Wrecked by Rum (Bohemia Bartenders Mystery Book 2)

Author:  Lucy Lakestone

Genre:   Mystery

Hardcover; Trade Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #"  9781943134298; 9781943134250

Velvet Petal Press

294 Pages

$16.48; $14.95; $4.99 Amazon

August 10, 2020

⭐⭐⭐

When mixologist Pepper Revelle joins the Bohemia Bartenders for what promises to be an entertaining, rum-soaked tiki convention in sultry South Florida, she expects divine ukuleles, sublime swizzles and a chance to know chief bartender Neil a little better.  What she gets is chaos -- the death of a high-profile rum collector, a cast of sneaky suspects and ten thousand limes to squeeze.

With one of their own under suspicion, Pepper and Neil set out to find the real killer.  But behind the aloha shirts and cocktail parasols is a blender full of secrets.  The centerpiece of the convention is a high-dollar tasting of rums that survived a shipwreck and other disasters, and when a precious bottle vanishes from the crime scene, everyone with a ticket is a suspect.

As Pepper tries to keep the insatiable crowd inebriated and her gregarious dog Astra sober, she finds peril under every palm tree.  It seems like everybody's guilty of something.  But who's guilty of murder?  And can she and Neil find the culprit before they're smacked like the mint in a Mai Tai?

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Mixologist Pepper Revelle and her fellow bartenders are headed to a convention where rare rums are going to be showcased.  When they arrive, everything at first is running smoothly, until Fizz Martin, a famed collector, starts ordering everyone around and makes Luke, another bartender, his lap dog for the day.

When Fizz is found dead in the kitchen by Pepper, Luke is discovered with the murder weapon and is now a suspect in the murder.  Then another bartender's father is lead detective on the case, which only confuses matters for everyone.  Now Pepper is on the trail of a killer who's trying to frame her friend, and she might just put herself in the frame as the next person on the hit list...

I really wanted to like this book, but it seemed off to me.  I just couldn't believe that bartenders - who spend their time doling out drinks and seeing what the aftereffects are on people once they're drunk - would want to do the same.  Mixologists today exude professionalism.  They don't want to be bartenders forever - they want to write, own companies, etc., and to do this they can't be wasted all the time and lead healthy lifestyles.

All Pepper did was drink and lust after Neil.  I found it rather tedious, and also there were other things that bothered me.  Why did Neil encourage Pepper to investigate?  You'd think he'd know a killer was out there and tell her to stop; and since when do homicide detectives share information with their children?  Not very professional, and not believable.  

So, in the end, the murderer was pretty easy to discover, but there just wasn't enough mystery and I honestly couldn't get past the point that Pepper and her friends thought the best things in life were in a bottle and find it plausible.  Sorry, but three stars for the writing and that's about it.  

https://www.amazon.com/Wrecked-Rum-Bohemia-Bartenders-Mysteries/dp/1943134251/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3662967610

More on Lucy Lakestone's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/l/lucy-lakestone/

Celebrate with Bread Baking (Essential Recipes for Special Occasions)

Author:  Jenny Prior

Genre:   Cookbooks

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:  9781646116362

Rockridge Press

186 Pages

$14.27; $6.99 Amazon

November 3, 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐

There are dozens of holidays and special occasions across the world that are honored with bread -- and creating your own beautifully baked, crisp, and golden loaf is a wonderful way to honor your culture and community and a shared tradition passed down through generation.  Celebrate with Bread Baking has everything you need to celebrate your favorite holidays and biggest milestones -- and bring everyone together with a slice of homemade bread.

Get started with a quick review of the bread baking process, including handy terminology, how to work with starters, and more.  Whether you're planning to celebrate Diwali with crispy East African-Inspired Chapati Flatbread or enjoy your morning coffee with a Kanelbullar, make every celebration memorable and meaningful with 70 mouthwatering breads that are perfect for every season or reason and for gatherings of any size.

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I originally got this book because I love to bake and there's nothing like homemade bread.  But I have to say that I was surprised at the variety of breads included.  Not only are there breads such as those the author mentioned, but I was intrigued by recipes for Beignets (which I love); scones, buns, and even calzones.

There is a listing of bread basics that everyone should have if they're starting out baking, and this is explained in detail.  The only thing I would have liked is to have seen pictures of every recipe, but the ones included are very nice.

There is a plethora of Ethic breads, but many of them sound quite appetizing and I'm going to sample the Chipa, Babka, and even the Challah (another of my favorites).  There are breads that are easy to make, and then there are those that take skill and have a lot of ingredients.  I will say that there are breads for all skill levels, and if you love to bake and love the scent of fresh bread in your home, then this is the cookbook for you.

https://www.amazon.com/Celebrate-Bread-Baking-Essential-Occasions/dp/1646116364/ref

Goodreads:  

Statue of Limitations (A Goddess of Greene St. Mystery #1)

Author:  Kate Collins

Genre:   Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN: 9781496724335

Kensington Publishing

315 Pages

$7.99; $4.99 Amazon

January 28, 2020

⭐⭐

After her divorce, Athena has returned to coastal Michigan to work in her family's garden center and raise her son, while also caring for a mischievous wild raccoon and fending off her family's annoying talent for nagging.  Working alone at the garden center one night, Athena is startled by a handsome stranger who claims to be the rightful owner of a valuable statue her grandfather purchased at a recent estate sale.

But she has even bigger problems on her plate.  The powerful Talbot family from whom her pappous bought the statue is threatening to raze the shops on Greene Street's "Little Greece" to make way for a condo.  The recent death of the family's patriarch already seemed suspicious, but now it's clear that a murderer is in their midst.  Athena will have to live up to her warrior goddess namesake to protect her family from a killer and save their community from ruin...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Athena moved back home after she lost her job and her husband divorced her, bringing her young son with her, and moving in with her family.  She works at her family's garden center, and has so far accepted that this is her new life.  One night she comes across a man in the center, looking at a statue of Athena that her grandfather bought at an estate sale, and he tells her that it rightfully belongs to him.  After finally getting him to leave, she vows to tell her father about it, but doesn't get the chance when she sees the news the next day and recognizes the man running from the Talbot home as the one she came across.  It seems a man was murdered at the estate and he's suspected of being the murderer.

But when the man - Case Donnelly - convinces her that he's been framed, she agrees to help him find the real killer and clear his name.  But in doing so, she puts herself in danger...and she just might be the next victim...

Well, I liked the blurb about this book, so I really wanted to read it.  Unfortunately, I just thought it was so...dull.  Not even the murder mystery could save this, in my opinion.  I absolutely hated everyone in her family except her father.  They were all so stereotypical of the 'noisy, overbearing Greeks' that it really bothered me.  Her sisters were completely over the top, and her mother was way too interfering, considering Athena is thirty-four years old.  Also, all of them live in one house?  How big is this place, anyway?  Why aren't any of her sisters married?  Oh, right...they're annoying.  (I have three sisters, and if they were anything like any of these three, I wouldn't tell them where I lived).

Speaking of Athena, we know she has a son, but it was like he was wallpaper.  He was there when needed, but otherwise out of the picture.  I also have to wonder about his father, who would divorce her and then just walk away from his child - and we're not given the reason why he was so willing to abandon his son.  

Then the ending...well, the mystery was wrapped up nice and tight, just like it's supposed to, so that is a good thing.  I knew pretty much early on who the killer had to be and why, but still wanted to see Athena and Case figure it out.  It left us something to look forward to in the next book, if I decide to read it.  At this point, I'm not sure I want to visit the Spencer household ever again.

https://www.amazon.com/Statue-Limitations-Goddess-Greene-Mystery/dp/149672433X/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3659572130

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

Finished Off in Fondant (A Courtney Archer Mystery #2)

Author:  Rosemarie Ross

Genre:   Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:  9781496722775

Kensington Publishing

304 Pages

$7.99; $7.59 Amazon

December 1, 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Despite a few early hiccups, Courtney is thrilled with her starring role on The American Baking Battle, filmed at a grand resort in the Pocono Mountains.  The icing on the cake?  The new season has a wedding theme -- complete with formal wear.  But the first day on the set, the producer seems to care more about profits than pastry -- and the topper comes when her cohost Skylar falls ill.  Little does she know things are about to end in tiers...

When a barely coherent, blood-covered Skylar is discovered at the doorway of his room, Courtney is horrified to walk inside and find a towering wedding cake -- thoroughly smashed by the body of a woman in a bridal gown.  Now suspicion is filling the studio and falling on Skylar, and Courtney has to look at coworkers and contestants, working through layers of deception to find the real culprit...

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When Courtney Archer, host of the television show Cooking with the Farmer's Daughter, decides to come clean with her fans about her real background she knows it might change her career or get her cancelled.  But that stress isn't even in comparison to the stress surrounding her appearance as cohost of the show The American Baking Battle, now in its second season.  The show went over budget last time because of a murder, so the producer is on hand and making everyone miserable with his changes and demands.  To make things worse, she's been assigned a bodyguard from the security company - a woman who seems to have a personal interest in Courtney's own producer Eric - and it's thrown her into a tizzy wondering what's going on inside her. 

But then she and Shannon, one of the judges on the show, find Skylar, Courtney's cohost, incoherent in his room and covered in blood.  When she discovers a dead woman on top of a cake, questions abound about what happened.  One thing Courtney knows for sure is that no matter where the evidence leads, Skylar would not have killed the woman.  But the question remains: who did?  

This is the second book in the series and I have to say that I enjoyed it quite as much as the first.  The characters' dialogue is witty and fun, they care about each other and are pleased to be working with one another.  Courtney, while trying to do her job, has an innate curiosity that wants to get to the bottom of things.  But of course being fought in every direction by the sheriff and the security team, she needs to keep her questions to herself and find answers wherever she can.  Unfortunately, it also puts her front and center as the next victim.

While I knew who the murderer was early on, it never took away from anything going on within the story.  Honestly, with all the other action -- especially the filming of the show -- it kept things moving right along and I got caught up in wondering who would be sent home next.  I also loved the description of many of the recipes (oh, how I wish some of them were added so I could try them - I love to cook and bake - but I digress).  At any rate, we get to see how busy Courtney is, and not only is she trying to find out who framed Skylar, but she has two shows to film - and who knows how long either of them will be around - so we have that question going on along with the murder.

When things start coming together, we see that Courtney is a woman who can think on her feet, which I really like, and while she doesn't deliberately put herself in danger, once she's there she immediately tries to find a way out of it.  But I absolutely loved the ending.  However, I will add one caveat:  these books should be read in order, because in this one the author does mention details of the murder in the first one several times.

The author has given us a new series with a (hopefully) bright promise and I really wish I could delve into the next book right now.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Finished-Fondant-Courtney-Archer-Mystery/dp/1496722779/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3654800019

More on Rosemarie Ross's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/r/rosemarie-ross/

The Easy Christmas Cookie Cookbook (60+ Recipes to Bake for the Holidays)

Author:  Carroll Pellegrinelli

Genre:   Cookbooks

Paperback; Digital Book 

ISBN #:  9781647397227

Rockridge Press

168 Pages$12.59; $6.99 Amazon

November 3, 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Tis the season to pull out those cookie cutters and get ready to whip up an array of magical, mouthwatering Christmas cookies even the Grinch will love!  From Gingerbread people to Candy Cane Cookies, this Christmas Cookbook is packed with foolproof baking guidance, tons of festive decorating tips, and dozens of super easy recipes for tasty treats -- perfect for gifting and simple enough to sweeten any occasion.

Get the ins and outs of holiday baking, from measuring and mixing to chilling, rolling, and cutting, including storage suggestions.  Find hands-on guidance for decorating techniques like piping icing and adding flair with sprinkles and sugar.  Then, bake up some Christmas cheer with simple step-by-step recipes for over 60 delightful cookies, brownies, bars, and even special treats such as Easy English-style Toffee and Truffles.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

I saw this cookbook and just knew that I had to have it.  I wasn't disappointed in getting it, either.  The author started with prep, techniques, tools, etc.; and made it easy enough for even inexperienced cooks.  Then she gets into the heart of the book: the recipes.

I've been baking since I was a little girl, and own hundreds of cookbooks.  But there are quite a few interesting recipes in here that I'm going to bake, including St. Nicholas Cookies, Cranberry-Orange Chocolate Linzer Cookies, Double Mint Brownies, Orange Snow Bars, and even the author's version of Gingerbread People.

With all these recipes, I'm sure that anyone can find several to try, and there's even a recipe for no-bake cookies for those who are kitchen-challenged!  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Christmas-Cookie-Cookbook-Holidays/dp/1647397227/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3653175578

Cobblered to Death (A Courtney Archer Mystery #1)

Author:  Rosemarie Ross

Genre:   Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:  9781496722751

Kensington Publishing

312 Pages

$6.59; $6.26 Amazon

November 26, 2019

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Courtney Archer is known for hosting the show Cooking with the Farmer's Daughter...despite the fact that she's actually a pediatrician's daughter.  Now she's signed on for a role on The American Baking Battle.  On this reality show, she can start developing a more authentic image for herself -- and as a bonus, the usual backstabbing and manufactured drama isn't part of the Baking Battle script.  But genuine drama is heating up behind the scenes...

During a film shoot in the scenic Pocono Mountains, Courtney has to juggle career commitments like pots on a six-burner stove.  Adding to the stress is Mick, a contestant who finds out about her farm-girl story.  Determined to succeed at her new gig, she whips up a cherry cobbler in a cast-iron fry pan one evening and leave it out to cool.  But the next morning, it's Mick's body that's cooling -- right next to Courtney's pan, now classified as a murder weapon...

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When Courtney Archer, successful show host of Cooking with the Farmer's Daughter, signs on to cohost a new show being filmed in the Poconos, she thinks it will be nice to be out of a studio and all the drama that goes with it.  She's also tired of pretending she grew up on a farm, but her producer Eric tells her that she hasn't a choice since it's in her contract.  However, their conversation was overheard by one of the contestants, Mick Henderson, and he hints that her secret is safe with him.

But she also needs to film episodes of her own show while she's there, so she spends one evening making a cherry cobbler for her show the next day.  The next morning she goes to pick up her cobbler and finds Mick on the floor dead with her cobbler surrounding him.  Now she's considered a person of interest in the murder, and Courtney, against the wishes of Eric and security chief Drake Nolan, decides to investigate on her own to clear her name.  But even when she angers some of the contestants, she doesn't stop hunting.  Unfortunately, she's also drawing the attentions of a killer, who decides it might be time to put her out to pasture permanently...

This is the first book in a new series and I have to say it's very good.  While I felt it started slow, so slow I almost didn't pursue the book, I'm glad I stayed with it as it picked up soon enough and then became interesting.  The plot was done well, and the dialogue fit the book so there were no lags after the first chapter or so.

The only thing that bothered me was the possibility of a love triangle, and I absolutely abhor them, so I'm hoping the author doesn't continue in this vein in future books (don't worry, this isn't really a spoiler as it becomes apparent early on in the book).  I always say that if it were a man stringing along two women you'd think him a hound, or worse; so why is is okay for a woman to string along two men?  It's not.  Period.

Anyway...when Courtney decides she needs to prove her innocence, she uses the Internet to do so.  In that, she digs up information about a couple of the characters in the book, and she has her eye set on one in particular she thinks is the murderer.   However, she doesn't overtly go into peoples' rooms to search, or stalk them, and I did like this point of the book.  It gets tiresome with the stalking angle.

She does make a new friend in Shannon Collins, host of her own television show, and I did like Shannon quite a bit, and I'd like to see more of her.  I don't feel that we got to involve ourselves in Eric much, though; he seemed to only pop in and out now and then, much as the show contestants.

All in all, when the ending comes and the murderer is discovered, it was a bit of a surprise, but that's not a bad thing.  The reason for the murder came down to a motive as old as man itself, so it was believable.  I did like the ending quite a bit, and I look forward to reading the next in the series.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Cobblered-Death-Courtney-Archer-Mystery/dp/1496722752/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3649802615

More on Rosemarie Ross's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/r/rosemarie-ross/

What's Your Enneatype? (An Essential Guide to the Enneagram)

Author:  Liz Carver and Josh Green

Genre:   Self-Help

Trade Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:  9781592339525

Fair Winds Press

176 Pages

$19.79; $18.80 Amazon

August 4, 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pronouned ebb-ee-uh-gram, stemming from the Greek words enna (nine) and grammes (a written symbol), the Enneagram is a centuries-old categorization tool that classifies human personalities into nine interconnected personality types.

In What's Your Enneatype? you'll learn -- through in-depth descriptions, illustrations, and more -- how to assess how you think, feel, and experience life so that you can correctly identify which of the nine types you are.

Authors Liz Carver and Josh Green, creators of the hugely popular Instragram account @justmyenneatype, help you discover how knowing your type -- and the types of those around you -- can affect your daily life, your decisions, and your relationships.  You can then use this wisdom to live life with more clarity, peace, and insight.

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I found this book interesting in that it gives a comprehensive view of all nine Enneatypes.  But, unfortunately, it doesn't give you any information on how to discover which type you are.  Instead, the authors want you to read all nine types and then choose the closest to your personality.

This I found was a disservice to others.  I, myself, chose to go onto the Internet and take the tests that are offered there to get this done quickly, and therefore discover what I already knew about myself.  I say that because not everyone wants to read an entire book and then go back and state 'hey, I should have stopped at one!' because out of curiosity you will read the entire book and then realize that, only frustrating yourself.

I get that the authors wanted you to read the entire book - after all, isn't that why it was written in the first place? - but honestly, I would have preferred those little 'tests' thrown in at the beginning to make things easier.  However, I will say that in reading my 'number,' several of the things written were right on the mark; but others not quite so much.  Or maybe I've just adjusted through the years and done what I've needed to, to get where I am.  Who can say?  (I did think it was fascinating to find that the color chosen for my type is actually my favorite color, so there's that...)

In the end, this is a neat little book that I found fun to read and actually had some thought-provoking information that was worth the read.  As such, I would recommend this book to others.

https://www.amazon.com/Whats-Enneatype-Essential-Guide-Enneagram/dp/1592339522/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3647999564

Dutch Oven Dinners: A Cookbook for Flavorful Meals Made in Your Favorite Pot

Janet Zimmerman

Genre:  Cookbooks

Trade Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:  9781647397302

Rockridge Press

175 Pages

$11.99; $6.99 Amazon

September 22, 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐

You know your Dutch oven makes great soups and stews, but this versatile pot can serve up dinners of all kinds.  Discover the possibilities with Dutch Oven Dinners, an essential cookbook packed with more than 75 recipes, both familiar and new.  Whether you're getting dinner on the table on a busy weeknight or creating an elaborate meal for friends, you'll find a delicious dish for every occasion.

Make life easier with convenient 30-minute or one-pot meals, along with recipes that need just eight ingredients.  Get nostalgic with classic slow-cooked favorites, and expand your horizons with decadent comfort foods.  An assortment of recipes for quick sides help make any meal complete.  You can also serve many of these dishes in the same beautiful pot, so cleanup will be a breeze!

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

I got this cookbook because I love to cook, but who doesn't want easy meals now and again?  The author starts with explaining the uses and tools you'll need to cook, and a short introduction on the types of recipes that are within.  Then we come to the recipes themselves:

While I've never much used a Dutch oven, this book has me thinking I should use it more.  While not all of the recipes sound delightful to me (who loves every recipe in a cookbook, anyway?) there are enough to make it worthwhile to purchase this book.

I especially like the recipes for Fish Fillet Sandwiches, Pork Piccata, Creamy Chicken and Noodles, Garlic Pot Roast with Mushrooms, and Silky Garlic Mashed Potatoes.  I am sure that there are a few recipes that others will enjoy, too.

The only downside to this book is the fact that their isn't a lot of pictures of the recipes.  I would prefer to see what everything would look like (since I am sure the author made them before contributing them to the book), but still I plan to try these and more.  All in all, a very nice cookbook.

https://www.amazon.com/Dutch-Oven-Dinners-Cookbook-Flavorful-ebook/dp/B08HDL1VJW/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3643209153

The Bride and Doom (A Wedding Crashers Mystery Book 1)

Author:  Erin Scroggins

Genre:   Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:  9781953826008

Helium Press

254 Pages

$12.99; $3.99 Amazon

October 9, 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

She can't skip town until her aunt makes it to the altar.  When a killer crashes the party, can she save the bride-to-be from honeymooning in jail?

Glory Wells thinks her life can't get much worse after her con artist husband runs away with her money and her pride.  Low on self-respect and high on misery, she reluctantly returns to her small hometown for her eccentric aunt's fourth trip down the aisle.  But she finds herself in hot oil when the wedding planner is discovered dangling from the ship's mast like the fresh catch of the day.

With her food-loving aunt as the prime suspect, Glory sets out to rustle up the truth.  But a pirate-themed wedding, a bedazzled chicken, and a zany cast of characters from her past may be a recipe for disaster.  And as Glory struggles to manage this homicidal mutiny, the culprit simmers frighteningly close to home.

Can she pick up the pieces of her life, survive two weeks of Southern-fried family time, and solve the puzzle before she's the next overcooked victim?

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Glory Wells has a problem.  Actually, she has many problems:  once a successful event planner in Raleigh, her life went haywire when her soon-to-be ex-husband skedaddled from an event with all her money and disappeared.  Now she's broke, nearly homeless, and jobless.  

Then she gets a call from her Aunt Beverlee telling her she needs her to come home right away.  Thinking Beverlee is ill, Glory heads to the place where she grew up.  But when she arrives it's only to find Beverlee is getting married -- for the fourth time, and she wants Glory to help her.  Once Glory meets the wedding planner, she's not impressed.  The woman is surly and obviously doesn't even like Beverlee.  But Glory is more stunned when she finds that Beverlee wants her wedding on an old crate of a boat -- and pirate-themed.

But later that night, Glory returns to the boat and finds the planner strung up like a ham.  With Beverlee the main suspect, she's determined to find a killer and save her aunt from jail.  Unfortunately, she also has to face her old boyfriend -- the man she left to go to Raleigh -- and things only go downhill from there.  Now, with help from a group of eccentric people, Glory seeks a murderer...who might know that she's looking...

This is the first book in the series and I didn't know what to expect.  I have to say that I was not only pleasantly surprised, I was entranced.  The dialogue is witty and sassy, with plenty of sarcasm thrown in (which I love); the action is fast-moving and the story pulls you in from the very first chapter.

I do like Glory, even with all her self-deprecation and resentment; although I hope in later books she'll find her center again and pull herself forward; and I also love all the secondary characters, including home-bound Josie, who seems to be interesting herself.  Scoots is hilarious, and Beverlee is the kind of woman you'd like to spend time with but be grateful when you get home again.

When Glory returns she discovers things have changed, and it makes her feel out of place even more.  Since she's not fond of wearing earplugs and doesn't want to listen to her aunt and her beau during their, shall we say, escapades, she escapes to a small apartment that's near the boat her ex, Ian, lives on.  More problems.  Then she comes face-to-face with the woman who made her miserable during school; and Glory isn't happy about that.

But she's also finding that not everyone is dreading her return, and she plows ahead with the investigation, putting herself in unwanted situations but never in direct danger, which I liked.  Glory can think on her feet, even though her aunt is willing to do unlawful things; Glory manages to pull them out at the last minute, and I did enjoy that.

When the ending comes and the killer is revealed it comes as a complete surprise, which is delightful.  How Glory saves the day is pretty humorous in itself, and the ending was worth it.  I look forward to the next in the series.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Bride-Doom-Wedding-Crashers-Mystery/dp/1953826008/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3643136992

More on Erin Scroggins's Books:  https://www.amazon.com/Erin-Scoggins/e/B08K3QN665/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1

The Deadly School (A Boarding Case Mystery Book 1)

Author:  Laura Greene

Genre:   Mystery

Digital Book

ASIN #:  B08KNXH7WD

54 Pages

$.99 Amazon

November 12, 2020

⭐⭐⭐

What was haunting you, Anna?

Detective Tina James is called in to investigate a number of suicide cases at Hartford Boarding School.  She's specifically told to treat the case as an internal matter to avoid bad publicity for the prestigious school.

Aptly assisted by dashing and kindly school chaplain, Nick Collins, Tina must enter unfamiliar ground to save the lives of those most at risk.  When she comes across troubling evidence she's forced into a race against time as she solves the sinister secrets of Hartford.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Detective Tina James has just moved to Hartford from Boston with her boyfriend, Dale.  They're starting new lives together and she hopes that her relationship will survive the move.  But when she's called in to investigate a series of teenage suicides at a boarding school, she needs to take as much time as she can to solve the case, and with the unexpected help of someone at the school and the chaplain, she manages to get to the heart of the matter...

Maybe I'm the wrong audience for this book, but I just didn't enjoy it much.  First, she moves with her boyfriend to start a life together, but when an unexpected event - one unexpected event - occurs, then that goes haywire.  I just didn't understand that at all.  It didn't seem like they even loved each other.

Then, first we're told it's a girls' school but then there are boys in a different dormitory.  So that kind of was odd.  As the story progressed, it seemed like nothing was coming together in a rational way.  I'll let the reader decide if they know what I'm talking about.  As for the ending, well, I don't really like cliffhangers, as I've always felt that it's holding the reader hostage; making them read the next book.  

However, the writing was very good and the story was short enough that I read it in about fifteen minutes, so that was a plus as I didn't invest a lot of time before I got to the ending.  Others might find this a very interesting book, so please take a chance.

https://www.amazon.com/Deadly-School-Boarding-Case-Mystery-ebook/dp/B08KNXH7WD/ref

More on Laura Greene's Books:  https://www.amazon.com/Laura-Greene/e/B08BFJBQZH/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1

Murders and Metaphors (A Magical Bookshop Mystery #3)

Author:  Amanda Flower
Genre:  Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9781683318996
Crooked Lane Books
320 Pages
$12.61; $10.99 Amazon
February 12, 2019

⭐⭐⭐⭐

January means ice wine season in the Niagara Falls region, but the festivities leave Charming Books owner Violet Waverly cold, still reeling from a past heartbreak.  A past heartbreak who will be present at the annual midnight grape-harvest festival, and no magic in the world or incantation powerful enough could get Violet to attend.  But Grandma Daisy, an omniscient force all on her own, informs Violet that she's already arranged for the mystical Charming Books to host celebrity sommelier Belinda Perkins's book signing at the party.  Little do either Waverly women know, the ice wine festival will turn colder when Violet finds Belinda in the middle of the frozen vineyard - with a grape harvest knife protruding from her chest.

Belinda grew up in Cascade Springs, but she left town years ago after a huge falling-out with her three sisters.  One of those sisters, Violet's high school friend Lacey Dupont, attends the book signing in the hope of making amends with her sister, but Belinda and Lacey end up disrupting the signing with a very public shouting match and Lacey quickly becomes the prime suspect in the sommelier's murder.

Violet is sure Lacey is innocent, and to keep her friend out of prison, Violet asks for guidance from her magical bookshop.  The shop's ethereal essence points her to Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, but what have the four March sisters to do with the four Perkins sisters?  If she can't figure it out, Violet, herself, may turn as cold as ice.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

When Violet Waverly returned to Cascade Springs, New York, it was because she thought her grandmother was ailing.  What she found was that her grandmother was well and hearty, and wanted her to come home after a dozen years away.  Violet left because she had been betrayed by her then-boyfriend, Nathan Morton, who is now mayor of the town and still wants Violet.

But Violet discovered that she'd also unwillingly become the Caretaker of her family's bookstore and its magical tree inside - a tree that grew inside the home and allows the shop's books to find just the right book for the right person.  A secret that the Waverly women have hidden for decades.

When a noted wine writer is coming to visit, the Waverlys are providing the books, and head to the Morton winery where the signing is to be.  While there, Violet discovers that Belinda Perkins is not only not very nice, she's also the older sister of her friend Lacey.  After Lacey has a very public confrontation with Belinda, Violet finds Belinda's body outside the home, and Lacey is the main suspect.  Now Violet has to find out who really killed Belinda, or her friend's life might just be destroyed forever...

This is the third book in the series and I must say that I liked it much better than the first two.  While the beginning almost lost me as I wasn't really drawn into the story immediately, I am glad that I stuck with it to finish the book.  Once it got going it steadily drew me closer, and I found myself enchanted by the tale.

The fact that the book this time that Violet has thrust upon her is Louisa May Alcott's Little Women was an interesting choice.  Watching Violet decipher the clues leading to the murderer were done nicely, and I followed along trying to decipher those clues myself, although it seemed I was having the same trouble as Violet, but that's not a bad thing.

When we get closer to the murderer, we find that not everything is as it seems, and other things are afoot that we don't really see.  When the ending comes it does so in an intriguing manner, and leaves us realizing that the mind of a killer sees only what matters to them.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Murders-Metaphors-Magical-Bookshop-Mystery/dp/1683318994/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3634722430

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

Halloween Murder (Two Lucy Stone Mysteries #3 and #16)

Author:  Leslie Meier
Genre:   Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Trade Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:  9781496721587; 9781496718341
Kensington Publishing
496 Pages
$7.99; $9.99; $7.59 Amazon
August 28, 2018

⭐⭐⭐

Trick or Treat Murder

While Lucy Stone is whipping up orange-frosted cupcakes for her town's annual Halloween festival, an arsonist is on the loose in Tinker's Cove.  When arson turns into murder, a little digging in all the wrong places puts Lucy too close to a shocking discover that could send all her best-laid plans up in smoke...

Wicked Witch Murder

Not everyone in Tinker's Cove is enchanted with newcomer Diana Ravenscroft and her quaint little shop offering everything from jewelry to psychic readings.  But a gruesome murder of Diana's friend has Lucy Stone uncovering a deadly web of secrets - and a spine-chilling brush with the things that go bump in the night...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

This is a compilation of two of two Lucy Stone Mysteries: Trick or Treat Murder  and Wicked Witch Murder.  If you've read the Lucy Stone Mysteries, then these will fall right in line.

In the first mystery, Lucy is still a youngish mother with her four children; Zoe is a newborn baby, so the other children are still young.  When there's a house fire at a home that Lucy's husband Bill restored that belonged to a client, Lucy is sad.  But not as sad as when Lucy and Bill discover that someone they knew and cared about was in the home and died there.  While it at first appears to be an accident because of the home's age, it soon becomes apparent that it was arson when other old buildings are being set aflame.  And when Lucy starts getting closer to discovering who's doing the nasty deed, she unknowingly puts herself in danger and just might not survive...

In the second book Lucy goes to see a witch with her friends for a group reading.  When what the woman tells her starts to come true, Lucy, a skeptic, still doesn't want to believe it.  Not even when she comes across a burned body in the woods that leaves her shaken.  She gets to the point that she forbids the woman from encouraging her sixteen-year-old daughter Elizabeth.  Then a local woman dies, and the stakes are raised.  If Lucy isn't careful, hers might be the next body to be found...

I read this dual mystery book because I love to "read the season," as it were, and these take place at Halloween.  I have to say that I enjoyed the first mystery; the second, not so much.  It seemed to me that in the first, the writing was crisp and had a flair to it; but in the second, it all seemed so tired, almost as if it had aged along with Lucy.  Unfortunately, I found this to be so in another Halloween mystery she wrote later than these two.

But the storyline in the first was interesting to me and the characters involved kept me wondering which one of them was an arsonist.  There were plenty of people to choose from, and several of them could have been the guilty party.  When the murderer was discovered, it came as rather a surprise, which was indeed a good thing.  I did like the ending immensely as everything came together nicely.

In the second book I was bored almost from the beginning.  I found the character of Diana completely unlikable, and if you don't like a character that's quite a major one in the book, you probably won't enjoy it, and that was the problem for me.  Because of her, I couldn't wait for the book to end and really didn't care 'whodunit.'  So this book was a no-go for me, and the reason I only gave the entire thing three stars.

So, in the end, this two-book novel is worth reading if you're a Lucy Stone fan or if you've never read the series before; but you can draw your own conclusions to them both.

https://www.amazon.com/Halloween-Murder-Lucy-Stone-Mystery/dp/1496721586/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3625535598

More on Leslie Meier's Books:  https://www.fantasticfiction.com/m/leslie-meier/