small town wisconsin – Cuddle Up With a Cozy Mystery

Cinnamon Twisted review

April 24, 2023 Tari Hann

This is the seventh in the Deputy Donuts Mysteries by Ginger Bolton (aka Janet Bolin), and I’ve devoured every single book since they first came out. I absolutely love these characters and that adorable kitty, Dep aka Deputy Donut. She’s just the sweetest little thing and always helps find a clue or maybe even attack a killer! I was super excited to learn that books 8, 9 and 10 are in the works! Check out Ginger Bolton’s website!

#NetGalley #KensingtonCozies #GingerBolton

My Goodreads review:

Cinnamon Twisted by Ginger Bolton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When Brent was away and the new police chief seemed determined to pin a murder or any crime on Emily, I was so glad to see Brent was instrumental in getting the cavalry to come in the form of Agent Rex Clobar. I’d enjoyed his character before since he reminds me of a certain agent Gibbs! At least Emily felt more protected from a possibly bad lawman when Rex was in town. I wish Rex could stay and replace that new police chief!

Misty and Scott’s wedding went off like a charm, but after that was when the murder happened. Emily had a new sleuthing buddy but wasn’t sure if she could trust him or not. There was a pretty awesome showdown followed by Brent’s homecoming when he was done teaching the police course. I absolutely loved the very ending! Slight tissue warning, but happy tears, no worries! And Dep’s soooo darn cute! You’ll see what I mean when you read it. Don’t miss this when it releases Tuesday, April 25, 2023 (tomorrow).

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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Six Feet Deep Dish review

August 23, 2022 Tari Hann

This is the first book in the brand new Deep Dish Mysteries series by Mindy Quigley. I felt drawn in by the characters immediately and had a hard time putting the Kindle down when I needed to! I was excited to see that the next book’s already listed on Goodreads as coming out in April 2023, and it’s called Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust. The blurb definitely makes me eager to read it, and I was pretty fast to add it to my ginormous WTR shelf. I’m glad we don’t have to wait a whole year!

This book definitely fits the description of a fun cozy mystery that has some strong characters, but there’re a lot of family vibes going on too. I could already see the team camaraderie among Delilah’s employees and how she and her aunt were very close. Sometimes I don’t get those feelings about a book right away, so when I do, I feel like it’s a sign of a strong series that’ll survive well.

#St.MartinsPaperbacks #MindyQuigley

My Goodreads review:

Six Feet Deep Dish by Mindy Quigley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed the start of this new series! When characters grab my attention as quickly as these key characters did, in my book that’s a winner of a cozy mystery. Biz and Delilah were a little out of the ordinary type cozy characters since Biz was definitely not your typical cute, squishy-huggy great aunt and Dee (as Delilah was called) was a real force to be reckoned with but still had her soft side moments.

The ladies were both strong yet didn’t mind (too much anyway) having people look after them when needed. Although Dee could get on my nerves a little bit being such a control freak, lol. I’m not sure I could work for her, but her team sure seemed happy, so that’s the main thing. I mean, I thought I was bad at giving up control over certain things, but that lady’s got me beat haha! Some of the stuff she wanted to say to people absolutely cracked me up because it’s just what I would’ve been thinking of saying but not saying, particularly when it came to teen employee Carson!

Wow what a showdown! I honestly had the actual perp in mind but not for the reasons they ended up being the killer. It almost made me feel sad for the perp, but that’s all I’m gonna say about it without going and spoiling things. Kind of a case where the person killed was a pretty lowdown scoundrel and some people figured the person deserved it. I enjoyed the ending and hope we find Delilah and Cal becoming better friends in the next book!

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

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Tailing Trouble review

January 12, 2022 Tari Hann

This is the second book in the Furry Friends Mysteries by Laura Scott. I noticed some of the books showing up on the page listed for her name in GR aren’t her titles, so I’ve linked her name to her Amazon profile where you’ll see a nice picture of her and the two cozies along with the romance books she’s actually written.

I loved this book as much as the first one and hope the author and publisher have more in store for us! Gramps cracks me up and needless to say, he’s my favorite character. Roxy the Boxer took a bit of a back seat to boarding guest Standard Poodle Domino, but she should be happy Domino was there at a crucial time or her mommy might not be!

My Goodreads review:

Tailing Trouble by Laura Scott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When I get to the end of a book and tell myself, “Oh wow, that was so good!” I know I’ve found a winner. I remember doing that same thing at the end of the first book in this series when I read it too. I absolutely just love Gramps’ character! Maybe it’s because I’ve been without my own grandpa for so long that I just devour anything that has to do with an awesome grandpa/granddaughter duo. I had to laugh at different parts when he’d make Ally pick him up, or she’d give in going somewhere knowing he’d find a way to get to wherever it was he wanted to investigate anyway. The running joke of him shouting into his cell phone might seem corny, but it makes me giggle! He should probably just get a bullhorn and stand outside to call to Ally, lol.

I get such a kick out of the widows fawning all over Gramps in a friendly competition for his attention. It’s cute how he’s got a different way he interacts with each of the ladies living at Legacy House, like playing cards with Tillie. I think if I was Ally, I’d be eating every meal I posssibly could there, lol. Harriet definitely knows how to feed her guests and seems to thrive on doing that. And Lydia’s a whiz with her knitting.

The stories about Ally’s clients and their pets are always entertaining, and I found out it pays to read carefully and not just skim these as not being related to the mystery. Sometimes someone who’s a client might end up being someone to pay attention to in the mystery–or a client knows a key player in the mystery. Now Gramps, he just seems to know everyone! 😉

The showdown was really exciting and I loved how Ally got the upperhand, and sweet Domino ended up being a hero. I nearly expected Ally to end up with three dogs by the time this was over, but everything worked out great. As to whether she’ll get to enjoy a nice date with “her detective” as Gramps was so fond of calling him, well I’m just hoping the next book will address all that and he doesn’t get called away!

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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Dogged by Death review

July 7, 2021 Tari Hann

This is the first cozy mystery I can see in author Laura Scott’s works as well as being the first book I’ve read by her. I’m loving what I read in this new series called Furry Friends Mysteries, named after main character Ally Winter’s veterinary clinic. Ms. Scott’s written mysteries and romance books, and I think she’s done an amazing job of combining those talents and creating this cozy series. It’s got just the right elements a cozy needs along with a little bit of suspense but not the super scary kind. I just love Ally’s Gramps! He’s such a great character, and I can’t wait to read more about all these characters in the next book. Yep, I have the ARC already for the next book and might be tempted to dig in when I get a little bit better caught up on ARCs.

PS: The various little entries about Ally’s clients bringing their pets in were a lot of fun. I was especially happy that the little dachshund named Lola wasn’t one of the dogs who misbehaved, lol.

My Goodreads review:

Dogged by Death by Laura Scott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this book! It pulled me in from the first page and kept my attention until the very end. Gramps is the most awesome character, and I got such a kick out of how he managed to investigate and get information out of people, especially the women in town, since anyone over 60 was usually swept off their feet by him. Gramps wasn’t a player though and said no one would ever replace his Amelia. The three ladies in the assisted living house with him were such a hoot! They always heard the gossip almost before the police knew about it.

I loved how the story was so smooth and easy to read with natural-sounding conversations and very likable characters. That sweet Boxer Roxy had my heart from the first time she was mentioned! And she played a big part in the showdown (I love it when a pet can do that!). I actually enjoyed hearing about some of the cases Ally took care of. There were quite a few of them, and that made the story flow nicely with mixing those along with Gramps and Ally investigating.

I’m sure Noah and Ally will become lots more than friends eventually, but it’s sweet to see them reconnecting, and he only teased her a couple of times about her old high school nickname, lol. I really was happy about how Ally’s vet practice grew just from a few things she did herself like followup calls. It’ll be interesting to see if Lydia ever gets to work as receptionist in the next book. And I can’t wait to see what Gramps gets into with the next case.

The showdown was awesome, short and effective. I enjoy it a lot more when help or reinforcements come quickly! (less nerve-wracking haha) I’d started suspecting whodunit after the clues started falling in place, so it was just a matter of time as to when Ally had the same person in mind.

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

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Deadly Delights review

June 7, 2021June 7, 2021 Tari Hann

This is the second in the Bookish Baker series by Laura Jensen Walker and it definitely didn’t disappoint. Lots of mystery, cute dogs, quirky/likable characters and yummy desserts to be had when you visit Lake Potawatomi. I love Teddie and her little trio of besties investigating. One scene with Teddie and Char was pretty hilarious, but someone didn’t end up thinking so! Not gonna spoil it, have yourself a fun read and good cozy time in Lake Potawatomi!

My Goodreads review:

Deadly Delights by Laura Jensen Walker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed visitng Lake Potawatomi again. The timeline of the story was the same summer as the first book. Teddie’s a great main character and so open about having had breast cancer along with all the decisions she made with it. I love that she’s got a sassy or funny comeback for pretty much everything and won’t take lip from anyone. Her dog is a total sweetheart too. I really like her two besties, Char and Sharon. Char is such a hoot, and it doesn’t hurt matters that she dates the chief of police. Sharon tends to take on the mom role of the trio, since she’s the only one with kids. Another character Astrid, the older artist friend of Teddie’s cracks me up too!

There were some good side stories going on, one which involved Teddie’s mom. I think it might have helped bring them a bit closer. After the murder at the baking contest, Teddie and her friends set out to investigate, mainly to clear Teddie and Sophie’s names and give blabbermouth Wilma something else to talk about. There was a twist I sure never saw coming, very clever though. The showdown was quick but awesome. A couple more sweet things happened once everything was cleared up. What a great ending!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own. This book publishes tomorrow, June 8, 2021.

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Beyond a Reasonable Donut review

May 24, 2021 Tari Hann

This is the fifth book in the Deputy Donut series by Ginger Bolton who’s also known as Janet Bolin, author of the older discontinued Threadville cozy series. The Deputy Donut crew has become like old friends to me, and I love that we’re getting another book that’s Christmas-themed later this year on October 26. You can bet I’ll be reading and reviewing that one too!

My Goodreads review:

Beyond a Reasonable Donut by Ginger Bolton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Just as I was craving a good donut mystery from Deputy Donut (and reading about their yummy food), this book was about to make its debut (actually tomorrow). Wow what a lot of little things that added up to be part of the murder. When Emily’s assistant Nina was arrested for murder, Emily never once thought she could kill someone, but when some things came to light in the case, Emily wondered how much she really knew about her friend and employee. As a side story, Samantha and Hooligan’s wedding was coming up, and everyone was just holding their breath as to whether the world would finally get to know Hooligan’s real name. It was a lot of fun having that as a little comic relief.

And who knew a bachelorette dinner would ultimately turn into a showdown with the killer? I’d sort of suspected this person of something when they first came on the scene, but I wasn’t sure what. I just knew I didn’t trust them. I didn’t really trust anyone except the key players. After the murder was solved, everyone got to attend their friends’ wedding. But I promised Samantha and Hooligan I wouldn’t spill another word about it. 😉

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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Murder Most Sweet review

September 12, 2020September 12, 2020 Tari Hann

This is the first book in a brand new series that just came out several days ago. It’s called the Bookish Baker and is authored by Laura Jensen Walker who has quite a bit in common with Teddie St. John, the main character in this book. I absolutely love Teddie and her friends…and her sweet little dog Gracie. When Teddie retired from her government job after her cancer diagnosis and treatment, she only thought she’d be involved in the kinds of murder mysteries that lived in her books. I’m so anxious now for the next book!

My Goodreads review:

Murder Most Sweet: A Bookish Baker Mystery by Laura Jensen Walker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really loved this book and the unique main character! Teddie’s sense of humor was so awesome in light of her being a breast cancer survivor and making little jokes about herself. She was a strong lady who knew what she wanted and didn’t want. The cozy mysteries she wrote sounded really good, maybe a little like this series 😉 From reading the author’s bio, I feel like she’s adding some of her own experiences to Teddie’s life, and it was all so interesting. I enjoyed the characters of Char and Sharon a lot too! The three of them really were like the 3 Musketeers. I couldn’t put the book down at all during the time Char and Teddie went on a road trip to sleuth. Gracie was just the sweetest dog ever and definitely played a good part during the showdown with the killer.

I’d had some suspicions about the person who ended up being the killer but fell for the red herrings along the way. I was happy to see my suspicions were right though. I’m so anxious to read the next book in this series!

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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Boston Scream Murder review

August 31, 2020 Tari Hann

I always look forward to the newest book in this series (like I do soooo many others!), and of course, this Halloween-themed addition to the Deputy Donut series definitely didn’t disappoint! It’s the fourth book of what I hope will be a nice long series for author Ginger Bolton who’s also known as Janet Bolin, author of the 5-book cozy series Threadville. I’ve been wanting to get back to that series, because I really enjoyed the first book.

Deputy Donut became one of my favorite series the minute it came out. I really enjoy all the various characters in Fallingbrook, Wisconsin especially that of Tom Westhill, main character Emily’s father-in-law. If anyone is new to the series, I highly recommend reading it from the beginning. The author is good about catching readers up and not giving spoilers, but it would be better to get to know the characters from the ground up. Dep, the little cat that the Deputy Donut shop is named for, is a total sweetheart, well except when she needs to get into her carrier. She got a good part doing something to the killer toward the end, go Dep! (Nope, she’s not the type to tear their head off or chomp their leg, she’s much more clever!)

My Goodreads review:

Boston Scream Murder by Ginger Bolton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It had been about a year since I went book tripping to Fallingbrook, Wisconsin during their July Fourth celebration. I loved how the town did up Halloween. It was the perfect Halloween cozy from the decorations and kids’ Halloween parade to the murder case itself set on an eerie-at-night lake.

There was a decent amount of suspects in this case, but I got a weird feeling about someone kind of early although going down all the red herring paths is always fun. My gut feeling came true but the reason was something I couldn’t have known. I always have loved it when Emily’s best friends all got together, and since she’s been hanging out with Brent in a non-dating sort of way, there were three happy couples (when Brent wasn’t working a murder, that is), one of which was super happy due to an announcement.

I think Tom will always be my favorite character. He’s kind of the patriarch figure but only offers his expert protection as an ex-police chief when he feels it’s absolutely necessary. I really liked Nina a lot–she fit right in with the Deputy Donut family which still did have Jocelyn, but she was mainly off at college. She did get a small but important role in the book. We got to see a little more of Cindy, Tom’s wife and who knew, she’s a cat whisperer as well as a talented pottery artist. I’m hoping the next book might be a Christmas themed one, and as always, I can’t wait for it.

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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The Crafter Quilts a Crime review

February 10, 2020 Tari Hann

This is the third book in the Handcrafted Mystery series by Holly Quinn that takes place in a picturesque little Hallmark-like town called Heartsford, WI. I read in someone’s interview with the author that this book had originally been intended as a Christmas season book and had to have a lot of it rewritten. I was glad to see a few little references to Christmas though, because the way the town was decorated for Fire & Ice day, it sounded magical. But for one crafter in town, it wasn’t so magical…

My Goodreads review:

A Crafter Quilts a Crime by Holly Quinn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was an interesting mystery with a good twist that I never figured out. As much as I really like these characters, Sammy while lovable as a puppy, still kind of bothered me with how she managed to twist someone’s words into something she was afraid was hurtful or what she saw as untrue. It’s not like she was trying to do that for any terrible reason. I think she simply couldn’t help it. Her lips moved faster than her brain sometimes, lol. It just seemed to continually get her in trouble with Liam, the detective she had a crush on. Sometimes they’d be joking like they always had, and other times she’d be reading something else into what he told her.

After a wild ride of investigating, getting into hot water with the police and someone that could be a killer, Sammy eventually helped once again bring another killer to justice. And she got a super sweet ending from it too which I loved!

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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Jealousy Filled Donuts review

August 20, 2019August 20, 2019 Tari Hann

This is the third book in one of my favorite series that I got to start from its beginning. The cover art has always been amazing, and this time was no exception! I’ve always gotten the paperback version of this series because little Dep is such a cutie along with the rest of the scene she’s in. The release date for this book is August 27, but my review was done from an ARC I have. I couldn’t wait to read it ahead and was definitely not disappointed! Now I can’t wait for the next book, but I’m sure it won’t be out for another year if it stays with the schedule it’s had so far.

Jealousy Filled Donuts by Ginger Bolton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This series is getting better and better! I just couldn’t resist finishing the ARC a week early. I fell in love with these characters in the first book and have been waiting a little impatiently for this book to come out. My own copy will come on release day–the cover is so awesome that I just had to order the paperback of it. I could tell right away that Emily and Brent’s friendship was growing, because I didn’t notice one of my favorite lines that he always kinda mumbled, “Mmph”, when he was deep in thought or didn’t want to talk about a case. He was definitely more willing to share with her and accept her help on this case. It was a crazy and fun one too with a side mystery that involved a stalker of Emily and Tom’s new employee, Jocelyn. I hope we see more of Jocelyn, and that she stays working at Deputy Donut. She was the perfect addition to give Tom and Emily a much-needed break during the week.

I didn’t guess the killer, but I knew who I didn’t want it to be. I loved how the book ended with a complete explanation of everything that had been going on, then Emily’s parents who liked to RV around the country, returned home for a marshmallow roast at their home campground. It’s fun to wind a mystery down with some normal downtime for the characters, and this ending was just right!

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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