Tag: arts festival

Death and the Librarian review

Tari Hann

This is the ninth book in the Blue Ridge Library Mysteries by cozy author Victoria Gilbert, and I’ve enjoyed the series since the beginning. These characters quickly found a way into my book world with book 1 and became old friends.

Except I wasn’t crazy with the Amy portrayed in this book. She did a lot better in the previous book (which was a flash forward five years from the wedding) about reining in her boots on the ground sleuthing since she’s mom to Ella and Nicky, her twins. But she really put herself in a bad situation this time after, well like another review I read on Goodreads, “putting her kids on the back burner” basically. Sure, they were safe but was she?

All turned out well though with one more secret revealed at the end. I’m not sure if this was supposed to be the last book in the series. I get the author’s newsletters and know the series is ending soon, but I saw on her website there was a book 10 slated for 2027. Now I’m not sure if that’s a go or what. Guess we’ll just have to stay tuned. If this was the last book, I wasn’t really a fan about how it wrapped up. Yes, a secret someone had held for a long time was revealed, but it just didn’t feel like the last book. Keeping fingers and toes crossed that there’s actually a book 10 coming.

My Goodreads review:

Death and the Librarian (Blue Ridge Library Mysteries #9)Death and the Librarian by Victoria Gilbert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It’s still a little odd to be reading about Amy and Richard being parents since the previous book had done a little time jump after their wedding. The kids are supposed to be around five or six in this. They’re definitely a handful and it seems like Amy was a lot better in the last book at not physically taking part in the mystery since she was mom to twins. She did take lots more chances in this book, but one thing in her defense was that she sent the kids home with her parents when things got hairy and threatening.

That was some crazy showdown and I loved what Amy ended up doing to survive. Luckily reinforcements showed in time so Amy could live to celebrate with her friends and family. Kurt still had a secret which he did share with her at the end and yep, it’s a biggie.

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

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Death by Chocolate Marshmallow Pie review

Tari Hann

This is the sixth book in the Death by Chocolate Mysteries by Sarah Graves, and I’ve enjoyed it since its beginning as well as drooling over the yummy chocolate concoctions that Ellie and Jake came up with. The title represents a special pie Jake was working on despite her extreme dislike of marshmallows. That’s a seriously good friend!

#NetGalley #KensingtonCozies #SarahGraves

My Goodreads review:

Death by Chocolate Marshmallow Pie (A Death by Chocolate Mystery #6)Death by Chocolate Marshmallow Pie by Sarah Graves
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was worried there wasn’t gonna be another book in this series, so I was really happy to see this when it came to NetGalley. I’ve followed this series since its beginning and was glad to read more of Jake and Ellie’s crazy adventures and narrow escapes. Life with those two is never, ever boring!

Jake was worried her checkered past had come back to bite her with the latest murder, then when the bodies started piling up, things got clearer. I loved the little side stories in this book and now I feel totally satisfied after reading this book and all the many loose ends that got neatly packaged up, one of which was a little bittersweet. If for some reason the series does end here, I think I’m good with it. Sure, I’d love to read more about these amazing characters, who wouldn’t? But just in case it ends, I felt like everything was in a super place! Don’t miss this latest installment available this coming Tuesday, April 25, 2023!

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

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Mint Chocolate Murder review

Tari Hann

This is the second book in the Ice Cream Shop Mysteries by Meri Allen, probably better known as Shari Randall of the Lobster Shack Mysteries. I’m definitely liking this series as much as I did the Lobster Shack. Shari/Meri’s got a real knack for some fun characters! I really liked Maud a lot and didn’t think she was the typical diva since she was gracious enough to hire Riley and let her use her pass to jog at the castle grounds whenever she wanted.

I love how Shari was inspired by the real Gillette Castle located in Connecticut to make a castle part of this book. She told about that in one of her newsletters that you can sign up for. You can see how to sign up for said newsletter along with an outside picture of Gillette Castle on her Meri Allen Facebook page. I happened to find a picture of the interior of it at Wikimedia Commons, and I gotta say it’s pretty much the way I pictured it as I read! Can’t wait for the next book!

#St.MartinsPaperbacks #MeriAllen

My Goodreads review:

 Mint Chocolate Murder (Ice Cream Shop Mystery,#2)Mint Chocolate Murder by Meri Allen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It was fun spending time again in Penniman, CT with Riley and all her ice cream crew and friends. I’d forgotten what a stinker that cat of Caroline’s was, but someone in this story managed to tame the beast or at least make her more tolerable, lol. There were sure plenty of suspects, so I honestly never settled on just one but had random reasons myself for different people.

I really enjoy the Fairweather sisters’ characters! They’re both so different but I like both these ladies who’re fun and crazy in their own ways. Vye was an interesting character introduced and I did find myself hoping she’d stick around town, although you’ll have to read for yourself to see if she did!

The castle setting was so cool with all its rooms and creepiness but not super creepy since Maud was trying her best to get it looking nice again. From reading the author’s newsletter, I know there’s a castle in Connecticut she based this from and of course added some extra fun of her own to it. But it was totally picturable. Now I wouldn’t mind going to see that castle she used for inspiration!

I loved how Riley came to the answer she did and the showdown was as Flo put it, very worth of a Mission Impossible movie! The ending was just so very Riley and now I’m eager to see what happens next! This book releases tomorrow, July 26, 2022.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by St. Martin’s Paperbacks via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

View all my reviews