Cuddle Up With a Cozy Mystery

This is the fourth in the fun Novel Detectives Mysteries, a spinoff from the Secret Bookcase Mysteries which introduced us to some now-fave cozy mystery characters, all of which we get to visit with in this series as well. And the author behind it’s another cozy mystery favorite author, Ellie Alexander. This was really fun read for Halloween season!

#NetGalley #StormPublishing #EllieAlexander

My Goodreads review:

A Murder at Midnight by Ellie Alexander
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Annie and Fletcher’s staff at the bookstore were excited when a famous ghost hunter came to film there, but it wasn’t so fun when something caused a death at midnight that first night. It was just creepy cozy enough for a fun Halloween story, but of course we know they were hunting for a killer that was very much alive. It’s great that Annie can officially work on cases now she’s a PI, and she pretty much had things right. The plan to flush out the killer was a good showdown. Then then ending was just too cool and was followed by a town Halloween party. As always, food, friends, candy and Halloween good times were had by all except the killer.

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


View all my reviews

This is the fourteenth book in the long-running Bookmobile Cat Mysteries by Laurie Cass. I loved the series immediately when I picked up that first book about six years ago. That Eddie’s something else, what a cool kitty! 

#NetGalley #CrookedLane #LaurieCass

My Goodreads review:

 

Murder on Thin Ice by Laurie Cass
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I gotta admit it took me a bit to recall characters at first since I also need to admit I haven’t read in this series since Book 2, but it’s nice to be able to report that the author does a great job of not spoiling any of the previous mysteries by naming killers or anything. Obviously I learned that Minnie was now married to her longtime best friend Rafe. Those two are so cute, and they crack me up. And speaking of cracking me up, Julia did just that too. She was a hoot! Eddie’s the same as I remembered reading about, basically lovable when it suits him lol. And he’s a great sounding board for when Minnie was thinking out loud.

When one of the bookmobile’s patrons was discovered dead by Minnie and Julia, Minnie went back into sleuth mode and went down a rabbit hole of info where she learned about a controversy back in 1990. She started wondering if a murder back then was connected to Gerald’s present death and found out when she faced off with a killer. Minnie survived, just barely and lived to sleuth another day along with being cat mom to Eddie and wife to Rafe. What a crazy survival tale!

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

This is book #32 in the very long-running Lucy Stone Mysteries by Leslie Meier. Lucy’s always been a favorite cozy mom character of mine, but she seemed really sad at first in this book, kinda like Charlie Brown about Christmas. So of course she did what Lucy van Pelt told Charlie to do, get involved. It seemed to help and we all know Lucy gets very involved in anything she does, especially when there’s a murder. It was a fun and festive read with a super nice Christmasy ending.

#NetGalley #KensingtonCozies #LeslieMeier

My Goodreads review:

Countdown to Christmas Murder by Leslie Meier
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The book started at 63 days until Christmas and poor old Lucy just wasn’t feeling the Christmas spirit at all. She felt burnt out at work, overworked and under-appreciated mainly because she knew her kids wouldn’t make it home for Christmas, or at least most wouldn’t.

Never one to stay gloomy, Lucy put all she had into her job that she may not’ve liked but was good at talking with people and getting her stories. When a beloved town member was murdered, it was ruled suicide, but his family and Lucy weren’t convinced. She teamed up with an old colleague but it took a fifth grader (who made me think of young Sheldon a lot) to figure it all out.

The showdown and search for said fifth grader when he disappeared was pretty exciting. It was great what Lucy did to that nasty perp! Everything ended peacefully, all calm and bright on Christmas Eve despite all the turmoil from before. For all poor Lucy went through in this book, I’d say she was pretty happy with how her Christmas turned out.

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



View all my reviews

This is the eleventh book in the Deputy Donuts Mysteries by Ginger Bolton, and I’ve enjoyed every one of these amazing stories–along drooling over the goodies described that Emily and crew sell at the donut shop. I absolutely can’t wait for the next book and anyone else who reads it will probably say the same thing!

#KensingtonCozies #NetGalley #GingerBolton

My Goodreads review:

Killer Donuts by Ginger Bolton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This might be the most that Emily’s friend Monique had ever been in a mystery. She and her dog Gigi were with Emily and Izzy while they toured different donuts shops on the annual Donut Trail. Unfortunately they were in the vicinity of a murder and hadn’t realized it at the time, so Emily and her friends went into amateur sleuthing mode.

I loved toward the end when the three friends along with two new girls they’d met and Izzy invited to her house had confronted a killer and managed to get help there in time. It was great what Emily had been able to do to that perp, pretty funny actually. The ending was all about food, friends and fellowship as the case had been closed and all were celebrating. The very ending was so darn sweet, and now I can’t wait for the next book!

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

This is the first book in the new Cider Falls Orchard Mysteries by Traci Hall who cozy mystery fans know as the author of the Scottish Shire Mysteries or half of the writing team for the Salem B&B Mysteries. I really enjoyed meeting these awesome characters in Cider Falls and definitely look forward to the next book!

#NetGalley #KensingtonCozies #TraciHall

My Goodreads review:

Apple Pies and Poisoned Lies at the Cider Falls Festival by Traci Hall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed meeting Macki and her big, crazy but amazing family. They teased, they bantered and argued but they all had genuine love for each other. Macki was home from Seattle where she’d lived with a guy who turned out to be a big jerk, and now she was trying to regain her baking confidence.

She definitely never expected to get involved in not one mystery, the murder of a pie contest baker, but a second and even third one concerning her family. Her parents were in a kayaking accident and the family really had to pull together. Macki showed some good leadership as the oldest sibling, and I loved the addition of Logan to the mix as her old friend who’d been a security guard at the condo in Seattle but was now a PI. He was a huge help in pretty much every way.

The murder was resolved and the perp revealed, but the other two mysteries seem like they’ll be unraveled hopefully in the next book. It’s almost certain whodunit as far as those went, but it’ll be fun seeing that perp taken down. It almost seems like there could be one of those dreaded love triangles for Macki. While both guys are nice, I’m definitely Team Logan all the way!

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