cozy mystery – Page 35 – Cuddle Up With a Cozy Mystery

Peril at Pennington Manor review

June 9, 2022June 9, 2022 Tari Hann

This is the second book in the Avery Ayers Antique Mysteries by Tracy Gardner who also wrote the Shepherd Sisters Mysteries. I devoured the first book last year and eagerly waited for this one to come up on NetGalley as well. It didn’t disappoint, and I loved how Art and Avery were working together again and coming to a new friendship. It was too cute when she started calling him “cat dad”, but you’ll just have to read it and see what led up to that!

#CrookedLaneBooks #TracyGardner

My Goodreads review:

Peril at Pennington Manor by Tracy Gardner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another awesome installment in this new series! I fell in love with the key characters in the first book and just had to see what they were up to this time. That Aunt Midge sure has her connections with getting Avery and her crew an appraisal job for royalty. Something hinky was going on at the Duke’s manor though. Things did seem a tad slower than the first book because that one obviously had the constant suspense of the “is he alive or not?” question.

But boy when this one picked up some speed toward the end, I just couldn’t read fast enough! The events leading up to catching the perp were pretty suspenseful with Art and Avery sleuthing together. I was never totally sure about whodunit although it wasn’t who I originally suspected. But there were definitely some exciting moments going on.

I loved that Avery and Art were getting closer and opening up about themselves, especially Art. The whole cat dad thing was so funny too! And super sweet. Avery got to achieve something she’d always dreamed about, had closure about something else, and her future with Art was definitely looking brighter!

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

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Death by Beach Read-review

June 6, 2022June 6, 2022 Tari Hann

This is the ninth book in the Lighthouse Library Mysteries by Eva Gates also known as Vicki Delany. You can check the links to see what she’s written under both, but I know she’s used the Eva Gates exclusively for the Lighthouse Library.

I just love this long-running series and how all the characters have grown and developed. Probably the most changed was Louise Jane. She went from being someone I absolutely couldn’t stand to someone who’s actually a decent supporting character now. Yep, she’ll never get over loving to tease Lucy (because Lucy’s just so teasable, lol.), but since she’s now the proud inhabitant of the Lighthouse Aerie, part of her lifelong dream came true. I believe Louise Jane might just achieve complete happiness if she could adopt a ghost as a pet or a roommate!

My Goodreads review:

Death by Beach Read by Eva Gates
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lucy and Connor didn’t exactly count on a ghostly roommate when they started working on fixing up the Harper house on the beach, but good ole Louise Jane’s always hoping for a new haunt to talk about. Lucy didn’t think for a minute that the noises she heard in their house had anything to do with a ghost but more like a flesh ‘n blood intruder…which they’d find out soon enough when a guy was killed in their house.

OMG I was so unhappy to see that Diane, one of the nasty previous library board members was back in town and just wondered what kind of trouble she’d get into this time. Then we met Ralph’s recluse sister Jo who surprised everyone by attending book club. Another woman came around claiming to be the dead guy’s ex-wife and wanting her fair share of the house’s sales. Was it one of them whodunit…or could one of Louise Jane’s wishes come true, and the man was killed by a ghost? Not that she’d ever wish someone was killed by a ghost, but she sure likes talking about ghosts.

Lucy definitely had her plate full…again with juggling the murder and sometimes actually being asked to help Sam, she was planning her wedding, and there was pesky Diane back in town probably hoping to get back on the library board. What’s a girl to do? Well for starters, you just cuddle a certain library cat named Charles. Speaking of Charles, he got to be a hero cat in this book-I always love when a pet gets to intervene and help. Poor guy, I felt bad for the cat having to get used to living in a house when he previously had full run of the library.

That showdown was something else, but Lucy used her head about at least part of it, and there was some good evidence to turn in. It was pretty sweet how poor, troubled Jo had gotten some closure for an event that’d still haunted her from long ago. And a nice older gentleman got a new friend in her. I’m really eager now for the next book figuring and hoping it’s Lucy and Connor’s wedding story. As in everything Lucy does, I’m sure it’s gonna be an adventurous tale!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC provided by Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own. This book releases June 7, 2022.

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Murder Is no Picnic review

June 3, 2022June 3, 2022 Tari Hann

This is the third book in the fun and deliciously food-centered Cape Cod Foodie Mysteries by Amy Pershing. I love her descriptions of the area and had decided after reading the first book that Cape Cod was definitely gonna be somewhere I’d like to visit. This series has some good humor, good food and of course the all-important thing…good friends.

#BerkleyPublishing #AmyPershing

My Goodreads review:

Murder Is No Picnic by Amy Pershing
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Summer at Cape Cod sounds really awesome, and the author’s descriptions of the scenery and food almost make me feel like I’m right there with Sam and her friends. I loved how Jillian organized a sleuthing team and everyone did a little something toward figuring out why their local famous chef was killed in a fire when she clearly wouldn’t have been so careless with her stove and food.

Diogi continues to crack me up in this series! What a sweet, goofy dog who wuvs Helene and boat rides. I always giggle when I see what he wuvs, so funny! It was weird with Jason being on a job out in California although he did pop back home a few times. I could tell Sam missed him like crazy. I thought it was kinda cool that Vivvie the detective was treating Sam more like a peer now and not being snarky. Seems the good detective was a natural at sailing and loved taking lessons from Sam. It definitely came in handy for apprehending a killer!

I liked that the showdown wasn’t necessarily life-threatening this time, although what happened right before was pretty exciting. The festive Fourth of July clambake and ending was the perfect thing to top off the mystery as families and friends gathered to have some fun. Jason and Sam just enjoyed the time together.

I’m so eager now to read the next book, but I don’t think I better spill why, lol. You’ll know when you read it, but I was just happy that Jason and Samantha at the end felt like they were comfortable in their relationship. Sam’s grown quite a bit from the very first book and she’s actually starting to behave more like an adult…but still have fun! 😉

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Berkley Publishing via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own. This book releases June 7, 2022.

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The Proof Is in the Poison review

May 31, 2022 Tari Hann

This is the second book in the Southern Homebrew Mysteries by Diane Kelly who’s written several other cozy series as well. I recently read the first book and was very eager to get my hands on the second book and definitely wasn’t disappointed. I can’t say I’m a model railroad fan, but I can appreciate the level of enthusiasm people have for that particular hobby since I’ve always been some sort of collector. I can’t say I was ever as diehard a fan of my hobby as ole Bert was though! Find out what happens in this fun installment available on June 7, 2022.

#BerkleyPublishing #DianeKelly

My Goodreads review:

The Proof Is in the Poison by Diane Kelly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another fun adventure with Hattie and Granddaddy! I recently read the first book and enjoyed it so much, I was happy to be able to get hold of this ARC for this book releasing next Tuesday. I get such a kick out of Granddaddy and his enthusiasm for pretty much everything. I could just picture him zipping around that model train show on his scooter. And the whole idea of a model train convention, let’s just say Sheldon would be in paradise. (actually so would my husband lol).

I was definitely wrong in my guessing whodunit and didn’t really think about this person much until Hattie started suspecting them. I love how ideas just come to her no matter where she’s at, even on horseback with her boyfriend Marlon. Although what a great guy to have around when she got a case idea, right? I really like Det. Ace now and how she included Hattie in the investigation–although her reasoning for letting Hattie help was totally spot-on, I still had to giggle at it and thinking yep, perfect reason for strong-willed Hattie.

When the three besties got together, we met little Colton who was probably cutting his teeth on solving a mystery with his auntie Hattie. I like that Kate didn’t let being a mom slow her down in wanting to be with her buddies and sleuth a little. It was just pack the kiddo and take off. And I just thought, a baby in a stroller makes a great cover. Who’d suspect a baby of being a little sleuth?

There was a pretty exciting chase before the actual showdown which was pretty peaceful, the showdown not the chase, lol. Hattie and Marlon’s date at the end took them past some posters that highlighted the next event that I look forward to reading about in the next book!

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

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The Diva Says Cheesecake! review

May 28, 2022 Tari Hann

This is the fifteenth book in the Domestic Diva Mysteries, a long-running series by one of my fave cozy authors, Krista Davis. It’s always great to visit Old Town Alexandria and hang out with Sophie and her crew of assorted faithful friends and all their pets. She’s got the best network of friends and it seems like there’s someone for any job that needs done or any problem that needs solved by talking to one (or all) of said friends. I love when they all convene at Sophie’s house and talk about the case. It’s always fun to hear their opinions and theories as to whodunit.

As always, I can’t wait till the next book and wish it was sooner than a year. But if I need my fix from this author, she’s still got two more new releases for this year with her other cozy series.

#KensingtonCozies #KristaDavis

My Goodreads review:

The Diva Says Cheesecake! by Krista Davis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It was great visiting with Sophie and her crew of friends again. I loved how she and Nina did a lot of the sleuthing together that involved dog walking, but Soph still went out on her own enough to keep her friends worried about her. Sophie’s got an amazing network of awesome friends and I love that she’s got a good relationship with her ex as well.

Sophie’s also a smart lady who only ends up in weird situations because she’s so driven to get to the truth. She’s actually the only main character in a cozy that I haven’t wanted to fix up with one of the guys because Mars, Bernie and Wolf already are there for her. She had her dating spree with Wolf and stayed friends with him too which turned out great for her.

I had my eye on someone I thought whodunit from fairly early and just kinda watched it play out trying to stick to my choice, and it ended up being right! This mystery was so good and full of twists that I could picture it as a light-hearted mystery movie. I’ve really come to like Natasha’s mom, Wanda, Charlene and Griselda who’s Wanda’s business partner. Poor ole Natasha just can’t win though, lol and she honestly without trying does provide a lot of the comedy relief. Don’t miss this fun and sometimes funny fifteenth installment of the Domestic Diva series for sale this coming Tuesday, May 31, 2022.

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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Fatal Flowers review

May 24, 2022 Tari Hann

This is the third book in the Flower House Mysteries by Jess Dylan who cozy readers might know better as Jennifer David Hesse. As Jess, she’s been writing this series, and I gotta say, it’s just getting better. Maybe it helped me to read book 2 with this book immediately after. That way, the characters were fresh in my mind, and I had more of a vested interest in seeing what their next adventure was. The books can easily be read alone, but for complete enjoyment and character/relationship development, definitely start with the first book. You’ll see what I mean about it just getting better.

I love that little Corgi Gus and how he seems to have a sense of when his momma’s in danger or needs him. Maybe he’s like Granny Mae!

#St.MartinsPaperbacks #JessDylan

My Goodreads review:

Fatal Flowers: A Flower House Mystery by Jess Dylan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I literally just finished this book on the heels of reading book 2 in the series, and I’m really in love with the characters at this point. Book three was just the sweet spot that had Sierra, Deena and Calvin all working together along with Sierra’s brother Rocky who likes Deena and seems like he’d do anything for her, lol.

This was a crazy case with all sorts of things going wrong. Basically, if it could go wrong for planning a wedding, it did. Someone with a side hustle of something illegal was lurking around and Sierra wondered which one of the wedding vendors it was. She was tired of being terrorized by a guy on a motor scooter and just kept on sleuthing no matter what. I love Calvin for how he’s pretty much game for anything she wants to do–and I’m always proud of her when she takes someone along with her whether it’s Cal, Deena or her dog Gus. Sierra tries very hard not to do stupid things, but sometimes she’s still pretty impulsive, and that’s enough to get a person killed!

I had two people in mind for whodunit, but as the book progressed and hidden clues showed up, I settled on one and was right. It was pretty exciting to see how the perp was caught too, then the ending was everyone gathered for Sierra’s birthday. I’m super eager now to read the next book! It was a lot of fun going directly from book 2 to this one and made me get to know the characters a lot better.

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

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Buried in a Good Book review

May 24, 2022 Tari Hann

This is the first book in a new series, By the Book Mysteries by Tamara Berry, and I really enjoyed it so much! The author did a great job of combining humor and a little cozy suspense into the story. I could tell Tess really liked the sheriff, so I hope there’s some sort of future in store for them even if it starts out slowly and builds. Tess’s daughter Gertie was such a great character! I really liked her a lot more than I thought I would when the book started. I’m eager to see what kinds of adventures they get into next.

Hey look what I found when I went to the series page, the next book’s coming in November! It’s called On Spine of Death.

#PoisonedPenPress #TamaraBerry

My Goodreads review:

Buried in a Good Book by Tamara Berry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really liked Tess and Gertie’s characters, well at first I wasn’t so sure about Gertie, but she sure made one heck of a good sleuth and surprisingly enough, she took to the remote life better than I ever thought a teen her age would. Nicki was a pretty awesome character too, and later on that was even truer! Tess met a wannabe author in Deputy Ivy from the sheriff’s department and was surprised to find out that the lady was really a good author.

There were some fun cozy mystery creepy parts but not super creepy, and I wasn’t sure who all could be trusted, but once I was pretty sure of it, I just followed as Tess and Gertie with the help of their new friends solved the case. I hadn’t quite guessed the killer until Tess did. She cracked me up with how she compared the real life sheriff to the detective character she wrote in her books. And it was even funnier that he was a fan of the books as were some of the people in town who also thought he reminded them of the fictional Detective Gonzales.

After an exciting, planned showdown, all was explained and wrapped up. There’d been some other hinky stuff going on as a side mystery, so that was looking like it’d be an ongoing mystery or investigation. Now I’m really eager to read the next book!

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

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A Sprinkle in Time review

May 23, 2022 Tari Hann

This is the second book in the Shake Shop Mysteries series by Dana Mentink, and I’m really liking these characters the more I get to know them. I always get a kick out of Trinidad’s grandpa, Papa. Poor guy found a dead body in his beloved car’s trunk this time! Pick up a copy this week and see how this unfolds!

My Goodreads review:

A Sprinkle in Time by Dana Mentink
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had a nice review written the day I finished this, but apparently Goodreads cyber gremlins ate it. Hopefully I can recreate it here. And no, I didn’t read this twice as GR seems to want to think I did, but I can’t figure out how to fix that.

This was a fun fall festival until a body was dumped in Papa’s car. Trinidad went into full-on sleuth mode without trying to be too conspicuous about it. I loved that her new unlikely friends or sisters as she calls them are none other than her ex’s other exes. But that’s better than feeling like scratching out their eyes, right? Trini even loves Bonnie’s sweet little daughter Felice aka Fee like she’s her own niece.

Quinn had a side mystery going on but eventually came clean on it with Trinidad having not even told his brother Doug this particular secret. I like that they’re growing closer and realizing they shouldn’t have secrets from each other.

The showdown was peaceful yet a nail biter if that makes sense since it was kinda planned. With another successful case solved, everyone gathered at the end for explanations, food and fellowship. Finally Trinidad felt at home!

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

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A Midsummer Night’s Fudge review

May 20, 2022 Tari Hann

This is the tenth book in the Candy-Coated Mysteries by Nancy Coco and one of the series I always make sure I’m up to date on. If I had time to reread, this series would definitely be one of those I’d read again. It’s just so much fun reading about the real places my family and I visited on Mackinac–and it’s awesome to read the author’s notes about the real places or names she sometimes uses.

My Goodreads review:

A Midsummer Night’s Fudge by Nancy CoCo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Allie and her senior friends (yep, she’s got her own posse much to Rex’s dismay lol) had a tough case and as the bodies started piling up with no answers in sight, even Rex and crew might’ve been willing to admit they needed help. Well, never out loud. 😉 I loved how Allie had to ride herd on Carol and Irma, her senior center friends, and it was so funny to hear her telling them the exact same things Rex was always trying to drill into her brain: don’t go out alone when there’s a killer loose! I’ve always liked Carol’s character ever since she became more of a constant in the story line and sleuthing helper along with Irma, her power walking buddy. Allie figured by keeping an eye on the seniors, it was the perfect excuse to go snooping!

I actually had the killer picked out pretty early, stuck with my choice, and I was happy to find out I was right for once! There wasn’t anything in particular early on that made me choose this person, kinda a sheer dumb luck thing, lol.

At least Rex and Allie were at a stage now where he wasn’t always getting on her case, and when he did he was gentler about it–and she didn’t get all defensive like she did in the past. She’s always gonna be Allie and do impulsive and uh yeah sometimes stupid things, but she seems to have more lives than a cat right now since this is the tenth book. Gotta love her for who she is and how much she loves her friends that’re really her adopted island family.

Being the tenth book, there’s been an ongoing theme about where Allie usually ends up tossed by the killer, and I had to giggle when she commented on it in the narrative because I’d just had that same idea!

I haven’t read the teaser chapter at the end, but I’m always eager to do that and keep it as a little treat for when I’m completely done. Even sight unseen, I’m always ready for the next book! Mackinac Island is one of my fave places to visit and I can’t wait to go back both physically and via this series!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Kensington Cozies via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own. Don’t miss this book when it releases next Tuesday, May 24, 2022!

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Bear Witness review

May 5, 2022 Tari Hann

This is the first in a brand new series called Alaska Untamed Mysteries by Lark O. Jensen, a pen name for someone cozy authors know better as Linda O. Johnson, author of the Barkery & Biscuits Mysteries as well as the cozy series Kendra Ballantyne, Pet Sitter Mysteries and Pet Rescue Mysteries.

I love armchair traveling and how I could go on an Alaska tour boat , get the scenery described to me, and I never had to leave home just by reading this mystery. This was a fun and different job for a cozy main character, and I’m looking forward to more adventures on the ClemElk!

My Goodreads review:

Bear Witness by Lark O. Jensen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This seemed like a fun and different job for a cozy mystery main character, and the author definitely captured the cozy mystery aspect well. Everything was nicely described and since I probably won’t ever make it to Alaska, it was fairly easy to picture this scenery instead. I have to agree with the reviewer who thought there wasn’t a whole lot to Stacie besides wildlife and her job. I just didn’t feel quite like I knew her that well by the end of the book. I also agree it was a little soon to start a physical relationship especially in the middle of a murder investigation. Afterward, be my guest, lol.

The killer seemed as elusive as the guy they’d been trying to track down before finding him dead, and at times the story seemed a little like it was dragging along when I was just eager to find out whodunit. By the time the showdown came, I was pretty sure I knew who the culprit was, and I was right.

I loved that a Husky dog was in the story, but that’s basically all she was, a companion. I’d hoped she’d have a little more personality, although I realize they’re super smart and have to be on their best behavior if these dogs want to go on tour boats. Since this was the intro to all the characters and surroundings though, I’m definitely willing to read the next in the hopes it’ll be even better.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Crooked Lane via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own. The book releases Tuesday, May 10, 2022.

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