small town tennessee – Cuddle Up With a Cozy Mystery

A Perilous Pal review

June 29, 2022 Tari Hann

This is the second book in the A Friend for Hire Mysteries by one of my fave authors, Laura Bradford who’s managed to incorporate now two of her older series in this particular book. I always think it’s especially cool when an author does that, and now I’m really hoping a future Friend for Hire book has that road trip in it that Emma and Kim were talking about!

And the other series written by this author that Dottie loves so much is always in the background because it’s the basis of her amateur sleuthing. I enjoy Dottie’s character so much. She’s not a huggy-huggy grandmotherly type, but she’s a fiercely loyal friend who cares about Emma a lot even though she never really comes out and says it. They make an unlikely but still well-matched pair of friends, and I sure love their banter!

You could probably still read and enjoy this without reading the first book, but why deny yourself that fun? I recommend reading it and getting to know the characters, then they’ll feel like old friends!

#BerkleyPublishing #LauraBradford

My Goodreads review:

A Perilous Pal by Laura Bradford
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I thought I loved the first book, but I think I like this one even better! It’s so awesome how all of Emma’s clients so far still play an active part in her life, and that she’s come to care about all of them even to the point of being besties with Stephanie. When her newest client was tossed in jail for killing her husband, it didn’t seem like the poor woman had any chance of getting out. But with Dottie and Steph’s sleuthing help, Emma finally gave way to another investigation.

I get such a kick out of sassy senior Dottie! I wanna be her when I’m eighty! I already have the “only reads cozy mysteries” part down, but I’m not real sure I’d make a very good sleuth. Although I did randomly guess whodunit! 😉 I loved the visit with John and Andy and how Emma was trying to matchmake Steph and Andy. I started suspecting something that could end up to be a sweet reunion if it was true…

And Big Max’s character is so awesome! He’s such a sweetheart, and I love that Steph got to meet him this time. Emma’s relationship with Jack was growing, and it was sweet when Scout got to visit with his son Tommy.

This was a mystery full of twists and surprises, and the only thing I was pretty sure of was that Kim wasn’t guilty despite her journal ramblings about ways to kill her husband. It was pretty clever how Emma went about proving whodunit then was safely visiting Kim while the police picked up the perp.

The very ending was just awesome! I absolutely can’t wait for the next book and what might unfold in it!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Berkley Publishing via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own. If you liked the first book, don’t miss this one which releases next week on July 5.

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Fatal Flowers review

May 24, 2022 Tari Hann

This is the third book in the Flower House Mysteries by Jess Dylan who cozy readers might know better as Jennifer David Hesse. As Jess, she’s been writing this series, and I gotta say, it’s just getting better. Maybe it helped me to read book 2 with this book immediately after. That way, the characters were fresh in my mind, and I had more of a vested interest in seeing what their next adventure was. The books can easily be read alone, but for complete enjoyment and character/relationship development, definitely start with the first book. You’ll see what I mean about it just getting better.

I love that little Corgi Gus and how he seems to have a sense of when his momma’s in danger or needs him. Maybe he’s like Granny Mae!

#St.MartinsPaperbacks #JessDylan

My Goodreads review:

Fatal Flowers: A Flower House Mystery by Jess Dylan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I literally just finished this book on the heels of reading book 2 in the series, and I’m really in love with the characters at this point. Book three was just the sweet spot that had Sierra, Deena and Calvin all working together along with Sierra’s brother Rocky who likes Deena and seems like he’d do anything for her, lol.

This was a crazy case with all sorts of things going wrong. Basically, if it could go wrong for planning a wedding, it did. Someone with a side hustle of something illegal was lurking around and Sierra wondered which one of the wedding vendors it was. She was tired of being terrorized by a guy on a motor scooter and just kept on sleuthing no matter what. I love Calvin for how he’s pretty much game for anything she wants to do–and I’m always proud of her when she takes someone along with her whether it’s Cal, Deena or her dog Gus. Sierra tries very hard not to do stupid things, but sometimes she’s still pretty impulsive, and that’s enough to get a person killed!

I had two people in mind for whodunit, but as the book progressed and hidden clues showed up, I settled on one and was right. It was pretty exciting to see how the perp was caught too, then the ending was everyone gathered for Sierra’s birthday. I’m super eager now to read the next book! It was a lot of fun going directly from book 2 to this one and made me get to know the characters a lot better.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

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A Plus One for Murder review

December 4, 2021December 4, 2021 Tari Hann

This is the first book in a brand new series that releases this coming Tuesday, December 7, 2021. The series is called Friend for Hire Mysteries, and the author is longtime cozy mystery writer Laura Bradford. She has two other cozy series she’s written as Laura Bradford, The Emergency Dessert Squad and Amish Mysteries.

As Elizabeth Lynn Casey, she wrote one of the most beloved and long-running series among cozy readers, the Southern Sewing Circle. I forgot to mention this in my GR review, but I loved, loved loved the nod she gave to that series in this book! She even mentioned a colleague’s series too, since Dottie, the older lady Emma had weekly tea with was a huge cozy mystery fan. I absolutely can’t wait for the next book in this series and want to give a huge shout-out and thanks to @BerkleyPublishing for approving me to read this early copy. I really hope to be able to do the same with the next book.

My Goodreads review:

A Plus One for Murder by Laura Bradford
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was excited to see that Laura Bradford was doing another cozy series and even more excited to be approved to read an ARC of it! The book definitely didn’t disappoint. What a cool and different kind of job for main character Emma, being a paid friend to people. I got such a kick out of her clients too especially Big Max, a sweet senior man who was trying to impress a lady by having Emma take him places. I loved how Emma’s friendship with Dottie had grown from what was the start for her new business-except at that time she didn’t realize it. Then eventually, Emma, Stephanie, another client and Dottie made quite the sleuthing trio! And Emma’s sweet dog, Scout always seemed to be pointing out clues to her. I love it when a pet’s just a bit more than a simple pet.

There was a nice assortment of suspects, and I wasn’t expecting the perp to be who it was. The showdown was a good one, and the three sleuths were happy with their work. Deputy Jack, well I don’t think he was too thrilled with their sleuthing, but I could tell he really liked Emma from the beginning especially from his line at the very end. 😉

It was well-written mystery that I’ve always come to expect and know from this author, and now I can’t wait to read more about the characters in the next book! Don’t miss this book which releases Tuesday, December 7, 2021.

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

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Death in Bloom review

May 28, 2021 Tari Hann

This is the first book in a new series just released called Flower House, and it’s written by Jess Dylan, a pen name for author Jennifer David Hesse. I definitely would like to read her other series now! I really enjoyed getting to know these characters, especially Granny Mae! I love the setting of Tennessee too, since it’s one of my favorite states to visit. I can’t wait for the next book Petals and Poison, but the good thing is, we don’t have to wait a year, because it comes out on November 30 of this year.

My Goodreads review:

Death in Bloom: A Flower House Mystery by Jess Dylan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed getting to know Sierra, Granny and friends. Deena and Sierra made for an unlikely friend/sleuth duo, but the worked out pretty well. I liked that just because they didn’t hang out in high school, they were still able to be friends as adults. Granny was cool–for some reason I always like the granny or quirky aunt characters, lol.

The murder was almost a closed door type, since it happened during a flower arranging class. The author did a great job of making me suspect nearly everyone. Just about everyone at the class had a motive, but Sierra and Deena were determined to find out who offed the most despised man in town. As a side story, Sierra’s boss left, and she was trying to solve that little mystery as well as wonder if the cute new tenant Calvin who rented the apartment upstairs from the flower shop was to be trusted.

The showdown was a really good one, and several people and a super cute dog got to have a hand in catching the killer. I’m really eager to read the next book now!

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

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