Friday, January 27, 2023

#Review ~ New Year Nuisance (Holiday Cozy Mystery Book 4) by Tonya Kappes #CozyMystery #TonyaKappes @tonyakappes11

 

ASIN: ‎ B0BDXS2GJV
Publisher: ‎ Tonya Kappes Books (January 26, 2023)
Publication Date: ‎ January 26, 2023
Print Length: ‎ 196 pages

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3HEPxq0


About the Book:

CELEBRATE GOOD CRIMES!

New Year's Eve has always been a special time for the small town, Holiday Junction, with its annual tradition, the Sparkle Ball, along with the town Merry Maker spreading joy and cheer to all its residents. But this year, the joy is short-lived when local nuisance and troublemaker, Hillary Stevens, is found murdered in holiday town’s mini-village.

As the town's resident nosy journalist, Violet Rhinehammer is determined to uncover the truth behind Hillary’s murder and bring the killer to justice. But her investigation is complicated by her own secret - she is the town Merry Maker, and must keep her identity hidden from Mae West, her best friend who is visiting for the festive town’s Sparkle Ball.

With suspects at every turn and a town full of secrets, Violet must use her keen investigative skills and determination to uncover the truth before the killer strikes again. Will she be able to solve the mystery and bring the killer to justice, or will her own secret be her downfall?

New Year Nuisance is a gripping tale of mystery and intrigue, perfect for fans of small town crime novels. With well-developed characters and a twisting plot, this book will keep you guessing until the very end.

My Review:

New Year Nuisance is the fourth 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. Book four finds the town of Holiday Junction preparing for their New Year's celebrations. As Violet continues to keep Junction Journal afloat and tend to her civic duties, a local is found dead in the mini-village. Now Violet, and a special guest are on the case.

I love it when Tonya Kappes unites, or in this case reunites, characters from a different series.  Having Mae visit Violet in Holiday Junction was a fantastic blending that I hope we see more of in the Holiday Cozy Mystery series. Violet and Mae really had to put their heads together on this one. 

New Year Nuisance is a fun and quick read. I enjoyed Violet and Mae together in this book. My love for Violet's character continues to grow as the series progresses. I love continuing to get to know everyone in Holiday Junction. We get to meet a lot of interesting people and learn how important holidays are in this town. The mystery was well thought out and I didn’t have a clue who the murderer was or why until the author reveals everything. I was shocked. Definitely looking forward to the next book.

I was provided a copy of this book to read.

My Rating:



Tuesday, January 24, 2023

#CozyMystery Bookmark #G1veaway ~ Love bookmarks and cozy mysteries? This cozy mystery bookmark c0ntest is for you!

 It's bookmark giveaway time!

I haven't done a bookmark giveaway in quite awhile, and I don't believe I've ever done one on Saph's Cozy Corner. 

(Photo is an example. Bookmark prize~variety of bookmarks and quantities~may be different than shown.)

(Photo is an example. Bookmark prize~variety of bookmarks and quantities~may be different than shown.)

Details:

I have a lot of cozy mystery bookmarks taking up space and I want to give them to you!

The photos above are just some of the assorted bookmarks I have available. Winners will receive a random selection and quantity of bookmarks and should not assume that they will receive the type or quantities in the photos.

It's entirely possible that all entrants with U.S. mailing addresses will receive a prize.

Host of this contest may cancel the giveaway at anytime for any reason. 

The rules are simple:

U.S. addresses only.

Fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

Important Info:

Winner will be selected via Rafflecopter. There is no other way to enter this giveaway. Void where prohibited and no purchases are necessary to enter this giveaway. See Rafflectopter for entry options.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, January 5, 2023

#Review ~ Deadly Director's Cut (A Catskill Summer Resort Mystery, #2) by Vicki Delany #CozyMystery


ASIN: ‎ B096DNQGXP
Publisher: ‎ Berkley
Publication Date: ‎ March 1, 2022
Print Length: ‎ 302 pages
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Cmw3TG
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58260462-deadly-director-s-cut

About the Book:

Daring resort manager Elizabeth Grady will need to think fast to bring a killer into the limelight in this charming 1950s set cozy mystery series.

Famous director Elias Theropodous has chosen Haggerman’s Catskills Resort as a shooting location for his next film. It sounds glamorous to much of the staff, but resort manager Elizabeth Grady is less satisfied. Dealing with the ridiculous demands of the antagonistic director is bad enough, and his attempts to walk all over Elizabeth are making her feel like her position at the resort has been changed into a bit part.

But when Elias is poisoned during a dinner at the resort, the future of the film and the resort itself are on the line. Between an aging movie star, a harried producer, and former victims of the deceased director’s wrath, Elizabeth has a full cast of suspects to examine, and she’ll need to investigate every lead to catch a killer.

My Review:

Deadly Director's Cut takes place in the early 1950s. The setting is the Catskill Mountains at a resort similar one in the popular 1987 film, Dirty Dancing. I love the mystery of the murdered director. Elias Theropodous selects Haggerman's as the location for his next movie. Elizabeth isn't thrilled but it's good exposure for her resort. When Elias is poisoned while eating dinner, not only is the movie in jeopardy, but so is the reputation of Haggerman's. 

Elizabeth is a strong woman running a resort in a time when women weren't taken seriously in roles men traditionally viewed as for males only. When the movie production cast and crew overtake Haggerman's, she feels like her role isn't taken seriously as Elias's demands become ridiculous and time wasters, and he treats her like a doormat.  

Elizabeth has gathered a wonderful staff of family and friends to assist in the day-to-day operations of Haggerman's. Her mother, Olivia, is the star of the resort but without Elizabeth, Haggerman's would be another failing resort in the mountains. What they don't need right now is a suspected murder of a high-profile director and his equally impressive cast.

The author delivered a powerful and robust mystery. Several characters were introduced as possible suspects and red herrings were strategically placed between the pages. I enjoyed the fact that this story is set pre-technology boom and there aren't smartphones, Google, or video cameras on every corner. This mystery took good old-fashioned detective and legwork to investigate and solve. The author did a great job keeping the book in line with actual happenings in the 50s. 

Deadly Director's Cut is engaging, dramatic, and filled with friendship, amateur sleuthing, and a wonderful mystery. The characters, development, and world building were superb. I felt like I was in the book with Elizabeth, Olivia, Velvet, Randy, and the rest of the group. 

I was provided a copy of this book.

My Rating: