Tag: cozy mystery

Purrfect Murder–review

Tari Hann

This is the first book in the Hazel Hart series by Louise Lynn and I thought it was a really fun start to the series. It takes place in Cedar Valley which I presume is supposed to be somewhere in Nevada since the main character is a photographer and she realizes people could book photographers in Reno. I have the second book on pre-order!

My Goodreads review:

Purrfect Murder (Hazel Hart #1)Purrfect Murder by Louise Lynn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was really a lot of fun, some good twists, lots of suspects and clues but I have to confess, I figured out who the killer was just not all the twistiness at the end and the total why of it. I credit my high school French for it though 😉

Hazel Hart has just moved back to her hometown of Cedar Bay, NV. She formerly worked for the LAPD as a forensic photographer. She also left to rid herself of her lying, cheating ex, Dylan. She’s got a great photo studio business, her mom, widowed sister and 8 year old niece live close and also have businesses in town. Her bestie, Celia, runs the bakery so there’s pretty much everything she could want.

The same day she spots a mysterious figure in one of her nature photos she was taking of a bear is the same day the newly elected Sheriff Cross comes to town. Not getting off on the best foot with him (he insulted her hat and claimed she jumped line at Celia’s) she’s especially worried when the groom of the engagement couple she was shooting, turns up dead in her Old West studio. She’s certain the new sheriff will want to blame her and she’s worried about losing business from her studio being closed. So like any good cozy sleuth, she takes matters into her own hands and investigates. Hopefully she can clear this up before people forget about her or schedule with another photographer…or worse case, someone else turns up dead.

I really enjoyed these characters! Celia is so funny and such a good friend. Hazel’s little niece is adorable and she loves anything police related–I got a kick out of her, she was like 8 going on 15 and sounded fairly intelligent. Esther is a good mom having lost her husband 5 years ago and trying to keep her bakery going. Hazel and Esther’s mom was so quirky and crazy, her explanation for everything was the ghost did it (this isn’t paranormal though, totally logical explanation). Along with Anthony Ray, Hazel’s somewhat intuitive cat, her mom ended up being instrumental in bringing down the perp who killed two and was ready to kill again.

It was nice how Sheriff Cross softened up a little towards the end. I have the second book pre-ordered so I’m really anxious to see if he and Hazel become better friends in the next one. At least they didn’t end up arguing or being sarcastic with each other. Ha, if they ever have kids they can tell them “Yep your mom and I met when I made fun of her hat!” 😉

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Death by a Whisker–review

Tari Hann

This is the second book in the Cat Rescue series by TC LoTempio. I really enjoyed this book a lot and happy to be able to read and review a copy I got via NetGalley and the publisher. I can’t wait for the next one in the series. The whole idea of the cat adoption along with an event is so much fun. Although it wasn’t very fun for the person that got killed in this book…

I used an image of a ragdoll cat in honor of Annie in the story who was somewhat instrumental in catching the perp. Google had it listed as ok as far as usage rights.

Goodreads review:

Death By A Whisker (Cat Rescue Mystery, #2)Death By A Whisker by T.C. LoTempio

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was another fun visit to Deer Park and the Friendly Paws Shelter. I enjoyed this one as much and maybe a little bit more than the first one–it was a twisting and intriguing mystery, full of possible suspects. The characters were already well-developed so that always makes it easy to go right and remember who was who.

The shelter was holding another cat adoption in conjunction with a book signing at Tara’s bookshop but at the last minute the author couldn’t come. Instead, they managed to get Ulla Townsend, a famous shopping channel diva and former resident of Deer Park. The book sales would benefit the shelter since part of them would be donated. Ulla was not a very nice person so it’s no surprise when she ended up dead but due to previous bad blood and a video that surfaced, Syd was worried their assistant at the shelter, Maggie, would go down for the crime. Worst of all, Maggie was missing!

Will’s new detective partner was just as annoying as the previous one but I was glad something good came out it at the end when everything was wrapped up and the perp was hauled off to jail. I had guessed something was off with one of the characters, then later put it together but I think that was due to the author’s series of clues she left the reader. It was really exciting at the end how it went down and of course Syd helped Will solve another murder with a key piece of evidence.

Leila still cracks me up! Who wouldn’t love to have a friend like her? She’s smart, funny and very faithful to her friends. Syd’s sister Kat wasn’t featured quite as much, but we did see quite a lot of her in the first book so that was ok. I loved how all the kitties that were at the book signing eventually ended up with furever homes. Syd’s kitty Toby once again clued Syd in a few times, almost like they have little conversations with each other. He is so darn cute with his meowy comments, even on her outfits!

I’m really enjoying this series and I can’t wait for the next book to come out!

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Slayed on the Slopes–review

Tari Hann

This is the second book in the Pacific Northwest mystery series by Kate Dyer-Seeley. I can’t believe how I’ve been compelled to read these right in a row, lol. I’m really enjoying each mystery and am glad it gets wrapped up but there’s a side mystery that continues.

Goodreads:
Slayed on the Slopes (A Pacific Northwest Mystery Book 2)Slayed on the Slopes by Kate E. Dyer-Seeley

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This series just keeps getting better! There are two mysteries here, the main one and an ongoing one so now I’m totally engrossed in what is going down with the side mystery. I won’t spoil it and say what it has to do with but if you read the first and second books you’ll know.

Meg’s assignment this time was self-imposed. She came up with the idea to run a story on an offshoot group of the Crag Rats, the mountain rescue team that she heard about then worked with all summer so she could be more confident climbing and doing outdoor sports. Meg is to attend their trainings to get firsthand interviews with the members of the team. What she didn’t count on was the murder of the guy who was financing the whole thing.

As usual, Meg’s reporter instincts kick in and she can’t help looking into the murder while trying to keep up with her story as best as she can. There’s another close call at the end but everything gets wrapped up except for the ongoing side mystery which is just getting better and better.

A new character we got to meet was Henry. He seemed like a pretty nice guy but I’m still Team Matt as far as a love interest for Meg goes, if it ever happens at all. They’re already in a good place and are best friends so I’m content with that for now. We learned in the first book that Jill was an artist but her boyfriend was such a snooty guy that she was afraid to admit she liked to paint. I liked that Jill was able to overcome this and undergo a little change for the better.

I really didn’t see it coming with who the killer was. I had toyed with the idea but dismissed it in favor of someone else. The plot twists and turns were exciting especially towards the end and the reveal. I’m really thinking I need to keep reading this series because I’m so curious about that side mystery!

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Scene of the Climb–review

Tari Hann

This is the first book in the Pacific Northwest series by Kate Dyer-Seeley (most will recognize her as Ellie Alexander, author of the Bakeshop series and her new Sloan Krause series). I wasn’t sure just by reading the description or seeing the cover if I’d like it since I’m not a bit athletically inclined and definitely not a sports fan of any kind. But I was pleasantly surprised and plan to keep reading the series.

For anyone actually interested in the sport of climbing or trails, there is some information after the story about the different sites in Oregon used in the book. There are also some tips for beginners (like Meg!) to get started in the sport.

My Goodreads review:

Scene of the Climb (Pacific Northwest Mystery #1)Scene of the Climb by Kate E. Dyer-Seeley

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Even though I’m about as far from being the outdoors type as you can get, once I got into this book, I really enjoyed it. I liked that it wasn’t overwhelmed with outdoor facts, just enough to describe the area in Oregon where this was taking place.

Meg Reed, daughter of famed journalist Charlie Reed has finally landed a journalism job, one her dad would have been proud of at Northwest Extreme magazine. One tiny little thing though, Meg is a total novice when it comes to outdoor adventures, only having hiked with her dad when she was younger. When her handsome boss Greg assigns her a primo assignment to cover Race the States, a first time adventure race which is ending in Oregon, Meg hopes she can live up to his expectations.

When Meg is on the trail and one of the contestants’ bodies comes sailing over the cliff, she’s sure it has to be murder and despite Greg, Sheriff Davis’s and even her good friend Matt’s warnings to not investigate, she just can’t help it. She’s her father’s child after all!

Her dad had died in a bike accident which had seemed odd at the time since he was always so careful. There is reason to believe it may not have been an accident, so I an going to enjoy seeing this little mystery spread out over the books, as I read in someone’s blog recently.

The regular characters were all well-developed and likable, um maybe not so much Jill’s boyfriend but he’s tolerable just kind of snooty. I think my favorites were Matt and Gam (Meg’s grandma). Matt is loyal to a fault and clearly adores Meg but she can’t bring herself to think of him in that way. Gam practices Reiki healing and is always wanting to help Meg.

I had slightly suspected the killer but the twist and reasoning came as a total surprise to me. It was definitely an exciting journey to the finish of this book! I’m reading the next one right away since we’re discussing it in a Facebook book club later this month.

This book may not have turned me into an outdoor adventures fan any more than I already was, but it did tell a great story!

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Dead in the Water–review

Tari Hann

Here’s the first book in what I think is already a great new series and I haven’t even read the other two books yet. The series is Scarlet Cove and one of the authors is Agatha Frost, well-known for her Peridale series along with her friend Evelyn Amber. I love that the main sleuth is just a little bit older than the usual 20s-30 somethings, she’s 42, a retired police officer and yes that’s a beagle picture up above because she gets to adopt a sweet beagle.

My Goodreads review:
Dead in the Water (Scarlet Cove #1)Dead in the Water by Agatha Frost

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What an awesome, well-written beginning for a new series! I really enjoyed this story of a retired (well, a young retiree at age 42) police officer named Liz Jones who had recently lost her husband and decided to start her life over in Scarlet Cove on England’s south coast.

I knew I was going to love her new friend Nancy the moment they met. Nancy was just the type of person anyone would like to have for a friend: happy, always matchmaking and as everyone else in Scarlet Cove, loved gossip.

When the town’s head fisherman was found dead by Liz one day, Liz got a gut feeling it wasn’t just an accident like everyone had said. Frank had liked drinking a little to much so it was easy to put off as an accident. Liz’s detective training just can’t help but kick in.

Along the way she met some new and interesting people, asked a lot of questions, had some fun in the meantime. After finding yet another body, the cases were eventually cracked. Oh, and I loved how she adopted the fisherman’s little beagle, Paddy, that was going to be sent to a shelter.

This had a good and happy ending for most of the people in the story and I am so anxious to read the next installment!

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The Christie Curse–review

Tari Hann

This book is the first in the Book Collector series written by Victoria Abbott, a mom and daughter team (mom being Mary Jane Maffini who has also written the Charlotte Adams organizing series). I could hardly put this book down and I wished it didn’t have to end!

My Goodreads review:

The Christie Curse (Book Collector Mystery #1)The Christie Curse by Victoria Abbott

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh my goodness, why I waited so long to read this amazing book is beyond me! I could barely put it down, it was that good. I’m so glad one of the Facebook book clubs I’m in decided on this book or it would still be sitting in my TBR stack, I’m afraid. So many books, so little time as we all say!

Jordan Bingham has gotten a job with grumpy old Vera Van Alt as her personal researcher of a possibly non-existent Agatha Christie manuscript that was supposedly written when the author was missing for over a week in 1926. With her well-connected and skating-under-the-radar Irish uncles looking out for her, she starts to investigate the mysterious death of her predecessor who was researching this same thing. She found it hard to believe that he hadn’t left any notes on what he was doing.

This book just had such a great overall tone to it. No one was who they seemed to be, or were they? I was suspecting everyone at one point! And I was very surprised at the reveal although part of it I had had suspicions.

It was so classic in so many ways from the big spooky mansion Jordan was now living in to all the characters, which could have been right out of Clue or an actual Agatha Christie book. Jordan’s shining hope through all her sessions with her cranky boss and investigations was her good friend Tiff, who was a nurse working in Alaska. Her local friend, handsome librarian Lance was there to help her as well. A local police officer, Tyler Dekker, always seemed to be around but Jordan who because of who her family was, was always a little wary of the police– was he friend or foe, posing as police or really a protector?

I got such a kick out of her various uncles and how she could call on them to do just about anything for her. They really doted on her and I thought it was sweet that the main two uncles she visited had taken in a Pug that belonged to a book seller who had ended up in the hospital. They were enjoying spoiling that little guy whose name was Walter.

Now I can’t wait for the discussion on this book and to hear what my book friends all have to say about it. I also can’t wait to read the next one in line.

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Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake–review

Tari Hann

This is the first book in a brand new series that released on January 30, the Death by Chocolate series by Sarah Graves. I’m a little late reviewing this but better late than never, right? I think it’s a fun start to the series, I love this little town and hope the author decides to write about Halloween and Christmas eventually!

My Goodreads review:

Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake (A Death by Chocolate Mystery #1)Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake by Sarah Graves

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a whirlwind of a mystery! I definitely never saw the solution coming, lots of clever plot twists and schemes too as well as murder.

Jacobia better known as Jake, owns a specialty bakery with her friend Ellie. Imagine her surprise at finding a dead guy in her shop with his face planted in melted chocolate, chocolate that had been melted to use on the dozens of chocolate cherry cheesecakes she and Ellie had promised the 4th of July fireworks committee for their annual auction. All fingers point to Ellie, especially when she was there and did have the motive that the dead guy, who turned out to be health inspector Muldoon, was harrassing her about fake health code infractions.

Jake knows she has to clear her friend’s name, there’s a big hurricane storm coming, she’s not heard from her grown son in days and there are all these cheesecakes that need baking. Everything of course works out in the end but boy was it a fun ride getting there.

I loved the humor and banter between Jake and Ellie as well as their friend Bob, the police chief who always managed to look the other way when they were investigating but still gave them his usual “don’t go around snooping” line. It was awesome that there were a couple of abandoned dogs that found homes, one with Jake and her family (its owner was in the hospital) and another with a local challenged man who picked up odd jobs here and there.

It was pretty fun reading about the fourth of July in the middle of winter! I’m anxious to see what the next installment brings!

NOTE: Image used was listed on Google as licensed for reuse.

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Texas Troubles–review

Tari Hann

I’ve had this in my TBR for awhile now and thought it was time to give it a read. It was a nice change to have an almost-50-year-old main character. This was first in the Ollie Stratford series by N.C. Lewis. Ollis is a widowed professor who finds herself the owner of a Texas homestead so she goes ahead and relocates.

Goodreads review:

Texas Troubles (An Ollie Stratford Mystery Book 1)Texas Troubles by N.C. Lewis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was an intriguing mystery that kept me guessing! I kind of had an idea of who did it but not really why so I kept thinking maybe it was someone else.

Ollie Stratford accidentally won a Texas homestead so she decided to make the best of it. Widowed and between college professor jobs, she found the place to be really run-down but had a great idea for it, an event center. At first everyone in the town seemed friendly and eager to help but after the murder of a good friend she was planning to meet back up with, someone seemed to be telling her to leave the investigation alone.

I really liked the regular characters of this town, especially Ollie’s friend Tanner’s uncle even though he wasn’t in it a whole lot. They mostly seemed like people I’d want to be friends with. I loved that the homestead came with a dog and at the end, he helped save the day along with a resident homeless guy, Simpkins. Things ended well for Ollie and I’m assuming those at fault were getting their due punishment.

There was definitely a diverse mixture of personalities and I’m anxious to return to the next book and see how Ollie is progressing with her plans for the homestead.

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The Secret, Book & Scone Society–review

Tari Hann

This book is the first in a new series by the same name as the book by well-established author, Ellery Adams (Book Retreat, Charmed Pie Shoppe, Supper Club). It’s a little different from a typical cozy mystery and I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it, in fact it did take me a little longer to really get into the story but I am so glad I stuck with it! It was worth every minute reading! I’m usually not a fan of personal feelings types of books but the mystery was really good and it wasn’t super-saturated with the personal damages or hurts that the characters had once gone through. It was awesome how they became friends and were able to trust someone again–books played a big role in that. I can’t wait to see what the author has in mind for my new friends in Miracle Springs, NC in her next book!

Goodreads review:

The Secret, Book and Scone SocietyThe Secret, Book and Scone Society by Ellery Adams

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow this was an intense book but in a good way! It was definitely not like a typical cozy that I usually read but as always, this author doesn’t disappoint! There were murders and mysteries to solve which, I have to admit, got me a little more interested in the book. By the time it got close to the end, I didn’t want it to end!

Nora Pennington was badly injured with extensive burns but until she met with three other women who also had secrets to share, she never thought she’d trust anyone again. She came to Miracle Springs for healing of her spirit more than anything. An out of town man that she’d been talking to earlier ends up killed by a train and she can’t let it rest that this man could have committed suicide. So she starts talking to some local ladies about it.

The three of them, Nora, Estella, June and Hester start out as unlikely friends but they soon become a strong alliance even when investigating a couple of murders which may be the result of something shady going on at local subdivision building site. Nora volunteers to be the guinea pig who wants to build a new home in the subdivision and she soon finds a lot of weird things that don’t add up.

With a crooked sheriff they can’t turn to, at least they have the help of a couple of honest first responders, EMT Jed and Deputy Andrews, so with their help, the criminals are brought to justice. Nora finally feels the trust she has been looking for and tells her story and secret to her new friends.

This story was really incredible and I totally see what everyone has been raving about. I’m so glad now that my book club chose this one for February! I cannot wait to see what the author has in store for this unique group of friends.

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