#CozyMystery #Review ~ A Case for the Candle Maker by Candace Havens @CandaceHavens @TulePublishing ~ Ainsley McGregor, Book #4

 

Play with candles and you might get burned…

Ainsley McGregor has her hands full preparing for Sweet River’s Valentine’s Day celebration and her bestie’s wedding. So when a mysterious woman pitches selling her candles in Ainsley’s shop, Bless Your Art, Ainsley nearly blows her off. But the candle’s fragrance is evocative, and she can’t resist placing an order.

The candles are a hit, quickly selling out, but when Ainsley calls the woman to buy more, she’s unreachable. Hoping to connect, Ainsley and her Great Dane, George Clooney, stop by the local bed and breakfast. When George whines outside her room, Ainsley is afraid to look. She soon discovers that the candle maker is dead—in a room that was locked from the inside.

Although her brother, the town sheriff, is on the case, Ainsley believes the prime suspect is innocent. Intent to prove it, Ainsley once again drops into sleuth mode, discovering some surprising truths about the mystery woman. But has she just put herself in the killer’s crosshairs?

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ASIN: B08SJM6HN1
Publisher: Tule Publishing
Publication date: February 9, 2021
Print length: 167 pages

My Review:

A Case for the Candle Maker is book four in the Ainsley McGregor cozy mystery series by Candace Havens. The Valentine's Day celebration is about to take place in Sweet River, plus Ainsley's helping Shannon prepare for her upcoming wedding, so to say Ainsley is a busy woman doesn't really do her justice. During a busy rush in Bless Your Art, Ainsley almost turns away a candle maker until her nose gets the scent of something divine. She, Jasmine, and Shannon become fast friends that day, but things crash and burn when, the next day, Jasmine is found dead in her room at the local B&B. Ainsley dons her sleuthing cap for another engaging, fast-paced, original cozy mystery.

The mystery was set up and executed well. The author did a wonderful job tossing in twists and turns, jaw-dropping moments, and I enjoyed trying to figure out who did it an why. I had no idea who the murderer was in A Case for the Candle Maker. The author included so many potential suspects and clear motives and/or opportunities, I had a really hard time trying narrow down my suspect list. Every time I was sure I knew who it was, the author tossed in something to change my mind. The uncertainty amplified the suspense and nail-biting action of certain scenes, decisions, and the ultimate showdown.

Ainsley is a wonderful character with business know-how and impeccable customer service skills. Her brother, Greg, is the local sheriff, and he tries to keep her from interfering with the case. He should know by now that's not happinging. Shannon is her best friend and partner-in-crime. Jake is a firefighter, friend of Greg's, and Ainsley's boyfriend. Together, the four of them along with Ainsley's friends, make up a great cast of characters. I really missed Ainsley's two students who've helped in the past. They weren't forgotten in the book but they didn't participate in this mystery.

This book was so much fun, enjoyable, and a fast read that keep me engaged. I loved the setting: an artisan market near Valentine's Day with wonderful characters, who are written realistically, and are completely relatable. The world building allowed me to visualize the scenes and I felt like I was there with the characters as they lead their normal, everyday lives. I really like the direction the author is taking Ainsley, as a business owner, small-town citizen, and in her love life. I couldn't put the book down.

I was provided a copy of this book to read.

My Rating:

Book #Review ~ With Scream and Sugar: The Vampire Tea Room Magical Mysteries, Book 2 by Erin Johnson

With Scream and Sugar
Vampire Tea Room Magical Mystery, Book 2
ASIN: B08TCH57TL
Publication Date: February 10, 2021
Print Length: 162 pages

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About the Book:

You’d expect serving afternoon tea to a high-society ladies club to go smoothly, right?

Newbie witch and marketing whiz Minnie Wells thought so. She’s in need of some smooth sailing, considering her plate is full with magic lessons, marketing the tea room, and navigating a divorce during the most romantic time of the year. But the women’s “Galentine’s” Day celebration is thrown into chaos when their event coordinator is stabbed in the back with a pink stiletto.

Now her handsome boss (who Minnie might have a little crush on) is in hot water with the vampire council and the group’s down a guide.

When Minnie’s offered the position for the weekend, she eagerly agrees to show the women around the gorgeous city of Bath. Not only to make some extra cash so she and her black cat can stop crashing on her vampire bestie’s couch, but also because she’ll get an an all-access pass to snoop out the killer and clear her boss’s name.

When another body turns up though, Minnie suspects she may be in over her head!

Will Minnie figure out who’s got it out for these upper class ladies and save her boss from the vampire council’s wrath? Or will the killer tire of Minnie’s meddling, and have a score to kettle?

My Review:

Minnie's marketing work for the Bath Butler Café has been a huge success. The café is growing in popularity and most days, every table is occupied. The book begins with a large group of women coming in to celebrate "Galentine's Day" on Valentine's weekend. During the event, a couple scuffles take place, and the event coordinator is found dead outside the tea house. This puts everyone on police radar, and Fitz on the vampire council radar. In order to save the reputation of Bath Butler Café, and possible the undead life of Fitz, Minnie must figure out who had it out for the coordinator

Minnie is a fun character. She's kind and caring and completely devoted to the Bath Butler Café. Her marketing techniques have put the tearoom on the map. She is selfless and stands up to the vampire council in an effort to protect Fitz. How can you not love her for that?! I love Minnie's interactions with Fitz. The ending wasn't what I was hoping for, but the series is young and there is still time to flesh out the romantic angles.

I've been a huge fan of Erin Johnson since Seashells, Spells & Caramels (Spells & Caramels, Book1) was released in 2017. I was excited to learn about the upcoming Vampire Tea Room Magical Mysteries series. Spelling the Tea is a fantastic book. I enjoyed the setting, the characters, and the mystery. Minnie is a fun character, determined to earn her place at Bath Butler Cafe. The secondary characters round out a wonderful cast. The author's writing style, the pacing, and story kept me engaged. I loved the book and can't wait to see what happens with Minnie next!

I was provided a copy of this book to read.

My Rating:

#Review ~ One Poison Pie by Lynn Cahoon @LynnCahoon ~ @KensingtonBooks Kitchen Witch Mysteries, Book 1 ~ #CozyMystery

 

In the first in New York Times bestselling author Lynn Cahoon’s Kitchen Witch series, Mia Malone is starting over in Magic Springs, Idaho—where murder is on the menu . . .

What’s a kitchen witch to do when her almost-fiancé leaves her suddenly single and unemployed? For Mia Malone, the answer’s simple: move to her grandmother’s quirky Idaho hometown, where magic is an open secret and witches and warlocks are (mostly) welcome. With a new gourmet dinner delivery business—and a touch of magic in her recipes—Mia’s hopes are high. Even when her ex’s little sister, Christina, arrives looking for a place to stay, Mia takes it in stride.

But her first catering job takes a distasteful turn when her client’s body is found, stabbed and stuffed under the head table. Mia’s shocked to learn that she’s a suspect—and even more so when she realizes she’s next on a killer’s list. With Christina, along with Mia’s meddling grandma, in the mix, she’ll have to find out which of the town’s eccentric residents has an appetite for murder…before this fresh start comes to a sticky end. . . .

ASIN: B087YNC1B6
Publisher: Kensington Books
Publication date: January 26, 2021
Print length: 274 pages

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My Review:

One Poison Pie is the first full-length book in the Kitchen Witch Mystery series. There is an introductory novella titled Chili Cauldron Curse that introduces you to Mia and Gran. I highly recommend the novella; however, you won't be too lost by the events in One Poison Pie if you don't read it first.

Mia has made Magic Springs, Idaho her new home. Her recent building purchase, and subsequent renovation, will soon be home to Mia's new gourmet catering business. Meanwhile, she already has a client. The very first event Mia has lined up is the birthday party for a local client. After the client changes the menu the day before the party, Mia scrambles to pull everything together. As prep work begins the next morning in the Lodge where the party is taking place, the body of the client is found in the dining room. Now, Mia is a suspect who is also clearly on the killer's most wanted list.

I enjoyed One Poison Pie. The mystery was tangled up and hard to unravel. Mia may have been a suspect but there are so many other people in the town who are more viable suspects than her. Mia is surrounded by danger and she's unsure to trust, especially since the one person who should be on her side, a local police officer, doesn't seem to believe she's innocent. Police department aside, Mia tries to figure out who wanted her client dead and has their sights now set on her. Mia's ex, Isaac, also drops back into her life, adding another layer of stress to her life.

One Poison Pie is a well-written story with likable, relatable characters. There is continued character development in the book, allowing the reader to become more familiar with Mia and Grans and get to know them. The world building was creative and allowed the reader to visualize the setting. I'm excited to continue in the world created by the author and look forward to the next novel. 

I was provided a copy of this book to read.

My Rating:

#CozyMystery #Review ~ Killer Content (A Brooklyn Murder Mystery #1) by Olivia Blacke ~ #KillerContentBook #BrooklynMurderMyseries #OdessaDean#TheWriteLife #OliviaBlacke #killermystery

 

It's murder most viral in this debut mystery by Olivia Blacke.

Bayou transplant Odessa Dean has a lot to learn about life in Brooklyn. So far she's scored a rent free apartment in one of the nicest neighborhoods around by cat-sitting, and has a new job working at Untapped Books & Café. Hand-selling books and craft beers is easy for Odessa, but making new friends and learning how to ride the subway? Well, that might take her a little extra time.

But things turn more sour than an IPA when the death of a fellow waitress goes viral, caught on camera in the background of a couple's flash-mob proposal video. Nothing about Bethany's death feels right to Odessa--neither her sudden departure mid-shift nor the clues that only Odessa seems to catch. As an up-and-coming YouTube star, Bethany had more than one viewer waiting for her to fall from grace.

Determined to prove there's a killer on the loose, Odessa takes matters into her own hands. But can she pin down Bethany's killer before they take Odessa offline for good?

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ASIN : B08817HQXT
Publisher : Berkley
Publication date : February 2, 2021
Print length : 298 pages

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My Review:

Odessa Dean is in Brooklyn, NY, apartment- and cat-sitting for her aunt. As a lifelong resident of Louisiana, New York is a culture shock. The pace is faster, the patience is thinner, and her southern manners don't mean a thing. To keep her busy, and with some spending money, she finds employment as a waitress at a local café. When one of the other waitresses races out of Untapped Books & Café and asks Odessa to cover for her, Odessa chalks it up to an urgent appointment. Unfortunately, as Odessa is watching a flash-mob proposal on social media, she sees the unmistakable shirt of the Café's uniform on a body in the background. Ruled an accident by police, Odessa knows Bethany's death is anything but.

Odessa takes it upon herself to investigate the mysterious demise of Bethany since no one at the police station will listen to her. As Odessa dives further into her own investigation, she ends up with a list of suspects but no real proof. She resorts to hiding evidence from the police, dumpster diving, and porch-surfing in the middle of the night. Not a good way to convince the police they are wrong, and you are right, Odessa!

Killer Content was an interesting and fast read. The cozy concept of a craft being at the forefront of the book didn't really occur in this story and it was refreshing. Sure, Odessa liked to sew but her hobby wasn't front and center. We were able to learn more about Odessa than her favorite patterns and sewing machine settings. Don't get me wrong, I love the themes of cozy mysteries, but the lack of a concrete hobby/craft/artistic lifestyle was a nice change.

Let's talk a little bit about Odessa. She's new to New York and is southern to the bone. She was born of manners and kindness. Those she meets in New York, and who appear in this story, not so much. She gives into rude people, lets people talk down to her, and doesn't defend herself. I found those traits very off-putting about her character. You can be nice, polite, and have manners, and still not let people take advantage of you. As much as I liked Odessa's fierceness with finding out the truth about Bethany, I didn't like her meek and mousiness. I hope her character gets a little stronger in the next book. I liked her despite all that, though.

The author created some strong secondary characters. Izzy, Odessa's friend, is fun and I found her interesting. Parker is a likeable co-worker. Huckleberry, the Untapped Books & Café doggy mascot, is entertaining in his own right. Todd, Odessa's boss, is a strong character but in a very unlikable way. I didn't like him and that's exactly how the author created him. The character development was done well, and I enjoyed the setting for Killer Content. I look forward to the next book.

I was provided a copy of this book read.

My Rating:

#CozyMystery #Review ~ Crime of the Ancient Marinara (Tuscan Cooking School Mystery, Book #2) by Stephanie Cole @BerkleyMystery

 

American chef Nell Valenti's high hopes for a successful Tuscan farm-to-table cooking school are in danger of withering on the vine in this delectable cozy mystery.

Nell Valenti is settling into her role of transforming the Villa Orlandini into a superb farm-to-table cooking school, and the time has finally come for a full taste test run. But when Chef Orlandini prepares to reveal his top secret marinara recipe for the first time to a group of American gastro-tourists, Nell realizes she might have bitten off more than she can chew.

Nell begins to suspect that one of the tourists is actually a private detective sent to spy on her by her overprotective father, and the fussy foodies are noisy and disrespectful from the very start of the Marinara Mysteriosa workshop. Even worse, when one visitor appears to be poisoned by the famous marinara recipe, Nell will have to work fast to uncover a killer and keep a lid on bad press before her fresh start is spoiled for good.

ASIN: B087PLF2V6
Publication date: January 26, 2021
Language: English
Print length: 300 pages

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https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53790010-crime-of-the-ancient-marinara

My Review:

The time has come for all of Nell Valenti's hard work to pay off. The inaugural class is due to Villa Orlandini soon, consisting of five American students. During the introductions, Chef Orlandini surprises everyone by indicating he will be revealing his secret marinara sauce to the class, Nell, and everyone else in the household is shocked. Nell also discovers her father sent another private eye to spy on her and is intent on calling her father out. Revealed secret marinara sauces and private eyes become back-burnered, the least of Villa Orlandini's worries, when one of the class members is poisoned. In a group full of suspicious characters, Nell must now figure out what and how the poisoning occurred and who is responsible, before their inaugural class becomes Villa Orlandini's only class.

Crime of the Ancient Marinara was an interesting story with likable characters and a believable mystery. Nell is a hard-working American trying to get a culinary school in Italy off the ground. She takes her job seriously, sometimes too seriously it seems. She's doing her best to learn the language and for only a month in, I think she's doing a fine job. Nell is written with realism and her interactions with everyone fit the way a professional in a less-than-perfect situation would act.

The mystery surrounding the poisoning of one of the attendees was well thought out. The suspects were plenty, even if unlikely and/or not plausible. The lead up to and reveal of the murderer, along with the means and motive, were plotted well and I wasn't sure who the culprit was until closer to the reveal. Nell's amateur investigation produced far-fetched theories and her snooping around was borderline illegal, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment.

The story itself was rather slow-paced and it took me a bit longer to read Crime of the Ancient Marinara that other books I've read lately. I still found the story interesting and engaging, with good character development and wonderful world building. I was able to visualize every element of the story including the mouth-watering recipes. I'm excited to see what happens at Villa Orlandini in the next book.

I was provided a copy of this book to read.

My Rating: