Hello book lovers especially mystery lovers everywhere! I hope y’all’s week has been a really great week so far. I just want to take a moment to recognize International Women’s Day and celebrate the women all over the world who are having an impact in this world in every area of life especially those fighting for women’s rights.
So I thought instead of my usual round up of what cozy mysteries I’m reading I thought I would recommend some great biographies and autobiographies of some pretty awesome women!
Happy March 1st booklovers! I am looking forward to reading lots of cozy mysteries set in Ireland this month in honor of St. Patrick’s Day! I mean aren’t we all Irish when March rolls in…LOL? I am always excited when March comes which means Spring is getting closer and closer although the signs of Spring are appearing early this year due to the warm winter we had in North Carolina this year.
February was a great reading month! I read ten great cozy mysteries and with the exception of two I gave 4 or 5 stars. Most of the books I read were new to me authors which is always fun to discover a new mystery along with some of my favorite authors. Read some Valentine’s Day themed mysteries too.
Plus my mom’s birthday is in February and it was so much fun to celebrate her birthday the entire weekend and she was tickled beyond pink.
How was your February? What great books did you read?
I kicked off the month with Six Feet Deep Dish by Mindy Quigleythis is the first book in the Deep Dish mystery series and I can’t wait to read the second book. Delilah O’Leary has relocated to Geneva Bay, WI to open her gourmet pizza restaurant after years of working in some of Chicago’s best restaurants. What she didn’t foresee was breaking up with her fiancée & business partner and a murder happening at the soft opening. When her aunt’s live in nurse is shot and killed at the soft opening and her aunt is the prime suspect Delilah knows she has to do everything she can to prove her aunt’s innocence. I really enjoyed this first book and while there were times I felt it dragged overall I felt there were plenty of suspects, a decent amount of red herrings, and the author did a great job overall. My one con is there was a lot of body shaming but my hope is that there will be less of that as the series progresses.
I followed up with Killer Cupid by Laurien Berenson the 29th Melanie Travis mystery and by the title you can guess it set during Valentine’s Day and outside of Connecticut. This was a novella and as far as I’m concerned you can never go wrong with this series. I couldn’t put the book down!
My other Valentine theme mystery I read was Mulled to Death by Kate Lansing the 3rd book in the Colorado Wine mystery series. When Parker Valentine is whisked away on a romantic weekend with her hunky chef boyfriend and her brother and his girlfriend who is Parker’s best friend. All she is looking forward to is lots of skiing until murder happens. Great plot and pacing and I was totally blown away when the killer was revealed! Can’t wait for book 4.
Because I Could Not Stop for Death by Amanda Flowersthis is the first book in the Emily Dickinson mystery series and I read this book in 24 hours! I just couldn’t put it down! Amanda Flowers is an amazing author and she doesn’t disappoint with this newest cozy mystery series that features the poet Emily Dickinson as a sleuth helping her maid Willa Noble find out who killed Willa’s brother. My hats off to Amanda who did an amazing job with all the historical facts! Can’t wait for book 2.
Against the Currant by Olivia MatthewsI absolutely loved this first book in the Spice Isle Bakery mystery series and this is a new to me author. This was another page turner and I really enjoyed seeing Lindsay Murray grow and become confident. Loved her family especially her grandmother and cousin and looking forward to seeing how these characters grow. It is so great when you can connect with the characters and become involved in the story as you read
I am a huge fan of V.M. Burns and it is my goal to read all of her cozy mystery series. I discovered this author two years ago after hearing her on a bookish podcast and immediately ordered the first book in her Dog Club series and her Mystery Bookshop series. I finally read The Plot is Murder the first book in her Mystery Bookshop series and OMG it was so good! In fact I’ve already reviewed this book. You can click on the link to read my review if you haven’t already.
I loved the second book in Abby Collette’s Ice Cream Parlor series A Game of Cones which was even better than her first book. This is another book I read in 24 hours. I am always happy when the second book is even better than the debut novel of an author. The plot, pacing, suspects, and red herrings were perfect. Loved Win’s family especially her Grandfather. My one problem is I didn’t really like the portrayal of her Aunt Jack (Jacqueline) and if possible her best friend Maisie was even more immature than she was in the first book. so far there are three books in the series but I am really hoping there are more books coming.
Wine and Punishment by Sara Fox is the first book in her Literary Pub mystery series and has set on my TBR for well over a year and I am kicking myself! I’ve heard and read so many great reviews about this series and I now understand why. The main character, Sadie Coleman, is starting over in the little town of Shady Creek, VT but when her ex shows up looking for another chance but ends up murdered Sadie puts on her sleuthing hat. The book started off a little slow for me and at first I didn’t know if I would even finish but the story picked up momentum and before I knew it I was staying up late to read just one more page.
With Midnight Spells Murder by Mary Angela I did something I rarely do and that is read the second book of a series but in this instance it happened because this was my Facebook book club pick for February but I do plan to read the first book in the Happy Camper series. This is a new to me author and I am always excited to discover a new author. I enjoyed the book and I was all for the secondary mystery that is running through the book too as Zo begins the search for her birth mother.
Buried in a Good Book by Tamara Berry is the first book in her By the Book mystery series that features Tess Harrow who is a best selling mystery author. I was really excited to read this first book in this series (there are 3 so far) especially after reading and hearing all the rave reviews about this series so imagine how excited I was this was the Cozy Mystery Book Club February pick. Sadly I didn’t like this book at all! I didn’t like Tess I found her beyond obnoxious and there were not too many likeable characters I could connect with. Tess seemed to think she was more knowledgeable than the police and I found her incredibly arrogant and entitled and she kept comparing her fictional detective to the Sheriff and found the fictional dectective so much better than acutal law enforcement. I know I always advise to never dismiss a series based on one book but I just don’t see myself reading the 2nd book in this series unless it is offered through Kindle Unlimited (free).
I ended this month with the first book in Jessica Thompson’s A Caterer’s Guide to Love & Murder book 1 in her Caterer’s Guide mystery series. I actually downloaded this book when it was offered on Kindle Unlimited and actually started reading it last month but it just didn’t hold my attention. Finally finished it yesterday only because I didn’t want to start a new paperback book until today. The murder happened several chapters in and I loved that Violet worked with the police but I just had trouble connecting with any of the characters plus there were just some parts of the book I felt could have been cut out all together.
Happy Friday fellow cozy mystery & book lovers! I hope you’ve had a great week! For me it was a long and stressful week but it was still overall a really great week and now Friday is here and I am looking forward to a great weekend:).
For this author spotlight I thought instead of highlighting one author in honor of Black History Month I would turn the spotlight on few of my favorite African American cozy & not so cozy mystery authors.
Abby L. Vandiver aka Abby Collette is the author of several cozy mystery series and she also writes women fiction under the name Cade Bentley. Abby’s books are well written and real page turners. The characters are fully developed and the mysteries are well crafted with plenty of red herrings. Her newest cozy mystery series features fraternal twins Keaton & Kolby who were separated but have reunited to open up a bookstore and soul food restaurant together. I was introduced to Abby via her Logan Dickerson mystery series which was a spinoff of her sci-fi , a early cozy mystery series, via my Facebook book club last year.
V.M. Burns aka Valerie Burns is the author of the Mystery Bookshop series, Dog Club series, RJ Franklin series and as Valerie Burns the Baker Street mystery series. If you are looking for a fun mystery series you can’t go wrong with V.M. Burns! The very first book I read by this author was In the Dog House book 1 in her Dog Club series and from the first paragraph I was hooked. I’ve since read her newest series Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder and pre-ordered the second book in this series. My TBR pile is loaded with her books.
Olivia Matthews writes the Sister Lou mysteries, Peach Coast Library mysteries (for Hallmark Publishing), and her newest series the Spice Isle Bakery series (on by tbr pile). As Patricia Sargent and Regina Hart she writes several romance novels.
Walter Moseley is considered the godfather of Mystery writers. He is also one of the founders of Crime Writers of Color. He is the author of the long running Easy Rawlins mystery series which was also a movie starring Denzel Washington. He is right up there with James Patterson, David Baldacci, and other mystery writers!
Kelly Garrett is the author of the Detective Day mystery series which is cozy adjacent so far there are two books in this award winning series. She is also one of the founders of Crime Writers of Color.
HAPPY NEW YEAR book lovers! I hope you had a great holiday I certainly did! It helps that my department was closed for the entire week so yesterday was my first day back at work and it wasn’t easy to get back in the grove of things LOL.
I have to say 2022 was a great reading year for me I exceeded my Goodreads goal by 48 books!
Well it’s a new year and with a new year comes new reading goals! My reading goals for 2023 is to read books that have been on my TBR for over a year. Since it is the first month of the new year I decided that I would kick off January reading the first book in series that are on my TBR. While I know I want be able to read ALL the books on my reading pile I have set an ambitious goal of 10.
What are your reading goals this year? Are you planning to binge a series you’ve been wanting to read forever?
Whatever your goals are I hope all your reads this year are 5 star reads!
Currently Reading:
There are five books in this series and I am really enjoying this first book in Debra Sennefelder’s Food Blogger mystery series.
My January TBR (these are all the first book of the series):
Hello Book Lovers! I hope you had a very Happy Thanksgiving! If you were traveling I pray you had safe travels and that none of your flights were cancelled and were on time! Please forgive the lateness of this post!
I set up for myself a very ambitious November TBR and I am really happy that I am making progress but there were some books I read that were not on my reading radar but I was introduced to via KU (Amazon Kindle Unlimited) hey I’m easily lead astray when it comes to books…what can I say. Overall though I’ve tried to stick to my reading pile:) and with that being said I thought it would be great to share with you what I’ve read so far.
Happy Reading!
I’m going to kick it off with my favorite (so far) A Sprinkle in Time (Shake Shop Mystery #2) by Dana MentinkI really enjoyed this second book in what will hopefully be a series with a long life. I found myself connecting even more with Trinidad and was so glad her grandfather, Papa Luis, was in this book also and hopefully he has arrived in Upper Sprocket, OR to stay and her ex’s first wife and daughter Bonnie & Felice and in this second book too. The mystery which not only included a murder but a cold case too and the author did a great job of connecting everything together so it didn’t feel like there were two completely separate plot happening.
Next The Pint of No Return (A Sloan Krause Mystery #2) by Ellie Alexander was so much better than the first book in this series and there are currently six books in this series. I wasn’t sure I wanted to read the second book in this series but then I had to take my own advice. I always tell other bookworms don’t dismiss this first book in the series and I am glad I took my won advice! This second book was so much better than I thought it would be Sloan is finding her groove as she is adjusting to life as an almost devoiced woman and deal with her soon to be ex as best she can while working alongside Garrett at Nitro. When a murder happens Sloan finds herself investigating and the ending was much more satisifying this time around.
The first book in Sue Pepper’sJackson Hole’s Moose’s Bakery Not So Cozy Mystery Mountain Town Murder gets a huge thumbs up! Although I must admit I found the book very cozy it had all the cozy troupes: cozy companion (dog name Tyrone), murder but not gory, small town, and in this case culinary but I think the author classified it as not so cozy because there is profanity and one slightly steamy love scene (I guess). I love Sadie Moose and the employees of her bakery and some other characters. I read this mystery pretty quickly it was just that good. There were several suspects and I definitely had no clue who the killer was but I was glued to the story and just had to find out!
Musseled Out (A Maine Clambake Mystery #3) by Barbara Ross finds Julia Snowden trying to keep her BIL, Sonny, out of prison when he is suspected of murdering David Thwing “the Mussel King” who was planning to open up his own clambake business in direct competition to the Snowden Family Clambake. The problem is Sonny is not being completely truthful with the police or Julia’s sister regarding his alibi. Plus Julia has to decide if she’s going back to her old job in New York or staying put in Busman’s Harbor. This was very entertaining and can’t wait to read book 4!
Happy Wednesday book lovers! Today is officially the last day of summer and tomorrow we will wake up to a new season….Fall! I know many of you started celebrating fall when last month while I have been clinging to summer with all that is in me and trying to make every day count! Last week I shared with y’all the books I will be reading this fall and since today is the last day of summer (sniff sniff) I thought I would share with some of my favorite summer reads!
What did you read over the summer? What were your favorite summer/beach reads?
This new mystery by Valerie Burns but this book was hands down my favorite summer read even if the book is set in winter.
I couldn’t wait to get this book in my hot little hands and it didn’t disappoint! In fact I read this book in less than 24 hours I just couldn’t put it down. I gave this book 4 stars but only because the book ended on a cliffhanger and it is definitely a set up for the next book.
The Beacon Bakeshop series: Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop, Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-off, and Murder at the Blueberry Festival by Darci HannahI could not stop reading any of these books from the first book to the third book I found myself staying up way later than I should have. Darci Hannah is an amazing author and these are all 5 star reads. I connected to Lindsey Bakewell who is starting over in Beacon Harbor, MI after a very bad breakup by opening a bakery. Between baking delicious pastries she is also busy solving murders and will she ever find a baking assistant? All the characters in the book are just delightful and I can’t wait for the 4th book in the series.
Bayou Book Thief (A Vintage Cookbook Mystery) by Ellen Byronthis is the first book in this series by Ellen Byron who also writes another series that is set in the Louisiana Bayou and another series under the name Maria DiRico. This was my first time reading anything by this author but it want be my last and can’t wait for the second book in this series. I did enjoy the amateur sleuth Ricki James but the real star of is the city of New Orleans and its cuisine. I found myself wanting to make plans immediately to visit The Big Easy and eat my way through the city! Can’t wait read the next book.
Death by Bubble Tea (An L.A. Night Market Mystery) by Jennifer J. Chow is a new series from this author and it departs from several cozy mystery themes: it’s not set in a small town but Los Angeles, there is no cozy companion, and at present there is no love interest but somehow the author still kept the cozy mystery vibe without them. Yale Yee and her cousin Celine who is visiting from Hong Kong are as different as two people could be Yale is quiet, bookish, and anti-tech while Celine is a very tech savvy, outgoing, and she could be called a lot of things but bookish is not one of them. Yale is still dealing with the trauma of her mother’s death which she feels responsible for when Celine comes for a visit. I loved how the differences didn’t pull them apart but was an asset in their sleuthing even if it was a little rocky along the way.
The Trouble in Paradise Mystery Series by Carrie Doyle: It Takes Two to Mango and Something’s Guava Give. If you are a fan of Death in Paradise and Agatha Raisin then this is the series for you! Plum Lockhart finds herself on the Caribbean Island of Parasio when the travel magazine she is editor in chief of folds and she can’t find another job in New York. Plum is pushy, impatient, rude, and arrogant who is finding it hard to adjust in this first book. I almost stopped reading it but the more I read the more I begin to like Plum and the author does a wonderful job drawing you in and giving you a peek into what makes Plum who she is so I am so glad I stuck with this series.
The Cape Cod Foodie Mystery Series by Amy Pershing: A Side of Murder (Book 1) and Murder is No Picnic (Book 3)Idiscovered this series thanks to the online book community who just raved about this series and so I added to my summer reading list and I am glad I did. Samantha Barnes is back home in Cape Cod after going viral for all the wrong reasons but she is settling in and making a life for herself not as a chef but as the Cape Cod foodie, reconnecting with friends old and new, and solving murders. This series is worth your time and as with the majority of culinary mystery series there are receipes.
Pint of No Return (Shake Shop Mystery) by Dana Mentink be prepared to indulge in milkshakes! The whole time I was reading this first book in this series I found myself over indulging in milkshakes but aside from that the character development and plot are very well written and it was just a fun and enjoyable read. The real star is Trindad’s senior dog!
Smile Beach Murder (An Outer Banks Bookshop Mystery) by Alicia Bessett, I took this book with me to the beach and it was the perfect book to sit out on the beach or in my case the balcony of our Air BnB and read this book. I found it a little slow going on at first but it soon picked up the pace a little what I enjoyed most was joining Callie on the start of her healing journey in dealing with the death of her mom who died 25 years ago when she fell from the local lighthouse and when the death of Eva Meeks happens at the lighthouse it is declared a suicide but Callie’s reporter instincts tells her its murder. When Eva’s daughter tells Callie she doesn’t believe her mother killed herself Callie promises her she will investigate. Great read and I figured out who the killer was so yeah for me!
The Proof is In the Poison (A Southern Homebrew Mystery) by Diane Kelly is the 2nd book in this series that I refer to as the Moonshine mystery series and is a great follow up after her debut novel The Moonshine Shack Murder which takes place in Chattanooga, TN where Hattie Hayes is finally living her dream by opening up her own moonshine business but then there’s a murder and Hattie is suspect #1. When the killer was revealed all I had was sympathy and could understand why and was so sad.
Abby Collette’s Body and Soul Foodbook 1 in the Books and Biscuits cozy mystery and A Deadly Inside Scoopthe first book in her Ice Cream Parlor mystery series. In Body and Soul Food the amateur sleuths are reunited twins Koby and Keaton who open a bookstore & soul food restaurant who find themselves sleuthing when their friend is murdered (4 1/2 stars). In A Deadly Inside Scoop Bronwyn Crewse has been given the keys to the family business when her cousin moves to North Carolina. With all the delays of the renovation the ice cream parlor ends up opening the day of a major snow storm! Then that same day Bronwyn finds a body behind her business and her father is the prime suspect. Bronwyn along with her childhood best friends are on the case to clear her father, save her business, and find a killer (5 out of 5 big Stars). You can’t go wrong with either book I promise you once you pick them up you want put them down until the killer is revealed.
Arsenic and Adobo (A Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery) by Mia P. Manansalathere is a reason this first book in this series won this year’s Anthony Award for first novel. I enjoyed learning about Pilipino culture and loved how the author had such diverse characters too. Lila Macapagal has left Chicago to go back home and help her Tita Rosie save the family restaurant. When Lila’s old high school boyfriend who is now a food critic comes in to cause trouble but instead ends up dying after arguing with Lila things go from bad to worse. With her family restaurant now shut down as a crime scene she is on the case to clear her family’s name and hopefully save the restaurant. This cozy was a fun read that dealt with some heavy topics at times in a respectful way. It is so deserving of this honor! 5 out of 5 big stars!
Happy first day of fall y’all! Since fall has officially arrived I thought it would be fun to share with you my Fall TBR.
I’ve been trying to thank of way to tackle my ever growing TBR since me not buying books isn’t going to happen so I borrowed from my bookish online friends who create a themed TBR and I must admit creating a summer TBR helped me read books that had been on my TBR for a while and since it worked so well I decided to create a fall TBR from my stack. If you check me out on Instagram I also did a video of my fall TBR. I left off this list my book club and buddy reads.
With all that being said here is what I will be reading this fall!
What will you be reading? Do you create a seasonal/themed TBR?
No other festival compares to Oktoberfest in Leavenworth, Washington. The whole town is buzzing with excitement over this year’s activities and eagerly awaiting Nitro’s latest offering Cherrywizen, made with locally sourced cherries. But local brewmaster Sloan Krause is tapped out. Between trying to manage the pub, her pending divorce with Mac, and her mounting feelings for Garrett, she’s fermenting in internal turmoil.
To complicate matters, dreamy movie star Mitchell Morgan and his production crew have arrived in the village to film during the authentic Bavarian brewfest. Mitchell has his eye on Sloan and a taste for Nitro’s Cherrywizen. Sloan escapes his advances for good when she finds Mitchell slumped over the bar. Is this a case of one pint too many, or has Mitchell been murdered by microbrew?
In a fit of anger, radio DJ Jaye Jordan blows a snowman’s head off with a Revolutionary War-style musket. But the corpse that tumbles out is all too human. Jaye thought life would be quieter when she left New York City and bought a tiny Vermont radio station. But now, Edwin Anger — the ranting and raving radio talk show host who Jaye recently fired — lies dead in the snow. And the Edwin Anger fans who protested his dismissal are sure she killed him.
To clear her name, Jaye must find the real killer, as if she doesn’t have her hands full running the radio station, DJing her all-request love song show, and shuttling tween daughter Ryan to and from school. It doesn’t make matters easier that the governor — Jaye’s old crush — arrived on the scene before the musket smoke cleared. Fortunately, Jaye has allies…if you count the flatulent moose that lives in the transmitter shack, and Neptune, the giant gray cat that lives at the station.
If Jaye can turn the tables on the devious killer, she and the governor may get to make some sweet, sweet music together. But if she can’t, she’ll be off the air…permanently.
The second book in a delicious culinary cozy series — the muensters have arrived in Balsam Dell in this Halloween cozy mystery featuring a grilled cheese shop owner turned amateur sleuth
After a long hot summer in Balsam Dell, Carly Hale is ready for crisp Vermont weather and gourmet grilled cheeses at her Grilled Cheese Eatery. And the upcoming Halloween food competition is the perfect way to impress the locals.
But Ferris Menard, the owner of Sub-a-Dub-Sub, is nursing a serious grudge against Carly. Two days before the competition, one of Carly’s employees quit his part-time gig at Menard’s sub shop, sending Menard into a serious snit. In a confrontation at the Eatery, Menard accused Carly of sabotage and vowed to bring her down.
That’s when Menard’s body is found in his kitchen the morning after the competition, a steak knife sticking out of his heart. But Menard had a slew of enemies, and if Carly doesn’t figure out which one is the culprit, she might find herself — or someone she cares about — serving grilled cheese sandwiches under lock and brie!
Alan Danzabar has been accused of having been involved in a blatant bank robbery that resulted in the shooting death of a security guard.
All fingers are pointing at Alan by others who have been arrested and ultimately confessed to the crime, but Alan insists that he is innocent.
Will he get off the hook with the help of J. Wilfred & Company, particularly an employee there by the name of Barbara Sandosa who takes it upon herself to dig much deeper to uncover the truth in ways that her boss would never dream of? Or will Alan Danzabar be exposed as a liar and a killer?
It’s Alpenfest in Upper Sprocket! Yodelers are congregating in the square, tourists flocking to the town, and Trinidad Jones is scooping up some fall flavors at her Shimmy and Shake Shop.
The cherry on the sundae is her upcoming feature in The Scoop magazine. She’s determined to serve up the perfect interview, but it won’t be easy, thanks in part to her meddling Cuban grandfather Papa Luis who has decided to make Sprocket his home for the foreseeable future. Papa Luis has set himself up as a taxi driver in his classic 1951 Buick.
But things take a turn when Papa Luis tells her he’s found a corpse in his trunk. Upon closer investigation, they realize the body has disappeared. With the assistance of Juliette and Bonnie (her sisterhood of exes) and the way too handsome nut farmer Quinn Logan, Trinidad must solve the mystery of the disappearing corpse, before her father is up to his neck in a murderous mess.
The busy summer tourist season is winding down in Busman’s Harbor, Maine, but Julia Snowden senses trouble simmering for the Snowden Family Clambake Company. Shifty David Thwing — the “Mussel King” of upscale seafood restaurants — is sniffing around town for a new location. But serving iffy clams turns out to be the least of his troubles….
When Thwing is found sleeping with the fishes beneath a local lobsterman’s boat, the police quickly finger Julia’s brother-in-law, Sonny, as the one who cooked up the crime. Sure, everyone knows Sonny despised the Mussel King…but Julia believes he’s innocent. Proving it won’t be easy, though. It seems there’s a lot more than murder on the menu, and Julia needs to act fast….
When Udderly Delightful Ice Cream shop manager Riley Rhodes is summoned to Penniman’s Moy Mull Castle, it’s the cherry on top of a successful summer season. The gothic pile built by an eccentric New England Gilded Age millionaire has been transformed into a premiere arts colony by Maud Monaco, a reclusive former supermodel. As part of Moy Mull’s Fall Arts Festival, Maud is throwing a fantasy ice cream social and hires Riley to whip up unique treats to celebrate the opening of an exhibit by Adam Blasco, a photographer as obnoxious as he is talented.
As Penniman fills up with Maud’s art-world friends arriving for the festival, gossip swirls around Blasco, who has a dark history of obsession with his models. Riley’s curiosity and instincts for sleuthing — she was a CIA librarian — are piqued, and she wonders at the hold the cold-hearted photographer has over the mistress of Moy Mull.
But when Adam is found dead behind the locked door of Moy Mull’s dungeon, Riley realizes there’s more than one suspect who’d wanted put the malicious photographer on ice.
September, 1923. Despite closing her first case, high society lady detective Olive Belgrave hasn’t found a new client. She’s taken a job as a hat model to pay for her poky boarding house room. But then a job offer comes her way — make discreet inquiries about a famous author who’s disappeared.
Olive travels to the English countryside to hunt for the missing mystery author. But soon after she arrives in the sleepy village, a body is discovered. Then a second murder focuses the police’s attention on Olive, and she must clear her name before the murderer pens a plot that frames her.
Murder at Blackburn Hall is the second book in the High Society Lady Detective series, a lighthearted cozy historical mystery series set in 1920s England. If you love novels that take you back to the Golden Age of detective fiction with interesting plots, posh settings, and twisty mysteries, you’ll love the High Society Lady Detective Series from USA Today bestseller Sara Rosett.
Welcome to Normal, Kentucky where nothin’ is normal!
Mae West is just getting settled into the RV lifestyle as owner of the local camp ground in Normal, Kentucky. The Happy Trails Camp Ground, located in the Daniel Boone National Park, has started to bring in tourists for the late summer vacationing family that love to hike, swim, fish, and enjoy the outdoor life.
The Laundry Club ladies are still holding court ( better known as gossip sessions) in the local laundromat. They’re spinning more tales than the washing machine spin cycle after there’s a string of burglaries happening in their small, southern town.
Suddenly everyone in Normal is on alert after one of their own is found dead. Even though Mae West tries her best to stay out of it, she can’t. After all, it’s not good for business when a murderer is on the loose. Plus, Betts Hager, one of the Laundry Club ladies and Mae’s good friend, is the number one suspect and now it’s personal to Mae.
Mae has grown to love her RV community and now that she’s found a place to belong, she’s not going to let anyone ruin it, throwing her deep into using her amateur sleuthing skills to bring the real killer to justice.
Though American by birth, Frances Wynn, the now-widowed Countess of Harleigh, has adapted admirably to the quirks and traditions of the British aristocracy. On August twelfth each year, otherwise known as the Glorious Twelfth, most members of the upper class retire to their country estates for grouse-shooting season. Frances has little interest in hunting — for birds or a second husband — and is expecting to spend a quiet few months in London with her almost-engaged sister, Lily, until the throng returns.
Instead, she’s immersed in a shocking mystery when a friend, Mary Archer, is found murdered. Frances had hoped Mary might make a suitable bride for her cousin, Charles, but their courtship recently fizzled out. Unfortunately, this puts Charles in the spotlight — along with dozens of others. It seems Mary had countless notes hidden in her home, detailing the private indiscretions of society’s elite. Frances can hardly believe that the genteel and genial Mary was a blackmailer, yet why else would she horde such juicy tidbits?
Aided by her gallant friend and neighbor, George Hazelton, Frances begins assisting the police in this highly sensitive case, learning more about her peers than she ever wished to know. Too many suspects may be worse than none at all — but even more worrying is that the number of victims is increasing too. And unless Frances takes care, she’ll soon find herself among them . . .
Booklover Sadie Coleman knows that in life, as in fiction, the right setting can make a world of difference. The small town of Shady Creek, Vermont, seems like the perfect place to start over after losing her Boston job to a merger and her relationship to her ex’s gambling addiction. She’s bought and redecorated the old grist mill pub, transforming the Inkwell into a cozy spot where tourists and regulars alike can enjoy a pint or a literary-themed cocktail, or join one of several book clubs.
Little by little, Sadie is adjusting to the rhythms of her new home. Fall in Shady Creek is bookmarked by the much-anticipated Autumn Festival, complete with a pumpkin catapult competition and pie bake-off. Unfortunately, the season also brings an unwelcome visitor — Sadie’s ex, Eric, who’s angling for a second chance . . .
Before Sadie can tell Eric to leave, he’s found dead near the Inkwell. When the local antique shop catches fire on the same night, it’s clear the town is harboring at least one unsavory character. Now, with her Aunt Gilda, her friend Shontelle, and the pub’s patrons all in the mix, Sadie must uncover the truth . . . before a killer declares last call.
Happy Wednesday Book Lovers! I hope everyone had a great and relaxing Labor Day weekend I certainly did. What better way to kick off the weekend then reading. I thought doing my usual Wednesday wrap up but I felt that this new cozy mystery series by Valerie Burns who also writes several other cozy mystery series as V.M. Burns deserved the spotlight.
Every since I saw the author’s announcement about this series and read the summary I was hooked so I pre-ordered this book and patiently (?) waited to receive my book but all the reviews from the Bookbiosphere were overwhelmingly good. I mean five stars and it made me almost wish I had signed up for an ARC but oh well.
“I researched careers and decided that the fit for someone with my skill set would be a doctor’s wife.”
Madison Montgomery has been left at the altar of her livestream wedding so when she received word that her Great-Aunt Octavia has died and left Madison her house and bakery she packs up her Louboutin’s and Jimmy Choo’s and heads to New Bison, MI to escape. She arrives in the small town to sell the house and business but finds out that her great aunt has stipulated that she must live there and run the bakery for 1 year. The problem is Madison doesn’t know how to cook much less bake and she inherits a 250lb English Mastiff name Baby!
As soon as Madison arrives she begins to get very generous offers for her aunt’s house that sits right on Lake Michigan, the bakery, and Baby who is a Champion dog. Then the mayor who Madison had words with turns up dead and Madison is suspected what a crazy 48 hours! Now Madison finds herself along with her aunts friends and employees known as the Baker Street Irregulars are on the hunt for a killer!
Every review I read about this book didn’t lie! This was a great book plus there is so much more going on in the town of New Bison then murder. There is corruption and it is possible Madison Aunt Octavia was murdered. When Madison arrives in New Bison she is clearly a woman who has lead a very shallow life and has been pampered by her father The Admiral. But Madison is also extremely smart, Stanford grad with honors, but it’s clear that she has suffered not physical abuse but emotional abuse from her father. He has constantly told her she is indecisive, immature, and has treated her that way.
Aside from the murder I love seeing Madison growing and coming into her own as a woman especially when she stands up to The Admiral one Jefferson Augustus Montgomery. There were hardly any red herrings, the characters were very well developed but could there be a traitor in the mist of the Baker Street Irregulars?
My one negative is that the book ends on a cliffhanger. It is clear that Madison’s aunt was murdered but the killer wasn’t revealed and there is so much more going on that is hinted at but again not revealed. This leads me to believe that all the loose threads will be tied up in the next book that I am eagerly anticipating!
Hello Book Lovers! I am already seeing all the fall memes and can feel your giddiness that September is finally here. I am looking forward to the three day weekend that is upon us spent mostly reading and remember it is still summer.
Today I am sharing cozy mysteries I am excited to read and waiting to receive. If you are not a cozy mystery reader I hope you see a book that will peek your interest and give a cozy a try or if you are a die hard fan of this genre then I hope you see something that makes it way onto your TBR or will move to the top of your TBR.
I didn’t include the newest series from Amanda Flower because it will not come out until the end of September so you will see it on my October anticipated reads.
Now I know I’ve already featured this book in my August Anticipated reads but the book release was August 30th so it goes on my September TBR! Valerie Burns also writes under the name V.M. Burns and she is a very talented writer. Every since this new series was announced last year I knew I had to have it so I pre-ordered this book and started the countdown. Those who received an ARC (advanced reader copy) have given this book 5 stars so I am salivating to read this book.
How can you not want to read a book about a social media influencer who gets dumps at the altar, inherits her aunt’s home and bakery and a 200lb mastiff named Baby and oh yeah she can’t bake!
I have a huge fan of Laurin Berenson’s Melanie Travis mystery series where her Aunt Peg has been the sidekick so I am so glad to see her get a spinoff. Again I know I’ve talked about this book before but it is finally here! I can’t wait to dig into this book! Again every book review has been 5 stars!
This 1st book in the Coffee Lover’s mystery series came out in 2020 and I’ll admit I didn’t discover this book until this year. I’ve see reviews of this book on Book Tube (YouTube) and read the reviews and before I knew it I ordered this book a few months ago and it has been sitting on my TBR so how happy am I that it is my Facebook Book Club September pick!
I so enjoyed the first book in this series A Plus One for Murderso much I immediately pre-ordered this second book in the series which came out in July. I always love to discover a cozy where the amateur sleuth has a job that is not a librarian, bookstore owner, baker, chef, or crafter and Emma Westlake is none of those. When she has to close up her travel agency she is at a loss what to do until her senior friend suggest she become a friend for hire or a paid companion which is not the same as a sex worker.
I love Vicki Delany! I am a huge fan of her Year Round Christmas mystery series and her Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mystery series. So of course when she introduced this series I got the first book. This series is set in Cape Cod, MA and the amateur sleuth Lily Roberts owns a tea shop, helps her grandmother run a bed and breakfast and now serves murder on the side.
Hello book lovers! Well we made to the end of August and for many of y’all it is the first week of school so parents congratulations on surviving the summer with your sanity (hopefully) intact.
Didn’t get a lot of reading done this month so while I may not have read a ton of book I definitely some great books. I have to remind myself that it’s not the quantity but the quality that really matters!
How was your August? Did you make a dent in your TBR list? What are you currently reading now?
This is the first book in Jennifer Chow’s L.A. Night Market series that feature cousins Yale Yee and Celine Yee who are totally different but work great together. I loved this book and the cousin despite the fact that none of the cozy mystery tropes are in this series. There is no cozy companion, no small town, no love interest and yet I loved this book and hope this series has a long life.
This is the third book in Darci Hannah’s Beacon Bakeshop mystery series and it is another winner! It’s August and Lindsey Bakewell is gearing up the annual Beacon Harbor Blueberry Festival but there is a prankster afoot who is creating havoc during the festival. Then Lindsey and her beau Rory Campbell stumble upon the body in a boat with a goat ( I know) and discovers it is Lars Jorgenson and his pet goat Clara. Now Lindsey and Rory along with her friend Kennedy, Betty Vanhoosen, and Lindsey’s parents are trying to discover who’s behind the pranks and who killed Lars?
This is another winner from Darci Hannah. With every book the character development is wonderful and no one is just one note but fully developed from the major characters to the side characters. The red herrings were perfect since I had no idea who the prankster was or the killer was but when the reveal happened I was so surprised and I related to the reason for the pranks and the murder.
If you are looking for a fun cozy mystery that will grab you from page one the Beacon Harbor Bakeshop mysteries are for you! I can’t wait for the fourth book in this series.
This second book in Diane Kelly’s delightful Southern Homebrew mystery series was so good. This series is set in Chattanooga, TN and again I am really hoping this series has a long life.
This was my Facebook Book Club August pick and I was really excited to dig into this book since it would be my first cozy set in Alaska. Charlotte “Charlie” Cooke’s chef Oliver has been murdered and she is one of the suspects at first now she is determined to find out who killed the prickly chef and clear her name. I loved all the characters and how the police “deputized” everyone to help with the case and it made me want to book an Alaskan cruise. But I felt the story was just okay.
I am back in Parasio with Plum Lockhart and I am really enjoying this second book even more that the 1st book which is as it should be. This book is so good I find myself staying up late because I just can’t put this book down!
I am enjoying the growth of Plum in this second book!
Regina the Southernista 