Death of a Country Fried Red Neck

 

Another interesting installment from the Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails series.  The book is full of recipes both for meals and cocktails.   There is a bit of a weakness in some of the feasibility of the plot line but overall it is entertaining

Death of a Country Fried Redneck by Lee Hollis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

entertaining cozy

Hayley Powell is quite a unique narrator. Her actions in normal circumstances seem pretty typical despite finding herself mixed up in a murder investigation however her columns for the paper are quite a different story. She’s funny and quirky in those. This makes for a fun personality in the story. While I did find the outcome of the story a bit extreme I’m not sure it is impossible to imagine this being a reaction to one’s lifestyle being threatened. Be sure to read to find out what I mean

View all my reviews

 

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  107
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #89   
3. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 2
4. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 1
5. What an Animal Book #41
6. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #98
7. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #73
8. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #54
9. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #83
10. Craving for Cozies  Book #71
11. Six Shooter Challenge  Target # 50 Shot #3
12. Medical Examiner Challenge 2 Toe Tags
13. Diversify your reading #DYRC23  October: True Crime/Mystery
14. Monthly Keyword #MonthlyKeyWordGXO  OF
15. Read Your Bookshelf  October: The book will start with the first letter of the author’s last name from your September book.
16. TBRChallenge  #TBRChallenge October 18 - Danger Zone

Pink Lemonade Cake Murder

 I must agree with many of the online reviews that point out the weaknesses in this latest installment of the Hannah Swensen series.  After 29 books you'd expect the books to have some formulation to them but this one just felt forced.   There are many aspects of the story that feel as though they have just been dropped into the plot with no real reason.  Stella is introduced as though we should know who she is and I don't recall her in any previous stories.  Hannah and her sisters are still involved in solving mysteries and baking which is fine.  I do wish Hannah would just hurry up and decide to marry instead of just continuing to lead him along.  I am hoping this is the outcome of the twist at the end of the story and the introduction of Stella as a character.  Hopefully the next book won't be too trite and will provide a conclusion to the series.  

Pink Lemonade Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this latest Hannah Swenson novel. It felt a bit fresher than several of the more recent ones I only gave it 3 stars though because there were times the story line felt a bit erratic. The whole side plot of Mikes desire to retire was a bit odd at times. Stella is introduced into the story as though she’d been part of a previous story but I dont remember her. Also that plot line felt contrived at times. Almost like. Tv show where they are trying to write off a character and bring in new ones. The mystery is well constructed and there’s definitely a cliff hanger that makes readers anxious for the next Installment. Hopefully it wont be too long though since the teaser chapter is from a whole different series from this one

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  106
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #  88 
3. Finishing the Series   #FinishingTheSeries2023  Series:18  Book #1
4. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 29
5. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 3
6. What an Animal Book #40
7. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #97
8. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #53
9. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #82
10. Craving for Cozies  Book #70
11. Medical Examiner Challenge 1 Toe Tags
12. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #32 A book that comes out in the second half of 2023
13. Diversify your reading #DYRC23  October: True Crime/Mystery
14. TBRChallenge  #TBRChallenge  October 18 - Danger Zone

Fatal Fudge Swirl

 Fatal Fudge Swirl is set in Penniman, CT, and is based around an ice cream shop.  This particular one is based upon a socialite wedding at Halloween.  Of course, there is a murder and a list of suspects a mile long.  Instead of focusing on ice cream making the crew of the shop ends up investigating the murder.  As a backdrop to the story, there is a movie being filmed that is loosely modeled on the Hallmark channel movies.  Lots of references to repeat appearances by actors and actresses and the rom-com-type approach to the stories depicted in the movies.   This aspect of the story involves Sprinkles in a major role allowing the outcast cat show feline to strut her stuff.  Allen captures the personality of a cat in a very lifelike manner in this book.   I realized as I was reading this book I had forgotten to read book 2 in the series so I am going back and catching up on that one now.  I can say there isn't much in the way of spoilers in this book so if a reader wanted to have a seasonal read they can jump in with this book.  

Fatal Fudge Swirl by Meri Allen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fine book that will appeal especially to Halloween and fall lovers. The ice cream flavors will make your mouth water if you’re not careful. The mystery is quite well laid out and not super obvious. I like how there is some historic significance included in the book since it is set in Connecticut. Looking forward to reading more in the series.

View all my reviews

 

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  105
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #  87 
3. Finishing the Series   #FinishingTheSeries2023  Series:17  Book #1
4. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 3
5. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 3
6. What an Animal Book #39
7. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #96
8. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #52
9. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #81
10. Craving for Cozies  Book #69
11. Medical Examiner Challenge  3 Toe Tags
12. Diversify your reading #DYRC23  October: True Crime/Mystery
13. Monthly Motif #MonthlyMotifGXO  OCTOBER- Spellbinding or Spooktacular
14. TBRChallenge  #TBRChallenge  October 18 - Danger Zone

Double Trouble in Iowa

 Double Trouble in Iowa is the second Izzie Lewis book by Wendy Byrne.   I started this series when I was looking for a book set in Iowa for the literary escapes challenge last year.  Izzie has become less shallow since we first met her in book one which made the story a bit more enjoyable.  The grannies are still a crazy crew and definitely provide comedic relief for the books.  I am looking forward to reading the next mystery to see what antics the ladies all find to get into.  

Double Trouble in Iowa by Wendy Byrne
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Enjoyable read with lots of quirky characters. There are two storylines in this book and I enjoyed that. I did find the one a bit abrupt of a conclusion but did appreciate how all the different events were connected to this investigation vs the one of the murder. I think because I read the book over a period of time I did have trouble following who all the characters were especially the suspects. Overall it is a fun series so far

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  103
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #   85
3. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes  IA
4. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 2
5. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 1
6. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #94
7. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #71
8. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #50
9. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #77
10. Craving for Cozies  Book #67
11. Medical Examiner Challenge 3 Toe Tags
12. Diversify your reading #DYRC23  October: True Crime/Mystery
13. Read Your Bookshelf October: The book will start with the first letter of the author’s last name from your September book.
14. TBRChallenge  #TBRChallenge October 18 - Danger Zone

While My Pretty One Knits

While My Pretty One Knits by Anne Canadeo, is the first book in a new series to me.   The book is based around a knitting group in Massachusetts.   A former student experiencing success decides to pay a visit to the Black Sheep Shop and do a presentation.   Unfortunately, a rival shop owner's death casts a pall over the event.  The knitting group gets involved in the investigation when their friend becomes a person of interest.   The story is well composed and if you are interested in learning about knitting this is a great source for you as a reader.   I look forward to reading more in the series in the future.

While My Pretty One Knits by Anne Canadeo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book. The ensemble characters are well mixed with different personalities that makes it engaging. I will say I suspected who did it very early on but didn’t know the why until the story unfolded. The mystery has lots of red herrings and circumstantial evidence pointing at multiple culprits. There are plenty of knitting techniques and patterns discussed that I’m sure will greatly appeal to knitters. Looking forward to more of the series


View all my reviews

 

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  102
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #  84 
3. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 1
4. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 -1
5. What an Animal Book #38
6. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #93
7. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #70
8. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #49
9. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #78
10. Craving for Cozies  Book #66
11. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #109  Shot #1
12. Medical Examiner Challenge 1 Toe Tags
13. TBRChallenge  #TBRChallenge October 18 - Danger Zone

Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

 Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is the 2nd book by Taylor Jenkins Reid that I have read.  I have enjoyed both of the books.   The prior read was an audiobook of Daisy Jones and the Six.  I plan to read another one of Reid's books later this year- Carrie Soto is back.  

Evelyn Hugo is a fun book that is based on the life of a Hollywood starlet.   The story is reputed to be loosely based on Elizabeth Taylor, Ava Gardner and  Rita Hayworth's lives.  I enjoyed how on the surface it is a fun and engaging book with snippets of the life of the famous.  There are deeper topics covered within the story.  

Additionally, the format of the book is a somewhat different approach.  Monique is called by Evelyn Hugo to hear her life's story and publish the biography upon Evelyn's death.   The book delves into both of their characters and what drives their personalities.  The reader is not really sure whether they should like Evelyn or dislike her.  Evelyn believes she lived her life as true as possible given the circumstances of her fame.   She doesn't regret her decisions and says she would do it all again.   It is hard to be sure if that would really be the case but it certainly makes for a polarizing character in the story.  

If you are looking for a relatively light read that does address deeper issues and gets you to think this is a great choice for you.  

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

very engaging read. hard to put down

Jenkins Reid certainly addresses some questions about people and how they define their truths to themselves. Evelyn Hugo was viewed by the public as an icon and celebrity this book shows the cost and benefits of this fame. If you ever wish you were famous this book will make you think twice about having the world wanting to know your business. And this was before social media

View all my reviews

 

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  92
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book # 75  
3. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #84
4. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #65
5. Historic Fiction  #histficreadingchallenge   Book #6
6. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2023  #  25 A Fashionable Character
7. 52 books in 52 weeks  #22 book to movie
8. Around the Year in 52 Books #49. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads in 2022 or 2023  
9. BooklistQueen  #booklistqueenreadingchallenge2023  #14. Recommended by a Librarian
10. Beat the Backlist #BTB2023  #14  a character is lost royalty
11. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #11 A book about or set in Hollywood
12. Pick your Poison  # 67 A book you want to dive into
13. Diversify your reading #DYRC23   August: Contemporary Fiction
14. Read Around the US   Aug California
15. TBRChallenge  #TBRChallenge  July 19 - Opposites Attract

Murder, Simple Stitched

 Murder, Simply Stitched is the 2nd installment in the Amish Quilt Shop series by Isabella Alan.  This book is a good perspective on how the Amish and Englisch interact in parts of the country.   If you have any interest in quilting or reading about different cultures while enjoying a cozy mystery you will enjoy this series.  The mystery has lots of twists and turns will following the trope of clearing a friends name from a crime.   I enjoy the simplicity of the lifestyles represented in this book.  I look forward to reading more of this series.  

Murder, Simply Stitched by Isabella Alan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Angie is a bit of a busybody but aren’t most amateur sleuths in cozy mysteries. This mystery is well written and reaches a good conclusion. There are definitely charming settings and good relationships included in the story line. I appreciate that Angie tries to find the best n people despite initial impressions to the contrary. There is quite a cliff hanger at the end of the story. I will have to read the next book to see what happens

View all my reviews

 

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  91
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #  74 
3. Alphabet Soup Author Edition #AlphabetSoupAuthorChallenge  I 
4. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 2
5. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 1
6. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #83
7. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #64
8. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #41
9. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #69
10. Craving for Cozies  Book #58
11. Six Shooter Challenge  Target # 3 Shot #4
12. Medical Examiner Challenge 1 Toe Tags
13. Pick your Poison  # 36 A book published in a year that includes a 4
14. TBRChallenge  #TBRChallenge August 16 - Tropetastic!

  

The Tourist Attraction

 I enjoyed The Tourist Attraction by Sarah Morgenthaler.  It is a light-hearted romance set in Alaska.  There are a few deeper concepts intertwined into the storyline.  Specifically it gets the readers to think about the downside to living in a tourist area.   It points out the difficulties of having a very transient base of clientele for the businesses.  Additionally, the disparity in economics between the locals and the tourists who visit this particular lodge is very significant.  The book made me think about Hawaii and how it must be like for many of the locals there.  The tourism,  along with the locale, drives prices in the islands up and then the locals are faced with those high prices.  Fortunately for those residents there are often kamaaina rates which are available for locals, similar to resident rates at WDW for tickets and hotels.  

The Tourist Attraction by Sarah Morgenthaler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Enjoyable chick lit with a mix of outdoor adventure thrown in for an interesting mix. Anyone who has had a vacation fling will enjoy this. Strong female characters with character you can’t help but root for

View all my reviews

 

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  78
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #  65  
3. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes  Alaska
4. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 1
5. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 -1
6. What an Animal Book #28
7. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #70
8. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #58
9. Bookworm #57 Read a book that takes place in Alaska
10. Pick your Poison  # 118 A book set someplace that has a "long night" during winter
11. TBRChallenge  #TBRChallenge   June  - Love is Love 

A Princess for Christmas

 

A Princess for Christmas by Jenny Holiday
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

a modern fairytale

This is a fun modern fairytale that highlights the fact that things are not as they always seem in others’ lives This book had a bit more graphic bedroom scenes than I had expected; I was anticipating more rom com but it did fit with the development of their relationship. There is a bit of grief central to the story so those who. Don’t want that in their books might want to avoid this one

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book # 71 
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #  59 
3. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #64
4. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #52
5. 52 books in 52 weeks  #8 once upon a time
6. BooklistQueen  #booklistqueenreadingchallenge2023  #16. About Royalty
7. Beat the Backlist #BTB2023  #36 first in a trilogy
8. TBRChallenge  #TBRChallenge  June 21 - Love is Love

Death of a Red Heroine

My experience reading  Death of a Red Heroine is a testament to the powers of participating in reading challenges.  If it were not for the alphabet challenge where I am always trying to find authors that meet the Q/X/Y/Z categories I might not have ever tried this detective story set in Shanghai.  The book is written by Qiu Xiaolong  I ended up really enjoying the storyline and the historical perspective of China as it was transitioning into a more capitalist approach to its economy.  The plot highlights the importance of the Party and the High Ranking Cadres' ability to get things done to their advantage;  something those without the connections cannot readily achieve.   In many ways, it reminded me of the old money influence in the US.  The wealth/power that exists acts as a barrier to newcomers entering the markets.  I did enjoy the book and may give the next in the series a go in the future.

Death of a Red Heroine by Qiu Xiaolong
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I selected this audiobook from my library mainly because it sounded interesting and the author's name allowed me to fulfill some harder letters in the alphabet challenge. I ended up with a pleasant surprise and learned a lot about the history of China from an author who was born there. The intricacies of the Party establishment and the country's situation post-Tiananmen Square protests were a very interesting backdrop to a detective mystery. This is definitely not a cozy and has some very edgy and graphic details about the murder as well as the sexual exploits of the characters. The mystery is well constructed and details the police work involved in solving crimes, particularly with politically connected suspects and victims. I enjoyed the book and will definitely potentially try another in the series.

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  51
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #  39 
3. Audiobook  #2023AudiobookChallenge 6
4. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes  China
5. Alphabet Soup Author Edition #AlphabetSoupAuthorChallenge  X
6. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #44
7. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #39
8. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #40
9. Medical Examiner Challenge 3 Toe Tags
10. Historic Fiction  #histficreadingchallenge   Book #3
11. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2023  #41 A Character Who is a Refugee
12. Beat the Backlist #BTB2023  #45 more than 450 pages
13. Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2023 #24. OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE WORLD
14. Pick your Poison  # 54 A book you expect will expand your initial knowledge of a subject
15. Read with Allison #49 Set in the 1990s:
16. Monthly Motif #MonthlyMotifGXO  Longer than 400 pages
17. TBRChallenge  #TBRChallenge April- Unusual Historical

Larceny in Liverpool

 Who ever thought I would read a cozy mystery starring the Beatles.  Larceny in Liverpool by Kal Smagh is a clever cozy that does just that.  There's a bit of a mystery surrounding stolen lyrics surrounded by a lot of fanaticism in the early days of the Beatles.  There are glimpses of famous locations such as the Cavern Club and plenty of strange fan mail.   The book is clever if not super deep in the clues.  I am not sure how the series will continue but I am willing to give the next installment a go;   particularly since they are in Kindle Unlimited.  

Larceny in Liverpool by Kal Smagh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

such a fun premise

What a totally unique idea for a cozy mystery. It’s fun to read about secrets within the inner circle as the Beatles first struck out in their career. There are lots of components people will be familiar with but the story and larceny are unique I look forward to reading more of Helen’s story telling

View all my reviews

 

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  47
2. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 1
3. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 -1
4. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #41
5. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #35
6. Cruisin thru Cozies  Historical  #1
7. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #36
8. Craving for Cozies  Book #32
9. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #101  Shot #1
10. Historic Fiction  #histficreadingchallenge   Book # 2
11. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2023  #7 A City or Country name in the title
12. Around the Year in 52 Books #29. A book that is light
13. Cozy Mysteries   #22 Cozy without murder
14. HP Quidditch 23 #4 Quidditch Throughout the Ages: A historical fiction
15. Nerdy Bookworm  #NerdyBookwormChallengeXO #23. Read a historical fiction novel
16. Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2023 #14. A BOOK YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT
17. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #34 A historical-fiction book
18. Pick your Poison  # 61 A fiction book with a real person as protagonist
19. Read with Allison #8 Historical Fiction
20. TBRChallenge  #TBRChallenge April- Unusual Historic Fiction

Murder in an Irish Village

 Murder in an Irish Village is a charming cozy to kick off the Irish Village series by Carlene O'Connor.  The descriptions of the village are wonderful and welcoming. The authenticity of the terminology and characteristics are a welcome feature.   It is hard not to want to grab a plane ticket and head over to the Emerald Isle after reading this book.  

The O'Sullivan clan is a well-written family unit with its share of squabbles and differences while being a tight-knit crew.  The mysterious death of a family rival in their bistro was enough to put a strain on those tight bonds and to create suspicion among all of the village residents.  It is hard to imagine anyone you have known all your life to be a murderer but that is the case unless it is the outsider, the Yank.   Sioban and her siblings work to investigate and clear James' name.  Unfortunately, their discoveries open many wounds and secrets.  The Village of Kilbane will not recover any time soon.  I plan to read the next in the series to see how it comes along.  

Murder in an Irish Village by Carlene O'Connor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An authentic feeling book set in Ireland. The use of Irish phrases and words adds a truly authentic feel to the characters. It’s easy to visualize the countryside around Cork and in Kilbane in particular. The mystery is well written including the why and who. The small village was leveraged to add to the difficulty in solving because who wants to suspect someone they’ve known their whole lives and who have reached out to help your family. Add to it the mysterious Yank with unknown intentions and everyone is looking at each other sideways. Siobhan is a character that is dealing with internal struggles between her dreams and her sense of obligation. I look forward to reading more about this family and village.

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  29
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #  25 
3. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes Ireland
4. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 1
5. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 -1
6. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #27
7. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #22
8. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #7
9. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #23
10. Craving for Cozies  Book #20
11. Six Shooter Challenge  Target # 98 Shot #1
12. Medical Examiner Challenge 2 Toe Tags stabbed
13. Around the Year in 52 Books #20. A book with a cover or title that includes a route of travel
14. HP Quidditch 23 #49 Slothgrip Roll: A book that’s taken you a long time to read
15. Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2023 #38. ROMANTIC INTEREST STARTS WITH 'M'
16. Pick your Poison  # 53 A book your initial reaction to is "I know I'll love this"
17. Read with Allison #18 Book in a Series
18. Uncorked Reader #UncorkedReading2023 #26 Ireland: Ireland Books | Ireland Movies
19. Read Your Bookshelf The title has to start with the next letter in the alphabet from your February book
20. TBRChallenge  #TBRChallenge Baggage

Aged for Murder

 I had previously started this Tuscan Wine mystery last year and for some reason had not finished it.  I selected it as an audiobook when offered as a bonus borrow from Hoopla in Feb.  I am glad I did.  The MC of the book, Olivia,  did seem a bit impetuous and immature but the story itself was well written.   The landscape and setting descriptions were wonderful as was the character of Yerba, the pesky goat who adopts Olivia.  The author could work on the resolution of the murder a bit as the guilty party really had a peripheral role and kind of felt like an afterthought rather than a logical build-up of the clues.  

Another aspect I found a bit frustrating at times was the author used English terms to describe scenes and clothing etc whereas Olivia is American and they were in Italy.  For some reason, this really got on my nerves.  I am usually not a grammar text critic but for whatever reason, this bugged me.  Usually, the only detail of that type that bothers me is inconsistency in timelines.  I didn't notice any in this book but often times timing ends up off in cozy mysteries- authors referring to yesterday as today or skipping a day in the timeline when talking about events.   I think it's just a symptom of my perfectionism :)

I will try the next in the series to see how the story goes and to determine if I will stick with it.  This is a great book for those interested in learning about wine and wine growing.  

Aged for Murder by Fiona Grace
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the setting and the mystery in this book. For some reason though the MC, Olivia, was a bit annoying to me at times. I think the whole pollyanna dreaming of perfect outcomes was just something that struck me as immature. Not necessarily the way a 34 year old Advertising exec would behave in my opinion. Maybe it’s just that her personality is so different from mine and so it felt unrealistic to me. I can totally understand someone having a dream job and wanting to follow the dream it was just more about her repetitive daydreams about different scenarios- romance, jobs, even things she didn’t want to do just seemed over the top to me. Her impulsive behavior made her seem flighty at times rather than vulnerable. I did enjoy the wine industry aspect of the story and will try another one I. The series before giving up but hopefully Olivia isn’t quite so dreamy as she continues on pursuing her dream vocation

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  30
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #  24 
3. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes Italy
4. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 1
5. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 -1
6. What an Animal Book #8
7. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #26
8. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #21
9. Cruisin thru Cozies  Non US #2
10. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #22
11. Craving for Cozies  Book #19
12. Six Shooter Challenge  Target # 97 Shot #1
13. Medical Examiner Challenge  1 Toe Tags hit
14. Around the Year in 52 Books #16. Three books, each of which is set in a different century: Book 2
15. Beat the Backlist #BTB2023  #5  giving an author a second chance
16. Cozy Mysteries   #2  Cozy companion that isn't a dog or cat
17. HP Quidditch 23 #27 Wingtown Wanderers: Includes travel or adventure
18. Pick your Poison  #51 Go ahead—choose a book because of its cover
19. Read with Allison #35 Prettiest Cover on Your TBR
20. Unruly Reader Bingo  #3 Exchange Student 
21. TBRChallenge  #TBRChallenge Baggage

A Palette for Murder

 This is actually the 7th book in the Murder She Wrote series by Jessica Fletcher.  I found A Palette for Murder at a used bookstore and didn't think I had read it before.   If I had previously read it I didn't remember much of the plot so as a reread it wasn't an issue.  This book finds Jessica on vacation in the Hamptons where her investigation engages her with many younger artistic people.  It is refreshing to see her a bit baffled by the idiosyncracies and mannerisms of the younger generation.  The book talks quite a bit about artwork and styles so those readers interested in art will find that engaging I would suspect.   The mystery was well conceived and I really was surprised at the ending.  We as readers definitely discover a different side to Jessica in this novel.  

A Palette for Murder by Jessica Fletcher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An old book in the series that I didn’t read before or it’s been so long I forgot I read it. A great read set in the Hamptons as Jessica expands her artistic expression to the visual arts

The mystery was well constructed with lots of plot twists. Always fun to read from this series.

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book # 27 
2. Finishing the Series   #FinishingTheSeries2023  Series in progress
3. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 7
4. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 1
5. Color Coded #9 palette
6. Mount TBR   #MountTBR2023  Book # 4
7. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #19
8. Cruisin thru Cozies  Travel  #2
9. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #19
10. Craving for Cozies  Book #16
11. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #39  Shot #4
12. Medical Examiner Challenge 4 Toe Tags  (3 poison/ 1 hit)
13. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2023  #21 A second hand book
14. Around the Year in 52 Books #15. Three books, each of which is set in a different century: Book 1
15. Bookworm #27 Read a book by an author who shares a first or last name with one of your friends
16. Beat the Backlist #BTB2023  #22 that heist plot tho
17. Cozy Mysteries   #17 Includes a home project
18. HP Quidditch 23 #10 Nimbus 2000: Set or written before 2000
19. Nerdy Bookworm  #NerdyBookwormChallengeXO #41. A book you bought from a bookstore
20. Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2023 #42. TITLE WITHOUT 'THE'
21. Pick your Poison  # 15 A book from your "collection"
22. Read with Allison #9 Book You Owned Before 2023
23. TBRChallenge  #TBRChallenge  Getaway

#TBR challenge

 While prepping for another challenge I found this additional TBR challenge hosted by Wendy the Super Librarian on her blog.  Since I would really like to work through my TBR list so this seems like a perfect addition.  There is no formality to this challenge only that you blog about the book you read from your TBR list on the 3rd Wed of the month   I will work to pick books from my TBR list to fit the prompts for other challenges so this should be rather straightforward to follow.

#TBRChallenge

January 18 - Starting Over  

• Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/10 /23
• Winter Takes All (Seattle Wilderness #1) by ML Erdahl
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/30/23

February 15 - Getaway

• Through the Liquor Glass (Literary Pub #5)  by Sarah Fox
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/13/23
• Last Tang Standing by Lauren Ho
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/16/23
• Parable of the Sower Graphic Novel Adaptation by Octavia Butler and Damian Duffy
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/13/23
• A Palette for Murder (Murder, She Wrote, #7) by Jessica Fletcher
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/22/23

March 15 - Baggage

Aged For Murder Tuscan Vineyard #1 by Fiona Grace

Blog Post and Goodreads Review 3/1/23

Murder in an Irish Village  Irish Village #1 by Carlene O'Connor

 Blog Post and Goodreads Review 3/3/23

Just Shoot Me Dead (A Lucy Fong Mystery #1) by Anne R Tan

Blog Post and Goodreads Review 3/5/23

 

April 19 - Unusual Historical

• Larceny in Liverpool by Kal Smagh 
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 4/7/23

May 17 - Freebie

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone (Ernest Cunningham, #1) by Benjamin Stevenson

Blog Post and Goodreads Review 5/5/23

June 21 - Love is Love

A Princess for Christmas by Jenny Holiday

Blog Post and Goodreads Review 6/4/23 

 West Side Love Story (Queens of Mariachi #1) by Priscilla Oliveras

Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/7/23

The Tourist Attraction by Sarah Morgenthaler

Blog Post and Goodreads Review 6/24/23

July 19 - Opposites Attract

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

Blog Post and Goodreads Review 7/16/23 

August 16 - Tropetastic!

Murder, Simply Stitched (Amish Quilt Shop #2) by Isabella Alan

Blog Post and Goodreads Review 8/7/23

September 20 - New Author

The Last Thing He Told Me by  Laura Dave

Blog Post and Goodreads Review 9/9/23  

October 18 - Danger Zone

Double Trouble in Iowa (Izzy Lewis #2) by Wendy Byrne

Blog Post and Goodreads Review 10/3/23

•  Meddling and Murder (Singapore Mystery #4) Ovidia Yu
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 10/9/23
•  Fatal Fudge Swirl (Ice Cream Shop #3)  by Meri Allen
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 10/11/23
• Pink Lemonade Cake Murder (Hannah Swensen #29) by Joanne Fluke 
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 10/13/23
• Death of a Country Fried Redneck by Lee Hollis
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 10/27/23

November 15 - Once Upon a Time...
December 20 - Festive

If possible I will try to complete the 2022 prompts that I missed participating in.  I will first see if I read anything in 2022 that meets the prompt but will finish any of the others as possible.

January 19 - Quickie
February 16 - Fairy Tale
March 16 - Grumpy
April 20 - Location, Location, Location
May 18 - Tales of Old
June 15 - After the War
July 20 - Vintage
August 17 - Blue Collar
September 21 - Animals
October 19 - Flirting with Danger
November 16 - Lies
December 21 - Festive