Cuddle Up With a Cozy Mystery

How to Knit a Murder–review

January 14, 2019January 14, 2019 Tari Hann

Depending on how you want to keep track, this is the second in the Seaside Knitter Society series (it changed publishers hence the series name change), which is how Amazon shows it. But Goodreads shows it as being #13 in the Seaside Knitters Society. Either sounds ok by me, since I haven’t read any of the early ones.

I read the first one last year as an ARC (then couldn’t resist gifting to myself as a beautiful trade paperback), and it worked perfectly as a standalone. It didn’t take me long then or now to get caught up with who was who. The author provides a very handy character list in the front of the book. Some people have said they don’t like those, but I think they’re kinda cool and handy. I love what I’ve read of this series and I really want to start at the beginning.

My Goodreads review:

How to Knit a Murder by Sally Goldenbaum

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After reading only my second in this awesome series, I realized what sets them apart, and that is people. These books are more than just a great cozy that is solved by a group of friends. They’re about the people they come into contact with. Sometimes some of the people don’t have much to do with the case itself, but I never have the urge to speed read or read super fast. There’s just a feeling you get afterwards that you want to hold onto for awhile. I feel like I’ve been with some real friends.

Rose Chopra was a newcomer to town, although she’d lived there as a child and young teen. She made friends with the Knitters as well as another newcomer who was their friend, Bree. When Bree’s husband was killed at a house that Rose was doing repairs on for her new boss, Stella, she was the only person of interest the police could come up with for that moment. But after this clever group of friends put their heads together and refused to let go of this case, the truth came out. Rose had a very interesting story which was shared by another person in the town but who had unfortunately died. Getting to that point was bittersweet but led them to their killer.

I do want to start this series at the very beginning and see how these friendships came about and grew. I just love that they always consult with each other. None of them braves out on their own or seems to be in any mortal danger. That’s kind of refreshing. These ladies, along with their two new friends are definitely people that I would want to hang out with! I love the friendship of the older guys in town too. They always celebrated as if their fourth buddy was still with them. They loved life and weren’t afraid to let anyone know. I think I’ll need to visit Sea Harbor again soon!

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

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A Scandal in Scarlet–review

January 13, 2019January 13, 2019 Tari Hann

This was the fourth in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mysteries by Vicki Delany and it’s definitely become one of my favorite newer series. I love how Gemma uses her sharp powers of observation to know things about people, to the point that some think she’s psychic. It was interesting that there was an older case that involved one of the murder victims that Gemma simply couldn’t let go. The case did get some closure.

I always enjoy these characters and am anxious to return to West London, Massachusetts when the next book comes out.

My Goodreads review:

A Scandal in Scarlet by Vicki Delany

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After a fire destroyed the Scarlet House that was part of the West London Museum, Gemma and Jayne agreed to hold a fundraiser tea in the teashop along with an auction featuring items donated from the town businesses and individual. When Gemma found Kathy, the museum board’s chairman dead in the storage room for the teashop, she agreed to look into things because the annoying business neighbor Maureen claimed she was being blamed for the crime. After another seemingly unrelated murder (yep, Gemma found that body too) Gemma continued to investigate with her trusty sidekick Jayne (sometimes alone though) and must have struck a nerve when she, or rather the cat Moriarty, scared off an intruder after she’d closed one night.

This case had me baffled for sure! I really had no idea who the killer was, but it wasn’t shocked when I found out who it was. The showdown and subsequent boat chase was pretty awesome and exciting. I liked how Gemma and her friends had a little wrap-up session at the very end of the book in the form of a summer picnic. Gemma and Ryan are in a very good place now, so I hope that continues because even Jayne noticed how happy Gemma had been. It was fun that Uncle Arthur was actually somewhat present in this book instead of being just a text. It reminds me of Charlie from Charlie’s Angels how he was never seen. Uncle Arthur was actually not seen in the book, but he was on land and back at his home at one point.

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A Midwinter’s Tail–review

January 11, 2019January 11, 2019 Tari Hann

This is the fourth book in Bethany Blake’s Lucky Paws Petsitting series. It’s one series I’ve been able to keep up with, and I have to say, it’s definitely one of my favorites! From the scholarly basset hound Socrates to hyper one-eared Artie the chihuahua, we met a couple of new friends in this book, one of which was Tiny Tim, an adorable but mischievous pug who is a Houdini-pup. He always wears a “Bah, Hum-pug” Christmas sweater, but like the other dogs, he proved to be quite important in this story. I hope he stays around, he’s just so cute! (The picture I found for free use is the only cute one I could find of a pug in a sweater.)

My Goodreads review:

A Midwinter’s Tail by Bethany Blake

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I guess I just can’t let go of Christmas stories just yet, and I’m really glad I didn’t let this one wait to read at the end of this year! It was a perfect Christmas cozy mystery!

Sylvan Creek was getting ready for Christmas and the annual Bark the Halls ball. When a former resident and now CEO of a chain of pet supply and service stores arrived in town and was killed, Moxie became the prime suspect. It was no secret that she hated the woman who was killed, but so did a lot of others in town. Daphne hoped that her detective friend Jonathan would at least realize how many others wanted that woman out of the way. When a second body was found the night of the ball, Moxie’s friend Mike seemed to be a good candidate for that murder, but Daph and Jonathan had a feeling he was being framed. I hadn’t suspected the killer, at first, but the more the clues were leaked, it was hard to ignore them. The showdown was excellent! Socrates the basset hound and his new girlfriend got to help save the day.

I loved that there were so many happy endings going on in this book, it was like a Christmas bonus. As always, my visit to Sylvan Creek was much too short. It’s always so cute when Artie the one-eared chihuahua that Jonathan has adopted gets dressed up and prances around. And just when I thought that Daphne’s mom was being a little harsh on her because of the second murder, she turned around and did something so nice for Daph at the end. I really enjoyed newcomer dog Tiny Tim, a sweet but mischievous pug who was always seen wearing a “Bah, Hum-pug” sweater. His owner has a funny explanation for that! I hope that Tim and his owner stay around Sylvan Creek.

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Death and Daisies–review

January 9, 2019January 9, 2019 Tari Hann

This is the second book in the Magic Garden series written by Amanda Flower. The series debuted last year and is quickly becoming one of my new favorites, especially after reading this book. Unlike most of her other books, which are set in her native Ohio, this one is set in Scotland. I thought that was a cool idea, since I don’t see myself ever actually visiting there. It’s fun to armchair-visit while reading instead!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley. My opinions are my own.

My Goodreads review:

Death and Daisies by Amanda Flower

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I could hardly put this book down! There were so many things happening in this story, more secrets revealed, more love interests–and I didn’t guess the killer!

Fiona’s sister Isla was staying with her in Scotland at least for the summer, since she was just out of college and said she wanted to live a little before having to actually be a grown-up. When the village minister who made no secret of how he hated Fiona and her family, was murdered, Fi was worried she’d be blamed for this, since the whole village had seen him turn her away from the church service where her uncle Ian used to go. As before, Fi felt compelled to investigate, but Chief Inspector Craig had to admit she was helpful at times. I really liked the other thing he ended up admitting!

I really ended up liking Isla a lot. Even though at first she seemed a little flaky, she had a good head on her shoulders and really loved her big sister a lot. Isla also found a love interest–it was interesting to see who it was (you’ll have to have read the first book to know more about this person, but if you didn’t, you won’t be lost). I think I may have enjoyed this book even more than the first one. It’s definitely an awesome series!

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

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The Novel Art of Murder–review

January 8, 2019January 8, 2019 Tari Hann

This is the third book in the Mystery Bookshop series by V.M. (Valerie) Burns. I absolutely loved it. It featured Sam’s grandma, Nana Jo, being accused of murdering a woman who was given Nana’s usual role in the annual Senior Follies at her retirement community. I always get such a kick out of their friend Irma too. If you haven’t read any of this series, now is the time to start! I think they can each stand alone, but you might enjoy them more if you start at the beginning.

My Goodreads Review:

The Novel Art of Murder by V.M. Burns

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This series was SO good to begin with, but if you can believe it, it keeps getting better! This one had all the senior sleuth friends playing fairly equal parts, along with a new retired judge friend.

When a murder at Nana Jo’s retirement community points to none other than Nana Jo herself, Sam had more than a vested interest in solving this case. She even appealed to Det. “Stinky” Pitt that if they worked together and shared information, she could guarantee him the killer before Thanksgiving. He grudgingly tried to go along with that. I just love when the sleuths all gather at the bookshop or Frank’s restaurant to talk about the case. They each have their assignments, and these tech-smart seniors are forces to reckon with. I liked that Judge Miller was in on it more this time. I’m sure he was consulting on other books (it’s so hard to remember details lol) but it was fun to get to know him a little better. After another murder at the retirement village, the sleuths really had their hands full and Sam’s brain was working overtime.

The showdown was absolutely awesome! It was funny to picture it and let’s just say the perp probably never knew what him them! There’s an excerpt in the back of this book for the next book, and I’ll be reading that excerpt quickly after I leave my reviews and before I dig into the next book I want to read.

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Medical Examiner Challenge 2019

January 7, 2019January 7, 2019 Tari Hann

Rick Mills has another fun and unusual challenge. This is his info page about the Medical Examiner Reading Challenge 2019. No sign-up required, just click to submit a Death Certificate for each victim you encounter in your mysteries. I hit the jackpot in the first book I read: there were 3 bodies! The idea is to collect virtual toe tags in the chart you’ll see on the post I linked. Reviews can be included but aren’t necessary.

This was a no-brainer since all I read is mysteries, plus, who wouldn’t want to be Ducky, right? 😉 (or Quincy, my other fave M.E.)

There’s no need to keep track since every time you read a mystery, you’ll submit a Google form from the website linked above–be sure to bookmark it if you join the challenge. When you read the form, you’ll appreciate Rick’s sense of humor too! 😉 Have fun and let me know if you’ll be joining us in the morgue!

Where Are You Reading Challenge 2019

January 6, 2019March 27, 2019 Tari Hann

On that same master list, I was curious about what this challenge was all about, so yup I just had to get in on it. You can read more about it on Book Dragon’s Lair 2019 RC Where Are You Reading post (sign up there too).

The cool part about a location challenge like this is, you get to use the city in the book! It goes A-Z like the other ones out there that have you do just states. Make a list ahead of time, or you can list as you go. I’m going to list as I go and try to use as many cities instead of states as I can, since I’m already doing Literary Escapes which is states by name, then a list of countries as you visit.

Aberdeenshire, Scotland Death and Daisies–Amanda Flower

Bellmare, Massachusetts–A Ghost of Glaze–Melissa Monroe

Calendar (no state given, just a small US town) Jeopardy in January–Camilla Chafer

Delaware–Secrets in a Bottle–Shelly West

England–Gin & Daggers–Jessica Fletcher/Donald Bain

Georgia–A Juicy Morsel of Jealousy–Christine Zane Thomas

Heart’s Harbor, Maine–In Peppermint Peril–Joy Avon

Indiana–The Body in the Attic–Judi Lynn

Jefferson, Connecticut–The Hidden Corpse–Debra Sennefelder

Kentucky–Decaffeinated Scandal–Tonya Kappes

Little Nectar, Connecticut–Peril at the Pawn Shop–Mel Faye

Massachusetts–A Scandal in Scarlet–Vicki Delany

North Harbor, Michigan–The Novel Art of Murder–V.M. Burns

Oregon–Meet Your Baker–Ellie Alexander

Pine Grove, New York–Candy Apple Killer–Chelsea Thomas

Rumford, Kentucky–Batter Off Dead–Maymee Bell

Sylvan Creek, Pennsylvania–A Midwinter’s Tail–Bethany Blake

Texas (Bliss)–Pleating for Mercy–Melissa Bourbon

Venice, Florida–Candy, Murder & Me–Carolyn Chambers Clark

Whispering Falls, Kentucky–A Charming Cure–Tonya Kappes

Zinnia, Mississippi–A Gift of Bones–Carolyn Haines

Sweet Southern Challenge 2019

January 6, 2019May 9, 2019 Tari Hann

UPDATE: 2/13/2019–Since I’m almost at my goal, I’m going to go for A Gallon Glass of Sweet Tea, 13+ books.

I love a good cozy mystery set in the South! Like the last book I posted about, Batter Off Dead, which was set in Kentucky. While scrolling a master list of reading challenges, I found the Sweet Southern Challenge run by Readeropolis blog (sign up in their comments). #SweetSouthernRC From the Readeropolis blog:

“There are five reading levels for this challenge.

One Glass of Sweet Tea: Read 1 – 3 Books
Two Glasses of Sweet Tea: Read 4 – 6 Books
Three Glasses of Sweet Tea: Read 7 – 9 Books
A Pitcher of Sweet Tea: Read 10 – 12 Books
A Gallon Glass of Sweet Tea: Read 13 or More Books“

I recommend you use the link above and read the whole post. You don’t need a blog to participate, only a link of where you’ll keep track, like a Goodreads shelf.

My revised level will be A Gallon Glass of Sweet Tea, and I’ll list the books here, starting with one I just finished and blogged about.

Batter Off Dead, #2 Southern Cake Baker–Maymee Bell–KY
A Charming Cure, #2 Magical Cures–Tonya Kappes–KY
Pleating for Mercy, #1 Magical Dressmaking–Melissa Bourbon–TX
The Whispered Word, #2 The Secret, Book & Scone Society–Ellery Adams–NC
Decaffeinated Scandal, #5 Killer Coffee–Tonya Kappes–KY
A Tiny Bite of Murder, #1 Monkey’s Eyebrow Tearoom–Constance Barker–KY
A Juicy Morsel of Jealousy, #3 Foodie Files–Christine Zane Thomas–GA
Deal Gone Dead, #1 Lily Sprayberry–Carolyn Ridder Aspenson–GA
Dead as a Door Knocker, #1 House-Flipper Mystery–Diane Kelly–TN
A Gift of Bones, #19 Sarah Booth Delaney–Carolyn Haines–MS
Candy, Murder & Me, #1 Cookie Berelli–Carolyn Chambers Clark–FL
The Puppy Who Knew Too Much, #2 Dog Club–V.M. Burns–TN
The St. Valentine’s Day Cookie Massacre, #1 Hatter’s Cove–Elisabeth Crabtree–FL
Forests, Fishing & Forgery, #3 Campers and Criminals–Tonya Kappes–KY
Past Due for Murder, #3 Blue Ridge Library–Victoria Gilbert–VA
Live and Let Chai, #1 Seaside Cafe–Bree Baker–NC
No Good Tea Goes Unpunished, #2 Seaside Cafe–Bree Baker–NC
A Murder Moist Foul, #1 Frosted Love–Summer Prescott–LA
Glitter Bomb, #15 Scrapbooking Mystery–Laura Childs and Terrie Farley Moran–LA
One Taste Too Many, #1 Sarah Blair–Debra H. Goldstein–AL
Decluttered and Dead, #2 Lily Sprayberry–Carolyn Ridder Aspenson–GA
A Killer Plot, #1 Books by the Bay–Ellery Adams–NC
A Slice of Murder, #1 Pizza Lover’s Mystery–Chris Cavender–NC
A Fitting End, #2 Magical Dressmaking–Melissa Bourbon–TX
Something Read, Something Dead, #5 Lighthouse Library–Eva Gates–NC
Purebred Murder 1, #1 Quirky Puppy–E.Z. Pennington–TX
Purebred Murder 2, #2 Quirky Puppy–E.Z. Pennington–TX
Cat Got Your Crown, #4 Kitty Couture–Julie Chase
Murder Once Removed, #1 Ancestry Detective–S.C. Perkins–TX
Basket Case, #1 Silver Six Crafting–Nancy Haddock–AR
Paint the Town Dead, #2 Silver Six Crafting–Nancy Haddock–AR
The Diva Sweetens the Pie, #12 Domestic Diva–Krista Davis–VA
Them Bones, #1 Sarah Booth Delaney–Carolyn Haines–MS
Fixin’ to Die, #1 Kenni Lowry–Tonya Kappes–KY

Six Shooter Challenge 2019

January 6, 2019May 9, 2019 Tari Hann

Ok, I gotta admit when I first saw this title on Bev’s My Reader’s Block blog, I thought you had to read Western books, but then I didn’t think I remembered her reading that genre. As I read on in her post, I found out that it was very different and something I’d like to do. Rick Mills is running the challenge on this page, 2019 Six Shooter Mystery Reading Challenge, but you don’t need to do anything there until you read your first book.

See his link for full instructions, but basically you will shoot (pun intended) to read six books by one author. When you read the first book, you’ll go to his page, click where he indicates and fill out that Google form when it comes up. Then he’ll add you to the lineup. He’s got a good example in his post about what it’ll look like. One cool thing is that their pen names count (see my first author below)

I’m shooting for reading two authors for right now. I might add more as I go through the year.

Tonya Kappes aka Maymee Bell

Batter Off Dead, #2 Southern Cake Baker–Maymee Bell
A Charming Cure, #2 Magical Cures–Tonya Kappes
Decaffeinated Scandal, #5 Killer Coffee–Tonya Kappes
Forests, Fishing & Forgery, #3 Campers and Criminals–Tonya Kappes
Fixin’ to Die, #1 Kenni Lowry–Tonya Kappes

Ellery Adams

The Whispered Word, #2 Secret, Book & Scone Society–Ellery Adams
A Killer Plot, #1 Books by the Bay–Ellery Adams

Batter Off Dead–review

January 6, 2019 Tari Hann

This is the second book in the Southern Cake Baker series by Maymee Bell, who is actually many-times-published cozy mystery author, Tonya Kappes. I love reading any book by this author. The characters are always so fun and down-home. There’s always some humor (especially with the sleuth’s Southern mama!) and a great mystery! This one really had me stumped! Then at the end of the book, they had a celebration, and I didn’t want to leave!

Even though the kitty in the picture isn’t blue-eyed, I thought maybe Duchess in the book might look something like this. It was the best free-for-use picture I found.

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

My Goodreads review:

Batter Off Dead by Maymee Bell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really loved the first book in this series when I read it last year, so I knew the second book wouldn’t disappoint, and it sure didn’t! I didn’t want my visit to Rumford, KY to end!

Sophia was hired to do the dessert catering at a library and winery event. When she found the former benefactor to the library dead by the vineyard and one of her best friends was the prime suspect in the murder, Sophia knew she’d never be able to leave this one alone. It’s a good thing Carter loves her so much, or he’d have been furious at her a few times. He did continue to give her warnings. There was a little side story of Sophia wanting to make the famous donut recipe that the bakery before she bought it was known for. After that, her house was broken into, and someone threw a rock through the bakery window. Could it be the killer wanting her to back off investigating?

I get such a kick out of Bitsy, Sophia’s Southern mama. She even got into the whole investigating this time and went as far as calling it Operation Merlot. I love how fiercely loyal Sophia is, not only to to her close friends, but the entire town. I had absolutely no clue who the killer was until the last minute at the showdown, which was excellent. The library got a happy ending as did everyone else, but I especially love it when a library gets a happy ending! I can’t wait for the next book!

Disclaimer: 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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