#Review: Fishing for Trouble (Alaskan Diner Mystery, Book #2) by Elizabeth Logan @BerkleyMystery

Something fishy is going on at a local seafood processing plant, and Charlie Cooke is on the hook to solve the case in this new Alaskan Diner Mystery.

Summer has come to Elkview, Alaska, bringing twenty hours of sunlight every day, not to mention a surge of tourists and seasonal workers. Chef Charlie Cooke is eager for a busy yet relaxing season, but when a young man working a summer job at the local fish processing plant dies moments after walking into the Bear Claw Diner, she’s quickly swept into the investigation.

Soon, through her best friend Annie Jensen, Charlie learns that another student worker at J and M Processing has disappeared, leaving more questions and fewer answers. The near-endless sunlight gives plenty of time to search for clues, but Charlie will have to work with Annie and local reporter Chris Doucette to net the killer before anyone else gets hurt.

Print length: 303 pages
Publisher: Berkley 
Publication Date: November 24, 2020
ASIN: B085BW1KCK
Purchase Link: Amazon

My Review: 

Summer has arrived in Elkview, Alaska and with it comes seasonal workers at J& M Fishing, a local seafood plant. When one of those seasonal workers collapses and dies in her diner, Charlie Cooke knows she can't just leave this mystery alone. When the manner of death is revealed, Charlie also discovers another worker has disappeared. Is the missing worked involved, guilty, or another victim?

Charlie intends to find out how the death and disappearance relates to J & M Fishing, and why on earth her ex-boyfriend, Ryan is in town. Charlie also has other fish to fry. Even though her diner isn't responsible, the bad press could shutter her doors. Charlie, her side kick, reporter Chris Doucette, and her bestie Annie Jensen, team back up in another installment of Elizabeth Logan's Alaskan Diner Mystery series.

Fishing for Trouble is another wonderful book in the Alaskan Diner Mystery series. Set in the Alaskan summertime, I enjoyed how the author delivers a book showing readers what the weather is like in Alaska during that time. It's not as warm as some states in the lower 48 but temps are mild. The clothing required for summers doesn't generally include shorts but you don't need to be bundled up in a polar suit either. The author does a great job weaving several storylines together, steeping the story in reality. 

The path to discovering the real murderer is twisted and bumpy, leading Charlie in several directions that are dead-ends or just lead to more questions. The book is full of surprises and twists in the plot the reader will never see coming. The author does a great job with the mystery, the character development, and providing the reader vivid imagery allowing the story to played out like a movie as you read along. The book also has some pretty amazing characters, ones I enjoy learning more about in each book.

I was provided a copy of this book to read.

#Review: Murder in the Margins (The Open Book Mysteries, Book #1) by Margaret Loudon

 

The plot thickens for American gothic writer Penelope Parish when a murder near her quaint British bookshop reveals a novel's worth of killer characters.

Penelope Parish has hit a streak of bad luck, including a severe case of writer's block that is threatening her sophomore book. Hoping a writer in residence position at The Open Book bookstore in Upper Chumley-on-Stoke, England, will shake the cobwebs loose, Pen, as she's affectionately known, packs her typewriter and heads across the pond.

Unfortunately, life in Chumley is far from quiet and when the chairwoman of the local Worthington Fest is found dead, fingers are pointed at Charlotte Davenport, an American romance novelist and the future Duchess of Worthington. Charlotte turns to the one person who might be her ally for help: fellow American Pen. Teaming up with bookstore owner Mabel Morris and her new friend Figgy, Pen sets out to learn the truth and find the tricks that will help her finish her novel.

Publication date : October 27, 2020
Publisher : Berkley
ASIN : B084FKFM3M
Print length : 320 pages
Purchase Link: Amazon

Murder in the Margins is the first book in a new series by Margaret Loudon. Penelope "Pen" Parish is in England for a spell to clear her mind and hopefully eradicate a serious case of writer's block. She'll never meet her book deadline if she can't unfreeze her brain. Pen believes taking a writer-in-residence position in Chumley-on-Stoke will be just what she needs.

What she doesn't need is to deal with the suspicious death of the Worthington Fest chairwoman, Regina Bosworth. Deal with it, Pen does, however, and she finds herself donning an amateur sleuth's cap to assist Charlotte Davenport. Charlotte is set to wed a Duke and is now a strong person of interest in the murder. Pen finds no shortage of suspects who could have taken Regina's life but figuring out the motive is harder than she expected.

Well, I seem to one of the few readers who had a hard time really getting into Murder in the Margins. I can't put my finger on the problem but I typically devour cozy mysteries and this book took me over a week to get through. I did find there were blunt shifts in thoughts, conversations, and actions so maybe those were my issues. The characters were fine, the mystery was well-thought out, and Pen didn't make too many rookie mistakes. I just wasn't as engaged in Murder in the Margins as I usually am when it comes to cozies.

I plan to continue with the series and hope I am able to be more engaged in the next book.

I was provided a copy of this book to read.

Rating:

#Review: Eggnog, Extortion, and Evergreens by Tonya Kappes #CozyMystery ~ A Camper & Criminals Cozy, Book #14 #TonyaKappes

 

Welcome to Normal, Kentucky~ where nothing is normal. A Campers and Criminal Mystery Series is another brainchild of USA Today Bestselling Author Tonya Kappes. If you love her quirky southern characters and small town charm with a mystery to solve, you're going to love her new cozy mystery series!

Mae West is busy this Christmas season. She's running around Normal getting the town ready for the first Winter Festival, which she hopes will become an annual event for the tourist town.

The freshly fallen snow sure does make the Daniel Boone National Park beautiful and ready for Santa's arrival, but it also makes the curvy roads through the forest very slick. Unfortunately, Mae finds out just how slick the roads are after her car slides off the road and hits a tree, putting Mae into a deep coma.

Mae is one of the lucky patients who does wake up and happy to celebrate Christmas with family and friends.

One of the patients in the emergency room with Mae didn't die that night of natural causes, and Hank Sharp has himself a new homicide case on his hands.

Mae starts having memories about the fire that took her family and a memory of a murder plot that she thinks happened when she was in her coma. Only, she's having a hard time distinguishing between the two memories and the clues seem to have blurred lines. There's one thing she does know for sure, both incidents come with clues that neither were accidents.

Once again, Mae West with the help of the Laundry Club Ladies put on their amateur sleuth cap to help solve the mystery of the murders before the killer sends her Christmas gift she can't return.

Print length : 193 pages
Publication date : November 19, 2020
ASIN : B08B4WC569
Purchase Link: Amazon

My Review:

Eggnog, Extortion, and Evergreens is book #14 in Tonya Kappes' Camper and Criminals Cozy Mystery series. This book actually begins a lot differently than the rest of the books in the series. It's Christmastime in Normal, Kentucky and the town is abuzz as they prepare for the upcoming Winter Festival. First of it's kind, Mae West is hoping to make the festival an annual event. As preparations are being made, Mae becomes the victim of the dangerous and icy roads curving around Daniel Boone National Forest.

Mae is in the hospital wavering in and out of consciousness. She's been in a coma after a tragic car accident due to the dangerous road conditions. As she's finally coming to she overhears a conversation between two people in the area next to her. The patient doesn't make it but Mae's mind is suffering from a concussion and she's unable to distinguish her thoughts. To make it worse, Mae starts flashing back to the fire that claimed her family all those years ago. Let me tell you dear readers, the first three chapters of this book are packed full of tragedy. As Mae's past memories collide with current ones, she's a mess.

When Hank is handed another homicide case, Mae is certain is has something to do with the people next to her in the hospital. Unfortunately, her memory loss and continual walk down an unpleasant memory lane, prevent her from tying the homicide to those people. With the help of the Laundry Club, Mae just might be able to figure this case out before it's too late.  

Eggnog, Extortion, and Evergreens is another great book in the Campers & Criminals series. The mystery is exciting, intriguing, and kept me guessing. The author did a wonderful job introducing several potential suspects and providing the reader with means, motive, and opportunities for each. 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. As Mae and the Laundry Club unravel the murder, shocking events are revealed, suspects are added, as well as removed, from the list, and danger abounds. We also continue to get more glimpses into Mae’s past. 

I was provided a copy of this book to read.

My Rating:

Cocoa Curses: A Christmas Paranormal Cozy Mystery (Winter Witches of Holiday Haven #5) by Erin Johnson @EJohnsonWrites

Hardworking witch, Rudie Hollybrook, adores her quaint town of Holiday Haven, located near Santa’s Workshop at the North Pole, but can’t help feeling like an outsider. Not only does she have the unique ability to see ghosts, but she also runs the Hollybrook Funeral Home with her sisters. In a town where the holiday cheer is turned up to eleven all year round, Rudie’s slightly eerie abilities make her feel like a misfit.

While volunteering at the Christmas Market days before the big celebration, Rudie witnesses a tragedy. One of the volunteer club’s chairwomen is murdered by poisonous hot cocoa, sending the charming town reeling.

When Rudie’s tasked by the dead woman’s ghost to find her killer, she teams up with her crush at the local paper to do some sleuthing. Together, they uncover embezzlement, bribery and an illegal potions ring, all with ties to the murdered woman. Could it be the rebellious teenage granddaughter with a less-than-stellar taste in men? Or maybe the town doctor with a mysterious past? Rudie’s investigation even leads her to suspect her nemesis, the bully with a history of getting what she wants--no matter the cost.

With the countdown to Christmas nearly at an end, and the restless spirit threatening to haunt her holiday, Rudie races to catch the cocoa killer and make her beloved town safe again.

Will Rudie unmask the culprit and prove she’s a vital member of this charming Christmas town? Or will a murderer roam free and ruin Christmas for all of Holiday Haven?

Print length : 143 pages
Publication date : November 11, 2020
ASIN : B08L415638
Amazon

Rudie Hollybrook lives in the town of Holiday Haven, near Santa’s Workshop at the North Pole. Holiday Haven is a happy and cheery town, leaving Rudie a bit misplaced. She’s always seen herself as an outsider since she can see ghosts and operates a funeral parlor with her sisters, Vix and Donna.

Despite feeling like an outsider and dealing with a bully, Rudie makes sure to include herself as part of the community by volunteering at the Christmas Market. During the festivities, one of the chairwomen of the committee, Phillippa, falls down dead. Of course, the departed woman’s ghost appears to Rudie, stating she was murdered and insisting Rudie solve her murder. Not wanting to be haunted by an irate ghost, Rudie puts on her sleuthing cap and does her best to ferret out a killer.

Rudie is a fun, caring, and interesting character. She’s not perfect but continues to try and embrace who she is and her abilities. She reminds of myself – non-confrontational and puts up with a lot of garbage from others. Her low self-esteem prevents her from standing up for herself. I love the relationship Rudie has with her sisters Donna and Vix. When Archer enters the scene, Rudie lights up and I enjoyed her interactions with him. How he treats Rudie really impressed me.

I really enjoyed this paranormal cozy mystery and found the setting and characters to be interesting and exciting. I was completely engaged in the story. There were some twists and turns in the quest to catch the killer. There are multiple threads woven through Cocoa Curses that keep the story fresh and interesting. The book was fast paced and easy to follow. I have yet to read an unlikable book by Erin Johnson. Her paranormal cozies are fun, include quirky but loveable characters, and an intriguing mystery.

I was provided a copy of this book to read.