Cuddle Up With a Cozy Mystery

The Body in the Wetlands–review

May 3, 2019 Tari Hann

This is the second cozy mystery in the Jazzi Zanders series by Judi Lynn, who is usually a romance writer. It’s always interesting to see what kind of house flip that Jazzi and her cousin Jerod are working on, along with Jazzi’s hot boyfriend, Ansel who longs to be so much more than just a live-in boyfriend. The mystery again was very good and I hadn’t figured it out due to the great red herrings the author planted. I like Jazzi a lot. She’s a strong character, doesn’t take garbage from anyone–and she’s smart enough to always set her security system and lock doors. I’ve already preordered book 3! Oh, George the pug got a couple of tiny roommates in this book. No worries, he likes cats. 😉

My Goodreads review:

The Body in the Wetlands by Judi Lynn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jazzi Zanders had hoped that finding a body in the attic of their last renovation house was the last time that would happen, but of course, no such luck. When an elderly neighbor of her sister’s disappeared, his dog led Jazzi to a shallow grave of two other people, one of whom had been missing for a few weeks. It was only a guess as to what could have happened to the older man. Once again, Jazzi was called on by Det. Gaff to go with him and ask questions. He does seem like a detective who is easy to please, but he’s no slacker on his job and shows up promptly when Jazzi needs to talk to him. It was cute how he and his wife came to Jazzi’s pond to go swimming.

I hadn’t really guessed completely who the killer was, but by the near-showdown, I knew although I still didn’t know why. Thanks to a smart move by Jazzi, nothing happened. I kind of like when the arrest is made off-screen so to speak. It’s a little different. Everything was neatly wrapped up and the good detective once again thanked Jazzi, Ansel and Jerod. It seems odd that Gaff doesn’t have an actual police partner, but hey it’s fiction and it’s different and a little unique. These characters are becoming like old friends to return to. I especially like the Sunday meals that Jazzi and her family shares at her house. I’m looking forward to the next book!

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The Diva Sweetens the Pie–review

May 2, 2019 Tari Hann

This is the 12th book in the Domestic Diva series by Krista Davis, who is also known for her Paws & Claws series (another of my favorites!). I love all the Diva books I’ve read (I’m sadly not caught up in the series, but I keep requesting the ARCs as they come out) and of those few, I think this was one of my favorites so far. I love how Sophie and her friends work together any time, but this book seemed even more special. I think you’ll enjoy it!

My Goodreads review:

The Diva Sweetens the Pie by Krista Davis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this book! I’ve come to really care about Sophie and all her friends and love that the books aren’t just about solving mysteries, but they also show how much she and her friends care for one another and stick together. This adventure had Sophie pulled into a murder investigation and then into a murder that happened five years ago. Who could resist an adorable little girl who asks her to help get her wrongly-accused mom out of prison? When Sophie started getting too close to the truth, someone she cared for a lot was brutally attacked and left for dead. Later, she found out some information that gave her a new perspective on some things in her life.

I hadn’t suspected the killer until all the clues started coming together. As usual in this author’s books, the list of suspects was impressive and so were the red herrings. The showdown was epic! Sophie and her friends were all there for it, and I think I like that a lot as opposed to perp and sleuth one-on-one, which is what happens most of the time. It was great how things were wrapped up nice and neat at an end-of-summer party at Sophie’s house. All the little details that may or may not have added to the murder were explained, and Sophie’s belief that she did the right thing by investigating the old case was definitely confirmed.

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Murder from Scratch–review

April 26, 2019 Tari Hann

This is the fourth book in the Santz Cruz-based series Sally Solari written by Leslie Karst. I’m actually up to date for once in a series, so I’m always anxious to read the latest in this one. I really enjoy all these diverse characters, especially the new character of Evelyn, Sally’s cousin who found her mother dead in their house. I hope that Evelyn gets to pop in from time to time. She and Sally seemed to make a good pair when it came to brainstorming the murder and a side crime that had been going on.

My Goodreads review:

Murder from Scratch: A Sally Solari Mystery by Leslie Karst

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sally found herself playing host to her blind cousin Evelyn after Evelyn had come home to find her mother’s dead body. After poking around the house a little and hearing about how a suicide note was worded, Evelyn was completely sure her mom hadn’t committed suicide, and she wanted Sally to help her prove it. This was an exciting case that had several good suspects, red herrings along the way, and just when I thought we were being double-red herringed into thinking it was one person, I was still wrong, but it was a fun ride. The showdown was great and Sally really kept her brains about her and made some pretty smart moves and observations, one of which involved a fork in the perp’s face.

During the case, Sally and Det. Vargas started being on a first-name basis, so maybe we’ll get to see them go a on a few dates eventually. He seemed to appreciate her and Evelyn’s help in this investigation. Sally’s dad even found a lady to date. It’ll be interesting to see what happens next. I really enjoyed the character of Evelyn! She was a strong young woman and an amazing cook, which told Sally from the get-go that they’d get along famously when her dad asked her to take Evelyn in for a few weeks. It’s always a fun trip to Santa Cruz!

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

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Deadly Vows–review

April 25, 2019 Tari Hann

This is the second book in the newer Britton Bay series by Jody Holford who is normally a romance writer, but I love what she’s done with these cozy mysteries! The romance between Sam and Molly is just so sweet and right. Then there’s the murder investigation that always follows. With both of these first two books, I wasn’t able to put the book down for very long. And I was really happy to find out that the next book, Deadly Ride, will be out on October 22, 2019.

My Goodreads review:

Deadly Vows by Jody Holford

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Molly Owens had no idea she’d be dumped into a murder investigation after the last one was only a few months ago. Since then, she’d started dating Sam, and they were pretty much inseparable. When the celebrity chef at a wedding being held at the B&B fell over dead at her hotel room, Molly was more curious at first, but as always for someone who is a career reporter by trade, things weren’t adding up, then they started adding up.

I just love Sam’s mother. She has to be the kindest lady on the planet, since she was such a gracious host to the wedding party, especially the bride’s mom who was being a momzilla at the time. Sam’s cousin Jill is a fun addition too, and I was happy to see that Hannah had stuck around the paper as well. I love that Sam and Molly might have their little moments of unrest, but they always apologize and make up instead of letting it eat at them. The scene where Sam was telling her about wanting to surprise her by grooming her dog Tigger for her just cracked me up. I could see that slippery little dog racing around soaking everything.

It was great to be able to read an excerpt of the next book which will be set in October, and according to an Amazon search I did, it looks like it’ll be coming out this October.

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With a Kiss I Die–review

April 24, 2019April 24, 2019 Tari Hann

This is the second book in the Theater Cop series by J.A. Hennrikus aka Julia Henry of the Garden Squad series. I really enjoyed the first book in this series when it came out last year and the idea of a retired police officer working as a theater manager. Sully quickly became someone that I would definitely want to be friends with. Somehow even though she’s not on the force, she manages to find herself near a murder investigation. Once a cop, always a cop? At least in her heart maybe.

My Goodreads review:

With a Kiss I Die by J.A. Hennrikus

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When Sully Sullivan decided to help out her friend Dimitri at a theater in Boston, she had no idea she’d be getting herself into more investigating as well as running into her old police partner, Toni. She and her cousin Emma Whitehall were investigating her ex-husband Gus’s disappearance. There were two murders, and a lot of people had a lot of secrets. I hadn’t guessed who the killer was, and the showdown with the person was a bit nerve-wracking.

I’ve really grown to like and admire Sully even more after this book. She’s an amazing and loyal friend who would give her friends just about anything without thinking twice about it. That also included doing anything for her friends. The character of Emma was introduced in the first book, and this time she got to go on sleuthing expeditions with Sully, since she luckily wasn’t a murder suspect. Dimitri is such a hoot! He’s definitely a multi-faceted character. He can be sweet and mild or go on a yelling spree at the theater, but when it’s all said and done, he’s one of Sully’s best friends as is her cousin Eric. I’m anxious to see where Sully’s next adventure will take her, since this one was in Boston and away from her home theater.

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Foul Play on Words–review

April 22, 2019 Tari Hann

This is the second book in the Mystery Writer’s mystery series by Becky Clark. According to her bio at the end of the book, she is no stranger to writer conferences and has served as faculty on quite a number of them. She did say that she’s never encountered a hotel being double-booked with a conference and a dog show though. 😉 I was hooked on her writing since I read the first book last year, and I was eagerly awaiting the release of this one.

My Goodreads review:

Foul Play on Words by Becky Clark

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was absolutely awesome and so funny in places! I just love the author’s sense of humor which transfers easily to her characters. I don’t think Viv, Charlee’s good friend, was mentioned in the first book, at least I don’t remember her, but she and the conference were the center of this book. The first one took place in Charlee’s home state of Colorado, and we met her writers’ group. The writers’ conference was being held in Portland, Oregon, and suddenly Charlee found herself in charge, turning more than the kidnapping into a mystery, suspecting everyone of different things. It was pretty comical when she was following different people around and calling the police to report a kidnapping that she had no evidence of ever happening, since Viv swore her to secrecy.

When the perp was caught it was a great showdown. Charlee used her instincts and wits from being a mystery writer to trap that person. After having used the iron to attach conference patches to countless t-shirts, Charlee also found out that the iron came in handy for other things too. I loved that all the little ends were neatly wrapped up at the final banquet, a good happy ending for all. Even though there was no murder, I was so interested in finding out more about the case, that I didn’t really think about it or attempt to anticipate a murder. It was different in a really good way–I already know from reading the first book that the author is also great at a murder mystery, and now I can’t wait for the third book! I may give the first book a reread in the meantime…and maybe this one too. 😉

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Murder at the Marina

April 22, 2019 Tari Hann

This is the fifth book in the Kelly Jackson series by Janet Finsilver. It’s always fun to visit Redwood Cove and the Inn that Kelly runs there. I really enjoy the characters of Helen, her cook and Helen’s 10-year-old son, Tommy who is highly intelligent for his age and always looking to learn something new. This time he was trying to get his basset hound Fred to learn tracking the way that police dogs do by getting him together with Gus, the bloodhound. The Russian festival theme of this book made for a great murder mystery and I was definitely surprised by the killer.

My Goodreads review:

Murder at the Marina by Janet Finsilver

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I always enjoy a trip back to Redwood Cove to visit with Kelly Jackson and all her friends. I just love the Silver Sentinels, the senior group of sleuths that always helps solve cases in Redwood Cove. They all have their individual parts, a lot of which includes internet research. It was fun to see Kelly and Scott get a little bit closer. I liked learning a little more about the Doblinsky brothers, Ivan and Rudy, who were also part of the Silver Sentinels. They got to reconnect with some family, and their own little family of Sentinels was more than determined to get to the bottom of the murders that happened.

I love how these books always include normal life as well as the main mystery–and they do a really nice wrap-up at the end. Deputy Bill Stanton was training a bloodhound named Gus who liked to come to the Inn and play with Fred, Tommy’s basset hound. Tommy was so interested in teaching Fred how to track like Gus, that he looked it all up online and was practicing with his friend Allie. The scene with Scott teaching Kelly how to make an apple pie was really funny. I hope they do eventually get together, but Scott is so sweet in giving Kelly all the space she needs after her nasty divorce. I’m always anxious for the next book in this series!

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Basket Case–review

April 22, 2019April 20, 2019 Tari Hann

This is the first book in the Silver Six Crafting series by Nancy Haddock and I absolutely loved it! What an awesome bunch of seniors–I want to be like them when I get older. They had one heck of a great living arrangement in a nice house, their own lives and activities, but they would drop everything if another of them needed something, especially when it came to clearing their own Sherry of possible murder.

My Goodreads review:

Basket Case by Nancy Haddock

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I kept hearing what an awesome series this is, and now I get to agree with that! I know just after reading the first book that I’m going to wish there were more than three in this series. I fell in love with all of the seniors and Aunt Sherry, what an amazing group of friends! They were fiercely loyal to one another and would do anything for one of their other housemates. And I really enjoyed the eventually not-so-mysterious 90-something year old lady next door. Overall, I really enjoyed how this series shows how many seniors are after they retire: able, wanting to work and be useful, and they knew their way around technology. No rocking chairs for this crowd. I hadn’t guessed the killer until Nixy herself did, and the showdown was really awesome, since it involved everyone. Nixy had worked tirelessly to clear her aunt’s name when a land developer was found dead in her family cemetery, and her hard work definitely paid off. I’m so anxious to read the next book, but yet I don’t want to hurry through the series, since I’m not sure if there will be any more to it. (I wish there would be!)

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Trouble on the Books–review

April 18, 2019 Tari Hann

I thoroughly enjoyed this first book in the Castle Bookshop series by Essie Lang, which is a pen name for author Linda Wiken. When I get intrigued by a tourist spot mentioned in a book, I always think it’s fun to Google it, and I was able to find pictures of Boldt Castle in the real Alexandria Bay, Thousand Islands area of New York. Hmm, maybe yet another bucket list destination. I loved the idea of a bookstore in a castle and was definitely not disappointed in this book. I’m really looking forward to the next one!

My Goodreads review:

Trouble on the Books by Essie Lang

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This first in a new series was every bit as good as I’d hoped for when I first heard about it. A bookstore in a castle sounds like just about the coolest thing ever. I could really picture it and the surrounding areas from the descriptions in the book. I quickly grew to like the main characters of Shelby, Aunt Edie, Trudy and Matthew–and of course, agent Zack. Just as I thought I knew who the killer was, there was a twist at the end.

The showdown was really good, and even though Shelby had done something that I thought was a little foolish, she redeemed herself by doing something smart. I liked that the murder was solved, but there were still a couple of other things to continue into the next book, which I’m really anxious to read now.

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

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Murder in Tranquility Park–review

April 17, 2019 Tari Hann

This is the second book in the Ferrara Family Detective Agency series by J.D. Griffo. Even though I haven’t read the first book yet, I was never lost or confused about the events or characters. I liked that there were no spoilers about the first murder too. I haven’t come across many authors that do that, but sometimes I know I’ve been glad that I read the previous books. I love the overall family feel of this series and I really hope it continues for many more books in the series.

My Good reads review:

Murder in Tranquility Park by J.D. Griffo

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I haven’t read the first book in this series yet, but I had no trouble at all getting to know the characters and the brief rundown on their lives, who they were, etc. I have to say I’m anxious now to read the first book just to read Alberta and crew’s first case. They were such an awesome family, and I love how Alberta’s granddaughter Jinx isn’t just a granddaughter, the two are really good friends, even running buddies. Which was conveniently a good way to nearly trip over a dead body.

I love how Alberta, her sister Helen, sister-in-law Joyce and Jinx all work together when there’s a murder. They even got Jinx’s boyfriend Freddy and Alberta’s boyfriend Sloan involved. The police chief was a friend of Berta’s from school, so he was good about putting up with the amateur sleuths. Berta’s line to him at the end was pretty cute, you’ll have to read it. I was surprised in the twist at the end, because I was really sure one person had done this. Hadn’t seen that coming at all, and the showdown was an exciting one. I hope this series continues, and in the meantime, I definitely want to read the first book.

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