Trouble Is Brewing review

This is the fifth book in the Tea by the Sea Mysteries by well-known cozy mystery author, Vicki Delany aka Eva Gates of the Lighthouse Library Mysteries. I’ve enjoyed this series as much as her other ones. She’s always known for clever, fun characters and some cute pets like Eclair the Labradoodle and Robbie, Rose’s lap cat. Lily and her grandma really had their work cut out for them this time, what a crazy bunch of guests!

#NetGalley #KensingtonCozies #VickiDelany

My Goodreads review:

Trouble Is Brewing (Tea by the Sea Mysteries Book 5)Trouble Is Brewing by Vicki Delany
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What’s even worse than a bridezilla? A groom’s Momzilla, that’s what and Sophia filled that role like a champ. I didn’t care for her at all but her own mother-in-law Regina who was pretty insufferable as it was stood up to Sophia’s insults and petty comments about her. I agreed with Bernie, I kinda liked the old lady! Such is the life of B&B and tearoom owners Rose and Lily.

I’m pretty sure I’d never have the patience for doing their jobs but they were awfully good at it. And wouldn’t life be boring without a bestie like Bernie? She always cracks me up but somehow she and her total opposite Lily work out great as besties and bring out the best in each other.

I’d actually guessed the killer but not any of the reasons behind it and loved how Rose helped get a somewhat confession from the person. Nice and safe and working with Detective Amy too. I loved that Amy was taking the lead on this case since especially in the first book or two, Det. Williams was just jerk who wanted to solve a case fast and close it out. Maybe he was afraid of Amy, lol. He’s actually acting pretty decent in this book, but it was using Amy’s ideas that closed this case out.

The end brought a fun thing coming up for Rose, Simon and Lily so it’ll be interesting to see if the next book tells all about that. It’s sure got some possibilities but I won’t spoil what’s happening.

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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Murder in a Cape Cottage review

This is the fourth book in the Cozy Capers Book Group Mysteries by Maddie Day aka Edith Maxwell who also writes the Country Store Mysteries as Maddie. I just love Mac’s super close-knit family and their interactions. She and Tim make a great couple and now that she’s wrapped her very orderly mind around marriage and subsequently having kids, Mac seems much better adjusted than she did in those first couple books. You won’t wanna miss this fun story of a mystery before the wedding!

I just had to include a note that if you’ve not read acknowledgements that authors write, you need to at least start reading the ones this author does. She’s always got something interesting or some back info included in it. This time it was a bittersweet mention of one of the characters being named after a lady’s sister. It was a charity auction with the winner getting to name a character in this book, and the lady who won chose to have the character named for her sister. I’m not gonna spoil the rest, you’ll just need to dig into those acknowledgements and find out what it was so sweet. I’ve always been a sort of acknowledgements nerd and try to always read those even if they’re short.

#KensingtonCozies #MaddieDay

My Goodreads review:

Murder in a Cape Cottage (A Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery #4)Murder in a Cape Cottage by Maddie Day
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Mac sure never expected to have a mystery to solve so close to her wedding day, but one sorta just fell in her lap as she and Tim worked on gutting a closet in their cottage. I guess Mac felt a little indebted to get justice for this pathetic skeleton that’d been walled up eighty years ago since the remains were found in her and Tim’s cottage. Even though Bella the parrot was moved to Mac’s parents’ house during the renovation, we still got our bookish dose of her silliness and begging for snacks.

As Mac investigated, there was a current day someone who didn’t like her digging into a murder from long ago. The only actual murders were the cold cases but there was an attempt on someone’s life and by that time I was pretty sure who might be behind all this. The showdown was awesome with Mac herself preventing a killing, but for this cozy sleuth it’s all in a day’s work. And she lived to get married which was basically what her friends and family were all worrying about. The friends and Mac’s toast at the end was pretty sweet. This book releases a week from today, September 27.

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

View all my reviews