Here Comes the Body (A Catering Hall Mystery Book 1)

Author:    Maria DiRico

Genre:     Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Edition

ISBN #:    9781496725349

Kensington Publishing

304 Pages

$7.99; $5.99 Amazon

February 25, 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

After her philandering husband's boat went down, newly single Mia Carina went back to Astoria, the bustling Queens neighborhood of her youth.  Living with her nonna and her oversized cat, Doorstop, she's got a whole new life -- including some amateur sleuthing...

Mia is starting work at Belle View, her father's catering hall, a popular spot for weddings, office parties, and more -- despite the planes that occasionally roar overhead on their way to LaGuardia and rattle the crystal chandelier.  Soon she's planning a bachelor party for a less-than-gentlemanly groom.  But it goes awry when the gigantic cake is wheeled in and a deadly surprise is revealed...

Since some of her family's associates are on the shady side, the NYPD wastes no time in casting suspicion on Mia's father.  Now, Mia's going to have to use all her street smarts to keep him out of Rikers Island...

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Mia Carina has just gone through a horrible ordeal in Florida when her husband's boat was found with his dead mistress aboard, but no husband.  After finally being cleared of any wrongdoing, she's found herself back home in Astoria, with her new job as Assistant Manager of Belle View, her father's catering hall.  She's also found herself inheriting clients who are constantly arguing, a groom who practically hits on her, and a groom's mother who turns out to be a 'zilla' in her own right.

But Mia's homecoming isn't pleasant when a dead body shows up at the bachelor party, and the dead woman once had an altercation with Mia's father, Ravello.  Now, the police are looking at him to be the main suspect, and Mia needs to step up her game to find a killer.  Just when she thinks he's in the clear, more trouble arises around the corner, and with the help of her friend Cammie, she's on the right path.  But trouble isn't done following her, and it just might be fatal...

This is the first in a new series and I found it completely refreshing.  I have to say that I certainly didn't expect this book to be as fun as it was.  There was no detective love interest, no love triangle, no evil nemesis, etc.  Mia is intelligent, family-oriented, business-savvy, and able to think on her feet.  When trouble arises, she can usually think quickly to find a solution.

The mystery was intriguing, and we also had Mia involved in trying to help her nonna solve her own problems with the neighborhood.  It shows a love of family. and I do like her nonna, who has her own wits about her.  When each thread of the story seems to lead back to a common one, we watch Mia pull them all together and figure it out.  The climax is fun indeed, and it leaves us wanting more.  I am glad that I finally picked this book up and can't wait to read the next in the series.

https://www.amazon.com/Here-Comes-Body-Catering-Mystery/dp/1496725344/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4032806708

More on Maria DiRico's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/d/maria-dirico/

Who Do You Trust Now? (A Disappearance Mystery Thriller Book 5)

Author:    Laura Greene

Genre:     Suspense/Thriller

Digital Book

ASIN #:    B08YY5ZSS7

Amazon Publishing

55 Pages

$.99 Amazon

May 27, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Deserted and destitute of both friend and foe Melody camps out on the lonely island.  She decides to search the island for any sign of life in part five of this adventure-filled mystery thriller.

What she finds hidden in the dark woods is more than what she bargained for.  A ploy is underway and she must uncover who her real friends are.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

In part five of this episodic thriller, Melody has been drugged and left on an island to fend for herself.  What she doesn't expect is to find clues that might lead her to what she's been searching for all along: her father.  When she least expects it, something occurs that makes her realize none of anything she's done has been an accident, and she might be the next victim...

I have enjoyed this series all along and reading it has kept me on the edge of my seat.  This installment is no different.  Melody is now on an island, wondering what is going to happen next, and how she's going to get herself back to the mainland.  Watching Melody follow the trail of her missing father is intriguing, and around every corner there very might be a friend or a foe.  But how to tell which is which?  And what is Melody going to do next?  Unfortunately, I have to wait for the next in the series, but I hope that it comes soon, since I'm pretty well invested in the story!  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Trust-Disappearance-Mystery-Thriller-Book-ebook/dp/B08YY5ZSS7/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4019187193

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

From Port to Rigor Morte (The Wine Trail Mysteries Book 7)

Author:    J.C. Eaton

Genre:     Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781954717152

Beyond the Page Publishing

218 Pages

$14.99; $4.99 Amazon

April 20, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐

With her overlong stay at Two Witches Winery extended yet again, screenwriter Norrie Ellington wants nothing more than to lay low and avoid murder investigations at all costs.  Then two neighborhood boys show up at the winery saying they've discovered what looks like a dead body in the a nearby woods, and Norrie's curiosity gets the better of her.  When the body turns out to be a local labor manager and the sheriff suspects a neighboring winery of foul play, Norrie turns sleuth again.

Following the few clues found at the scene, Norrie soon learns that the victim had been charging exorbitant amounts for the seasonal workers he supplied to the vineyards, meaning any of the owners could have wanted him out of the way.  And when another dead body is found, Norrie's dizzying list of suspects threatens to overwhelm her.  But with the stakes higher than ever, her biggest fear may be that if the local sheriff doesn't kill her for meddling, there's a murderer on the loose who surely will...

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Norrie Ellington is a screenwriter who got roped into taking care of her family's winery when her sister Francine and her husband left the country temporarily for research.  Since she's been there, she's discovered more bodies than she wanted, which was zero.  But just when things are settling down, a boy from a neighboring winery comes to Norrie with a problem:  he and his friend have discovered a dead body.  Norrie's curiosity gets the better of her, and she enlists a friend to check it out...unfortunately, it is the body of a dead man, and he turns out to be a labor manager who supplies seasonal workers for some of the other wineries.  Even more unfortunately, the boy's father was seen arguing with the man, and now he's the main suspect.

So Norrie and her friend Theo, (owner of Grey Egret Winery) are once again embroiled in a murder mystery.  Hoping to stay under the radar of the local sheriff, who already has had his eye on Norrie many times (and not in a good way), are trying to find the real killer.  But with little Eli and his best friend Stuart are tangled up in the web, Norrie has her hands full.  She also might find that the web is more twisted than she knows, and a killer just might be more surprising than she thinks...

I do like J.C. Eaton's books quite a bit.  They're very descriptive and also quite a twisted web; so much so that you might need a cheat sheet to keep things straight.  In this series, Norrie just wants to go back home and forget the winery, but family obligations won't allow that.  Also the fact that she keeps getting involved one way or another in murders.  It's bad enough that she's found dead bodies, but now people are bringing dead bodies to her -- as in the case of Eli and Stuart, who do just that, telling her she needs to go look at one. 

The entire situation becomes more strange and often funny with the boys being a bit more precocious than anyone could ever imagine.  So much so that Theo wants to stay far away from them (as if that's going to happen).  But it's also rather endearing and the story is fun and engaging, and worth reading in one sitting, as I did.  

When we get closer to the end and everything begins to join tightly, Norrie's mind starts to put it all together quickly and it's a different climax with a humorous twist that had me chuckling.  I really did enjoy this mystery and hope to see more of these characters in the next.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Port-Rigor-Morte-Trail-Mysteries/dp/1954717156/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4019050625

More on J.C. Eaton's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/e/j-c-eaton/

The Cider Shop Rules (A Cider Shop Mystery Book 3)

Author:    Julie Anne Lindsey

Genre:     Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496723512

Kensington Publishing

320 Pages

$8.54; $6.99 Amazon

July 27, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Fall Festival is in full swing.  Civil War reenactors from three counties are partaking in Blossom Valley's tribute to John Brown.  Blue Ridge Mountain foliage is in full bloom.  And best of all is Jacob Potter's pumpkin farm where his hay rides, piglet races, pumpkin picking and corn maze are time-honored draws for locals and tourists alike.  That's why it's such a shock when Mr. Potter is found dead, hidden under a tarp in the back of Winnie's pickup truck.  This certainly betrays Potter's reputation as one of the town's most popular citizens.  Fortunately, when it comes to solving a murder, no one has a patch on Winnie.  Now, all eyes are on her to do it.  Unfortunately, that includes those of the killer who'll do anything to keep an orchard full of secrets buried.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Winnie Mae Montgomery helps run her grandmother's cider farm, and she's made several key  improvements, including a renovated barn where she sells her specialty ciders.  With the Fall Festival, they've also got plenty to do, and the farm is finally making a little money, with the Civil War reenactors in town and tourists filling the farm.  One day she and her friend Dot go to the nearby Potter farm, where she's picking up an order from Mr. Potter for her grandma.  But after they stop for ice cream, Winnie notices liquid coming from the back of her truck -- and when the tarp is lifted, it turns out to be the body of Mr. Potter.  Now Winnie's truck is a crime scene, and she's once again in the middle of a murder, which Sheriff Colton Wise doesn't like.  What's also unsettling is the attractive man she's just met who turns out to be Colton's younger brother, Blake, and it appears he's interested in her.  

While trying to navigate her way out of sticky situations, and discovering there's another danger lurking around the corner, Winnie's doing all she can not to have a nervous breakdown.  But when she's asked to find the killer by Mrs. Potter's best friend, she's over her head in trouble.  The problem is, will she be able to figure things out before a killer slays her?...

This is the third book in the series and I've read all of them.  I do like this series quite a bit.  It's progressing along nicely, with Winnie's life in the turmoil it usually is, but she handles everything with aplomb, or at least tries to.  She doesn't accuse people of murder, nor does she keep information from Colton, which I approve of.  It shows she has common sense.  Even her questioning isn't invasive, and she thinks before she asks.  Smart woman.

[The one thing that bothers me is Winnie is always thinking of accusing men of being men -- she doesn't want them carrying things for her, or opening doors, or even thinking of protecting her -- things my mother and father taught us were the way men showed respect for women.  It's not offensive for men to do things for women; and for the record, I worked on cars with my dad and can change parts, but I still love it when men open doors.  Act like a lady and you will be treated like one.  It has nothing to do with 'I can do this too, you know.']  Okay, rant over!

Anyway, there was one scene on the battlefield which I found lovely; I'm not going to name it here, although I want to, and I was surprised and delighted to read it.  Also, one of the funniest situations takes place on a night that Winnie has dinner with the Wise clan - Colton, Blake, and their parents.  It had me laughing and grateful I've never been in that situation!  Not to mention Waddles the goose...

As for the mystery, it was a bit suspenseful, and it seemed that there was real danger around every corner.  As the story wove through the pages, I could almost feel Winnie's tenseness, and her hesitation to step foot out of her home.  It kept me reading throughout the book, and wanting to find out what was around the next page.

When the ending comes, the climax is both gripping and satisfying, with everything finally being resolved just as it should be.  Killers have their own sense of justice, and we can never understand what makes them do the things they do.

All in all, the writing is taut, expressive, and makes the characters come to life easily.  The descriptions of the farm and its people is wonderful, and the book leaves us wanting more.  I would love to see more of Colton's family and, of course, the people of Blossom Valley.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Cider-Shop-Rules-Mystery/dp/1496723511/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4015552734

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

Smokin' Southern BBQ (Recipes & Techniques from Around the South)

Author:    Glenn Connaughton

Genre:     Cookbooks

Softcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781647398323

Rockridge Press

184 Pages

$14.99; $6.99 Amazon

May 4, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Plate up your own savory Southern barbecue!  This cookbook and smoking guide covers a range of regional styles and teaches you essential techniques for barbecue mastery.  Learn how to choose the right tools and work with different cuts of meat.  Master brines, marinades, rubs, and sauces that take your barbecue to new heights.

Whether you're a backyard barbecue expert or trying it out for the first time, Smokin' Southern BBQ provides recipes for any skill level and smoker type, so you can bring the famous flavors of the South to your table. 

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First off, let me say that this book is all about smokers, not just barbecuing in your backyard.  If you don't own one, then you'd better buy one to use this book.  The cover of the book does not tell you this, so I am.

Having said that, I will say that there are some very good recipes inside.  Having my dad from Texas, we ate a lot of BBQ growing up, and I'm still fond of it today.  But not just any chain restaurant; it needs to be made well.  Therefore, the only way to do this is either find a little out of the way smokehouse, or do it yourself.  This book carries many of those recipes that you thought you couldn't do at home, and it shows you how.  

There's a lot of different meats cooked for many regions of the USA, all known for great BBQ: Texas brisket, Kansas City burnt ends, St. Louis ribs, Memphis pulled pork -- well, you get the idea.  But the main thing is you need to find a decent smoker, and this book tells you also what wood to use and how to process it all.  For that, this is a really good book.  I've found a lot of recipes to get out this summer, and I hope you do, too.

https://www.amazon.com/Smokin-Southern-BBQ-Barbecue-Techniques/dp/1647398320/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4013997276

Construction and Calamity (A Mira Michaels Mystery #4)

Author:    Julia Koty

Genre;     Mystery

Digital Book

ASIN #:    B0954WMP76

Busstop Press

152 Pages

$2.99 Amazon

June 1, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When it comes to love Mira hasn't had much luck, so when Aerie's new love interest, the owner of the Pizza Pub, is fingered for a crime at the construction site for the new theater, Mira will do whatever she needs to do to find the true culprit, even if it means she has to betray her best friend's trust or sing at karaoke night.  Still angry with the detective, Mira avoids him by teaming up with an unexpected partner.  But after another death she's willing to risk it all to keep the heart of her friend's love life beating.

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Mira Michaels, whose sister is a well-known psychic, had plans.  She planned to keep that secret from everyone (she didn't).  She planned to take the old Victorian home she's living in and flip it, but that hasn't worked out yet.  And she planned to be on her way -- but she isn't.  Now she's living in an unfinished home with a ghost, a cat she can communicate with (yes!), a dog, and a sassy Macaw.  She's also working as a cook in a diner run by her new best friend, Aerie.

But Aerie's fallen in love with Pizza Pub owner Sam.  The problem is that Sam's the main suspect in a series of thefts at the construction site of a new movie theater going in next door to his place.  Then someone is murdered, and the heat is turned up.  So Mira does the only thing she can: try to find the killer and hope she doesn't get in the way of Detective Dan Lockhart, the man she's butted heads with before and she doesn't want to do it again...now if she can just avoid a killer who might do it again...

This is the fourth book in the series and I just loved it.  Let's face it, this isn't high literature, and it's not meant to be.  It's meant to be a fun romp in the life of Mira Michaels, who's trying to do things on her own and is having a difficult time doing just that.  She gets into situations others can only imagine, and it leaves you shaking your head wondering about her.

But she's fun, she's sassy, and she's smart.  She doesn't go around accusing people of murder.  She tries to share her information with Detective Lockhart, but oh, he makes it so difficult for her!  She's trying to get her house fixed, but problem after problem keeps popping up.  And let's not even talk about her menagerie of pets (except Arnold, her talking cat that I absolutely adore!)

In the end, there are clues to the murderer, but you have to think about it a minute.  I figured it out, but then again, I read a lot of mysteries.  When it all comes together there's quite an interesting ending that leaves us waiting eagerly for the next in the series (soon, please!).  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Construction-Calamity-Michaels-Mystery-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0954WMP76/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4012234144

More on Julia Koty's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/k/julia-koty/

Pup Fiction (A Melanie Travis Mystery Book 27)

Author:    Laurien Berenson

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496718389

Kensington Publishing

304 Pages

$22.99; $12.99 Amazon

June 29, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

With a new litter of standard poodles on the way and her sons enrolled at the Graceland School's summer camp, it's shaping up to be a vibrant July in Greenwich, Connecticut for dog show champ and amateur sleuth Melanie Travis.  But Melanie's busy life shows no sighs of slowing down for the dog days of summer -- especially when the arrival of three rambunctious Dalmatian puppies sets of a series of mysterious events...

While usually protective, Melanie feels comfortable sending her sons to the Graceland School's summer camp for two reasons: The institution is well-regarded and proprietor Emily Grace is a trusted friend.  But Emily has been acting strange since three rambunctious Dalmatian puppies suddenly appeared on her doorstep.  The unusual arrival marks the first of several mysterious happenings at camp, each more intense than the last.  Emily's rough streak takes a frightening turn with a discovery in the nearby woods -- the body of her estranged ex-husband.

As suspicions rush in, proving that Emily didn't murder her biggest mistake will be about as easy as raising prize-winning show dogs.  Realizing that she's the only one who can prove her friend's innocence and keep the Graceland School from shutting down, Melanie dives into an investigation on the victim's whereabouts leading up to his demise.  With a few spotting clues and Aunt Peg's growing curiosity about the Dalmatian pups' origins, Melanie must name the culprit before good intentions come back to bite!

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Emily Grace runs one of the best preschools in Connecticut, and Melanie Travis has sent both of her sons there.  Now younger son Kevin is going to camp, and older son Davey will be one of the counselors.  It's perfect for Melanie, who can use the free time...but she doesn't expect that when she sees Emily, the woman will look ragged, due to the three Dalmatian puppies her ex-husband gave her.  Nor the 'accidents' that are befalling the school, or the discovery of Emily's ex-husband's body, found behind the school in the woods.

With Emily the chief suspect in his murder, she asks Melanie to investigate.  But Melanie doesn't get much closer to finding a killer when she questions people; at least not until she realizes there's someone else who's really running the show...

In this latest installment in the Melanie Travis mysteries, there's plenty of intrigue and suspects, and I have to say that I enjoyed this one more than many of the last that I've read.  I know that Melanie and her aunt show dogs, and I love all animals, and have owned a pedigree Cocker Spaniel myself.  I know what hard work they are, and how much it takes to keep them up to snuff.  My darling Moppet (my nickname for her) was a joy.  But it's also nice not to have too much of the showing in every single book; it takes away from the mystery.

That's not a problem in this one.  Yes, there are definitely the showings and descriptions, but there is also a good mystery hidden behind it.  There are red herrings running through the prose; and people who keep popping up as suspects more than once.  It's something you can really get into and read in one session (which I did).

We also have Peg being Peg, but we are shown a bit of a softer side to her (that I didn't know existed at all!), and this makes her a bit more human (even though we know we're low on the totem pole for her); and I enjoyed reading that.  She takes a big interest in the Dalmatian puppies and takes charge of something else -- that woman's energy is boundless...

When the ending comes and the murderer is revealed it comes as a big surprise, which is exactly how it should be.  I really enjoyed this book immensely, and cannot wait until the next in the series appears.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Pup-Fiction-Melanie-Travis-Mystery/dp/1496718380/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4008552519

More on Laurien Berenson's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/laurien-berenson/

Draw and Order (A Paint & Shine Mystery Book 2)

Author:    Cheryl Hollon

Genre:     Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496725264

Kensington Publishing

336 Pages

$8.99; $6.99 Amazon

June 29, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Appalachian artist and local guide Miranda Trent opens a new murder investigation after her Paint & Shine tour group discovers the remains of a missing hiker along an ancient trail...

For her latest excursion, Miranda is thrilled to take a close-knit group of rock climbers, the Risky Business Adventurers, up the challenging Battleship Rock Trail to paint and sample moonshine.  But the outing is cut short when they discover a skeleton near the trailhead.  Even more startling, the bones belong to Howard Cable, Miranda's cousin...and a former classmate of the Risky Business group.

The sheriff chalks it up to a hiking accident, but Miranda isn't convinced that Howard, an experienced woodsman, died within sight of a well-marked trail.  So, with the help of Ranger Austin Morgan, Miranda sets out on her own investigation and discovers that the Risky Business group is keeping plenty of secrets.  But is one of them hiding the truth about Howard's death?

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Artist Miranda Trent returned home from New York after her Uncle Gene died and left her his farmhouse and moonshine distillery, which isn't able to be used until she installs new equipment.  Unfortunately, if she doesn't have it all up and running by New Year's, she'll lose everything.  So while trying to get that in order, she also needs an income, which she does by leading groups of people up the mountain to paint scenes of their surroundings.

Luckily, she's taking an experienced group who has been here before - The Risky Business Group - and they want to paint the scene where they first traveled.  But unfortunately, it ends early when one of the group trips and injures herself, then Miranda discovers that it's the bones of a human which caused the accident.  When the sheriff is called by Ranger Morgan, Miranda fears that the bones belong to her cousin Howard who disappeared five years ago.

When Howard's mother, her Aunt Ora, asks her to investigate, she can't say no, especially when her own mother Dorothy, who's visiting Miranda, agrees.  Now Miranda is in the middle of yet another murder investigation, this one albeit closer to home.  But someone doesn't want her investigating, and they'll go to great lengths to snuff her out...

This is the second book in the series, and I enjoyed it much more than the first (although I did think that telling us three times how she turned her uncle's bedroom into an office was a bit much).  I do like the addition of her mother, who isn't a nag, isn't pressuring her to marry and give her grandchildren, and actually loves her daughter and wants to help.  It's refreshing and reminds me so much about my own mom, who was a terrific cook and taught me how to cook -- and I love it.  Memories are best when they're shared with others and bring out memories in them (smile).

The mystery itself is well-drawn (see what I did there?) giving us more of a glimpse into Miranda's life and what her future is turning out to be.  She doesn't attack people when she questions them; nor does she accuse them of being the murderer.  She gleans information and turns it over to the sheriff right away.  I do like the fact that the almost-boyfriend isn't a cop this time, but a forest ranger, who's actually a likable person himself.  

Miranda is trying her best to get her distillery up and running, but also needs to give her aunt closure, which is the reason for her questions.  When the climax comes and we discover who the murderer is, the motive is as old as time, but the ending is a bit of a surprise, which is nice.  I really enjoyed reading this book and look forward to the next in the series.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Draw-Order-Paint-Shine-Mystery/dp/1496725263/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3999417448

More on Cheryl Hollon's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/h/cheryl-hollon/

Written in Stone (A Books By the Bay Mystery #4)

Author:    Ellery Adams

Genre:     Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9780425251737

Berkley Prime Crime

304 Pages

$7.99; $7.99 Amazon

November 6, 2012

⭐⭐⭐⭐

When Munin Cooper, known as the witch of Oyster Bay, warns Olivia Limoges that death is coming, neither of them realize that it is the older woman herself who will soon be found dead.  And Olivia's instincts tell her that something -- or someone -- more sinister than a mystical force is at play...

Olivia has a lot of her plate preparing for the Coastal Carolina Food Festival.  When she hears the news of Munin's untimely death, however, finding the murderer takes priority.  The witch left behind a memory jug full of keepsakes that Olivia knows must point to the killer -- but she's got to figure out what they mean.

With handsome police chief Rawlings by her side, Olivia starts to identify some of the jug's mysterious contents -- and finds its secrets are much darker than she suspected.  Now Olivia must enlist the help of the Bayside Book Writers to solve the puzzle behind the piece of pottery and put an end to a vengeful killer before any more damage can be done...

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Olivia Limoges has a history with Oyster Bay and has been happy since she returned.  Her life is full and busy.  While at the local diner one morning she's told by its owner Dixie that the local witch, Munin, wants her to come to her.  Dixie tells her that Munin can tell Olivia about her mother, and even though she has reservations, she finds a guide to lead her through the swamp to the forested area Munin calls home.

What Munin says stuns Olivia, and she gives her a memory jug that she's made for her - a clay jug with items attached all around it - and Olivia sees that the items have clues to her past.  But before she can visit Munin again, the woman is murdered.  But there is more going on in her life, including something that might change it forever.  But Olivia feels she needs to find justice for Munin, and with the help of her friends, she intends to do so...that is, unless the murderer turns their sights on her, too...

This is the fourth book in the series, and I have read all of them so far.  I didn't much care for the first one, I have come to like Olivia through the pages of these books.  She's turned into a decent human being who's showing affection and caring for others, and this is big plus.  She's also opened herself to other things, and finding Munin's killer is among them.  But when she starts looking, she discovers secrets that have been hidden for decades -- including her mother's.  But when someone else is killed, the stakes are raised and Olivia is on a desperate search to keep others from being harmed.

What results is a very interesting book with more than interesting characters, and Olivia learning about her past in the process.  The ending is tragic and sad, but also giving and hoping for a better future.  It's tragic enough that someone was permanently damaged, but gives us something to look forward to in the next.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Written-Stone-Books-Bay-Mystery/dp/042525173X/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3993676273

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

The Diva Serves Forbidden Fruit (A Domestic Diva Mystery #14)

Author:    Krista Davis

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496732736

Kensington Publishing

304 Pages

$22.51; $12.99 Amazon

May 25, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐

With Old Town's DIY Home Decorating Festival in full swing, Sophie's swamped, juggling a bumper crop of artisans, antique dealers, and decorators for the busy street fair.  Still, when her best friend Nina suddenly needs a ride from the airport, Sophie is happy to help...until she sees Nina disembarking in a state of disarray.  It's obvious the trip to Portugal soured somewhere along the way.  But after one of Nina's traveling companions turns up murdered the following day, Sophie knows something is truly rotten...

Though the crime scene is staged to look like an accident, Sophie isn't fooled and peels off to conduct her own investigation.  Her only clue is a strange image the victim scratched into the soil before dying.  Could it point to a cryptic killer in Old Town?  A bitter adversary?  Or a cursed artifact smuggled back from the trip?  As the mystery grows, so does the body count, and if Sophie doesn't pluck the murderer soon, her best friend may be the next to fall...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Sophie is trying desperately to pull of the DIY Home Decorating Festival on her street.  Her neighbors have gotten their tents ready and have started selling their wares and demonstrating how to create decorating items.  In between she has to pick up her best friend Nina from the airport, but is stunned when Nina arrives without shoes and looking haggard.  After getting a tale of woe from Nina, it's back to business for Sophie.

But when she visits another friend the next morning she finds the woman dead with a strange symbol carved into the soil beside her.  After informing the police, Sophie finds herself in the middle of another murder investigation, this one closer to home and it involves more than one friend.  But when Nina is targeted, Sophie knows she has to act quick or she'll lose her, too...

This is the fourteenth book in the series, and unfortunately I haven't read them in order, so some of the revelations in the book are a complete surprise to me.  However, I do plan on going back and reading the rest of the series, because what's discovered doesn't spoil this book at all.

We again have Natasha whining every five minutes to Sophie for something, and while Sophie tunes her out, I certainly wish I could, too.  I have never cared for the woman, but at least she's not uber-annoying in this book, which is a good thing.  Actually, there are some funny moments with Natasha that she has no control over, and I did enjoy those.

There's also trouble in the festival, with the entrants complaining amongst themselves, and I am not going to detail that as this is a new book and I want people to enjoy reading it.  And you should enjoy it, too.  There's an awful lot going on, and a lot of people doing it, and poor Sophie is right in the middle of it again.  

But there are some good things that occur, and that makes all of it worthwhile.  I do still think that Sophie needs to get herself together, but that's a personal opinion and has no reflection on this book, which is very good indeed.  I enjoyed it immensely, and the mystery was indeed something that wasn't discovered until very close to the end (although I did figure out the murderer before Sophie, so that's something in my favor!).  When it all comes together, we get a few more surprises which are nice, and it gives us something to look forward to in the next book.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Serves-Forbidden-Fruit-Domestic-Mystery/dp/1496732731/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3991837196

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

Death on the Night of Lost Lizards (A Hungarian Tea House Mystery Book 3)

Author:    Julia Buckley

Genre:     Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781984804860

Berkley Publishing

288 Pages

$6.81; $7.99 Amazon

June 1, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Along with her mother and grandmother, Hana Keller has achieved renown serving tea and cakes with a European flair, but when a local professor is killed, she uncovers a serving of suspects instead...

Hana Keller is getting ready for a lovely holiday season.  When she receives a rare tea set as a birthday gift, she decides to host a tea at her apartment for her closest friends.  During the cozy get-together, one of Hana's friends gets word that a murderer is on the loose.  Hana soon learns that the victim was Sandor Balog, a professor of Hungarian Studies at the local college.

With her growing psychic ability, Hana senses that she is going to be pulled into the investigation of the professor's death somehow.  With her sexy boyfriend Erik on the case, Hana finds the Tea House steeped in suspects.  She studies the smiling faces celebrating the season, but the real killer is good at hiding the truth and putting Hana in the hot seat...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Hana Keller works at her family's Hungarian tea house.  She loves it, along with her family, her cats, and her new beau, homicide detective Erik Wolf.  It's coming on Christmas, and she knows she needs to shop for gifts, so while she's waiting for her car to warm up, she sees a familiar figure that she can't quite place.  The young man is without a coat, and they meet eyes for just a second.  When Hana leaves, she can't get the image out of her mind.

When she gets to work she discovers that a professor at the nearby university has been murdered that morning.  She mentions the strangeness of the man's actions, going in and out of an alleyway, and tells Erik that he needs to check the dumpster.  Now, with evidence found, Hana is well and good into another murder investigation.  She also discovers that Professor Balog had an extensive collection of Hungarian art himself, a priceless collection, that sets people to wondering how he could afford it all.

But it's not long before Hana sees some of the suspects -- other professors who claim to like the dead professor but still had issues with him, and it leaves Erik with suspects aplenty.  Along with this, Erik's sister is having problems of her own, and Hana's life is about to get more interesting and complicated at the same time.

Her Uncle Zoltan sends her a beautiful set of Hungarian teacups and teapot that have Chinese lizards on them for her approaching birthday, and she's wanted them since she was young, and immediately starts having tea parties at her apartment to show off her prize.  But something in the design starts to make her think about life, and it bothers her...

She's also using her newfound psychic skills to try and help Erik, but knows she can only do so much.  It's the tea set that starts her thinking, and when she starts her own investigation, seeing some of the professors here and there, little does she know that eventually it will all come full circle and a surprising killer will emerge...

This is the third book in the series and I have loved every one of them.  Ms, Buckley gives us a beautiful story of murder -- believe it or not -- and Hana's thoughts are first and foremost.  She finds true joy in the Christmas season and ponders life and death, and everything is just lovely to read.  Yes, we have a mystery in trying to find a murderer, but it is in this in between that brings it all together one piece at a time.

Many things are happening at once - and I am loath to tell you what they are since it would definitely be too many spoilers - but I will say that this book itself is magical.  It brings you pleasure in just reading it.  There are so many things that are intriguing within, and it makes the Christmas season more beautiful than it already is.  As a matter of fact, I intend to read this book again at Christmas, just because I love it so.

I am also extremely pleased that the author presented us with a truly captivating murder mystery without politics (as some authors are now wont to do), and gives us nothing but a truly delicious murder to dig into and try and discover the killer.

While trying myself to put the pieces together, it came as a surprise to both Hana and I at the same time who this person was.  The reasons for the killing were sad in itself but who knows what another person thinks?  All in all, the tapestry came together one thread at a time, and was woven superbly together.  My only lament is that this series is too few and far between.  I love the characters, the setting, learning Hungarian phrases and lore (history is all so stimulating to me).  Hana's family are quirky and loving, and her relationship with the quiet detective is progressing nicely.  Also, as a lover of cats, I can't get enough of Antony and Cleopatra.  Brava, Ms. Buckley, for giving us another look into Hana's life.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Death-Night-Lizards-HUNGARIAN-MYSTERY/dp/1984804863/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3986684263

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

Deck the Donuts (A Deputy Donut Mystery #6)

Author:    Ginger Bolton

Genre:     Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496725608

Kensington Publishing

256 Pages

$15.95; $9.99 Amazon

October 26, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

It's Christmastime again in Fallingbrook, Wisconsin.  Emily has decked the halls of her donut shop and decorated her donuts with festive designs from green and red frosting to snowflake sprinkles.  For the annual Ice and Lights Festival, she's commissioned a sculpture with three ice-carved donut shapes to form a holey snowman, Frosty the Donut.  She has one Christmas wish this year -- to spend some time under the mistletoe with a certain detective.

But the holidays just aren't the same without an unexpected disaster or two.  A tour bus on its way to the festival has crashed and a snowstorm has left all the shaken passengers stranded and shivering.  Emily and her friends open their homes to shelter the traveling families, while the bus driver is admitted to the hospital for his injuries.  But the following morning, Emily discovers his body -- buried beneath Frosty the Donut.

The bus passengers show little sympathy for the man who dashed through the snow so badly, some claiming he was under the influence while behind the wheel.  Emily also discovers that the driver had a history with folks in Fallingbrook.  With multiple motives for murder piling up, it will take a Christmas miracle for Emily to solve this crime...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Emily Westhill, along with her late husband's father, owns and runs Deputy Donut, a donut shop that has become a meeting place for many of the town's locals.  It's Christmastime, and she's expecting to spend time with her friends, and so has taken some time off to go cross-country skiing with her friend Brent, whom she'd like to move out of the friend zone.  When a call comes in that there's been a bus accident not far away, both Brent and Emily go to see if they can be of help.

It's apparent that the passengers are shaken and some are hurt, and there are children on board.  The tour bus was making a stop in Fallingbrook to see the local Ice and Lights Festival, and almost made it before the crash.  But Emily learns that the driver is from a neighboring town, and that he's had problems before, and learns nothing good about him from others.  When she discovers his body early the next morning, it leaves questions all around: could the killer have been one of the passengers?  Or worse yet, one of the locals?  With the tour guide who was also the victim's girlfriend, staying with Emily, she'll need to watch her back as well as those around her if she wants to discover the truth...

This is the sixth book in the series and I have read all of them.  I must say that I think this is one of the best ones.  I like the fact that this series progresses, it doesn't leave all the characters in stagnation mode, and things move forward just as they should.  It makes each book a fun read, and interesting to boot.

When the victim is discovered to be of a less than stellar person, questions abound and no one seems to have a real answer as to what he was doing in the snow and who hated him enough to kill him.  Not even his girlfriend seems to know the truth, thinking he was a wonderful person.  But Emily is finding that not to be the case, and her probing -- unofficially -- into the murder gives her clues, which she shares with Brent.  

I won't give any more about the book away, but I will say that all the regular characters are here, and all enjoying the holidays as best they can, with houseguests they didn't expect but still want them to have a good time while they're staying in Fallingbrook.  When the killer is revealed it is a surprise, just as it should be, and it all comes together nicely in a wrapped package that leaves the ending more than satisfying and the reader wanting the next in the series to be written soon.  There are also some yummy recipes in the back.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Deck-Donuts-Deputy-Donut-Mystery/dp/1496725603/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3982931923

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

Killer Crullers (A Donut Shop Mystery Book 6)

Author:    Jessica Beck

Genre:     Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781250827593

Minotaur Books

304 Pages

Various Prices; $11.99 Amazon

January 3, 2012

⭐⭐⭐⭐

As owner of April Springs one and only donut shop, Suzanne Hart is privy to the deliciously personal, downright eccentric tastes of her customers.  One man is crazy for crullers -- heavy on the icing.  But when he doesn't pick up his order, a tall dark stranger buys the whole box.  Which he tosses, one drippy cruller at a time, at her friend Gabby's storefront next door...        

The man claims that stolen family valuables ended up in Gabby's thrift shop.  His wild, weird behavior has Suzanne wanting to call the cops.  But when he turns up dead -- outside of Donut Hearts, no less -- the cops come calling for her and Gabby.  Can Suzanne prove that their role in the cruller-vandal killing is a cruel, albeit sugar-coated, twist of fate?

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

When Suzanne Hart, owner of Donut Hearts, sells a dozen crullers to a man she doesn't know, she also doesn't expect him to use them as ammunition.  As he's throwing them at the store front window of her neighbor Gabby's store ReNEWed, she steps in to stop him.  He starts accusing Gabby of stealing $10,000 and a vintage brooch from his aunt Jean when Jean donated a coat and it was supposedly in the pocket.

After the man leaves, Gabby insists she had nothing to do with the missing money.  But when the man is later killed, and Gabby is the main suspect, she begs Suzanne to help clear her name.  So Suzanne enlists the help of her best friend Grace, and her retired cop friend George to try and find the killer.  But with plenty of suspects, Suzanne may have gotten herself in deeper than she wants, especially with a killer closer than she thinks...

This is the sixth book in the series and I have read every one of them.  I have to say that this book is a breath of fresh air.  Honestly, it is so nice to read a book that doesn't have an author's personal political views thrown in every which way they can lately.  No offense to the authors, but I read a book for entertainment and to escape daily life, not to have you tell me what I should think and do.  Perhaps that is why I feel the need to read older books so much.  There's no nonsense in them, just pure fun.

And while this book isn't high literature -- it's not meant to be, after all -- it is fun to read.  This time out Suzanne is partly on her own with her friends having to unfortunately leave her in the lurch even if they don't want to.  It makes for an interesting time watching her handle things mostly by herself, and still manage to keep her business moving along.

We see a different side of the hard-hearted Gabby, as she softens toward Suzanne, and there are a couple of surprising twists as well to keep the story moving along.  Because of this, it makes the reader want to finish the book in one sitting, which I did, anyway.  When the ending comes and the identity of the killer is revealed, it also brings everything together nicely, and even gives us something to look forward to in the next book.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Killer-Crullers-Donut-Mystery-Mysteries/dp/1250827590/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3978665065

More on Jessica Beck's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/jessica-beck/