#CozyMystery #Review ~ Wedding Bear Blues by Meg Macy @megmims @KensingtonBooks ~ Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery, Book 4

In the fourth shamelessly adorable Teddy Bear Mystery, teddy bear shop manager and amateur sleuth Sasha Silverman vows to find out who killed the best man in a Valentine's Day wedding when a heartless, ice-pick wielding killer ruins the big day...

Always a bridesmaid, never a killer...

At the Silver Bear Shop and Factory, Sasha will be selling plenty of bride and groom teddy bears come springtime. But this Valentine's Day weekend, she'd take any of those silent, stuffed couples over the real thing. Sasha and her sister Maddie are bridesmaids at Cissy Davison's upcoming wedding in Silver Hollow. Cissy is fuming over the worst choice of best man--the jerk who broke her sister Debbie's heart--and the groom-to-be won't budge in his decision. At the rehearsal dinner you could cut the tension with a wedding cake knife.

That is, until best man Dylan is found dead, impaled with an ice pick. Although jilted Debbie is the most likely suspect--the blood on her dress doesn't help her case--the bride begs Sasha to prove her sister's innocence. If anyone's going to walk down the aisle, Sasha will first need to find the cold-hearted killer who iced Dylan...

ASIN : B086R75PC1
Publisher : Kensington Books
Publication date : December 29, 2020
Print length : 336 pages

Purchase Link: Amazon

Add to Goodreads

My Review:

Valentine's Day is coming up and the Silver Bear Shop and Factory in Michigan is quite busy. There are workshops, last minute gift purchasers, and both Sasha and her sister Maddie are in a wedding. The wedding of Cissy Davison has proven to be a lot more stressful than any event at the Silver Bear Shop and Factory. The groom's choice of best man has the bride and her sister, Debbie, incensed and all of the events leading up to Cissy's big day have been rife with tension. Things take a violent and deadly turn at the rehearsal dinner when Maddie and Sasha walk right into a murder scene. Dylan, the best man, has been killed by ice pick. As if Sasha isn't busy enough at the shop and factory, Cissy has asked her to help prove her sister's innocence, even if Debbie is the most likely suspect.

Actually, that's not true. Debbie is one of many, it seems, with an issue with Dylan. As Sasha puts her sleuthing cap on and begins her search, it appears that more than just Debbie had means, motive and opportunity. Dylan seems to have a long history of upsetting people. With everything going on at the shop and factory, additional side threads, Cissy, and the death of Dylan, Sasha has her hands full.

A clever who-done-it, Wedding Bear Blues 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 places in Michigan I'm very familiar with, including Harrison. 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 Wedding Bear Blues, 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 the next book.

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

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:

#Review ~ Little Bookshop of Murder: A Beach Reads Mystery by Maggie Blackburn #CozyMystery

 

Book Details:

Little Bookshop of Murder: 

A Beach Reads Mystery Cozy Mystery

1st in Series 

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books 

Publish Date: September 8, 2020

Hardcover ISBN-10: 1643854380 

ISBN-13: 978-1643854380 

Digital ASIN: B0818ZX2NY

About the Book:

A Shakespearean scholar inherits a beachside bookshop--and a murder mystery--in this delightful new cozy series for fans of Kate Carlisle and Ellery Adams.

Summer Merriweather's career as a Shakespeare professor hangs by a bookbinder's thread. Academic life at her Virginia university is a viper's pit, so Summer spends her summer in England, researching a scholarly paper that, with any luck, will finally get her published, impress the Dean, and save her job. But her English idyll ends when her mother, Hildy, shuffles off her mortal coil from an apparent heart attack.

Returning to Brigid's Island, NC, for the funeral, Summer is impatient to settle the estate, sell her mom's embarrassingly romance-themed bookstore, Beach Reads, and go home. But as she drops by Beach Reads, Summer finds threatening notes addressed to Hildy: "Sell the bookstore or die."

Clearly, something is rotten on Brigid's Island. What method is behind the madness? Was Hildy murdered? The police insist there's not enough evidence to launch a murder investigation. Instead, Summer and her Aunt Agatha screw their courage to the sticking place and start sleuthing, with the help of Hildy's beloved book club. But there are more suspects on Brigid's Island than are dreamt of in the Bard's darkest philosophizing. And if Summer can't find the villain, the town will be littered with a Shakespearean tragedy's worth of corpses--including her own.

My Review:

Little Bookshop of Murder is an interesting read. Summer comes home to attend her mother Hildy's funeral, laden with guilt. When evidence comes to light indicating Hildy's death may not have been medical in nature. The mystery behind Hildy's death and Summer's insistence in finding out the truth provide for an interesting story. I was glad Summer doesn't just take Hildy's death at face value. So much evidence turns up that she could hardly do otherwise. When Summer becomes the next target, she knows she can't let this go.

Summer has a huge issue with books she considers beach reads and fluff. She's constantly reminding everyone she's a scholar of "real" literature. Everyone is entitled to their opinion about book genres and certain genres aren't for everyone. Summer could have been a bit less condescending about her education but for the most part she was quite friendly. The secondary characters were well-written and compliment Summer and the mystery. 

I enjoyed the story, the mystery kept me engaged, and the characters were interesting. The author tossed in red herrings that will keep the reader guessing. The book is fast- paced and I can't wait to read the next one.

I was provided a copy of this book to read.

My Rating:

#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.