Bait and Swiss: 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. 

Bait and Swiss
A Cheese Shop Mystery
Korina Moss 

I think that this is my favorite Cheese Shop Mystery yet. All is right in the world of Willa as she and detective Heath have gotten their wires uncrossed, Team Cheese is a well-oiled (mystery) machine and Curds and Whey is thriving after only two years. So of course, this is the time when fate intervenes/interferes, and the past relocates to the present.  Willa mentions in past books that she had been heartbroken, but we do not get the whole story...until now. Surprise, Willa's ex-fiancé, and her ex-friend were thinking or not thinking by showing up in Willa's town to set up a pop-up shop. 

The story is engaging, and the characters are just fun to read about. Willa and her crew are celebrating the second anniversary of Curds and Whey in a cheesetastic way complete with decorations and amazing cheese selections.  The crew is made up of Willa; the cheesemonger extraordinaire, Mrs. Schultz; who likes to say that she is "smack dab" in the middle of her sixties, Baz; Willa's best friend and jack of all trades, and Archie, a young cheesemonger in the making.  Willa has sworn off of sleuthing but once again she is drawn in. After all, she was the person who delivered the tainted treats that would have done in. I have never been a fan of rum filled chocolates, and this just reinforces my hesitation to try them. As with the other mysteries, Team Cheese is on the case as they sift through the clues. Was it a random poisoning or is someone after AJ. There are some very humorous aspects to his reaction of being the supposed recipient of the tainted goods. Willa has a time of it trying to not automatically suspect Pearce and Riley. Wouldn't it be so easy and somewhat like karma if they were to blame? But Willa is above all of that and besides, she has a wonderful new town, her dream business, and a dreamboat of a detective. 

As with the previous Cheese Shop Mysteries, recipes are also provided in this one. I decided to make the Pizza Smashed Potatoes so I could have a little snack while I armchair sleuthed. Looking forward to the next Cheese Shop Mystery with Team Cheese!

An Amateur Sleuth's Guide to Murder: A Bainbridge Island Mystery by Lynn Cahoon

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. 

An Amateur Sleuth's Guide to Murders 
A Bainbridge Island Mystery
Lynn Cahoon

Ms. Cahoon had created another winning cozy and probably the best amateur sleuth job EVER. The cherry on the top of this series starter is the scrumptious mac and cheese recipe found at the back of the book. The setting is on Bainbridge Island, which is just a ferry ride away from Seattle. Meet Meg Gates, who is about to go from being a hot mess to a phoenix rising out of the ashes. You cannot help but to empathize with Meg, even if you haven't been essentially left at the altar by your fiancé who ran off on your honeymoon with your bridesmaid. Between heartbreak, lack of a degree, and loss of a job, Meg has no choice but to return home and take a job at the family bookstore. But wait, there is a silver lining to the bookstore job. Thanks to family connections, Meg gets a side gig as a research assistant for successful mystery author, L.C. Aster. This seems fated because Meg has been toying with the idea of writing a book. After reading this book I think that I have found my dream job!   

Who would have guessed that Meg would be able to get on-the-job training for how to write her Amateur Sleuth's Guide to Murders. I was drawn into the story right away. As with any good cozy mystery, the amateur sleuth has a furry friend, like Meg's appropriately named rescue cocker spaniel, Watson. She is part of a good group of friends who were once known as the Mystery Crew. This isn't Meg's first try to solve a mystery, although it is the first one that involves murder. 

There are plenty of suspects and red herring because Robert Meade, the victim, was a rather odious person who took advantage of people in trouble. The list of those who had not had the displeasure of interacting with him was a short one, which means that Meg’s Uncle Troy, the town’s police chief will have his work cut out for him. 

Ms. Cahoon introduces us to Emmett’s lobster mac and cheese in the story but in the recipe, she leaves it up to the reader/cook to decide what to add, if one should decide to add anything at all. I gave this easy to make recipe a try and added ham, take a look.

Night of the Living Bread : Sugar and Spice Mysteries by Mary Lee Ashford

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. 

Night of the Living Bread
Sugar and Spice Mysteries
Mary Lee Ashford

Night of the Living Bread, book four of the Sugar and Spice Mystery series, is a culinary cozy that is crafted to feed your desire for armchair sleuthing and provide great recipes. While Sugar is the main protagonist she would be lost and somewhat hungry without the baking genius of Dixie. These two ladies are a well-balanced set running a successful cookbook publishing business in the small cozy town of St. Ignatius. While Dixie is usually busy in the kitchen, Sugar is busy with the paperwork and legwork for the business and the questioning of suspects. Not that she would dream of getting in the way of Sheriff Terry’s investigation or putting herself in unnecessary danger.  

The usually quiet town is hopping with activity. There is the impending film crew of a diner

review show looking to set up shop at The Red Hen, the death of Marla Mercer, and a string

of petty cash thefts. Thank goodness this is a stand-alone story given the number of plot twists.

The appearance of Dino Diner brings back an unpleasant memory from Sugar’s past and how

she ended up leaving the publishing world to join Dixie in St. Ignatius. Not much seems to ruffle

Sugar but Dino’s visit might ruffle feathers including those at The Red Hen. This is a town of

easy-going people and business neighbors who are interesting and even quirky. Sugar’s actual

neighbor, Mrs. Pickett is a most unusual and quite cantankerous character. In fact, it is due to

the surly senior neighbor, that Sugar even gets involved in mystery solving this time. All good

amateur sleuths need to be inquisitive. Mrs. Picket says that Sugar is good at snooping and

that someone needs to clear her niece, Mame, off of the suspect list. There aren’t really a lot

of people to suspect, after all, Marla was a nice lady who worked at the historical society, but

that doesn’t dissuade Sugar from looking. Sugar is as sweet as her name and would help

anyone. It is one of her character traits that is endearing and makes this series a joy to read. 

This is a very enjoyable book with an engaging plot and fun characters. I was able to follow the clues but still did not figure out the culprit until the big reveal. My only request for the future installments is related to romance. As with most cozy books, there is a slow burn romance. Actually, both Sugar and Dixie have slow burn romances going, and I do mean sssslllloooowww. Maybe just a little more speed? After finishing the book, I felt the knead (LOL) to make the bread recipe after finishing the book see below. 

Booked for Revenge: A Tomes and Teas Mystery Book #2 by Karen Rose Smith

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. 

Booked for Revenge

A Tea and Tomes Mystery

Karen Rose Smith

Kensington Cozies

I am so disappointed in myself for not realizing that Karen Rose Smith had created a spin off from her Daisy’s Tea Garden Mystery series. Booked for Revenge is the second in the new series and it picks up with Daisy Swenson's younger daughter Jazzi, moving to a new town and becoming her own person, while also utilizing the skills she learned from her mom and stepdad Jonas on how to sleuth. Jazzi has a little bit of a secret, no one except for Detective Mitford knows about the ten murder cases that Jazzi’s mom, Daisy, helped the Willow Creek detectives solve. While this is a spin off, it shows itself to be a separate series and as a stand-alone, there is no need to read the series starter or the Tea Garden series to enjoy both the characters and the mystery.  

Part of Jazzi’s past story is her journey as an adopted child who goes in search of her birth mother. She is the first character that I have come across with such a backstory. It is a unique way to show how Jazzi developed sleuthing skills of her own. Skills that she uses to help Dawn, her roommate, business partner, and best friend. Dawn may not be a suspect, but she is suffering from a bit of PTSD from finding the body of baking contestant and professional photographer Finn Yarrow.  Detective Milford warns Jazzi to not get involved like she did last time but Jazzi cannot ignore the angst that Dawn is experiencing. Angst that is causing waves between Dawn and family, family that are a little weary of Jazzi and her possible influence over Dawn.  

There are plenty of suspects and possible motives. The victim was in a heated argument at one point with another contestant, was it related to the contest or something else? As a photographer and videographer, Finn was most likely a very observant person. Did he see, photograph, or film something that led to his demise, or is it something else entirely. Jazzi and the Tea & Tomes book club crew do a very good job of analyzing the suspects and the aspects of this crime. I would be remiss if I did not make mention of the interesting aspect of the Tea & Tomes book club. Historically, members of a book club read the same, agreed upon book, and then discuss what they did or didn’t like about the book. These book club members each read a different book. I think it might be interesting and fun to take part in such a group. This format seems to have even enticed Oliver, the owner of The Wild Kangaroo, to attend a meeting and not just because there are snacks for all to enjoy.  

This is a well written cozy that checks all the boxes from cute kittens, supportive friends, and even a romantic possibility (note to the author, thank you for not making this a triangle). I will need to go back and read the series starter and maybe make some Maple Pecan cookies or peach and pecan muffins. I am looking forward to the next one.

 

The Library Game : A Secret Staircase by Gigi Pandian

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 Library Game
A Secret Staircase Mystery
Gigi Pandian

This is the most confounding Secret Staircase Mystery yet. An impossible murder, an unclear motive, and a disappearing corpse all combine to create this latest Gigi Pandian cozy mystery. 

Tempest Raj was a Vegas magician, a master of illusion and the art of misdirection. She sounds a little like a mystery author, doesn't she? Tempest is now a part of the Secret Staircase Construction company, created by her parents. There is a bit of a backstory involving the death of her mom, it is touched on in this book, but you should really read the first three books to get the full story. Fortunately, it isn't necessary to enjoy this latest book. In fact, all four books are very good as stand-alone stories but the first three build very nicely on each other. In addition to being cozy, they also have a wonderful culinary aspect. Each book lays out some deliciously descriptive scenes with amazing food created/cooked/crafted by Tempest's grandfather, Ashok "Ash" Raj. Ash has an incredible ability to make tasty food that he shares with anyone and everyone. He also has a rolodex, yes, a literal rolodex of all his contacts, and that is a lot of people. This installment comes with the recipe for Blackberry Crumble Cobbler, and I can attest to how easy it is to make and how yummy it tastes with a dollop of fresh whipped cream. 

As usual, the team of Tempest, Gideon, Ivy, and Sunjay do a great job of adding unique perspectives and personality to the book. There is even a furry companion, Abra the big lop-eared emotional support bunny. Abra isn't technically a support bunny but there is something soothing about stroking bunny fur while trying to figure out a mystery or deal with a stressful or sad situation. I could have used a little support while I was chasing red herrings upstream because I did not have a clue who the killer was or why they did it until the reveal. In fact, the moment that Tempest figured it out, I actually sighed in an "oh no" sort of way. Thank goodness I had Blackberry Crumble Cobbler to make me feel better. This was another great cozy and if you get the chance to check out the audio versions, they are excellent as well with the voice talents of Soneela Nankani. She does a great job of bringing each and every character to life just as I have imagined they would sound. I look forward to reading the next book, hopefully next March as they seem to come out about a year apart. 

A Botanist's Guide to Rituals and Revenge - A Saffron Everleigh Mystery by Kate Khavari

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.

A Botanist's Guide to Rituals and Revenge
A Saffron Everleigh Mystery
Kate Khavari

This is the fourth installment in the Saffron Everleigh Mystery series, and I can’t believe I waited until now to give this series a try. In my defense, I usually shy away from historical mysteries, but the cover art just intrigued me, not to mention the unique character name, Saffron. I was not disappointed with this multiplot story that included family angst, rules of proprietary, an unusual amateur sleuth, Downton Abbey vibes, a medium, a Moriarty, and afternoon tea. The story is set in the late 1920s, and the location is England; Bedford to be exact, and Saffron has been called home to the family estate due to her grandfather’s ailing health. It sounds like a good opportunity to bring along roommate and BFF Elizabeth Hale who has family issues of her own. Plus, the added bonus of introducing the family to work colleague and beau, Alexander Ashton. Chances are that researcher Alexander will feel like he is under a microscope. 

The story has a Miss Marple feel to it. Just imagine Miss Marple as a young botanist who worked at a university conducting research on the most usual or unusual of specimens. While at the same time, there is a Holmes-like aspect because of the villain, Bill Wyatt, who is a Moriarty of sorts and claims to be a doctor. I have not read the three previous books which puts me a little in the dark but not so much that I cannot enjoy the character interactions. Bits of backstory are sprinkled throughout the plot and subplot to keep the reader informed. Bits like the history of the tumultuous relationship between Saffron and her grandparents which is not any better than Elizabeth’s relationship with her parents, the Hales. Family drama and strong-willed characters sure does add that little extra bit of spice to the interactions and keeps me turning the pages.

An excellent read and I can't wait to get caught up by going back to the beginning.