Book #Review ~ Vistas, Vices, & Valentines (Camper & Criminals #24) by Tonya Kappes #TonyaKappes #CozyMystery

Welcome to Normal where nothing is normal!

Join Mae West and the Laundry Club Ladies as they cha cha and twirl their way around Happy Trails Campground as they put on some sleuthing dance shoes to bring closure to this southern and fun cozy Valentine's mystery.

When I begged Hank Sharp to take dance lessons to celebrate Valentine's Day, I knew I was getting more than I had bargained for. But when a dancer's dead body shows up at the height of the competition and Hank is hired to investigate the murder, I had no idea what we were in store for when he had Dottie Swaggert and Henry Bryant go undercover as a dance competition couple to get insider information.

After a little snooping around, we discovered there were deep running feuds and passions behind those sequins and smiles that gave motive and opportunity to kill for the desires to win the most coveted dancing title.

Time is running out and we fear Dottie's life is in danger. Let's face it, she has a hard time keeping her mouth shut. And NO ONE puts Dottie in the corner.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3r9Yuzc

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58722646-vistas-vices-valentines

ASIN: ‎ B09BK5LHCD

Publisher: ‎ Tonya Kappes Books

Publication Date: ‎ January 27, 2022

Print Length: ‎ 182 pages

My Rating and Review:

Vistas, Vices, & Valentines by Tonya Kappes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Vistas, Vices, and Valentines is book 24 in the Camper & Criminals series by Tonya Kappes. It’s the holiday of love in Normal, Kentucky. Due to an upcoming dance competition, there are dancers everywhere in Normal. With the approach of Valentine’s Day, Mae brings in those professional dancers to offer free dance lessons to guests at the Happy Trails Campground. Later, one of them is found dead in a very unlikely location and fingers are pointed toward a guest. Mae, Hank, and the Laundry Club Ladies infiltrate the competition to unravel the mystery.

Vistas, Vices, and Valentines is another great book in the Campers & Criminals series. The mystery is exciting, intriguing, and engaging. The author does a wonderful job keeping the story fresh and exciting.

The author kept me guessing who was responsible for the dancer’s death. There were twists and turns throughout the book that had me going in one direction only to have the mystery shift. Multiple suspects were introduced who had means, motive, and/or opportunity. It was easy to see why they were suspects. The author did a great job building up the suspense until the reveal of the murderer and motive.

As with the rest of the books in the series, the mystery isn't the only thing going on in Normal, Kentucky. Tonya Kappes did a terrific job of weaving everything together between Hank and Mae’s relationship, the murder, and the side stories. The characters are wonderfully crafted, realistically written, and I feel like I'm coming home to Normal with every book in the series.

I was provided a copy of this book to read.  

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Cozy Mystery Review ~ Better Late Than Never (Library Lover's Mystery, Book #7) by Jenn McKinlay @MckinlayJenn @BerkleyMystery @BerkleyPub

In the latest Library Lover’s Mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of A Likely Story, a decades overdue book puts library director Lindsey Norris hot on the trail of a cold case...

When the Briar Creek Public Library holds its first overdue book amnesty day—no fines for late returns—the volume of incoming materials is more than Lindsey and her staff can handle. In a bind, Lindsey drafts the crafternoon ladies to help check in and sort the stacks of books.

But one tardy tome catches her attention—a copy of J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, twenty years past due. When Lindsey looks up the borrower, she’s shocked to discover it was a murdered school teacher named Candice Whitley, whose killer was never found.

Candice checked out the novel on the day she was murdered. Now Lindsey wonders if it could provide a clue to the decades-old cold case. No one noticed who brought the book back in, but could it be Candice’s killer? Lindsey is determined to catch the culprit one way or another, because justice for Candice Whitley is long overdue...

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3eGNYbz

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28953443-better-late-than-never

Visit the Author's Website: https://www.jennmckinlay.com/

ASIN: ‎ B01BK0SQ90
Publisher: ‎ Berkley
Publication Date: ‎ November 1, 2016
Print Length: ‎ 297 pages

My Review & Rating:

Better Late Than Never by Jenn McKinlay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Better Late Than Never is another great book in the Library Lover’s Mystery series by Jenn McKinlay. I love the idea of an overdue book amnesty day. Late books can be returned without fear of a fine. The event is a hit and the sheer number of books returned overwhelms the library. Everything comes to a screeching halt when a decades-old book is found among the returns. Checked out 20 years prior, Lindsey learns the person who borrowed the book is former teacher, Candice Whitley who was murdered the same day she died. Her murdered still hasn’t been found. Now, Lindsey finds herself immersed in a cold case and she just knows the returned book the key to solving the mystery.

I enjoyed Better Late Than Never and devoured it as fast I could without compromising my ability retain the story. The characters are kind and lovable, and I love Ms. Cole. She's a character in her own right. I love the author's writing style, the pacing was good, and the story compelling. The continued character development allowed for me to further get to know the citizens of Briar Creek. The author created a wonderful town, with wonderful characters, and I was able to visualize the entire story. The author did a great job writing this book realistically. I'm invested in these characters and can't wait to dive into the next book.

I borrowed this book from my library.

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Cozy Mystery Review ~ A Likely Story (Library Lover's Mystery, Book #6) by Jenn McKinlay @MckinlayJenn @BerkleyMystery @BerkleyPub

 

Small-town librarian Lindsey Norris must solve a murder and a missing person's case involving two reclusive brothers.

NOT HIS BROTHER'S KEEPER

Delivering books to the housebound residents of the Thumb Islands, just a short boat ride from the town of Briar Creek, library director Lindsey Norris has befriended two elderly brothers, Stewart and Peter Rosen. She enjoys visiting them in their treasure-filled, ramshackle Victorian on Star Island until she discovers that Peter has been killed and Stewart is missing. Now she's determined to solve a murder and find Stewart before he suffers his brother's fate.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3zgnAic

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24611594-a-likely-story

Visit the Author's Website: https://www.jennmckinlay.com/

ASIN: ‎ B00SI026IS
Publisher: ‎ Berkley (November 3, 2015)
Publication Date: ‎ November 3, 2015
Print Length: ‎ 293 pages

Read an Excerpt on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3zgnAic

My Review and Rating: 

A Likely Story by Jenn McKinlay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A Likely Story is another great book in the Library Lover’s Mystery series by Jenn McKinlay. The author sets the stage with a pair of homebound, reclusive brothers on the Thumb Islands, just off the coast of Briar Creek. As she delivers books to residents of the island, she has gotten to know them and enjoys being able to bring them books and visit while she’s there. When she delivers books to Stewart and Peter, she finds Peter is dead in the home the brothers share, and Stewart is missing. The race is on to find Stewart and find out what happened to Peter.

The setting is enjoyable, and the mystery is well-thought out. This one of those books (actually, series) that hooks you, keeps you entertained, and then suddenly, you're at the end already. Every character is great. The characters are well-developed, fun, and likeable. Written 3-dimensionally, they never fall flat or appear like cardboard cutouts.

I found myself able to connect with Lindsey, not because we are or aren’t similar or we've been down the same roads, but because she is fun, interesting, and nice. I love the author's writing style, the pacing was good, and the story compelling. The continual character development allows me to get to know Lindsey, Beth, Sully, and everyone else. The author created a wonderful town, with wonderful characters, and I was able to visualize the entire story.

I borrowed this book from my library.

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Cozy Mystery Review ~ Death Comes to Dogwood Manor (Missy DuBois Mystery #4) by Sandra Bretting @KensingtonBooks #LyricalPress

 

Making Southern brides beautiful is top priority for hat designer Missy DuBois, but sometimes her Louisiana studio moonlights as a crime-solving headquarters . . .

While driving to her hat shop, Crowning Glory, Missy accidentally sideswipes a car parked in front of Dogwood Manor, an antebellum mansion being converted into a high-end hotel by the much-reviled property developer Herbert Solomon. Of course, the car is his Rolls Royce. But Solomon is too busy berating his contractor and interior designer to worry about a little fender bender. When Missy returns to check out the mansion’s chapel where her latest client will be married, she finds the developer dead on his property. After an autopsy finds poison in his body, Missy’s shop is then flooded right before it’s supposed to be featured in an article about wedding-veil trends. Now before everything becomes sheer disaster, she’ll have to train her sights on finding a killer . . .

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Hwjc1H

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40798526-death-comes-to-dogwood-manor

Visit the Author's Website: https://sandrabretting.com/

ASIN: ‎ B078LRLRZB
Publisher: ‎ Lyrical Press
Publication Date: ‎ June 12, 2018
Print Length: ‎ 168 pages

My Review and Rating:

Death Comes to Dogwood Manor by Sandra Bretting
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Dogwood Manor has been purchased and is being converted into a luxury hotel by disliked property developer Herbert Solomon. As Missy drives by the historic mansion, she accidentally hits Herbert’s Rolls Royce, partially hidden from view. When Missy enters the construction zone to locate Herbert and inform him of the damage, he’s too busy yelling at his crew to pay attention to her.

Later, Missy runs back to Dogwood Manor to check a few details for the bride who selected this location for a wedding. Her return trip turns into a nightmare when Missy finds Herbert dead. Missy also discovers her shop, Crowning Glory, is flooded, ruining much of her showroom. Between fixing her showroom so it’s presentable for her upcoming article about veil trends and working with the bride who was supposed to get married at Dogwood Manor, Missy has to don her sleuthing cap once again and locate a killer.

The plot of Death Comes to Dogwood nicely executed and solid. I enjoyed the multiple threads involving the murder, the magazine article, disasters, and the other storylines. There are many twists, turns, and diversions along the way. She also gives the reader plenty of viable suspects that I enjoyed investigating right along with Missy. The author did a great job concealing the real suspect(s) and the reason for the murder. The vivid descriptions allow me to formulate the story in my mind as I read along.

I was provided a copy of this book to read.  

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Cozy Mystery Review ~ A Side of Murder (Cape Cod Foodie Mystery #1) by Amy Pershing @BerkleyMystery @BerkleyPub

 

A food writer must investigate the death of an old enemy in this witty and exciting new cozy mystery series set in beautiful Cape Cod, Massachusetts, known for seafood, sand, surf, and, now...murder.

Samantha Barnes was always a foodie. So when the CIA (that’s the Culinary Institute of America) came calling, she happily traded in Cape Cod for the Big Apple. Soon the young chef is a rising star in the city’s food scene—until a feud with another chef (her ex) boils over and goes viral. So when Sam inherits her Great-Aunt Ida’s house on the Cape and lands a job writing restaurant reviews, it seems like the perfect pairing. What could go wrong? Well, as it turns out, a lot.

The dilapidated house comes with an enormous puppy. Her new boss is, well, bossy. And the town’s new harbormaster is none other than her first love. Nonetheless, Sam’s looking forward to testing her inner food critic at the Bayview Grille—and indeed the seafood chowder is divine. But the body floating in the pond outside the eatery was not on the menu. Though the drowning is called an accident, Sam is certain it's murder. And as she begins to stir the pot, it becomes terrifyingly clear that she may be writing the recipe for her own untimely demise.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3EFOpxy

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53289229-a-side-of-murder

Visit the Author's Website: https://amypershingauthor.com/

ASIN: ‎ B087PL9HHF
Publisher: ‎ Berkley
Publication Date: ‎ February 23, 2021
Print Length: ‎ 319 pages

My Review and Rating:

A Side of Murder by Amy Pershing
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After her time in the Big Apple comes to a crashing and burning end, Samantha Barnes finds her way back to Fair Harbor, Massachusetts. She inherits her great aunt's house on the Cape, and this is her chance to start over. Life on the Cape doesn't begin exactly how she'd imagined it would when she discovers the house is a hot mess, her new job has some quirks, she's apparently also inherited a dog, and the harbormaster is a guy from her past.

The ultimate downer though, is the body she finds floating in the water outside of a restaurant she'd been critiquing. A sleuth Samantha is not but she gives it a go when she's certain the drowning was not accidental. As she searches for clues, Samantha unearths a lot more than she expected. she uncovers secrets, blackmail, and lies running rampant through town.

A Side of Murder is a delightful first book in the Cape Cod Foodie series by Amy Pershing. The author did a wonderful job establishing the setting of this cozy mystery. Her world-building was complex but easily envisioned as the reader goes on this journey with Samantha. The descriptions are captivating, and really wanted to vacation in Cape Cod after finishing the book.

There are sparks between Sam and Jason. I'm going to love watching them dance around each other until the author finds the right time to bring them together. All the characters are enjoyable, and I loved Sam's neighbor, Helene. The name of Sam's inherited puppy is cute, too. Diogi (D O G) is precious, and I love it.

The mystery is solid and mildly complex. The author throws in a few potential suspects, some twists and turns, and red herrings. Sam's amateur sleuthing debut is a hit and I enjoyed her every bit of the way through the mystery. The author did a great job writing a cozy mystery that will pull the reader in and keep them engaged throughout the entire book. I look forward to reading the next book.

I was provided a copy of this book to read.  

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Cozy Mystery Book Review ~ Bear a Wee Grudge (A Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery, Book 5) by Meg Macy @megmims

Bear a Wee Grudge (A Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery)

Cozy Mystery

5th in Series

Publisher: ‎ Kensington (November 30, 2021)

Paperback: ‎ 304 pages

ISBN-10: ‎ 149672917X

ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1496729170 Kindle

 ASIN: ‎ B08Y69JKKM

Amazon:  https://amzn.to/3HkXXQ5

Teddy bear shop manager Sasha Silverman must step fast to find a murderer before an upcoming Scottish festival . . . 

It’s springtime in Silver Hollow, Michigan, and Sasha is looking forward to the village’s inaugural Highland Fling weekend. Plans are underway for a Kilted 5K, athletic competitions, dancing, live music, and even a Hurl-the-Haggis contest. Meanwhile, Sasha’s staff is busy crafting custom teddy bears in kilts for the Silver Bear Shop’s vendor booth. But trouble’s brewing behind the scenes, as the obnoxious Teddy Hartman, former owner of a rival teddy bear company, sows seeds of discord about town, targeting Sasha’s family and their business. 

Things go from plaid to worse when—just a week before the festival kicks-off—the disgruntled gossip is found murdered with an ax buried in his back. Sasha’s dad is arrested, since he’s a champion ax-thrower. But she doesn’t give a dram what it looks like—Sasha knows that despite the old business rivalry with Hartman, her father is innocent. So with a spot of help from her friends, Sasha must bag the real killer before her first Fling also becomes her last. 

My Review and Rating:

Bear a Wee Grudge by Meg Macy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Trouble has found its way back to Silver Hollow, Michigan in the form of Teddy and Lisa Hartman. Spreading lies, perpetuating distrust between citizens, instigating arguments, and tossing around wild accusations is Teddy's MO. Unfortunately, Sasha and her family are continuously on the receiving end of everything that spews forth from Teddy's mouth. Bear a Wee Grudge is quite intense straight out of the gate and I enjoyed every single bit of the book.

A clever who-done-it, Bear a Wee Grudge 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. 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 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 Bear a Wee Grudge, 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.  

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Saph's Cozy Corner has been nominated in the Critters Writers Workshop Readers Poll ~ Review Site category

 

Hi Everyone!

Saph's Cozy Corner has been nominated in the Critters Writers Workshop Readers Poll ~ Review Site category. 

Head on over to Critters Writers Workshop Readers Poll ~  Review Site (click this link).

Scroll down and locate Saph's Cozy Corner then click the bottom to the left of the name. You will be required to enter your name and email address to validate the vote. Your information will be kept strictly confidential and Critters indicates you will not be added to any mailing lists.

Thank you, in advance, for considering a vote for Saph's Cozy Corner!