A Murder Yule Regret

 I must have had a subconscious decision to read Christmas in July books.  I ended up reading 3 different books set at the holidays this past month.  A Murder Yule Regret is the 7th book in the Bread Shop series by Winnie Archer.  Ivy Culpepper finds herself working 2 different parties hosted by starlets while helping her boss, Olaya, at Yeast of Eden.  In addition to the well constructed mystery with multiple side crimes including blackmail and stalking, there are developing relationships mixed within the story.  I appreciate the author discussing the positive aspects of the relationships and how Ivy values the support she and Miguel have for each other.  These cozies always seem to have a nice balance of highlighting the positives of human nature along with the dark side that leads to murders. 

 If you are looking for a mystery with strong relationships and delicious bread and appetizer recipes/descriptions then look no further.

A Murder Yule Regret by Winnie Archer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

mouth watering bread and appetizers play a huge role in this story as there are multiple catering gigs at the center of this Hollywood starlet centric story. the small town charm of Santa Sofia is interrupted at the holidays when 2 starlets throw holiday parties. unfortunately neither had murder on their agendas when they made their guest lists. the story is well developed with lots of surprises and a fairly shocking outcome

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book # 68
2. Finishing the Series   #FinishingTheSeries2022  Series: 33 Book #1
3. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2022   Book #81
4. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #52
5. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #76
6. Craving for Cozies  Book #69
7. Medical Examiner Challenge 2 Toe Tags
8. Beachcomber Challenge  
• Crime Scene- cliff/swimming pool
• Weapon- push/drown
• Detectives- Ivy Culpepper/Det York
• Victims- Edward Yentin/Cordelia Knight
9. Six Shooter Challenge  Target # 31 Shot #4
10. Nerd Daily  #NERDREADING2022 #34 protagonist starts with "i"

Poinsettias and the Perfect Crime

 Poinsettias and the Perfect Crime is book #3 Diana Flowers Floriculture Mysteries  This series is a lot of fun to see the different dynamics amongst the characters.  This installment is full of family drama and residual high school age drama.   Mixed in among all this is the murder of Bill Wrexton and the disappearance of a valuable diamond.  The plot is a mix of light hearted fun directed at Diana's friend, Fergus and his conspiracy theories and a bit like a government spy novel.   Diana has drama in the form of her ex boyfriend appearing on the scene as well as a high school rivalry resurfacing.   Meanwhile it is the holiday season and her floral business is booming and expanding.  This is always an interesting sub story and learning experience.  I look forward to reading more of this series.  If you want a light hearted and somewhat humorous cozy this is a great series to try.  

Poinsettias and the Perfect Crime by Ruby Loren
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

a great mix of family drama and a murder. there are lots of plot twists that read like a james bond movie at times that make this book a fun read the whole conspiracy theory aspect of the series is lots of fun too and makes you pause at times

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Finishing the Series   #FinishingTheSeries2022  Series:26  Book #2
2. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2022   Book #80
3. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #61
4. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #51
5. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #75
6. Craving for Cozies  Book #68
7. Medical Examiner Challenge  1 Toe Tags
8. Beachcomber Challenge  
• Crime Scene- den
• Weapon- knife
• Detectives- Diana Flowers/Fergus
• Victims- Bill Wrexton
9. Six Shooter Challenge  Target # 30  Shot #4
10. Around the Year in 52 Books #36. 2 books related to flora and fauna - Book 2

A Time to Swill

 A Time to Swill is the 2nd Chloe Jackson book by Sherry Harris.  I am really enjoying this series especially because I am so familiar with the setting.  It is so enjoyable to read a book when you know about the restaurants and landmarks discussed in the book.   The actual mystery is well constructed and truly captures the old boy network of the Fl Panhandle.  In addition, the character development in this book and how their relationships are growing and changing is so well written.   It is hard not to feel the tension and drama that Chloe feels as you read the story.   I look forward to seeing how her relationship with Rhett progresses as well as her personal and professional relationships with Vivi.   Beach lovers and cozy lovers will enjoy this book.

A Time to Swill by Sherry Harris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really liked this cozy mystery and especially like reading about an area of FL I am very familiar with. The whole ghost ship and past relationships coming back to haunt one makes for an intriguing mystery. The relationship between Chloe and Rhett is a roller coaster ride and it makes the reader want to see how it evolves. The bar family is a wonderful growing relationship and it will be an interesting dynamic as the series progresses

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #52
2. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2022   Book #63
3. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #52
4. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #42
5. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #63
6. Craving for Cozies  Book #59
7. Medical Examiner Challenge 4 Toe Tags
8. Beachcomber Challenge  
• Crime Scene- ocean/beach
• Weapon- gun/drown/poison
• Detectives- Chloe Jackson/Vivi
9. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #4  Shot #4
10. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub  #49 Book title starts with the same letter as your first name
11. Pick your Poison #87 a book that takes place on both land and sea
12. Monthly Motif #MonthlyMotifGXO   Pride:  character is LGBTQIA+
13. Monthly Keyword #MonthlyKeyWordGXO  Sea

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.

View all my reviews

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. 

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

View all my reviews

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

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

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

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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

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


View all my reviews

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

Death by Chocolate Lab

 Death by Chocolate Lab is the first Lucky Paws Petsitting mystery by Bethany Blake.  This is a great book if you are a dog lover.  The book features multiple breeds and their fun antics are sure to put a smile on your face.  Daphne is a bit of a free spirit, she even drives a 70s VW bus,  who is living with her veterinarian sister, Piper.  Her interactions with Piper are clearly ones of a loving relationship but they are certainly portrayed as women who also bicker and get on each other's nerves.  Don't even get them started on how much their mother can drive them nuts.   All very realistic representation of family dynamics in my opinion.

But family is family and Daphne gets involved helping to clear Piper's name when her ex is found murdered at her farm.   Daphne manages to create sparks with the new Detective in town, Johnathan Black-some romantic but mainly ones of irritation. These tensions create additional tensions with Daphne's sort of romantic interest, Dylan, as jealousy rears its head.  Creating some tense moments outside of the mystery solving activities.  This romantic triangle was a bit annoying at times and one fo the reasons I only gave this a 3.  The other factor was the flakiness of Daphne didn't really correspond with her diligence in detecting and I found it a bit irritating as well.  

 The mystery itself is well written with multiple suspects with valid motives.  There are some additional sub plots with mysterious origins as well that help point suspicion along the way.  The actual culprit was identifiable part way through the story but the motive was interesting when it was revealed.  All in all I look forward to reading more about this ensemble of characters and their hometown of Sylvan Springs in the Poconos. 

Death by Chocolate Lab by Bethany Blake
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Enjoyable first in a series. The MC, Daphne, is a bit of a free spirit but good hearted. Her relationship with her mother and sister, Piper, feel authentic. They love each other but get on each others nerves. If you love dogs this is a great book for you. Daphne is a pet sitter and a foster dog mom. The descriptions of the dogs and their antics are wonderful. The mystery itself is well constructed and although I had a suspicion of the guilty party the motive was quite a surprise. The book has lots of twists and turns in mysterious subplots that lead to many false guilty suspicions. I look forward to trying more in the series

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #32
2. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes  PA
3. What an Animal Book #23
4. 2022TBR  #2022ReadingChallenge  # 11 Debut Novel
5. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2022   Book #43
6. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #34
7. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #26
8. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #45
9. Craving for Cozies  Book #43
10. Medical Examiner Challenge 2 Toe Tags
11. Beachcomber Challenge  
• Crime Scene- woods; field
• Weapon- hammer
• Detectives- Daphne Templeton; Johnathan Black
• Victims- Steve Beamus; Virginia Lockhart
12. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #80  Shot #1
13. Around the Year in 52 Books #21. A book with one of the Monopoly tokens on the cover
14. Bookworm #23 Read a book about a musician (non-fiction or fiction)
15. BooklistQueen  #booklistqueenreadingchallenge2022  #4. Book with a Twist
16. Beat the Backlist #BTB2022  #7 debut novel
17. Nancy Drew #42. The Phantom of Pine Hill (1965) - read a book set in the mountains
18. Pick your Poison #86 a book that features a classic car

Killer, Paper, Cut

 Kiki Lowenstein #9 by Joann Campbell Slan is the next book in the series.  A Halloween fundraising crop, straightforward if not a lot of work.  That is until Kiki's employee gets stabbed during the event.   The case brings out lots of secrets and underlying bigotry.  The book is great at highlighting not everything is as it seems with people and often we think they have it easier than they do.  In general, Kiki is a trusting individual so she is shocked by the way others have kept secrets and how mean they are to people.  She finds herself trying to solve the mystery of the attack on her friend all while trying to prepare for a move and help her son adjust to his new surroundings, oh yeah and deal with morning sickness at 7 months pregnant.  If it sounds a bit overwhelming, it is.  

Kiki's fiancee, Chad Dettweiler, tells her she has a hobby besides scrapbooking and that's worrying.  I definitely found myself relating to this side of her personality in addition to her love for scrapbooking.  I really liked that the store and hobby played a bigger role in this book than they had in the past 2 books.  I also found myself rooting for Kiki to finally find some quiet and easiness in her life.  Just in case you thought things would go better, drama ensues. We are left with a cliffhanger for the next book which left me ready to start the next one even though I have plenty on my list I need to finish first.  

Killer, Paper, Cut by Joanna Campbell Slan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

another enjoyable book that shows Kiki and her family growing literally and figuratively. It seems like Kiki just cannot catch a break as this time she and her family are facing an imminent move and she finds herself searching for answers to the attack on her employee, Lauren. In this book new relationships develop and old ones come under scrutiny. The ending leaves the reader hanging and wanting to read the next book in the series.

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Finishing the Series   #FinishingTheSeries2021  Kiki Lowenstein #8
2. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2021   Book #148
3. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #163
4. Calendar of Crime  #CalendarOfCrime2021   
5. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #101
6. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #138
7. Craving for Cozies  Book #119
8. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge50. A free book from your TBR list (gifted, borrowed, library) 
9. Pick your Poison #3-4 A book about a haunted house 
10. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #7  Shot #4

Group Photo Grave

 This is the next installment in the Kiki Lowenstein series by Joann Cambell Slan.  This one does get back to the roots of including the paper crafting and personnel of Time in a Bottle.  Kiki once again is trying to assist family members in clearing their names for a murder they didn't commit.  This story highlights more of Sheila's, Kiki's ex mother in law, past and relationships. Sheila and Kiki have an interesting relationship that has developed and expanded through the series.   In this book we see more of Sheila's relationship with Robbie and some of his past as well.  His professional life is brought up more in this book especially the political side of being Chief of Police.  There is plenty of drama to go around in addition to the solving of a murder.  All in all another good installment in the series.

Group, Photo, Grave by Joanna Campbell Slan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This wedding does not turn out the way Kiki's mother in law, Sheila, intended it to. Despite a rough scene in the middle of the day, the reception finishes and she expects to leave on her dream cruise for her honeymoon with Robbie. Instead, they find themselves caught up in a politically motivated investigation that drags Sheila into the middle of the drama. This book develops Sheila and her history into the story more as we learn more about her HS days. She and her bridesmaids all went to CALA the same school Kiki's daughter, Anya, now attends. It seems that HS drama was not left in the past and someone seems to want to frame Kiki's family for the murder of a Plastic Surgeon. Kiki and Dettweiler attempt to help solve the murder while being forbidden to get involved publicly. As always Kiki gets drawn in and helps uncover the murderer. Another great installment in the series

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Finishing the Series   #FinishingTheSeries2021 yes book 8 in Kiki Lowenstein series
2. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2021   Book #147
3. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #162
4. Calendar of Crime  #CalendarOfCrime2021   
5. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #100
6. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #137
7. Craving for Cozies  Book #118
8. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #47 A book from your TBR list you associate with a favorite person, place, or thing
9. Pick your Poison #7-1 A book with a kilt on the cover - character wears a kilt all the time in book
10. Medical Examiner Challenge  1 Toe Tags
11. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #7  Shot #3
12. 52 books in 52 weeks  #

Picture Perfect Corpse

 This is the 7th book, by Joann Campbell Slan, in the series involving Kiki Lowenstein and centers around her life as an employee at a St Louis scrapbook store.  Most of the installments include many scenes at the store and discuss paper crafting, this one did not have as much.  This wraps up a building drama between Kiki and Dettweiler's pasts.   Brenda Dettweiler cannot seem to let her ex go and now she is taking it out on Kiki and blaming her for the demise of her marriage;  taking no ownership of her fault in the situation.  Kiki is also finally getting some resolution in the death of her husband George 5 years before.  The story does wrap many of those threads up while introducing more complexity into their lives.  

The subplot about Nicci - Anya's friend is a relevant one for today's society and is something that should be discussed more to help those struggling with these demons to find help.  

I know many people won't enjoy the heavier topics discussed in the books and this is definitely not in the light and cheery cozy category but I do enjoy this series and look forward to discovering how the next pieces evolve in this ongoing saga.

Picture Perfect Corpse by Joanna Campbell Slan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I always enjoy reading the Kiki Lowenstein books because they include my other favorite hobby- scrapbooking.

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Finishing the Series   #FinishingTheSeries2021 yes still working through series
2. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2021   Book #145
3. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #160
4. Calendar of Crime  #CalendarOfCrime2021   
5. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #99
6. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #136
7. Craving for Cozies  Book #117
8. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge 44. The book on your TBR list with the ugliest cover 
9. Pick your Poison #24-1 A book that had been on your TBR list more than a year
10. Medical Examiner Challenge  3 Toe Tags
11. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #7  Shot #2

A Slice of Murder

 This is the first book in a series by Chris Cavender.   It is set in a small town outside Charlotte, NC.  The title refers to a pizza slice as that is the main setting of the cozy mystery.  Eleanor is the unfortunate delivery person who discovers a dead customer;  one who happened to have been on the receiving end of a public slap by her.   Turns out the customer is more than just a flirt who makes undesired advances.  

He has plenty of questionable aspects to his past that come out as Ellie and her sister investigate his murder.  Ellie has a past relationship with the sheriff which is not helping her prove her innocence.  As the story progresses there are more and more suspicions that lead to more and more possible suspects.   The climax is quite dramatic and not exactly the expected villain.   The story does a great job of building on Ellie's relationship with her sister, her employees, and a friend who would like to be more than friends.  Cavender does a nice job of developing these relationships and leaves the reader wondering where things will progress in future books.  I look forward to reading more in the Pizza Lovers series.

A Slice of Murder by Chris Cavender
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

great character developement, lots of suspects and a surprising conclusion

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

.

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #131
2. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2021   Book #143
3. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #158
4. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #98
5. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #135
6. Craving for Cozies  Book #116
7. Medical Examiner Challenge  1 Toe Tags
8. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #78  Shot #1

A Deadly Eclair

 This is another new series by an author I have previously read- this must be my theme of the week.  I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy mystery and gave it a 4 star rating.   

Daryl Wood Gerber has set the French Bistro series in the Napa Valley area.  The book contains references to the wineries and famous eateries but centers around a fictitious small town.  The main character is Mimi, who is the owner of the new Bistro and Inn that is hosting a the wedding of a famous talk show host.  She is hoping this event will generate lots of positive feedback and help her grow the business.  

 Well even though the talk show host isn't Jerry Springer, there is plenty of drama surrounding the event.  The least of which is a murder victim discovered the morning of the nuptials.  Mimi finds herself drawn into the investigation even though Sheriff Tyson, her HS friend, tells her to butt out.  

Sound familiar?  Of course it does because that is the formula of all cozies.  This one does a great job of blending descriptions of the restaurant business, including disgruntled patrons and critics and family drama with the solving of the mystery.  My only complaint was the degree to which strange coincidences occur in terms of new friendships forming that seem a little too unrealistic.  Other than that I enjoyed the story and look forward to reading more of the series.

A Deadly Éclair by Daryl Wood Gerber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

very enjoyable cozy set in the wine country around Yountville, CA. There is plenty of when talk show host, Angelica comes to town to get married. Mimi as the new owner of a bistro and Inn is excited to host her and hopefully gain some positive press for her new establishments. She did not count on a murder and all the drama that comes with one. She takes on the role of amateur detective and fills her day doing that while the reader also gets a view into her life as a businesswoman and her budding romance. There are definitely some cliche aspects to the story and maybe a few too many coincidental connections between characters but all in all it is a wonderful start to a new series

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #130
2. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2021   Book #141
3. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #156
4. Calendar of Crime  #CalendarOfCrime2021   
5. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #96
6. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #133
7. Craving for Cozies  Book #114
8. Medical Examiner Challenge  1 Toe Tags
9. Beachcomber Challenge  
• Crime Scenes 

Row 5

Garden, park, gazebo

• Weapons
• Row 2 
• Rock, brick, blunt object
• Detectives- Mimi/Tyson
• Victims- Bryan
10. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #66  Shot #3

Murder on Cape Cod

 This is the first book in the Cozy Capers Book Group series by Maddie Day.  I have read some of her Country Store series and really enjoyed them so I thought I would try this series as well.

This book as the name implies is set in Cape Cod.  It was fun to learn about the region that I have not visited.  Day explains the geography of the area and gives vivid descriptions of the landscape that make it easy to visualize the town and scenery.  

The story itself is very well written, with Mac, the female MC trying to determine who killed the local handyman that she inadvertently stumbled over in the fog.   The unique characteristic of this book is how Mac and her fellow detectives, from her Cozy mystery group,  continually reference how things would be done in the books they read.  The mystery feels almost like a biography of the genre.  There are also lots of references to cozy series and writers in the book which makes for fun connections to the characters.   

The mystery is well written with clues and red herrings mixed into the story.  There is no true indication of the guilty party until the conclusion of the story.  The author does a wonderful job of creating several plausible guilty parties.  This includes making the reader unsure if the party Mac is looking to clear of wrongdoing is, in fact actually guilty.  

I intend to continue reading this series along with the other Day has written.  

Murder on Cape Cod by Maddie Day
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a very enjoyable mystery. I liked how the story basically mimicked a typical cozy while having the characters compare their activities to cozy mysteries. It was enjoyable to read about the Cape. mac’s relationship with her parrot Belle adds a bright spot and humor. It was fun to have a mystery that wasn’t about cats or dogs.

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #129
2. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2021   Book #140
3. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #155 
4. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #95
5. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #132
6. Craving for Cozies  Book #113
7. Medical Examiner Challenge  1 Toe Tags
8. Beachcomber Challenge  
• Crime Scenes 
• Row 1
• Pathway or forest
• Weapons
• Row 2 
• Knife
• Detectives- Mac
• Victims- Josh
9. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #57  Shot #4

Feng Shui Detective

 I selected this cozy to fulfill a prompt about reading book about feng shui.  This is the first in a series by Nury Vittachi.  I enjoyed the book but am not sure I would continue to read the series.  The plot didn't move quickly enough for me a lot of the time.  I also wanted to get to the solution more than I wanted to read the philosophical writings of CW.   The good parts were the interaction between Mr. Wong and his intern-   their exchanges and efforts to understand each other's different language and age dialects were often quite funny.  The story itself was interesting and allows the reader to learn about feng shui and more detailed aspects of Eastern belief systems. This story is mainly set in Singapore but does have a portion of the plot occurring in Sydney.  It was interesting to read about areas and streets I am familiar with from travels to both those cities. If you are looking for a cozy set in a foreign location other than the UK and you like a variety of protagonists- not just single women, this is a good choice.  

The Feng Shui Detective by Nury Vittachi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

While an enjoyable book with a creative plot, it just did not grab me. I did like the humor in the communication between CW and his young intern. The generational and cultural differences are for some delightful exchanges. The feng shu information was fascinating as I learned much more about the belief system. If you are looking for a cozy set in a foreign country with different cultural aspects this is a good choice

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #128
2. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2021   Book #139
3. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #154
4. Calendar of Crime  #CalendarOfCrime2021   
5. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #94
6. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #131
7. Craving for Cozies  Book #112
8. Pick your Poison #9-1 A book about hygge, feng shui, or home harmony 
9. Monthly Motif #MonthlyMotifGXO  yes mystery
10. Book Voyage  #bookvoyagechallenge multiple continents
11. Backpacking Bookworm  #bbReadingChallenge2021  yes new culture
12. Medical Examiner Challenge 1 Toe Tags

Cozies and Mysteries Galore

 

Mysteries and Thrillers

There are several challenges that track how many mysteries, thrillers and cozies you read in a given year.  

Cloak and Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal

The first mystery based genre challenge I will do again this year is the Cloak and Dagger challenge

 It is hosted by  Carol on her CarolsNotebook blog.  This tallying includes cozy mysteries but also traditional mysteries, thrillers and suspense novels.  Basically anything with a mystery can be tracked at this challenge

Levels:

•  5-15 books – Amateur sleuth
• 16-25 books – Detective- 
• 26-35 books – Inspector
• 36 – 55 – Special agent 
• 56+ books – Sherlock Holmes  My Choice

The Honeymoon from Hell

 This is the 7th book in the cruise series by Lizzie Josephson.  I appreciated this one focusing on Keith and Adriana and their relationship.  It is enjoyable to see the recurring characters that appear in the books.  It makes the series feel like a weekly tv show where you know who the good guys and the bad guys are each time.  This book focused on a Caribbean itinerary with visits to St. Marten, Curacao, Guadelope and Grenada.  There is a nice level of detail on the things to see and do in those different locales.  Always enjoyable to read these series' entries. 

 I look forward to reading the spin off series about fun cruises aboard a less formal set of ships.  This spin off was introduced in this book and will seem to focus on the singles cruises that Cosmo cruise sales director likes to propose. 

I only gave this book a 3 star because the editing was a bit lacking in this book.  There were some redundant conversations and story segments that detracted from the flow  of the book a bit.  

The Honeymoon From Hell: Book Nine: The Cozy Cruise Mysteries by Lizzie Josephson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Fun adventures in the Caribbean for Keith and Adrianne. This book explains the spin off series I had seen this year by Lizzie Josephson. I look forward to reading that series to see how she portrays the less formal fun cruises in those adventures. This book had a nice adventure and visits to Caribbean islands. There were a few editing errors so that's why I gave it a 3 instead of a 4

View all my reviews

  

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes  Grenada
2. Finishing the Series   #FinishingTheSeries2021 Series 9 #8
3. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2021   Book #138
4. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #153
5. Calendar of Crime  #CalendarOfCrime2021   
6. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #93
7. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #130
8. Craving for Cozies  Book #111
9. BooklistQueen   #24 a summer read
10. Monthly Motif #MonthlyMotifGXO  yes 
11. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #43a  Shot #3

Chili Cauldron Curse

 This novella by Lynn Cahoon was another find in my borrow for free from Hoopla in Nov.  A see my Christmas Pudding post for more details on this.

This book features witches and spells which is not usually my style of cozy mysteries.   I actually am glad I took a shot at this as I found the characters interesting and am interested in reading more in the series.  The nice part is this was a prequel so I got to learn Mia's backstory before reading any more of the series. If you like mysteries with a bit of humor you might really enjoy this book

Chili Cauldron Curse by Lynn Cahoon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Im not usually one to pick cozies with witches as the MC but I am glad I tried this novella. I really enjoyed the characters and look forward to reading more in the series. I think it is nice to read the back story on a protagonist before actually starting the series. The mystery was well written and wrapped up quite well for a short book

View all my reviews 

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #126
2. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2021   Book #136
3. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #150
4. Cozy Mysteries   #19 bought because of cover
5. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #92
6. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #129
7. Craving for Cozies  Book #110
8. Monthly Motif #MonthlyMotifGXO  yes mystery
9. Medical Examiner Challenge  1 Toe Tags
10. Beachcomber Challenge  
• Crime Scenes 

Row 3
Free square-  warehouse

• Weapons
• Row 1 
• Poison, poisoned food
• Detectives- Mia
• Victims- Darian
11. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #39  Shot #3