Saturday, August 27, 2022

Book #Review ~ The Time for Murder Is Meow (Urban Tails Pet Shop Mysteries Book 1) by T.C. LoTempio #CozyMystery

 


ASIN: ‎ B0937H1KTT
Publisher: ‎ Beyond the Page
Publication Date: ‎ June 9, 2021
Print Length: ‎ 238 pages


About the Book:

Shell McMillan and her furry sidekicks aren’t kitten around when they set out to catch a killer . . .

When her TV series is canceled, struggling actress Shell McMillan considers it a blessing in disguise. A beloved aunt who recently died left her a pet shop in her will, and she sees it as the perfect chance to walk away from Hollywood and make a fresh start in the sleepy town of Fox Hollow.

But adjusting to small-town life won’t be easy, as Shell realizes when the head of the museum board is found murdered not long after Shell had a very public argument with her. And when the new kid in town is fingered for the crime, she’ll have to rely on her own wit and pluck and the kindness of strangers to get herself off the hook.

Desperate to exonerate herself and catch the real culprit, Shell begins digging into the lives of the local residents, and she quickly discovers that the victim had no shortage of enemies. As the suspect list grows and time runs short, Shell and her cats will have to claw their way out of danger—and it’s meow or never . . .

My Review:

The Time for Murder is Meow (Urban Tails Pet Shop Mysteries #1)The Time for Murder is Meow by T.C. LoTempio
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed The Time for Murder is Meow. For being a Hollywood star, Shell is down-to-earth, friendly, and a wonderful protagonist. Bringing Shell back to Connecticut to run her late aunt’s pet store is a unique setting and foundation for this new series. When she’s informed that the local museum board has rejected her offer to loan the museum an extensive collection of Cary Grant artifacts for an exhibit, Shell can’t believe their decision. Then she learns the reason why: apparently there’s a long-standing feud between her aunt and one of the board members, Amelia Witherspoon. 

On a quest to get those who voted against the loan, Shell confronts 3 other board members and Amelia. The discussions are heated, things are said, actions taken, then, when Shell thinks she’s going to get to talk some sense into Amelia, Shell finds Amelia dead in the museum. Even though there are many people who dislike Amelia, Shell finds herself a person of interest. Now she must navigate her new town, put plans to open up the pet store on hold, and figure out who killed Amelia before Shell finds herself unemployed and behind bars.

The character development was done well. We get a good look at Shell’s character, who she is, why she’s back in CT, and past relationships – boyfriends, co-stars, and managers, etc. Shell meets a lot of people in this book and the characters are written well. Bringing in Shell’s former co-start, Gary, into Fox Hollow was a nice touch. He brought a nice, supportive element to Shell’s life and is more than willing to help her solve the murder. The author also provides plenty of suspects for Shell, Gary, and their cohort to investigate.

The world created by the author is described well and I was able to visualize the setting, characters, and scenes. The only issue I had with the book is that I knew exactly who did it very early on. I didn’t have a clue as to why though. Knowing who murdered Amelia did not, at all, change my views of the book. I still enjoyed the characters, setting, and path taken for the reveal. There is the potential for a love interest and I am very excited to see where the author takes it through the series.

I was provided a copy of this book to read.   

View all my reviews

Thursday, August 18, 2022

Book #Review ~ Till Death Do Us Tart (A Bakeshop Mystery #8) by Ellie Alexander #CozyMystery @ellielovesbooks

 



Book Details:

ASIN: ‎ B077XKS2SY
Publisher: ‎ St. Martin's Paperbacks
Publication Date: ‎ June 26, 2018
Print Length: ‎ 286 pages

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3QWmRdw

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36187823-till-death-do-us-tart

Torte—the small-town bakeshop no one can resist—is hosting a midsummer night’s wedding . . . where merry-making and murder are served up in equal measure. Till Death Do Us Tart is Ellie Alexander's eighth delectable novel in the Bakeshop mystery series.

Jules Capshaw has too much on her plate—and she’s feeling the pinch: the whole town of Ashland, Oregon, is in on the surprise Elizabethan-themed wedding she’s planning for her mom and soon-to-be stepdad. But is her secret scheme half-baked? She’s hiding racks overflowing with sweet treats while Torte is topsy-turvy with a major remodel and the return of Jules’s estranged husband, Carlos. And until now, Jules had no clue about the bitter family feud that has her friend Lance frazzled and suspicious. But when a party crasher takes someone out with a serving of poisoned wine and Jules discovers the deadly cup was intended for her, it’s time to turn the tables on a killer.

Review:

A lot of events are taking place in Till Death Do Us Tart. Surprise weddings, demo and reconstruction in Torte, the arrival of Carlos, and Lance's family feud. There's only so much a girl can take but it's about to get worse. When someone takes the opportunity to slip poison into a glass of wine meant for Jules, she goes on full alert to find a potential killer before they have a chance to strike again.

The world building continues as new events take shape, book settings change, and new characters are introduced. The familiar favorites are always a pleasure to see on the pages. I enjoy reading about Jules, Jules's mom, Stephanie, Sterling, Carlos, Lance, Andy, Thomas, and the Professor. I connect with all the favorites on some level and can't imagine these books without them.

The story is fast paced and engaging. I enjoyed trying to unravel the murder mystery. Every time I thought I had things all figured out, the author tossed in a complication that changed my mind. Ellie Alexander does a great job keeping everything under wraps and revealing things methodically and at the right time.

I love the Bakeshop Mystery series. All of the books are wonderful. I enjoy Jules, her estranged ex Carlos, Jules' mom and The Professor, Lance, and Stephanie, Sterling, and Andy. Each story is different, containing not just the murder mystery but other threads. The author does a fantastic job weaving multiple stories within each book. Each thread makes sense as you move along in the book, some intersecting with the murder and others just additional everyday life. The books are descriptive and I am able to immerse myself into the town of Ashland or wherever the author takes the characters in this series.

I purchased the paperback for my library from Amazon.

Rating:

Wednesday, August 10, 2022

Book Review ~ Red Letter Slay (Mail Carrier Cozy Mystery #8) by Tonya Kappes #CozyMystery


ASIN: ‎ B09SDLYTZF
Publisher: ‎ Tonya Kappes Books
Publication Date: ‎ July 28, 2022
Print Length: ‎ 182 pages
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3zM52qM

Discover the southern life of Bernadette Butler, along with the eccentric and lovable citizens, along with all the fur babies, who live in Sugar Creek Gap in this southern cozy mystery series by USA TODAY Bestselling Author Tonya Kappes.

Wedding bells are ringing all over Sugar Creek Gap for Bernadette Butler and Mac Tabor.
Folks in Sugar Creek Gap, Kentucky are so excited for Bernadette Butler! She's getting married to Mac Tabor, the man of her dreams!

Wedding week is nerve-wracking enough but add to that a murder of a local radio DJ with a nasty reputation was found stabbed to death with a letter opener days before Bernadette's wedding and the DJ who Bernadette hired for the wedding is the number one suspect. Now Bernadette has not only possibly lost a big part of her dream wedding, she’ll have to solve a mystery with more layers than the five-tiered wedding cake!

'Red Letter Slay’ is a full-length cozy mystery and can be read as a standalone. Book #8 in the Mail Carrier Cozy Mystery Series.

My Review:

Red Letter Slay is the eighth book in the Mail Carrier Mystery series by Tonya Kappes. This series is amazing, and I love Bernie, Mac, and the Front Porch Ladies. The murder mystery kept me guessing as Bernie hunts down a killer while trying to plan her granddaughter's first birthday party, plan time for the local football game, and finish preparations for her upcoming wedding to Mac. This installment includes a lot of speculation, revelations, surprises, and wonderful family moments. The addition of several different themes woven throughout the mystery gave the book depth and a realistic feel.

The author did a fantastic job introducing potential suspects in the attempted murder of a resident and the bonified murder of another. There were means, motive, and opportunity for those added to the list. I had a hard time trying to figure out who committed the crime. Every time a suspect was identified, something or someone was able to come up with an alibi for that person or a reason why they weren’t involved. The characters are likable, realistic, and I loved them.

I was provided a copy of this book to read.

My Rating:



Sunday, August 7, 2022

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…


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:



Saturday, July 2, 2022

New Release #Review ~ Rangers, RVs, & Revenge (Camper & Criminals #26) by Tonya Kappes #CozyMystery

 


Book Details:

ASIN: ‎ B09SDJXWMH
Publisher: ‎ Tonya Kappes Books
Publication Date: ‎ June 30, 2022
Print Length: ‎ 173 pages


About the Book:

Welcome to Normal where nothing is normal!

As we say in the south beauty is only skin deep but ugly...now that runs straight to the bone.
When Miss Daniel Boone Days is murdered and our good friend Helen Pyle, owner of Cute-icles beauty salon is standing over our beauty queen with a gun, lets just say Helen didn't giddy up on out of there.

Nope. She was hauled down to the sheriff's department and booked for murder.

Ranger Tucker Pyle is taken off the case because let's just say he knows his Aunt Helen didn't do it, but who better to snoop around to help him out?

Yep! You guessed it!

The Laundry Club Ladies and Mae West once again find themselves with their sleuthing notebook in hand and get all gussied up to find out just who is behind the murder.

After all everyone has beauty but not everyone sees it.

My Review:

Mae, Hank, Dottie, and the Laundry Club ladies are back in Rangers, RVs, & Revenge, book 26 in the Camper & Criminals series by Tonya Kappes. It's Daniel Boone Days in Normal, Kentucky and they've just crowned the Miss Daniel Boone Days queen. When she's later murdered during the festival, all eyes point to the woman holding the gun - Helen Pyle. Scorned owner of Cute-icles, Helen has been very vocal about her disappointment in the newly crowned Miss Daniel Boone Days queen. Taking things as far as murder is out of character for Helen, and Mae knows it just as much as Tucker knows.

Mae discovers several potential suspects and the author kept me guessing which one committed the murder. The book was full of twists, turns, red herrings, and directional shifts. The author would have Mae follow one path, only to suddenly have her change course. There was suspense all the way up to the reveal.

As with the rest of the books in the series, the mystery isn't the only thing going on in the book. Tonya Kappes did a terrific job weaving the main storyline and several other ones together. The characters are wonderfully crafted, realistically written, and I feel like I'm coming home to Normal, or wherever the Laundry Club may be, with every book in the series. 

I was provided a copy of this book to read.

My Rating:




Monday, May 16, 2022

Cozy Mystery Book #Review ~ Flared Stiff (Bonnie & Clyde Mysteries #5) by Julie Anne Lindsey @JulieALindsey

 

About the Book:

Cake, cocktails and… murder?

Bonnie’s embracing the big 4-0 and all it has to offer, including a celebratory night out with friends. The evening is a perfect blend of fun and fabulous, until the local love guru, Gretchen, is confronted by a client’s spouse, who’s displeased by a prediction of new romance in his wife’s future. Gretchen excuses herself to sort the situation, but in the morning, the man is dead. Stabbed with a cake knife from her True Love collection.

When Bonnie’s friends turn to her for help unwrapping the truth, she quickly moves saving Gretchen’s reputation to the top of her birthday list.

Can she make her wish for answers come true? Or will the killer give Bonnie the next slice?

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3NbRPfS

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60056965-flared-stiff

My Review and Rating:

Flared Stiff (Bonnie & Clyde Mysteries #5)Flared Stiff by Julie Anne Lindsey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Flared Stiff if the fifth book in Julie Anne Lindsey’s Bonnie and Clyde Mysteries series. Bonnie turns 40in Flared Stiff, and she’s thrown a celebration to commemorate the occasion. When Bonnie’s friend Gretchen, is confronted by a client’s husband at the party, tension escalates. Apparently, Gretchen gave some love advice that didn’t set well. When the man is found dead the next day, all signs point to Gretchen. Bonnie knows Gretchen didn’t commit murder and she can’t help but get involved in the investigation.
I loved Flared Stiff. The characters, setting, and plot are engaging. The murder isn’t the only theme in the book, giving the book a lot of realism. The book is full of excellent imagery and character development. Bonnie, Clyde, Mason, Gigi, and all the rest, are fun characters.

The author's writing style is fluid, and the pacing is perfect. The story is so easy to read that when I reached the end, I couldn’t believe I was done already. I found myself engaged and completely captivated in the story from the very beginning. I really enjoyed Flared Stiff and can't wait for the next book.

I was provided a copy of this book to read.

Thursday, May 5, 2022

#CozyMystery Book #Review ~ Adventure, Abduction, & Arrest (Camper & Criminals #25) by Tonya Kappes #TonyaKappes @tonyakappes11


Welcome to Normal, Kentucky where nothing is normal!

When Hank Sharpe asked me in the laundry club ladies to join him in an undercover investigation to help find a missing person, me and ladies grabbed our sleuthing notebook without hesitation.

As undercover Forest Bathing Therapist trainees we were bound and determined to find out with happened to Kyra Tenney. When we did find her body in what appeared to be an accidental forest fire, we thought we were finished with our undercover act.

Only the coroner’s report came back that our missing person had been killed before the fire.

Put on your sleuthing caps and join Mae West along with the Laundry Club Ladies as they take their investigation skills to a whole ‘nuther level! Especially after Mae finds herself in the fire!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3kJfDMg

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60447988-adventure-abduction-arrest

ASIN: ‎ B09SDK2JZW
Publisher: ‎ Tonya Kappes Books (April 28, 2022)
Publication Date: ‎ April 28, 2022
Print Length: ‎ 174 pages

My Review and Rating:

Adventure, Abduction, & Arrest (A Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery Series Book 25)Adventure, Abduction, & Arrest by Tonya Kappes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Adventure, Abduction, & Arrest is the 25th book in the Camper & Criminals series by Tonya Kappes. This book finds most of the gang out of town at a retreat to help Hank locate a missing person. Kyra Tenney left home to work on becoming a Forest Bathing Therapist. Kyra disappears after hiking through the forest near the retreat. When a smoldering body is discovered amid an accidental fire, the group thought it was case closed. That is until the coroner provides information about the body that opens the case wide open.

The author kept me guessing about who was responsible. There were several characters at the retreat who fill the bill, along with outside characters. The book was full of twists, turns, red herrings, and shifts in direction. The mystery would start out going one direction, then completely shift a new way. The suspense build-up was written well and intensified right until the very end.

As with the rest of the books in the series, the mystery isn't the only thing going on in the book. Tonya Kappes did a terrific job weaving the main storyline and several smaller ones together. The characters are wonderfully crafted, realistically written, and I feel like I'm coming home to Normal, or wherever the Laundry Club may be, with every book in the series.

I was provided a copy of this book to read.  

View all my reviews