Murder in a Teacup (Tea by the Sea Mysteries Book 2)

Author:    Vicki Delany

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496725097

Kensington Publishing

304 Pages

$26.00; $12.99 Amazon

July 27, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lily has her work cut out for her when a visit from her grandmother Rose's dear friend, Sandra McHenry, turns into an unexpected -- and unpleasant -- McHenry family reunion.  The squabbling boils over and soon Tea by the Sea's serene afternoon service resembles the proverbial tempest in a teapot.  Somehow, Lily and her tearoom survive the storm, and Sandra's bickering brethren finally retreat to Rose's B & B.  But later that evening, a member of their party -- harmless Ed French -- dies from an apparent poisoning and suddenly Tea by the Sea is both scene and suspect in a murder investigation!

Mercifully, none of the other guests fall ill.  They all ate the same food, but Ed insisted on bringing his own special blend of herbal teas.  So it seems, amid the whining and dining, someone snuck up to one of Lily's cherished teapots and fatally spiked Ed's bespoke brew, but who?  Was it Ed's long-estranged sister-in-law?  Did teenage troublemaker Tyler take a prank too far?  Or perhaps the family's feuds have been steeping for longer than anyone realizes?  It's up to Lily, Rose, and their friends to get to the bottom of the poisoned pot and bag the real culprit behind the kettle murder plot.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Lily Roberts owns and runs the Tea by the Sea tearoom next door to her grandmother's B&B.  Both are doing a good business which is great because they need the money to get through the leaner winter.  Rose is pleased when her old friend Sandra is coming with her entire family for a reunion - The McHenrys.  But things aren't what they seem: Sandra's granddaughter Heather married a man who became a millionaire and then conveniently died, is footing the bill.  Plus, Heather has invited her in-laws, the French's, whom the McHenry clan doesn't like.  It makes for a tense situation and bickering among the crowd, who all seem to have their own problems with each other.

While just hoping to get through the week while they're here. Lily just wants to serve her daily teas and get through it.  However, things go awry when Ed French falls ill and is taken to the hospital, where he dies.  When it's soon treated as a homicide, that's when the chaos starts.  People start pointing fingers at each other -- including their pointing them at Lily and Rose -- and no one can figure out the truth.  But Rose, Lily's best friend Bernie, and Lily (reluctantly) have to find out who killed Ed or their businesses might just go out with the tide forever...

This is the second book in the series, and I'm glad I read the first so I have a bit of familiarity with the characters.  I also enjoyed this book as much as the previous one.  I do like the fact that Lily doesn't go around accusing people of murder, but allows things to fall into place before putting them together.  She remembers snippets of conversations that allow her to reveal the truth.

The McHenrys, in my mind, are an unpleasant band of people, and I wouldn't want to spend any time around them if I could help it.  The Frenchs are, on the other hand, somewhat decent people.  In any event, there are wonderful descriptions of the area around the B&B, and it makes one want to visit and take a walk along the pier.

When we get closer to the end everything comes together nicely, with an unexpected twist that no one saw coming, and it makes the book even more intriguing to read.  Ms. Delany packs her mystery with both likable and unlikable characters, a delightful setting, and people you'd want to spend time with, and those you wouldn't.  What results is a fun mystery that's a treat to read.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Teacup-Tea-Sea-Mysteries/dp/1496725093/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3974630841

More on Vicki Delany's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/d/vicki-delany/

Death of an Italian Chef (Hayley Powell Mystery Book 14)

Author:    Lee Hollis

Genre:     Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496724977

Kensington Publishing

336 Pages

$8.99; $7.69 Amazon

June 29, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As the food and cocktails columnist for the Island Times, it's Hayley Powell's job to stay on top of the latest eateries in town.  Just in time for the summer tourist season, Chef Romeo, a successful restaurateur from New York City, has opened an establishment called -- naturally -- Romeo's.  But between his over-the-top temperament and his no-holds-barred diet, Chef Romeo may not live through the grand opening.

When the chef actually does suffer a mild heart attack, he ends up sharing a hospital room with Hayley's brother Randy, who's there for gall bladder surgery.  Chef Romeo has tasted Hayley's cooking and asks her to take over his restaurant while he's laid up.  But this temporary gig may turn permanent, after the chef dies from complications.  Only thing is, Randy tells a different story.  He might have been sedated, but Hayley's bro swears he saw someone come into their room and put Romeo out of his misery.  Now it's up to Hayley to find the person who had no reservations about killing the chef...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

When Hayley, her husband Bruce, and brother Randy eat at a new restaurant, the chef recognizes her and asks what he thinks of her food.  When she raves about it but tells him she likes her Carbonara better, he demands she make it for him.  He agrees hers is better and wants her to work for him, which she turns down.

Then Randy has a gall bladder attack and winds up in the hospital; then he asks Hayley to run his restaurant until he returns, and she reluctantly agrees.  What Hayley doesn't expect is that Chef Romeo is Randy's roommate.  When the chef dies and everyone says it was a massive heart attack, Randy tells her that it was murder.  When there's suspicious activity regarding the chef's death, Hayley does what she does best: investigate murders. 

But there's more going on, since she has her work at the newspaper, is trying to run what appears to be a successful restaurant, take care of Randy; and with both Bruce and Randy's husband Sergio out of town, she's on her own, especially when the police sergeant who's temporarily in charge isn't taking anything she says seriously...

I have read every book in this series, and I have to say that while I wasn't impressed with the first one, it's definitely gotten much better over the years.  In fact, this is my favorite one of them all.  Hayley's showing the type of person she's been all along, but with a new confidence about her, and she's determined to find out who killed the chef.  

I really felt sorry for Randy, having gone through the exact same thing myself.  Trust me, this is not something you want to go through; it's not just gallbladder surgery but much more life-threatening.  I'm grateful I survived (although I wasn't as needy as Randy). 

There's action aplenty, and a lot going on at once, so the pacing is fast and the mystery intriguing.  The identity of the killer is a bit of a surprise, with an extra thrown in for good measure.  I really loved the way this book ended, so much so that I wish I could read the next in the series right now.  Highly recommended.

https://smile.amazon.com/Death-Italian-Hayley-Powell-Mystery/dp/1496724976/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3967430247

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

Beyond a Reasonable Donut (A Deputy Donut Mystery Book 5)

Author:    Ginger Bolton

Genre:     Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496725585

Kensington Publishing

256 Pages

$14.49; $9.99 Amazon

May 25, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Selling her corn fritters at a carnival, Deputy Donut Café owner Emily Westhill faces off against a murderer who doesn't play fair...

Emily and her assistant, Nina, are looking forward to manning the Deputy Donut tent at the Faker's Dozen Carnival in Fallingbrook, Wisconsin -- a festival held on Friday the thirteenth to celebrate good and bad luck.  But Emily has barely dropped the corn fritters in oil when bad luck boils up.  First, their bucket of confectioner's sugar disappears -- and then while a mime creates a distration, a magician robs their cash register.

After the carnival, their misfortune continues.  Emily discovers that someone has broken into artist Nina's loft and vandalized a large painting in progress with the bucket of stolen sugar, which is now on the head of the mime, who seems to have been suffocated.  Emily would bet Nina was the intended victim, but the cops think Nina silenced the mime.  Now Emily must catch the killer white-handed -- before someone else kicks the bucket...

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Emily Westhill is the widow of a police officer killed in the line of duty.  Now she owns and operates Deputy Donut with her father-in-law Tom.  This day she's going to man a booth at the Faker's Dozen Carnival, with help from her employee Nina.  But then the day is ruined by several incidents -- among them an annoying mime, a thieving magician and a missing container of confectioner's sugar.  But when the day winds down and Emily drops Nina off at the grocery store, she sees that Nina's tote bag is still in her car and goes back to give it to her.  After seeing that Nina is not in the store, she goes to her apartment and finds that the door to the loft has been forced.  Emily is worried that Nina might be in trouble, so she enters the apartment and finds a woman with the sugar container on her head.  When Nina arrives they call 911, but it may be too late.

On  top of everything else, Emily is going to be in the wedding of a friend who's marrying this week, and see's preparing for that all the while trying to find out who the murderer is and keep Nina out of prison.  Even though others think Nina might be guilty, Emily refuses to believe it, and will risk her own life to prove the same...

This is the fifth book in the series and I have read every one of them.  I've watched Emily try to recover from her grief of losing her husband, build her business, and keep her personal relationships going.  I, along with others I am sure, love Deputy Donut the Cat.  She's able to tell friend from foe, and has a knack for keeping Emily safe if she's able to do so.  She's one of the best parts of this series.  Like Emily's friends, I would like to see her move on with Brent and hopes their relationship will progress in the next book.

When the murderer is discovered and the motive revealed, it's rather twisted, but nonetheless a very good ending, and gives us something to look forward to in the next book.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Reasonable-Donut-Deputy-Mystery/dp/1496725581/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3963714497

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

Murder in a Scottish Garden (A Scottish Shire Mystery Book 2)

Author:    Traci Hall

Genre:     Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496726018

Kensington Publishing

304 Pages

$14.49; $9.99 Amazon

May 25, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

In the charming Scottish shire of Nairn, sweater shop owner Paislee Shaw must root out a garden variety killer...

Paislee's custom sweater and yarn business, Cashmere Crush, is the sole support for not only the single mum and her ten-year-old son Brody, but also her eccentric Gramps and Wallace, their black Scottish terirer.  So when her landlord, Shawn Marcus, serves her an eviction notice and then pulls a disappearing act, she'll go to any lengths to find the man and reason with him.

Shawn is heir to the Leery Estate, which Brody's class will be visiting on a field trip.  So Paislee volunteers to chaperone in the hopes of tracking down Shawn and killing two birds with one stone.  Unfortunately, the only one killed is a man Paislee sees falling out of the hedges after being shot.  It's not her missing landlord, but Lady Leery's nephew, Charles Thomson.  Gruff DI Mack Zeffer is on the case, but Paislee also has a stake in flushing out the shooter.  With suspects sprouting up like weeds, Paislee may need to hedge her bets until she can determine who is trying tl lead her down the garden path....

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Paislee Shaw owns a yarn shop named Cashmere Crush, which she inherited from her late grandmother.  It's the sole source of income for her and her ten-year-old son, Brody.  Recently, her grandfather has come to live with her, and he helps with both the shop and Brody, which allows her to go on a field trip with Brody's class and keep the shop open.

Paislee's landlord has given everyone on the block eviction notices, and she doesn't want to move.  Therefore, when she goes to the Leery Estate to see the gardens, she intends to talk with Shawn Marcus, Lady Leery's son.  But shortly after arriving, she sees a man fall from the bushes, apparently dead.  At first she thinks it's Shawn, but later discovers it's his cousin Charles Thomson.  Little does Paislee know that this one act can embroil her in several uncomfortable situations, not the least among them of the possibility of losing both her shop and her home.

When another opportunity arrives to see Shawn, she jumps at it and in doing so draws herself even farther into the murder investigation, to the consternation of DI Zeffer, who wants her to steer clear completely.  But Paislee has a stake in the game, and she's not going to let a little thing like a murderer on the loose stop her...

This is the second book in the series, and I enjoyed it quite as much as the first.  I love the small village of Nairn and the closeness of its residents.  It's hard in this day and age to find somewhere where people care and look out for each other.  It gives a warm feeling inside.  Paislee does not go looking for trouble, nor is she what I would consider nosy.  She's caring.  She sees people with problems and tries to help them if she can.  When she is thrust into the investigation, she naturally wants to get to the truth, and people talk to her while they won't talk to DI Zeffer.  

She has a loving relationship with her son, and a growing one with her grandfather, who's only been in her life a short while.  You can feel the relationship growing, and you can tell that they care about one another, not only in banter but in actions.

To the things I don't really care for:  I understand Paislee's reluctance to get involved with anyone, but in my mind I see her old and alone (since Brody will grow up, leave her, and more than likely marry) just sitting in a chair and knitting with gnarled hands.  Now, I crochet and I do many other crafts, but I give my hands a rest so as not to develop arthritis in my fingers.  All she does is laundry and knitting.  How satisfying a life is that?  I would like to see her at least try to wade into the waters of dating someone, or even just having coffee or lunch with them once in a while.

Anyway, the mystery is intriguing, with her trying to pin down Shawn, but he is also one of the murder suspects, along with everyone else in the house, including the servants.  There are plenty of red herrings, and plenty of problems for Paislee, though she doesn't allow any of them to stop her.  When the ending comes and we discover the murderer, it all comes together in a turn of events that's both satisfying and leaves us wanting more.  I enjoyed this mystery and look forward to the next in the series.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Scottish-Garden-Shire-Mystery/dp/1496726014/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3960025583

More on Traci Hall's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/h/traci-hall/

Going to Find Father (A Disappearance Mystery Thriller Book 4)

Author:    Laura Greene

Genre:     Mystery

Digital Book

ASIN #:    B08YY5F8V9

Independently Published

62 Pages

$.99 Amazon

April 22, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As if things cannot get much worse, Melody learns her enemies are gaining ground on her.  Her latest discovery in part four of this suspenseful series, leaves Melody arrested with desire for adventure.

When she is warned by an unlikely source, Melody fails to heed the counsel that could have stopped her life reaching a dangerous point of no return.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

In part four of this episodic mystery/thriller, we find Melody becoming more involved with the Deacons than she wants to be.  She tries to enlist the help of the local constabulary, but the officer doesn't take her seriously, and she wonders if she'll ever find her father.  When one of the Deacons sends concern her way, she wonders what she will do next.  Especially when she discovers something she wishes she hadn't...

But in a turn of events, there is someone who enters her life and may have the answers she needs -- or may not.  Melody might be getting closer to finding the answers, or she might be getting closer to losing her own life...

I have read this series from the beginning, and I have to say that this episode is the most riveting one yet.  It has plenty of suspense, and leaves you hankering for the answers almost as much as Melody.  While I would definitely like to read the next in the series right away, unfortunately I will have to wait until the next.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Going-Father-Disappearance-Mystery-Thriller-ebook/dp/B08YY5F8V9/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3958247780

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

Cajun Kiss of Death (A Cajun Country Mystery Book 7)

Author:    Ellen Byron

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781643857381

Crooked Lane Books

320 Pages

$26.99; $13.99 Amazon

August 10, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐

In Pelican, Louisiana, Valentine's Day has a way of warming the heart, despite the February chill.  But the air at Crozat Plantation B&B turns decidedly frigid when celebrity chef Phillippe Chanson checks in.  And when the arrogant Phillippe -- in town to open his newest Cajun-themed restaurant -- perishes in a fiery boat crash, Maggie Crozat's dear friend JJ lands in very cold water.

Did JJ, proprietor of Junie's Oyster Bar and Dance Hall, murder Phillippe because he feared the competition?  Might Maggie's mother, Ninette, have bumped off the chef for stealing one of her cherished recipes?  Or was the culprit a local seafood vendor, miffed because Phillippe was somehow able to sell oysters for a remarkably reasonable price, despite an oyster shortage?

Maggie had planned to devote her February to art lessons in New Orleans, a present from her sweetheart, Bo.  But now she has to focus on helping her friend and her mother cross a murder charge off the menu.  Meanwhile, Maggie receives a series of anonymous gifts that begin as charming but grow increasingly disturbing.  Does Maggie have an admirer -- or a stalker?  And are these mysterious gifts related somehow to Phillippe's Murder?

Blood may be thicker than water, but this case is thicker than gumbo.  And solving it will determine whether Maggie gets hearts and roses -- or hearse and lilies -- this Valentine's Day...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Maggie Crozat is an artist who also works at her family's B&B, Crozat.  They've been preparing for the arrival of renowned chef Phillippe Chanson, who is opening a Cajun-themed restaurant nearby.  But no one expects the drama that comes along with their guests -- his ex-wife is his business manager, which makes it uncomfortable when his newest girlfriend is the sous chef.  Along with them is an author who is writing a biography of the chef -- but only to the 'specifications' of his ex, which frustrates him.

But worse is the fact that his new restaurant is able to secure oysters at a low price, when there's a shortage, and it's causing Junie's, the local restaurant and bar, to lose major business.  Not to mention that Phillippe has apparently been pilfering copycat recipes from the locals, including Maggie's mother, Ninette, causing the woman to have a very public confrontation about it.  So when Phillippe is murdered, Ninette and JJ are both suspects.  To make things worse, Maggie's been receiving anonymous 'gifts' from someone and it has her worried enough to enlist Bo's help.  Now she has to try and solve the murder to keep her mother and friend out of prison, and try and find out who's stalking her, so she can stay alive to do so...

This is the seventh book in the series, and I have read every one of them.  The only thing that really bothered me about this book are the reference to personal politics from the author which are scattered throughout the book (not a lot of them, but enough to irritate me).  Maybe I'm the only one who it bothers, but I read to escape from the world, not have it thrust back at me, regardless of whether I think the same way or not.

Anyway,  the mystery was fine itself.  There were plenty of people who were angry with Phillippe, and it could have been any one of them, including someone he worked with.  But then something else occurs, and the stakes are rising for the police to widen their net to find a killer.  Maggie, meanwhile, is just trying to find a balance in her life among all this, and it's not easy.  When things come to a head the killer is discovered and the reason is as old as time itself, but it makes for a good ending.  Yet things are ending for Maggie yet, and another event occurs that disturbs her.  The ending to that is fairly interesting and I enjoyed it.

There is an epilogue which makes me believe that the series is ending; otherwise I can see no reason why it was added.  Still, I have enjoyed this series and all the characters, and loved spending time with them and would like it to continue.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Cajun-Kiss-Death-Country-Mystery/dp/164385738X/ref

Goodreads:     https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3956253361

More on Ellen Byron's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/ellen-byron/

Veiled in Death (A Wedding Planner Mystery Book 6)

Author:    Stephanie Blackmoore

Genre:     Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496717559

Kensington Publishing

320 Pages

$6.79; $.99 Amazon

September 29, 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐

When Mallory discovers some old lace at a Port Quincy antique shop, she knows it'll make a perfect headpiece.  But she's barely gotten it out of the store before Helene Pierce tears it from her hands.  Helene claims it's a family heirloom that went missing when her late husband died in a hit-and-run twenty-five years ago.

The conflict gets more complicated when the veil is attributed to none other than famed seamstress Betsy Ross.  Mallory may have a genuine museum piece on her hands, but meanwhile Independence Day is right around the corner and she has to host the town's Revolutionary War re-enactment.  then it becomes clear there's a bigger mystery behind all this history when a local woman is murdered with a musket -- and Mallory's investigation could set off some fireworks...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Mallory Shepard owns and operates Thistle Park B&B, a mansion that was left to her by its late owner.  She's usually busy, but even more so since she's planning a wedding for the local bridal shop owner and catering the food for a Revolutionary War re-enactment, along with trying to find time to get married herself.  When she's out shopping for antiques for her friend Bev, she spots a length of lace that she thinks would be perfect for a veil, so she and her friend split the cost and leave the store.  Unfortunately, they come across Mallory's ex-mother-in-law-to-be, except for the fact that she broke it off with her son.  However, Helene Pierce isn't a woman who takes things lightly, and sees the veil, insisting it belongs to her and rips it from Mallory's hands.  When the police chief, Truman Davies, shows up, it's shown that the lace is legally Mallory's, and Helene insists this is not over.

But Mallory has bigger problems: her mother wants her married -- and pregnant -- now, and is setting about insisting she do so.  She's telling her that her younger sister can run the B&B while she's having babies, and is pushing her.  Mallory's at her wits' end, which doesn't help when there's a murder.  Now she's looking for a killer -- and a thief -- and trying to figure out how it all ties together...

I have read every book in this series, and especially enjoyed the last two, but this one seems different, almost as if the author was just trying to finish it.  There are inconsistencies -- in earlier books, Rachel was seven years younger, then six, and now she's only four years younger.  Huh?  And how could Rachel be part owner of the B&B when it wasn't left to her and she didn't put any money into it?  Rachel, in my opinion, is selfish, self-serving, and extremely vain.  Mallory's mother isn't much better; if I had a mother like that I'd ship her off to parts unknown to live.  I really don't like either of them at all.  (Besides, who wears jelly sandals?)

The murder didn't occur until the book was halfway over, so you had to read about a lot of 'filler' until you got to it, including her mother and sister hounding her constantly.  (If her mother wanted grandbabies so bad, why wasn't she hounding Rachel, too?).  It was starting to get annoying.  Not to mention, when did Summer become vegan?  

Now that I've got that off my chest, the identity of the murderer was a complete surprise, which I do like, and Ms. Blackmoore has been able to pull off in other books.  It's always nice to be as surprised as the protagonist, and this book was no different.  So there's the big plus in the book.  But I get the feeling that this book may be the last in the series, and I could be wrong, but there were some things which seemed out of place that made me think so.  I would have loved to have seen a different ending altogether, but oh, well.  I would love to see this series continue, as I do like Mallory and many of the other characters and enjoy spending time with them.  At any rate, the book was a nice read, and I am still glad that I read it.

https://www.amazon.com/Veiled-Death-Wedding-Planner-Mystery/dp/1496717554/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3954519460

More on Stephanie Blackmoore's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/stephanie-blackmoore/

Marry Christmas Murder (A Wedding Planner Mystery #5)

Author:    Stephanie Blackmoore

Genre:      Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496717535

Kensington Publishing

314 Pages

$7.99; $5.99 Amazon

September 24, 2019

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Olivia's dreaming of a white Christmas -- as in a white wedding gown and all the trimmings.  But that's not the only event that's keeping everyone busy.  Olivia's family are in real estate development, and they're sponsoring Paws and Poinsettias -- a benefit for the Port Quincy animal shelter.  Meanwhile, Mallory's mom wants to use her daughter's connection to snag a job staging homes for the company...and the current stager is not filled with holiday cheer at the news that she might be replaced.

When the endangered employee downs some antifreeze-spiked punch at a party, Mallory has a murder to solve -- among other mysteries including a missing cat, a toy-drive heist, and a baby found in a manger thirty years earlier...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Mallory Shepard inherited a mansion from her ex-fiancé's grandmother, and turned it into a B&B.  She left her law practice and decided to become an event planner.  Now she's exited to plan the wedding of her friend Olivia, who is getting married in the spring...or was, anyway.  Olivia wants her to move the wedding up to December 23rd, and while Mallory is busy with other commitments, she wants to help her friend, so agrees.  

But things aren't going the way she planned.  Olivia's family are in real estate, and they've decided to build in Port Quincy, where Mallory lives.  Not many people are happy about it, but the Marches don't care.  They run roughshod over everyone, and now Mallory has to deal with them, too.  As if that isn't bad enough, her mother Carole and stepfather Doug have decided to move back, too, and are staying with Mallory at her B&B.  

What's even worse is the fact that Carole wants a staging job with the Marches -- one that is currently held by Lacey Adams.  So it's a surprise when Mallory goes to check on her decorations for Paws and Poinsettias that she and Lacey designed, and discover her mother has redone everything to her own design instead.  When Lacey calls Carole out on it, she feels terrible, and when Lacey is later found poisoned by a drink that Carole handed her, she's the main suspect in the murder.

Now Mallory is planning a wedding and trying to keep her mother out of jail, which isn't easy since her mother keeps doing things that might put her in there.  With problems on the home front, and her boyfriend Garrett considering a move to a different job, she's heartsick, but hoping the wedding will keep her mind off it.  It might work since she's also trying to solve the origin of Olivia's birth, but someone doesn't want her to, and it might be deadly if she tries...

This is the fifth book in the series and I've read every one.  What I think about Mallory isn't that she's weak; it's just that she's used to her sister and mother being the way they are and she's given up trying to do anything about it.  I have said in previous posts that I didn't like Rachel because she's selfish and self-centered and doesn't help much around the B&B other than baking.  Well, now I see where she gets it from.  Carole is worse than Rachel.  She totally destroys Mallory's work, saying she 'didn't think she'd care.'  Excuse me?  You just go in and ruin what your daughter has worked hard to do and think it's alright?  What kind of mother is this?  Also, she says when Mallory and Garrett get married (and he hasn't proposed yet) that they can move out of the B&B and leave the apartment for Rachel.  Say what?  The B&B belongs to Mallory.  It's her home.  Why should she move?  Rachel should move instead.  She doesn't own the place.  Nothing like figuring out who the favorite child is.  Certainly not the one who works her fingers to the bone, but the one who's centered on her looks.  How shallow is this woman that she can't see Mallory's worth?  Tell Rachel to move her butt out.  That irritated me no end and made me dislike Carole even more.  (Also, I don't care for her tropical designs, but oh, well).

Anyway, with what I've said above, I just wanted Carole to go back to Florida but I suppose that won't happen.  So, while Carole won't keep her mouth shut Mallory is on the hunt to find a killer.  But she never thought it would trace all the way back to Olivia's birth.  It's an interesting story line, and I did enjoy reading about it.  I liked the way it all came together, and I will read the next in the series.  I did have to take away one star because of the other two Shepard women, who distract from the mystery.  

https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Murder-Wedding-Planner-Mystery/dp/1496717538/ref

Goodreads:     https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3952268646

More on Stephanie Blackmoore's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/stephanie-blackmoore/

Pranks and Poison (A Mira Michaels Mystery #3)

Author:    Julia Koty

Genre:      Mystery

Digital Book

ASIN #:    B091S5XJDP

Busstop Press

$2.99 Amazon

May 4, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Mira's dream of fixing up the new house is put on hold while she works at the diner to make some much-needed cash.  So, when a patron of the Soup and Scoop is poisoned and Mira's famed mushroom soup is called into question, she'll stop at nothing to find the real killer.  But as business dwindles and the hope of cash-flow fades, her change in tactics backfires when the head detective wants her arrested for obstruction.  Her cat Arnold believes a simple call to her sister could clear up the mess, but Mira steadfastly refuses.  As the walls crumble around her, will Mira be able to pick up the pieces?

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Mira Michaels moved to a small town in Pennsylvania mainly to get away from her overprotective sister, who's also a famed (and real) psychic.  She's found herself working at the Soup and Scoop diner to make money to fix up the house she bought so that she can flip it.  But on the day she's made her homemade mushroom cream soup, the first person to order it falls over dead, and the second person to order it has fallen ill and needs to be taken to the hospital.  To make matters worse, it was Chelsea, who is Jay's girlfriend - the brother of her employer and best friend, Aerie.  Now both Aerie and Mira are in a real pickle, because neither of them believe the soup was poisoned, but they're both under suspicion and the diner remains closed.  Since they know they're innocent, and without an income for either of them, they need to figure out who the killer is pronto.  But with Detective Dan Lockhart appearing around every corner they do, and the threat of jail right behind him, they need to move fast...

When a man who turns out to be a food critic drops dead in the diner right after eating a bowl of Mira's homemade soup, everyone thinks it was poisoned.  It effectively closes the diner, since no one will eat there now.  So Mira and Aerie do the only thing they can -- investigate the murder.  It also doesn't help that Aerie's brother's girlfriend was also poisoned, and he knows that Aerie can't stand her.  And, it also doesn't help that the detective on the case is dogging their every step, seeming knowing what they're going to do.  So they have a triple reason to get to the bottom of things..

This is the third book in the series, and the mystery itself is interesting.  Mira isn't a person to sit back and just allow things to roll over her, but she takes action, even if it gets her in trouble.  Like her mouth.  Which she opens far too much and that gets her in trouble, too.  She knows it, but just can't seem to stop herself.  It's rather humorous altogether.  Oh, and did I mention that she talks to her cat Arnold and he talks back?  It's all telepathic, but it occurs just the same.  Speaking of which, I do wish that Arnold would have been in this book a bit more.  He's sensible and fun to be around.

I really don't want to say any more about this book, as it hasn't been published yet, but I will tell you that the ending was quite satisfying, giving us a hint as to what is to come in the next book; and it's a fun ride all the way through.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope others will, too.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Pranks-Poison-Michaels-Mystery-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B091S5XJDP/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit/57731496

More on Julia Koty's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/

Gown with the Wind (A Wedding Planner Mystery #4)

 Author:    Stephanie Blackmoore

Genre:      Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book (Other Formats Available)

ISBN #:    9781496717511

Kensington Mystery

336 Pages

$7.99; $1.99 Amazon

December 18, 2018

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Mallory's fine -- really -- handling the wedding arrangements for her ex, Keith.  But his fiancée, Becca, has at the last minute decided to switch from a Japanese-cherry-blossom theme to a Gone with the Wind theme.  She wants to honor her ailing grandmother, who owns an impressive collection of GWTH memorabilia -- and who is fiercely at odds with the groom's mother over the nuptial plans.

But among other complications, Becca gets into a fight with an old childhood rival over a replica Scarlett O'Hara wedding gown.  She wins the dress -- but soon becomes a murder suspect when the other woman is found dead in Becca's swimming pool.  And it's up to Mallory to solve the mystery behind this unhappy occasion, before a different kind of civil war breaks out...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Mallory Shepard owns a large mansion she's turned into a B&B and runs it along with her younger sister, Rachel.  Currently, they have their hands full with a baby shower, Mother's Day tea, and two weddings coming up - those of Mallory's ex-fiancé Keith and Becca; and another couple who are arriving from Columbia, Eric and Piper.  

While wedding dress shopping with Becca, Becca spots a dress that looks like it stepped right out of the film Gone with the Wind, and decides she must have it for her wedding.  But then Becca's old enemy Felicity sees it and a fight ensues, with Becca winning the dress.  Mallory hopes that will be the end of it, but no such luck.  Things get worse when Felicity is found floating in Becca and Keith's swimming pool wearing the dress.  Now there's a murderer on the loose, and Mallory knows this could spell disaster.  But things soon dissolve into chaos, with arson, attacks, threats, and a shooting -- and Mallory is stuck right where she doesn't want to be -- in the middle of it.  Hopefully, police chief Truman Davies will be able to solve the crimes before Mallory becomes another victim...

I have been reading this series in order and so far this is my favorite book.  However, what I have never understood is Keith's malice toward Mallory.  He's the one who ruined their engagement, so he should be somewhat remorseful, and at least civil toward her, but he's more malicious instead.  How long can someone hold a grudge for something they did?

I did like that the plot was filled with several red herrings, and suspects almost everywhere you looked.  It left me to my own devices to see if I could ferret out the killer, and I was right in nearly everything, but still it was a bit of a surprise when the murderer was discovered.  The climax was as I would expect it to be, with peril to innocent people, but it all came about right in the end, as we knew it would.  I will continue to read this series and look forward to the next.  Recommended. 

https://www.amazon.com/Gown-Wind-Wedding-Planner-Mystery/dp/1496717511/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3942661975

More on Stephanie Blackmoore's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/stephanie-blackmoore/

Murder Borrowed, Murder Blue (A Wedding Planner Mystery #3)

Author:    Stephanie Blackmoore

Genre:     Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book (Other Formats Available)

ISBN #:    9781496704825

Kensington Mystery

353 Pages

$7.99; $5.99 Amazon

January 30, 2018

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Actress Dakota Craig is set to tie the knot with her famous musician boyfriend at Mallory's Pennsylvania B&B on the most romantic day of the year.  Best of all, the whole thing will air on the reality TV show I Do.  But the maid of honor has dropped out of the wedding party -- by dropping dead.

A lot of people insist the show must go on, so Mallory's investigation keeps getting sidetracked by everything from a meddling mother to a foot of snow to a side project making arrangements for a high school Winter Ball.  But if she doesn't catch the noxious culprit, the bride might wind up with a funeral wreath instead of a bouquet...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Mallory Shepard is settling in nicely in her mansion, deeded to her by her ex-fiancé's grandmother.  She's turned it into a thriving B&B and wedding planning business, along with her sister Rachel, who does the baking.  She's agreed to host a wedding for a TV reality show called I Do, with the celebrity wedding to be actress Dakota Craig and her country-star boyfriend, Beau Wright.  But she was also strong-armed a while back to host the Winter Ball for a girls' academy by her almost-ex-mother-in-law, Helene Pierce, and it coincides with the show, so she's doubly busy.

When everyone arrives, she's happy to see that they're pleased with her ideas, making things go a bit smoother.  But when the maid of honor turns up dead the night of the Winter Ball in Mallory's office, suddenly things go haywire.  Now Mallory has another murder on her hands - to the consternation of police chief Truman Davies.  As if that's not bad enough, she's discovered that the host of the show is her boyfriend Garrett Davies' ex -- and mother of his daughter Summer.  Not to mention that her sister has a one-track mind and is hounding Mallory for another reason.  Now she's trying to figure everything out, including if running the B&B was such a good idea in the first place...

This is the third book in the series, and I felt that in many ways it was better than the second.  But, I still do not like Rachel.  She's manipulative, selfish, self-centered, and spiteful.  She attacks Mallory with snide remarks, and even thinks it's fine that Mallory suffers as long as she gets what she wants!  What a sister.  I wouldn't have anything to do with her.  I'd tell her to get out and hire another baker.  Especially since Rachel doesn't help Mallory with any of the cleaning duties, either.  She's practically worthless, as far as sisters go.

Unfortunately, that made parts of the book irritating.  Even so, I still enjoyed the story line, and Mallory definitely had her hands full with trying to plan a wedding -- several times over -- and keep everyone happy in the process.  Her relationship with Garrett is undergoing a few problems because of the ex, but she does try not to let it bother her.  And yes, we do have Helene Pierce throwing her weight around occasionally -- I wish she'd just go away, too.  I really abhor the 'evil nemesis' in books, almost as much as I abhor love triangles (and try to avoid books that have them).  

But finding a killer isn't all that easy when there are so many suspects -- a houseful of them, actually -- and trying to figure out who had motive to kill the woman is difficult, especially when Mallory thinks that everyone loved the woman.  But when it comes down to the wire, Mallory figures it out almost too late, and of course the murderer is apprehended (as we know they will be) and we're given a taste of what is to come next in the series.   Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Borrowed-Wedding-Planner-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0725F8BYD/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3940446043

More on Stephanie Blackmoore's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/stephanie-blackmoore/

Frill Kill (A Scrapbooking Mystery #5)

Author:    Laura Childs

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Mass Market Paperback

ISBN #:    9780425217306; 9780425224250

Berkley Prime Crime 

304 Pages

$18.33; $7.99 Amazon

October 7, 2008

⭐⭐⭐⭐

With Halloween barely a week away, things are getting even spookier than usual in New Orleans.  A party at Juju Voodoo draws a fabulous throng, and Carmela's friend Ava has hired a sexy tarot reader named Giovanni to work the crowd.  What he doesn't foretell is that on her way home Carmela will find the body of a beautiful model behind a Dumpster -- and be attacked herself.

It's Giovanni the gypsy who appears to save her -- or was he already there?  He's the police's number one suspect, but Ava is determined to stand by her employee...even if he does have a tricky way of dodging certain questions.  Ava and Carmela have plenty of other strange leads to follow up, like the horrifying tooth marks around the victim's neck, and the nonhuman hairs found at the scene.  As the witching hour draws closer, Carmela must discover what's lurking in the shadows of the French Quarter -- or she'll get the fright of her life...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Carmela Bertrand owns a scrapbooking store in the heart of New Orleans, just down the street from her best friend Ava's voodoo shop.  Ava has a new draw -- Giovanni, a gypsy who reads the Tarot, palms, and looks into his crystal ball for his customers.  His good looks aren't hurting, and it's sending people her way.  When Carmela sees him call out to a woman, she can't help but wonder why he wants to talk to her so badly.  But not much later, Carmela hears noises behind a dumpster in the alley, and sees the same woman.  When she turns to help, someone hits her from behind and knocks her out.  Then she finds that Giovanni is trying to awaken her and wonders if he isn't the killer.

But Ava is convinced of his innocence, even if Carmela isn't, so they set out to find the person who wanted the young woman dead.  Unfortunately, Carmela and Ava have full schedules that need to be taken care of, too.  Along with running her shop, Carmela has promised her friend to help decorate a designer's grand opening at Halloween, complete with a scary background.  The designer once employed the dead woman, Amber, as his model, so Carmela figures it's also going to be a good place to ask a few questions.

There's also the news anchor who's been hounding Carmela, and the rumors of a werewolf within the midst of the city.  While she doesn't believe it, she knows that something sinister is going on.  And with Halloween coming up fast in the Garden District, there's hundreds of places a killer could hide in plain sight.  And they just might be doing so, if only to watch Carmela's next move...

This is the fifth book in the series, and while it's an older one, I'm thoroughly enjoying it.  As Shamus says, Ava is a hoot.  I honestly like Shamus in this book; he's not as sleazy as he's been in the others, and he definitely still cares for Carmela.  Glory's her usual annoying self, and Detective Babcock is around as well to try and keep Carmela reined in (as if that's going to work).

The mystery is done well, and when the killer is revealed it comes as a surprise, which is how it's supposed to be.  The climax was quite interesting and while I wouldn't call it a nail-biter, it had its moments.  When the book was finished, it left a satisfying and pleasant feeling, which is how books should leave you.  I am enjoying this series more and more and look forward to reading the next one.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Frill-Scrapbooking-Mystery-Laura-Childs/dp/0425224252/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3938442419

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

Murder Wears White (A Wedding Planner Mystery #2)

Author:    Stephanie Blackmoore

Genre:     Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496704801

Kensington Mystery

353 Pages

$6.51; $5.99 Amazon

January 31, 2017

⭐⭐⭐

Mallory hopes to unveil her new B&B just in time for her first ceremony as a wedding planner.  The renovations to Thistle Park -- the mansion she inherited in small-town Port Quincy, Pennsylvania -- are almost complete.  But what Mallory didn't plan on is the bride's aunt being poisoned at the wedding tasting and her perfect venue becoming a crime scene.

Adding to the mystery is the discovery that this is not the first murder in the bridal family, and as Mallory becomes engaged in her own investigation she learns the man convicted of the crime may not be guilty.  Now she has two crimes to solve before the bride walks down the aisle -- but a killer has other plans to ensure that Mallory forever holds her peace...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Mallory Shepard is hosting her first wedding at her new B&B, that is, if it's finished in time.  The bride, Whitney Scanlon, has moved the wedding up because her father is dying and she wants him there.  So Mallory is on a crunched schedule to get things done, and she needs all the help she can get.  Her contractor, Jesse Flowers, and his crew are working overtime, and she's crossing her fingers everything will be done.

But Whitney requests a special menu because several of her family members have allergies, and Mallory and her sister Rachel are happy to comply.  At the wedding tasting, everything seems to be going fine...until Rachel discovers the body of Whitney's aunt, Lois, on the floor.  At first it's ruled an accident, but then the police chief, Truman Davies, tells Mallory it was murder.  Now Mallory wants to know who killed the woman and why.  But even though Truman tells her to stay out of the investigation, he finds himself leaning on her a bit, and if Mallory can stay alive, she just might figure this out...

But there's more going on behind the scenes: a ghost hunting crew has shown up because of the strange noises coming from the house; Mallory can't find time to spend with her boyfriend, attorney Garrett Davies, who is Truman's son; the construction crew doesn't want to work with ghosts; there are 'accidents' befalling several people; the planning commission is stalling on her request to open a B&B; and her ex-fiancé Keith has shown up with his girlfriend Becca (the one who broke up the engagement).

Mallory's also taken with the story of Whitney's mother Vanessa, who just disappeared one day and then her body was found ten years later.  Garrett believes the man convicted is innocent, and Mallory believes him.  But in looking at past history, she just might find herself in danger in the present...

This is the second book in the series and I have to say that I really enjoyed the first.  But this book somehow, as you can tell, has just Too Many Plot Lines.  All these subplots -- including her mother showing up with a secret of her own and an ex-girlfriend of Garrett's showing up (well, you get the drift) -- distract from the murder.  I would much have preferred if it only included the present murder and the murder of Vanessa, sort of a link from past to present.  But with everything else going on, it seemed just a bit too much.

What didn't make sense is that at one point Mallory said that Lois made an offer for a bribe when she meant a request for one.  I also do not like Rachel at all.  Yes, she's a good cook, but she steals clothes and jewelry from her sister which she just laughs off and Mallory allows her to get away with it.  (I grew up with a sister who did this to me, and it's not funny at all.  We weren't the same size and she split seams, stole my entire jewelry box -- which was never recovered -- and many other things from my room and closet and it was not funny.  It was downright mean.)  So Rachel needs to buy her own clothes and leave Mallory alone.  She needs to stop being so selfish and self-centered.  Not to mention growing up a bit about men.  Looks (cleft chins) aren't everything, as she's hopefully finding out.  Rant over.

Anyway, other than that, there was just too much going on all the time.  Automatically calling a ghost hunting team seemed a bit overkill, and there were too many scenarios that just screamed Over the Top.  Especially her mother, who somehow thinks a tropical setting is perfect for an old Victorian mansion.  Seriously?  I would not enjoy living in that space.

Anyway, these are the reasons I'm only giving it three stars.  Hopefully in the next book Mallory won't find herself in the middle of a frenzy.

https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Wears-Wedding-Planner-Mystery/dp/1496704800/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3936659048

More on Stephanie Blackmoore's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/stephanie-blackmoore/   

Peaches and Schemes (A Georgia B&B Mystery #3)

Author:    Anna Gerard

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781643855844

Crooked Lane Books

304 Pages

$22.99; $13.99 Amazon

May 11, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Nina Fleet might be new to the innkeeping business, but she's savvy enough to know that Cymbeline's tourists aren't enough to keep her fledgling bed and breakfast going.  And so, Nina decides to tap into the destination wedding market by taking a booth at the Veils and Vanities Bridal Expo.  The twice-yearly event is sponsored by the town's two wedding pros: Virgie Hamilton, the sixty-something owner of Virgie's Formals, and Roxanna Quarry, a Gen X event planner and Nina's new friend.  But everything goes wrong during the expo's fashion show, when Roxana comes tumbling out of an oversized prop wedding cake, strangled to death by her own scarf.

Virgie is arrested for the crime, thanks to Nina's statement to the police about having overheard the woman accusing her partner of embezzlement.  Meanwhile, the situation grows tense with her sometimes nemesis and current tenant, the dashing out-of-work actor Harry Westcott.  Harry is concentrating on plugging his most recent side hustle...but he's not too busy to break the news to Nina that her ex-husband is engaged to be married again.

Certain that Virgie's only offense is a bad temper, Nina decides to do her own investigating.  First, however, she and Harry retrieve Roxanna's now ownerless dog, planning to foster him until a new home can be found.  But local gossip soon convinces Nina that others beside Virgie might have had a reason to murder Roxanna.  As Nina gets close to the truth, she's putting her own life at danger.  And when Virgie vanishes after being bailed out of jail by an unknown benefactor, Nina fears that if she can't find the dress shop owner in time, tying the knot will take on a whole new meaning for them both.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Nina Fleet owns a Georgia B&B in the small town of Cymbelline.  Her constant tenant is Harry Westcott, an out-of-work actor whom she's allowed to live for free in the tower room, where he spent summers as a child when the large Queen Anne Victorian belonged to his late aunt.  While her business is thriving, she figures it could always use help, and signs up to host a booth at the bridal expo, offering her B&B as a wedding destination where couples could be married in her generous garden.  While there, she hears two contentious arguments: one between Virgie and a local florist, with whom she apparently has a past, and another between Virgie and her friend Roxanna Quarry, who owns an event planning business.

But when there is a gown finale, when the large cake is opened, Roxanna tumbles out, apparently strangled by the colorful scarf she was wearing.  Now Virgie is the main suspect in the murder, and Nina refuses to believe she's guilty.  What's worse, after she and Harry pick up Gustopher, Roxanna's orphaned dog, Nina goes to Roxanna's home the next day to return an ominous item she accidentally picked up.  But when she finds the home trashed, she calls the police and now she's smack in the middle of the investigation whether she wants it or not.

Then she learns that her ex-husband is getting married again, to a woman half his age.  While she doesn't love Cam anymore, the fact still sends her reeling, and to top it off, Harry discloses a long-held secret that doesn't help.  Now Nina needs to find a murderer among a roomful of suspects, and put her own feelings on hold.  Easy to say, but doing might be harder when things are beginning to change...

This is the third book in the series and I have to say that so far it happens to be my favorite.  I enjoyed the last one quite a bit, but this book takes us a little bit more into the lives of Nina and Harry, and it explains some things about him; I've always felt that Harry is aloof, and this book gives us a hint as to his past.

When we look for the murderer, we learn more about Roxanna, and it's not nice.  The persona that she showed Nina isn't the same persona she showed other people, and even though Nina finds these things out, she still wants justice for her friend.

When we finally discover the murderer and the reason for the killing, it's believable and the climax is definitely worth waiting for.  Then, life for Nina can go back to normal, or maybe it won't...a delightful read, and I eagerly look forward to the next in the series.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Peaches-Schemes-Georgia-Anna-Gerard/dp/1643855840/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3927750009

More on Anna Gerard's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/g/anna-gerard/

A Glimmer of a Clue (A Fairy Garden Mystery Book 2)

Author:    Daryl Wood Gerber

Genre:     Mystery/Fantasy

Trade Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496726360

Kensington Publishing

304 Pages

$11.71; $9.99 Amazon

June 19, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When Courtney's friend Wanda gets into a ponytail-pulling wrestling match in public with a nasty local art critic, Courtney stops the fight with the help of a garden hose.  But Lana Lamar has a talent for escalating things and creating tension, which she succeeds in doing by threatening a lawsuit, getting into yet another scuffle -- in the midst of an elegant fundraiser, no less -- and lobbing insults around like pickleballs.

Next thing Courtney knows, Lana is on the floor, stabbed with a decorative letter opener from one of Courtney's fairy gardens, and Wanda is standing by asking, "what have I done?"  But the answer may not be as obvious as it seems, since Wanda is prone to sleepwalking and appears to be in a daze.  Could she have risen from her nap and committed murder while unconscious?  Or is the guilty party someone else Lana's ticked off, like her long-suffering husband?  To find out, Courtney will have to dig up some dirt...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Courtney Kelly owns a fairy garden shop in Carmel.  She helps people create their own fairy garden while she cultivates hers, and communes with her own little fairy, Fiona.  Fiona in turn helps Courtney in order to gain her full set of wings.  Courtney's been asked to create two gardens for people to bid on for a local fundraiser by her friend Wanda, who is her best friend Meaghan's mother.  But while at her shop one morning she hears a commotion, and goes outside to see a fight between Wanda and Lana Lamar, an art critic, and it's turned physical.  Lana has Wanda by the hair and refuses to let her go.  So Courtney does the only thing she can: she grabs a hose and waters both of them down to stop the fight.

But Lana isn't about to be deterred, and continues to hound Wanda, even up to the point of the fundraiser, where she has no problem making a scene with anyone and everyone.  When Wanda feels a bit tired, she goes to lie down, and later Courtney hears a crash and runs toward the sound.  She finds Wanda kneeling over Lana's body, holding the end of the letter opener stuck in her -- the one that Courtney had used in the now-smashed garden.  Now Wanda is the main suspect, and if Courtney doesn't find the true killer, her friend's mother won't wake up from this nightmare...

This is the second in the series and I found it just as delightful as the first.  The idea of a little fairy helping Courtney solve a murder is indeed a cute plot addition, and it makes for a fun read.  While Courtney starts looking at Lana and who would want her dead, she comes up with a plethora of suspects, none of whom seem to have solid alibis.  There's also a couple of secondary plots which keep the story going without a lull in the action, and these are engaging as well.  

I do like the fact that whatever information Courtney digs up, she immediately transfers to Detective Summers.  While he gets annoyed with her, at least she's offering up what she discovers and doesn't try to accost her own suspects and accuse them of murder face-to-face.  One gets tired of protagonists who confront suspected murderers without the police knowing about it.  Courtney is intelligent and caring, with her heart and mind open to not only seeing fairies, but helping others as well.  I do like her character.

When the ending comes and the murderer is revealed, I pretty much had gathered who it was early on, but finding out the motive for murder was what I was waiting for, and I wasn't disappoint in the outcome.  All in all, I do like this series and wait eagerly for the next book.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Glimmer-Clue-Fairy-Garden-Mystery/dp/1496726367/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3924231058

More on Daryl Wood Gerber's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/g/daryl-wood-gerber/