatant either. Which is good because Katie and crew do a great job of finding and sharing the clues. The multiple death mystery with a touch of robbery cold case kept my attention, the red herrings kept me guessing, and the charcuterie directions have inspired me to make my own treat laden board.  

Killing Me Soufflé : A Bakeshop Mystery by Ellie Alexander

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The recipe review and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing.  

Killing Me Soufflé
A Bakeshop Mystery
Ellie Alexander
Minotaur Books

This new addition to the Bakeshop Mystery series has Jules and family taking a trip to the coast to help Steph and Sterling during the grand reopening  of the SeaBreeze Bistro located on the stunning Oregon coast at the Whaleshead resort. The resort holds fond memories for Jules, times when she was a child and would enjoy the surf and the sand with her parents. Jules and Carlos can may have a difficult time trying to imagine bringing their children. The resort looks like it hasn’t been updated or maintained since Jules last long ago visit as a child. The bistro on the other hand, has been given a new coat of paint, some updated accents and a temptingly tasty menu. 

One of my favorite things about the Bakeshop Mystery series is the amazing food and the generosity of Ellie Alexander to share many of those recipes with readers. I decided several books ago that I did not need cookbooks anymore since I have so many culinary cozies. In addition to the recipes at the end of the stories, the characters, mainly Jules, actually explain the processes, like how to make the chocolate soufflés. That is the recipe which I am most looking forward to giving a try.        

As with the other installments in this series, Lance; Jules BFF, has a flair for drama and what appears to be an inability to not snoop. He often gets Jules involved in the “sussing out” of clues when a mystery is afoot…not that she really needs much of a push or pull to get caught up in an instigation. Truth be told it is better to sleuth as a dynamic duo than to go it alone. Especially in this mystery. Almost everyone who is a suspect has what appears to be some serious anger issues. Erik, the resort’s manager, whom no one likes because of his acerbic attitude, I didn’t even like him so it makes perfect sense that he is the victim. No one seemed to miss him, not Hoff the handyman, nor Travis the seafood supplier who is acting fishy. Mary Beth Wells the artist in resident had some really colorful thing to say about Erik.     

The reveal snuck up on me while I was still trying to get the facts, clues, and motives straight. All in all it was another fun and entertaining mystery with characters who are like friends. Friends who make you laugh, make you tear up, and make you hungry. I am really looking forward to when Jules and Carlos welcome their new little bundles of joy. I can only imagine how spoiled they are going to be by uncles Lance and his partner Arlo. So many wonderful things to look forward to in the next book.

Fondue or Die : A Cheese Shop Mystery by Korina Moss

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The recipe review and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing. 

Fondue or Die
A Cheese Shop Mystery
Korina Moss
St. Martin’s Paperbacks 

Where in the world is cheesemonger Willa Bauer? In book five of the Cheese Shop Mysteries, Willa has left her shop Curds & Whey located in Yarrow Glen and is taking part in the Dairy Days Festival in Lockwood. In addition to having a booth at the festival she and Archie have volunteered to help with the Miss Dairy pageant.  

Being a fan of detective Heath, I am super excited that he and Willa are working together. Since the murder takes place out of his jurisdiction, it isn’t his investigation that Willa and Team Cheese are trying to solve. Willa isn’t stepping on his Detective Heath’s toes, but she is butting heads with Chief Womack who seems to be hiding something and has Mrs. Schultz on his suspect list. How anyone could even think for the briefest of seconds that Mrs. Schultz had anything to do with the death of Nadine the pageant director. Not that she goes out of her way to be difficult. AJ JDJDJ, now he is another story altogether but he and Willa have an understanding, a quid pro quo, as it were.

Speaking of difficult people, Nadine is not anyone's favorite person. She is not popular with the participants or their mothers. Nadine has high expectations and takes the pageant very seriously, unlike Grace Kelp, journalist for the Lockwood Weekly who is reporting on the misogynistic aspects of the contest and her call to have shut down. Fiona, the number-one seller of Becky's Bakeware and pageant judge is butting heads with Nadine. Nadine's cousin Mary Ann is beside herself with the loss of Nadine, but she is keeping a stiff upper lip in order to honor Nadine and the pageant. There are a lot of clues, most of which Chief Womack seems to be ignoring which puts Willa on high alert and she manages to get Heath to work with her while taking his suggestions for safety.   

I really liked reading how Willa and Heath worked as well together as Team Cheese. Maybe, just maybe...I am team Heath all the way and love a happy ending. The clues were well placed and I didn't figure out the mystery until the big reveal. After enjoying this stand-alone Cheese Shop Mystery, I was enticed into doing a little internet search for interesting beauty pageants and came upon the garlic festival beauty pageant so the idea of a cheese sponsored pageant is not such a stretch. Another well written and highly enjoyable cozy and the best part is that there are recipes at the end of the story so you aren't salivating for nothing while enjoying the book. I took time to make and enjoy the Extra-Cheesy Alfredo and I encourage everyone to give it a try.

Trouble is Brewing : A Tea By the Sea Mystery by Vicki Delaney

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The recipe review and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing. 

Trouble is Brewing
Tea by the Sea Mystery #5
Vicki Delaney
Kensington Cozies

Book four of the tea by the sea mysteries reads like a stand-alone and set in NCNCN in a tea house with an incredible backdrop that includes a lovely BnB. The tea house is set in the sort of backdrop that would be perfect for outside events, such as weddings and bridal showers. 

The bride and groom, Hannah Hill and Greg Reynolds, are a lovely couple and the mother of the bride was a hard working single mom who is doing her best to keep the peace and support her daughter. The same can not be said of the groom's parents and sister. The Reynolds, Ralph and Sophia are snooty when it comes to Hannah and her mother Jenny. It turns out that Jenny and Ralph Reynold had been involved once upon a time before she married Max Hill and had Jenny.  It probably doesn't help that the older Mrs. Reynolds, Ralph's mother and the not too kind mother-in-law to Sophia still runs the family business or rather, she tells Ralph and Greg's brother, Ivan what to do and not in the kindest of ways. Greg's sister, Mackenzie, finds it entertaining to stir pots and add fuel to fires. No one is happy and it seems like this wedding is might not happen in spite of the very loving and lovely couple. All in all there are a lot of people who would make for great suspects. The drama is crazier than day time TV but the afternoon tea is full of sweet and savory treats expertly described. This cozy keeps you turning pages as emotions go up and down causing eye rolls, chuckles, hurrumphing, and indignation over the flirty machinations of a bridesmaid.  

As usual I enjoy the back and forth between Rose and Edna over Edna's duties as the B & B breakfast waitress, which did not include acting the maid to Rose. Equally entertaining are the hijinks that Rose and Bernie engage in while hot on the trail of they mysteries in each book. I am a little sad that it is now time for Simon to return back across the pond to England instead of staying with but I also know that Rose needs to take a trip and that Lily will be going with her. I also take consolation in the sweet treat recipe for Maple Pecan Squares that go very well with afternoon tea which I can enjoy while waiting for the next Tea by the Sea Mystery set to release later this year. 

The Nightmare Before New Year's : A Mrs. Claus Mystery by Liz Ireland

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The recipe review and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing. 

Mrs.Claus and the Nightmare Before New Years
A Mrs. Claus Mystery
Liz Ireland
Kensington Cozies

Santa aka Nick Claus is on the way to deliver happiness to the children of the world, but April is back in Santaland dealing with three humans who have wandered into the farthest frozen reaches and have to be convinced that they are in northern Canada and not the North Pole. All three are exhausted, one loses a toe and another has a reindeer's antler sticking out of his back. Off to the Santaland Hospital they go with lots of sweet snacks and limited exposure to the locals.

This is another adventure into the absurd, with elves wearing clothes from the 80s, walking in shoes without curly tips and talking with a Canadian accent, aye. The reindeer have been grounded, the snowmen are silenced, and the elves are forced to wear retro clothes. Who would have guessed that an elf would have mobility issues wearing shoes without a curly tip? The elves need to party like it's Christmas eve and April needs to catch a killer. The suspect pool is limited much like the amount of time that April has to get this mystery and others solved before Nick makes it back. What other mystery you ask? Well the Dowager Claus is feeling (down) low and has a personal nurse to help her. What exactly are they working on and where did Nurse Coco come from and why doesn't Nurse Cinnamon know who she is???  

This Mrs. Claus mystery is like all the others before it, a stand-alone crazy cozy that helps to keep spirits bright! There is plenty of back story but you really should check out the earlier books to get the full picture of Santaland and all the April experiences. 

The Incident of the Book in the Nighttime - A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery by Vicki Delany

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The recipe review and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing. 

The Incident of the Book at Night

A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery

Vicki Delany
Crooked Lane Books

Book 10 of the Sherlock Homes Bookshop Mystery has Gemma and friends away from the bookshop and back across the pond for sister Pippa's nuptials. Pippa being Gemma's rather secretive and very business-like older sister who supposedly works for the Ministry or Department for Transport...sure she does. Turns out that Pippa isn't the only one with a secret, no one knew that Gemma had been previously married (GASP). The last person Gemma expected to run into at her sister’s reception was Paul Erikson, the ex-husband. The last thing Gemma expected to do while in London was to find Paul dead in the bookstore she once co-owned with him. 

Trafalgar Fine Books, the bookstore that Gemma and Paul owned together is anything but fine, and has become a shop for selling used books. So, is this how Paul found a book that was “the real deal?” That is such an enigmatic statement and sure to create curiosity. Gemma is a curious person regardless of the situation but this one does hit a little close to home. She had loved the charmer once upon a time. Paul wasn’t a bad guy, just not the right guy, so the least that Gemma can do is ask a few innocent questions. Chances are that the local authorities are busy and the information she obtains could be useful even if unwanted. Even Gemma’s boyfriend, police officer Ryan Ashburton, admits that Gemma has a talent for getting people to open up to her. The game is afoot and with Jayne Wilson, the co-owner of the Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room, as a trusted friend and sleuthing companion. In addition there is also the umbrella wielding Sherlockian, Donald Morris, to add a little muscle on clue seeking outings. Such outings take them from London to Yorkshire, from the old bookstore to tea at the Wolseley.     

Gemma has her work cut out for her since she isn’t a local any longer and hasn’t seen Paul in seven years. Suspects are varied and scarce which is both good for the plot but bad for the sleuth. It is most excellent for the reader because you are drawn into the story wondering where the next clue is going to lead Gemma. Speaking of Gemma, she is unlike any other cozy sleuth that I have come across. She has a very logical side much like the great detective. She seems to be the one person (besides Sherlock Holmes) who sees all and deducts everything, so how is it that she didn’t see what a schmuck her two-timing husband was? On the other hand, while she is still quite British with her emotions, she has warmed up a bit since the series starter and her wit is highly entertaining. This is a very good cozy that was a quick read and does well as a stand-alone, much like Ms. Delany’s Tea by the Sea series. If I am not mistaken, gardener Simon from Tea by the Sea made a cameo appearance at Garfield Hall. 

Snow Time to Die - Northwoods Mysteries Book 3 by Annie McEwan

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The recipe review and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing. 

Snow Time to Die
Northwoods Mysteries Book #3
Annie McEwen 

This is my favorite of the Northwoods Mysteries thus far. Book three is a cozy character’s nightmare and growth arc all in one. You cannot help but like our sleuth, Emmerlyn “Emmy” Cooper, she is kind, thoughtful, funny, a little sassy, and a bit of a klutz. In other words, she is completely relatable and someone that you could see having as a friend. As with many cozy characters, she didn’t truly realize her self-worth until she needed to either return home or start over somewhere new. In Emmy’s case, she came back home to Lake Covington and sort of started over in the family business, Cooper’s Cover Resort. While all of this is hashed out in the series starter, there are plenty of references in book 3 to keep the reader on the same page as the characters. 

On to the nightmare part of the mystery and no it is not the murder, it is an encounter with the childhood nemesis Vanessa Vernor, and her over the top childish comments and entitled attitude. The tête-à-tête is followed by an encounter with Gwenda Caperwell, the woman who fired Emmy from Trent Architecture and Design just 9 months prior and led to Emmy returning to Lake Covington and truly living her best life. But wait the nightmare gets even scarier. Both viper like women end up getting snowed in at Emmy’s family resort and then Gwenda is found dead...by Emmy.    

 It will quickly become obvious that Gwenda has not made many friends in her life and she seemed determined to chastise, harangue, and otherwise belittle as many people as possible, which means there are plenty of suspects right there at the scene of the crime, and I don’t mean Emmy. There is the recently divorced husband, the old college boyfriend she dumped for said ex-husband, the college girlfriend of the ex-husband, a professional adversary who is also her sister-in-law, and the poor assistant who is at her beck and call and the brunt of Gwenda’s bad moods. With all of those suspects snowed in at the resort, of course Emmy is going to get herself involved, she cannot help her curious nature. Fortunately, her cop boyfriend Dean Erickson is understanding, her best friend Whitney is able to be brought up by snow mobile to help with cooking and clue finding, plus there is the undercover Addy who is more than capable of handling herself.

 This mystery does a great job holding your attention as you find yourself turning page after page and snickering at Emmy’s creative cozy style cursing. There is even some sighing over how cute DKDK and Emmy are together, just the right amount of romance and fun. I kept guessing but did not completely get it until Ms. McEwen was ready to have Emmy lead me to the solution. An excellent cozy and I look forward to my next visit to Cooper’s Cove.  

Gingerbread Danger : An Amish Candy Shop Mystery by Amanda Flowers

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The recipe review and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing. 

Gingerbread Danger
An Amish Candy Mystery
Amanda Flowers
Kensington

After reading this one I am never going to look at the board game Candyland quite the same again. Margo Rawlings has come up with yet another amazing idea for increasing tourism in the town of Harvest. Bailey King has a successful candy factory business that works hand in hand with the family Amish sweets shop. It is a busy time for Bailey between the grand-opening, wedding plans with Sheriff Aiden, parents coming from out of town, and Amish targeted burglaries. What appeared to be an unfortunate work related accident turns out to be more nefarious.

Bailey has come a long way since book one when she moved to Harvest from New York, stepped up to help with her Amish grandparents’ sweet shop, was willing to turn her back on a New York uptown chocolatier position, and found herself getting involved in multiple murder mysteries. Bailey’s family ties, with one foot in the Amish community and one in the “English” aka non-Amish make it easier for her to get answers to questions as the Amish feel more comfortable talking to her than with the police. As with the last eight in the series, Bailey cannot not get involved and thankfully her fiancé Aiden is well aware and just requests that she be careful. Believe it or not, suspects are few because the Amish are not known for violence and Zeph seemed like an unassuming young man who was still trying to figure out his place in world and the Amish community. Zeph's sister Lida has no idea who or why, but there are rumblings in the community about nefarious deeds and past problems. You find yourself drawn into the investigation with Bailey as she tries to figure out who had it in for Zeph and why does everyone want to blame Bailey for his "fall" off of the roof. 

On top of all the work needed to keep the Candyland event stocked and the usual holiday shoppers, Bailey welcomes her parents for a visit to town but starts to dread the visit when her mom hires Hampton the wedding planner, an especially odd man who seems way to invested. How is Bailey going to keep things sweet while sifting through clues that are leaving her sour. Baily has a quick mind and good heart. Thank goodness for the hijinks of Jethro the pig to keep it light hearted. Just imagine a pig coated in taffy, too bad it wasn't fudge, something much easier to clean up. Speaking of fudge, there is a wonderfully easy recipe for gingerbread fudge found at the conclusion of the mystery.       

 

You Feta Watch Out : Grilled Cheese Mysteries by Linda Reilly

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The recipe review and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing.

You Feta Watch Out
Grilled Cheese Mystery
Linda Reilly
Beyond the Page Publishing
 

Book five of the Grilled Cheese Mystery series takes place at Christmas time and the Flinthead Opera House is hosting a production of Dickins’ ”A Christmas Carol.” The actor, Prescott Lennon, who was playing Marley is more of a Scrooge than Scrooge making it no surprise when he doesn’t make it to opening night. No one is really sure why Hannah Collier, the director, gave him the part since he wasn’t that good as an actor and he was a menace as a person.

There are plenty of suspects to choose from, starting with the widow, Honey, who was referred to as Honey Lemon by various cast members because of her sour personality. The understudy, Malachy Foster, has so much more talent than Lennon and he has big time acting aspirations. The makeup girl, Ashley Blanchard, may have been hit on by Lennon or just treated very poorly, and Jess aka Mrs. Fezziwig was definitely deflecting unwanted and outrageous overtures from Lennon. Lennon was a bit of a leach and a lot of a hack.  

Carly doesn’t take sleuthing lightly and is bound and determined to find out the facts but sometimes she oversteps or asks questions of the wrong people which can have negative results. It is refreshing to see a character who stops for a moment to think about what asking those pesky personal questions might mean for the person being asked.

In addition to suspects and holiday splendor, there are some amazing sandwiches that pair well with tomato soup. While I can’t imagine what a Fruitcake Brie cheese sandwich aka Scrooge’s Redemption would taste like, I enjoy making and trying Grant’s Festive Feta Appetizers. 

Silent Nights Are Murder : A Poppy McAllister Mystery by Libby Klein

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The recipe review and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing.

Silent Nights Are Murder

A Poppy McAllister Mystery

Libby Klein

Kensington Cozies 

This is book of the Poppy McAllister series and it is the best one yet. This cozy is like a Christmas present that is exactly what you wished for but with extras that you weren’t expecting and topped with a perfect bow. While reading this I flashed back to the scene from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix when Uncle Vern says “Justice.” I have been waiting for this plot to come to fruition and the crabby baby‑momma Gigi is going to have to rely on Poppy to save her bacon. 

Each Poppy mystery is a stand-alone work of cozy goodness complete with gluten free recipes that can be adapted for regular flour. More importantly, there is Poppy, a completely relatable character who would make an awesome friend.  She has been on such a ride from the series starter to this point. She has found the love of a good man, the joy with small child, survived the crazy that is her Aunt Izzy, started a successful Bed and Breakfast, and she finally isn’t finding dead bodies. This time around the dead body is looking for Poppy and as karma would have it, her first love, Tim, who lost out over an ultimatum and got a little bitter, will now need to rely on Poppy to save him, his restaurant, and his baby momma. 

Of course Poppy is going to do the noble and kind thing, it is the sort of person she is. She even does what she can to help the homeless guy who is sitting across from the restaurant parking lot regardless of what Gigi thinks or screams. Who knows, maybe he saw something or knew something. As usual, police detective Amber is expecting Poppy to go above and beyond in the on-site sleuthing and to report back everything. Poppy would prefer to make pastries for her handsome hunky Italian barista-owner of La Dolce Vita. Speaking of Gia (Giampaolo), he is one of four men who may or may not have misplaced an amazing engagement ring back at Thanksgiving. Aunt Ginny decides that there needs to be a holiday get-together to suss out the suitor. Not to worry, the reader finds out soon enough what the answer is for that mystery. 

This is a typical Poppy mystery which means that you are going to laugh a LOT, you are going to read about amazing baked goods that will make you want to be a gluten-free person, and you are going to roll your eyes almost as much as Poppy does over the hijinks of Aunt Ginny and the other biddies. The suspects are sketchy and sometimes snarky, but always worthy of being on the list which is very short this time given the need for the freezer key. I was completely misdirected by the fishy fake outs and did not figure out any part of this from the marriage proposal to the frozen fish seller. This was a great cozy and I could see it being the last one but I really hope it isn’t!      

Blue Christmas Bones : A Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery by Carolyn Haines

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The recipe review and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing.

Blue Christmas Bones
Sarah Boothe Delaney Mystery
Carolyn Haines 
Minotaur Books

This is number 28 in the Sarah Booth Delaney mystery series. Sarah Booth is half of Delaney Investigations agency, the taller sassier half. Her dedicated daddy’s girl bff Tinkie Richmond is the other half. Together with their family, friends, and loves; they are the best Southern sleuths you may ever encounter. I have been reading these slightly sharp cozies (a little swearing and a little sizzle) for over 15 years and they do not disappoint. Sarah Booth is an amazing character and from the series starter to now, she has undergone such a range of emotions, suffice it to say that she “has come a long way, baby.” Do not worry if you are just now giving this series a try, all of the books offer plenty of backstory so you will never feel lost. You will want to be like me and go back and start at the beginning to see how it all started, with a family plantation in need of repairs and mortgage payments in arears and the kidnapping of a little dust mop dog named Chablis.

It is Christmas in the Delta and the sleuth crew of Sarah Booth, Tinkie, Millie, and CeCe are headed to Tupelo, Mississippi for the first annual Elvis Christmas event. Not even Vegas has as many Elvis’s and the girls are just wanting to have fun. Their guys and pets will meet up with them in a few days but not before the detective agency is hired to locate a $3 million dollar Elvis inspired belt. This isn’t the first time that the ladies have their holiday/vacation plans hijacked for a case, but usually it involves murder. While I have not read all of the books in the series, this is the first one that I have come across that did not involve a dead body. Not that there aren’t plenty of near misses, threats of bodily harm, and sketchy suspects to keep you turning pages. 

The mystery is well spun and the suspects are quirky and all share one thing in common, they have love/hate relationships with the owner of the belt, one Grace Land. Yes that is her name given to her by her mom, not an awkward name to saddle a kid with at all…There is an Adonis of an artist who made the belt, the insurance agent who wrote the policy for the piece, the assistant mayor who has dreams of being a Vegas Elvis, a fellow Hollywood show star with pugs, the Sheriff, and possible participants from Grace’s reality show. The only one who seems to have anything good to say about Grace is a mechanic. Even Sarah Booth is ready to quit this gig when she suspects that no one is being honest with them, especially Grace. 

All in all this was a light-hearted Christmas mystery with a fun location/event incorporated into the story line. The red herrings had  me going in so many directions that I just wasn’t sure who the crook was/were until the big reveal. This was an enjoyable story that made my Christmas season bright, so to Ms. Haines I say, “thank ya, ah thank ya very much.”

Death of a Gingerbread Man - Hayley Powell Mystery by Lee Hollis

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The recipe review and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing.

Gingerbread Dead Man
A Hayley Powell Food and Cocktail Mystery
Lee Hollis
Kensington Cozies 

Imagine if your dad took off when you were eight years old and you hadn’t seen or heard from him for all those years. Now imagine that your best friends’ dads have been getting together with your dad for years to do some ice fishing, and you just walked in on them. There are no words for this, right! Talk about family drama for the holidays. The only person who is truly happy to see Dwight back is Hayley’s brother Randy, who was too young to really know what happened when their father left. Thank goodness Hailey knows how to make a great cocktail. Just check out her Island Food & Spirits newspaper column that often includes cocktail and food recipes. In addition to drinks and some comfort food, there are some great stories that provide excellent back stories that are highly entertaining.

As I said, no one is all that thrilled to see Dwight Jordan including Carroll Flood who claims that Dwight ruined his life and the opportunity to be a professional baker. Oddly enough, Dwight isn’t the victim, Carroll is. Since Dwight swears he didn’t do it, he begs Hayley to look into things. Christmas is a challenging time to be a sleuth and Hayley is balancing a business, her slightly difficult mom and boyfriend as houseguests, the usual holiday rush items, and saving Dwight’s life at least once. The list of suspects is longer than the guest list at King Charles’s coronation. So many suspects and so little time and this is a fast paced mystery with so many twists and turns that you have to keep turning pages to see how it all fits together. There are a good number of suspects and side characters that add different dimensions from serious to silly.    

In addition to great characters and a great plot, there are so many great recipes to choose from between the chapters. I settled on Bruce’s Ginger Garlic Chicken Wings but since the store was out of wings we made full sized drumsticks, half the work, and all the flavor. There is an Index of Recipes at the back of the book so you can pick a good one to make before you sit down to devour both the food and mystery.  

Murder at the Lemonberry Tea : A Beacon Bakeshop Mystery by Darci Hannah

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The recipe review and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing.

Murder at the Lemonberry Tea
A Beacon Bakeshop Mystery
Darci Hannah
Kensington Cozies

This is the delicious new book number six in the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery series. Lindsey Bakewell left the hectic life of Wall Street and has successfully set up her bakeshop and home in a lighthouse so she knows how much a new start can mean to a person. Her BFF Kennedy Kapoor, a well-regarded influencer, has convinced the producer for the new baking show, Nibbles From Across the Pond, hosted by Vivi Lemonberry, British baking diva, to come to Beacon Harbor to film the show’s first episode.  This was supposed to be a fresh start for Vivi, a step away from the scandals and drama. This woman has baggage, scandalous designer baggage. She is described by one of the film crew as “a tyrant, a flirt, a husband snatcher, a plagiarist, and a kiss-up.” So of course she is the victim. 

This is a fun story which might sound odd because there is a murder involved but the characters just make it so enjoyable. Lindsey is easy to relate to and she has a big dog, who doesn’t love a big dog? Oh, that’s right, Vivi doesn’t. Then there are the Kapoor ladies, Kennedy’s mom, little sister (27 years old) and Granny Gladstone. Who wouldn’t want to spend a few days with the gals, listening to Kennedy and Pippa trade snarky remarks while both flirt with Officer Tucker aka Officer Cutie Pie? Oh, that’s right; Rory doesn’t, so he moved in with his uncle and cousin for the duration of the British invasion. There are so many nuances to the story that it grabs your attention and keeps you turning pages, before, and after the murder is committed. 

Suspects include the ex-husband who is her producer, the ex-lover who is the head cameraman, her personal assistant who is a victim of her rants, the rival baker who is slapping her with plagiarism, and the A-list starlet who is newly married to Vivi’s current lover. Sergeant Murdock has no choice but to consider Lindsey as a person of interest because of Vivi’s issue with Welly, Lindsey’s beloved Newfie and the shameless flirting with Rory, Lindsey’s guy. Vivi might just have been more trouble than she was worth. 

One of the best aspects of this cozy is that there are multiple red herrings and a few rabbit holes. Each suspect is blaming another suspect talk about a puzzling conundrum. Thankfully, Lindsey has a great group of friends who come up with original ideas on how to get the clues that lead to the solution. The other awesome aspect of this book is all of the yummy lemon based recipes from a Lemon Drop Martini to Parmesan-Crusted Lemon Garlic Chicken; I’m not sure which one to make first. This is another great Beacon Bakeshop Mystery and I will just have to console myself with a lemon bar while I wait for the next one to come out.

Sleep in Heavenly Pizza : A Deep Dish Mystery by Mindy Quigley

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The recipe review and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing.

Sleep in Heavenly Pizza
A Deep Dish Mysteries
Mindy Quigley
Minotaur Books 

This is book four of the Deep Dish Mystery series that features an amazing chef named Delilah O’Leary and her restaurant family.  This time around it is the holiday season and Delilah has taken a catering job for a Chrismakkah party and unbeknownst to Delilah event the guest list includes her brother-in-law who is attending along with Delilah’s niece from California. This is the same family who can never quite make it for a visit yet here they are, in town (AWKWARD). Not as awkward finding a dead/frozen body of a party guest in the ice sculpture area or as awkward as dating the detective in charge of the murder investigation asking for Delilah’s family members and coworkers for their alibis. A few people are not very forth coming including Delilah’s older sister, Piper. They already have a strained relationship based on familial expectations and perceptions. I mean it isn’t like Piper is an intimidating older sister who is a driven rocket scientist who might not think much of a restaurateur…oh wait yes she is.

If this is your first Deep Dish Mystery, there are a few things you need to know. First off, there will be food mentioned often, delicious sounding food. The detective in charge of this and past investigations is Calvin Capone, yes, he is related to THAT Capone and he is Delilah’s boyfriend (finally). Capone is very good at what he does and he is slowly starting to accept Delilah’s abilities to contribute useful suppositions and knack for information gathering. The evolving relationship of these two adds to the enjoyment of the series and you don’t have to start with the first book to get a good glimpse as to how far they have come in their abilities to work together while also accepting the attraction that they have for each other. 

The additional characters are live well blended flavors that enhance the stories. Rabbit represents change and second chances. Melody is the girl next door who is learning to be bold. KDKDK is a man’s man and a bit of charmer but completely loyal and sincere. Sonya is a modern day pin up girl who is a ride or die friend. I could see her being the type of friend who would bail you out or possibly help you hide a body. Last but not least is Aunt Biz who has a tendency to be a little curmudgeonly but during the holiday season she has gone manic in a very happy holiday fashion.   

Delilah is going to need a holiday miracle to keep from losing family, friends, or her sanity. There are a good number of suspects, from the well-to-do Hoffman’s, Jonathan, Piper, Rabbit, or an unknown person. Either way Dee would much rather be the one looking into her family than to have Capone thinking that her friends or family could be involved. There is some serious friction and I had to agree Butterball the cat; Capone had a job to do. Butterball adds a bit of comedic relief as well as playing devil’s advocate which is pretty good for a cat. There are plenty of subplots that may or intertwine or they might be a fishy misdirection. This was a thoroughly enjoyable story with such amazing food. Be sure to check out the recipes at the back of the book. In fact start there with the Tear-and-Share Christmas Tree Pizza Bread to snack on while reading. There is a nice selection of yummy recipes that are taken from the Chrismakkah party menu. I am looking forward the next mystery with the Delilah and Son’s gang, although chances are that Biz will be back to her usual snarky self, but we still love her.

Death at an Irish Wedding : An Irish Castle Mystery by Ellie Brannigan

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The recipe review and food pairing found on my Instagram feed are of my own doing.

Death at an Irish Wedding
An Irish Castle Mystery
Ellie Brannigan
Crooked Lane Books 

This is the second book in the Irish Castle Mystery series and every bit as enjoyable as the series starter. I have read mysteries with wedding drama, or upper crust drama, or Hollywood drama, but this is the first time that I have seen all three wrapped up in a single book. This is book two of the Irish Castle Mysteries and the cousins Rayne and Ciara need to make the wedding venue idea work or lose the family estate, which means the town gets annexed into the next town over. A unique aspect of this story is that Rayne is an amazing wedding dress designer who’s boutique catered to the Rodeo Drive crowd until…(read Murder at an Irish Castle). Suffice it to say that she knows a few things about fancy‑shmancy and all things designer, but a working castle with sheep and such, well that is another thing all together. The funny bit about this situation is that Ciara knows the workings of the castle and taking care of what needs to be done but she is as fancy as a bowl of porridge. This is a wedding for the tabloids, that is, it would be if anyone knew it was taking place. Why all the secrecy? 

There are some unique characters for suspects including the bride, hotel heiress Tori Montgomery, who doesn’t really seem to like her own movie starlet maid-of- honor, Amy Flores. Animosity amongst the players seems par for course because Amy barely tolerates her own PA (personal assistant), Tiffany Quick. The groom, Hollywood heartthrob, Jake Anderson gets along with everyone, but his brother Josh can be a bit much sometimes and to round out the out of town suspects is Jake’s personal assistant, Ethan Cruz, who keeps reminding Jake that he is supposed to appear available per his Hollywood contract. So why did Tiffany and up dead and could it have been a local? The visitors seem to be completely at odds with each other. Not unlike Rayne being at odds with a few of the locals, like Bran Wilson, plumbing contractor for the estate has been spreading some nasty gossip about the estate and the murder for no good reason, as if he wants to sabotage the girls’ efforts. Gossip doesn’t seem to be the only form of sabotage, when a Swarovski crystal heart disappears from Tori’s wedding dress and Rayne has to do some quick thinking and fast stitching to save the day. 

The plot was so well crafted that I couldn’t put the book down. From the Irish accents of my imagination to the description of the beyond amazing wedding dress with hand adorned Swarovski crystal hearts that almost didn’t fit the bride, I felt completely immersed in the story. I am already invested in Rayne’s possible relationship with Amos Lowell, the ground’s manager. Rayne says she doesn’t have time for a relationship and is not about to start trusting herself after her last relationship fiasco. I look forward to the next book and to see what Ellie Brannigan has in store for the cousins and if Rayne is going to get to keep the pretty pink Hermes bag instead of selling it to cover estate costs.