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.