Backlist Reading Challenge 2019

This challenge will be a great crossover one with some of my other challenges. It’s sponsored by The Bookwyrm’s Hoard blog. Follow this to the Backlist Reading Challenge Rules and Sign-up page (sign up here).

To qualify as a backlist book, the book has to have been published in 2017 or earlier. There isn’t a list of levels. All anyone needs to do is list the books they read and do the periodic link-ups. I’ll link my book list to my reviews on this page.

  1. Jeopardy in January–Camilla Chafer
  2. A Charming Cure–Tonya Kappes
  3. Iced Under–Barbara Ross
  4. Pleating for Mercy–Melissa Bourbon
  5. Dead Editor File–G.G. Collins
  6. Gin & Daggers–Jessica Fletcher/Donald Bain
  7. Meet Your Baker–Ellie Alexander
  8. The St. Valentine’s Day Cookie Massacre–Elisabeth Crabtree
  9. Death by Coffee–Alex Erickson
  10. Beyond Dead–Jordaina Sydney Robinson
  11. Dead and Buried–Jordaina Sydney Robinson (despite what Goodreads shows, this is actually the second book in the series)
  12. Irish Creme Killer–Summer Prescott
  13. Murders on Elderberry Road–Sally Goldenbaum
  14. A Catered St. Patrick’s Day–Isis Crawford
  15. A Killer Plot–Ellery Adams
  16. A Slice of Murder–Chris Cavender
  17. Lemon Meringue Pie Murder–Joanne Fluke
  18. A Fitting End–Melissa Bourbon
  19. Lending a Paw–Laurie Cass
  20. Murder on the SS Rosa–Lee Strauss
  21. Basket Case–Nancy Haddock
  22. Easter Bunny Murder–Leslie Meier
  23. Paint the Town Dead–Nancy Haddock
  24. Fixin’ to Die–Tonya Kappes
  25. Them Bones–Carolyn Haines

 

 

NetGalley/Edeweiss Reading Challenge 2019

UPDATE as of 4/1/19: I’ve read the 25 for Silver, and will be going for 50 now.

UPDATE: End of January 2019: I have already read the 10 ARCs that I signed up for, so I’m going to go for the Silver level instead, or 25 ARCs. Depending on how many I request this year, I may be increasing that too!

I request a lot of NetGalley cozy mystery ARCs, but I’m still like a kid in a candy store when it comes to just getting too many to comfortably keep up with.

This challenge is sponsored by Reading Between the Pages blog. The page for the NetGalley and Edelweiss sign up (sign up here) is the second link I made.

Levels:

Bronze – 10 books

Silver – 25 books (reset my goal to this as of February 1, 2019)

Gold – 50 books

Platinum – 75 books

Diamond – 100 books

I’ll link to my reviews of these books on this page.

  1. In Peppermint Peril by Joy Avon In Peppermint Peril, #1 Book Tea Shop–Joy Avon
  2. Batter Off Dead (A Southern Cake Baker Mystery, #2) Batter Off Dead, #2 Southern Cake Baker–Maymee Bell
  3. The Novel Art of Murder (Mystery Bookshop, #3) The Novel Art of Murder, #3 Mystery Bookshop–V.M. Burns
  4. Death and Daisies (A Magic Garden Mystery #2) Death and Daisies, #2 Magic Garden–Amanda Flower
  5. A Scandal in Scarlet (A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery, #4) A Scandal in Scarlet, #4 Sherlock Holmes Bookshop–Vicki Delany
  6. How to Knit a Murder (Seaside Knitters Society, #13) How to Knit a Murder, #2 (or 13) Seaside Knitter Society–Sally Goldenbaum
  7. The Whispered Word (Secret, Book, & Scone Society, #2) The Whispered Word, #2 The Secret, Book & Scone Society–Ellery Adams
  8. The Body in the Attic (A Jazzi Zanders Mystery #1) The Body in the Attic, #1 Jazzi Zanders–Judi Lynn
  9. Seven Deadly Zins by Nancy J. Parra Seven Deadly Zins, #2 Wine Country–Nancy J. Parra
  10. Murder Wears a Little Black Dress by Debra Sennefelder Murder Wears a Little Black Dress, #1 Resale Boutique–Debra Sennefelder
  11. Baby Daddy Mystery by Daisy Pettles Baby Daddy Mystery, #2 Shady Hoosier Detective Agency–Daisy Pettles
  12. Bones Behind the Wheel by E.J. Copperman Bones Behind the Wheel, #10 Haunted Guesthouse–E.J. Copperman
  13. Pruning the Dead by Julia  Henry Pruning the Dead, #1 Garden Squad–Julia Henry
  14. Death by Chocolate Malted Milkshake by Sarah Graves Death by Chocolate Malted Milkshake, #2 Death by Chocolate–Sarah Graves
  15. Chocolate Cream Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke Chocolate Cream Pie Murder, #24 Hannah Swenson–Joanne Fluke
  16. The Puppy Who Knew Too Much by V.M. Burns The Puppy Who Knew Too Much, #2 Dog Club–V.M. Burns
  17. Murders and Metaphors by Amanda Flower Murders and Metaphors, #3 Magical Bookshop–Amanda Flower
  18. Past Due for Murder by Victoria Gilbert Past Due for Murder, #3 Blue Ridge Library–Victoria Gilbert
  19. No Good Tea Goes Unpunished by Bree Baker No Good Tea Goes Unpunished, #2 Seaside Cafe–Bree Baker
  20. Restaurant Weeks Are Murder by Libby Klein Restaurant Weeks Are Murder, #3 Poppy McAllister–Libby Klein
  21. Drawn and Buttered by Shari Randall Drawn and Buttered, #3 Lobster Shack–Shari Randall
  22. Death by Dog Show by Arlene Kay Death by Dog Show, #1 Creature Comforts–Arlene Kay
  23. Something Read, Something Dead by Eva Gates Something Read, Something Dead, #5 Lighthouse Library–Eva Gates
  24. The Hidden Corpse by Debra Sennefelder The Hidden Corpse, #2 Food Blogger–Debra Sennefelder
  25. Plotting for Murder by Tamra Baumann Plotting for Murder, #1 Cozy Mystery Bookshop–Tamra Baumann
  26. Cat Got Your Crown: A Kitty Couture Mystery Cat Got Your Crown, #4 Kitty Couture–Julie Chase
  27. A Pattern for Murder by Ann Yost A Pattern for Murder, #1 Bait & Stitch–Ann Yost
  28. Murder Once Removed by S.C. Perkins Murder Once Removed, #1 Ancestry Detective–S.C. Perkins
  29. Murder in Tranquility Park by J.D. Griffo Murder in Tranquility Park, #2 Ferrara Family Detective Agcy–J.D. Griffo
  30. Trouble on the Books by Essie Lang Trouble on the Books, #1 Castle Bookshop–Essie Lang
  31. Murder at the Marina by Janet Finsilver Murder at the Marina, #5 Kelly Jackson–Janet Finsilver
  32. Foul Play on Words by Becky Clark Foul Play on Words, #2 Mystery Writer’s Mystery–Becky Clark
  33. With a Kiss I Die by J.A.  Hennrikus With a Kiss I Die, #2 Theater Cop–J.A. Hennrikus
  34. Deadly Vows by Jody Holford Deadly Vows, #2 Britton Bay–Jody Holford
  35. Murder from Scratch by Leslie Karst Murder from Scratch, #4 Sally Solari–Leslie Karst
  36. The Diva Sweetens the Pie by Krista Davis The Diva Sweetens the Pie, #12 Domestic Diva–Krista Davis
  37. The Body in the Wetlands by Judi Lynn The Body in the Wetlands, #2 Jazzi Zanders–Judi Lynn
  38. Sifting Through Clues by Daryl Wood Gerber Sifting Through Clues, #8 Cookbook Nook–Daryl Wood Gerber

 

 

New Release Challenge 2019

I read a fairly decent amount of new releases in a year, since I’m a NetGalley member and get the advance review copies of books I pick out, so I’m sure I’ll fall somewhere between 1-30 which is the first level.

The challenge is hosted by Lexxie and Brandee of the (un) Conventional Bookworms blog and their New Release Challenge Sign-Up (sign up here) is that second link I just made. The basic rules are that the book has to be released and reviewed in 2019, all formats are ok, and the book needs to have at least 100 pages. The sign-up page has all the fun details.

Levels:

1-30-New Release Newbie
31-60-New Release Pro
61-100-New Release Veteran
101-200-New Release Enthusiast
200+-New Release Obsessed

I will go for the first level of 1-30 and list my books on this page.

  1. Candy Apple Killer, #3 Apple Orchard–Chelsea Thomas
  2. Peril at the Pawn Shop, #1 A Walk in the Bark–Mel Faye
  3. A Juicy Morsel of Jealousy, #3 Foodie Files–Christine Zane Thomas
  4. Seven Deadly Zins, #2 Wine Country–Nancy J. Parra
  5. Murder Wears a Little Black Dress, #1 Resale Boutique–Debra Sennefelder
  6. Secrets in a Bottle, #1 Whodunit Antiques–Shelly West
  7. Dead as a Door Knocker, #1 House-Flipper Mystery–Diane Kelly
  8. Bones Behind the Wheel, #10 Haunted Guesthouse–E.J. Copperman
  9. Pruning the Dead, #1 Garden Squad–Julia Henry
  10. Town Hall Homicide, #2 A Walk in the Bark–Mel Faye
  11. Heirlooms and Homicide, #1 Heart’s Grove–Danielle Collins
  12. Death by Chocolate Malted Milkshake, #2 Death by Chocolate–Sarah Graves
  13. Break-Ins and Bloodshed, #2 Heart’s Grove–Danielle Collins
  14. Chocolate Cream Pie Murder, #24 Hannah Swenson–Joanne Fluke
  15. The Puppy Who Knew Too Much, #2 Dog Club–V.M. Burns
  16. Murders and Metaphors, #3 Magical Bookshop–Amanda Flower
  17. The Long Paw of the Law, #6 Long Paw of the Law–Laurie Anne Marie
  18. A Stab in the Dark, #2 Whodunit Antiques–Shelly West
  19. Past Due for Murder, #3 Blue Ridge Library–Victoria Gilbert
  20. No Good Tea Goes Unpunished, #2 Seaside Cafe–Bree Baker
  21. Restaurant Weeks Are Murder, #3 Poppy McAllister–Libby Klein
  22. Drawn and Buttered, #3 Lobster Shack–Shari Randall
  23. Death by Dog Show, #1 Creature Comforts–Arlene Kay
  24. This Spells Trouble, #1 Private Eye Witch–Stacey Alabaster
  25. Something Read, Something Dead, #5 Lighthouse Library–Eva Gates
  26. The Pomeranian Always Barks Twice, #1 Furever Pets–Alex Erickson
  27. The Hidden Corpse, #2 Food Blogger–Debra Sennefelder
  28. Berried Alive, #4 Apple Orchard–Chelsea Thomas
  29. Purebred Murder 2-#2 Quirky Puppy–E.Z. Pennington
  30. Plotting for Murder, #1 Cozy Mystery Bookshop–Tamra Baumann
  31. Lights Out at the Lighthouse, #3 Hearts Grove–Danielle Collins
  32. Cat Got Your Crown, #4 Kitty Couture–Julie Chase
  33. Murder Once Removed, #1 Ancestry Detective–S.C. Perkins
  34. Murder in Tranquility Park, #2 Ferrara Family Detective Agcy.–J.D. Griffo
  35. Murder on Silver Lake, #1 Silver Lake Cozy–Hugo James King
  36. Trouble on the Books, #1 Castle Bookshop–Essie Lang
  37. Murder at the Marina, #5 Kelly Jackson–Janet Finsilver
  38. Foul Play on Words, #2 Mystery Writer’s Mystery–Becky Clark
  39. With a Kiss I Die, #2 Theater Cop–J.A. Hennrikus
  40. Deadly Vows, #2 Britton Bay–Jody Holford
  41. Murder from Scratch, #4 Sally Solari–Leslie Karst
  42. The Diva Sweetens the Pie, #12 Domestic Diva–Krista Davis
  43. The Body in the Wetlands, #2 Jazzi Zanders–Judi Lynn
  44. Utterly Dead, #5 Bridget Sway Afterlife Adventures–Jordaina Sydney Robinson
  45. If the Broom Fits, #1 Wicked Witches of Coventry–Sara Bourgeois
  46. Sifting Through Clues, #8 Cookbook Nook–Daryl Wood Gerber

 

Reading Challenge Addict 2019

Yep, it’s a thing, a challenge for those who can’t stop joining reading challenges. Bev from My Reader’s Block is hosting it but that first link is just her own page for listing her challenges. Reading Challenge Addicts 2019 (sign up here) has its own separate blog. Here are the levels from that same blog’s About page. (See the Reading Challenge Addicts About Page for complete details.)

“How addicted are you?

  • Easy as Pie: 1-5 Challenges (Entered & Completed)
  • On the Roof: 6-10 Challenges (Entered & Completed)
  • In Flight: 11-15 Challenges (Entered & Completed)
  • Out of This World: 16+ Challenges (Entered & Completed)”

I can safely say I’m in the Out of This World one (maybe out of my head would be a better description??) I’m going to just link to my list of 2019 Reading Challenges instead of copy/pasting it here.

Finishing the Series Challenge 2019

As if I really needed another challenge, I just couldn’t resist this one when I saw it on Escape from Dollycas’ blog today. The ladies at Celebrity Readers are hosting it and you can sign up on their sign-up blog post.

Here are the levels:

C-list finisher: complete 1-4 series
B-list finisher: complete 5-8 series
A-list finisher: complete 9+ series

I’m going to go minimal on this one and declare C-list since I’m not sure yet what those series will be or how long. I have a few in mind though! Basically, they have to have been started by at least one book before 2019 begins. Series can be any length, books can be any format or length. Even a two-book series counts. I had been hunting for a challenge like this one and only found one that required re-reading the previous books that were read. This one should be fun and cross over into various other challenges as well.

‘Twas the Knife Before Christmas–review

This was just the perfect cozy mystery to read a few days before Christmas! If someone wasn’t in a Christmas mood, this book would definitely put them in one. I loved returning to Mistletoe, Maine a year later while Holly investigated yet another murder. With the whole idea of the series being Christmas, it’s so hard to wait for the next book because I know it’ll be a year away. But…it’s always worth the wait!

My Goodreads review:

'Twas the Knife Before Christmas (A Christmas Tree Farm Mystery, #2)‘Twas the Knife Before Christmas by Jacqueline Frost

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

All I can say is this was the most magical Christmas book I’ve read this season! I love that Holly and Evan are growing closer. Now Ray, the guy from the first book who has been puppy-dog friendly to Holly but she made it clear she didn’t want to date him, has finally found someone a little closer to his own age. And so has his mom, but he’s less than thrilled over that.

It was getting close to Christmas and a guy that Holly’s friend Caroline was seen with arguing at a benefit dinner was found dead in the big bowl of peppermints by the town’s Christmas tree. With Caroline as the prime suspect, Holly couldn’t help but investigate this one. But the killer apparently knew she was on to them, since Holly had a few close calls herself, and the showdown to end all showdowns!

I loved the side story with Evan’s sister but the magical part came closer to the end of the book. I think Holly truly believed that Santa Claus had granted her and her family the perfect Christmas! I highly recommend this book (and the first in series) as just the perfect Christmas cozies!

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

View all my reviews

What an Animal Reading Challenge 2019

.This is the third challenge run by Yvonne at Socrates Book Reviews. The sign-up page is What an Animal Reading Challenge 2019 (sign up here).

The animal(s) in the book has to play a major role in the story. There can’t just be an animal on the cover. I’m going for Level 4, 21 or more based on what I read last year. For complete details, be sure to go to Socrates’ Book Reviews.

Levels:

Level 1 – Read 6 books

Level 2 – Read 7-12

Level 3 – Read 13-20

Level 4 – Read 21 or more

My books:

  1. A Charming Cure, #2 Magical Cures–Tonya Kappes–June’s cat always plays an important part in this series.
  2. A Midwinter’s Tail, #4 Lucky Paws Pet Sitting–Bethany Blake–three of the dogs played important parts in this, although they’re always mentioned a lot and interact with the main characters
  3. Decaffeinated Scandal, #5 Killer Coffee–Tonya Kappes–Norman, the shop dog that was there to be adopted out stole the show with his flatulence issues–but he got a forever home.
  4. Peril at the Pawn Shop, #1 A Walk in the Bark–Mel Faye–Ralph, another adorable pug helps Annie with training other dogs.
  5. A Tiny Bite of Murder, #1 The Monkey’s Eyebrow Tea Room–Constance Barker–Daisy was the adorable chimp who worked as hostess at the tearoom and was one of the regular characters always interacting with customers.
  6. Secrets in a Bottle, #1 Whodunit Antiques–Shelly West–Thor is a lovable giant of a Great Dane who I think thinks he’s human
  7. A Body on Fitzgerald’s Bluff, #1 Seaview Cottages–Anna Celeste Burke–Domino is a lovable Dalmatian and her best friend is Emily, a Jack Russell Terrier. Both girls had a major part in taking down a killer.
  8. Dead as a Door Knocker, #1 House-Flipper Mystery–Diane Kelly–Sawdust the cat gets to do something important in catching a killer.
  9. Town Hall Homicide, #2 A Walk in the Bark–Mel Faye–Noodle the standard poodle took down the murderer.
  10. Candy, Murder & Me, #1 Cookie Berelli–Carolyn Chambers Clark–Sigmund, Cookie’s little dachshund gets to help take down the perp
  11. The Puppy Who Knew Too Much, #2 Dog Club–V.M. Burns–Lilly’s little poodle Aggie is an important part of her family now
  12. Murders and Metaphors, #3 Magical Bookshop–Amanda Flower–Along with Emerson the cat, Faulkner the sometimes snarky crow is a main character who is also hilarious
  13. The Long Paw of the Law, #6 Long Paw of the Law–Laurie Anne Marie–Charlie, the cat found a piece of evidence, and he seems to understand everything Ashley says.
  14. A Stab in the Dark, #2 Whodunit Antiques–Shelly West–Missy, Grandma’s little Shih-Tzu who hates walks has decided she needs to go on walks, maybe she’s trying to impress Thor, the Great Dane!
  15. A Killer Plot, #1 Books by the Bay–Ellery Adams–Olivia’s dog Haviland is an awesome character and literally her best friend who goes nearly everywhere with her.
  16. Plotting for Murder, #1 Cozy Mystery Bookshop–Tamra Baumann–Sawyer’s Doodle pup Cooper got to be a hero and help heal his mommy’s heart from losing her mom.
  17. Kernel of Truth, #1 Popcorn Shop–Kristi Abbott–Rebecca’s dog Sprocket liked stealing little things from purses or strollers. It came in handy this time.
  18. Murder on Silver Lake, #1 Silver Lake Cozy–Hugo James King–Evelyn’s rescue beagle Charlie has a good nose for clues and he’s a good protector.
  19. Allergic to Death, #1 Gourmet De-Lite–Peg Cochran–Gigi’s little Westie named Reg found some key evidence and ended up being important himself
  20. You Can Lead a Horse to Murder, #1 Secrets of Sanctuary–Tara Meyers–a dog and horse as besties, how cute can it get!

 

 

21.

 

Purrfect Reading Challenge 2019

This is another one led by Yvonne at Socrates’ Reviews, and you can use her Purrfect Reading Challenge 2019 page to sign up too. If you don’t have a blog, you can use the Purrfect Reading Challenge Goodreads group to keep track. I use both, checks/balances and all that. I was just going to leave this challenge as a link on the 2019 Reading Challenges page, but I wanted to link up on Yvonne’s blog and decided to keep a list here after all.

Based on the number of cat mysteries I read last year, I upped my last year’s number to Catnip or at least 31. A cat does have to have a major role in the book, not just be a cute kitty on the cover. 😉

The levels as shown on Yvonne’s blog:

Purring – Read 1-10 cat mysteries
Kneading – Read 11-20 cat mysteries
Meowing – Read 21-30 cat mysteries
Catnip – Go crazy and read at least 31 and go as high as you’d like – the sky is the limit!

Have fun reading mysteries with cats! (Magical Cats by Sophie Kelly is a really good series!)

My 31:

  1. A Charming Cure by Tonya Kappes A Charming Cure–Tonya Kappes–Mr. Prince Charming, June’s cat always plays an important part in this series.
  2. Death and Daisies (A Magic Garden Mystery #2) Death and Daisies–Amanda Flower–Ivanhoe is a very intuitive Scottish Fold cat that pays attention and knows what people are telling him–he sometimes acts on it.
  3. A Scandal in Scarlet (A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery, #4) A Scandal in Scarlet–Vicki Delany–Moriarty is the shop cat who usually doesn’t do much out of the ordinary, but I thought this should count because he actually does something important to the case.
  4. Dead Editor File by G.G. Collins Dead Editor File–G.G. Collins–Oscar is Taylor Browning’s Abyssinian that almost seems human.
  5. Dead as a Door Knocker by Diane Kelly Dead as a Door Knocker–Diane Kelly–Sawdust, Whitney’s cat, gets to play a important part in apprehending the killer.
  6. Murders and Metaphors by Amanda Flower Murders and Metaphors–Amanda Flower–Emerson, the bookstore cat, is an important main character
  7. Death by Coffee by Alex Erickson Death by Coffee–Alex Erickson–Bookshop cat Trouble lives up to his name, while his litter brother, Misfit, wreaks havoc in Krissy’s house.
  8. Live and Let Chai by Bree Baker Live and Let Chai--Bree Baker–There may not be a cat on the cover, but don’t let that fool you. Maggie is an awesome white cat that sort of came with Everly’s house, and I think she is going to be an important character.
  9. No Good Tea Goes Unpunished by Bree Baker No Good Tea Goes Unpunished–Bree Baker–Maggie the cat continues to sense danger and hiss if Everly is in danger
  10. Restaurant Weeks Are Murder by Libby Klein Restaurant Weeks Are Murder–Libby Klein–Figaro is such a stinker, but I found myself cheering him on this time lol
  11. One Taste Too Many by Debra H. Goldstein One Taste Too Many–Debra H. Goldstein–RahRah is quite a cat and helped take down a killer
  12. This Spells Trouble by Stacey Alabaster This Spells Trouble–Stacey Alabaster–Indy is Ruby’s talking cat
  13. Something Read, Something Dead by Eva Gates Something Read, Something Dead–Eva Gates–Charles is the library cat
  14. The Pomeranian Always Barks Twice by Alex Erickson The Pomeranian Always Barks Twice–Alex Erickson–Wheels the cat is the regular pet that stays–the others are going to their forever homes. Wheels is pretty awesome!
  15. Cat Got Your Crown: A Kitty Couture Mystery Cat Got Your Crown–Julie Chase–Penny is the princess and shop cat, but newcomer Rune is the intuitive one.
  16. Lending a Paw by Laurie Cass Lending a Paw–Laurie Cass–Eddie is the most awesome cat and loves going with Minnie in the bookmobile as its unofficial mascot.
  17. Murder Once Removed by S.C. Perkins Murder Once Removed–S.C. Perkins–NPH (Neil Patrick Housecat) belongs to Lucy’s condo manager, but NPH is fiercely protective of Lucy
  18. Murder in Tranquility Park by J.D. Griffo Murder in Tranquility Park–J.D. Griffo (Lola the cat is quite the diva–she knows her real name is Gina Lollobrigada)
  19. Sweet Revenge by Morgana Best Sweet Revenge–Morgana Best (Mongrel the cat was a good protector)
  20. If the Broom Fits by Sara Bourgeois If the Broom Fits–Sara Bourgeois (Merimus the cat was the family talking familiar)

 

 

 

31.

Cruisin’ Through the Cozies 2019

UPDATE: As of 2/11/19 this challenge is complete for 2019

I decided to do a page on this after all, so that I could link up with the others doing the challenge. This challenge is run by Yvonne from Socrates’ Reviews and this is her Cruisin’ Through the Cozies sign-up page.

I’ll be listing the books here after all, since we’re supposed to link them to a review.

Here’s an excerpt from her blog telling about the two options. I chose A this year:

“A) Read only cozy mysteries of your choice.

Or

B) Read one book from these sub-genres:

– One from culinary (anything dealing with food: restaurants, baked goods, etc.)
– One from animal related (cats, dogs, birds, etc.)
– One from craft related (any kind of hobbies – knitting, crocheting, scrapbooking, etc.)
– One from paranormal (witches, vampires, etc.)
– One from cozy mysteries based outside the US (example: Belinda Lawrence series (British))
– One career-based cozy mystery (housekeeping, wedding planner, etc.)
– One holiday based (set during any holiday – Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentines, etc.)
– One travel mystery (character could be on a cruise, touring another area, etc.)
– One historical mystery (any mystery not set in the present)
– One is your choice! (freebie!)”

There are four levels that you’ll see on her page. This is the one I’m doing:

Level four (Sleuth Extraordinaire) –
A)Read 40 cozy mysteries of your choice.

Last year I did Option B, and while it was a lot more challenging, I thought I better go with A this year seeing how I’ve gone a little crazy over challenges for 2019. 😉

Happy Cruisin’!

My 40, Option A:

  1. In Peppermint Peril, #1 Book Tea Shop–Joy Avon
  2. Jeopardy in January, #1 Calendar Mystery–Camilla Chafer
  3. Batter Off Dead, #2 Southern Cake Baker–Maymee Bell
  4. A Charming Cure, #2 Magical Cures–Tonya Kappes
  5. The Novel Art of Murder, #3 Mystery Bookshop–V.M. Burns
  6. Death and Daisies, #2 Magic Garden–Amanda Flower
  7. A Midwinter’s Tail, #4 Lucky Paws Petsitting–Bethany Blake
  8. Snowy Misery, #7 Alaska Mystery–Wendy Meadows
  9. Candy Apple Killer, #3 Apple Orchard–Chelsea Thomas
  10. A Scandal in Scarlet, #4 Sherlock Holmes Bookshop–Vicki Delany
  11. How to Knit a Murder, #2 (or 13) Seaside Knitter Society–Sally Goldenbaum
  12. A Ghost of Glaze, #6 Priscilla Pratt–Melissa Monroe
  13. Iced Under, #5 Maine Clambake–Barbara Ross
  14. Pleating for Mercy, #1 Magical Dressmaking–Melissa Bourbon
  15. The Whispered Word, #2 The Secret, Book & Scone Society–Ellery Adams
  16. Decaffeinated Scandal, #5 Killer Coffee–Tonya Kappes
  17. Peril at the Pawn Shop, #1 A Walk in the Bark–Mel Faye
  18. The Body in the Attic, #1 Jazzi Zanders–Judi Lynn
  19. A Tiny Bite of Murder, #1 The Monkey’s Eyebrow Tea Room–Constance Barker
  20. A Juicy Morsel of Jealousy, #3 Foodie Files–Christine Zane Thomas
  21. Christmas Carol Murder, #20 Lucy Stone–Leslie Meier
  22. Deal Gone Dead, #1 Lily Sprayberry–Carolyn Ridder Aspenson
  23. Manuscript for Murder, #48 Murder, She Wrote–Jessica Fletcher/Jon Land
  24. Treacherous Trinkets, #2 Rose Hollow–E.Z. Pennington
  25. A Case of Syrah, Syrah, #1 Wine Country–Nancy J. Parra
  26. Seven Deadly Zins, #2 Wine Country–Nancy J. Parra
  27. Murder Wears a Little Black Dress, #1 Resale Boutique–Debra Sennefelder
  28. Dead Editor File, #1 Taylor Browning–G.G. Collins
  29. Secrets in a Bottle, #1 Whodunit Antiques–Shelly West
  30. A Body on Fitzgerald’s Bluff, #1 Seaview Cottages–Anna Celeste Burke
  31. Dead as a Door Knocker, #1 House-Flipper Mystery–Diane Kelly
  32. Baby Daddy Mystery, #2 Shady Hoosier Detective Agency–Daisy Pettles
  33. Gin & Daggers, #1 Murder, She Wrote–Jessica Fletcher/Donald Bain
  34. Meet Your Baker, #1 Bakeshop Mysteries–Ellie Alexander
  35. Bones Behind the Wheel, #10 Haunted Guesthouse–E.J. Copperman
  36. Pruning the Dead, #1 Garden Squad–Julia Henry
  37. Town Hall Homicide, #2 A Walk in the Bark–Mel Faye
  38. Heirlooms and Homicide, #1 Heart’s Grove–Danielle Collins
  39. A Gift of Bones, #19 Sarah Booth Delaney–Carolyn Haines
  40. Death by Chocolate Malted Milkshake, #2 Death by Chocolate–Sarah Graves

 

 

 

 

 

40.

 

Wine and Punishment–review

I really loved this first book in the new Literary Pub series by well-established author, Sarah Fox. The characters were so well done that I would definitely want to meet them and have some of them as friends, especially Aunt Gilda! I’m very anxious for the next book in this series!

My Goodreads review:

Wine and Punishment (Literary Pub Mystery, #1)Wine and Punishment by Sarah Fox

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was seriously so good I could barely put it down. I did manage to squeeze in the time to read it all in one day. I really loved this first in a new series, and I’m already anxious to read the next book.

Sadie Coleman had moved to Shady Creek, VT after losing her job leaving a lying, dishonest ex-boyfriend behind. Eric was apparently so determined to win her back that he’d bought a ring and traveled from Boston to Shady Creek, but he ended up dead before he could do anything with that ring. Sadie was the person of interest even though she insisted she hadn’t seen the man when he was in town, nor had she spoken to him in over four months.

The side story of Sadie’s neighboring small business owner, Grayson Blake was interesting. He seemed to have a chip on his shoulder concerning her, but everyone else swore he was so nice and polite. It was a nice switch-up to have a female detective in charge of the case. She was by-the-book, but she was very fair and didn’t jump to the conclusion of Sadie or anyone else being guilty until evidence pointed that way. Despite their initial differences, Grayson came in very handy towards the end, and it seems as though he and Sadie could be making amends and even becoming friendlier.

I really enjoyed the character of Aunt Gilda! Everyone needs an aunt like her. She was completely in favor of Sadie buying the old mill and leaving it as a pub (but adding books) even though Sadie’s mom wasn’t. Gilda offered her a place to stay a couple of times when someone was threatening Sadie. The showdown was pretty exciting and led to a fun ending. For drink and muffin fans, there are three drink recipes at the end and a recipe for carrot muffins.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher which in no way swayed how or if I would write a favorable review. My opinions are my own.

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