Death Over Easy (A Country Store Mystery #5)

Author:  Maddie Day
Genre:   Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9781496711236
Kensington Publishing
272 Pages
$7.99; $5.99 Amazon
July 31, 2018

⭐⭐⭐⭐

June's annual Brown County Bluegrass Festival at the Bill Monroe Music Park in neighboring Beanblossom is always a hit for Robbie's country store and café, Pans 'N Pancakes.  This year, Robbie is even more excited, because she's launching a new bed and breakfast above her shop.  A few festival musicians will be among Robbie's first guests, along with her father, Roberto, and his wife, Maria.  But the celebration is cut short when a performer is found choked to death by a banjo string.  Now all the banjo players are featured in a different kind of lineup.  To clear their names, Robbie must pair up with an unexpected partner to pick at the clues and find the plucky killer before he can conduct an encore performance...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

This is the fifth book in the series, and I have read all of them.  I've enjoyed all of them, too.  Robbie seems down-to-earth and really doesn't go looking for trouble; even if she asks questions of people she doesn't go around accusing them of murder.  She's just curious and wants as much information as she can gather to eliminate suspects.

She's also built her business, doing her own carpentry and as much work as she can without help, which is a nice change.  I do wish she were able to spend more time with her cat, though.  Birdy must be terribly lonely, and if she's going to be away as much as she is, then she might want to think about getting Birdy a companion kitty so he's not lonely.  (Yes, cats can get lonely, too).

While I was entertained by the story line, I didn't understand why the idiot Detective Henderson would even question Robbie's father and his wife.  First, they barely knew the girl, not having seen her for decades; then, where would either one of them have gotten the murder weapon without anyone knowing about it?  What reason would they have to even have the murder weapon in their possession?  Not to mention, neither of them had the slightest motive.  It seemed patently ridiculous that they would be so calculating as to plan to visit Robbie and come upon someone they hadn't seen for years, then decide to kill her.  The most that should have been asked of them is what they could tell Detective Henderson about her family.  That's it.  So there was that - and it didn't leave me in much of an impression that Henderson knew what she was doing.

Aside from that, the rest of the story flowed nicely, and I thought there were plenty of red herrings, giving us enough suspects to sift through the story.  I am glad to say that not a lot of attention was paid to the bluegrass music itself, since not everyone who reads mysteries would be interested, but more attention was given to finding the killer, which is just as it should be.  We are learning more about mayor Corinne, and I'm finding her more endearing and funnier each time we meet her.

I would have to have liked to know more about the backstory between Don and Roberto (it may have been mentioned in a previous book; but if so, I've forgotten it since I read so many books); it would have helped to understand Don's hesitance to see Roberto.

But when all is said and done, the mystery was decent enough, the ending was a bit of a surprise, and I look forward to reading the next in the series.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Death-Over-Country-Store-Mystery/dp/1496711238/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3310238995

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

Mousse and Murder (An Alaskan Diner Mystery Book 1)

Author:  Elizabeth Logan
Genre:   Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9780593100448
Berkley Publishing
304 Pages
$7.99; $7.99 Amazon
May 5, 2020

⭐⭐⭐

When Chef Charlie Cooke is offered the chance to leave San Francisco and return home to Elkview, Alaska, to take over her mother's diner, she doesn't even consider saying no.  After all -- her love life has recently become a Love Life Crumble, and a chance to reconnect with her roots may be just what she needs.

Determined to bring fresh life and flavors to the Bear Claw Diner, Charlie starts planning changes to the menu, which has grown stale over the years.  But her plans are fried when her head cook Oliver turns up dead after a bitter and public fight over Charlie's ideas -- leaving Charlie as the only suspect in the case.

With her career, her freedom, and life are all on thin ice, Charlie must find out who the real killer is, before it's too late.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Charlotte "Charlie" Cooke runs her parents' diner, the Bear Claw, in Elkview, Alaska.  She's been there since her relationship broke up in San Francisco, but she's determined to make a new life for herself and has been doing so; even going to far as to inheriting Eggs Benedict "Benny" the cat while her parents travel.  Unfortunately, every time she tries to make a change to the menu, as she has today - her chef Oliver leaves in a huff and it takes awhile for him to return.

But he hasn't returned today, and no one - not even his girlfriend - knows where he is.  It isn't until Alaska State Trooper Cody Graham, known to everyone as merely "Trooper" tells her that Oliver has been found - dead.  But with the smallest police force around - consisting of Trooper, one deputy and a receptionist - he "deputizes" Charlie and reporter Chris Doucette to help in the investigation, as long as they don't do anything dangerous and only ask questions.

But for some reason, Oliver's sister isn't saying much, except for a bombshell about him that no one expected, which only raises more questions.  Now Charlie needs to stay on her toes and watch her back unless she wants to wind up in a casket next to Oliver...

This is the first book in a new series and as such it carries promise.  I thought it was written well and I enjoyed the plot, but I didn't rate it five stars because there were a few things that bothered me, which I will add in a spoiler below so as not to ruin the book for others:

Why did Kendra keep avoiding Charlie and Chris if she didn't have anything to hide? We never did find out why she was so hostile toward them and wouldn't even shake Charlie's hand at the funeral. Why didn't Oliver's brother inherit anything? Nothing was said about this. How did the murderer find out about the Benny cam? Why would Trooper allow Charlie and Chris to ask questions when it could have put them in the cross hairs of a killer? Why would the editor of the newspaper print the story about Oliver's dad? He could have been sued for libel. None of these made any sense to me.

   

Aside from these things, which might not even bother others (but I am a great stickler for details) I did enjoy the book.  The dialogue was witty and entertaining, with a bit of flirting going on between Charlie and Chris.  I did know who the murderer was from the moment that person stepped onto the page, but it wasn't difficult to figure out.  It did take until the end to discover the motive for killing Oliver, but while it might have been understandable, it didn't seem really strong.  I also would have liked to have known Oliver a bit before he died -- he was just words on a page, so I couldn't get invested enough to really care anything about him.

In the end, I felt this was a good beginning to a new series, and I always give a pass to a new series because it takes time for true character development.  I will gladly read the next in the series, as the book shows promise.
                        
https://www.amazon.com/Mousse-Murder-Alaskan-Diner-Mystery/dp/0593100441/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3308365254

More on Elizabeth Logan's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/l/elizabeth-logan/

Apple Cider Slaying (A Cider Shop Mystery #1)

Author:  Julie Anne Lindsey
Genre:   Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9781496723475
Kensington Publishing
308 Pages
$7.99; $4.99 Amazon
October 29, 2019

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Blossom Valley, West Virginia, is home to Smythe Orchards, Winnie and her Granny's beloved twenty-five-acre farm and family business.  But any way you slice it, it's struggling.  That's why they're trying to drum up business with the "First Annual Christmas at the Orchard," a good old-fashioned holiday festival with enough delicious draw to satisfy apple-picking locals and cider-loving tourists alike -- until the whole endeavor takes a sour turn when the body of Nadine Cooper, Granny's long-time, grudge-holding nemesis, is found lodged in the apple press.  Now, with Granny the number one suspect, Winnie is hard-pressed to prove her innocence before the real killer delivers another murder...

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Winnie Mae Montgomery lives in Blossom Valley, West Virginia.  She's trying to make a go of her Granny's apple orchards by bringing in new business via opening a year-round shop where people can buy her custom ciders and Granny's baked goods.  She's trying to get the bank to approve a loan which she hopes will pan out, and in the meantime they're offering tours around the orchards and hay rides, which fall right in line with the season.

When Granny's next-door neighbor (as close as you can be in the country), Nadine Cooper, arrives looking for her, Winnie tells her Granny's with a tour group and Nadine leaves, telling her she'll be back.  But when Winnie is later showing people how the cider is made, she opens the barn doors and finds Nadine's body in the apple press.  Now Granny is suspected of murder, and the new sheriff isn't listening to Winnie's protestations.  So Winnie decides to do a little investigating on her own, hoping to discover the true killer.  But all her questions have consequences, and they might get someone hurt...

This is the first book in a new series and I will say that I was pleasantly surprised.  The mystery is a good one, and there are just as many questions as there are answers.  Winnie is a different type of sleuth, being a hard worker with a strong bank account.  She has a part-time job at a local diner, goes to school, and helps her Granny run the orchards, all while planning something better for them.  She also has acquired a set of twin kittens, named Kenny and Dolly.  While I love books with cats, and I really liked these two (eventually becoming key to the plot), I've always felt that cats should be kept indoors.  They're less likely to develop diseases and fleas, and live longer.  This isn't a working farm but an orchard, so there's no reason they can't be kept indoors before one of them gets genuinely hurt.  (As I said, they do become key to the plot, so they're excused this time out, but hopefully in the next book they'll be indoor kitties).

Saying that, I liked Winnie and thought she was intelligent, and even though she was questioning people, I never felt that she was pushy.  I did like the banter between her and Sheriff Wise, and I especially liked the fact that while he was telling her to stay out of it, he wasn't being nasty with her.  That goes a long way with me.

I even liked her friend Dot (but thought Dot's angst over being four years older was silly); I have a passion for saving animals, too, so that mattered to me.  I truly enjoyed this book, showing how the camaraderie of a small town brings people together, and the plot gives us a glimpse into the next book, without leaving a cliffhanger, which is nice.

When we discover the murderer, it came together quickly, and so did the action.  Winnie, faced with a desperate situation, did what she needed to do, and it gave us one more insight into the type of person she was.  I think that the author has a good future with this series, and I hope to read the next one soon.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Apple-Cider-Slaying-Shop-Mystery/dp/1496723473/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3306463290

More on Julie Anne Lindsey's Books:   https://www.fantasticfiction.com/l/julie-anne-lindsey/

A High-End Finish (A Fixer-Upper Mystery #1)

Author:  Kate Carlisle
Genre:   Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9780451469199
Obsidian Mystery
311 Pages
$7.99; $7.99 Amazon
November 4, 2014

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Shannon's home-renovation and repair business is booming, but her love life needs work.  On a blind date with real estate agent Jerry Saxton, she has to whip out a pair of pliers to keep Jerry from getting too hands-on.  Shannon is happy to put her rotten date behind her, but when Jerry's found dead in a run-down Victorian home that she's been hired to restore, the town's attractive new police chief suspects that her threats may have laid the foundation for murder.

Determined to clear her name, Shannon conducts her own investigation -- with the help of her four best friends, her eccentric father, a nosy neighbor or two, and a handsome crime writer who's just moved to town.  But as they get closer to prying out the murderer's identity, Shannon is viciously attacked.  Now she'll have to nail down the truth -- or end up in permanent foreclosure...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Shannon Hammer is a contractor and her specialty is home-renovation, especially Victorian style homes.  She took over the business after her father retired, but she and her sister grew up on his jobsites after her mother died, learning about everything along the way.

Her married friend Lizzie has set her up on a blind date because she wants everyone to be as happy as she is.  The man she's chosen is Jerry Sexton, and when Shannon meets him, he is indeed nice and attractive.  At least until they go walking on the beach and she has to fight him off -- in front of a group of people who can see them from higher ground.  Then Shannon gets called to one of the homes she's fixing, and stumbles across Jerry's body in the basement.  When the police discover that the murder weapon belonged to her -- courtesy of the pink color of her tools -- she instantly becomes a suspect.

But Shannon knows she didn't kill anyone.  And no matter how attractive the new chief of police is, she's not going to let him stop her from inquiring about who wanted Jerry dead.  Except it seems that every woman in town had a motive, which makes it harder.  Then a bike accident (unfortunately) introduces her to an author who's just moved there - 'Mac' Sullivan - and he sees that it really wasn't an accident and now she's wondering who's out to get her.  But when it's apparent that someone really is out to get her, by framing her for Jerry's death and a second one, then the police are taking a hard look at others in town, and so is Shannon.  If she doesn't figure out who's trying to kill her, and soon, then they just might succeed...

This is the first book in the Fixer-Upper Mysteries, and it's a very good beginning indeed.  Shannon isn't your usual sleuth; she's a contractor who builds and refurbishes homes, and she's very good at it.  She has close friends and a decent social life with them, even though there hasn't been a steady man in her life for a long time.  But she's intelligent, courageous, independent, and determined.  Unfortunately, there's also the "evil nemesis" in this book in the form of Jennifer and Whitney - who stole and married her high school boyfriend, Tommy.  While she can let it go, Whitney can't.  While I also really despise the 'evil nemesis,' I have to say that it wasn't too overt in this book so it really didn't bother me, because Whitney wasn't going through the book making Shannon's life miserable every chance she got.  It was merely things said on and off, and didn't take up every paragraph in the book.

As the first book, it drew me in and kept me reading, which is a good thing.  The plot was well written and done nicely, and there were clues strewn throughout, which were easy to miss if you weren't looking for them.  The dialogue was witty and at times humorous, and I liked the interaction between Shannon and her friends.  It's a strong connection, and it shows.  While I can almost see which of the two men Shannon is going to choose, we'll have to see which way it's going to go in the next book.

When the murderer is finally revealed, there's a pretty interesting climax that gives us all the information we've been waiting for, and shows us more of Shannon's tenacity when the situation calls for it.  In the end, Ms. Carlisle is obviously a talented writer who can create characters that become real on the page.  I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the next in the series.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/High-End-Finish-Fixer-Upper-Mystery/dp/0451469194/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3304524136

More on Kate Carlisle's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/c/kate-carlisle/

Murder Is Binding (A Booktown Mystery #1)

Author:  Lorna Barrett
Genre:   Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9780425219584
Berkley Publishing
271 Pages
$7.59; $7.99 Amazon
April 1, 2008

⭐⭐

When she moved to Stoneham, city-slicker Tricia Miles was met with friendly faces.  And when she opened her mystery bookstore, she was met with friendly competition.  But when she finds Doris Gleason dead in her own cookbook store, killed with a kitchen knife, the atmosphere seems more cutthroat than cordial.  Someone wanted to get their hands on the rare cookbook that Doris had recently purchased -- and the locals think that someone is Tricia.  To clear her name, Tricia will have to take a page out of one of her own mysteries -- and hunt down someone who isn't killing by the book...

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Tricia Miles moved to Stoneham, New Hampshire, to open a mystery bookstore, Haven't Got A Clue, after her marriage broke up.  While there are plenty of tourists to keep the store booming, her next-door neighbor is a bust.  Doris Gleason owns The Cookery, a cookbook store, and is after Tricia to help her stand off against their landlord, Bob Kelly, who is raising Doris's rates.  But Tricia, whose lease isn't up for a couple of years, refuses, leaving Doris fuming.

Then Tricia gets a call from her sister Angelica, a much-married pain in the you-know-what who's decided to visit her unannounced.  While she isn't relishing Angelica's visit, she knows she'll have to deal with it.  Driving Angelica back to her store that night, she sees a fire in  The Cookery and tells Angelica to dial 9-1-1 while she goes to put out the fire and see if Doris is in the store.  She is, indeed -- Doris is lying with a kitchen knife to her back.

Now Angelica wants to stay in town and the sheriff wants to nail her for Doris's murder, no matter what information Tricia gives her to point her in another direction.  It's obvious that if Tricia wants to stay out of the slammer, she's going to have to slam the door on a killer herself...

This is an older book, and the first in the series.  It didn't really impress me, and I'm not sorry that I haven't made any time to read this author before.  I will tell you why below:

First off, Tricia has a problem with weight.  As in other people being overweight.  She mentions several times about how her sister was once fat, and how the sheriff is fat.  We get it.  You don't like fat people.  Then, there's an unkind comment that was made which shouldn't have been, considering it would have been offensive even when this book was written.  I am assuming that the author made the comment to show how offensive Doris was as a person, which is why I hope it was said.

I can, sort of, understand why she resents Angelica.  Especially since Angelica points out how Tricia was unwanted, and that Angelica was "the star" in the family and the favored one.  Repeatedly.  That must have made Tricia feel wonderful growing up - knowing her parents didn't want her around because they already had Angelica.  No wonder she resents her.  I'd probably not want anything to do with this woman, either.   Again, especially since Angelica pushes her way into Tricia's life and steamrolls her; not taking into consideration her feelings, her privacy, dislikes Tricia's cat, invites people into Tricia's home without her permission, etc.; and then, just decides she's going to help her run her store.  Just like that.  Which makes Angelica a unlikable person.  There's a very telling scene where Angelica gains something but it devastates someone else (in the same room) and she looks offended that Tricia is trying to comfort the other person.  No sympathy at all for the other person.  This family is a piece of work.

Tricia, taking all the above into consideration, still doesn't come off very well herself.  Aside from the 'fat' thing, she's rather boring.  She has very little personality, and leaves her employee to run the store by herself.  A lot.  I've never thought much of protagonists who claim to own a business but then never spend any time there.

 Then there's the mystery itself.  It starts at the beginning of the book when Doris is murdered, but it doesn't gain any steam until around the last third of the book, when the clues start pouring in and you can begin to put the pieces together.  Oh, yes, there are suspects, but none of them really seem to have a reason to kill the woman until this happens.  Then you have that 'aha' moment; you knew who killed Doris; but the 'why' is still there for a few pages more.  It doesn't take much after that to put it together. 

The ending had a bit of a climax, and I have to say that it wasn't written badly, but I will say that if I had to spend any close quarters with Angelica I'd move.  And fast.  I don't know if I like punishing myself or not, but unless a book is truly awful, I try to read three in the series before I pass judgment, so I will read the next and see if it gets any better.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0425219585?tag=speculativefic05&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3302568896

More on Lorna Barrett's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/lorna-barrett/

The Girl with the Kitten Tattoo (A Cat Lady Mystery #5)

Author:  Linda Reilly
Genre:   Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9781516109883
Lyrical Underground Publishing
232 Pages
$15.95; $7.19 Amazon
May 25, 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Wedding bells will soon be ringing in Whisker Jog, New Hampshire.  But instead of church bells, they may be tinkling above the door of Bowker's Coffee Shop.  Lara Caphart's best friend Sherry and her fiancé David want to tie the knot where they met -- in her family's coffee shop.  Lara is overjoyed for her friend, but as she feeds and grooms the kitties at the High Cliff Shelter for Cats in her aunt Fran's Folk Victorian, she can't help but wonder when her own beau, lawyer Gideon Halley, will stop hinting and make their union legal.

It doesn't help that Gideon's old flame, Megan Haskell, just showed up with a tearful yarn about being fired that smells fishier than a can of tuna.  But Blue, the Ragdoll cat who only Lara can see, appears to be on Megan's side.  Should she ignore her green-eyed monster of jealousy in favor of her blue-eyed spirit cat?  When Megan's ex-boss is found dead, Lara has to retract her claws long enough to follow Blue's uncanny clues and clear her rival of a murder charge...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Lara Caphart owns and runs the High Cliff Shelter for Cats along with her aunt, Fran Clarkson, in Fran's Victorian home.  It's unusual in that the cats are not kept in cages, but are allowed the run of the home, therefore they'll adjust to their forever homes easier. 

As Maid of Honor, she's been busy helping her best friend Sherry plan her wedding, right down to party favors.  If the cats weren't keeping her busy enough, the wedding is.  But one night while she's at the coffee shop that Sherry's mom owns, a beautiful young woman knocks on the door and asks if anyone knows where Lara's boyfriend Gideon, an attorney, lives.  Stunned, Lara directs her but then wonders who this woman is.

It doesn't take long before Gideon tells her it's his old girlfriend, whom he dated shortly before he met Lara.  Without warning, jealousy rears its ugly head and while Lara wants to tamp it down, she also wants to know more about Megan Haskell.  She's about to get her wish: Megan arrives on Lara's doorstep and wants her help since her boss, Wayne Chancer, has been murdered and she's a suspect.  She tells Lara that she knows she finds murderers and wants her to help prove her innocence.  Megan is so distraught and helpless-looking that Lara tells her she'll do what she can.

But when Gideon finds out, it causes problems between them, and even when Lara is determined to let it go and let the police handle it, things keep occurring that pull her back into the case, and her determination doesn't amount to much if a killer can also find out who she is...

In this latest installment in the series, Lara is feeling torn between her love for Gideon and her intentions to do the right thing, no matter what the cost.  She's caught up in not so much the murder of Wayne, but something else, something she can't name, and it draws her to a nearby town named Bakewell that might hold the key.  But in trying to figure out what is going on, she just might have sabotaged her relationship with Gideon, who wants her to stop doing it.

Knowing that she can't, she unwillingly gets involved with the murdered man's widow, a young woman who holds several jobs and has a secret that she shares only with Lara, and Megan won't stop arriving at her doorstep unannounced, complicating her life even more.  It's almost more than Lara can handle, and she can't share what's going on with anyone. 

What results is an interesting mystery that has many layers, and while each one seems separate, it takes time to figure out who the murderer might be.  The clues aren't overt, and when we discover the reason for the murder, it's well thought out although a bit sad at the same time.  I liked the way everything was played out, and of course, the book ended just as we expected it to do, with the killer apprehended and Lara back safe in her home (as we knew she would be); it's an enjoyable book that leaves us with anticipation for the next in the series.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Kitten-Tattoo-Lady-Mystery/dp/1516109880/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3300970184

More on Linda Reilly's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/r/linda-reilly/

Claws of Action (A Cat Lady Mystery #4)

Author:  Linda Reilly
Genre:   Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9781516109876
Lyrical Underground Publishing
212 Pages
$11.39; $5.99 Amazon
August 13, 2019

⭐⭐⭐⭐

The only thing that could make the High Cliff Shelter for Cats even cozier is a reading room where kids can snuggle up with a furry feline and a book.  But as Lara and Aunt Fran prepare for the reading nook's official opening, the health inspector in their New Hampshire town, Evonda Fray, decrees that the shelter qualifies as a "cat café," thanks to the free snacks it serves to visitors -- and that it must be shut down.

When Evonda's body is found in her car clutching a copy of the cease-and-desist order, suspicion naturally falls on Lara and Aunt Fran.  But there's a whole litter of potential culprits, including a tenant in one of Evonda's buildings who'd been ordered to give up his rescue cat, a disgruntled daughter-in-law, and more.  Now Lara -- with some help from her aunt and her spirit cat, Blue -- has to pin the tail on the right suspect.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Lara Caphart and her Aunt Fran own and run the High Cliff Shelter for Cats; not your usual shelter.  The shelter is their Victoria Home, the cats are allowed the run of the house, and on 'adoption days' they are taken to the room that serves as a meet-and-greet, where Fran and Lara offer the guests snacks and something to drink.  But, according to the new health inspector, Evonda Fray, who showed up unannounced, it qualifies as a cat café, and says she's coming back the next morning to shut them down. 

Then a man, Brian Dowling, shows up at their home unannounced and begs Lara to care for his elderly cat, Smuggles, while he finds another place to live.  It seems Evonda is his new landlord and hates cats, and told him he'd have to get rid of the feline immediately.  Softhearted Lara agrees to the situation, even though she struggles with the fact that she doesn't want their facility to become a boarding place for cats.

However, the health inspector never gets a chance to follow through on her threat.  When the chief of police arrives at their doorstep that morning, it's to tell them that Evonda's dead, and had a cease-and-desist letter in her hand.  After learning this, neither women want to host the new reading nook's opening, and put it off for another time.

When the chief warns Lara to stay out of the investigation, she vows to do so, since it has nothing to do with her.  At least until she's hauled in for extensive questioning -- questioning that seems to put Brian Dowling in the limelight as Evonda's killer.  While she doesn't want to believe it, she doesn't know where else to turn.  Only a matter of sheer coincidences puts her in the sights of a killer -- who may or may not be the person she expects...

This is the fourth book in the series, and I enjoyed reading it.  Lara and her aunt are beginning to grow on me; I already liked the cats in the book.  I do like the fact that the cats eventually get adopted, but I miss certain ones every now and then.  I especially have a soft spot for Brian's elderly cat Smuggles, since I lost my own 17-year-old cat just before Christmas, and it still tugs at my heart.

The mystery is quite interesting - when Evonda is murdered Lara wants to know more about the woman but can't find much about her online.  It takes a chance meeting before she discovers the truth, and by then the woman is dead.  It's rather sad what made her the way she was, and I can't even imagine something like that happening to another person.

The reason for the murder was as simplistic and as old as murders have been committed; still, it never should have happened, and we know that all decisions have consequences, some that will never leave us, no matter what we do.  It was done well enough that it was believable, and the reactions of those left behind carry it through.  When the ending comes and everything is getting back to normal (or as normal as it can be when you have a spirit cat), it gives us a bit of a teaser of things to come in the next in the series.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Claws-Action-Cat-Lady-Mystery/dp/1516109872/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3299330941

More on Linda Reilly's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/r/linda-reilly/

Claws for Celebration (A Cat Lady Mystery Book 3)

Author:  Linda Reilly
Genre:   Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9781516104215
Lyrical Underground Publishing
222 Pages
$14.16; $7.19 Amazon
December 4, 2018

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Feline deadly this Christmas...Whisker Jog, New Hampshire, celebrates all things Christmas, and few things are more beloved than the town's annual holiday cookie competition.  Lara Caphart, who runs the High Cliff Shelter for Cats with her Aunt Fran, is waiting for the green light for a brand-new category:  pet-friendly cookies.  But when the woman filling in as a last-minute judge dies after sampling someone's Santa-themed treat, Lara's recipe for healthy cat snacks will have to be put on the back burner.  The victim, Gladys Plouffe, was the town's roundly despised former home economics teacher.  The chief suspect is the mother of Lara's best friend, who was hellbent on walking away with the bake-off's cash prize.  Cryptic clues from beyond the grave only deepen the mystery, pointing to a cat with striking blue eyes -- a cat who bears an uncanny resemblance to Lara's mysterious Ragdoll.  As Lara begins a dangerous game of cat and mouse, not even her significant other may be able to stop a perfectly clawful killer from getting away with the purr-fect crime...                   

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Lara Caphart, along with her aunt Fran, own and run the High Cliff Shelter for Cats.  There is a Christmas cookie contest coming up, and Lara wrote to the company asking if they'd consider a category for pet-friendly cookies.  Although it's a no, she still wants to bake some, so she heads to the library to find a book with recipes that she can tweak and make her own.  But she finds more than she wants:  a thirty-year-old letter that proclaims the writer witnessed the murder of an elderly woman, and she swears she saw the woman's cat's soul leaving its body.

Even though Lara wants to investigate the murder, she also wants to attend the contest and support her friend Sherry's mother, who entered the competition, and also sell her own cat-friendly cookies.  Unfortunately, one of the judges, Gladys Plouffe is a retired home-ec teacher who despised Sherry, so she's glad that the woman doesn't know about her mom's entry.

Lara's also surprised that the owner of the company who's sponsoring the competition - Todd Thryce - stops by her table and praises her for her efforts, then asks if he can come by the shelter before he leaves town.  Lara is pleased with this, although his companion, Alice Gentry, doesn't look so thrilled to be there or that he wants to do so.

Then, when everyone is squeezed out of the auditorium so the judging can begin, Lara hears a scream  and enters again, finding Gladys on the ground, and it appears she's dead.  She's also holding one of Sherry's mom's, Daisy's, cookies.  With the police thinking she was poisoned, Daisy is a wreck, unable to run her restaurant or even cook.  So now Lara has two mysteries to solve: helping Daisy and finding out more about the letter.  But even trying to stay away from a murderer isn't always easy...

This is the third book in the series and I have to say that I enjoyed it more than the first two.  As a lifelong lover of cats (all animals, but cats especially), and proud owner of several myself, I really enjoyed reading about the cats' individual personalities and their antics.  That being said, I also liked the way it didn't take away from the mystery portion of the story.

I loved the 'mystery within a mystery' as I always relish these types of books, since they give me two mysteries to solve, along with the protagonist.  Little did we know that the letter would mean more than it did, and the writer would have given Lara a bigger clue to someone close to her heart.  It was a sad story that brought tears to my eyes; but then again, I've stated how much I love cats, and if anyone loses a precious animal, it will do the same for you.

The present-day mystery was just as much involved as the past, and the clues leading to the murder were subtle, yet they were there.  I had read very closely, and was glad to see that one of my own suspects was correct, although that also was a very sad situation.  In the past murder, the suspect was much more difficult to discern, and I will say that it came as a complete surprise, and the reasons behind it were rather distasteful, yet believable all the same.

When the ending comes and everything is put back to rights (as we know it would eventually be so), Lara has made a decision that affects her future, and I will say that I agree with that.  It also gives her and her aunt something to look forward to in the future.  I will definitely be continuing with this series.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Claws-Celebration-Linda-Reilly/dp/1516104218/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3298984946

More on Linda Reilly's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/r/linda-reilly/

Til Death (A Zoe Chambers Mystery #10)

Author:  Annette Dashofy
Genre:   Mystery

Hardcover; Trade Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9781635116267; 9781635116236
Henery Press Publishing
278 Pages
$31.95; $15.95; $6.99 Amazon
June 16, 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When one of Chief Pete Adams' first murder convictions is overturned, he and County Detective Wayne Baronich are assigned to reinvestigate the case.  As new theories about the murder surface, Pete begins to question not only the original suspect's guild, but his own investigative skills from the days when he first took over the Vance Township Police Department.

Did Pete put his personal feelings ahead of his quest for justice and lock up an innocent man?  Or is the defendant as devious as Pete first believed?

Meanwhile, Zoe Chamber, Monongahela County's new chief deputy coroner, struggles with the turmoil of two mysterious deaths -- including someone close to her heart -- as she tries to master her new job and plan her upcoming wedding.

But her investigation soon links to Pete's case, making Zoe the target of a killer determined to keep the truth from getting out.  Can Zoe see the danger in time, and get to the church for her wedding...alive? 

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Zoe Chambers's life is changing: she's planning her wedding to Chief Pete Adams, sheriff of Vance Township, Pennsylvania.  She's also left her EMT position to accept one as the deputy coroner, working with Franklin Marshall, who's waiting for a kidney transplant.  On top of that, she's helping move everything from Pete's house to her farm, and her mother, Kimberly, is arriving soon for the wedding - something she'd really rather not to have to deal with.  Her life is busy and she's feeling overwhelmed...

But then a fatality is brought into the morgue, and she knows the young woman, Gina Wagner.  Gina apparently died suddenly with no indications of illness; so the forensic pathologist is doing an autopsy with both Zoe and Franklin looking on.  But suddenly Franklin falls ill, and they call paramedics, believing it to be his diabetes causing it.  Now, with Franklin out of the picture, Zoe has to take on every responsibility.

Pete is having his own problems: an old case from nine years ago is being reopened: Dustin Landis was accused and convicted of killing his wife Elizabeth even though he insists he's innocent.  It seems there is new information that might prove to be true, even if Pete doesn't believe it.  So now he and County Detective Wayne Baronick have to re-investigate the information to see if something was missed.

Then something terrible happens to someone dear to Zoe, and she's thrust into trying to determine if Gina's death had anything to do with Pete's case; while he's starting to wonder if his first instincts - that Dustin was innocent - may have been right, or if the man is guilty as everyone thought.  When there's another death and it looks like it's connected to the one from nine years ago, Pete and Zoe are racing to find out what that connection is before someone else gets killed....

I have to tell you that I absolutely devour this series.  From the first paragraph you are pulled into the story and follow Zoe and Pete as they race against time to find a killer and keep people alive.  While Zoe's life is being turned upside down, she can't allow her personal life to affect her professional one, and you can feel the turmoil within her as she struggles with her new duties while trying to leave her paramedic life behind.  I root for Zoe all the way, and want her to succeed and be the person she was meant to -- she's not only strong, but smart, logical, and doesn't back down from people who try to threaten her.  She's also caring and gentle with those who mean something to her; and this combination makes her someone you want the best for.

The mystery, as always, is a string of threads that starts out easy enough to see, but then they start weaving in and out of each other until they're pulled tight together and the colors blur against each other; leaving Pete and Zoe to slowly unravel them one by one until they see the tapestry underneath that makes up what they've been looking for all along.  While we wonder, as Pete does, if Dustin is guilty as sin, when Pete discovered a secret he'd held; or if Dustin was indeed framed for his wife's murder.

When the threads lead to someone unexpected, they think they've found the answer.  Or have they?  When we do discover the answers, we can finally let out the breath we've been holding throughout the book - and what a journey it was.  Exhilarating, like being on a roller coaster that wouldn't stop (and I dislike roller coasters, so that's saying something).  

Yet the ending gives us promise of something else, and it feels like we are coming home.  Not only satisfying, but endearing and looking eagerly forward to the next in the series.  Highly recommended.

                  

https://www.amazon.com/Til-Death-Zoe-Chambers-Mystery/dp/1635116236/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3297160106

More on Annette Dashofy's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/d/annette-dashofy/

Bound for Murder (A Scrapbooking Mystery #3)

Author:  Laura Childs
Genre:   Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9780425199237
Berkley Publishing
230 Pages
$7.48; $7.99 Amazon
November 2, 2004

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Carmela is creating custom place settings for a friend's pre-wedding party at a French Quarter restaurant when she makes a shocking discovery -- the intended groom, with a butcher knife protruding from his body.  When the heartbroken bride asks her to look into the case, she can't say no.  But Carmela soon finds that the victim had a much more shadowy past than he let on, and a menu of malicious meddlers is making things tougher than day-old gumbo for everyone involved.  Now, Carmela must help her friend pick up the pieces while wrapping up a murder that has more than one lethal loose end...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Carmela Bertrand owns a scrapbooking shop in the heart of New Orleans.  When she's attending a pre-wedding party for a friend, she finally meets the groom and decides she likes him.  But when they're getting ready to do the toast, she seeks out a centerpiece that is supposed to be for the bride's table and a surprise.  It's in the office of the owner of the restaurant, Quigg, and she goes to retrieve it.  Unfortunately, she not only finds the centerpiece, but the body of the groom - Jamie Redmond.  Now Wren, the intended bride, wants Carmela to investigate and find out who killed Jamie and why.  The only clue Carmela has is the initials INE - which Jamie wrote with his own blood before he died.  But is it a clue?  Or was he trying to identify his killer?  With mysterious happenings and Carmela's inquisitive nature, she wants to help Wren, but hopefully she won't put herself in the sights of a murderer first...

This is the third book in the series and I have to say that it's definitely improving.  We have Carmela's regular customers back, although they play a smaller role in this book, and her estranged rogue of a husband, Shamus, who definitely plays a bigger one.  He's itching to get his photographs in a showing with Carmela, and finds a scruffy stray dog that he names Poobah and foists on Carmela because his sister doesn't like dogs and he's staying with her.

But then there's the fact that poor Wren is living in an old convent that Jamie bought and is converting into a home, and she doesn't know if she even owns it; and has been working in Jamie's bookstore without pay and now she's being hounded by a giant of a man named Dunbar DesLauriers who's hot to get his hands on it and is pushing her to sell.  Carmela wants to know why, and is determined to find out the truth of the matter.

Then there's Shamus - who left her to pursue his own interests but doesn't want her involved with anyone else - especially Quigg, even though she's not dating anyone - yet seems to appear at the most inopportune moments.  Carmela, for her part, is still in love with him and is on the fence about whether to divorce the scoundrel or not.

But the mystery is an interesting one.  Who's behind everything and what are they looking for?  We really don't find out until toward the end of the book, and while I usually find it a cheat (and I'm not saying why in case there are others who haven't read the book as yet) this didn't bother me this time out, but I wouldn't like to see the author make a habit of it.  As it is, the mystery was done very well, and I did like the climax with Carmela and the killer (because we knew all along that she would be confronting the person anyway.)

When we discover the identity of the murderer and why it was committed, it's rather sad but yet believable all the same.  Evil lies in the hearts of men, and we can never determine who nor why they do the things they do.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Bound-Murder-Scrapbooking-Mystery-Childs/dp/0425199231/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3295262139

More on Laura Childs's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/c/laura-childs/

Death of a Wandering Wolf (A Hungarian Tea House Mystery #2)

Author:  Julia Buckley
Genre:   Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9781984804846
Berkley Publishing
288 Pages
$7.99; $7.99 Amazon
June 30, 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The only thing that Hana loves more than a good cuppa is finding a delicate porcelain treasure to add to her collection.  She's usually on the hunt for teacups but when she spots a rare wolf figuring at a local yard sale, she knows it's her lucky day.  Hana also knows the wolf is valuable and tells the seller that he's charging too little for it.  His reaction is peculiar -- he says he received the wolf from someone he doesn't trust and he just wants it out of his life.

Hana is inspecting her new prize when she finds a tiny microchip attached to the bottom of the porcelain wolf.  When she shows the figure to her police detective boyfriend, Erik, Hana is shocked to learn that the chip is actually a tracking device.  They decide to confront the seller about the sneaky sale but when they arrive at his house, they find him dead.  Erik and Hana now must hunt a calculating killer who has no intentions of crying wolf when it comes to murder...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Hana Keller helps run Maggie's Tea House, which her mother and grandmother own.  She also collects items by Hungarian artists - when she can afford them.  While shopping at a garage sale with her friend Katie, she comes across a beautiful rare wolf figurine made by a company in Hungary, and sees that it's only priced at $5, though she knows it to be worth much more.  Seeking out the owner of the home, she finds him sitting and sketching.  While speaking with him, he tells her that he just wants it out of his home, and refuses to charge more.  But she also finds that he himself is an artist - William Kodaly - and when she looks at one of the paintings he is about to sell it fills her with strong emotions that she can't name.  She also feels something when she touches Kodaly's hand, but blows it off.  Still, she buys two of the paintings and the wolf; yet when she pulls out of her parking spot, she sees a man looking at her and scratching his head, which bothers her.

Then she goes to meet her new boyfriend for breakfast, detective Erik Wolf.  When she shows him the wolf, he sees that it has a tracking device and immediately goes into cop mode.  Going back to Kodaly's home, they find him dead - murdered.  Now Hana has to wonder why there was a tracking device on the wolf, and if it was meant for her, since Kodaly had talked to her about knowing of her family.

But then things descend into chaos.  She has a spat with Wolf that obviously causes him pain; she meets his ebullient sisters; and there's been an attack on her.  Now she's moving from place to place while Wolf tries to keep her alive - and find out who wants her dead...

This is the second book in the series and I enjoyed it just as much as the first.  Hana is an intelligent woman who doesn't go around getting herself into dangerous situations, nor asking people inquisitive questions and accusing everyone of murder.  Her detective boyfriend actually does his job, while listening to her input and praising her when something she remembers turns out to be important to the situation.  Their relationship is growing in this book, and they seem to have a nice fit together; it blends.

I also like the fact that both of them have strong family ties.  (It does become annoying at times when a protagonist is estranged from their parents for some reason or another).  Wolf's sisters are delightful; they own their own booming business and immediately upon meeting Hana quiz her, then decide they want to use her as one of their models, even though she'd rather not.  It's quite fun to watch them manipulate her (in a nice way, of course).  Even her brother Domo shows his protective side, which is wonderful.

Yes, I know I've been praising this book, but there's a reason for that.  It's very good.  You don't have a brooding hero, nor an angry woman who broke up with her boyfriend beforehand.  These are two people who found each other, and the backstory is fascinating:  her family is Hungarian, and the women have "the gift," with Hana just discovering hers.  I love this.  Her grandmother hates wolves, thinking they're bad, so here comes Detective Wolf, and she wants to hate him but doesn't.  She knows he's good for her granddaughter.  Everything moves in sync, and it's interesting.

The mystery itself was intriguing: the wolf figurine played a key role, but even though we eventually find out why, it takes some time to find out the who.  The reason Mr. Kodaly was murdered comes from an unlikely source early on, but it's watching the pieces being put together that's the compelling part.  They come together slowly, and later in the book Hana starts to figure it out and passes the information to Wolf to complete.  They're a team, with her providing key information.

The motive for Kodaly's murder is as age-old as time itself, but still happens to this very day.  Life doesn't always follow the lines we expect it to, just as people will react to situations the way they want, regardless of the end result.  When we discover the murderer it comes to a fascinating conclusion that is actually rather funny, and was entertaining in the extreme.  I look forward to the next in the series, and hope that I don't have to wait too long.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Death-Wandering-HUNGARIAN-HOUSE-MYSTERY/dp/1984804847/ref=

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3293383404

More on Julia Buckley's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/julia-buckley/

Death in a Budapest Butterfly (A Hungarian Tea House Mystery #1)

Author:  Julia Buckley
Genre:   Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9781984804822
Berkley Publishing
288 Pages
$5.99; $7.99 Amazon
July 30, 2019

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'
Hana Keller and her family run Maggie's Tea House, an establishment heavily influenced by the family's Hungarian heritage and specializing in a European-style traditional tea service.  But one of the shop's largest draws is Hana's eccentric grandmother, Juliana, renowned for her ability to read the future in the leaves of the bottom of customers' cups.  Lately, however, her readings have become alarmingly ominous and seemingly related to old Hungarian legends...

When a guest is poisoned at a tea event, Juliana's dire predictions appear to have come true.  Things are brough to a boil when Hana's beloved Anna Weatherley butterfly teacup -- which carried the poisoned tea -- becomes the center of the murder investigation.  The cup is claimed as evidence by a handsome police detective, and the beloved Tea House is suddenly endangered.  Hana and her family must catch the killer to save their business and bring the beautiful Budapest Butterfly back home where it belongs.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Hana Keller helps run Maggie's Tea House, her family's establishment in Illinois.  She's helping her mother and grandmother get ready for a meeting of the Maygar Women, a group of Hungarian women who meet there every month.  Hana knows about Hungarian women, since she is half-Hungarian on her mother's side. 

She's also a collector of Hungarian items, and she's found a beautiful teacup, a Budapest Butterfly, that is going to be used as a centerpiece for today's tea.  Everything is ready and the three women are prepared for the tea service; including a French pastry chef who works for them preparing the delicious food.  Hana's grandmother Juliana has even agreed to read the tea leaves for the women after they've finished.  It's been said that the females in the family have "the gift," but Hana's never put too much stock in it.

But Hana notices a woman she's never seen before, sitting by herself.  When she mentions to one of the ladies that the woman - Ava Novak, is beautiful, she's rebuffed; and no one will talk about her.  The afternoon is indeed busy, with the three women milling about making sure everyone has enough to drink and cleaning up the empty cups.  But then, while her grandmother is reading tea leaves on the table that is supposed to hold the Butterfly, Hana notices something -- her beautiful cup is missing, and it is being used by Ava!  Hana vows to get her cup back the first chance she can, without being rude, and wondering how she got hold of it.  Then Ava excuses herself to go to the bathroom, and Hana goes to her table to retrieve her cup but sees that there are things that shouldn't be, and goes to check on Ava.  Unfortunately, she finds her -- lying dead in front of the bathroom.

The police are called immediately, and two detectives -- Wolf and Benton -- are going to ask questions.  Hana's grandmother believes that wolves are bad, and doesn't want anything to do with him, but since he's the lead detective, she doesn't have a choice.  When everything is completed, Hana wonders who Ava Novak was and why one of these little old ladies wanted her dead.  She also doesn't like the fact that she's attracted to the tall, blond detective, but that will have to wait while she 'helps' him sniff out a killer...

This is the first book in a new series and I have to say that I was surprised.  I read another of Ms. Buckley's series and it just didn't draw me in, so the fact that I liked this book should say something in itself.  (I always try to give authors a second chance, as it were).

Anyway, I do like the characters in the book.  The women are interesting people, and even Hana's brother Domo has his qualities.  He comes off as being your typical male, if there is such a thing; yet it's apparent he's protective of Hana, which is a good thing.  Hana's grandmother is a comical character; she 'knows' things that her daughter (Hana's mom) would rather not believe in, yet she's strong and funny at the same time.  Hana, for her part, is not one of those idiots that goes around asking people inquisitive questions and accusing them of murder one after the other.  It's a breath of fresh air.

I also like the fact that both Hana's mother Maggie and her grandmother are married, and the men aren't just wallpaper.  They have parts in the book that matter, and Hana didn't return home because of a broken relationship, lost her job, etc.  She actually likes what she does and makes enough money to have her own apartment.  The one thing I will say is the fact that you don't have to 'feed' cats.  They aren't dogs.  I've owned animals my entire life, (mostly cats), and you can leave food out all day and unlike dogs, they won't eat everything in the bowl.  They'll eat until they're full and walk away.  It doesn't make them fat or lazy.  (I give mine one can of wet food in the morning and leave the hard food out the rest of the day - it's fine).

But back to the book: the mystery was well drawn, and while we knew one of the ladies was a murderer, there were three women who came to the forefront.  Finding the reason behind the murder was a different story, and it brought out a Hungarian legend that seemed to come to life, but of course, didn't; leaving it, while not a full-on deep mystery, still believable enough to carry the book.

Hana and Wolf faced their attraction to each other and while there were misunderstandings, it didn't overshadow the mystery.  I did like the fact that when Hana found something out or remembered something, she went to Wolf immediately instead of keeping it to herself or going off to find out more, which made their relationship more realistic because they kept spending time together.

In the end, when we discover the murderer, as I stated above, it might not have been deep, but people have been known to carry things close to them for years, so it was conceivable.  While it was rather sad at the same time, and things could have been avoided, it was still interesting enough to keep me reading in one sitting.  I've also decided I might have to find a Hungarian restaurant somewhere around me.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Death-Budapest-Butterfly-HUNGARIAN-MYSTERY/dp/1984804820/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3291373580

More on Julia Buckley's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/julia-buckley/

Death Under Glass (A Stained-Glass Mystery #2)

Author:  Jennifer McAndrews
Genre:   Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9780425267967
Berkley Prime Crime
304 Pages
$7.99; $5.99 Amazon
July 7, 2015

⭐⭐

While Georgia has come to love her new hometown, her stained glass windows haven't exactly been raking in the dough.  So when her best friend, Carrie, offers her the opportunity to create a made-to-order window for Wenwood's latest bed and breakfast, Georgia jumps at the chance.

But when Carrie's ex-husband's office suddenly burns to the ground and Carrie's shop and apartment are robbed, Georgia has to put down her glass and cutter to get to the bottom of the trouble.  Carrie insists she doesn't have enemies, but Georgia is determined to do everything in her power to find out who's targeting her best friend - and why - before anyone else's life is smashed to pieces...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Georgia has moved back in with her grandfather, "Grandy," when her job fell apart as an accountant.  Now she works making stained-glass, and because of her friend Carrie, who owns an antique shop, she's set to make a nice window for a new B&B that's opening in town.  But while there, Carrie gets a call from the police, and rushing to the scene, Carrie sees that her ex-husband's office has been set afire.  Unfortunately, the police called her because they can't find Russ.  And neither can Carrie.  When Carrie's shop is rifled through, Georgia wants to know what's going on and where Russ might be.

I remember reading the first in the series and liking it.  But this second book is s-l-o-w.  So many descriptions and not enough action.  I had a difficult time getting through this book, waiting for something to happen.  I read up to page 146 and we still hadn't had a murder, nor did we know who the victim was likely to be.

I really wish I could have given this book a better rating, but it felt as if the author just didn't care enough to write it.  There was nothing to pull you into the story, and Georgia just isn't an interesting character, and neither is Carrie.  Carrie is dull and meek, and Georgia is afraid of her own shadow and thinks because she left the town she once called home she's an 'outsider,' so won't even stand up for herself.

I know that there is one more book in this series, but sadly, I don't think I'll be finishing it.  We have the beginning of a love triangle (which I absolutely loathe) and with as boring as this book was, I really don't care enough to continue on.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0425267962?tag=speculativefic05&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3287910725

More on Jennifer McAndrew's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/m/jennifer-mcandrews/death-under-glass.htm

The Last Word (A Books By the Bay Mystery #3)

Author:  Ellery Adams
Genre:   Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9780425245002
Berkley Prime Crime
297 Pages
$7.49; $7.99 Amazon
December 6, 2011

⭐⭐⭐⭐

The arrival of Nick Plumley has sent shivers of excitement throughout Oyster Bay.  Especially since rumor has it that the Booker Prize Winner is thinking about putting down roots here.  No one is more thrilled than Olivia and her fellow members when Plumley drips by the first writer's group meeting at Harris's new house.  But why is Plumley more interested in poking around the lovely bungalow than in discussing the craft of fiction?

Not long after, Olivia stops by Plumley's rental -- and finds that he's been strangled to death.  Her instincts tell her that something from the past came back to haunt him, but she never expects that the investigation could spell doom for one of her dearest friends...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

First off, I need to state that part of the blurb is incorrect.  Olivia, who never shows much emotion anyway, isn't thrilled about Plumley.  She barely even knows who he is.  Secondly, he never stops by the writer's group at all.  I just wanted to make that clear, since I didn't want anyone to think that I'd missed something in my review.

Olivia Limoges is a very rich woman who was raised by her grandmother after her father disappeared at sea and her mother was killed in a freak accident.  Inasmuch, she never has been able to become close to anyone, and when the widowed Chief Rawlings tried once, she pushed him away.  But things have been changing for her -- she learned from an anonymous letter that she had a half-brother living nearby, and she's opening a new restaurant and has convinced him and his family to move to Oyster Bay with the lure of him being the head chef.  They've been settling in, but with his wife Kim heavily pregnant, his daughter Caitlyn, and he being as standoffish as Olivia herself, it's going to take some time for their relationship to grow.

She's also helping her friend and fellow co-writer Harris Williams in his search for a home.  He's fallen in love with a bungalow that needs plenty of work but he wants it.  When she discovers that Nick Plumley is also about to make an offer on the home, she insists that her realtor get the papers signed ASAP because she's worried Plumley will offer more and take it from Harris.  When everything is done and they've helped Harris move, she wonders what it is that fascinates Plumley so much about the house.  Then she discovers that he offers to read Harris's manuscript and help him, and she becomes even more suspicious.  But it doesn't stop there...

When Harris discovers an old watercolor in the stairs of his home, he gives it to Olivia to get it appraised.  She finds that it was painted by a German prisoner of war who had once lived in an American prison camp with others, Heinrich Kamler.  Digging into the man's life, she learns that he allegedly stabbed a prison guard and escaped with another prisoner named Ziegler.  But this is only the beginning.  When Olivia starts digging for answers, she finds that Plumley knew more about the watercolor than was said, and that his ties might be just as close as those of someone she's known for a long time.  Someone who's been right in front of her, living their own lie...

I have to say that I wasn't truly impressed with the first two books in the series, thinking that Olivia seemed more than standoffish; she seemed downright cold.  In this book, she's far more likable of a character and has more empathy toward others.  Her relationship with her friends is steadily growing, along with those of her family members.  She does things that are totally selfless, and it made me like her even more.

When she starts looking into the murder of the prison guard and the life of Kamler, what she finds is that he's totally different from a man who would have murdered someone else, and she also sees that there's more about him she didn't know; that he fell in love with a young American, and she now starts to look into the girl's life, bringing the story to life.  It's both interesting and sad, and I loved reading every minute of it.

When we get closer to the end, we finally realize who the killer is at the same time as Olivia.  Her sadness about the situation is apparent, yet it gives hope that another life may be saved from despair in the long run.  It's a very good story with a very good ending, and hope of something better in the future.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Last-Word-Books-Bay-Mystery/dp/0425245004/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3285910542

More on Ellery Adams's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/a/ellery-adams/

I Know What You Bid Last Summer (A Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery #5)

Author:  Sherry Harris
Genre:   Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; [Audio CD]; Digital Book
ISBN #:  978149677536; [9781974953493]
Kensington Publishing; [Dreamscape Media]
304 Pages
$7.99; [$20.97]; $6.89 Amazon
February 27, 2018

⭐⭐⭐⭐

When it comes to running a successful garage sale, Sarah Winston believes in doing her homework.  She also believes in giving back.  But when she agrees to manage an athletic equipment swap, she doesn't bargain on an uncharitable killer.  The day of the event, the school superintendent is found dead in the gymnasium.

Suddenly the murder suspects are the school board members -- including the husband of a very difficult client who's hired Sarah to run a high-end sale and demands she do her bidding.  Between tagging and haggling, Sarah studies the clues to see who wanted to teach the superintendent a lesson.  But as she closes in on the truth, the killer intends to give her a crash course on minding her own business...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Sarah Winston lives in a small town in Massachusetts and runs a garage sale business.  Currently she's managing an athletic equipment swap at one of the schools, and while she's in the gymnasium one evening, the lights go off and she's attacked, with someone shoving her into a utility closet and pushing something up against the door.  When she finally frees herself, she sees that everything has been thrown around, and notices that many of the items in the silent auction are missing, those that could bring top dollar.

After she notifies the police and has been to the hospital to get checked out, she wants nothing more than to get back to her life.  But then during the actual swap and auction, she needs to go into the utility room to get something, and finds the dead body of the school superintendent - who's been stabbed with a vintage ski pole.  Now Sarah's involved with the investigation, even if she doesn't want it.  When the attacks on her escalate, and even the DA Seth is attacked, she becomes worried.  But when a school board member shows up on her doorstep claiming he's been framed for murder and asks for her help, Sarah wants to walk away.  But already involved, she knows she can't.  And finding the murderer might be more difficult than she thinks, and could get her killed...

Since I wasn't really enthralled by the other books in this series, I didn't know what to expect, although I've been warming up to it the more I read it.  Maybe I just didn't like the relationship between CJ and Sarah.  Who knows.  Anyway, the plot was quite interesting, and we really didn't find out the truth of the matter until toward the end of the book, which is a nice touch in itself.

There was a cute subplot of Angelo enlisting Sarah to go to his rivals' shops and taste their lasagna to see if it was better than his.  But once they got wind of what Sarah was doing, it really became kind of funny -- especially when poor Ryne had no idea whatsoever of what was going on but got dragged into it anyway.

There were only a handful of suspects which made it a lot easier to sift through them; although they all seemed to have a motive to kill the woman, none of them seemed strong enough for it to be one to want her dead, which made it more difficult for Sarah to figure it out.  Speaking of which, Sarah is also starting to figure her own life out with CJ gone (not a spoiler, since we find out right away that he's left).  Not a lot of time is spent on this, but enough to give us a picture of what she's decided.

When the ending comes and the killer is revealed, it's a bit of a surprise, but the reasoning behind the death is age-old.  The ending also gives us a hint of what might be to come in the next book, but it's not a cliff-hanger, so no worries there.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Know-Summer-Sarah-Garage-Mystery/dp/1496707532/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3284404579

More on Sherry Harris's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/h/sherry-harris/

The Diva Takes the Cake (A Domestic Diva Mystery #2)

Author:  Krista Davis
Genre:   Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9780425228401
Berkley Prime Crime Publishing
304 Pages
$7.30; $5.99 Amazon
June 2, 2009

⭐

Sophie Winston's sister, Hannah, is getting married -- again!  And if you ask Sophie, her future brother-in-law is no prince.  But is he a killer?  That's the question on everyone's mind when his ex-wife is found hanging from a pergola.  This is one event Sophie and her sister hadn't planned on.

As hidden family secrets begin to come to light, Sophie finds the list of suspects is almost as long as the list of wedding guests.  Will the real killer be seated on the groom's side or the bride's?  Or will he be standing at the altar?  Either way, Sophie must solve the murder in time to stop her sister from making the biggest -- and possibly the last -- mistake of her life.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Sophie Winston's sister, Hannah, is getting married (again) and Sophie is hosting a dinner at her home for the guests.  Even though she doesn't like Hannah's fiancé Craig, she's willing to endure it anyway.  When Sophie is returning home before setting everything up, a woman appears at her doorstep looking for Craig,  Rather than give her name, she leaves telling Sophie she'll come back later.

Then, when Sophie goes to her rival Natasha's home to collect her dog, Daisy, the dog runs to the backyard where Sophie finds the body of the woman hanging from Natasha's new pergola.  At first it's suspected the woman committed suicide, but Sophie's friend Humphrey, who is a mortician, tells Sophie the marks don't gibe, and that the woman was murdered.  Now that the police are involved, the game is upped, and Sophie is doing her best to save her sister from a possible killer...

I read the first book in this series many years ago (2011), and I must have disliked it immensely to never read another one until now.  I re-read my review.  I was right.  I dislike these characters.  All of them.

Sophie is the worst excuse for a woman I can think of.  She has no guts, and won't tell people to bug off - she's such a doormat she needs to have "Welcome" tattooed on her back.  Her sister is mean and takes advantage of her; her mother likes Natasha much better than her own daughter; Natasha steamrolls over Sophie every chance she gets; etc.; etc.  (Not to mention that not only did Natasha wind up with Sophie's ex-husband; she bought a home down the block from Sophie; she has the TV show that should have gone to Sophie; and she covets Sophie's home.  Screw off, Nat).

These are horrible people.  After Sophie has done a tremendous amount of work planning everything the way her sister wants, then Natasha waltzes in and changes everything to black and brown for a "modern" wedding.  Gross.  Ugly.  And completely disrespectful to Sophie.  What's up with Hannah that she would just allow this anyway? 

But then it goes farther than that.  Not only does everyone treat Sophie like she's a hired maid (and not a well-treated one, either), but Natasha tells Sophie's date - the homicide detective, Wolf - that he's not welcome at the dinner because he brings 'bad memories' to the guests about the murder.  So what does this man do?  HE DOESN'T GO.  He leaves Sophie in the lurch.  He's a homicide detective without a pair, if you know what I mean.  I don't know of ANY detective in any book that would act this way.  They'd tell Natasha to go stuff herself.  Not this guy.  He has a little a spine as Sophie.

What is wrong with this woman?  She allows everyone to push her around, and she takes it.  I couldn't stand being around these people at all.  The best thing she can do is never invite any of them to her home ever again.  Including the spineless detective.

Plus, are we supposed to take the advice at the beginning of every chapter?  Most of it was laughable.  1) I'm not giving gift baskets to people who are invited to a wedding.  My gift to them is the free food and drink.  2) An "A" list and a "B" list for a wedding?  Must be nice to find out you were only invited as a seat filler.  3) You know what?  I'm not a tour guide.  If people show up early for a wedding and plan to stay a few days, they can go online just like everyone else and find out what the area has to offer.  Also, maybe it's trending that a bride can buy two wedding gowns, but it's an extra cost that isn't needed, and is pretentious in the extreme.  No thank you.  Most of this 'advice' is really out there somewhere.

I couldn't stand any of these people to the extent that I really didn't care about the murders nor why they were committed.  I only read the book because I wanted to see just how much abuse Sophie would take before she cracked.  She never cracked.  Draw your own conclusions.

https://www.amazon.com/Diva-Takes-Cake-Domestic-Mystery/dp/0425228401/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3282295541

More on Krista Davis's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/d/krista-davis/

Death by Auction (An Abby McCree Mystery #3)

Author:  Alexis Morgan
Genre:   Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; [Audio CD]; Digital Book
ISBN #: 9781496719553; [9781690595434]
Kensington Publishing; [Dreamscape Audio]
320 Pages
$7.99; [$19.99]; $6.89 Amazon
May 6, 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

It's hard to say no to Tripp Blackston.  That's how Abby found herself on yet another committee, organizing a bachelors' auction to raise money for Tripp's veteran group.  The former Special Forces soldier is mortified when Abby enlists him to be one of the prizes, but she has a covert plan to bid on him herself.  Before she can, she's foiled by a sniper bid from a gorgeous stranger, who turns out to be Tripp's ex-wife, Valerie.

Still reeling from the shock that Tripp was married and wondering what his ex is suddenly doing in town, Abby goes looking to pay the auction's emcee, radio personality Bryce Cadigan.  She finds him in the parking lot, dead in his car.  Valerie appears to be the last one to have seen Bryce alive, so she's the cops' best bid for suspect.  When she asks Tripp for help -- and lodgings -- ot's Abby's turn to block by inviting Val to stay with her.  But did she just open her home to a murderer?

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Abby McCree lives in Snowberry Creek, Washington, after having inherited her late aunt's home and carriage house tenant, Tripp Blackston.  Over the course of time she and Tripp have become closer, even though he keeps his past a secret.  But he's enlisted her (without her consent) to be part of the veteran's group, and Abby has retaliated by enlisting him as one of the people who are being "auctioned off" for a date night in order to raise money for the group.  What she hasn't said, though, is that she plans on making a sniper bid herself and 'winning' him.  But just as she's ready to make her bid, a voice in the back of the room yells out a lot more cash than anyone expects -- and Tripp is now being paired with his ex-wife, Valerie.  The ex-wife he never told her about...

When Abby sees Valerie arguing with the emcee Bryce, a local boy made good who left town, she notices it because she needs to pay him the rest of his fee.  But shortly after, she hunts him down in the parking lot, and finds him dead, hanging half out of his car.  Calling Sheriff Gage Logan, who's also attending the event, he tells Abby not to leave while the police figure things out.  But it's not long before Valerie becomes the main suspect, and Tripp asks Abby if Valerie can stay with her - because the only other option is Tripp's small one-bedroom home.  While Abby's not pleased, she'd rather host the woman she privately refers to as 'the barnacle' than have her in Tripp's home.  Now Tripp has asked for Abby's help in proving Valerie innocent, and Gage has warned them both not to investigate or they'll wind up in jail.  So what's the worst evil between the two - letting Gage take his time in finding the right person, or having Tripp's ex in her home - making her life miserable and a play for him...

This is the third book in the series and I am glad to say that it's just as good as the first two.  I actually like Abby quite a bit, since she's not one of those women who go around blatantly accusing people of being a murderer and at least tries to couch her questions nicely.  Her relationship with Tripp is growing every day, and it's nice to see that they're taking their time while they dance around each other, in more ways than one.

Naturally, I couldn't stand Valerie (and I question anyone who liked her) and couldn't wait for her to leave.  It was hilarious with Abby calling her 'the barnacle' and was the main indication that Abby was jealous of the woman (although she did have other private thoughts from time to time about it); Tripp, for his part, was completely oblivious to it for the first part of the book, but while he felt sympathetic to Valerie and wanted to protect her, you could tell he was more protective of Abby, which is how it should be.

We had a few red herrings as to murder suspects - and those that were, other than Valerie, seemed to surprise us with their responses to the questions.  With the ones that were out there, it seemed obvious who the murderer would wind up to be, but even still, there were surprises yet to come and although there was a hint earlier that made it easy to figure out who the killer would be, the journey getting there made all the difference.

The plot was drawn nicely with Bryce's past eventually coming out and reasons why people would have motives to murder the man; although we knew that this must be the cast all along, it was still interesting to hear the stories why.  Even Valerie's reasons seemed plausible, but like Tripp, I couldn't see her doing the deed; as awful as she was, I just couldn't see her killing anyone.

While I'm becoming fond of all the main characters in this series, it's nice to keep getting glimpses of their pasts and who they are now.  I really enjoying learning about them and the mystery itself is believable enough to keep you reading in one sitting.  While I was sorry for the book to end, it gives me something to look forward to as I wait for the next one to make its appearance.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Death-Auction-Abby-McCree-Mystery/dp/1496719557/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3280670896

More on Alexis Morgan's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/m/alexis-morgan/