Space Case

 Space Case is a middle grade reader by Stuart Gibbs.  I selected it because we have the Spy School books in our house and this one caught my attention as meeting several of my challenge prompts.  Specifically the middle grade and set in space.  It also meets the Space Opera one as well.

It is a cute book that has a mystery set on the moon.  The whole colonizing of the moon brings up some interesting aspects and really had me thinking about what life would be like if it ever happened.  This story also felt fitting with all the Space X rocketry that is going on these days.  All in all an enjoyable book and would please mystery readers of all ages.

Space Case by Stuart Gibbs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook. I liked how the author alternated a chapter of the story with a section of the moon base manual. This book was a fun read with a good mystery ad s bit if comedic action and suspense thrown in. Although it’s a middle grade book I found the mystery engaging and not too easy to solve. It was a fun premise that in the future there is a colony living on the moon and space tourism exists. Maybe it’s not so far off in reality. Time will tell

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #48
2. Audiobook  #2022AudiobookChallenge 4
3. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2022   Book #59
4. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #48
5. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub  #31 Technology-themed 
6. Around the Year in 52 Books #16. A book related to Earth Day
7. Bookworm #8 Read a book that takes place in the future
8. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #35. A book with a constellation on the cover or in the title  
9. Pick your Poison #100 a book about space travel

All I Want for Christmas is Fudge

 This is book 3.5 in the Candy Coated Series by Nancy Coco.   All I want for Christmas is Fudge is a novella set on Mackinaw Island centered around the Hotel and Fudge shop of Allie McMurphy.  This particular book is written from the perspective of her bff, Jenn Christensen.   I appreciated the change in POV as it provided a different view of the relationships Allie is involved in within the series.  I did like the story and the setting is wonderful but I did find the story a bit rushed and abrupt feeling at times.  I imagine this is more about the length of the book than the structure of the story. The guilty culprit was a bit surprising and there is definitely a cliff hanger for the next full book in the series.  I look forward to reading it later this year.  

All I Want for Christmas Is Fudge by Nancy CoCo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A fun novella. It was written from a different POV than the others in the series. It made for a different approach and give a different perspective on Allie and her relationships. The only thing I did not care for was it felt a bit abrupt at times although that may just be the nature of a novella and me being used to the longer cozies

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #51
2. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes  MI
3. Alphabet Soup Author Edition #AlphabetSoupAuthorChallenge  N
4. Finishing the Series   #FinishingTheSeries2022  Series: 30  Book #1
5. What an Animal Book #34
6. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2022   Book #62
7. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #51
8. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #41
9. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #62
10. Craving for Cozies  Book #58
11. Medical Examiner Challenge  1 Toe Tags
12. Beachcomber Challenge  
• Crime Scene- trail
• Weapon- knife
• Detectives- Allie McMurphy/Jenn Christensen
13. Six Shooter Challenge  Target # 17 Shot #4
14. Beat the Backlist #BTB2022  #18 novella
15. Nancy Drew #55. Mystery of Crocodile Island (1978) - read a book set on an island
16. Pick your Poison #50 a book under 150 pages

Aunty Lee's Chilled Revenge

 This is the fourth Aunty Lee Singaporean Cafe book by Ovidia Yu.   After Aunty Lee's Chilled Revenge, there has only been one more book published thus far.  I sincerely hope that the next book is the last in the series as I thoroughly enjoy reading about Aunty Lee and Singapore.  

Aunty Lee is quite a character who uses her age to her advantage while investigating mysteries.  She fully acknowledges she has a nosiness about her especially when she is indulging in investigating a mystery.  As a reader I feel like I am reading about a fun grandmotherly type person.  The mysteries are well structured and this one in particular had several twists.  

I did figure out one of the twists early on and found myself a bit irritated that the characters weren't seeing it when I did.  I realize it was part of the story development but I did find myself getting annoyed at them for not realizing it.  Even though I figured that piece of the mystery out, there were other aspects that were a surprise ending for me as well.

These books do a wonderful job of demonstrating the relationships between different generations of  Singapore residents.  I like how the characters contrast old Singapore with new modern generations and attitudes.  I also appreciate Ms. Yu discusses some of the history of the country and points out some of the drawbacks as well as benefits of the government and cultural structure.  As I have mentioned before I really enjoy reading books set where I have visited and Singapore fits that bill.  I like reading about the Merlion and the food stalls.  These details make the story that much richer and the descriptions enlightening.  

As I mentioned I hope the next book is not the last in the series but even if it is, i am intrigued to try her other series set in 1930s Singapore.  

Aunty Lee's Chilled Revenge by Ovidia Yu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I always enjoy reading books that provide insight into other cultures. This book delivers on that front as does the whole series. I love the characters in this series as they evoke emotions from me as I am reading. In this particular book I figured out a twist early and it was driving me crazy that Aubrey Lee and Salim couldn’t see what I had figured out. It was darn right annoying in fact. In the end they figure it out and the mystery is wrapped up with a few surprises and explanations for why the guilty did what they did. I hope there’s more in the series but I am not sure if there are more to come or not

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #50
2. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes Singapore
3. AtoZ   #2022AtoZReadingChallenge  #AlphabetSoupChallenge
4. Alphabet Soup Author Edition #AlphabetSoupAuthorChallenge  O or Y
5. Finishing the Series   #FinishingTheSeries2022  Series: 29  Book #1
6. What an Animal Book #33
7. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2022   Book #61
8. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #50
9. Cozy Mysteries   #18 AAPI Author
10. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #40
11. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #61
12. Craving for Cozies  Book #57
13. Medical Examiner Challenge 3 Toe Tags
14. Beachcomber Challenge  
• Crime Scene- hotel room/bathroom/office
• Weapon- cable ties x2; poison
• Detectives- Aunty Lee
• Victims- Vallerie Love; Samantha Kang; Brian Wong
15. Six Shooter Challenge  Target # 22 Shot #3
16. Around the Year in 52 Books #18. A book by an Asian or Pacific Islander author
17. BooklistQueen  #booklistqueenreadingchallenge2022  #18. Asian American & Pacific Islander Author
18. Bookworm # 40 A book with 5 objects on the cover 
19. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #15. A book by a Pacific Islander author
20. Pick your Poison #32 a book with "aunt" or "uncle" in the title
21. Book Voyage  #bookvoyagechallenge South Asia- Singapore

Murphy's Slaw

As the 3rd book in the Alaskan Diner series, Murphy's Slaw is a fun continuation in the story.  This one has a bit more relationship drama than the previous books so I am not sure where the series will head on that front.  All in all it is a fun series to read about Alaska and the idiosyncrasies of living in a more remote area.  I enjoy reading about life in the diner and the scenery descriptions are wonderful.  The mystery is well constructed with a great twist on whodunnit and the why.   Although I had an inkling I wasn't sure if I was correct due to some red herrings and additional crimes that occurred in the book.  I do hope the series continues on in the future as I am caught up on it at the moment.  

Murphy's Slaw by Elizabeth Logan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Charlie and the crew are a wonderful set of detectives. It is so much fun to read about life in Alaska and in the Bear Claw Diner. The characters feel real and authentic. The mystery was well designed and the solution not obvious until the end. The character relationships are developing over the series so it is beneficial to read in order. Look forward to more adventures in the Great North.

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #49
2. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes  AK
3. Finishing the Series   #FinishingTheSeries2022  Series: 28  Book #1
4. What an Animal Book #32
5. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2022   Book #60
6. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #49
7. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #39
8. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #60
9. Craving for Cozies  Book #56
10. Medical Examiner Challenge 1 Toe Tags
11. Beachcomber Challenge  
• Crime Scene- state fair booth
• Weapon- knife
• Detectives- Charlie Cook/Trooper Graham
• Victims- Kelly Carson
12. Six Shooter Challenge  Target # 66 Shot #3
13. Pick your Poison #29 a book about animal families
14. Beyond the Bookends  Read book set at a carnival or circus

Death of an Irish Mummy

 Death of an Irish Mummy is the 3rd book in the Dublin Driver series by Catie Murphy.  I enjoy this series as the main character, Megan, is a strong woman who is adjusting to a new life in Ireland.  

In this book especially, she leans heavily on her principles and stands for her belief in supporting the Williams sisters even when her boss tries to fire her for doing so.  I enjoy how she has a cooperative relationship with Detective Bourke whereas so many of the mysteries establish an adversarial relationship between the amateur sleuth and the professionals they interact with. 

 I really like the descriptions of Ireland and the differences between American and Irish explanations and reactions to different situations.   I feel this really adds to the books  and adds some moments of levity. The presence of the puppies also provide a lightness to the stories as well.  In this book they also act as emotional support which is a nice aspect as well.  

The mystery is well written and the guilty party was a bit of a surprise but made sense with the confessions given. I hope the series continues as I am enjoying it.

Death of an Irish Mummy by Catie Murphy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Good strong intelligent main character. Megan shows grit but also vulnerability when faced with losing her job. And apartment. I appreciate the cooperation with Det Bourke rather than total adversarial relations. The descriptions of the Irish countryside and people is well presented. I like how history is weaved into the story in a way that adds to it rather than being distracting. I look forward to reading more of the series

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #47
2. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes Ireland
3. Finishing the Series   #FinishingTheSeries2022  Series:27  Book #1
4. What an Animal Book #31
5. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2022   Book #58
6. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #47
7. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #38
8. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #59
9. Craving for Cozies  Book #55
10. Medical Examiner Challenge 1 Toe Tags
11. Beachcomber Challenge  
• Crime Scene- hotel room
• Weapon- strangle
• Detectives- Megan/ Det Bourke
• Victims- Cherise Williams
12. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #68  Shot #3
13.   Around the Year in 52 Books # 30. A book related to mythology
14. Bookworm #7 Read a book about a mythical creature.
15. Pick your Poison #76 a book with an X or cross on the cover

 

Delphiniums and Deception

 Delphiniums and Deception is the second Diana Flowers mystery by Ruby Loren.  This is not your typical cozy in my opinion.  The characters are a bit more untraditional and quirky.  This is not a bad thing and I like that they don't fit the stereotype of single woman interacting with local police and sexual tension abounding.  Diana is a woman who took a big risk to follow her dreams and it hasn't been easy- very realistic in my opinion.  You want to get to know her better as you read about her adventures.

The mystery itself is well written as a locked room twist.  There are several aspects of the book that pay homage to the Grand Dame of murder mysteries.  If you enjoy Agatha Christie books you will enjoy this modern take on them.  

A fun series set outside the US for those looking to read books set in the UK.  I look forward to reading more in the series which is easy to do since this is a Kindle Unlimited offering.

Delphiniums and Deception by Ruby Loren
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An twist on the locked room cases Agatha Christie made so famous This time the characters are trapped in a bunker reputed to house UFO remains. Diana end up there when her friend a conspiracy follower signs them up for a flower arranging course. It’s quite a different take on learning and tasks are challenges with unwelcome consequences for failure. No one expected someone to turn up dead. This cozy has more than a locked door in common with some of Christie’s great mysteries. Readers who enjoy her classics will recognize some plot ideas and you might just learn a bit about flower arranging and botany

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Finishing the Series   #FinishingTheSeries2022  Series: 26 Book #1
2. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2022   Book #57
3. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #46
4. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #37
5. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #58
6. Craving for Cozies  Book #54
7. Medical Examiner Challenge 2 Toe Tags
8. Beachcomber Challenge  
• Crime Scene- bedroom; dining room
• Weapon- poison
• Detectives- Diana/Fergus
9. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #30  Shot #3
10. Around the Year in 52 Books #35. 2 books related to flora and fauna - Book 1
11.  BooklistQueen  #booklistqueenreadingchallenge2022  # 31. About Nature
12. Bookworm #5 Read a book that has a type of plant or flower in the title
13. OWLS 22  #37  Pomona Sprout: Contains a character with a herbology related name
14. 52 books in 52 weeks  #40 Marooned

Hot and Sour Suspects

 Hot and Sour Suspects in the 8th Noodle House cozy by Vivien Chien.   I always get a smile on my face when reading about Lana Lee and the messes she manages to find herself in.  She's a quirky Asian American woman running her family's noodle shop in a suburb of Cleveland.  But she has a knack of finding her way into the middle of police investigations much to the chagrin of her boyfriend, a detective in the Fairview PD.  This case is even messier than normal since it is his case to investigate.  This actually just meant we see less of him in the story than in others and more of Megan and Kimmy, Lana's friends and partners in investigation.

 The mystery is well written  with plenty of plausible suspects.  The how and the why are clearly explained at the end of the story.  Lana seems to be maturing in this novel and some of her perspectives reflect the author's personal experiences while writing this cozy.   Be sure to read her note at the beginning as I sheds some light on the dialogue and self reflection Lana experiences in this book.  I really enjoy this series and hope to be able to read more of it in the future.  

An added bonus to this book was my discovery that the cover has a bowl of hot and sour soup with mushrooms floating in it, thus I am able to complete a prompt for a challenge that I had NO idea how I was going to accomplish it.  So excited.  

  

Hot and Sour Suspects by Vivien Chien
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A well written cozy that has the reader guessing throughout. Even as the story is wrapping up there’s still nagging doubts as to who is really responsible. The book has the same quirky characters that are so enjoyable to read about. Lana is her usual stubborn self and we get a deeper glimpse into her relationship with Anna May, her sister. This book has some deeper life philosophies mixed in too which makes sense if you read the author’s note. Lana is a strong woman surrounded by other strong willed women and a supportive boyfriend; a nice change from many cozies where the lead female isn’t always so strong

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #46
2. Finishing the Series   #FinishingTheSeries2022  Series:25  Book #1
3. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2022   Book #56
4. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #36
5. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #57
6. Craving for Cozies  Book #53
7. Medical Examiner Challenge 1 Toe Tags
8. Beachcomber Challenge  
• Crime Scene- living room
• Weapon- push
• Detectives- Lana Lee
• Victims- Gavin
9. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #28  Shot #4
10. Beat the Backlist #BTB2022  #12 mushroom on the cover
11. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #14. A book with cutlery on the cover or in the title
12. Pick your Poison # 66  a book by a BIPOC author
13. Bookworm # 26 Read a book published by Macmillan (or subsidiary)

Dead Men Don't Crochet

 Dead Men Don't Crochet

Dead Men Don't Crochet by Betty Hechtman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A very good cozy centered around a crotchet group at a bookstore. Ms. Hechtman does a wonderful job of keeping the guilty party a mystery until the very end. The characters are mainly the same from the first book with new additions for this plot. It is well conceived on how new members of the crochet group mix into the story and expand the character list. The dynamics of the recurring characters are well developed and engaging. I like the fact there are some real world situations/issues discussed as subplots as well. The charitable focus of the crotchet group is a nice feature to the plots. Seems to be a good cozy series to read the volumes of.

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #44
2. What an Animal Book #30
3. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2022   Book #54
4. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #44
5. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #35
6. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #56
7. Craving for Cozies  Book #52
8. Medical Examiner Challenge  2 Toe Tags
9. Beachcomber Challenge  
• Crime Scene-offices
• Weapon- poison
• Detectives- molly pink
• Victims- 
10. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #84  Shot #2
11. Monthly Motif #MonthlyMotifGXO  MAY- Book Lovers Unite. 

Prologue to Murder (Beyond the Page Bookstore #2)

 Prologue to Murder (Beyond the Page Bookstore #2)

Prologue to Murder by Lauren Elliott
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a very engaging cozy. Addie feels like someone you could be friends wife and her emotions and relationships feel life like. I appreciate that not everything goes smoothly for her and their are real struggles in her life. I feel like much of the unfortunate things that happen to her could be feasible if you had a naturally curious personality that encountered criminal activity. If you like well written mysteries set in the northeast sprinkled with history and legends- particularly pirates; you’ll like this book

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #43
2. Finishing the Series   #FinishingTheSeries2022  Series:24  Book #1
3. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2022   Book #53
4. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #43
5. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #35
6. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #55
7. Craving for Cozies  Book #51
8. Medical Examiner Challenge  Toe Tags
9. Beachcomber Challenge  
• Crime Scene- basement
• Weapon- pushed
• Detectives- Addie Greyborne
• Victims- June Winslow
10. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #43  Shot #2
11. Monthly Motif #MonthlyMotifGXO   MAY- Book Lovers Unite. 

Assault and Pepper (A Spice Shop Mystery, #1)

 Assault and Pepper (A Spice Shop Mystery, #1) is a new series for me. I have read some of Ms Budewitz's other series the Food Lovers' Village set in Montana. This one was a bit more social conscience undertone for my liking. I did enjoy listening to the story and the mystery was well constructed it is just that at times it felt too much like it was trying to make the reader feel guilty they didn't live in Seattle and that the rest of the country didn't treat people well. Maybe I am just too sensitive to feeling as though we are constantly made to feel guilty for professional and economic success. I do believe all people should be treated respectfully but I don't need my books which I read for escape to be a constant reminder of the political strief in the country.

Assault and Pepper by Leslie Budewitz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a very well written mystery I did not guess the guilty party u til the absolute end. That being said I just couldn’t give it a 4 star ( I don’t generally give cozies 5 stars). There was something a bit preach about the main character that just didn’t sit well with me. I did listen on audio so maybe it was more in the tone of the narration but I do t think so. I think it was just a bit too much of a feeling like “Seattle is such a progressive and perfect city for how we treat everyone”. As though the no Seattle residents aren’t compassionate. I also found the descriptions of the areas and the Pike Place Market to be confusing rather than providing clarity. This just caused a bit of annoyance and frustration which took away from my enjoyment. As I said, I liked the mystery and I like her Idaho based series so maybe my issue is with the setting

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #42
2. What an Animal Book #29
3. Audiobook  #2022AudiobookChallenge  #3
4. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #33
5. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #54
6. Craving for Cozies  Book #50
7. Medical Examiner Challenge  1 Toe Tags
8. Beachcomber Challenge  
• Crime Scene- street
• Weapon- poison
• Detectives- Pepper Reece
• Victims- Doc Finch
9. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #14  Shot #3
10. Nerdy Bookworm  #NerdyBookwormChallengeXO #14  Listen to an audiobook

What Is the Story of Scooby-Doo?

 What Is the Story of Scooby-Doo? was a book I found while trying to decide what to read for the prompt to read a book based on a screen show that you haven't read previously.  I realized I had watched plenty of Scooby Doo episodes and movies so this would meet that requirement.  I actually really enjoyed reading about the history of the character and the different evolutions of the program.  It was a fun trip down memory lane.  I highly recommend this book for any Scooby Doo lovers out there.

What Is the Story of Scooby-Doo? by M.D. Payne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

great info for any Scooby-Doo lover out there

This book was full of fun and interesting information about a Scooby-Doo and the gang. I learned a bunch of stuff I didn’t know and the book brought back lots of memories

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #41
2. What an Animal Book #28
3. Non Fiction Reader  #ReadNonFicChal    #7  Reference
4. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub  #39 A middle-grade novel
5. Beat the Backlist #BTB2022  #37 reading for research, reference, or general interest
6. Bookworm #55 Read a book that has a title in the form of a question
7. Nerdy Bookworm  #NerdyBookwormChallengeXO #5  Read a book based on a tv series or movie adaptation 
8. Nerd Daily  #NERDREADING2022 #5 mystery or middle grade
9. Diversify your reading #DYRC22  May: History & Biography
10. While I was Reading  #1 A book with a question in the title.

Hooked on Murder (Crochet Mystery, #1)

 Hooked on Murder (Crochet Mystery, #1) is the initial book in the Crocheting Mysteries by Betty Hechtman. Anyone interested in learning more about the craft will find this book quite entertaining. The mystery itself is well written too. The dynamics between Molly and Adele could be a realistic workplace competitive relationship and is well thought out. I like this first book and plan to continue with the series.

Hooked on Murder by Betty Hechtman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I found this to be a very good cozy. It was full of a cast of diverse character personalities. There were some very unlikeable characters but it was well done with how Molly Pink was trying to be accepting of personality differences and reach out to be friendly. The information on the crocheting was mixed in to the storyline quite well and added to the plot without being overwhelming. I look forward to reading the next book in the series

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #40
2. What an Animal Book #27
3. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2022   Book #52
4. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #42
5. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #32
6. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #53
7. Craving for Cozies  Book #49
8. Medical Examiner Challenge  2 Toe Tags
9. Beachcomber Challenge  
• Crime Scene- living room
• Weapon- strangled; 
• Detectives- Molly Pink
• Victims- Ellen Sheridan; Natalie Shaw
10. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #84  Shot #1
11.  Pick your Poison #63  a book with a craft related pun in the title

Eight Perfect Murders

 Agatha Christie fans will really enjoy this book by Peter Swanson.   Readers beware though, Eight Perfect Murders does give some plot lines away from the stories that appear to be mimicked by the murder in this book.   The main character is an owner of a bookstore in Boston who at one time published a blog post called Eight Perfect Murders.  It seems to an FBI agent that someone is now using that list as a formula to commit murder.  This book is full of suspense and sub plots.  It is hard to tell whether the murder is really the bad guy or actually a vigilante- think Dexter.  If you like twisty stories with lots of plots spinning off the main story then you will definitely like this book.  It is hard to say more without giving stuff away so I will leave it at that.  

Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

quite intriguing

Not easy to write a review and not give plot parts away but I had no idea what to expect in this book and it was jaw dropping. It’s not often you read a book with an MC who’s easy to dislike but that you are still rooting for. This book is one. I will say that the book has spoilers from other classic mysteries so if you are planning to read any of Christie’s
Books in the near future beware
This is quite a psychological thriller and those who like the genre should like this book


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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #39
2. AtoZ   #2022AtoZReadingChallenge  #AlphabetSoupChallenge  E
3. What an Animal Book #26
4. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2022   Book #51
5. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #41
6. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #52
7. Medical Examiner Challenge 10 Toe Tags
8. Beachcomber Challenge  
• Crime Scene- road; woods; living rm; bedroom; living rm
• Weapon- car; shot; bike; alcohol poison; heart attack; shot
• Detectives- Malcolm Kershaw
• Victims- wife; atwater; nathan; prof; emily; abc; detective
9. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub  #3 Title starting with the letter “E”
10. Beat the Backlist #BTB2022  #1 number in the title
11. Nancy Drew #43. The Mystery of the 99 Steps (1966) - read a book with a number in the title
12. Reading Randomizer  Yes April
13. Pick your Poison #61 a book with a devious villain

The Honeybee Emeralds

  The Honeybee Emeralds is a brand new 2022 release I happened upon at the library.  I am so glad I spotted this book and read it.  It is a fascinating historical fiction book that spans modern time and goes back through different points in history.  Amy Tector does a wonderful job of connecting various famous people in history through an emerald necklace.  While it is probably a stretch to believe this could have touched that many famous lives it was still a great plot line and well constructed.  

I really enjoyed the mystery aspect to the story line as well as the glimpses into modern history.   This is a fun historical fiction book that has characters with depth and dimensions.  While the necklace and the quest to identify its history are the main focus, there are character history and emotions that are included as well.   It was easy to view myself as a member of the Fellowship searching for information.  

Great read for anyone who likes historical fiction and especially lovers of Paris.  

The Honeybee Emeralds by Amy Tector
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was an engaging historical fiction book that had a mystery at the center of the storyline. In that sense it reminded me of Where the Crawdads Sing. The mystery is important to the story but the characters and their environments are just as important. The characters flaws and histories become part of the story in a slow reveal. Each character has aspects of who they are that are revealed as the story progresses. Many of their issues and concerns are very relatable to readers as I am sure many have backgrounds enable them to relate to the characters' stories. The mystery was intriguing and fascinating and the different points in the necklace's history, although a bit of a reach, were interesting.

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #38
2. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2022   Book #50
3. 2022TBR  #2022ReadingChallenge  # 1  Historical Fiction
4. Historic Fiction  #histficreadingchallenge   Book #6
5. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #51
6. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub  #38 Don’t judge a book by its cover! 
7. BooklistQueen  #booklistqueenreadingchallenge2022  #48. Historical Novel
8. Nerd Daily  #NERDREADING2022 #24 recommended on social media
9. OWLS 22  #15 Telescope: A book you spotted on social media
10. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #11. A #BookTok recommendation
11. Pick your Poison #83 a book about a lost treasure

Death of a Kitchen Diva

 Death of a Kitchen Diva is the first Hayley Powell book by Lee Hollis.  This was on my list to read in 2021 and I never got to it.  I prioritized getting it read in 2022 for this reason.  

Death of a Kitchen Diva by Lee Hollis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book but I’m not sure if I’m really a fan of Hayley Powell. I admire her balancing single motherhood and a career. Her friendships with Liddy and Mona definitely show the strength of time. I’m just not sure how readily a mom would go charging into some of the situations she put herself into. The guilty party was a bit of a stretch to me as well but I am willing to give the series another try before making a final decision

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #37
2. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2022   Book #49
3. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #40
4. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #31
5. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #50
6. Craving for Cozies  Book #48
7. Medical Examiner Challenge 1 Toe Tags
8. Beachcomber Challenge  
• Crime Scene- kitchen
• Weapon- poison
• Detectives- Hayley Powell
• Victims- Karen Applebaum
9. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #83  Shot #1

Murder by Mocha

 Murder by Mocha is the 10th book in the Coffeehouse Mystery series by Cleo Coyle.  It's always enjoyable to read about Clare Cosi and her staff at the Village Blend.  This installment focused on her relationship with her MIL and a new business venture.  The Aphrodite company was a unique environment and the backstabbing ways set up for a perfect series of crimes.  The whodunit was well disguised and kept me engaged trying to figure it out.  As suspects keep dropping out it eventually becomes clear who the villain is but the suspense is drawn out quite well through the book.  The fact many characters were keeping secrets made it easy to be confused as to who was the person seeking revenge.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book,  I don't generally give cozies 4 stars but this one definitely deserved the rating.

 I look forward to reading the rest of the series now that I have picked the books up again.  

Murder by Mocha by Cleo Coyle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Clare and crew find themselves in a big mess while helping launch the new cobranded Mocha Magic. This book has a great mystery that spans across multiple storylines. The non primary characters play bigger roles than many of the other stories. The relationships Clare has with them really develops in this book and makes the characters even more appealing. The mystery is complex and well thought out story of revenge.

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #36 
2. Finishing the Series   #FinishingTheSeries2022  Series: 22 Book #2
3. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2022   Book #48
4. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #39
5. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #30
6. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #49
7. Craving for Cozies  Book #47
8. Medical Examiner Challenge  4 Toe Tags
9. Beachcomber Challenge  
• Crime Scene-warehouse; park; bar
• Weapon- shot x2; shot; hit
• Detectives- Clare Cosi
• Victims- Aphrodite/Minte/Maya/Patrice
10. Six Shooter Challenge  Target # 82 Shot #2
11. What's in a Name   #6 color

Jackie and Maria

 Jackie and Maria was a wonderful historical fiction novel written by Gill Paul.  The Jackie in the title refers to the most famous Jackie in history- Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.  The author did a wonderful job in combining story telling with facts about many famous people in this book.  I would never describe myself as a Kennedy fangirl but I definitely find the family intriguing and their appearances in history of the US fascinating.  

I enjoyed how Paul intertwined much of the Kennedy political/policy legacy into the story without dwelling on those facts too much.  It made me think about the Kennedy Center and how it probably evolved from Jackie's passion for the arts which is woven into this story to tie her storyline to Marie Callas in a manner other than Ari Onassis.   

I'm sure Kennedy purists won't like this book and several reviews confirm that, but I thought the author did a wonderful job of using facts to create a well woven story.  This is actually the second story I read in 2022 that involves the  Kennedy; the other being The Kennedy Debutante about Kick Kennedy who has a brief mention in this story.  

 I have always been intrigued by the Kennedys but had only read Clint Hill's account of life as Mrs. Kennedy's Secret Service Agent and his perspectives on the couple who changed much of America's political story.  I also have Jackie, Janet and Lee on my TBR list this year coincidentally as it is a book from TBR list that was selected for my Randomizer challenge.  I am curious to see  how much of the biography confirms the story line content in this novel.   

Coincidentally if you are doing a challenge where the prompt for a book by a different title is included this book will work as it is also titled the Second Marriage.  

Jackie and Maria: A Novel of Jackie Kennedy & Maria Callas by Gill Paul
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is very good historical fiction account of Jackie Kennedy and her relationship with JFK and Onassis. It is Interesting to me to learn about parts of her relationships that lead to possible interactions with other famous people in history. The author is very clear in her note on what is based on fact vs her fictional accounts. I didn’t really know much about Onassis except rich Greek shipping magnate that was Jackie’s 2nd husband. I knew nothing about Maria Callas but I am intrigued to learn more. A good read if you like fictionalizes accounts about real historical figures

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #45
2. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes  Greece
3. AtoZ   #2022AtoZReadingChallenge  #AlphabetSoupChallenge  J
4. 2022TBR  #2022ReadingChallenge  #2  Controversial 
5. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2022   Book #55
6. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #45
7. Historic Fiction  #histficreadingchallenge   Book #7
8. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub  #19 A book that has an alternate title
9. Around the Year in 52 Books # 48. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads in 2021 or 2022 
10. BooklistQueen  #booklistqueenreadingchallenge2022  #20. Literary Fiction
11. Beat the Backlist #BTB2022  #31 features royalty
12. Nerdy Bookworm  #NerdyBookwormChallengeXO #30 Read a book that has the friend's to lover's trope
13. Nancy Drew #41. The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes (1964) - read a book where the mc plays a musical instrument
14. Nerd Daily  #NERDREADING2022 #51 multiple perspectives
15. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #48. A book with two POVs
16. Pick your Poison #82 a book about a legendary hero
17. RAD challenge #aradreadingchallenge #
18. What's in a Name   #
19. While I was Reading  #
20. Monthly Motif #MonthlyMotifGXO  
21. Monthly Keyword #MonthlyKeyWordGXO
22. Reading Randomizer
23. Beyond the Bookends  
24. Book Voyage  #bookvoyagechallenge
25. Diversify your reading #DYRC22  May: History & Biography
26. Lifetime of Reading
27. Uncorked Reader #UncorkedReading2022 
28. Unruly Reader Bingo  #

Criminal Confections

 Criminal Confections is a new to me series called the Chocolate Whisperer by Collette London.   I was only moderately engaged by the book as I found the character a  bit annoying.  I will give the series another try before discontinuing with it.  Sometimes series take a book or so to get going and engage me with the characters.  The San Francisco setting is always a locale near to my heart as I lived there in HS through college years and spent time visiting the city with friends as I got older.  I even lived in the city proper for a few months when I was an adult as my husband was temporarily assigned to his company's SF office.  I always enjoy the views and tourist attractions as well as the different neighborhoods.  

Criminal Confections by Colette London
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A chocolate lovers dream book. If you want to know the ends and outs of chocolate and what makes them different you will really like this book. I admit I skimmed over some of those parts but still found it interesting.
The mystery was well developed and I really did not see the ending. Hayden is a bit of a flaky character and I’m not sure I’d like her in real life but it will be interesting to see her character and relationships develop over the series


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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #35
2. What an Animal Book #25
3. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2022   Book #47
4. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #38
5. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #29
6. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #48
7. Craving for Cozies  Book #46
8. Medical Examiner Challenge 2 Toe Tags
9. Beachcomber Challenge  
• Crime Scene- spa; cliff
• Weapon- poison; push
• Detectives- Hayden
• Victims- Adrienne; Rex