Death by Intermission (An Abby McCree Mystery #4)

Author:  Alexis Morgan

Genre:   Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:  9781496731258

Kensington Publishing

304 Pages

$8.99; $6.99 Amazon

January 26, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ushered once again onto another committee by the mayor of Snowberry Creek, Washington, Abby is tasked with keeping the box office receipts of the town's Movies in the Park nights.  Cut to the director's chair from where she's suddenly organizing the summer's last feature.  From the opening scene through the final credits, Abby feels she's earned nominations for best volunteer, best movie date with her tenant Tripp Blackston -- and best daughter for ignoring her mother Phoebe's own movie date with Owen Quinn.

Unfortunately, Abby and the others are treated to a post-credits scene: the body of local insurance agent Mitchell Anders.  This discovery is followed by a plot twist revealing that the murder weapon comes from Owen's food truck.  With her mother's boyfriend suspected of murder, Abby starts her own investigation determined to shine a spotlight on the real killer...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Abby McCree is on a real date - such as it is, outdoors surrounded by other people watching a movie in the park - with her tenant Tripp Blackston, whom she's getting closer to each day.  Unfortunately, her mother is also there with her boyfriend, Owen Quinn, whom Abby isn't too sure about since no one seems to know anything about him except he has a part-time barbeque restaurant and fishes the rest of the time.  But she can't worry about it, because it's her job to clean up after the movie and make sure the park is pristine.  

Helped by her mother, they sweep the area with flashlights until her mom comes across a grisly discovery: a dead body.  Now, with Owen suspected of the murder, her mother angry at Gage for not finding a killer and declaring him incompetent, Abby is stuck in the middle of an investigation Tripp doesn't want her anywhere near.  But if Abby doesn't find the real killer, Owen - or someone else who's innocent - could be stuck behind bars for a long time...

This is the fourth book in the series and each time I read one of them I find them getting more and more delightful.  No, this is no earth-shattering series; it's not deeply mysterious nor terribly suspenseful.  But what it is, is fun.  And quite a lot of it.

We watch Abby as she's dealing with her mother temporarily staying with her - and that's no picnic for Abby at all - as the two women are going head to head quite a bit, with Tripp stuck in the middle trying to protect Abby for all it's worth.  Not that Phoebe is mean; she's just worried about Owen.  But Owen is keeping secrets, and he's not telling.

Then when his employee has a problem that scares her, Abby is once again called in the middle of the investigation she's supposed to be staying out of.  Now she's dealing with more than just her mom, her budding relationship with Tripp, and trying to keep her temper.  But things soon heat up and somehow she discovers that there's just no way to stay out of the fire...

When the murderer is discovered, it is somewhat of a surprise, not fully getting what seems easy to detect.  It makes for an entertaining ride that keeps going up and down, the mystery intertwined with Abby's relationship issues with the people around her, and the climax of discovering a killer.  

It's great enjoyment to read a book that sticks to its subject matter and takes us out of life's daily problems and into the life of Abby McCree, which is always worth reading, pulling us into a neat murder mystery that always has us wondering what will come next.  I can't wait for the next in the series and wish I could read it immediately.  I dare you to end this book without a smile on your face.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Death-Intermission-Abby-McCree-Mystery/dp/1496731255/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3617559377

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

Cake Popped Off! (Cupcake Catering Mystery Book 2)

Author:  Kim Davis

Genre:   Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:  9780999068847

Cinnamon & Sugar Press

302 Pages

$9.99; $.99 Amazon

September 19, 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cupcake caterer Emory Martinez is hosting a Halloween bash alongside her octogenarian employer, Tillie.  With guests dressed in elaborate costumes, the band is rocking, the cocktails are flowing, and tempers are flaring when the hired Bavarian Barmaid tries to hook a rich, hapless husband.  Except one of her targets happens to be Emory's brother-in-law, which bodes ill for his pregnant wife.  When Emory tracks down the distraught barmaid, instead of finding the young woman in tears, she finds her dead.  Can she explain to the new detective on the scene why the Bavarian Barmaid was murdered in Emory's bathtub with Emory's Poison Apple Cake Pops stuffed into her mouth?

With an angry pregnant sister to contend with, she promises to clear her brother-in-law's name.  As Emory starts asking questions and tracking down the identity of the costumed guests, she finds reasons to suspect her brother-in-law has been hiding a guilty secret.  Her search leads her to a web of blackmail and betrayal amongst the posh setting of the local country club crowd.  Can Emory sift through the lies she's being told and find the killer?  She'll need to step up her investigation before another victim is sent to the great pumpkin patch in the sky.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Emory Martinez is trying to recover from a nasty and harrowing divorce, where she was once accused of murder.  Now she lives in the poolhouse of octogenarian Tillie Skyler, as her cook and companion, also doing Tillie's son, David's, bookkeeping and correspondence.

Tillie is throwing a Halloween party for friends, and Emory's sister is catering it with Emory providing the desserts.  Everything seems to be going smoothly until the buxom barmaid starts harassing people - especially Emory's brother-in-law, Thomas.  But after an altercation, Emory finds the barmaid, Mandy, dead in her bathtub in the poolhouse.  Now Thomas is a suspect and her sister begs her to help find the killer.  As if that isn't bad enough, David comes homes with a new twenty-something wife, angering David's grown sons Theodore and Brian, and the new wife, Barbara, makes some changes that could endanger Emory's job and the sons.

But Emory soon finds that there's more to the story: Barbara could have some ties to the dead woman, and there are secrets and lies that abound everywhere.  When things escalate, Emory doesn't know whether to stop Tillie from investigating or help her.  Either way, it could get her killed anyway...

This is the second book in the series and I enjoyed it just as much as the first.  While I didn't really care for the fact that Emory constantly denigrated herself - she seems insecure about her looks but doesn't do anything about it - I ignored this to really dig into the story.

The murder is almost immediate and while we don't get to know Mandy at all beforehand, we learn an awful lot about her afterward when Tillie and Emory start questioning the people who knew her.  Tillie is a much better interrogator, since she doesn't come right out and ask people if they killed her; but the two make a decent pair together, with Emory watching out for the elderly woman.

There's also a new detective in town who wants to like Emory for personal reasons (not what you think) but doesn't know her and can't rule her out any more than anyone else.  They clash a little bit, but I do like the fact that Detective O'Neill isn't harsh with her and doesn't treat her badly.  I really detest the 'bad cop' in books where the detective is trying to put the protagonist in jail.

Having just getting to know David's sons, I do like Brian quite a bit and hope to see more of him while Theodore comes off as pretentious; still, it will be interesting to see how they progress in further books in this series.

When things escalate, and I won't say how, it changes the game for everyone, and Emory finds herself in the middle of a real pickle without knowing what direction to go in.  It gives the story a bit of intrigue to it, and makes you want to keep reading to find the outcome.  When we do discover the killer it comes as a complete surprise, and that was indeed worth reading.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Cake-Popped-Off-Cupcake-Catering/dp/0999068849/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3615838774

More on Kim Davis's Books:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089MG9YTF?searchxofy=true&ref_=dbs_s_aps_series_rwt

Deadly Ever After (A Lighthouse Library Mystery Book 8)

Author:  Eva Gates

Genre:   Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:  9781643855882

Crooked Lane Books

$26.99; $12.99 Amazon

May 11, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Librarian Lucy's wedding is at stake when a murder interrupts her engagement celebrations.  To make it down the aisle, she'll have to find the killer to save the date...

They're getting married!  Lucy Richardson and Connor McNeil have announced their engagement.  Their friends throw a party for the couple at Coquina Beach, close to Lucy's beloved Bodie Island Lighthouse Library.

As they're packing up the presents and the (few) leftovers from Josie's Cozy Bakery, who should arrive, but Richard Eric Lewiston III, Lucy's former almost-fiancé and his overbearing mother Evangeline.  Push comes to shove when Evangeline makes no secret of why she's here: to get Lucy and Ricky back together.  

Lucy isn't tempted in the least, and Ricky is nothing but embarrassed at his mother's desperate ploy.  Before returning to Boston Evangeline throws a dinner party at Jake's Seafood Bar for a reluctant Lucy and her family.  Lucy hopes to get the dinner over with and see Evangeline and Ricky returning to Boston.  But when a body is found at the restaurant's kitchen door, Lucy is again forced to unwillingly put on her detective's hat and do what she can to save her family and engagement.  Meanwhile, the classic novel reading club is reading The Hound of the Baskervilles, and open war breaks out in the Lighthouse Library when Lucy agrees to temporarily take care of a dog named Fluffy, but Charles the library cat has other ideas.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Lucy's finally getting married to the love of her life, dentist and mayor Connor McNeil.  She's happy and content...until during her engagement party there are party crashers - specifically, her ex-boyfriend Richard Lewiston III and his mother Evangeline.  It's soon obvious to everyone that Evangeline is there for one purpose only: to get Lucy back together with her son,  But Lucy has no intention of doing so, and even Ricky knows it will never happen.  Evangeline isn't about to give up, and throws her own little dinner a couple of nights later.  

But after the party a body is discovered behind the restaurant, and it changes the entire game.  Now there's an investigation, and everyone who knew the man is on the suspect list.  With ties to Lucy's father Millar, things get heated and it's Lucy who has to figure out why he was there and who hated him enough to want him dead.  Unfortunately, things at Evangeline's hotel get hot, too.  They've demanded she remove her barking dog, and Lucy is the lucky person who needs to take Fluffy.  Now if she can get her to get along with her cat Charles, everything will be fine.  Or will it?

This is the eighth book in the series, and I've read every one of them.  I do believe that the series just keeps getting better, and this book proves that.  We have Lucy trying to plan her wedding and it's interrupted by a murder.  No surprise there, but the victim is one.  (And, because this is an early ARC, I am not going to tell you who it is).  Things are getting dicey because of it, and soon Lucy discovers that more than one person who's involved has a secret or two; and those could disrupt more than one life.  Lucy, however, is good at keeping secrets and does so again.

Then there are a couple of visiting professors from England, and her friend and co-worker Charlene seems drawn to one, but Lucy is concerned, wondering if he has secrets of his own, and vows to warn her, but every time she tries to, something gets in the way.  There's also little Fluffy, whom Lucy had thrust upon her, and Charles isn't happy about it; and Ricky - whom it appears isn't quite over Lucy at all.

There are plenty of secrets and lies, and everything is woven together in an intriguing tale that draws us in from the beginning and keeps us reading in one sitting.  It's an enjoyable story that's a great addition to the series, and I really had a lot of fun reading it.  Lucy has turned out to be a great character, and even though I have never warmed up to Louise Jane, she's toned down a bit in this story and I really liked that.  I also liked the fact that Lucy and her mother are growing closer, which is also welcome.  

All in all, when the murderer is discovered, everything comes together in a neat little package and the reason why is, of course, as old as time.  The book was very good and I enjoyed it tremendously.  I hope others will, too.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Ever-After-Lighthouse-Library/dp/1643855883/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3609366883

More on Eva Gates's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/g/eva-gates/

Hot to Trot (Agatha Raisin Mysteries Book 31)

Author:  M.C. Beaton and R.W. Green

Genre:  Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book; [Audio CD]

ISBN #:  9781250157751; [9781538451953]

Minotaur Books; [Blackstone Publishing]

256 Pages

$20.49; $13.99; [$21.00] Amazon

November 17, 2020

⭐⭐⭐

When private detective Agatha Raisin learns that her friend and one-time lover Charles Fraith is to be married to a mysterious socialite, Miss Mary Brown-Field, she sees it as her duty to find out what she can about the woman.  Coming up empty, Agatha -- out of selfless concern for Charles, of course -- does the only sensible thing she can think of.  She crashes their wedding, which ends up in a public altercation.  Nursing a hangover the next morning, she gets a phone call from Charles, with even more disturbing news:  Mary has been murdered.

Agatha takes on the case, and quickly becomes entrenched in the competitive equestrian world, in which Mary had been enmeshed -- as well as the victim's surprisingly violent past.  Agatha finds no shortage of motives among a wide range of characters, from Mary's old riding competitors, to enemies from her schoolgirl days, to her surly father, who threatens Agatha to mind her own business.  Meanwhile, the police department has its money on another suspect.  Will she track down the criminal in time, or end up behind bars herself?

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Agatha Raisin is a private detective in the Cotswolds, and it saddens her to see her one-time lover Sir Charles Fraith getting married to a shrew who hates not only her, but Charles' long-time valet, Gustav.  In fact, it seems the woman hates just about everyone.  Agatha knows that Mary has a hold on Charles, and sets out to discover what it is; and is surprised to find her nemesis Gustav egging her on.

When Agatha crashes the wedding with her ex-husband James, she sneaks out before there's a confrontation.  But it seems it's only postponed when she also sneaks into a masquerade ball (with the help of Gustav) and is recognized by Mary, who throws a fit - and something else at Agatha, causing pandemonium.  But when Mary is murdered later that night, her friend policeman Bill Wong warns her to stay out of the investigation, because his boss hates her and has it in for her, and would pin it on her if he could.

But when Charles becomes a suspect, he asks for Agatha's help in proving his innocence.  When she starts digging into Mary's past, unsavory aspects come forth.  Not only hers, but her father's as well.  Will Agatha find the killer, or will Charles be imprisoned for a murder he didn't commit?

I wanted to read this book because I've read the others in the series, and especially the last two, which have led me here.  Unfortunately, it seems R.W. Green didn't read either of those.  I say this because while the book is written in the style of Ms. Beaton, it's not written in the feel of previous books.  This book gives off a different aura for Agatha, and I don't think Charles would be so cavalier to her, since in the last two books things were otherwise.  (I do not want to say too much on the subject because I do not wish to spoil those books for readers who have not read them yet).  

In this book, it seems that James is less of who he has been.  He's rather a pale imitation of himself, as are the others.  There's no pretentiousness at all; he's just anyone who walks down the street.  Charles isn't charming as he has always been in other books; I didn't feel it and unfortunately, it didn't draw me to him.  Agatha herself isn't being Agatha.  Where are her heels?  Her insecurities?  Agatha has changed into someone I don't recognize at all.  

Let us just say that this book is taking us down a path I didn't expect nor really relish.  Actually, I was hoping that the last two books would lead us to something else; but ah, well.  As a book, it was written well and, of course, Agatha discovered the murderer, as we know she must.  I will read the next in the series to see where it's going.

https://www.amazon.com/Hot-Trot-Agatha-Mystery-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B084M2LG81/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3603094512

More on M.C. Beaton's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/m-c-beaton/

Murder in Devil's Cove (A Book Magic Mystery #1)

Author:  Melissa Bourbon

Genre:   Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:  9780997866117

Melissa Bourbon Ramirez Publishing

306 Pages

$14.99' $4.99 Amazon

September 22, 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Every book tells two stories -- one written on the pages with pen and ink, and one woven into the paper, a story of the soul.  The Lane women have the gift of bibliomancy.  They can read both.

But Cassie Lane doesn't see this as a gift.  For her, it is a curse because the book magic comes with a price -- the Lane women die young and the men are lost to the sea.  As soon as she's able. she leaves Laurel Point, Oregon, running from her past and her fate, ending up on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  There she meets Leo Hawthorne and lives a perfect life with him in an old Sea Captain's house.

Perfect, that is, until an old book foretells the future, and the curse that has plagued the Lane women comes true for Cassie.

Twenty years later, Cassie and Leo's children, twins Pippin and Grey, are back in Devil's Cove.  Long forgotten secrets surface and an old crime comes to light.  Now Pippin must learn how to be a bibliomancer if she is to discover the truth about her father and continue his effort to stop the curse.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

I wanted to read this book because the blurb sounded interesting, and the protagonist wasn't running away from an ex or a scandal.  Instead, I found her running away from life...

Pippin Lane and her brother Grey have returned to the Outer Banks of North Carolina where they spent their younger lives after being raised by their grandparents.  They've been deeded a home from their father, and Pippin has decided to turn it into an inn in this tourist town.  But then there is a discovery that changes their lives, and turns Pippin's well-ordered world upside-down.  Now left with more questions than answers, and having to rely on people she knows little of, Pippin has suddenly found that living a solitary life might not be the best way, especially with others who are willing to help in any way they can.

But the discovery of people who knew her parents and are giving her information that she never thought possible is also giving her the possibility of learning to trust others, and even more important, allowing them into her life.  This she will need if she ever wants to find out the truth of her history, since she was never allowed near books while growing up, and now learns that she needs to face her family legacy of being a bibliomancer if she is ever to find her future...

This is the first in a new series and it wasn't what I expected.  There is much sadness within, yet without it the story cannot be told.  Falling into Pippin's life, I found myself feeling empathy for her situation, and why she's chosen the lifestyle she has, along with her brother choosing his.  They face life differently; face situations differently; yet have always been there for each other since they are all there is left of their immediate family.

It would be hard not to be drawn into this story from the beginning, when we are given the background by starting with Pippin's mother Cassie and her story.  How her love for a seagoing man gave her a brief happiness and then stole it all from her.  (I am not giving anything away as this is all told in the blurb).

Enter their grown twins, Pippin and Grey, to take over their lives where they began them almost thirty years ago, and how by doing so it brings them more pain the need to find the truth.  It's a haunting story while drawing you in and hoping that they can find the answers they're looking for.  But along the way both make friends, some from their childhood, and Pippin is now finding that maybe this is where she belonged all along.  

However, while searching for her past, a murder occurs and in trying to find the killer -- since the sheriff thinks it was just an accident, even though the man's widow doesn't believe it -- Pippin starts to believe that the man's death may tie in with her own father's disappearance all those years ago.  But searching for a killer who has managed to remain hidden isn't going to be easy, especially since he's managed to stay hidden and closer to Pippin than she knows...

The rest of the story will have to remain as hidden as Pippin's history, since saying too much would give away the rest of the tale, and I have no wish to do so.  Let me just say that this story, filled with sadness, longing, and anger, gives way to new beginnings and answers, and gives Pippin a reason to look forward to the future.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Devils-Cove-buried-Mystery/dp/099786611X/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3601273803

More on Melissa Bourbon's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/melissa-bourbon/

Harlan's Secret (Behind the Crime Book 5)

Author:  Laura Greene

Genre:   Mystery

Digital Edition

ASIN #:  B08JZ3814F

Independently Published

56 Pages

$.99 Amazon

October 8, 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Jessy's journey to discover the truth behind Harlan and his work is finally coming to an end.  Through each case file, he has revealed more about himself, but now, Jessy's final case will force her into the darkest territory she has ever known.  A psychiatric hospital hides a sinister secret, and revealing it may bring Jessy face to face with Harlan himself, but at what cost?  

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Jessy and her husband are just days away from being moved to the witness relocation program, staying in a hotel with two police officers guarding them.  But she's decided that her life and that of her husband shouldn't be changed, so she wants to find the people that have caused the problem in the first place.

Finding a killer might be the easy part, but finding Harlan, the man who started it all, is going to be a different story.  With the help of her friend Mia, she sets out to find Harlan, but in doing so she might also end her life permanently...

I found this short story intriguing, even though unfortunately I've never read any of the others in the series and had no idea who anyone was (my loss!).  Still, it had enough suspense and moments to draw you into the story easily.  It was easy enough to follow everything Jessy did, and her stealth at getting away from the police and finding what she needed was enough to keep you reading.  The writing was very good, and while there is sadness, there is also enticement about the beginning of something new for others.

All in all, this tale is well worth reading, but I suggest you go back and start with the beginning story; you won't be disappointed and you might find a new series to keep focused on.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Harlans-Secret-Behind-Crime-Book-ebook/dp/B08JZ3814F/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3584952632

More on Laura Greene's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/g/laura-greene/

Candy Cane Crime (An Amish Candy Shop Mystery #5.5)

Author:  Amanda Flower

Genre:    Mystery

Digital Book

ASIN #:  B08C9DQJVV

Kensington Publishing

84 Pages

$2.99 Amazon

October 27, 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Christmas is coming all too quickly for Harvest, Ohio's famous chocolatier, Bailey King.  Thanks to her new cable TV show, her shop has more candy orders than she can handle this holiday season.  Fortunately, her beloved Cousin Charlotte is happy to take the Candy Cane Exchange off Bailey's to-do list.  After all, Charlotte has come to Harvest from her conservative home district to find her future outside of her family's influence.  What better way than by taking on the Englisch task of pairing the sweet notes everyone is exchanging with a peppermint treat, just in time for Christmas Eve delivery?  But when Charlotte discovers some of those delicious missives are for her, suddenly she's staking out the festive postbox, hoping to catch her secret admirer in his intriguing tracks...

When Charlotte sees something underhanded going on beneath the merrymaking, she enlists the help of Sheriff Deputy Luke Little to find out if her unknown correspondent is none other than the town's biggest suspect.  And the surprising truth about her suitor's identity has her contemplating leaving her Amish roots behind forever...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Christmas is coming fast for everyone in Harvest, Ohio, where the Englischers live peacefully amongst the Amish -- at least for the most part.  But no one can dispute that Margo Rawlings wants the town to be the best, even if it means hounding poor Bailey with more work.  But while Bailey steadfastly refuses to accept anything, telling Margot she has her hands full as it it, Charlotte finds herself offering to attach the notes to the candy canes so the volunteers can deliver them on Christmas Eve to their recipients.

The notes, which are meant to be small reminders of love or affection for someone else, are attached to the canes and given to them.  People will put a dollar for the cane along with a note so the town can afford better costumes for the Living Nativity.  Charlotte doesn't think it will be too much trouble for her, but when she finds a note addressed to herself, she's stunned and excited at the same time.  She can't imagine anyone wanting to be with her, since she left her own district to live with her Cousin Clara, Bailey's grandmother.  At twenty-two and still unbaptized, she hasn't made the decision whether she wants to join the Amish faith or not.  This has caused a rift in her family, and even with some of the local Amish.  But now she has another problem:  who is the man who is sending her notes?

When Bailey's neighbor Abel Esh seems to know what's going on, Charlotte is disturbed and wonders if he's sending them as a prank to hurt her feelings.  Determined to find out the truth, Charlotte, along with an elderly Amish man named Uriah who has a secret of his own, sets out to 'stakeout' the box where people are putting the money and notes for her to collect.  But what she finds out isn't what she expects, and it could change her life forever...

This novella in the series is delightful in the fact that it's told from Charlotte's point of view.  She takes center stage and does an admirable job of narrating the story.  While it's not a murder mystery, there is definitely a mystery (or two) within, and Charlotte is trying to find out the truth of who is sending her notes of affection.

While this book can be read in an hour or two, it's a welcome relief from the world around us, and brings us closer to the holidays with a nice tale of how Harvest decorates for the Christmas season and Charlotte coming closer to making a decision about the direction her life will be going in the future.  It also shows us a dark side of one of the inhabitants; but I can't say we didn't expect anything less of that person anyway.

In the end, everything comes together in a lovely Christmas package and it's a wonderful addition to the series.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Candy-Cane-Crime-Amish-Mystery-ebook/dp/B08C9DQJVV/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3578687001

More on Amanda Flower's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/f/amanda-flower/