Bubble, Bubble Tea and Trouble review

Tari Hann

This is the seventh book in the Tea by the Sea Mysteries by Vicki Delany, and it’s been a really fun series I’ve enjoyed since its beginning. Bernie always cracks me up with all her different methods of procrastinating, yet she manages to sleuth and find clues. This time was no exception. 🙂

#NetGalley #KensingtonCozies #VickiDelany

My Goodreads review:

Bubble, Bubble, Tea and Trouble (Tea by the Sea Mysteries)Bubble, Bubble, Tea and Trouble by Vicki Delany
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lily’s pal Bernie doing her edits on her manuscript was cracking me up because she seemed to be doing what everyone does when a not-so-fun job is facing you: she does everything except what she’s supposed to be doing, lol. Bernie gets squirreled away easily enough as it is! And Lily always manages to get dragged into the investigation when all she wants to do is cook and bake for her grandma’s B&B and the tearoom.

When a group of ghost-loving women showed up as guests and their leader seemed to’ve ghosted them (pun totally intended), one of the women took over as leader until the tour leader showed up eventually. Things went sideways from there on out, speculations were made about an accident that seemed like a murder, and Bernie actually did come up with some good info. That led to a pretty exciting showdown where the perp actually needed rescuing, imagine that! Only in North Augusta!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Crooked Lane via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.


View all my reviews

Purranormal Activity review

Tari Hann

This is the tenth book in the Cat Café Mysteries by Cate Conte, and I just can’t get enough of that sweet cat, JJ! This was a fun and just a bit creepy cozy, but the good creepy as in an old house creepy. I’m eager to see what happens next at JJ’s House of Purrs who seemed to acquire a new human working there along with the required cats, of course. 

#NetGalley #CateConte #MinotaurBooks

My Goodreads review:

 

Purranormal Activity: A Cat Cafe Mystery (Cat Cafe Mystery Series Book 10)Purranormal Activity: A Cat Cafe Mystery by Cate Conte
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I just love Grandpa Leo and how Maddie enjoyed sleuthing along with him. Being a retired police chief had some advantages since people around town respected and talked to him when he had questions. He and Maddie were worried the police were trying to focus on Maddie’s mom since a woman who was killed had been her best friend in school.

I never guessed whodunit and was surprised at the reveal. I guess I was hoping it was someone different. At least Maddie wasn’t in danger when the person was telling their story. I wonder what JJ and friends are gonna get into next time?

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Minotaur Books via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.


View all my reviews

Eight Enchanting Elixirs review

Tari Hann

This is the eighth (as indicated by the title) book in the Kitchen Witch mysteries by Lynn Cahoon, and I’ve enjoyed every book from the beginning including all the fun little half-step books in between. I hope it’s not the end but the way it wrapped up, it wouldn’t surprise me. Everything was in a great place though and happy endings were enjoyed by all those who deserved them.

#KensingtonCozies #NetGalley #LynnCahoon

My Goodreads review:

Eight Enchanting Elixirs (Kitchen Witch Mysteries, #8)Eight Enchanting Elixirs by Lynn Cahoon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

From the way this book ended, I’m guessing it’s the last one in the series. I hope I’m wrong but everything was just wrapped up so nicely from the main murder in the story to some other side mysteries. There were some fun revelations in the book too and by the time I read the Acknowledgments after the book, I could infer from what the author said that this was the happily ever after book of the series.

What an awesome book hangover! It’s just too bad the previous fun covers were changed. Now these new book covers look like every other magical story out there, kinda meh. If I was new to reading the series, I wouldn’t be drawn in by them. At least the old covers still exist here on Goodreads.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Kensington Cozies via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

View all my reviews

A Murder at the Mansion review

Tari Hann

This is the third book in this fun Novel Detectives series by Ellie Alexander. It’s a spin-off from the Secret Bookcase Mysteries with the same beloved characters in new adventures and I’ve loved each one of the three. This one was way too much fun and featured dogs so I was loving it extra.

#NetGalley #MinotaurBooks #EllieAlexander

My Goodreads review:

A Murder at the Mansion (A Novel Detectives Mystery, #3)A Murder at the Mansion by Ellie Alexander
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This might be my favorite case in the series so far, maybe because it involved dogs, but it was really extra good. Annie and Fletch’s PI services were contracted by the family of a wealthy older woman who’d gone missing. But did she really go missing randomly, or was she clever like a fox and had a reason to be hiding? Annie and Fletch were about to find that out and lots more after a body was discovered in the boathouse.

I didn’t really like Bernadette’s family/staff too well at first, except for Preston who was such a cool kid. He genuinely wanted to find his Gran. It was cool how Annie and Fletch ended up teaming with him and his uncle who’d made a discovery that kinda paled compared to what they were about to find. The showdown was a good one and the arrest was satisfying. This author’s characters sure know how to celebrate (all her books are awesome that way) so that’s what everyone did at the end. Annie was just happy she lived to sleuth another case…or twenty!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Storm Publishing via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.


View all my reviews

Savvy Summers and the Po’Boy Perils review

Tari Hann

This is the second book in this fun new series, Savvy Summers, by Sandra Jackson-Opoku, and I’m absolutely in love with the series and its awesome characters. I loved this second book as much maybe more than the first and can’t wait for more.

Savvy Summers and the Po'boy Perils: A Mystery (Savvy Summers Mysteries Book 2)Savvy Summers and the Po’boy Perils: A Mystery by Sandra Jackson-Opoku
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really liked the first book but wow this one blew it away! I really liked the older homeless-looking guy with his dog he was training to use a communications system. That dog was something else and super smart. And Penny always cracks me up with her never-ending obscure musical knowledge and crazy singing, lol.

Savvy’s good friend was being accused of killing her employee, but Savvy knew the woman wasn’t capable of killing anyone so she felt she needed to take this into her own hands. Although facing off with a killer who confessed to poisoning two people wasn’t exactly on Savvy’s to-do list. I loved how the showdown played out after being tense at first. And there was an epic plot twist toward the end making sad tears turn to happy ones. I’m really eager now for the next book and to see how Essie’s 2.0 shakes out.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Minotaur Books via NetGalley, an my opinions are my own.


View all my reviews

A Delicious Deception review

Tari Hann

This is the sixteenth book in the long running Key West Food Critic mysteries by Lucy Burdette and while I’m not as caught up on the earlier books as I’d like to be, I’ve stayed up to date reading the ARCs for the last several years. There were all the emotions in this book and now I’m eager to see what happens in the next book.

#NetGalley #CrookedLane #LucyBurdette

My Goodreads review:

A Delicious Deception (Key West Food Critic Mystery #16)A Delicious Deception by Lucy Burdette
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hayley sure had her hands full this time around mainly trying to stay calm and get ready to give birth in roughly a week or so. But being Hayley, she wasn’t about to just sit around unless she absolutely needed to. I loved how her friend Miss Gloria and Gloria’s friend Annie helped out with the sleuthing. At least Hayley’s riding in style with a car these days since it’s safer for her and the baby, lol. No more chasing baddies on a scooter but she was okay with that.

The last part of the book had some super sad, and super happy moments, all accompanied by the people who meant the most to Hayley especially sweet Nathan and their new little resident. I can’t wait for more adventures with these characters, it’s just beginning!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Crooked Lane via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.


View all my reviews

Murder at the Campfire Cookout review

Tari Hann

This is the seventh and final book in the Beacon Bakeshop Mysteries by Darci Hannah. According to her author’s note in the beginning, this series is ending, but the characters might be popping up elsewhere, so that should be fun. Make sure to read her author’s note since those notes always have some unique goodies in them. As long as that sweet Welly pup pops up once in a while, I just love that dog! He’s always a hero!

#NetGalley #KensingtonCozies #DarciHannah

My Goodreads review:

Murder at the Campfire Cookout (A Beacon Bakeshop Mystery)Murder at the Campfire Cookout by Darci Hannah
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

First off it was hard to believe Lindsey, Kennedy and her mom were actually willing to go camping, even glamping which to paraphrase an awesome bear sanctuary character, it was just a label to trick people into camping lol. I really enjoyed Gus’s character.

There was tons of great creepiness in the woods and chasing of perps, in a cozy mystery type way though. In a wild twist, Lindsey and her pals figured out what was going on and went to confront a killer. The ending was super sweet and bittersweet knowing it was the last book in this series. But read the author’s note in the beginning, and you might just feel better about that. 😉

Overall, I thought the mystery took longer than usual to solve and in some places it seemed just too drawn out. I also missed the interaction of the guys’ characters. We did get one chapter from their POV on their fishing trip, but Lindsey and Rory sleuthing together was what I always loved most about this series. I wasn’t a huge fan of any of the camping ladies except of course for Betty and our main ladies. Believe it or not I missed Scary Stacy’s role in the mystery, lol.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Kensington Cozies via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

View all my reviews

A Cultivated Corpse review

Tari Hann

This is the ninth book in the Food Blogger Mysteries by cozy mystery author Debra Sennefelder, and I’ve had the fun of reading it from the beginning which I recommend for a more enjoying experience and getting relationship updates–all the awesome stuff that’s so much better when you start from the beginning. Hope’s always got a million plates spinning at once, it’s a wonder she doesn’t see herself coming and going, lol, and this mystery’s no exception. There’s some good intrigue and all our fave characters.

#NetGalley #DebraSennefelder #BeyondthePage

My Goodreads review:

A Cultivated CorpseA Cultivated Corpse by Debra Sennefelder
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There was lotsa garden club drama going on here and from the way they’d had enough of it from an internal standpoint, it’s just a good thing the town didn’t have more than one club. Somebody would’ve been killed long before this, lol. Hope took her duties as a new member seriously, but after their fearless leader was killed, she added sleuthing back into the tons of plates she seems to juggle all the time.

Once more Hope found herself facing off with a killer in a remote place in a building, but she used her brains and all she had to do was keep the person talking and shake ‘em up a bit. Drew always cracks me up when he and Hope go sleuthing, and he was on his A-game once more. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book now after Hope’s statement at the end.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by. Beyond the Page via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.


View all my reviews

Whose Body in the Library review

Tari Hann

This is the thirteenth book in the long-running Lighthouse Library Mysteries by Eva Gates, better known to us cozy mystery fans as Vicki Delaney. There were some big changes in this book from what longtime readers might be used to, but as a longtime reader myself, I really enjoyed the changes and the new character, Nichelle. I can’t wait to see what adventures follow now!

#NetGalley #EvaGates #CrookedLane

My Goodreads review:

Whose Body in the Library (Lighthouse Library Mystery #13)Whose Body in the Library by Eva Gates
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really liked the new assistant director character, Nichelle and how she seemed to fit right in at the library along with Lucy and the others. She sure never expected the job came with a cuddly, furry roommate or that she’d be amateur sleuthing with the best of them before the week was over. I enjoyed the storytelling method which was Nichelle’s part told in first person narrative and Lucy’s part told in third person. And while I’ve always loved it when Lucy sleuthed, I actually enjoyed Nichelle’s take on that and didn’t miss Lucy’s sleuthing as much as I thought I’d miss it.

But no worries, Lucy was in it plenty and giving Nichelle all the advice and support she could, while juggling her own promotion to Bertie James’s director job along with her mom role. Yep, Bertie and her sweetie went traveling after Bertie retired. There was lots to catch up on but it was all spelled out—although I’ll admit the very beginning was a tad confusing for me, lol.

I loved how Nichelle definitely had some gutsiness going on and used it on the perp when she confronted them. That could’ve gone really sideways, but her confidence must’ve won out. A satisfying ending was enjoyed by all with all the loose threads nicely wrapped up. I can’t wait for more adventures, especially with Nichelle and Louise Jane sleuthing together, now that was a hoot!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.


View all my reviews

The Chowder House Murder review

Tari Hann

This is the first in a new series, Downeast Maine Mysteries by Lee Hollis, the brother/sister writing team of Rick Copp and Holly Simason. I’ve enjoyed their Hayley Powell series for years now and also like Maya & Sandra as well as the Desert Flowers series, so I knew this series would be fun, full of quirky characters–and it really was. I’m eager for the next book now.

#NetGalley #LeeHollis #KensingtonCozies

My Goodreads review:

The Chowder House Murder (Downeast Maine Mystery #1)The Chowder House Murder by Lee Hollis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed meeting Maggie, Audrey and Jill who seemed to sorta be co-main characters which was pretty cool since with third person it’s easy to slip into another person’s lead. There were some other interesting characters like Iggy the coroner. That guy made me laugh and I couldn’t help picturing him as John Belushi’s “Animal House” character only in a lab coat lol. Deputy Mason Dooley was another good sidekick type character and I felt so bad for the guy getting pulled away from food all the time. Oh well, Jill was just trying to make him into a better cop.

It was cool how the three ladies figured out whodunnit but still lacked some info that came as a surprise toward the ending, who knew? But that perp was just such a scum that the outcome was super satisfying especially when the perp was so smug before. I liked the ending and can’t wait for the next book now.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Kensington Cozies via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.


View all my reviews