cozy mystery – Page 76 – Cuddle Up With a Cozy Mystery

Clammed Up–review

June 13, 2018June 13, 2018 Tari Hann

This is the first book in the poplar Maine Clambake, written by Maine native, Barbara Ross. I was so glad to have a nudge in getting this series started. Another book club I’m in on Facebook is discussing the book this weekend. Now I know why people are so crazy about this series!

My Goodreads review:

Clammed Up by Barbara Ross

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I finally got to start this series that I’ve been collecting and I really enjoyed this first book! I’m definitely looking forward to reading the rest. I probably won’t be caught up by the time the latest one comes out, but at least I have a start at it!

Julia Snowden quit her job in Manhattan to come home and help her brother-in-law Sonny salvage the Snowden Family Clambake in Busman’s Harbor, Maine. Her dad had passed five years ago but she found out after living with her mom after she got back, that she hadn’t really gotten over it too well. The new clambake season was just getting started with a clambake for a wedding when the body of the best man was found hanging in the mansion that stood on the island. Later, after being allowed to open in a day, a fire had started on the mansion’s porch so they were closed again. Since the business was already on shaky ground and the police couldn’t tell her when they’d be back open, Julia took it on herself to start investigating and hopefully find out who killed Ray the best man. If she couldn’t do that soon, she had a feeling that the clambake would have to close for good.

I really enjoyed getting to know all these characters! I think one of my favorites was Gus, the owner of the local diner who only allowed locals in. It didn’t seem like a very profitable way to do business but I guess that was just Gus. He didn’t have a lot to say but when he did, what he said was meaningful. I wasn’t sure if I liked the character of Sonny or not (he’s married to Livvie, Julia’s sister) but by the end of the book, he did seem like a more friendly and likable person. Some people in this mystery weren’t what they seemed to be at all as I found out towards the end which was pretty exciting. Everything was well-explained since it ended with a special clambake for all the local friends and police.

I’ll definitely be reading the rest of the series!

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Death at First Sight–review

June 7, 2018 Tari Hann

This is the first book in the Bay Island Psychic series by Lena Gregory. I had read and reviewed her newest series’ All Day Breakfast Cafe first book “Scone Cold Killer” back in January and really enjoyed that one.

I’ve had this book for awhile but what helped me get kick-started into this series is that a group of twelve awesome authors known as the Cozy Mystery Crew on Facebook, have put together a Summer Reading list and a special group just for that, summer reading. Participants read (for this club anyway) only books written by the crew of twelve (a fair request, I think, it’s their club). They provided a list made on Goodreads of thirty-four books we can pick from. The best part is that if we’ve already read any of the books on the list so far this calendar year, we can count them. There will be an online party with giveaways for anyone participating. I always love an excuse to whittle away at my TBR! 😉 I might not make it through all the books on the list but I’ll give it a good try and finishing them all isn’t the authors’ goals anyway.

The picture is of a Leonbarger dog which is what Beast in the story is. I found one as close to the cover of the book as I could.

My Goodreads review:

Death at First Sight by Lena Gregory

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had a feeling I would enjoy this book and I was right–and I’m not even a psychic lol. I thought it was a fun concept that a former psychiatrist has taken on acting the part of a psychic and more times than not, she uses her intuition and training to read people than something truly mystical.

Cass Donovan was minding her own business working her own little business and helping out good friend Bee Maxwell with his upcoming fashion show rehearsals when she discovered the body of Marge, a very disagreeable woman that she’d just had a public argument with. Cass had done a reading for Marge’s daughter, Ellie and Marge was livid about it. Sheriff Langdon immediately pinned the murder on her but somehow wasn’t going to arrest her. Cass needed to get to the bottom of the case and clear her name before she ended up in jail for something she didn’t do. That’s where her two best friends, Stephanie (who happened to be married to a tough but nice officer named Tank) and Bee, the guy having the fashion show.

I really like all these main characters! Cass has two of the very best friends in the world in Steph and Bee. They’re loyal and kind, even though as a police officer’s wife, Steph feels she has to warn Cass about investigating. Bee was such a hoot, very flamboyant and dramatic as well as hilarious. I liked the newcomer to town, Luke, who seemed to have a few secrets of his own that I won’t spoil. You’ll just have to read and find out. Oh and who could forget Beast, who was very well named by Cass and her friends. He was really just a sweet puppy but he could be protecting when he needed to be.

The end twist was pretty epic. I sure never saw it coming and the whole showdown was really awesome. I never would have guessed the killer in a million years, great plot twist. Everything got explained and worked out well at the end. I have the next two books so I’m definitely going to be reading them over the course of this summer.

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Too Many Crooks Spoil the Plot–review

June 7, 2018June 7, 2018 Tari Hann

This is the first book in a brand new series launched on May 29, written by Sarah Osborne. If this book is any indication of the books to follow, I literally can’t wait for the next books, that’s how much I enjoyed this one! I read it fairly straight through only stopping for meals. Hope everyone else enjoys it as much as I did!

The picture above is what I imagined Hermione, the German Shepherd/collie mix of Ditie’s, looked like.

My Goodreads review:

Too Many Crooks Spoil the Plot by Sarah Osborne

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was such a good start for a brand new series! And it was well-titled too because there were definitely a LOT of crooks in this story, or at least suspects!

Ditie Brown was a pediatrician working at a refugee children’s clinic in Atlanta, GA when her childhood friend Ellie asked her to watch her own two kids for a few days. When Ellie ended up murdered, Ditie knew she had to protect these kids. With the help of her best friend Lurleen and her new detective friend, Mason, Ditie had to keep moving the kids around to keep them safe and that made them all wonder just what sort of possible corporate espionage was going on at Sandler Soda. After three total deaths and Mason being removed from the case, it was looking more and more complicated. Ditie was wondering where in this puzzle did her brother Charlie fit in.

Everything eventually came together and got explained very satisfactorily at the end. I always like reading about what happens to some of the minor characters. I especially was happy to see Dan, the private investigator/ex-cop and Lurleen hitting it off as well as Mason and Ditie growing closer.

This book had the excitement I remember from thrillers but none of the creepy factor. It was fun and funny in some parts. Lurleen was such a character! Who wouldn’t want a best friend like her? She was great with the kids and loyal to a fault, which at one point Ditie was hoping wouldn’t also get her killed or hurt. Lurleen is one of my new favorite best friends in a series.

Mason’s mom, Eddie was awesome too. I really hope we get to see more of her in future books, ahem I think she makes fabulous mother-in-law material 😉 I love that she was an ex-cop and a sharpshooter as well. When Mason suggested staying at her house with the kids, he knew it would be safe as Fort Knox with his mom on watch. The two kids, Lucie (8) and Jason (4) were actually pretty nice kids and weren’t written as annoying brats or anything. Lucie was used to protecting her brother since they’d had a rough life with Ellie as their mom. (She was good to them but she had questionable friends.)

I never saw the killer coming at all, what a surprise! There were some great red herrings and plot twists. I enjoyed reading the sneak preview chapter at the end for the next book. There were also some of the yummy recipes that were made throughout the book since Lucie loved to cook and so did Ditie and Eddie.

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Flowers and Foul Play–review

June 4, 2018June 4, 2018 Tari Hann

This is the first book in a brand new series released on May 18 by Ohio-based author, Amanda Flower. I just love her Magical Bookshop series and was happy to find that this book has a lot of those same types of elements, even two pets that are at times at odds. Her caretaker has a pet squirrel that has a cute little personalty, sometimes a little stinker too since he likes to tease the cat, Ivanhoe.

I’m excited to read the next one in the series and was happy when I got approved by NetGalley to do that. I’m so tempted to start it soon but I do have a few I need to read first. Stay tuned!

My Goodreads review:

Flowers and Foul Play by Amanda Flower

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this book! It has the elements that I enjoyed so much in the Magical Bookshop series but it was set in beautiful Scotland near the sea.

Fiona Knox’s uncle and godfather Ian MacCallister had left her his cottage and grounds. After a disastrous folding of her flower shop in Nashville, TN and losing her fiance to their cake decorator, Fiona had nothing left to lose. She packed herself up and went to Scotland only to find her uncle’s dead lawyer in the garden and the handsome chief inspector looking at the elderly caretaker as a person of interest. Fiona had to learn about the garden as well since a letter outlining everything from Ian was somehow lost in the mail or was living at her parents’ house. Trying to get police attention away from Hamish, take care of the magic garden which thrived beautifully now that she was there and questioning possible suspects took most of her first few days in Scotland.

I had suspected the person behind it but definitely didn’t know the motive behind it. The showdown was pretty exciting and the ending was very satisfying and sweet. I loved the last couple of sentences and had leaky eyes even though I had suspected that all along. I won’t spoil it, you’ll just have to read it and see! My favorite characters were Fiona of course, Hamish and Neil Craig, the chief inspector. Hamish had a few secrets but I also knew down deep he was a good man.

I’m hoping something definitely develops between Neil and Fiona. He really seemed to care about her as he gave her the usual warnings about investigating. I think he honestly was worried about her more than worried that she’d mess up his case. The character of the police chief was kind of a comic relief, at least to me. He was a volunteer and seemed so ridiculous I had to giggle at him once when he stormed into the pub saying if he’d been in charge of this murder, it would have been solved. I kind of pictured Constable George’s character on the Murdoch Mysteries, only with a little more bravery to his voice lol.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by Crooked Lane via NetGalley. I’m anxious to read the next book and am happy to have been approved by the publisher to read and review it as well.

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Elementary, She Read–review

June 3, 2018June 3, 2018 Tari Hann

This is the first book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop series by Vicki Delany. Vicki is also known for her Year Round Christmas cozy mystery series, the first two of which I had read of her work until this past March when I read the third book in the Sherlock series. I had been wanting to get back to this first book which did help me to know and appreciate the main character, Gemma Doyle, so much better. I’ll be moving on to the second book sometime this summer or fall because the fourth one comes out in November.

Vicki also writes as Eva Gates and will have a new Lighthouse Library coming out soon. I’ve been chosen by an online review club to receive a hardback to review.

My Goodreads review:

Elementary, She Read by Vicki Delany

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had only read the 3rd in this series so I definitely had to go to the beginning and see how it all started. Gemma is really very impressive with her observation skills, something that not a lot of people possess and I wish that the one police officer, Louise Estrada, would be nicer to her or at least I wish she’d treat her with a little more dignity than she does. Estrada’s partner, Ryan Ashburton, used to be involved with Gemma (would be interesting to read a prequel about that and when she very first came to the US) and I always figure Estrada is either jealous of that or that he got lead detective over her.

In this first case, Gemma found an old and valuable-looking Sherlock magazine in her store but when she and Jayne, her best friend, tried to return it to the woman, they found she was dead in her hotel room. Gemma of course is looked at as the prime and only suspect, especially in Estrada’s eyes. With her keen observation skills, Gemma is well suited for investigating and she figures if she’s going to prove herself innocent she’d better get started. Another body was found, Gemma felt like she was being followed and never mind that her house was broken into early on. Along with her sidekick Jayne and her date Robbie, Gemma managed to crack this case.

I definitely didn’t see the killer coming, what a good plot twist. Gemma is a little bit different than the usual sleuths in cozies seeing how she’s more formal and not really humorous but I still like her. She’s a fiercely loyal friend to have and she’s very intelligent. Jayne is really lucky to have a friend like that–and Gemma is lucky to have Jayne, her business partner and tea shop owner, for a friend as well. Some things weren’t always as they seemed in this book and I really enjoyed following the story and finding out how all the pieces fit together.

I’m hoping that in the future, Gemma and Ryan might be able to get back together and that Estrada will get over her not-very-niceness to Gemma. I’ll be moving along to the next book in the series in hopes of finishing before the 4th one comes out.

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Better Off Read–review

May 31, 2018May 31, 2018 Tari Hann

This is the first book in a new series released May 18 by Nora Page. If you like senior sleuths that are very similar to Jessica Fletcher, then you will love this book! Cleo and her friends are pretty amazing and I can’t wait to read more of their sleuthing adventures! I just loved Cleo’s cat, Rhett Butler and Henry’s little pug, Mr. Chaucer.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book which was provided via NetGalley and Crooked Lane Publishing. Thanks going out to them for this opportunity!

My Goodreads review:

Better Off Read by Nora Page

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh my goodness, I loved this book! I haven’t read such an enjoyable senior sleuth since Jessica Fletcher. Cleo is just awesome and this was an amazing first book for what I hope is a long series–so much fun!

Cleo Watkins drove the bookmobile bus in Catalpa Springs, GA a lot more now that a storm caused major damage to her beloved library. A local curmudgeon who wasn’t well liked but was a library supporter had basically assured her he had a plan. But someone else had a plan for him, murder. Cleo and her gentleman friend Henry, who owned an antiquarian bookstore, set out to investigate along with the help of her college-age assistant Leanna. There were plenty of suspects and when another body turned up, Cleo realized she had to prove her own grandson’s innocence along with finding the first killer. She was convinced the killer of both was one and the same.

The mystery did get wrapped up very satisfactorily. I like how all the little odds and ends were addressed at the end. The take down was pretty epic…let’s just say Rhett Butler, Cleo’s cat and the skunks living in the library were heroes!

I really enjoyed reading about Cleo and all her friends, especially sweet Henry who was ever the gentleman. All the characters that were good were so interesting–Adelaide was hilarious (a neighbor at Happy Trails retirement village). I didn’t guess the killer at all, was completely fooled but that’s okay, that’s the name of the mystery game. I’m so anxious for the next book!

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book courtesy of NetGalley and Crooked Lane, thanks going out to them.

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On the Hook–review

May 30, 2018May 30, 2018 Tari Hann

This is the 12th book in the Crochet Mystery series by Betty Hechtman. I know I’m notorious for wanting to read and stay in order but I couldn’t resist requesting this when I saw it at NetGalley–the cover is so adorable! I’d like to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane for allowing me to voluntarily read and review this book. I have been collecting the series here and there but now I really want to start it at the beginning.

My Goodreads review:

On the Hook by Betty Hechtman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was actually the first book I’ve read in this series but since I’d been wanting to at least read something in it, I was happy when the book was available on NetGalley to voluntary read and review it. I have to say, I like the characters a lot and definitely want to go back and catch up with their stories and history. But the author does such a good job of storytelling that new readers like me will have no issue if they decide to read this book as a stand alone.

Molly and her crochet friends got involved in another mystery when her friend Adele had wanted to go into a house that Elise was showing for a reason other than seeing the house, nothing illegal. When the house’s owner turned up dead and Molly’s scarf was found at the scene, the police detective, Barry, started hounding Molly. I got a kick out of her describing him as doing his Columbo act but I think she later found out he still liked her and wanted to be around her.

I always enjoy when a group of ladies get together to work on a mystery while working on their hobby. I actually did guess the killer but the reason was a complete and very cool little twist. I thought the take down was pretty exciting and kind of funny…you’ll just have to read it to find out. The killer was put away and most everyone in the book had a good ending. Except that Molly now had three men interested in her. I think I better hurry up and catch up (mainly because I’m just a little OCD about enjoying books more in order) before the next book comes out.

Molly has two really nice guys interested in her. Since I’ve only read this one book I can’t say if I’m Team Barry or Team Mason. The third is sort of a fluke which you will find out if you read the book. Dinah was an awesome friend that anyone would love to have. I thought her lady cave was really cool. She was married to a guy a little older (all these ladies are around their 40s or 50s to begin with) and made herself a little den so she and her bestie Molly could have girl talk when her hubby wanted to go to sleep early. I think once I read more about the others in the group I’ll have more to say in any reviews but since Dinah was Molly’s best friend and had a little more page time, she just stood out more to me.

A very enjoyable, well written and constructed mystery and thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review.

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Pairing a Deception–review

May 28, 2018May 28, 2018 Tari Hann

This is the third book in the Sommelier Mysteries series by Nadine Nettmann who is actually a Master Sommelier. Anything you read in the book isn’t just research, it’s this author being knowledgeable about her subject, pretty impressive even if you don’t know anything about wine (that would be me). I had been really anxious for this book to come out. I voluntarily read and reviewed the book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

My Goodreads review:

Pairing a Deception by Nadine Nettmann

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had borrowed both of the first two books of this series from my library and enjoyed them so much, I was thrilled when this one was available for request on NetGalley before its recent release. I am voluntarily reviewing the book after reading it.

It was such a fun theme, a Wine and Food Festival and I love how Katie and Dean’s relationship had developed in the six months that passed from the last book, obviously in a good direction since he was with her for the weekend. I was really fooled by who the killer was, had no idea until the clues started pointing that way. Even then I wasn’t really sure since the author did such a good of having several other likely suspects or maybe unlikely 😉

Katie Stillwell and her boyfriend Dean were attending a Wine and Food Festival as a relaxing getaway, or about as relaxing as it can get when one of the festival guests ends up murdered outside of the festival emcee’s hotel room. Katie and Dean were on the case and by the last day they had it wrapped up, maybe not as neatly as they’d hoped since she managed to get hurt in the take down. But she was ready as ever to take her Advanced Sommelier exam since the festival had given her some practice especially with blind testing.

Katie and Dean were the only regulars in this installment since they were actually on a little getaway for the weekend. Darius from the restaurant showed up towards the end. The festival characters of Walt and Ben were absolutely hilarious at times. I can just see these two old married guys ditching their wives for a weekend of drinking as many different kinds of wines as they could. Hudson, the festival emcee who was a Master Sommelier and would proctor the Advanced exam, seemed like a likable enough guy. He was definitely not stuffy and had a good personality for running a big festival. I liked how he was willing to hang out with festival members.

I would love to see Katie continue with her police training from earlier years since she and Dean make a really good team solving these mysteries. But I can tell her heart is really into her sommelier job. I can’t wait to find out if she passed her Advanced Sommelier exam in the next book–at least I’m hoping for more books in the series.

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Prose and Cons–review

May 25, 2018May 25, 2018 Tari Hann

This is the second book in the Magical Bookshop series. A little crow, er I mean bird told me that Amanda Flower is planning on releasing the third book in January 2019. I can’t wait! In the first one, we found out about Violet’s past and what has haunted her for twelve years. She got her closure on that but now in this one, we get to find out a little bit more about her past which I do hope carries on to the next book (and the next and the next…sorry I do love this series and I’m not even getting paid to say that lol)

My Goodreads review:

Prose and Cons by Amanda Flower

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was so excited to start this book after the first one and I had a hard time putting it down. This one takes place around four months later from the first and it’s Food and Wine Festival time in Cascade Springs, NY as well as getting closer to Halloween. How appropriate that the Red Inkers author group has decided to do some Poe readings during the Festival at Charming Books. The festivities are temporarily stopped by the murder of one of the Red Inkers right there in the bookshop. Despite warnings from pretty much everyone she knows, Violet is determined to solve this case too especially since her friend Sadie is the main suspect!

I liked that Violet had accepted her job as Caretaker of the books and even found a job in Cascade Springs. She hadn’t had a close friend since her high school friend died twelve years ago so it’s nice to see her getting closer to the people in town. I’m not sure if she’ll ever have a bestie like some of our favorite book sleuths but if she would, my guess might be Sadie.

There’s still the issue of two handsome men in her life although lately she hadn’t given Nathan the time of day. She did get to meet David Rainwater’s adorable niece and seemed to gain a little more of his trust. I still think they’re more connected spiritually and wouldn’t be surprised if David already knows the secrets behind the shop and the birch tree since he’s already more in tune to the earth and his surroundings.

I thought it was super fun to hear the crow Faulkner actually say “Nevermore!” in this book! I had made a reference to him reminding me of the raven in the Munster house in the first review but at that time had no idea this book would be Poe-themed as far as the books giving suggestions on solving the murder. Excitedly looking forward to the next book!

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Crime and Poetry–review

May 24, 2018May 24, 2018 Tari Hann

This is the first book in a so-far two book series by well-known Ohio author, Amanda Flower. I absolutely love her Amish Candy Shop series so I just knew I’d fall in love with the characters in this book as well…and I did!

My Goodreads review:

Crime and Poetry by Amanda Flower

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was another book I’ve been wanting to read for awhile now because I really enjoy another series that this author writes. I’m so glad one of the online book clubs I’m in chose it for the May discussion!

Violet Waverly was a grad student called suddenly to her hometown of Cascade Springs NY by her Grandma Daisy who was faking being ill. Grandma had a very important job to tell her about. Vi’s plan was to go directly back to Chicago where she was going to the university but finding a dead carriage driver in her grandma’s driveway sort of put a damper on that. Violet was determined to exonerate her grandma of any suspicion in this death and despite handsome police chief Rainwater’s warnings, she continued to investigate hoping that she’d find the killer before that person found her.

I am in love with these characters already and I even dug out the second book to start. I’m not sure how I would have felt in Violet’s shoes if I’d driven like crazy for seven hours to find my grandma healthy and fine. Probably relieved but since Daisy was such a sweet lady, Vi couldn’t possibly hold this against her. I loved the cat that sort of adopted Violet. He was the perfect cat for a magical bookshop, very intuitive, appearing at places when Vi could have sworn she’d locked him in the house. The shop crow Faulkner was hilarious at times. All I could picture was the raven on the Munsters that kept saying “Nevermore!” lol.

The story about Violet’s past was interesting and I was glad to see her get some closure from what happened twelve years ago. I like the new friend she met–Sadie was a very enthusiastic person with nothing but kind words for everyone. And she wasn’t really annoying about it either. The two men interested in Violet both seem awesome but for some reason, I tend to be Team David Rainwater. He seems to have more of a connection with Vi. Nathan seems to really care for her too so it’ll be interesting to see what happens in the next book. I sure hope the author is planning to write a third book–maybe someone at the discussion will ask her that.

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