cozy mystery – Page 47 – Cuddle Up With a Cozy Mystery

Death in Bloom review

May 28, 2021 Tari Hann

This is the first book in a new series just released called Flower House, and it’s written by Jess Dylan, a pen name for author Jennifer David Hesse. I definitely would like to read her other series now! I really enjoyed getting to know these characters, especially Granny Mae! I love the setting of Tennessee too, since it’s one of my favorite states to visit. I can’t wait for the next book Petals and Poison, but the good thing is, we don’t have to wait a year, because it comes out on November 30 of this year.

My Goodreads review:

Death in Bloom: A Flower House Mystery by Jess Dylan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed getting to know Sierra, Granny and friends. Deena and Sierra made for an unlikely friend/sleuth duo, but the worked out pretty well. I liked that just because they didn’t hang out in high school, they were still able to be friends as adults. Granny was cool–for some reason I always like the granny or quirky aunt characters, lol.

The murder was almost a closed door type, since it happened during a flower arranging class. The author did a great job of making me suspect nearly everyone. Just about everyone at the class had a motive, but Sierra and Deena were determined to find out who offed the most despised man in town. As a side story, Sierra’s boss left, and she was trying to solve that little mystery as well as wonder if the cute new tenant Calvin who rented the apartment upstairs from the flower shop was to be trusted.

The showdown was a really good one, and several people and a super cute dog got to have a hand in catching the killer. I’m really eager to read the next book now!

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

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Four Cuts Too Many review

May 25, 2021 Tari Hann

This is the fourth book in the Sarah Blair series by Debra H. Goldstein. I just love Sarah’s cat RahRah and her rescue dog Fluffy. Fluffy belonged to Cliff’s uncle, her old neighbor across the street, George Rogers. Until he went into assisted living, that is. But he was doing really well at the assisted living place, especially now that he and Sarah’s mom seemed to be an item–even though Maybelle probably wouldn’t admit it, lol.

My Goodreads review:

Four Cuts Too Many by Debra H. Goldstein
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Between paying attention to what Southwind nemesis Jane was up to and investigating a murder that Chief Gerard seemed satisfied to pin on Emily’s sous chef, Sarah was kept hopping this time. I love how cute her mom and George Rogers have become together. As I said after the last book, if someone told me in the first book or two that I’d end up liking Maybelle’s character, I would have thought they were nuts, lol. But she and George are two of my faves now. I like Grace’s character a lot too, so I was really pulling for her, and I knew as Sarah did that Grace wouldn’t kill anyone. Now Jane…if she ever turned up as a victim or the killer, I would never be heartbroken, lol. The turmoil she can cause for Sarah and her sister is just endless. The author did an excellent job of creating someone detestable, that’s for sure.

The showdown was pretty scary, and I hadn’t really guessed the killer until Sarah did. I wanted to shake Sarah for even going alone, but her heart was in the right place, since she heard someone vulnerable was with the killer. Sarah’s heart for others is gold, but she really needs to start thinking of her own safety once in awhile. It’s been so weird between her and Cliff and hard to tell where they were going in their relationship or if they either one even wanted said relationship. But I think they’ve ironed things out now in a good way.

It was great how the ending told all the little details of the wrap-up. Harlan is one of the kindest and most generous characters in any of the books I’ve read, and this book was no exception. He never does these good things for personal gain either, and I love that about him. You’ll see what I mean when you read the book. I’m eager to see what adventures face the crew of Southwind next.

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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Beyond a Reasonable Donut review

May 24, 2021 Tari Hann

This is the fifth book in the Deputy Donut series by Ginger Bolton who’s also known as Janet Bolin, author of the older discontinued Threadville cozy series. The Deputy Donut crew has become like old friends to me, and I love that we’re getting another book that’s Christmas-themed later this year on October 26. You can bet I’ll be reading and reviewing that one too!

My Goodreads review:

Beyond a Reasonable Donut by Ginger Bolton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Just as I was craving a good donut mystery from Deputy Donut (and reading about their yummy food), this book was about to make its debut (actually tomorrow). Wow what a lot of little things that added up to be part of the murder. When Emily’s assistant Nina was arrested for murder, Emily never once thought she could kill someone, but when some things came to light in the case, Emily wondered how much she really knew about her friend and employee. As a side story, Samantha and Hooligan’s wedding was coming up, and everyone was just holding their breath as to whether the world would finally get to know Hooligan’s real name. It was a lot of fun having that as a little comic relief.

And who knew a bachelorette dinner would ultimately turn into a showdown with the killer? I’d sort of suspected this person of something when they first came on the scene, but I wasn’t sure what. I just knew I didn’t trust them. I didn’t really trust anyone except the key players. After the murder was solved, everyone got to attend their friends’ wedding. But I promised Samantha and Hooligan I wouldn’t spill another word about it. 😉

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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Pint of No Return review

May 23, 2021 Tari Hann

This is the first book in what I hope is going to be a long and successful series, Ice Cream Shop Mysteries by Dana Mentink. These characters are a lot of fun, and one I failed to mention in my Goodreads review was Trinidad’s Cuban grandpa aka Papa. I loved that guy! He came up from Florida for the summer to help her out, but I’m secretly hoping he stays longer than that.

This book publishes this coming Tuesday, May 25, 2021. Who could go wrong with ice cream, right?

My Goodreads review:

Pint of No Return by Dana Mentink
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’m pretty sure this is going to be another favorite series for me. It got off to a nice strong start with some very likable characters. The twin teen boys who worked for Trinidad were really nice but cool kids, and I just loved her dog Noodles. I enjoyed the storyline that Quinn, a guy I hope Trinidad will be seeing as more than a friend one day, has some PTSD going on that’s mostly under control. It was awesome to see him caring for his challenged brother Doug who took great comfort in Noodles.

I was pretty shocked at who the killer was and honestly hadn’t seen it coming. It was great how the police chief did actually listen to Trinidad and helped her with the showdown. I was glad the ending wasn’t just cut off, and we got to spend a little more time with the characters once the case was solved. I’m definitely interested in reading the next book. I think the three exes of Gabe could be fairly good friends. It definitely seemed like Trinidad and Juliette were off to a good start.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for granting my wish on NetGalley and letting me read and review this. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book, and my opinions are my own.

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Peaches and Schemes review

May 17, 2021May 17, 2021 Tari Hann

This is the third book in the Georgia B&B series by Anna Gerard who cozy fans also know as Diane A.S. Stuckart and Ali Brandon. I’ve loved this series since it first came out a couple years ago, and it just keeps getting better. Nina and her housemate Harry have grown a lot in how they treat one another and may be developing more than just tolerance and tossing around fun-loving insults at each other. I’m really excited to see what the next book will bring! At one point toward the end, I was a little sad, but the next chapter fixed that right up! You’ll see when you read it, and as my review below suggests, maybe a few tissues for those happy tears would come in handy!

My Goodreads review:

Peaches and Schemes by Anna Gerard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I think I love this book the best so far in the series! I never in a million years thought I’d come to love Harry’s character so much when I first met him in book one. But he went above and beyond to prove that maybe sometimes he’s really got a good heart that’s not scheming something.

Harry happened to be back staying at the B&B, and Nina was surprised to run into him at a trade show. I had to laugh at his new venture, a hired plus one. And boy did he get in over his head with his first and only job! Nina’s friend was murdered at a wedding expo fashion show, and she was going to stop at nothing to bring her justice and also prove that an older lady who was the woman’s biz partner wasn’t a killer. Nina was worried about a stalker being the killer and was trying to avoid a certain car. The dead woman’s dog Gus was so darn sweet, I was hoping Nina would get to keep him, since he was already Mattie’s playdate buddy. But Gus did get a good ending.

This showdown was absolutely epic and kind of typically Harry. But it took all the ingenuity of the parties involved to pull it off successfully. Luckily, it worked out and two people got a surprise happily ever after, while two more people were starting to realize something good. What a sweet and fitting ending! Have a few tissues handy for the happy kind of eye-leakage!

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 Ever After review

May 14, 2021 Tari Hann

This is the eighth book in the Lighthouse Library by Eva Gates (aka Vicki Delaney), another of my favorite series. It always has everything you’d want in a cozy mystery, and it’s big on a great setting being Nags Head, NC and the Bodie Island Lighthouse. Wouldn’t it be great if there really was such a thing as a lighthouse library? I love how in the Acknowledgments, the author says the inside is all her own imagination and compares it to Hermione Grainger’s carpet bag being big enough to hold everything. Perfect comparison!

My Goodreads review:

Deadly Ever After by Eva Gates
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh my goodness, this was so good! One of my favorite book couples got engaged in the last book in this series, and this book continues with Lucy and Connor’s engagement party kicking things off. Everything was going along just fine until the body showed up in Jake’s alley.

There were a lot of secrets, motives and possible suspects that Lucy wanted to sift through and like always ended up getting a little too close to the truth even if she didn’t realize it. At least for once, the murder wasn’t at the library itself, but Lucy felt invested because of her mom feeling like she needed to support an old frenemy. I liked the little side stories of Charlene doing research with a handsome British guy, then Connor and Lucy kept looking for a house. Both had great outcomes and resulted in an awesome book hangover!

The showdown was pretty epic, and I loved how it tied in perfectly with Lucy’s book club’s selection of “The Hound of the Baskervilles.” This is another series that doesn’t just cut off and finish when the killer is caught. There’s always that satisfying ending involving most of the characters. All I can say is, I’m anxious for the next book and wish we didn’t have to wait a year!

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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Punning with Scissors review

May 12, 2021 Tari Hann

This is the second book in the Crossword Puzzles Mysteries series by one of my favorite go-to-for laughs author, Becky Clark. Her characters like Quinn are always very real, and they get into the craziest predicaments. I’m anxious to see what the next book’s going to bring!

My Goodreads review:

Punning with Scissors by Becky Clark
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’m loving this series so much! Quinn’s a normal, likable main character who happens to be battling OCD along the way, but sometimes it actually comes in a little handy when investigating a case with her pal Rico. I enjoyed the side mystery too that involved a girl named Eliza.

When a friend’s husband was murdered in their house, Quinn took their dog to keep for awhile, because her friend Hugh was very despondent over the murder. Quinn’s mom and dad loved having little Gin at the house, and I’m sure she was well-spoiled. Once again, Quinn’s secret crossword weapon of getting the police chief to investigate in a different direction worked.

The showdown was pretty crazy, and I can say I’ve never read about one quite like it. Especially the part where someone came in drunk, lol, such a comedy of errors! It’s the most fun you’ll ever have reading and wondering if someone was going to get killed or not. Everything of course, ended well, and Hugh eventually got out of his slump. I’d sure love to see Rico get to be police chief eventually and have Chestnut retire somewhere that he can just fish all day, but maybe that’ll happen next time.

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Wining and Dying review

April 30, 2021 Tari Hann

This is the tenth book in the Cookbook Nook series by Daryl Wood Gerber, and I was definitely happy to return to Crystal Cove and see what my book character friends were up to. It was murder as usual, since it wouldn’t normal if Jenna wasn’t investigating and getting snarked at by Cinnamon. I just love all these characters and can’t wait for the next book!

My Goodreads review:

Wining and Dying by Daryl Wood Gerber
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It was great going back to visit Crystal Cove to visit some of my favorite book characters. This was definitely a roller coaster ride of a mystery! There were all kinds of secrets, and I wasn’t sure who could be trusted, except for the key characters, of course. I’m really enjoying that Jenna has made a good friend out of Pepper and even police chief Cinnamon. But Cinnamon always gets to get in her snarky comments, because it just wouldn’t be the same without lol.

I was never sure until Jenna figured it out as to whodunit. And what a showdown! Luckily, the killer was outnumbered. All the pieces of the mystery either fell into place with an explanation or from the killer personally. I’m hoping the next book will be featuring a wedding!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book, and my opinions are my own.

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Murder 101 review

April 29, 2021 Tari Hann

The newest novella, #1.5 just published April 27 in the Kitchen Witch series by Lynn Cahoon. As with all her series, I fell in love with Mia and Gran’s world when I read the first novella. Each book alone is pretty self-explanatory, but I think it’s a lot more fun to read in order whenever possible.

My Goodreads review:

Murder 101 by Lynn Cahoon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love the setting for this series being in an old private school, and it just the right kind of spookyish vibe for a murder set at a class reunion. Even readers who’ve not read the first novella or first book could easily follow along, since there’s enough brief explanations, but I think it’d be lots more fun to start with the first novella, then the first book before this.

The murder was solved fairly quickly due to this being a novella, and the whodunit wasn’t a huge surprise once someone else was cleared. I liked that Mia’s mom came to the reunion and even though she didn’t get along with Grans, it seemed as if they might have actually been talking. It did leave it open for something to happen though, so now I’m anxious as to when this something is actually going to happen.

I read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the author, and my opinions are my own.

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Murder in the Cookbook Nook review

April 29, 2021April 29, 2021 Tari Hann

This is the seventh book in the Book Retreat series by Ellery Adams, another favorite series and author of mine. I loved the surprise guest who was staying in one of the cottages, because her restaurant’s chef was in the cooking competition. It’s a lot of fun escaping to Storyton Hall, since it’s just one of those places I wish I could really visit, minus any murders, of course!

My Goodreads review:

Murder in the Cookbook Nook by Ellery Adams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It was way too long since my last visit to Storyton Hall, and it was good to return to read about people I’d love to be friends with. Jane and all the Fins are just so awesome, and the boys are growing like crazy! I got a kick out of them wanting to make and sell jam. Those two, even from the get-go of the series have never gotten on my nerves as far as kids can do in a story. They’re sweet, intelligent and very non-annoying lol. I enjoyed having Jane and Edwin in a good place with their relationship. They’re awfully sweet together.

Speaking of characters, it was just so cool to have Olivia and her dog Captain Haviland from Books by the Bay come to visit and interact with Jane! It was a really fun surprise, and now I do want to make more of an effort to read more in Books by the Bay-so far, I’ve only read the first book. It’d be great to see Olivia guest again sometime.

There was a lot of dangerous stuff going on surrounding the filming of a cooking reality show with book themed challenges, and there were quite a few suspects, secrets and twists. The showdown was partially planned out (I always love how the Fins and the book club spring into action to help Jane), but it still went well as far as catching the perp. As with all this author’s books that I’ve read, it’s so character-driven and so much about people who care about one another that I just didn’t want it to end. But she does do a really nice wrap-up at the end, which gives readers more of that book euphoria that can last quite sometime.

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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