crooked lane books – Page 4 – Cuddle Up With a Cozy Mystery

Take the Honey and Run review

July 16, 2023 Tari Hann

This is the first book in the new Bee Keeping Mysteries by Jennie Marts and I had such a good time laughing at the various antics. And sheriff cutie Sawyer who I think Bailey’s still crushing on ever since high school was incredibly patient with Bailey and Evie when they sleuthed and got in his way.

Unrealistic? Sure it is, this is fiction, lol. And it makes for so much better reading than having the sleuth and sheriff always at each other’s throats at least. I’d much rather have these guys getting along than Sawyer threatening to toss the girls in jail every other page. I think he secretly liked them helping but officially couldn’t say so, haha! Evie got the clearance from her grandma to sleuth and be away from their shop because I know Rosa was just as curious as the girls were (if not more) to find out what was going on with the various suspects. I honestly didn’t see the whodunit coming (until it was obvious) and was surprised at who it was. This releases this coming Tuesday, July 18, 2023.

#NetGalley #CrookedLane #JennieMarts

My Goodreads review:

Take the Honey and Run by Jennie Marts
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh my gosh, this was just so good and so funny in places. I was giggling while picturing Evie and Bailey out on their sleuthing missions, especially the one Sawyer referred to as a Lucy and Ethel scheme. And yep, they were basically a modern-day Lucy and Ethel but either one would probably take a bullet for the other. You couldn’t ask for better friends!

Granny and the Hive book club ladies cracked me up! She and her sisters were something else and it was pretty funny to see them gross out Evie and Bailey when they told about their romance lives.

I never knew whodunit until the reveal. The showdown was the quiet and non-dangerous type which after what Bailey had been through, she needed non-dangerous. Lots of secrets were held by tons of people so I wonder if we’ll ever hear anything more in a future book…like maybe who Daisy’s father was? Lots and lots of recipes at the end that didn’t look terribly complicated. Granny’s cakes sounded amazing.

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

View all my reviews

How the Murder Crumbles review

June 16, 2023 Tari Hann

This is the first book in the Cookie Shop Mysteries by Debra Sennefelder who cozy mystery fans should know well from her Food Blogger Mysteries and Resale Boutique Mysteries. Mallory makes me think of Kelly a lot from Resale because they’re both determined and stubborn when they’re sleuthing and won’t let go no matter who tells them to, even a killer! This book comes out next Tuesday, June 20, 2023, so save that date!

#NetGalley #CrookedLane #DebraSennefelder

My Goodreads review:

How the Murder Crumbles by Debra Sennefelder
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Mallory was having a great time selling cookies in her store and enjoying lots of popularity…until she wasn’t because of someone apparently framing her for murder which didn’t sit well with her…at all. All I can say is if I was accused of murder, I’d sure want Mal on my side, lol. I loved her best friend Kip who’s from a police family but followed his dream of “I just wanna bake”—can’t blame him there, well at least up until now, baking was a safer choice. Although with Mal the target of a killer, all bets were off as to how safe it was now. Kip did have lots of police insight after years of hearing crime stories from the fam, but he never tried to weasel info from them. Might as well leave that up to Mal, right? 😉

That was one exciting showdown and good for Mal on how she managed it. During the course of the book, she’d gotten her dream squashed then brought back to life, made friends with the most unlikely person and hopefully was on her way back to a good relationship with her cousin. Oh yeah, and the cutest part was at the end! I’m not gonna give it away, but I betcha say “Awwww!” Don’t miss the start of a brand new series from the author of the Food Blogger series and Resale Boutique.

It’s available Tuesday, June 20, 2023.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Crooked Lane via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

View all my reviews

Death Knells and Wedding Bells review

June 6, 2023June 6, 2023 Tari Hann

This is the tenth book in the long-running Lighthouse Library Mysteries by Eva Gates, better known as Vicki Delany. It’s been one of my fave series ever since I read that first book and fell in love with the idea of a library being in a lighthouse which, as we know only exists in our imaginations when reading this series. It’s awfully cool to picture it though! Lucy and Connor’s long-awaited wedding happened and we join the newlyweds at the reception when the book opens. But hang on, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride. Not as far as newlywed life but yeah, just that thing Lucy’s come to know as investigating a murder but not really investigating lol. It’s available today and if you like beach reads, I think it’d be perfect!

#NetGalley #CrookedLane #EvaGates #VickiDelany

My Goodreads review:

Death Knells and Wedding Bells by Eva Gates
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was so happy that Lucy and Connor’s wedding went off without any issues. It was great to join the reception in progress because I always worry at cozy mystery wedding ceremonies that someone’s gonna show up from someone’s past and say something they shouldn’t lol. Instead of a mysterious past showing up for the bride and groom, the dead guy at the reception managed to get the cops unearthing several other people’s pasts. After some clues starting fitting and just from a gut feeling I had, I was pretty sure I knew who the killer was, just not why.

The showdown was nail bitingly exciting (go Charles! I love that cat!) and soon the nasty killer was away while Lucy got the fun not fun job of giving her statement. She got some nice incriminating pictures too! The ending was just sweet and very normal which these two newlyweds need a lot of now for a long time—or until the next book! 😉 This book’s available today!

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

View all my reviews

The Game Is a Footnote review

January 7, 2023 Tari Hann

Happy 2023 to all! Glad to be back with my first review of 2023, the eighth book in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mysteries by Vicki Delany (aka Eva Gates who writes Lighthouse Library series.) This one was a fun puzzler for sure! Gemma got her sleuthing game on and even got a little assistance from her visiting sister. There were some crazy and seemingly unexplainable things going on at the museum, so grab the book when it’s released this coming Tuesday and enjoy!

#CrookedLaneBooks #VickiDelany

My Goodreads review:

The Game Is a Footnote by Vicki Delany
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Readers who enjoyed the spooky-ish elements in this author’s Lighthouse Library series she writes as Eva Gates will love the idea of a haunted museum…or is it haunted by a flesh and blood perp? I also loved the little nod to the Lighthouse Library given in the text of the book–see if you can spot it!

Gemma sure had her hands full with Jayne’s mom begging her to help out with the supposed haunting and ever-patient Gemma went along with it while attempting to explain she wasn’t a ghost chaser. When an innocent bystander was killer, it was pretty clear that someone was trying to get rid of the museum people, and Gemma’s always-inquisitive mind wouldn’t rest until it was solved. I enjoyed how Gemma’s sister somehow got involved in the case and the fun innuendos around who her esteemed boss was. It was a sweet nod.

There was a good side story featuring Gemma’s shop assistant Ashleigh which slightly tied in with the main mystery. I liked the outcome and how Ashleigh handled things. I wasn’t too surprised at the whodunit for the main mystery and as always, explanations were shared with friends and food, a super fun way to end the story.

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

View all my reviews

A Streetcar Named Murder review

December 1, 2022 Tari Hann

This is the first book in a new cozy mystery series called A New Orleans Mystery by T.G. Herren, a new-to-me author. I enjoyed meeting Valerie and her two besties, one of which was crazy, the fun kinda crazy though. That was Lorna who’d pretty much say or do anything to help someone out, and boy was she good at telling people how it was gonna be, lol. But in a nice way, of course. I think Valerie would’ve loved her friend’s gift of schmooze!

My Goodreads review:

A Streetcar Named Murder by T.G. Herren
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I liked the whole premise of Valerie inheriting a business and not having known her husband’s uncle and I liked the key characters a lot. Her friend Lorna cracked me up! Who wouldn’t love a bestie like her, right? Dee was a good character too and she made for a nice workplace companion for Valerie. Val’s sons were such characters, they were so funny in places.

I did feel in parts of the book that it got overly wordy and maybe a bit too descriptive of past events to the point that I had to hunt for the dialogue that was presently going on. Then I found a few name discrepancies and minor plot discrepancies, none of which I made a note of and none of which terribly affected the outcome or my enjoyment. But it’s something I felt I needed to point out. Maybe it was just to set the tone for this first book and give tons of backstory. The description of the town and shops was just about right, and I could almost feel like I was right there in NOLA. And that’s my favorite way to travel, by reading. 🙂

I was right about something that turned out to be a good plot twist. There were a few people I didn’t want to be the killer, so I was happy at that outcome but the person I guessed wasn’t right. That was one hairy showdown with Lorna right there in the thick of it with Val, so they both succeeded in outsmarting the perp. The book releases Dec. 6, 2022.

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

View all my reviews

Death in the Margins review

December 1, 2022 Tari Hann

This is the seventh book in the Blue Ridge Library Mysteries by Victoria Gilbert, and I’ve loved this series since its very beginning. Amy and Richard getting married a couple books ago just sweetened the whole thing even more. These characters are like going back home and hanging with friends.

I was thrilled when I first found out there’d be a book 8 and 9. I tracked that post down so I could leave you guys a link to it. Anyone who follows the author probably knows this, but her blog’s article called New Book News is linked to that little announcement so you can read it at her own blog and sign up for updates.

My Goodreads review:

Death in the Margins by Victoria Gilbert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was definitely a mystery with lots of twists and turns along with some good action. Richard even got in on the showdown with Amy, and not from the standpoint he’s usually at which is with the reinforcements coming to assist said showdown. He was in the thick of it right along with her. And he’ll have even more of a reason to worry about her sleuthing in the near future. 😉

I was never really sure whodunit and kept changing my mind. I didn’t trust any of those suspects, lol. After a couple incidents that Amy took as a personal threat, she could tell she was getting close. That was one exciting showdown that was fairly lengthy but I couldn’t read fast enough! A gorgeous horse got to be the hero (I LOVE when that happens!) and got some sweet revenge along with it. You’ll find out what all that means when you read this latest installment in the Blue Ridge Library Mysteries. I’m super happy that the author was contracted to do books 8 and 9! Yay, more time with Amy, Richard, Aunt Lydia and all these people I call my book friends in Taylorsford, Virginia. Don’t miss this book coming out on December 6, 2022!

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

View all my reviews

Dead Men Don’t Decorate review

November 8, 2022November 8, 2022 Tari Hann

This is the first of a brand new series called Old Town Antiques Mysteries by Cordy Abbott who some may know she’s also Lane Stone, cozy mystery author of the Pet Palace Mysteries from a few years ago. I didn’t feel quite like I was breaking in a brand new author because I really loved the Pet Palace series and found this one to be just as description, pet and detail driven. I’m hoping there’ll be more in this series–there’s so much that could happen with these friends!

My Goodreads review:

Dead Men Don’t Decorate by Cordy Abbott
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I knew when I found out that Cordy Abbott is really Lane Stone whose books I read in the Pet Palace series that I’d like this book, and there’d be plenty of cute dogs and great local descriptions. I wasn’t wrong, and I enjoyed both a lot. The shout out to the Pet Palace was cool and all I could think was “Yay for Sue, she’s expanded into another location.” lol.

Camille and Opal are a good match in friends. Opal’s crazy and outspoken sometimes but she pairs well with her buddy’s quieter nature. I wish things could’ve worked out for Camille and Brennan though since Opal’s got her David. But maybe it’ll happen in another book because the ending did sound hopeful in that regard.

Boy was that one exciting showdown! I’d sorta guessed whodunit or had a good idea of it. Camille really had to keep her head about her but luckily Rizzoli (unluckily for her since Rizzoli was a rambunctious puppy!) was along and sniffed out her missing daddy. What followed was some great action with a good dose of tenseness, but with some teamwork, the perp was caught.

Once everything was solved, it was easy to relax and know that some of the characters I wondered about could definitely be trusted. I really hope there’s another book coming soon because there’d seem to be no end to mysteries you could find in an antique shop! And I loved the budding romance between Paul and Pepper as well as Janie and Nick. I’ll be curious to see if little Rizzoli girl ever gets some puppy training!

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

View all my reviews

Death on a Deadline review

November 4, 2022 Tari Hann

This is the second book in the Homefront News Mysteries by Joyce St. Anthony, better known to cozy mystery fans as Joyce Tremel who wrote the three-book Brewing Trouble Mysteries. This is probably the only historical mystery I can honestly say I enjoy reading. I’m not sure why I haven’t enjoyed others but maybe it’s because 1942 is modern enough that people don’t seem that much different or uppity like they can seem when it’s the 1800s. It’s like a very grown-up Nancy Drew if you ever read the ones from the 1940s, and surprisingly I don’t miss the characters being able to use their phones to research suspects, etc. Or sometimes it’s actually fun to imagine what they’d have done with tech back then and how differently things could turn out. They seemed to do just fine though when what they had at the time was all they knew.

I’m really hoping for more books in the series so we can welcome home everyone from the war especially Bill and Pete!

#CrookedLaneBooks #JoyceStAnthony

My Goodreads review:

Death on a Deadline by Joyce St. Anthony
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I fell in love with this series with the first book and was eager to get into the second one which was set in summer during fair time when the rally was on to buy war bonds. Since they didn’t have any huge name stars coming, they did get a few what we might call B or C listers now. When one of said stars was found dead, the obvious thoughts were that one of their own did him in. The guy had lotsa secrets he was keeping and what’s this…he was blackmailing for some of those secrets.

There were plenty of suspects although one of those I never really considered as a suspect, but I did keep wavering on which of the others was the killer. The person whodunit was on my list though. I loved the showdown and what Irene was able to do to the perp. They had the whole story explained by Walt eventually or at least the parts they didn’t all already know. I get a kick out of Peggy and Irene sleuthing, but it was fun that crazy Sylvia from the first book was included too. She was always a hoot! One of her particular talents was really useful for this case.

I’m not sure how many more books are planned but the war went on plenty long enough for maybe a few more. I’d love to see Bill and Irene’s Pop get home! The story about the hometown boy shot down in the battle of Midway was pretty sad especially when his good friend (one of the stars, another hometown guy) gave a little memorial speech about him at a bond rally. Hoping for a next book to look forward to!

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

View all my reviews

Canter With a Killer review

October 15, 2022October 15, 2022 Tari Hann

This is the first book in a brand new series, A Horse Rescue Mystery by new cozy mystery author Amber Camp who as you can see from her Amazon page (which I linked because it’s way more interesting than the one GR has for her– she’s in a picture with her horse) loves horses and all kinds of creatures just like her main character and works as a nurse like Mal did as well. She’s definitely writing what she knows about and loves, which is evident when you read this book. After the very sweet ending of this book, I’m eager for the next one!

Since Biscuit the donkey was a hero of sorts, I just had to search out a cute donkey image for this post.

#CrookedLaneBooks #AmberCamp

My Goodreads review:

Canter With a Killer by Amber Camp
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was such a fun start for a new series by a new cozy author! I loved the idea of a horse farm and rescue. I’ve never actually been around horses but I sure like them a lot (especially my niece’s awesome horse,) so to me, it’s a unique job for a main character for a little change-up. Mal was a good main character and seems to have come a long way since her divorce. I was proud of how she didn’t take any lip from one of the business owners who’d been said to be spreading rumors that she was who killed her grouchy neighbor.

I really liked Mallory’s bestie Lanie a lot, what a hoot! She and hubby Bill were two of the nicest people, and anyone would be proud to call those two friends! Bill was such a big ole teddy bear and so sweet to back Mal in her quest for doing business with someone who didn’t think she was a killer. Mal’s two college-age volunteers were just the best in what they did. I can totally see how Ashley and Tanner filled the void in Mal’s life that her daughter occupied when she was home. It’ll be interesting to see Mal and Ginny work together when Ginny completes her vet degree.

I hadn’t honestly suspected whodunit but it was a different twist for sure. What a great showdown, go Biscuit, you cute li’l bodyguard donkey! I loved the very ending and now I’m eager for more in the series.

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

View all my reviews

Crime for the Books review

October 13, 2022October 13, 2022 Tari Hann

This is the third book in the Jane Doe Book Club Mysteries by Kate Young, and I especially liked this mystery since it was fun Halloween month reading. I’ve always loved Lyla’s Gran’s character! She’s such a hoot and a real force to be reckoned with. It’s so cool how she always seems to know just when Lyla needs her around. I’ll be eagerly waiting for the next book in the series!

#CrookedLaneBooks #NetGalley

My Goodreads review:

Crime for the Books by Kate Young
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was crazy good with its combo of Halloween creepy and a twisty, compelling murder mystery. At times I wasn’t sure who to trust, but there were definitely a couple people on my radar, and I was right about one of them. When it got to be over halfway through the book, I couldn’t read quick enough as the clues and theories started coming fast and furious.

I absolutely love it when a group of friends orchestrates a trap with the police, so to me, this showdown was pretty darn epic. And who doesn’t love it when a wily killer gets bested right? And busted too. 😉

The dynamics of the book club ladies and their camaraderie is just awesome. There’s really nothing these girls wouldn’t do for each other since they all feel like sisters who can discuss or do anything. From commiserating over breakups to breaking down a killer to confessing, these ladies were unstoppable! The side story of Amelia and her hubby adopting a little girl was so sweet! I liked the fast-forward at the very end to include their new addition as well as a super comprehensive wrap-up of the case. Can’t wait for the next installment!

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

View all my reviews