Book #Review ~ Campfires, Courage, & Convicts (A Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery Series, Book 27) #CozyMystery #TonyaKappesBooks @tonyakappes11

ASIN: ‎ B0B4PX43HN

Publisher: ‎ Tonya Kappes Books (September 15, 2022)
Publication Date: ‎ September 15, 2022
Print Length: ‎ 176 pages

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3f9SMdb

About the Book:

It is fall in Normal, KY, and the town is celebrating the season with a Bourbon Festival.

Mae West is trying to enjoy the festival and a night out with Hank. While trying to dodge the one question every keep asking (When is the wedding?) Mae overhears an argument between the bourbon king’s son and another man and woman. So, when she stumbles over a body with ties to the Bourbon King, her hackles are raised.

Mae, Dottie, and the rest of the Laundry Club Ladies start poking around into the Bourbon King’s complicated life and soon find out there's more than bourbon underneath the lid of a bourbon barrel.

My Review:

Campfires, Courage, & Convicts might be the 27th book in the Campers and Criminals series but it’s as fresh and exciting as the first book and just like coming back home. The Bourbon Festival is in full-swing and Mae can’t wait to celebrate with Hank. During the festival, a disturbance between three people threatens to ruin the festivities, but the altercation is over almost as quickly as it starts. When one of the people involved in a very public argument is later found dead in the Daniel Boone National Forest, Mae has her hands full.

The author kept me guessing about who was responsible. There were several characters who fit 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.

My Rating:

Book #Review ~ Farm to Trouble (Farm to Table Mysteries #1) by Amanda Flower #CozyMystery #PureMichigan @PPPress @SourcebooksCasa

Book Details:

ASIN: ‎ B089N1KFLV
Publisher: ‎ Poisoned Pen Press (February 23, 2021)
Publication Date: ‎ February 23, 2021
Print Length: ‎ 290 pages

Goodreads:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3RT1x9S

Shiloh Bellamy cashed in her big city job and 401K to return home to Michigan to save the family farm, but turning Bellamy Farms into a sustainable, organic operation—complete with a farm-to-table café—is no small feat. Especially when her new investor is found dead among the flowers just hours after the contract is signed. Everyone knows her father had a grudge against the investor, and word travels fast in a small town...

Now, Shiloh must clear her family's name and track down the real killer before her organic farm dreams wilt before her very eyes. But with her father trying to stop any progress on his land, her cousin belittling her every effort, the farmhouse falling down around her, and the whole town believing her family at fault, Shiloh's small town troubles are growing much faster than her crops. She'll have to trust her own investigation or risk all her dreams drying up before they begin.

My Review:

I absolutely loved Farm to Trouble. It didn't hurt that the setting is in Northern Lower Michigan in a fictional town near Traverse City. As a Michigander, I always love reading books set in my home state. The story itself had a nice plot, the mystery was executed well, and there is a great deal of character development. 

Shiloh fled Cherry Glen 15 years ago after a tragic turn of events. When her father requested she come home, she wastes no time cashing in her 401k, leaving Hollywood behind. In between buttoning up her California life and getting back to Michigan, Shiloh locates an investor, all while trying to discuss options to keeping the farm running with her dad, who refuses to acknowledge the problem or any of Shi's solutions. She no more than gets out of car at her home in Michigan, and all the good she thought was going to happen crumbled to the ground. Her father holds a grudge against the investor and does nothing but belittle Shiloh and drag her cousin into the charade, too. When she didn't think things could get any worse, her investor is found dead and she and her dad are the main suspects.

I really felt Shiloh got a raw deal, and not just from the investor. The entire town treats her like an outcast and her family? The people that are supposed to love and support? They treat her like trash. I was seriously pissed about how poorly her dad and her cousin acted. Shi never even stood up for herself. She tried but they talked over her and never let her even attempt to explain or justify. She took their abuse and it made me mad. Despite her dad and cousin's treatment of her, Shi was nothing if not loyal. 

Despite my thoughts about her family, I found Shi to be a wonderful character. I enjoyed watching her brainstorm ways to save the farm while doing what she could to make minor improvements. When it was clear law enforcement wasn't going to look any further than at Shi and her dad, Shi took matters into her own hand. Of course, this alienated her even further with the townsfolk but at this point, her family's innocence was worth more than acceptance.

I look forward to reading the next book.

My Rating:

#Review ~ Dead as a Door Knocker (House-Flipper Mystery, Book #1) by Diane Kelly #CozyMystery @DianeKellyBooks @StMartinsPress

 

Book Details:

ASIN: ‎ B07FGX2TG7
Publisher: ‎ St. Martin's Paperbacks
Publication Date: ‎ January 29, 2019
Print Length: ‎ 350 pages

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3BaEmAy
Goodreads:

About the Book:

WILL THIS KILLER DEAL LEAD TO A DEAD END?

Meet Whitney Whitaker. A hopeless romantic when it comes to real estate, she knows what it takes to find—and flip—the home of one’s dreams. A fixer-upper is like catnip to Whitney: she can’t resist the challenge of turning an eyesore into a priceless work of art. So when one of her clients decides to liquidate a crumbling property, Whitney seizes the opportunity to purchase it for a song. But soon a curious incident of the cat in the night-time leads to a change in tune. . .

Sawdust is the name of Whitney’s cat—of course. Whitney’s passion for gut-renovation may be a mystery to him but one thing Sawdust knows for sure is this: Dead bodies don’t belong in flower beds. So why is there one in this new, albeit old, house? Now it’s up to Whitney, along with the help of hot-and-cold Nashville Police Detective Collin Flynn, to find the truth about what happened before the mortgage property forecloses and Whitney loses her investment. . .and maybe her own life.

My Review:

Dead as a Door Knocker is a great first book in the House-Flipper series by Diane Kelly. The main character, Whitney Whitaker, is a property manager and works with her cousins in renovation. After she evicts a trio of bachelors from one of the rental properties, the owner of the home offers to sell it to her at a substantial savings. Whitney joins forces with her cousin, Buck and what is supposed to be an easy reno and flip threatens to bankrupt them both. Things get even worse after Whitney finds the body of the former owner of the home dead in her garden. Now a person of interest, Whitney must do everything she can to clear her name and keep herself out of jail. 

I really enjoyed this book. Whitney is an intelligent and capable heroine. Her story has wonderful secondary characters. Her cat, Sawdust, is a nice diversion from the mystery. He assists her and even has mini chapters from his point-of-view. I enjoyed the setting and how the author brought everything to life. The book is engaging and the mystery is thought provoking. Figuring out who committed the murder was challenging and I never did guess correctly.

The story was slow to develop because there was backstory to explain but this didn't detract from the book. In fact, I appreciated how the author set everything up. To just jump right into the mystery would have left me feeling like so much was missing. Instead, we received a nice description of who Whitney is, how she became the owner of the property, and her relationship with the deceased and other suspects. 

There are the makings of a couple potential love angles but the author didn't cram them down the reader's throat. Subtlety was the name of this game. I hope to see some sparks between the two sets of characters. One pair I'm sure will develop but the other pair might just be me hoping for them to get together. We'll see as I move along through the series.

I borrowed this book from my local library using the Interlibrary Loan program.

My Rating:

Visit the Author's Website:

https://www.dianekelly.com/

Book Feature ~ Murder of a Mail-Order Bride (Love Is Murder, Book #2) Mimi Granger #CozyMystery @CaseyDanielsBks @BerkleyMystery @BerkleyPub

 

Book Details:

ASIN: ‎ B09HT9KWZW
Publisher: ‎ Berkley
Publication Date: ‎ August 2, 2022
Print Length: ‎ 269 pages

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3RJDYQm
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59426325-murder-of-a-mail-order-bride

About the Book:

When real life starts mimicking the plot of one of the romance books that line the shelves in her bookstore, it's up to Lizzie Hale to catch the killer, in this riveting new Love is Murder mystery.

Lizzie Hale thought mail-order brides existed only between the pages of the historical romances she stocks in her bookstore, Love Under the Covers. But when not one, but two local men introduce her to their respective new wives, she's forced to reevaluate that notion.

Lizzie is surprised when Al Little, the owner of the local hardware store, asks Lizzie and her aunt Charmaine to help Svetlana, his new bride straight from Russia, to settle into Tinker's Creek, but they agree.

Everything is going swimmingly—until a wrench gets thrown into their plans when Svetlana is found drowned in the creek.

With Al's suspicious best friend—who has his own mysterious mail-order bride—and the secretive matchmaker who put them together, Lizzie's got more suspects than she knows what to do with. But she'll have to nail down who the killer is fast, before someone else winds up dead.

Visit the Author's Website:

https://www.mystery-book-series.com/

#Book #Review ~ The Day Job is Murder (McKinley Mysteries, Book 1) by Carolyn Arnold ~ #CozyMystery

The bad guys aren’t the only ones on his radar…

For Albany PD homicide detective Sean McKinley, catching killers is the easy part of his job. Working next to his beautiful partner, Sara Cain, is what’s difficult. It might have something to do with the fact that he’s fallen in love with her, though. Fortunately, she feels the same way about him. But she’s convinced they should just be friends.

If only there was some way to change her mind…

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Read My Review:

The Day Job is Murder by Carolyn Arnold
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Day Job is Murder is more of an unrequited love story than an actual mystery. Sean and Sara are partners on the Albany police force. They are in love with one another but Sara has convinced herself and Sean to only be friends. Co-workers and romance don’t always work out. There is a crime committed in the novella and Sara and Sean work hard to solve it. However, this is more of a laying of a foundation for the series.

Partway through the novella, Sean is made aware of the death of someone from his past. As Sean reconciles the death, his grief, and his regrets, something unexpected occurs. Something life-changing for Sean and potentially allowing a shift in the relationship between Sean and Sara. While the ending was not realistic to me, overall the book kept me interested.

The Day Job is Murder is a short, cute novella paving the way for a multi-book novella series. The story is simple, easy to read, and fast paced. We get history of how Sean and Sara met and history surrounding Sean’s relationship with the deceased person. I was engaged in the story, interested in the dynamics between Sean and Sara, and empathetic to Sean’s regrets over the death of someone he knew. I look forward to reading the next novella.

I purchased my copy of this book from Amazon.

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Book #Review: Knot on Her Life (A Quilting Mystery) by Mary Marks #CozyMystery @KensingtonBooks

Knot on Her Life

A Quilting Mystery, Book 7

Book Details:

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Publisher: Kensington

Publish Date: July 30, 2019

Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages 

ISBN-10: 1496720504 

ISBN-13: 978-1496720504 

Digital ASIN: B07K5ZJRYX
Purchase on Amazon

About the Book:

While quilter Martha Rose awaits the birth of her granddaughter, a neighborhood girl appears at her door with a mystery that can’t be pinned down . .

Martha’s eager to finish the baby quilt she’s making for her new granddaughter, but she scraps those plans when a young girl rings her doorbell begging for help. Poppy Halaby, the foster child of Martha’s neighbor, is an orphan whose parents were murdered by a killer who was never caught. When Poppy’s doting foster mom falls suspiciously ill, Martha is determined to keep the child safe. But she’ll have to unravel more about Poppy’s parents to stitch a broken family back together again—and prevent another crime cut from the same cloth . . .

My Review:

Knot on Her Life by Mary Marks
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Martha Rose is back and expecting a grandchild any day now. While she’s waiting, she’s making a quilt for the new baby. When her neighbor Sonia’s new foster child, Poppy, comes knocking because there’s been a medical emergency under suspicious circumstances, Martha’s attention is diverted. Poppy’s parents were murdered, and the killer was never apprehended, raising suspicion in both Martha and her fiancé, Crusher. Circumstances behind how Poppy ended up in the foster care system puzzle Martha, as well, since both of her parents come from wealthy, prominent families. Be prepared for an emotional trip that will not only tug at your heartstrings but infuriate you, as well.

Martha Rose has really developed as a crime solver/fighter. She does the best she can in the situations presented to her. She’s not nearly as daft and is a little bit better at taking precautions. She still bends the laws on occasion but either it’s not as often as in the first few books or I’m just getting used to her methods. In this book, she manages to accomplish more than those assigned to the murder case. When you have a rapport with people like Martha does, it’s no wonder she gets adults and children to open up to her.

I love all the characters in the Quilting Mysteries by Mary Marks. The relationship between Martha and Crusher is sweet and I’m honestly glad she is with him. He is so devoted to Martha and her to Crusher. The quilting group, which now includes Giselle, Martha’s half-sister, is a riot and totally have Martha’s back. I really feel like they are all my friends since we’ve now been together for seven books. I hope we continue to get more books in this series.

Mary Marks does another wonderful job building up the mystery and keeping everything a secret. The truth of the situation is revealed at the perfect time and the person responsible is not the person I thought it would be. The writing flows well and is concise. The author's writing style is fluid and smooth and so easy to get lost in. The romantic elements of Knot on Her Life are subtle and don't overshadow the mystery. The entire novel is engaging; never a dull moment.

Thank you Kensington for the review copy.  

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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

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3QUF5N8

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58299671-the-time-for-murder-is-meow

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 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.   

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