small town maine – Cuddle Up With a Cozy Mystery

A Wonderful Christmas Crime review

October 23, 2025 Tari Hann

This is the sixth in the awesome Christmas Tree Farm Mysteries by Jacqueline Frost aka well-known cozy mystery author Julie Anne Lindsey. I’ve read and loved this series from its very first book and was thrilled to recently find out the series is getting a book 7, yay!

#NetGalley #CrookedLane #JacquelineFrost #JulieAnneLindsey

My Goodreads review:

A Wonderful Christmas Crime by Jacqueline Frost
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Cookie always cracks me up! She’s an amazing friend to Holly and lover of all things that happen to be goats. And men with beards lol. Cookie and the rest of Holly’s friends and family sure had their hands full when Holly’s doctor warned her not to get overly stressed for her and her baby’s health now. Of course hubby Evan translated that to “no physical sleuthing.” Armchair sleuthing never was Holly’s thing or letting others do what she wanted to be out there doing. As careful as she was, she managed to end up facing off with a killer sooner than planned, and the most unlikely little thing ended up helping her outta that situation.

I just love Holly and Evan’s builder, Christopher, who gave Holly an amazing Christmas puzzle gift, well once she figured it out it was amazing. The ending was really sweet and I can’t wait for the next book. I read online that book 7 was definitely happening next year, so yay for that!

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

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Murder at the High School Reunion review

July 3, 2025 Tari Hann

This is the fifth book in the fun Maya & Sandra Mysteries by popular cozy mystery author Lee Hollis aka the brother/sister writing team of Rick Copp and Holly Simason. If you look carefully, you might find one of those two as a character in this book! Not telling which one though. 😉 It’s always a fun and crazy rollercoaster ride with Maya & Sandra!

#NetGalley #KensingtonCozies #LeeHollis

My Goodreads review:

Murder at the High School Reunion by Lee Hollis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Maya and Sandra definitely had differences that worked in their favors during a case, but this case wasn’t like their usual ones at all and stemmed from a murder at their high school reunion. One classmate was now a Hollywood actress who enlisted their help. Who knew what a trail of deception and lies it’d lead to?

I loved how once the case was being worked on by multiple law enforcement agencies, good old Oscar the IT guru was in the thick of it helping as always. He cracks me up acting like he’s pining away for Maya, but he sure knows his tech stuff! The showdown was long and tense, but the takedown was sweet justice. Another successful case and happy client!

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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I’ll Be Home for Mischief review

November 11, 2024November 11, 2024 Tari Hann

This is the fifth book in the Christmas Tree Farm Mysteries by Jacqueline Frost better known to cozy mystery fans as Julie Anne Lindsey (also Bree Baker). I’ve loved this series from the first time I laid eyes on the very first book and it’s never disappointed. It’s really best enjoyed in order so you can see the character and relationship developments better. I hope this series continues!

My Goodreads review:

I’ll Be Home for Mischief by Jacqueline Frost
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It’s always a special treat to visit with Holly, Evan, her parents and all their friend and loved ones in Mistletoe, Maine every year. The folks in the town sound like an awesome bunch, well aside from an occasional killer popping up. Holly always had lots on her plate this time of year but she always had time to investigate when murder came to town.

The showdown with the killer was possibly the most danger Holly ever found herself in and it seemed like it’d take a Christmas miracle to get outta this one alive. But no worries, Holly lived to investigate another day and enjoy Christmas with the ones she loves most. There were some fun announcements at the end and good changes coming for some of those loved ones. Can’t wait till the next book comes around next year!

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

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Murder at the Spelling Bee review

May 25, 2024 Tari Hann

This is the fourth book in the Maya and Sandra Mysteries by another favorite cozy author, Lee Hollis, which is the brother/sister team of Holly Simason and Rick Copp. I absolutely love the Hayley Powell series, and this one’s another really fun one that’s best enjoyed starting at the beginning.

#NetGalley #KensingtonCozies #LeeHollis

My Goodreads review:

Murder at the Spelling Bee by Lee Hollis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This might be the first time I’ve ever been right in guessing the perp and some reasoning behind it especially in a more complex cozy mystery like this one, lol. It was lotsa fun going down the various rabbit trails and speculating, but I kept my perp in mind most of the time from one point fairly early on. I didn’t guess who wrote the note in Rocco’s locker though.

While this series doesn’t have the laugh out loud hilarious moments that the author’s Hayley Powell series has, I still love how Maya and Sandra, different as they could be had become best friends and now professional sleuthing partners. The scenes in this series are more the cool “gotcha!” moments when they figure out clues and confront killers. Or just have a revelation in a family issue. Can’t wait to see what these two soon-to-be empty nesters come up with for their next adventure!

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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Death by Chocolate Chip Cupcake review

April 5, 2022April 5, 2022 Tari Hann

This is the fifth book in the Death by Chocolate series by Sarah Graves, and I gotta say, it’s my favorite so far! It was seriously addicting to keep reading just to see what was happening next at the creepy house where Jake and Ellie had a catering gig. One of the side stories was the girls crunching numbers to try and keep the Moose open all winter and coming up with new, enticing items to keep the locals interested. Once Mika got into making Ellie’s idea of chocolate pizza, it was like there was no stopping her. There was one scene at Cliff House that just cracked me up involving chocolate pizza and the stealing of said chocolate pizza. You’ll have to read and see which scene I was laughing at. This whole book was just awesome and the perfect cozy-spooky adventure.

My Goodreads review:

Death by Chocolate Chip Cupcake by Sarah Graves
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow was this ever an adventure! I think it’s probably been Jake and Ellie’s most exciting one so far from the creepy old house where they were doing a dessert catering gig to the narrow and spooky escapes they managed to execute. Someone in that house was leaving a pile of bodies as they went, so I didn’t blame Jake and Ellie one bit for trying to figure it out by leaving first. That is, if they didn’t die trying! Loved every minute of it and I couldn’t put it down!

There were so many great twists and turns it was a little hard at times to keep up, but it was the good kind of trying to keep up. Very nail biting in a good way too and as always, they wrapped everything up at the end explaining any hanging threads. I loved how Jake’s dad even got in on the action up at Cliff House to try and help.

At times I felt like the characters might be getting some closure, but I haven’t heard anything about the series ending, so I do hope it continues, although I have to admit it’d be hard to write another adventure that’s more hair-raising than this one was!

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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Easter Bonnet Murder review

January 24, 2022 Tari Hann

This is the twenty-eighth book (can you believe it’s been that long?) in the long-running Lucy Stone series by Leslie Meier. Lucy’s sure come a long way from Zoe not even existing yet in the first book to this one where she’s headed off to Portland for her own apartment and first career job. Good old Miss Tilley gave a little scare in this book though as you’ll find out when you read it.

#kensingtonpublishing

My Goodreads review:

Easter Bonnet Murder by Leslie Meier
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was lots more enjoyable than a few of the more recent Lucy Stone mysteries. With Miss Tilley having a big role in it, it seemed like the old sleuthing Lucy rather than some of the newer, more politically-driven mysteries. I like plain old regular mysteries the best, and Lucy definitely had one on her hands with the missing person at the retirement center and dealing with her very upset daughter. Lucy hun, you need to hang your PI shingle out once and for all! Ooo that’d be a great retirement career for Lucy down the road.

That Miss Tilley always cracks me up! I was thinking she’d realistically have to be over a hundred seeing how long ago this series started, and in those first books I’m pretty sure she was described at least in her eighties if not close to ninety. However old she might be, she’s sharp as ever and nothing gets past her. Lucy had Miss T and Miss T’s new friend Howard helping snoop out some things at the facility, but she eventually realized it might get too dangerous once she realized something more serious than double billing was going on.

The showdown was great! I loved seeing those seniors in action against a perp who’d taken out one of their own. There were a few side things going on at the retirement center that I’m sure “off camera” got taken care of since they were unfortunately the unsavory things sometimes heard about at retirement homes. Another side story that was kinda cute was Zoe hunting for the perfect apartment for her move to Portland. Everything ended nicely, and Lucy got one heckuva story out of what she’d uncovered.

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

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Slashing Through the Snow review

October 12, 2021 Tari Hann

This is the long-awaited third book in what’d quickly become a favorite series of mine, The Christmas Tree Farm Mysteries by another fave author, Julie Anne Lindsey writing as Jacqueline Frost (aka Julie Chase, Bree Baker). All the fun stuff we’d come to know in the previous two books was there including Reindeer Games (that now Libby was determined to beat Ray at!), and sweet little goat Theodore was getting his pictures taken for another year’s worth of calendar pages. Then along came a killer, and we pretty much know how that always goes! I’m really going to miss this series if this is definitely the last book, but the author did such an amazing job, I feel like it’s a series I could read over and over (if I had that kind of time lol!).

My Goodreads review:

Slashing Through the Snow by Jacqueline Frost
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was absolutely the best Christmas mystery! No one can beat Mistletoe, Maine for their festive Christmas spirit, awesome decorations and…who could forget Reindeer Games! I was happy to see that Evan’s sister Libby was officially dating reporter Ray (yeah, he was a real nuisance in the first book lol), and Ray’s mom was getting married.

With the latest murder evidence pointing to everyone’s favorite friend Cookie, Holly was letting nothing get in the way of proving her friend innocent. I love, love what the author did in this book with some of the characters! Let’s just say if you’re a cozy mystery fan and are on Facebook, you’ll probably recognize a few names!

I’d heard a while back that this book was the last which would wrap up the series, and while I’m always hopeful for more books in a favorite series, the author did an outstanding job of making this the most memorable book yet! Don’t miss this book, but definitely do yourself a favor and read the other two first to get to know everyone better. Hint: You might experience a little happy eye leakage at the end of the book, so be ready with a tissue. 😉

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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Halloween Party Murder review

August 28, 2021 Tari Hann

I always enjoy reading the set of three short Halloween stories every year by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis and Barbara Ross from three of my favorite series. The theme was a murder taking place at three different Halloween parties in three unique ways. My favorite two were the Hayley Powell and Clambake stories. The Lucy Stone series at times really doesn’t interest me as much as the older books did due to the political nature of some of the stories or side issues. I read cozy mysteries to esape that kind of stuff, lol.

My Goodreads review:

Halloween Party Murder by Leslie Meier
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The stars are mainly for the second two stories in this collection. I usually like Lucy Stone stories, at least I did before they started having nothing but a bunch of politics and stuff like that. The Halloween portion of the story was great with the haunted house and fundraiser for Lucy’s favorite Hat and Mitten Fund. But it all lost my interest when the political stuff leaked into it and I honestly didn’t even care by then who the killer was or why.

Now I absolutely loved the Hayley Powell Halloween. Halloween with this bunch is always a hoot! And be sure to read those in-between the chapters columns of Hayley’s because they tell about some hilarious past Halloween events with (always) Mona at her funniest. Ha, she was dressed like a shark at the present day party, kinda fitting, no? 😉 Gotta love that crazy Mona and her growing-up kids!

I loved the quick trip to Busman’s Harbor and Julia having a mystery that involved her niece and the girl’s friends. It was an interesting case, and I liked how the state detectives figured they might as well just let Julia in on it from the get-go since she always helped anyway. I never would’ve guessed the outcome in either the Hayley or the Clambake murders, and they sure made for some fun Halloween reading!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own. The book releases this coming Tuesday, August 31, 2021.

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Death of a Wicked Witch review

July 31, 2020July 31, 2020 Tari Hann

This is the thirteenth book in the Hayley Powell series by brother/sister team Lee Hollis, comprised of Rick Copp and his sister Holly Simason. I’m not caught up in the series yet, but seeing Hayley and Bruce married didn’t ruin it for me in the least. I think this one has to be the most fun I’ve had reading the columns that are included at the end of some of the chapters along with some of Hayley’s food and drink recipes that relate to the column. I liked it that Gemma and her boyfriend came around, and we got to see what she’s been up to.

As with any series, I always recommend starting from the beginning (like I obviously haven’t done, but to be fair, I did read the first book before reading any of the later ARCs.). It gives the background of the characters and how different relationships came about. Liddy and Mona took a little backseat in this book, although each one did get a fairly important scene. Their best part was in one of the columns though–definitely don’t miss reading those in this book.

My Goodreads review:

Death of a Wicked Witch by Lee Hollis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was an awesome book for the Halloween season! Not only does Hayley love Halloween, Bruce hates it and so does Liddy which made Hayley’s columns that always appear between chapters even funnier! I really loved reading those this time, and normally they honestly don’t do much for me, but these were different. I laughed out loud at the columns where she told about different Halloween pranks, then there was a bet with Bruce was pretty funny too. I like that she kept them recent.

The mystery itself was a good one! It’s always sad when a nice person gets killed especially one with a yummy food truck. Hayley and Bruce made a great team checking out clues, and even Gemma got in on the act, since she was home from New York with her boyfriend Conner. Gemma had whole issue of her own to deal with, but the outcome was a good one as you’ll see at the end of the book. I hadn’t guessed the killer at all, and Bruce was impressed by his wife during the showdown. The running theme was Hayley trying to get Bruce to stop smoking after he’d quit for a long time before that. The way it was worked into the showdown was great!

I’m still not completely caught up with the series, but it’s one that since I did start out reading the later books as ARCs, I don’t seem to mind going back and reading about how Hayley and Bruce came to be and what the kids got into when they were younger. Liddy and Mona weren’t in the main story much, but Mona got to star in one of the columns which to me was the funniest of any of the columns I’ve read. Super fun and I highly recommend this!

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Death of a Blueberry Tart review

March 27, 2020 Tari Hann

This is the twelfth book in the Hayley Powell Food & Spirits series by brother/sister team, Rick Copp and Holly Simason, known as Lee Hollis. I knew the minute that Hayley’s mom Sheila arrived in Bar Harbor that hilarity would reign, especially when she reunited with her old friends who were Mona and Liddy’s mothers, Jane and Celeste. It was a fun treat to watch these ladies sleuth together!

My Goodreads review:

Death of a Blueberry Tart by Lee Hollis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This series is always funny, but with Hayley, Mona and Liddy’s mothers all together (since they were longtime friends like their girls were), it was extra hilarious. I absolutely loved the showdown which was just too good.

I’ve been reading the series from the beginning but had honestly started it by reading ARCs of the later books. Reading the older books is really funny too, and it’s a wonder that Bruce and Hayley ever got together. Now married, they were dealing with Hayley’s mom who moved in temporarily due to a romantic breakup. Sheila ended up with a sweet ending as did everyone else. I’m anxious to get back to the early books and eventually get caught up, but I’m not holding my breath to be finished before the next book comes out in July lol.

I did preorder the book but voluntarily read this ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

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