Review: Books Can Be Deceiving by Jenn McKinlay @JennMcKinlay ~ Library Lover's Mystery, Book #1

About the Book:

Lindsey is getting into her groove as the director of the Briar Creek Public Library when a New York editor visits town, creating quite a buzz. Lindsey’s friend Beth wants to sell the editor her children’s book, but Beth’s boyfriend, a famous author, gets in the way. When they go to confront him, he’s found murdered—and Beth is the prime suspect. Lindsey has to act fast—before they throw the book at the wrong person.

Book Details:

Print Length: 306 pages

ISBN-10: 0425242188

ISBN-13: 978-0425242186

ASIN : B0051GAVCA

Publisher: Berkley

Publication Date : July 5, 2011

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2G4UomJ

My Review:

Books Can Be Deceiving is the first book in the multi-book Library Lover's Mystery series by Jenn McKinlay. Lindsey has only been in Briar Creek for a few months but her connection to the people and the town strong. As the library director, Lindsey has her thumb on the pulse of the town, meeting, greeting, and getting to know all library patrons. She's personable, knowledgeable, and loyal. Her friends and family mean everything to her and Lindsey has never been a fan of her friend, Beth's boyfriend, Rick. 

When Beth, has a pretty public break up with Rick, Lindsey is there to help Beth with the fallout.  Then Lindsey learns, after a meeting with an editor of children's books, that Rick is a despicable human. The next day, Lindsey and Beth ask Sully to take them to Rick's private island to confront him about what they discovered. They are not prepared for what they find - Rick's home is tossed and he's dead. Because of the public breakup and Beth finding Rick, their bumbling police captain is convinced Beth is the murderer. Lindsey knows better and begins sleuthing and working on leads the police aren't even pretending to chase down.

I enjoyed Books Can Be Deceiving. The characters are kind and lovable, except Ms. Cole but she's a character in her own right. I found myself able to connect with Lindsey and Beth, not because they are similar to me or we've been down the same roads, but because they are fun, interesting, and nice. I love the author's writing style, the pacing was good, and the story compelling. The character development allowed for me to get to know Lindsey, Beth, Sully, and everyone else. The author created a wonderful town, with wonderful characters, and I was able to visualize the entire story. I completely enjoyed the scene at the art college with the professor when Beth and Lindsey walked in on a class. 

There is the potential for a romance but the author softly wove it through the book. Nothing overshadowed the murder of Rick or the sleuthing that went on as Lindsey attempted to do the job the local cops were not. She pulled a couple rookie amateur sleuth mistakes but she was a pretty smart overall. I'm invested in these characters now and already have book 2 from my local library.

My review copy is courtesy of Michigan's interlibrary loan program. Thank you MelCat!

My Rating:

Review ~ Kickbacks, Kayaks, and Kidnapping by Tonya Kappes @tonyakappes11 ~ A Camper & Criminals Cozy, Book #12

Book Details:

Print Length: 173 pages

ASIN: B08B4VX9CD

Publication Date: August 29, 2020
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3aXghQi

About the Book:

Deep in the heart of the Daniel Boone National Forest, Mae West has spent the last few years bringing the rundown Happy Trails Campground and the small southern and cozy town of Normal, Kentucky back to a thriving economic community.

Mae's efforts haven't gone unnoticed. Not only is Happy Trails Campground in the running to be named Campground Hospitality of the Daniel Boone National Park, but she landed the coveted Paddle Fest kayak competition that secures the winner a spot on the Olympic team.

When champion and Olympian kayaker Bryce Anderson turns over in his kayak dead...there's more than paddling going on and his death has been ruled a homicide. News of Bryce's death spreads fast and Happy Trails becomes the center of bad publicity.

Come camping with Mae West and the Laundry Club Ladies as they put their sleuthing, well nosy, caps on and put their skills to the test so they can figure out who killed the Olympian and save Happy Trails from financial ruin.

My Review:

Mae has done a lot of work to get Happy Trails Campground and Daniel Boone National Forest on the itinerary of vacationers everywhere. So much so, she's up for a spot on a committee and for an award. Her efforts include hosting Paddle Fest, a kayaking competition set to name the next person to claim a spot on the kayaking team at the Olympics. 

Unfortunately, wild spirit and top contender, Bryce Anderson winds up dead.  His death is ruled as a homicide, bringing murder to the campground and Paddle Fest, causing unwelcome bad press, judgmental townsfolk, and fear. To find Bryce's killer, bring closure to his family, and remove the dark cloud over Happy Trails Campground, Mae and her Laundry Club Ladies investigate Bryce's death in hopes of quickly solving the crime.

The mystery was exciting and intriguing. Author Tonya Kappes does a wonderful job introducing a number of potential suspects. There were twists and turns that had me going in one direction only to have the mystery shift. The author did a great job building up the suspense until the reveal of the murderer and motive. I was truly shocked when the culprit was revealed. I was also saddened for the family of the deceased and for the family of the killer.

I love how the author developed the characters and created such a fun and entertaining world. The characters are just that - characters. Each one is hoot in their own right. The romance between Mae and Hank is subtle and doesn't overshadow the mystery. I love romances in my cozies but not when they are the main focus. I want a little bit of romance in my cozy, not a little bit of cozy in my romance. I was engaged in the story from the very beginning and loved the adventures as Mae and company “helped” the police figure out who the murderer was. 

I was provided a copy of this book to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My Rating:

ARC Review of Chili Cauldron Curse by Lynn Cahoon @KensingtonBooks ~ Kitchen Witch Mysteries, Book #.5 - Out on August 25, 2020

Book Details:

Print Length: 100 pages

Publisher: Kensington Books

Publication Date: August 25, 2020

ASIN: B0851PV6HQ

Pre-Order: https://amzn.to/3iUsFDG

About the Book:

When Mia Malone’s grandmother asks her to take a week away from her restaurant job and come to Magic Springs, Idaho, she’s happy to oblige. Like Mia, Grans has witchcraft running through her veins, and life with her is never boring. Plus, the cause is a good one—helping Grans get the local food bank up and running again. But there’s an unappetizing surprise in store. While Mia is knee-deep in boxes of donated produce, she encounters the body of Dorian Alexander.

Dorian was a warlock, leader of the local coven. He was also her Grans’ new beau. There’s no potion that’ll make this trouble disappear. But if Mia wants to keep her Grans—now a prime suspect—from serving a spell in prison, she’ll have to unearth the real killer fast. . . .

My Review:

Chili Cauldron Curse is the prequel to Lynn Cahoon's Kitchen Witch Mystery series. The story provides a great introduction to Mia Malone and her Grans. Only in town temporarily to help her Grans fix up the Magic Springs food bank, Mia's life is actually in Boise, Idaho. She and her boyfriend just bought a house together and she's anxious to get back and continue the remodel. Mia's plans are derailed a bit though with the discovery of dead body among the food donations. 

The story is well-written with likable, relatable characters. There is enough character development in the is novella to allow the reader to really obtain a grasp of who Mia and Grans are and get to know them. The world building was creative and allowed the reader to visualize the setting. I'm excited to see the new world created by the author and can't wait for the first full-length book in the series. If the prequel is any indication, this series is going to be spectacular!

I was provided a copy of this prequel to read.

My Rating:

Book Review & #Giveaway ~ Knot of This World by Mary Marks @KensingtonBooks ~ A Quilting Mystery, Book 8

Knot of This World

A Quilting Mystery, Book 8

Mary Marks

Book Details:

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Publisher: Kensington

Publish Date: July 28, 2020

Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages 

ISBN-10: 1496720512 

ISBN-13: 978-1496720511 

Digital ASIN: B07ZPJ5BLM

About Knot of the World:

Quilter Martha Rose must patch together the clues to solve the murder of a cult leader in the California mountains . . .

Has Martha’s fellow quilter and dear friend Birdie Watson become unraveled? Birdie and her new husband have decided to join the Mystical Feather Society, a spiritist group living on a commune in the mountains of Ojai, California. Before her free-spirited friend makes a huge mistake, Martha organizes a surprise visit to check out the commune. While white-robed members conduct a seancé in a glass yurt, their leader—Royal St. Germain—is nowhere to be found . . . until, that is, Martha and her friends discover him shot in their Winnebago. Now Martha must track down the killer and debunk the cult—before it's bye bye Birdie . . .

My Review:

Birdy is back in the quilter's group after returning to California from wintering in Arizona with her husband, Denver. She brings with her shocking news. They are selling all of their homes and possessions and retire to the Mystical Feather Commune. All of the money from the sales will be submitted to the Commune's trust for its sole and exclusive use. Smelling something fishy, Martha convinces Birdy and Denny, and a small group of friends, to take an impromptu trip to visit the Commune and meet its fearless leader, Royal St. Germain. Only, the surprise is on them. It seems Royal has disappeared and their trip was in vain. As the group decides to pack back up and head out, they find Royal dead in the vehicle they used to make the trip - Birdy and Denny's Winnebago.

In an effort to help expose Mystical Feather Society as a fraud, Martha finds herself eyeball deep in another murder. This one happens while she are in the same area but the clues to the murderer aren't as clear. Two of the "friends" on this journey of Operation Debunk aren't who they say they are and land themselves on the suspect list. Meanwhile, additional suspects present themselves or Martha speculates their involvement and potential reasons. I had an idea who may have been involved but the author did such a great job presenting several contenders that I wasn't sure until the very end.

I love all the characters in the Quilting Mysteries by Mary Marks. The relationship between Martha and Crusher is sweet and I’m honestly glad she is with him. He is so devoted to Martha and her to Crusher. The quilting group is a riot and totally has Martha’s back. I really feel like they are all my friends since we’ve now been together for eight books.

Mary Marks does another wonderful job building up the mystery and keeping the reader on their toes. The truth of the situation is revealed at the perfect time and I was not disappointed. The writing flows well and is concise. The author's writing style is fluid and smooth and so easy to get lost in. The romantic elements in the series are subtle and don't overshadow the mystery. The entire novel is engaging; never a dull moment.

I was provided an ecopy of this book to read.

My Rating:

Purchase Links - Amazon - B&N - Kobo - Google Play - IndieBound

Tour Post & Giveaway:

https://saphsbooks.blogspot.com/2020/08/book-review-giveaway-knot-of-this-world.html

Book Review ~ Have Yourself a Beary Little Murder by Meg Macy @megmims @KensingtonBooks (Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery, Book #3)

Book Details:

Print Length: 260 pages
Publisher: Kensington Books
Publication Date: September 24, 2019
ASIN: B07MRC5KZG
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3avH8D5

About the Book:

This holiday season, teddy bear shop manager Sasha Silverman must solve the slaying of Santa Bear . . .

Sasha and her sister Maddie are thrilled that the Silver Bear Shop and Factory has won the Teddy Bear Keepsake Contest, which means they get to produce a holiday specialty toy, a wizard bear named "Beary Potter." Promising to be just as magical is Silver Hollow's annual tree-lighting ceremony and village parade. Only one hitch: the parade's mascot, Santa Bear--played by Mayor Cal Bloom--is missing.

After a frantic search among the floats, Bloom is found dead. When the outfit is removed, it's clear the mayor's been electrocuted. Who zapped hizzoner and then stuffed him into his Santa Bear suit? While the police investigate the grisly crime, Sasha attempts to track down the murderer herself, with some help from the Guilty Pleasures Gossip Club. Can they wrap up this case in time for Christmas--or will Sasha meet her own shocking end?

My Review:

The Silver Hollow Annual Tree Lighting and Festival of Lights Parade is coming up soon in the small Michigan town. Residents of Silver Hollow are rushing to make sure all of the events, floats, and people are in place. As the rush for the annual holiday festivities comes calling, the Silver Bear Shop and Factory is even busier this year. As the winners of the Teddy Bear Keepsake Contest, Sasha, Maggie and the entire group of family and employees is in a rush to complete the orders for their winning "Beary Potter" bear. Plus, they have to plan the annual holiday party and their Uncle and Aunt are also getting remarried the same day as the party. On top of all of the festivities, as the town is preparing for the tree lighting and parade, Sasha's mom along with Sasha's ex-husband and his girlfriend, find Cal Bloom in his parade mascot costume dead right before the parade is due to begin. 

Cal looks like he's been electrocuted and if he was, why didn't anyone see him get hurt? Plus, he's found on a bench a distance away from the activity. How did he stumble all the way to the bench in a town full of activity and no one see him? Sasha knows there's more to the story about the death of Cal, this year's parade Santa Bear. Sasha had no plans to "investigate" until her mother, good friends with Cal's wife, asks Sasha to help. It seems Cal's wife is a suspect and her mother doesn't believe it's possible for Cal's wife to commit such a heinous act.

As Sasha puts her sleuthing cap on and begins her search, it appears that more than just his wife has means, motive and opportunity. Family secrets are divulged that no one, including Sasha's mom, were aware of, making Cal's wife and his daughter numbers 1 and 2 on her list. However, family members aren't the only ones moving up the list as Sasha beings digging deeper into Cal's life. 

A clever who-done-it, Have Yourself a Beary Little Murder kept me entertained and engaged in the story. Meg Macy delivered a well-written story with a unique setting in a fictional small town in southeast Michigan. As a lifelong Michigander I enjoy a good story, in any genre, that is based in my state. The author mentions Starbucks in Mount Pleasant and I might just happen to be very familiar with that particular city in Michigan. I always love it when I recognize locations in a book because I've been there, lived there, or worked in the town/city.

I enjoyed the personalities of each character introduced to us in the book. The book was descriptive well developed, allowing me to visualize the elements of the story, characters, and locations. The characters and situations were believable and the pacing of the story was steady. I enjoyed Have Yourself a Beary Little Murder, found the mystery interesting, the characters likable, and the story's pacing to be on target. I love the Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery series by Meg Macy and I look forward to book 4 in the Teddy Bear Mystery series.

I was provided a copy of this book to review.

My Rating: