#CozyMystery #Review ~ Fireworks, Freedom, & Felonies (A Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery Series, Book 37) by Tonya Kappes

 

ASIN: ‎ B0CQ371JBL
Publisher: ‎ Tonya Kappes Books
Publication date: ‎ June 23, 2024
Print length: ‎ 211 pages

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About the Book:

SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY WITH A SMIDGEN OF HOMICIDE

USA Today Bestselling author Tonya Kappes brings you southern and quirky characters in her mystery series. Her stories are charged with humor, friendship, family and life in small southern towns.

Mae West, owner of Happy Trails Campground located in the Daniel Boone National Forest, is no stranger to the twists and turns of life in Normal, but she never expected her community's knitting circle to unravel into chaos. When local knitting enthusiast is found murdered with her own knitting needles during the town's lively Fourth of July celebration, the community is spun into a whirlwind of suspicion and secrets.

Amidst the burst of Fourth of July festivities and the echoes of fireworks long past, Mae and the Laundry Club Ladies unravels a tangled web of secrets. With tales of a cursed heirloom and hidden treasures rumored to be concealed within the walls of the Stitchin’ Post, they find themselves piecing together clues from both past and present.

As tensions mount against the backdrop of booming Fourth of July fireworks, Mae learns that in Normal, Kentucky, some secrets are explosive enough to kill for. Can she unravel the killer’s identity before the fabric of her community is torn apart forever? Join Mae as she chases down clues and crooks amidst the sparks and echoes of Independence Day celebrations!

My Review:

Fireworks, Freedom, & Felonies is the 37th book in the Camper & Criminals series, but it’s as fresh and exciting as all the previous books. Reading Fireworks, Freedom, & Felonies is like coming back home to Normal, Kentucky and hanging out with all my friends. I love the familiarity of the characters, the hominess of the various locations throughout the book, and the comfort of knowing Mae, Hank, and the Laundry Club Ladies are keeping everyone safe.

The Fourth of July celebrations have commenced and it's almost time for the fireworks. On a dark street, lit up intermittently with the brightness of freedom, a confrontation takes place, and just like that, there's another homicide in Normal, Kentucky. Mae and the Laundry Club Ladies are on the case!

The book was full of twists, turns, red herrings, and shifts in direction. The mystery would start out going one direction, then completely shift a new way. The suspense build-up was written well and intensified until the very end. I was kept guessing until the very end. I loved how the loose threads quickly and methodically tied right up.

As with the rest of the books in the series, the mystery isn't the only thing going on in the book. Tonya Kappes did a terrific job weaving the main storyline and several smaller ones together. The characters are wonderfully crafted, realistically written, and I feel like I'm coming home to Normal with every book in the series. I was provided a copy of this book.

I was provided a copy of this book.

My Rating:

#Review ~ Crochet and Cauldrons (Vampire Knitting Club, #3) by Nancy Warren ~ #ParanormalCozyMystery #CozyMystery #Paranormal @NancyWarren1

Every family has annoying relatives; mine just happen to be undead.

 

Book Details:

ASIN: B07HHDPQBT

Publisher: ‎Ambleside Publishing

Publication date: October 25, 2018

Print length:‎ 238 pages

Page numbers source ISBN: 1928145515

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About the Book:

My Grandmother, Agnes Bartlett, used to own Cardinal Woolsey’s knitting shop in Oxford then died and left her shop to me, without informing me that she wasn’t actually dead. She’s a vampire and part of the world’s strangest craft circle – the Vampire Knitting Club.

As you might imagine, this means she’s free to interfere in how I run the business that used to be hers. She’s trying to teach me to knit and it’s not going well. She’s also trying to teach me how to be a witch, since it turns out I’m from a long line of witches. Another tiny detail about my family that no one ever told me, along with the long-lost witch cousins I recently discovered.

But I’m learning. I’ve got my family spell book, my black cat familiar, some powers that sometimes scare me, and an interesting new group of friends.

My archaeologist parents are coming to visit and bringing me a gift I could do without.

So, to recap, I run a knitting shop and I can’t knit. I’m a beginning witch who can’t always control her cat, never mind her magic, and my love life is as tangled as the last sock I tried to knit. Oh, and for some reason, I keep getting involved in murder investigations. Good thing I have my vampire knitters to help sniff out clues.

At least I’ve finally hired the perfect assistant, a real demon with the crochet hook. Or is she too perfect?

My Review:

Crochet and Cauldrons is the third book in the Vampire Knitting Club Series. This book features less knitting and more Egyptian mythology. 

Lucy Swift's parents have surprised her by coming to England for a visit. The gift her mother brings from an archeological dig site doesn't excite Lucy. In fact, the artifact is a gift that kept right on giving, putting Lucy's life in jeopardy. At least while she's trying to solve the mystery of the ancient artifact, Lucy's new assistant is holding down the fort. Lucy has never been so comfortable with an assistant as she is with Eileen, who is great with customers, sales, and minding of the shop.

The Vampire Knitting Club series is an unusual vampire series. The premise is certainly unique and the plot is different. The characters are quirky and easy to like. The story is told solely from Lucy’s point of view but contains many secondary characters. I really enjoyed Lucy’s lowkey attitude and ability to be flexible in her life choices.

The only thing that really bothered me in this book was the big bad. The villain wasn't hidden very well in this installment. Lucy should have caught on earlier in the book than she did. Yes, she was distracted by her parents. Yes, she was distracted by the ancient artifact. Yes, she was distracted by a certain vampire. The signs were all there though, and very hard to miss.

Despite the obvious, I enjoyed the book. While Crochet and Cauldrons is the third book in the Vampire Knitting Club series, there wasn't as much vampiring or knitting in this book, and that's okay. Lucy has other facets of her life that are equally as important. She's still trying to pull her witchy side out and get it trained. She's running a knitting shop, and trying to find a competent assistant that will share the day-to-day responsibilities. I enjoyed Crochet and Cauldrons and can't wait to get my hands on book four.

My review copy came from my local library. I also bought the box set from Amazon.

My Rating:

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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.

My Rating:

About Daryl Wood Gerber:

 

Agatha Award-winning author Daryl Wood Gerber is best known for her nationally bestselling mysteries, including the Fairy Garden Mysteries and Cookbook Nook Mysteries. As Avery Aames, she penned the popular Cheese Shop Mysteries. In addition, Daryl writes suspense including the well received The Son’s Secret, Girl on the Run, and the popular Aspen Adams series. Recently Daryl, who loves a challenge, published a Christmas romance, Hope for the Holidays. Fun Tidbit: as an actress, Daryl appeared in “Murder, She Wrote.” She loves to cook, garden, read, and walk her frisky Goldendoodle. Also she has been known to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. You can learn more on her website: https://darylwoodgerber.com

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#Review ~ Stitches and Witches (Vampire Knitting Club, #2) by Nancy Warren ~ #ParanormalCozyMystery #CozyMystery #Paranormal @NancyWarren1

Dropping stitches and catching killers

Book Details:

ASIN: B07HHHBVZF

Publisher: Ambleside Publishing

Publication date:‎ October 11, 2018

Print length:‎ 252 pages

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About the Book:

When an older gentleman keels over in his scones and tea at the Elderflower Tea Shop in Oxford—a victim of poison—Lucy Swift and her band of undead amateur detectives are on the case.

Elderflower Tea Shop is next door to Cardinal Woolsey’s, the yarn shop Lucy runs and home to the late-night Vampire Knitting Club. The tea shop owners are a pair of octogenarian spinsters and old family friends, so Lucy wants to help clear up the mystery that’s keeping their shop closed. But murder isn’t the only issue troubling the Miss Watts. A man has come between them. Miss Florence Watt is being romanced by an old flame, one Mary Watt distrusts.

In between figuring out who, among his many enemies, might have poisoned the unpleasant Colonel Montague, Lucy’s trying to brush up on her magic spells before the Wiccan potluck dinner her witchy cousin insists she attend.

However, she’s still settling into being a witch and since she botched a spell and blew up her kitchen, she’s taking the magic slowly.

Her knitting endeavors aren’t much better. Between purling when she should knit and dropping so many stitches her hand-knit scarf looks like it was attacked by giant moths, there are days Lucy thinks she’ll pack it all in and move back to Boston. She might, except she’d miss her beloved undead grandmother, her new friends, one very sexy vampire and a local detective who is very much alive.

My Review:

Stitches and Witches is the second book in the Vampire Knitting Club Series. 

Next to Cardinal Woolsey's is the Elder Flower Tea Shop, owned by two sisters. A blast from the past comes calling on Florence, much to her sister Mary's dismay. While the wedge grows between Florence and Mary, a patron dies in the tea shop, increasing the tension. Lucy and her undead friends are on the case of the death of Colonel Montague, and trying to figure out who Florence's old flame is and why Mary doesn't like him.

The Vampire Knitting Club series is an unusual vampire series. The premise is certainly unique and the plot is different. The characters are quirky and easy to like. The story is told solely from Lucy’s point of view but contains many secondary characters. I really enjoyed Lucy’s lowkey attitude and ability to be flexible in her life choices.

I enjoyed this book very much. Lucy is a wonderful character and tries hard to run Cardinal Woolsey's, despite the inability to knit.  I enjoyed Stitches and Witches, and can't wait to continue to the series.

My review copy came from my local library. I also bought the box set from Amazon.

My Rating:

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#CozyMystery #BookReview ~ April Fool's Alibi (Holiday Cozy Mystery, Book 9) by Tonya Kappes #TonyaKappesBooks #Review

 

Book Details:

ASIN: ‎ B0CGXSD5BJ

Publisher: ‎ Tonya Kappes Books

Publication date: ‎ March 28, 2024

Print length: ‎ 173 pages

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About the Book:

CELEBRATE GOOD CRIMES!

Mystery is Afoot in Holiday Junction!

Dive into the heart of Holiday Junction, where April Fool's festivities are no laughing matter. Violet Rhinehammer, the sharp-witted editor of the Junction Journal, is on the scene, capturing the frolics and fun of the Fool's Festival for the eager readers of the village. But this year, the jokes take a backseat when a chilling prophecy from a festival palm reader turns Violet's world upside down.

Celebrations turn to suspicions at the surprise party for Violet's boyfriend, Darren, who's just aced the bar exam. But the night is marred by a scuffle with a notorious bar regular, leading to a series of events that even Holiday Junction's merry traditions can't overshadow.

As Violet juggles her reporter's notebook with her knack for sleuthing, the festive air is shattered by a grim discovery—the body of last night's troublemaker. With Darren's legal eagle eyes and Violet's determination, they delve into a mystery where everyone's a suspect and motives are as plentiful as easter eggs hidden in the park.

"April Fool's Alibi" is a twisty, brain-teasing cozy that will keep you guessing until the very last page. If you crave a mystery that feels like a walk through a small town filled with big secrets, hit that one-click button and join Violet in unraveling Holiday Junction's most perplexing case yet. No gore, no foul language, just pure, captivating intrigue wrapped in the charm of the South.

Ready for a killer party? "April Fool's Alibi" is your invitation to the sleuthing soiree of the season!

My Review:

April Fool’s Alibi is the ninth book in the Holiday Cozy Mystery series, a spin-off of the Camper and Criminals series. The spin-off is headlined by Normal's ace reporter Violet Rhinehammer. She exits Normal to move onto greener pastures and finds herself in a different small town.

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:

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#Review ~ Deadly to the Core (A Cider House Mystery) by Joyce Tremel ~ #CozyMysteryReview @JoyceTremel #CozyMystery

Deadly to the Core (A Cider House Mystery) by Joyce Tremel

Book Details:

Deadly to the Core (A Cider House Mystery)

Cozy 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:

Perfect for fans of Amanda Flower and Julie Anne Lindsey, when Kate Mulligan inherits her great uncle’s fruit orchard, she quickly realizes that apples aren’t the only thing that can have rotten cores.

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:

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Website www.joycetremel.com
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13746162.Joyce_Tremel


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#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

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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:

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