Saph's Cozy Corner
Cozy mystery book reviews and features! I read almost every genre but devote a large amount of time to cozy mysteries. This blog is dedicated to all the authors, publishing companies, and publicists who tirelessly work to bring us the cozies we crave. I hope you find your next favorite cozy mystery here!
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
#Review ~ Crochet and Cauldrons (Vampire Knitting Club, #3) by Nancy Warren ~ #ParanormalCozyMystery #CozyMystery #Paranormal @NancyWarren1
Friday, April 19, 2024
A Twinkle of Trouble (A Fairy Garden Mystery) by Daryl Wood Gerber ~ #cozymystery #Review ~ ThereIsAGive@way
A Twinkle of Trouble (A Fairy Garden Mystery) by Daryl Wood Gerber
About A Twinkle of Trouble:
A Twinkle of Trouble (A Fairy Garden Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Setting - California
Publisher: Kensington Cozies (April 23, 2024)
Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-10: 1496744934
ISBN-13: 978-1496744937
Kindle ASIN: B0CFGF36NM
Carmel-by-the-Sea garden shop owner Courtney Kelly sees things others can’t—like fairies, and hidden motives for murder . . .
Courtney is delighted when her tiny friend Fiona returns from the fairy realm, appearing at the base of a Cypress tree. When her Ragdoll cat, Pixie, emerges from her own portal—aka the cat door—the three set off for a busy day. Busier than usual, since Courtney has rented a small plot of land at the Flower Farm, where she hopes to grow her own supplies for her fairy-garden business. Plus, the annual Summer Blooms Festival is coming up, and Courtney has booked a booth . . .
But the murder of Courtney’s friend, Genevieve, casts a pall over the festival. Ever since Genevieve sold her floral business, she’d been building a career as an influencer. She was perennially opinionated—but in her new role she’d become surprisingly vicious, dissing local entrepreneurs with nasty posts and unwarranted bad reviews. That’s landed a couple of Courtney’s other friends on the suspect list—including Flower Farm owner Daphne Flores. And when a second victim is discovered, seeds of doubt about Daphne’s innocence sprout in Courtney’s mind. With only a germ of a clue, Courtney will have to overturn every rock to get the dirt on the real killer . . .
My Review:
A Twinkle of Trouble is the fifth book in the Fairy Garden Mystery series. Featuring fairies, cats, and a wonderful cast of characters, A Twinkle of Trouble is another slam dunk cozy mystery.Courtney Kelly's fairy garden shop is booming. Between walk-in private lessons, group lessons, and individual sales, Open Your Imagination has become a popular destination for both believers and non-believers. Courtney even hosts fairy garden parties.
Courtney's fairy friend has returned from the fairy realm. Fiona had been gone a month, much to Courtney and her feline companion Pixie's dismay. Life can now get back to normal, and Courtney can focus on the Summer Blooms Festival and her quarter-acre of land at the Flower Farm. Except, the death of Courtney's friend Genevieve dims the happiness and excitement of the festival and farm.
This is a very unique story with unique elements. I enjoyed the fairy garden shop setting, complete with a live fairy. The characters are fun and exciting. I enjoyed Courtney's character. Her business is successful and thriving. She cares about her friends and citizens in Carmel-by-the-Sea and makes it her mission to help solve the crime, even when a couple of her friends appear as suspects. The author delivers several suspects with means and motive, and figuring out who committed the crime was difficult. There are twists and turns and red herrings, and while I may have suspected who committed the crime, I never was really sure until the end.
I was provided a copy of this book to read.
Author Links:
Purchase Links:
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Wednesday, April 17, 2024
#Review ~ Stitches and Witches (Vampire Knitting Club, #2) by Nancy Warren ~ #ParanormalCozyMystery #CozyMystery #Paranormal @NancyWarren1
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
#CozyMystery #BookReview ~ April Fool's Alibi (Holiday Cozy Mystery, Book 9) by Tonya Kappes #TonyaKappesBooks #Review
As the title indicates, is April Fool’s time in Holiday Junction.
The Fool’s Festival is in full swing, and the town of Holiday Junction is in
celebration mode. When the local palm reader focuses one of her predictions on
Violet, and then a body is found, Violet finds herself in the middle of a
murder case that gets weirder by the minute.
April Fool’s Alibi is a quick read, and a bit darker than previous
books in the series. Other than the antics of Dave the Rooster, there wasn’t as
much lightheartedness in the pages of this book. It was a refreshing change up
and an enjoyable addition to the series.
I continue to enjoy Violet and Darren and love how their
relationship continues to grow as the series progresses. I enjoy getting to
know everyone in Holiday Junction. We get to meet interesting people and learn
how important holidays are in this town. The mystery was well thought out, full
of suspense, and contained red herrings. I am looking forward to the next book.
I was provided a copy of this book.
My Rating:
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
#Review ~ Deadly to the Core (A Cider House Mystery) by Joyce Tremel ~ #CozyMysteryReview @JoyceTremel #CozyMystery
Deadly to the Core (A Cider House Mystery)
1st in Series
Setting - Pennsylvania
Crooked Lane Books (January 16, 2024)
Hardcover: 250 pages
ISBN-10: 1639105433
ISBN-13: 978-1639105434
Digital ASIN: B0C2P4QB9T
About Deadly to the Core:
After losing her husband in a terrible car crash, thirty-five-year-old Kate is left to pick up the pieces of her life alone. Although she has physically recovered, she worries her spirit never will. But when she learns that she has inherited a fruit orchard in a small town just outside Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, from her great uncle Stan, she takes this as an opportunity ripe for the picking. Kate knew immediately what to do with it: open a cider house. Her hopeful plans fall far from the tree when she finds the body of the orchard manager, Carl Randolph, leaving her to figure out who is at the core of this murder.
She had been in correspondence with Carl, who had agreed with her brilliant idea of opening a cider house. But not everyone is so quick to buy what she was selling—Uncle Stan’s lawyer, Robert Larabee, paints a less rosy financial outlook of the orchard’s past, present, and future.
Kate discovers that Carl had large, unexplained deposits to his bank account and it becomes clear that either he was blackmailing someone, or someone was paying him to keep quiet. Meanwhile, Kate and her neighbors receive offers to buy their property from a mysterious buyer. And there’s more than meets the eye with the neighboring orchard owner, Daniel Martinez, although Kate can’t quite put her finger on if it’s sweet or sour.
Will she be able to pick out the bad apple among the bunch before it’s too late?
My Review:
Deadly to the Core is the first book in the Cider House Mystery series.
Kate Mulligan is back in Orchardville, PA after inheriting an orchard from her late great uncle Stan. Having lost her husband previously, this change comes at a time when Kate is ready to get out of Dodge and start a new chapter in her life. The pain of loss is still at the surface but a new venture running an orchard and cider house will keep her busy, both mind and body. Things really heat up in the orchard when Kate finds the body of her orchard manager, Carl, dead in his cottage.
I really enjoyed Deadly to the Core. I was able to sympathize and empathize with Kate as she navigated the start of this new life with the pain of past events. She's a strong character and the author created and developed her well. I enjoyed the descriptive content and world building. The book begins a little slowly as the author builds up the story, at first books in a series tend to do, but really takes off after the death of Carl.
I'm excited to see where the author takes Kate next.
I was provided a copy of this book.
My Rating:
Visit the Author:
Website www.joycetremel.com
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13746162.Joyce_Tremel
Purchase Link:
Amazon
Monday, March 11, 2024
#CozyMystery #Review ~ Pall in the Family (A Family Fortune Mystery, #1) by Dawn Eastman #PallInTheFamily #FamilyFortune
ASIN: B00A6WV6S2
Publisher: Berkley
Publication date: August 6, 2013
Language: English
Print length: 240 pages
Amazon
About the Book:
The aptly named Crystal Haven is the destination for tourists seeking psychics, séances, and the promise of contacting the spirit world. In this small western Michigan town, everyone knows the Fortune family. Rose is gifted with tarot card readings. Her sister, Vi, is a self-proclaimed pet psychic. And Rose’s daughter Clyde is…
A cop. A cop on leave from Ann Arbor, more specifically, who’s come home to kooky Crystal Haven to reevaluate her life. Mom and Aunt Vi can’t wait for Clyde to finally embrace her own psychic gifts and join the family business. Clyde would prefer the low-stress lifestyle of a dog walker and the low-key company of her nephew, Seth.
But when a local psychic is killed, leaving behind a traumatized Shih Tzu, it seems to be in the cards for Clyde to get involved. With her old flame Mac leading the investigation, that may prove awkward. Whether she uses her skills as a cop or her long-denied psychic abilities, it’s up to Clyde to divine a killer’s identity before someone else suffers more misfortune.
My Review:
Pall in the Family the first book in A Family Fortune Mysteries. Based in western Michigan, the book focuses on Crystal Haven, a tourist destination catering to those who seek psychics, fortune telling, Tarot readings, and other methods of communicating with the dead.
Clyde is on leave from her job as a cop in Ann Arbor and finds herself back home in Crystal Haven. The stay is temporary while Clyde tries to figure out what her next steps should be and where they should take her. Back into her family's business is not that place. The death of a local psychic pulls her right back into the job she left and family business she's not interested in joining.
I really liked Clyde. She's a wonderful character with quirky but loveable family connections. She isn't perfect, she makes mistakes, and the author made her completed relatable. Clyde is strong and competent as she makes her way through the clues and suspects in this book. Her parents, nephew, aunt, and the police officers are spectacular and entertaining. I enjoyed the possibility of a second-chance romance that was threaded through the pages.
I read this book in 1 day. I sat down to read a couple chapters and realized that time had passed as quickly as the chapters I'd finished reading. I was absorbed in the Clyde's life - in Ann Arbor and Crystal Haven. I loved reading about her every interaction as she scoured the town for clues. The author did a great job creating characters with depth and emotion. I can't wait for the next book to come in for me at the library.
I borrowed this book from the library.
My Rating: