#Review ~ Rum and Choke (A Chloe Jackson Sea Glass Saloon Mystery Book 4) by Sherry Harris ~ #CozyMystery @SHarrisAuthor @KensingtonBooks

About the Book:

LAST CALL

The Florida Panhandle Barback Games are coming up and Chloe’s been drafted to represent the Sea Glass Saloon—competing in various obstacle-course events that conclude with rolling an empty keg up a hill. The rivalries are so fierce that some of the participating bars even stoop to bringing in ringers.

Meanwhile, Chloe’s friend Ann—a descendant of the famed pirate Jean Lafitte—asks her to come along for a boat ride as Ann dives into the Gulf of Mexico. She’s found some old papers that may identify the location of sunken treasure. Instead, she finds a sunken body—of one of the ringers hired for the Barback Games. Now that murder is in the mix, Chloe has to figure out whether one of the competitors went overboard . . .

My Review:

Rum and Choke is book four in the Chloe Jackson Sea Glass Saloon Mystery series. I enjoy this series and love all the time I get to spend with Chloe in Emerald Cove. This book has Chloe signed up to partake in the Barback Games, unbeknown to her until 10 days before the competition. The competition is so fierce, many of the local bars hire ringers to participate. This leaves Chloe to check out the competitors to see who she'll be up against.

Chloe also finds herself helping out her friend Ann, who wants to go diving in the Gulf of Mexico. Ann is a descendant of the pirate Jean Lafitte and Ann discovered some documents that may lead her to a sunken ship and treasure. On the day Chloe and Ann travel out to one of the locations Ann has mapped out, Ann surfaces with a body in tow - that of one of the ringers entered in the Barback Games. Now Chloe and Ann are suspects in the murder and Chloe finds herself immersed in another murder investigation.

Rum and Choke is another fantastic book in this series. The story is fast-paced and engaging. The author is such a wonderful writer and I love her ability to instill true emotional reactions in her readers. This book also has other themes threaded through it, making the story realistic. 

I love the continued character development and introduction of an assortment of secondary characters. Chloe considers several of the characters to be suspects, giving the reader several viable murderers. Her process of elimination leads to a twist I didn't see coming. The story is original, and I was able to visualize each scene as they played out. A fantastic story with a capable and competent main character make this 5 stars for me. 

I was provided a copy of this book.

My Rating:




Book Details:

ASIN: ‎ B09YL4V5R9
Publisher: ‎ Kensington Cozies 
Publication Date: ‎ December 27, 2022
Print Length: ‎ 272 pages

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3CcbF7H

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60795392-rum-and-choke

Cozy Mystery Book Review ~ Three Shots to the Wind (Chloe Jackson, Sea Glass Saloon Mystery #3) by Sherry Harris @SHarrisAuthor #CozyMystery #Review

 

The third installment in Sherry Harris’s Agatha Award-nominated series finds former Chicago librarian Chloe Jackson loving her new life as a bartender in Florida…until a surprise visit from her Windy City ex-fiancé ends with him blown away in the Panhandle!

DEAD EXES TELL NO TALES

About the Book:

Saloon owner Chloe Jackson appears to have a secret admirer. She’s pouring drinks at the Sea Glass Saloon in Emerald Cove when an airplane flies by above the beach with a banner reading I LOVE YOU CHLOE JACKSON. She immediately rules out Rip Barnett. They are in the early stages of dating and no one has said the L word. Then a bouquet of lilacs—her favorite flower—is delivered to the bar, followed by an expensive bottle of her favorite sparkling wine. It couldn’t be…

Sure enough, her ex-fiancé from Chicago has flown down to Florida for an accountants’ convention. But is he trying to mix business with pleasure and win her back? Unfortunately he’s not in a hotel conference room, he’s floating facedown in the lake next to her house, clutching a photo of Chloe. Who murders an accountant on a business trip—it just doesn’t add up. When Rip becomes the prime suspect, Chloe is determined to find the secret murderer. But if she isn’t careful, it may be closing time and lights out for her…

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ddhQyX

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58509390-three-shots-to-the-wind

Book Details:

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B098KLTMZX
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kensington Cozies
Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 29, 2022
Print length ‏ : ‎ 274 pages

My Review:

Three Shots to the Wind is the third book in the Chloe Jackson, Sea Glass Saloon Mystery series. I love this series and enjoy all of the time I get to spend to Chloe in Emerald Cove. Chloe is everything I need in a cozy mystery heroine. She is likable (always important), realistic, imperfect - but the perfect person for this series, a little clueless, fiercely protective, and someone I would love to be my best friend. 

The story is not, however, all grins and giggles as Chloe discovers she has a secret admirer who just happens to know some of her favorites....flowers, wine. The discovery of her ex-fiancé's body on the beach near her house has her completely rattled. Why now, after a year-and-a-half did Perry come back to woo her, and who wanted him dead?

Chloe has settled in quite nicely in Emerald Cove. She's still an outsider to most but she has a select few who consider her family. I love how she has integrated herself into the town. The emergence of Perry into her new life would have complicated things, especially since she's in a relationship, but his death is a down-right catastrophe. Chloe, unsatisfied with the speed of law enforcement, begins her own sleuthing and her discoveries are shocking.

Three Shots to the Wind is a fast-paced and engaging novel. The author is such a wonderful writer and I love her ability to instill true emotional reactions in her readers, and not just shock, awe, and humor. This book has other themes threaded through it, making the story realistic. Realism - that's where it's at for me in any book.

Three Shots to the Wind is another fantastic book in this series. I love the continued character development and introduction of an assortment of secondary characters. Chloe considers several of the characters to be suspects, giving the reader several viable murderers. Her process of elimination leads to a twist I didn't see coming. The story is original, and I was able to visualize each scene as they played out. A fantastic story, a love interest, and a capable and competent main character make this 5 stars for me. The author has another hit series on her hands!

I was provided a copy of this book to read #NetGalley

My Rating:

#Book #Review ~ A Time to Swill (Chloe Jackson, Sea Glass Saloon Mystery #2) by Sherry Harris #CozyMystery @SHarrisAuthor @KensingtonBooks

  

Saloon owner Chloe Jackson is after a murderer with skeletons in the closet--and one on a boat.

BAD TO THE BONE

Chloe loves her new life pouring beers and mixing cocktails at the Sea Glass Saloon in the Florida Panhandle town of Emerald Cove. But on the job, the only exercise she gets is walking from one end of the bar to the other, so in the mornings she loves to run on the beach. On this morning's foggy run, she spots a sailboat washed up on a sandbar. Hearing a cry, she climbs aboard the beached vessel to investigate and finds not only a mewling kitten--but a human skeleton in the cabin.

The skeleton is tied back to Chloe's friend Ralph, whose wife disappeared on a sailboat with three other people twelve years ago. Believing his wife was lost at sea, Ralph remarried. Now he finds himself a murder suspect. Chloe is determined to find out who's been up to some skulduggery, but her sleuthing will lead her into some rough waters and some bone-chilling revelations...

ASIN : B08MBFK131
Publisher : Kensington Books
Publication date : July 27, 2021
Print length : 235 pages

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My Review:

The second book in the Chloe Jackson Sea Glass Saloon Mystery series by Sherry Harris is here!! As a lover of all things Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mysteries, there was no way I was missing out on this new series by Sherry Harris. I was not disappointed at all. Chloe Jackson is everything I need in a cozy mystery heroine. She is likable (always important), realistic, imperfect - but the perfect person for this series, a little clueless, fiercely protective, and someone I would love to be my best friend. The story is not, however, all grins and giggles as Chloe is swept out to sea in a washed-up sailboat, she soon learns is tied back to long ago mysterious disappearance. Her dramatic rescue is only the beginning as events unfold, history is dredged up, wounds reopen, and murder accusations fly.

Chloe is starting to settle in at her new home, new place of employment, and with her new friends. She and Vivi have reached an understanding and while they aren't besties, they are getting along. Chloe has just returned to Florida after packing up her life in Chicago. Chloe's discovery on the beach leads to some harsh realities for some of the townsfolk and a reopening of almost healed wounds. For some, closure. For others, the reappearance of old accusations. For a few, both.

This story is a fast-paced and engaging novel. The author is such a wonderful writer and I love her ability to instill true emotional reactions in her readers, and not just shock, awe, and humor. This book has a theme threaded through it a lot of people have, are, or will work through at some point in their lives. Realism - that's where it's at for me in any book.

A Time to Swill is a great sophomore book in this new series. I love the continued character development and introduction of an assortment of secondary characters. Chloe considers several of the characters to be suspects, giving the reader several viable murderers. Her process of elimination leads to a twist I didn't see coming. The story is original, and I was able to visualize the entire story as each scene played out. A fantastic story, a potential love interest, and a capable and competent main character make this 5 stars for me. The author has another hit series on her hands!

I was provided a copy of this to read.

My  Rating:

Review ~ Absence of Alice (Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery #9) by Sherry Harris #CozyMystery

 

For bargain hunter extraordinaire Sarah Winston, starting life over in Ellington, Massachusetts, has been a true trash-to-treasure success story, except when there's a run on dead bodies...

Sarah's latest client, Alice Krandle, is sure she has a fortune in antiques on her hands. She's already gotten a generous offer for the whole lot before her garage sale has even begun, but she thinks she can earn more with Sarah's expert help. The problem is that while Sarah's sorting through items from decades past, her landlady, Stella, faces a clear and present danger.

Stella's kidnapper has contacted Sarah with a set of instructions, and "Don't call the police" is at the top of the list. But they didn't say anything about Sarah's friend Harriet--who happens to be a former F.B.I. hostage negotiator...

Mass Market Paperback : 288 pages
ISBN-13 : 978-1496722539
ISBN-10 : 1496722531
Publisher : Kensington
Publish Date: December 29, 2020
Purchase Link: Amazon

My Review:

Absence of Alice is another spectacular book in the Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery series by Sherry Harris.

Sarah and her friend Harriet are preparing an indoor garage sale for Alice Krandle, a new client. After spending hours pricing the knickknacks, artwork, and expensive figurines, Sarah wants to wind down for the day. Unfortunately, a random phone call, revelation of a kidnapping, and strict instructions has Sarah running across town. Stella, her landlady, has been kidnapped and her kidnapper is using Sarah to complete bizarre tasks in order to gain, or lose, precious time to locate Stella. At a loss for what to do or where to turn, Sarah realizes the kidnapper didn't include Harriet in his list of no-nos. Harriet is former FBI with contacts all over the place. With some strategy and hiding things from her friends, including her boyfriend Seth, maybe Sarah will be able to locate Stella before any harm comes to her - even if it means losing the trust of everyone around her. Stella's life is more valuable and Sarah hopes to find her alive. It's better to ask for forgiveness sometimes, at least Sarah hopes so.

I really enjoy the Garage Sale Mysteries by Sherry Harris. As a lover of garage sales, yard sales, flea markets, etc., a cozy setting of this nature makes me happy. Sarah is a great protagonist and has been in such a way that I feel like I know her personally. She has very realistic characteristics and the author really brings Sarah to life. I love all the secondary characters the author has created for this series, too. Seth, Pelltner, Mike “the big cheese” Titone, Stella, Awesome, and all the rest compliment this series so well. I’m glad Sarah’s love life doesn’t overpower the stories, providing a nice balance and sense of realism to her.

As I said about the rest of the books in the series, Absence of Alice is a fantastic cozy mystery full of twists, turns, distractions, and multiple storylines. There are suspenseful, humorous, and heartbreaking moments that are sure to keep the reader engaged. The author provides a few characters as the potential suspects and expertly pulls the tablecloth out from underneath them without spilling the truth. The ending was a complete shocker! The Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mysteries are one of my favorite cozy series'. The author keeps the stories fresh and entertaining. The characters are wonderful, and I love the setting.

I read an early copy of this book and I purchased a paperback for my bookshelf.

My Review: