#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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63849058-new-year-nuisance

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:

#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.

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#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:

 

#Review ~ Beyond a Reasonable Stout (Sloan Krause #3) by Ellie Alexander ~ #CozyMystery ~ @ellielovesbooks @MinotaurBooks

Amateur sleuth Sloan Krause delves into the murderous political world in another delightful mystery from popular cozy writer Ellie Alexander.

About the Book:

It's the dead season in Leavenworth, Washington. The throngs of Oktoberfest crowds have headed home, and the charming Bavarian streets are quiet and calm--momentarily. Villagers use the reprieve to drink in the crisp fall mountain air and prepare for the upcoming winter light festival. Soon the German-inspired shops and restaurants will be aglow with thousands of twinkling lights. Visitors will return to the northern Cascades to drink warm mulled cider and peruse the holiday markets. Brewer, Sloan Krause and her partner in crime Garrett Strong are using the slowdown to stock up on a new line of their signature craft beers at Nitro. They're experimenting with a hoppy holiday pine and a chocolate hazelnut stout. The small brewery is alive with delicious scents and bubbling batches of brew.

Sloan is in her element. She loves the creativity and lowkey atmosphere at Nitro. Only that is soon threatened by the incumbent city councilmember Kristopher Cooper. Kristopher is running for re-election on a platform of making Leavenworth dry. Everyone in beertopia is fuming. Leavenworth's economy relies on keeping the kegs flowing. Kristopher wants to banish beer, a policy that might just bankrupt the entire village. However, Kristopher turns up dead days before election night. Sloan quickly realizes that his murder isn't the work of a stranger. Friends, family, and every other business owner had a motive to kill him, including none other than April Ablin, Leavenworth's self-described ambassador of all things German. Sloan finds herself defending April and trying to sleuth out a killer amongst a group of familiar faces.

My Review:

Beyond a Reasonable Stout is the exciting third book in Ellie Alexander's Sloan Krause series. I really enjoy the small, hometown feel that Ms. Alexander pens in this series. The setting for Beyond a Reasonable Stout is Leavenworth, Washington after Leavenworth’s Oktoberfest. Everyone is gearing up for holiday season and eagerly awaiting new holiday-inspired local brews offered by Nitro. While the town prepares for the holidays and the winter light festival, trouble begins brewing around the upcoming councilmember election. Kristopher Cooper, the incumbent councilmember, is running on a  platform that includes prohibition, making Leavenworth, a town full of breweries, dry. To say business owners and citizens are upset is an understatement. 

To make matters worse, Kristopher is found dead the day after a particularly nasty dust-up between him and various residents. Sloan knows this murder wasn't committed by a stranger. There are several citizens who have means, motive, and opportunity. As Sloan continues to slyly investigate, the number of suspects grows, and she has to figure out who among her friends and acquaintances committed this heinous crime.

I really enjoyed the multiple threads woven into this story. It's not just a murder mystery. We get to see the author develop the main characters and do a lot of world building in order to make all the events tie in together properly. I love Sloan's character. She's strong and doesn't put up with anything. She gets along with almost everyone in the book. I love how the author wrote a genuine emotional connection between Sloan and her in-laws and we continue to see what happens when a divorce is imminent and other issues crop up. I was very engaged in this story. The death/murder mystery kept me guessing. I found the entire book to be well thought out with wonderful pacing.

I was provided a review copy of this book.

My Rating:

 

Book Details:

ASIN: ‎ B07P7BXXHZ
Publisher: ‎ Minotaur Books
Publication Date: ‎ October 1, 2019
Print Length: ‎ 288 pages

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3VAwK2z
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43263495-beyond-a-reasonable-stout

#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

#Review ~ Gifts, Glamping, & Glocks (Camper & Criminals, #29) by Tonya Kappes

About the Book:

Welcome to Normal, Kentucky, a small town in the Daniel Boone National Forest and Happy Trails Campground, where the annual Christmas activities are in full swing. But behind the twinkling lights and festive cheer lies a sinister secret.

When a local delivery driver is found murdered in Seymore’s Candy Cane Factory, suspicion quickly falls on the eccentric cast of characters who call Normal home. From the grumpy old man who own’s the candy cane factory, to the bubbly town fiddle player, Otis Gullett, who is secretly in a rendezvous with the factory owner’s wife. No one is above suspicion.

As the investigation heats up, the town's residents begin to turn on each other, and the killer's true identity becomes more and more elusive. As the body count rises, Mae West and the Laundry Club Ladies must race against the clock to uncover the truth before the killer strikes again.

With a southern twist and plenty of red herrings, Gifts, Glamping, & Glocks is a holiday thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

My Review:

Gifts, Glamping, and Glocks is the 29th book in the Camper & Criminals series but it's as fresh and exciting at the first book. Reading Gifts, Glamping, and Glocks is just like coming back home to Normal, Kentucky. I love the familiarity of the characters, the hominess of the setting, and the comfort knowing Mae the the Laundry Club ladies are keeping everyone safe.

It's Christmastime in Normal. Happy Trails Campground's decorating crew is in full swing. The town's Christmas activities are ramping up. And a dead body is found in the local candy cane making factory. A slew of suspects has Mae, Dottie, and the rest of the crew, running around trying to solve the case before anyone else becomes a target. Only, the number suspicious deaths increase. Attempts at identifying the killer fall short when new theories come into play, alibis are revealed for suspects on the whiteboard, and clues becoming stagnant.

The author kept me guessing about the person responsible, and the scheme was shocking. There are several characters who have obvious reasons to be on the suspect list. 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 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.

My Rating:

Book Details:

ASIN: ‎ B0B4PTPC3R

Publisher: ‎ Tonya Kappes Books

Publication date: ‎ December 15, 2022

File size: ‎ 3707 KB

Print length: ‎ 197 pages

Amazon

Goodreads

November Book Release ~ A Book Club to Die For (A Beloved Bookroom) by Dorothy St. James ~ #CozyMystery @DorothyWrites @BerkleyMystery

A Book Club to Die For (A Beloved Bookroom) by Dorothy St. James

About the Book:

 

A Book Club to Die For (A Beloved Bookroom)

Cozy Mystery

3rd in Series

Setting - Cypress, South Carolina

‎Berkley (November 1, 2022)

Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593098633

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593098639

Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09PZSBCVW

When a member of an exclusive book club is checked out, spunky librarian Trudell Becket must sort fact from fiction to solve the murder.

The Cypress Arete Society is one of the town’s oldest and most exclusive clubs. When assistant librarian Trudell Becket is invited to speak to the group about the library, its modernization, and her efforts to bring printed books to the reading public, her friend Flossie invites herself along. Flossie has been on the book club’s waiting list for five years, and she’s determined to find out why she’s never received an invitation to join.

But not long after Tru and Flossie arrive for the meeting, they’re shocked to find the club’s president, Rebecca White, dead in the kitchen. Rebecca was a former TV actress and local celebrity, but was not known for being patient or pleasant. She’d been particularly unkind to the book club’s host for the evening, who also happens to be the mother of Detective Jace Bailey, Tru’s boyfriend. And Rebecca had made it clear that she didn’t think Flossie was book club material.

With her boyfriend and one of her best friends wrapped up in a murder, Tru has to work fast to figure out who cut Rebecca’s story short before the killer takes another victim out of circulation....

About Dorothy St. James

Dorothy St. James is a former Folly Beach beach bum. She now lives in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, with her family, slightly (OK, terribly) needy dogs, and the friendliest cat you’ll ever meet. Author of a dozen novels, Dorothy enjoys writing both cozy mysteries and romance.

Follow Dorothy Online: 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/dorothy.stjames

Twitter: www.twitter.com/dorothywrites

Instagram: www.instagram.com/dorothymcfalls

Website: www.dorothystjames.com

Purchase Links - Amazon