Sealed With a Hiss

 A Mrs. Murphy Mystery Book 33

Author:    Rita Mae Brown

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9780593874080

Bantam

240 Pages

$30.00; $13.99 Amazon

April 22. 2025

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When a decades-forgotten car bobs to the surface of a local creek, with a body still in the driver's seat, it's up to Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen and her beloved cats and dogs to save the say, in this latest mystery from Rita Mae Brown and her feline co-author, Sneaky Pie Brown.

Spring is in full bloom, and everything is blossoming just right for Harry in Crozet, Virginia.  Restorations to the long-shutted segregated school are nearly complete, and the school will be renamed to commemorate an important community member.  To honor the former students, Harry and her friends are hard at work planning a reunion.  It's a big affair, and the crew spends their days hanging plaques at the gym, arranging food, and writing speeches.

But the fifteen acres behind the school are enticing for more than just a school reunion.  One realtor soon reveals plans to buy the land and build over it -- unless the crew can find a way to stop the sale. 

In their search to prevent the purchase, they come across something unexpected: a dead body, which might not be the first to show up this season.  With a little aid from Tee Tucker the corgi and Irish Wolfhound Pirate, as well as feline sleuths Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, Harry just might have a chance at solving this mystery and preventing the land purchase once and for all.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

'Harry' Harristeen and her friends have just finished renovating the old segregated school, which has stood vacant for decades, and their hard work is finally rewarded.  Now they're going to open the school to visitors (and hopefully, donors) to help keep it in shape and as a historic and cultural reminder.  But then a real estate agent approaches them with a tasty offer of cash if they will agree to sell the land behind the school for a residential development.  He even promises to keep the school and grounds as it, and that the development will be good for both residents and the town of Crozet.

But something doesn't sit right with the offer, and Harry's instincts are telling her to turn it down.  Even when done, the agent still pushes, but no one understands why.  It doesn't help that Harry and her friend Lucas have found an old car at the bottom of a lake, and its owner is still inside, albeit a skeleton at this time.

But there are no clues to why the person was there -- until it's found he was murdered.  Now Harry wants to find out why...if she can keep from becoming another victim...

This is the thirty-third book in the series, and I have been captivated by it for years.  I'm not going to lie; I do miss the historical elements from the Colonial times which once were in every book; but I also realize not everyone is like myself and enjoys the past mingled with the present.  Ah, well....

However, it doesn't change the fact that Ms. Brown (and Sneaky Pie) are very talented writers.  She brings you into the story, and while she is telling it, you feel like you are part of the conversation.  Perhaps eavesdropping on those she has with Susan or Cooper...but I enjoy it just the same.  While Harry is voicing her thoughts, we progress along with the action, and even her husband Fair has a good part in this one as well.

Not to mention our favorite animals: Tucker, Pirate, Mrs. Murphy, and, of course, Pewter.  They have their own say in the story, and their own actions which prove to be just as valuable.  We understand that while they like their treats, they are extremely loyal to their people, and would do anything for Harry.

When we begin to understand that this murder is more than just about a land development, it comes almost too late for Harry; but we know that as intelligent as she is, she is also just as resourceful, and has help that we find comes from an unexpected new ally.  

The reason for the murder is rather sad, and a bit paranoiac, but nonetheless it is a murder.  Harry does what she needs to survive; and all ends just as it should.  The mystery is firm, well-written, and kept me reading throughout the story.  I highly recommend this and look forward to the next in the series.

I was given an advance copy of this book from the publisher but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Sealed-Hiss-Mrs-Murphy-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0D9XWF7YZ/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7211464009

More on Rita Mae Brown's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/rita-mae-brown/

Christmas Mittens Murder

 Anthology

Authors:    Lee Hollis/Lynn Cahoon/Maddie Day

Genre:       Mystery/Christmas

Hardcover; Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496744241; 9781496744258

Kensington Cozies

400 Pages

$19.30; $8.99; $1.99 Amazon

October 22, 2024

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Crisp Christmas weather is made for mittens -- and some mittens are made for murder...

DEATH OF A CHRISTMAS MITTEN KNITTER by LEE HOLLIS

The church's annual Christmas bazaar is an unqualified success until the local jeweler realizes a valuable diamond ring has been stolen.  Food writer Hayley Powell joins the search but discovers something shocking -- the dead body of a local knitter with a homemade mitten stuffed in her mouth...

TWO CHRISTMAS MITTENS by LYNN CAHOON

Magic Springs, Idaho, is decked out in its sparkling holiday best, but Mia Malone is almost too busy to notice.  Taking a second job at the Lodge to save Mia's Morsels doesn't leave her much time for festivities -- until she finds a dead body near one red mitten in the snow...

MURDEROUS MITTENS by MADDIE DAY

A quiet Christmas in Colinas, California, at her twin sister's charming B&B is exactly what CeCe Barton needs during the holiday hustle of Los Angeles.  But the morning after a lovely evening at the local wine bar, CeCe learns that the bar's proprietor, who sells mittens in her spare time, has been found dead...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Death of a Christmas Mitten Knitter:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I really enjoyed this first mystery.  Lee Hollis, whom I will admit that I didn't care much for the first book in this series, has turned into a delightful author that I will read time and time again.  I love the Hayley Powell series, and this short story gives us another Christmas with Hayley and her husband, Bruce.  But it is Hayley who takes the spotlight, when she is roped into providing a pricey gift basket for the church bazaar by the local pastor.  It seems her friends, Mona and Liddy, along with her brother, have been tapped as well.  But there is discontent among the church ladies who knit and crochet gifts, as theirs aren't as popular, and they're blaming everyone else but themselves.  Fights ensue.  Then a valuable diamond ring is stolen, and everyone is a suspect.  When Hayley is finally allowed to leave, she finds the body of one of the knitters, with a mitten shoved in her mouth.  Now Hayley is tasked once again with helping the police to find a killer...

This was a delightful story, and kept me riveted enough to read it in one sitting.  I enjoy Hayley and her friends, and the strong bonds they have.  Hayley is stumped with this murder, and when she finally figures out who the killer might actually be, it could cost her her life...

Two Christmas Mittens:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐  Full disclosure: I read Ms. Cahoon's Tourist Trap Mysteries, and love them all.  Unfortunately, I am not one to read fantasy, such as those with vampires, werewolves, or witches.  So this is the first I have read of hers that have to deal with such.  But, I love her other books, so was willing to give it a chance.  I was pleasantly surprised, and am happy that I did so.

Mia Malone is a caterer who also happens to be a witch, although she doesn't embrace it as much as others.  When she and her friends find a dead body with a mitten nearby, no one thinks anything of it, until the mitten causes someone to fall into a coma, and will die if Mia and her witchy friends can't find a cure.  Her grandmother can keep the woman alive for a time, but until then, they need to find a key item to endeavor a cure.  Finding herself in strange situations, it isn't until she starts to put the pieces together that she's able to find the truth of the murder and who killed the person...

This was a very good mystery, even with its paranormal elements.  I enjoyed the story, and everything that it entailed, including the above.  I enjoyed it so much that I might actually delve into more of these mysteries.  The ending was done well, and story intriguing, and worth it all.

Murderous Mittens:  ⭐⭐⭐When CeCe Barton visits her twin sister Allie in Colinas, California, for a relaxing Christmas at Allie's B&B, it isn't going to be one.  She meets a woman at a winery one night and by the next day the woman has been found murdered.  Now she's involved in solving the murder along with a new friend named Cam who has some experience in solving mysteries herself...

I have read several of Ms. Day's books in the past and enjoyed most of them.  But now I will have to do something I hate to do: which is speak of the way books have turned since before.  This book is definitely 'politically correct,' and I read to get away from everyday learnings, not have them thrust upon me in books, which is why I couldn't give this more than three stars.  There was more than a story in this, there were things that didn't need to be in there to get the story across.

I will say that I was surprised by the ending, which is always a good thing.  It also introduces us to a new character, CeCe Barton, who is beginning her own series, and one of my earlier favorites, Cam, who had her own series of organic gardening (very good mystery series).  It was like meeting an old friend and a new.  A decent story for the most part, and worth reading anyway.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Mittens-Murder-Lee-Hollis/dp/149674425X/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7100217703

More on Lee Hollis's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/h/lee-hollis/

More on Lynn Cahoon's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/c/lynn-cahoon/

More on Maddie Day's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/d/maddie-day/

A Corpse Among the Carolers

A Food Blogger Mystery Book 7

Author:    Debra Sennefelder

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781960511928

Beyond The Page Publishing

225 Pages

$15.99; $5.99 Amazon

October 8, 2024

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Hope Early is fully immersed in the spirit of the Christmas season, until the sounds of joyful carolers are silenced by the words "Ho-ho-homicide"...

Food blogger Hope Early always gets a hearty holiday laugh from knowing that the weeks leading up to Christmas are as frantic as they are festive.  But in spite of everything she has to do, the one thing she always has time for is the annual Jingle Bell Stroll, a night when the community gathers to sing their hearts out and enjoy each other's company.  This year's caroling feels especially heartwarming, until the final note lands with a thud when Hope finds the body of the man who'd volunteered to play Santa, a knife plunged into his back.

With virtually the whole town present at the caroling, the list of suspects seems endless.  It doesn't take long, though, for both Hope and the police to turn a sharp eye on the victim's bitter and vindictive ex-wife, along with his new wife, who may have been after his money.  Then Hope unearths a clue that suggests the dead man may have been hiding a sordid past and connections to unseemly characters.  But as she closes in on the killer, they're determined to wring her neck before she can ring in the new year...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Hope Early has a good life.  She's finally happy with her boyfriend Ethan and his two daughters, and she's looking forward to a large family and friends Christmas celebration.  This holiday season is starting out well...for a while.  But then she overhears an argument between her 'Santa', Mitty, and Ralph, a friend, which ends up with Ralph pushing Mitty.  All because Ralph believes Mitty, the owner of an antique shop, sold him a bogus lamp.  While Mitty denies it, there's no denying that there's a problem to be solved.  Along with shopping, Hope can't help but overhear Mitty's ex-wife and new wife having their own argument, and does what she can to stop it.  

But there's more going on behind the scenes, especially when Hope is out caroling with her sister, Ethan, his daughters, and others -- and she discovers a dead body.  Again.  Now, while the lead detective, Sam, tells her to stay away, the main suspect's family asks her to help.  How is she supposed to say no to friends?  But will she be able to solve a murder, get her Christmas together, and do everything else on her agenda before it all comes to a crashing halt?...

I have to say that if I had to do everything Hope does, I'd be a wreck.  Plus, I just don't have that kind of energy anymore (alas!).  It's fun to read about it, but it tires me out just thinking about it!  She's a whirlwind of energy, and quite a brilliant sleuth, to boot.

She's trying hard to make this a perfect Christmas, but things keep getting in the way.  Things like murder and deception.  Angry ex-wives (more than one).  Not to mention that Hope is having little accidents -- and one big one that almost sidelines her permanently.  But that's all I will say about that.

She does her best to pick up clues with the help of her best friend Drew, who's a reporter.  Who has his own problems that have nothing to do with murder.  In fact, there's a couple of very funny scenes that surround the man.  It's all worth reading.

Without giving anything else away, I will say that this is a delightful Christmas mystery that you can try and find the clues yourself.  They are there, but not easy to decipher.  When the ending comes and the murderer is discovered, it comes as a surprise, which it should do.  And leaves us wanting to read the next in the series.  A very nice book for a holiday evening.  Recommended.

I was given a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Corpse-Among-Carolers-Debra-Sennefelder-ebook/dp/B0D6G64B46/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7076851130

More on Debra Sennefelder's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/s/debra-sennefelder/

The Spirit Moves

 A Haunted Haven Mystery Book 4

Author:    Carol J. Perry

Genre:     Mystery/Paranormal

Trade Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496743626

Kensington Cozies

240 Pages

$17.95; $9.99 Amazon

May 27, 2025

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When the body of "how-to" book writer Terry Holiday is found by Aster Paterson in her flower garden, the townspeople of Haven are shocked.  But they're even more surprised when the beloved bookshop owner insists that the spirit of her late husband Peter led her to the grim discovery.  Only Aster seems unsurprised -- she's been baking his favorite shortbread cookies every day, hoping to lure his ghost back home...

Even Maureen is a little skeptical -- until Peter's ghost appears in the bookshop window for all to see.  Haven's hard-headed realist cop Frank Hubbard is determined to unveil whatever trickery led to the apparition, as he suspects the answer to who killed Terry Holiday may be connected to the illusion.

If Maureen's learned anything since she moved from New England and inherited her haunted inn, it's that 1) ghosts are real (at least some of them), and 2) so are murderers.  She doesn't need a how-to manual to solve a murder; she's done it before.  But with suspects ranging from a mystery writers group to a ghostwriter who just checked in at the inn, she will need a little help from her spirited sleuths...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Maureen inherited her Florida (haunted) inn from a woman named Penelope, someone she'd never met.  Now settled in with the crew who came with the inn, she's more than involved with Ted, the head chef.  The two are moving forward with their romance, which is pleasing her other employees.

She's also looking for ways to make the inn more profitable, as she's barely making ends meet right now.  While visiting her friend Aster, who owns the local bookshop, she sees that a group of mystery writers are meeting and she finds their remarks about an author who writers 'how-to' books are not flattering.  Curious, she purchases his latest book and sees that it is certainly useful, and learns that this particular book was more than likely written by a ghostwriter.  But when the author, Terry Holiday, is supposed to arrive for a signing at the bookshop, he never shows up.

Later, Aster finds his body in the flower garden behind her shop, and tells everyone that the ghost of her husband Peter told her it was there.  Detective Frank Hubbard thinks Peter's appearance is a trick, and now Aster is a suspect, along with everyone who knew Terry.  With the bookshop a crime scene, Aster moves to the hotel with her cat, Earl Gardner...and the spirit of Peter, supposedly.  The writers' group is now meeting at the inn, and a couple of other guests show up, along with a man who claims to be a ghostwriter, but is charming everyone around him.

With a murderer on the loose, people are cancelling reservations.  No one knows who to trust, and even Frank is asking Maureen for help on this case.  What is going on?  Can she solve a crime while still trying to find time to spend with Ted?  It seems as if she'll need the help of her ghostly roommate Lorna, and Lorna's beau, a late Scotland Yard detective named Reggie.  But how will she explain it all to Frank, who doesn't believe in ghosts?...

This is the fourth book in the series and I have read them all.  I have also loved them all.  To tell the truth, I do love books with 'friendly' spirits, and especially learning about their backgrounds as well.  I love the relationship between them and Maureen, and it adds to the attraction of the book.  Along with her dog, Finn, who has a lively time with the ghosts  as well.

Maureen's efforts are not unrewarded, but she has a lot of people to sift through -- the guests at the hotel, and the writers' group -- she refuses to believe that gentle Aster could be a murderer, even if Frank isn't quite convinced.  The clues that she finds are intriguing, and it isn't easy deciphering them, but I love a challenge.

I will not give anything else away, and hope that I didn't give too much (basically, I expanded on what the blurb states, so there's that), but I will say that the ending left me as stunned as it did Maureen.  I was hoping for a different outcome, but murderers have their own ideas, and it's never reasonable nor logical.  It was a tad humorous, though.  I look forward to the next in the series and highly recommend this book.

I received an advance copy from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Moves-Haunted-Haven-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0DFS48CKN/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7062557852

More on Carol J. Perry's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/p/carol-j-perry/

Beyond The Trenches

 The Biography of Joan Leslie

Author:    Tracey Vale

Genre:      Biography

Digital Book

ASIN #:    B00K88QGZC

Expresswords

241 Pages

$7.99 Amazon

May 8, 2014

⭐⭐

Beyond The Trenches is the story of a woman who lived well in service to others and touched the hearts and souls of many.  It relays events that are enthralling and heady and also emphasizes that life is full of twists and turns.  While these can cause immense pain, her example reveals that they are also the building blocks of great character and strength.

Although she says she lived an ordinary life, Joan Leslie experienced extraordinary things, including a decision that saved her life and renewed a sense of purpose.  She learned, too, the importance of letting go of negative people and holding close those who are positive.  The best you can do is to live a life you can be proud of --in harmony with others while being true to yourself.

Living a childhood surrounded by music and performers, Joan became a child performer during World War Two in Britain, helping to raise the esteem of troops and wounded soldiers, to rally and entertain the bomb and artillery factory works, and to entertain the British home front, braving the onslaught of day and night bombing raids.

As an adult, war continued to play a part in her life as she travelled to war-torn destinations with the british War Office.  While experiencing the sights of Crater Town, built into the cavernous remains of a volcano, and the idyllic sea port of Aden, she was swept into a military vehicle in Yemen on the day that Egypt's Suez Canal broke.

She was in Cyprus amidst and at the height of Greek and Turkish Cypriot unrest.  She travelled to the mountains of Nairobi and the deserts of Sudan, to the Magna Carta ruins and to Benghazi, in Libya, and to Kenya, where she witnessed the marching of the Mau Mau into encampments.  In Germany, she learned to overcome prejudices held from the war years and toured the Jewish DP camp of Bergen-Belsen, the freeing of which had affected her deeply as a child.

She saw poverty and imbalance in places such as Hong Kong and heard the thunderous booming of bombs and the menacing pelt of machine guns during the conflicts of the Vietnam War.  As well, she travelled to Malta, Italy, Rome, Gibraltar, Disneyland, California, on Walt Disney's invitation, :Las Vegas, Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, where she lived in Kuala Lumpur; New Zealand, and Australia.  She witnessed scenes and stories of homelessness and poverty in Thailand contrasted with the opulence of "the three tyrants".  Life was lived in England, Australia, and Kuala Lumpur, until the threat of Communist insurgency saw her return to Australian soil.

Aside from War Office tours, her career took her from pantomime to summer revues, from England to Scotland, Wales and Ireland,  Although professionally trained at Madame Lehmiski's Theatre School, she continued to learn from some of the greats of British comedy and performance, including Stanley Baxter and Arthur English.

Joan Leslie performed as Snow White in Tibor Rudas' and Walt Disney's long-running stage show in Australia in the 1960s, travelling through New Zealand and Asia.  This was the beginning of her association with short-statured people and the start of movements in Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia that would see the belittlement of the lives, awareness and wellbeing of these otherwise isolated people.

Beyond the trenches and the stage, her personal life was both fulfilling and challenging.  Through it all, she saw the value in living life well, standing up for yourself and encouraging others to do the same.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

I want to say first that I wish I had read the single review of this book which would have told me that this was not a biography of Joan Leslie, the actress.  This is a biography of another Joan Leslie, one that I have never heard of, and cannot find any information regarding her.

Which is not to say that she did not lead an interesting life.  I am sure that she did.  But as I was reading the book, I realized quickly that nothing seemed to gibe with the actress.  At first, I thought she was British, but it was soon that I realized that during the time Ms. Leslie was making films, this Ms. Leslie was still growing up.  

I tried to read on, but this read more like an autobiography than a biography, and it wasn't all that interesting to me.  Others may find it different.  The blurb tells you most everything you need to know about the book, and I will leave it to you if you choose to read it.

https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Trenches-Biography-Joan-Leslie-ebook/dp/B00K88QZGC

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7021997201

The Herringbone Harbor Mystery

 Seaside Knitters Society Book 7

Author:    Sally Goldenbaum

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Paperback (LP); Digital Book (Audiobook Available)

ISBN #:    9781496747151

Kensington Cozies

352 Pages

$22.87; $17.50; $12.99 Amazon

November 26, 2024

⭐⭐⭐

It's beginning to feel a lot like tourist season in Sea Harbor, Massachusetts, and beachside shopkeepers are getting ready for the annual wave of visitors.  But even before the season starts, the heat is on to find a killer...

The Yarn Studio's Seaside Knitters have their hands full designing new classes for vacationers, as well as testing each other's originality by creating a single blanket together.  Birdie's teenage granddaughter is also visiting for the season, and soon has plans with her friend Daisy to start a dog walking business.  Meanwhile, the Lazy Lobster and Soup Cafe's local fare is gaining newfound attention with the addition of a well-known Boston chef.  It's sure to be another beautiful, busy time in their tightknit town.

Until Birdie spots a huge blaze from her balcony one evening, frighteningly close to knitter Cass's lobster business.  But the morning brings news that it was a house in small Fisherman's Cove, and a familiar fisherman is found dead inside.  Not only did the young women walk his beloved sheepdog, Squid, they may have been the last people to see him alive.

When questions surface about the actual timing of the man's death, it turns out something is more than fishy.  As suspicion rocks usually placid Sea Harbor, knitters Izzy, Birdie, Cass, and Nell must pick apart tangled secrets and wrap up false accusations -- before the killer hooks another victim...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

The Seaside Knitters Society is a close-knit group of women who get together to create different projects once a week.  They are also friends -- and some relatives -- who live in Sea Harbor, Massachusetts; a fishing town that they love.  When an old friend from years ago returns, Nick Cabot, everyone is glad to see him.  Well, almost everyone.  The mayor isn't happy, because she thinks he plans to run against her.  And a local chef isn't happy because he's a bit jealous of his presence.  Other than that, Nick is a welcome addition once again, and he brightens the lives of everyone there.  

One early morning, there's a fire and everyone seems to know whose home it was.  No one is happy about it, and they wonder where's the body?  Eventually, it's discovered, and it saddens those people in the town who knew and loved the residents.  But why was the person murdered?  The women know it was murder, and they set out to find the killer before they can strike again...

Full disclosure on my part is that I have not read anything by Ms. Goldenbaum for many years.  Saying that, I have not read any of the others in this series, so perhaps I shouldn't have started with this one.  The reason I say that is there are far too many characters to keep track of, and their relations to each other.  Yes, there is a 'cheat sheet' in the front of the book; but if you are reading the digital version, as I am, you can't easily go back and check it out when you have questions.  So you have to write the characters down with all their relations to each other to refer to.  It's annoying, to say the least, but I am not dumping on the author; she writes well and the story line is very good.

What did bother me is the fact that someone was murdered who seemed by all appearances to be really nice and usually in mysteries, the slain person has some awful quality that we know will doom them.  To add that we are supposed to feel sorry for the person who killed them, but I did not.  Not a shred of sorrow on my part.  I have my reasons, but murder is what it is and the reason for the killing did not make any sense to me.  

Other than that, I will add again that the story is written well, the descriptions of the town itself are very good, and the quality of writing is high.  Perhaps I will go back and begin again with the first book in the series and have another look at the Seaside Knitters!  

I was given an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Herringbone-Mystery-Seaside-Knitters-Society-ebook/dp/B0CW1F1PV5/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7033407927

More on Sally Goldenbaum's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/g/sally-goldenbaum/

Blame The Beignets

 A Deputy Donut Mystery Book 9

Author:    Ginger Bolton

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496749611

Kensington Cozies

304 Pages

$17.95; $9.99 Amazon

November 26, 2024

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As the weather cools down, business heats up at Deputy Donut Cafe for owner Emily Westhill.  But is a stubborn tabby cat, a mysterious new employee, and a murder case with a baker's dozen worth of suspects too much to manage?

With mouthwatering treats selling fast in October, Emily is delighted to welcome her assistant's younger sister, Hannah, to help at the donut shop while taking a semester off from college.  But Hannah's talent for dishing powdered pastries without dropping a crumb attracts some unusual customers, as two admirers with opposite personalities begin to show up during her shifts -- much to her older sister's disappointment...

Real trouble comes after hours in the dark forest surrounding Emily's lakeside house.  Emily follows a trail of her freshly-made beignets -- just like those purchased by the two admirers -- to a dead body.  And while the victim may have burned a few bridges, there's no way to sugarcoat the discovery of Hannah's hairclip at the crime scene.  Now. as suspicions fall on her own employee and unsavory rumors swirl around town, it will take far more than a sprinkle of good luck for Emily to learn the truth and expose a killer with a very deadly craving...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Emily Fyne, newly married to Detective Brent Fyne, owns Deputy Donut Cafe with her late husband's father, Tom Westhill.  They've got a new special of beignets, and everyone who tastes them loves them; so, they sell out fast.  Her employee Hannah is taking a break from school to work there with her older sister Olivia, so all seems well.

But one day two young men enter the cafe with a tiny dog, and no one seems to know who she belongs to -- at least until another shop owner is heard calling for her.  But there's been chaos already, with Emily's cat Dep taking umbrage at the dog's presence, and letting everyone know it by escaping himself.  Once Dep is corralled and everything goes back to normal, Emily learns the two men -- Zachary and Joshua -- are known to Hannah, and both seem to be interested in her.

This doesn't sit well with Olivia, who likes Zachary, but isn't happy that Hannah seems to favor the unknown (up until now) Joshua.  Then there's another altercation at the cafe between two men and a woman, and another man who enters trying to sell 'deals' to the customers.  Once Emily has the cafe back to order, she wonders if it can get any worse.

It does, when she discovers a dead body on a trail not too far from her lakeside home -- along with one of Hannah's hairclips.  Once she discovers the identity of the man, she wonders if Hannah or her friends had anything to do with it; even putting this idea out of her head doesn't do much good, as she finds out there are plenty of other suspects who wanted the person dead.  Now she's on the trail of a killer, and hopes she can find them before someone else is slain...

This is the ninth book in the series, and I have read them all.  I love the story lines, and the characters, and especially little Dep, who has his own say in the murders and solving them.  A pretty smart cat (but then, I favor cats and know that most of them are!).  Emily is trying to prove Hannah innocent, but her detective husband Brent has to look at the evidence, and the hairclip could point to her involvement.  It rankles Emily, but she knows that it does look incriminating.  But Olivia didn't want Hannah to hike that trail -- for good reason -- so why was she there when she is claiming she wasn't?

Now Emily is looking to find out who had the best reason for the person's demise, and she does find clues along the way, which she passes on to Brent, just as she should.  It makes their life together flow easily, and you can see that they love and respect each other, which is the main thing marriage should do for people.  It's realistic, and I like it.

There are clues throughout, but they aren't easy to find.  I didn't know the murderer until Emily did, and that's a very good thing, as I read a lot of mysteries and far too often, I discover the killer the minute they step on the page.  In this one, she hid the person well, which gave an element of surprise that I truly enjoyed.

In the end, the reasons for the murder were no more than it should be, as the mind of a killer is always hard to decipher, nor would I want to.  What I want is what this mystery gives us: secrets, lies, intrigues, and a lot of action.  Kudos to Ms. Bolton.  I look forward to the next in the series.  Highly recommended.

I received an advance copy from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Blame-Beignets-Deputy-Donut-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0CW1GWMZD/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7018328496

More on Ginger Bolton's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/ginger-bolton/