Seances Are for Suckers (An Eleanor Wilde Mystery Book 1)

Author:    Tamara Barry

Genre:      Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496719621

Kensington Publishing

323 Pages

$26.00; $9.99 Amazon

October 30, 2018

⭐⭐⭐

Ellie has an ailing sister to care for, and working as a ghost hunter who doesn't believe in ghosts helps to cover the bills for both of them.  When she's lucky, it also pays for the occasional tropical vacation.  Her brother doesn't exactly approve, but Ellie figures she's providing a service.  On her latest job, though, she may be in for some genuine scares.

The skeptical, reserved, and very rich Nicholas Hartford the III has flown her all the way to his family's ancestral estate in England -- supposedly haunted by a phantom named Xavier.  Nicholas thinks it's all just as much a crock as Ellie's business is, but the fact remains that something is causing the flashes of light, mysterious accidents, and other apparent pranks in the chilly, eerie castle.  His mother is sure that Xavier is real, and he's willing to employ Ellie if she can get to the bottom of it and put a stop to the nonsense.

While the food and accommodations are somewhat disappointing (dorm-room furniture?  Really?), Ellie is finding it an adventure to get to know this eccentric family and their house guests, and to poke around in the nearby village for clues.  But when an actual dead body appears -- and subsequently disappears -- at Castle Hartford, she'll have to apply her talent for trickery and psychological insight to solve a flesh-and-blood murder.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Eleanor Wilde is a con artist who gets people to believe that she can find ghosts and eliminate them, all the while masking as a ghost hunter.  She uses cameras and other equipment to find out the truth, and then fakes a séance where she shows them everything is going to be fine.  She does this because it's the only way she can afford her sister's health care.  Sometimes she even makes enough for a vacation or two.

While her brother hates it, Ellie doesn't care, as long as the paychecks keep coming.  But what comes one day is one Nicholas Hartford III who wants her help -- his mother thinks a ghost is haunting them, but he knows it's all a crock -- just like Ellie's business -- but still insists she help them, at her own price.  Unable to resist, Ellie accepts the offer, and when she arrived in England, walks into the strangest family she's ever met.  Still, she's made a commitment, and she's bound and determined to find out who's staging the haunting, and why...

At first this sounded to be an interesting book, but unfortunately it fell flat almost immediately.  I did not like the main character at all.  As I stated above, she's a con artist, and doesn't even have a home of her own, preferring to leech onto the people she's working for so she can sleep in a bed.  Just lovely.  How endearing a person she must be to not only take money under false pretenses (even if she does admit it to some people) but to use them for room and board also.  I would have had more respect for her if she had her own place.  Ah, well.

At any rate, she goes to Nicholas's family home and meets his odd mother, who serves inedible food for a ridiculous reason since they do have money, after all; his clueless niece, and his extremely vain sister who refuses to realize that she's aging; and her sister's beau, who is loud and boisterous, but is the only person who shows selfless kindness to Ellie.  

But in the end, it's the reason for the fake "ghost" that I found implausible.  Also kind of gross, but I won't explain more of why I said that.  The plot also devolved into a romance more than mystery, and the clues were leading in an entirely different direction all along.  How unfair.  But the ending gives us a clue to what the next book will be about, although I don't know if I will read it or not.  The reason I gave it three stars is because this is a new series, and sometimes the author needs another book or two to hone their characters, so I didn't ding her for that.

https://www.amazon.com/Seances-Suckers-Eleanor-Wilde-Mystery/dp/149671962X/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4087569872

More on Tamara Berry's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/tamara-berry/

Ruff and Tumble (Dog Groomer Mysteries Book 2)

Author:    Chelsea Thomas

Genre:     Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9798525612709

Independently Published

228 Pages

$12.99; $5.99 Amazon

June 23, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Amy opened a pet salon in her quaint hometown, just outside of Hollywood, and she's cleaned up every dog in the village.

Well, almost every dog.

There's a Hollywood mogul living up in the hills who refuses to have her little chihuahua groomed.  The woman says she doesn't trust anyone with her precious fur baby, buy Amy wears her down, and schedules an in-home grooming appointment.

Amy expects that the lady is going to be nicer than people say, and she looks forward to the appointment.  But when Amy arrives for the grooming...

...the woman is dead.

When the cops arrive, the body of the Hollywood mogul is nowhere to be found!  Amy realizes she's going to have to solve this murder or no one else will, so she and her grumpy Granny take the case.

Will our heroes catch the killer on time, or will they be victims number two and three?

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

When Amy opens her salon one morning, a man comes in with his bulldog Jonathan to be groomed, and starts talking about his employer.  He tells her that the woman he works for has never had her Afghan hound groomed, and Amy volunteers to do it.  Jasper, the man, tells that that Margo Edmonds wouldn't let her if she tried.  But Amy is determined, and she and her assistant Betsy show up at Margo's gate the next day.  When Margo's other employee, Francine, tries to tell them to leave, Margo overhears and decides that she wants her hound groomed.  So she tells Amy to show up the next day at 8 am.

But when Amy and Betsy show up, no one answers.  So Amy goes investigating, and finds Margo fighting for her life in her home.  When Margo dies, Amy calls the police, who respond.  But when they get there, there is no body and the detective thinks that Amy is pulling a prank.  But Amy knows what she saw, and wants to go back and find out where Margo has been moved to.  And there begins the mystery of the disappearing body and Amy, Betsy, and Amy's granny, Petunia, on the trail of a murderer...

I will tell you that I haven't read the first in this series, so I'm starting with this one.  It was a very cute tale of a dog groomer/amateur sleuth who decided that she was going to solve the murder of Margo Edmonds.  The things I didn't care for is the fact that when she found a clue, she was in no way going to share it with the police.  I much prefer that they work together, not against each other.  Then, she and her friend Betsy had a habit of just breaking into peoples' homes, which probably isn't a good idea.  I like to say that unless you're writing sci-fi or fantasy, if it wouldn't happen in real life it shouldn't happen in a book.

I know it seems as if I'm being harsh, but I'm not.  I notice details that a lot of other people wouldn't.  Small details matter as much as big details.  And while I liked the fact that Amy was a dog groomer, I thought Betsy was really over the top and Granny was way too concerned with gambling.  Other than that, I liked that fact that Amy mulled over what she was going to do next instead of just doing it.  She did love her pets (as I love mine) and was just trying to set things right and find Margo's killer.

There were plenty of descriptions of where Amy was and any surrounding areas (including a lovely one of the hotel), so that was a plus.  It's always nice to have plenty of descriptions so you can picture them in your mind while reading.  The author was very good at this.  Watching Amy and Betsy try and solve the murder was a lot of fun, enough so that I am planning to go back and read the first in this series.

I did like the plot, and I liked the banter between the main characters, and I really liked Fluffy.  His little thoughts were rather cute.  I also enjoyed the fact that the murderer came as rather a surprise, and the ending was definitely interesting enough for me to want to read the next, and isn't that what the book is all about?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B097SQSWJQ/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4077904012

More on Chelsea Thomas's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/t/chelsea-thomas/

Death and Sensibility (A Jane Austen Society Murder Book 2)

Author:    Elizabeth Blake

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781643857305

Crooked Lane Books

336 Pages

$26.99; $13.99 Amazon

August 10, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐

When the quaint English town of York hosts a Jane Austen Society conference, bookseller Erin Coleridge is glad to get out of Kirkbymoorside for a while -- until featured speaker Barry Wolf suddenly perishes from what appears to be a heart attack.

Erin is suspicious, since Barry had no history of heart disease.  But who did him in?  Was it the decedent's assistant, Stephen, who was observed chatting to Barry's young wife Luca earlier that night?  Might it have been Barry's ex-wife Judith, who was seen arguing with her erstwhile betrothed at the bar?  Meanwhile, conference co-chairs Hetty and Prudence have been at one another's throat since the conference.  Is one of them the culprit?

Matters of the heart are putting Erin off her guard.  Both Detective Inspector Peter Hemming and schoolteacher Jonathan Alder have made gestures of romantic interest, but Erin isn't sure who is her Willoughby and who is her Colonel Brandon.  DI Hemming tries to persuade Erin that her entanglement in the murder investigation is far from sensible, but his entreaties come to naught.  Dauntlessly, Erin joins forces with Kirkbymoorside's cat lady, Farnsworth, to ferret out the guilty party.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

When Erin Coleridge and her best friend Farnsworth Appleby attend a Jane Austen conference, they're excited to stay at the best hotel in York and sample the food the restaurant has to offer in between their duties as moderators and panelists.  The first night they meet Barry Wolf, their keynote speaker, and neither is impressed.  The man is pompous, and obviously a bully.  But when Barry is found dead not long after, Erin is suspicious.  It looks like a heart attack, but she knows differently.  Trying to convince DI Peter Hemming of that fact isn't working, so she decides to check up on the man herself.  But in doing so, she opens a bigger can of worms than she ever thought.  And if she doesn't figure it out soon, a murderer might be slithering away...

First off, I feel I need to correct the blurb.  Judith isn't engaged, and Hetty and Prudence aren't at each other's throats.  That being said, I also have to say that I really enjoyed this much more than the first in the series.  I try to give authors a pass on the first, because they're still honing the characters and deciding what they want them to be.  In this book, Ms. Blake seems to have found her way.

Erin is delightful; she's smart, witty (very), adventurous, attractive, thoughtful, and downright curious.  She's inquisitive and knows she's invasive when she asks questions.  What else would you expect a rural bookseller to be?  Her emotions are explored in this book (and I'm grateful for that), because she lost her mother to cancer at an early age and is still coping.  I also lost my mother to cancer at an early age, and it never gets easier.  You just learn to live your life and remember the love.  It's all you can do, really.

Farnsworth is comfortable in her own skin.  She's a larger woman, but lovely as well, and has as much of a wit as Erin.  Farnsworth is also addicted to Hallmark Christmas movies (as am I!) and Erin teases her for it, but gently.  Her character is a bit more explored in this book, too, and it endears both characters to me even more.  I also love cats and have several, so there's a soft spot for Farnsworth anyway.

But the ladies find that merely moderating panels on Jane Austen's books, life, and times is more than they signed up for when another incident occurs and now everyone at the conference is on edge -- except of course Hetty, who's too self-involved (and we all know someone like her, trying to hold on to their youth).  It gives an interesting tale of murder, greed, lies, secrets, and more, as they are trying to find a killer without realizing that they're being under scrutiny themselves.

When the ending comes it really is a surprise, and quite a climax it is.  You never really know what is in the mind of a murderer, and the length someone will go to for what they feel is justice.  The ending gives us something to look forward to in the next, and I almost wish I could have attended the conference myself.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Death-Sensibility-Austen-Society-Mystery-ebook/dp/B08N6V97NP/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4070289993

More on Elizabeth Blake's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/elizabeth-blake/

Halloween Party Murder

Authors:    Leslie Meier/Lee Hollis/Barbara Ross

Genre:       Mystery/Halloween Stories

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN#:    9781496733825

Kensington Publishing

336 Pages

$22.99; $12.99 Amazon

August 31, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Small town traditions are celebrated throughout Maine during the holiday season.  But when it comes to Halloween, some people are more than willing to reap a harvest of murder...

HALLOWEEN PARTY MURDER by LESLIE MEIER

Tinker's Cove newest residents Ty and Heather Moon turn their Victorian home into a haunted house to raise funds for charity.  But the Halloween fun turns to horrific fright when Heather overdoses on tainted drugs -- and Ty finds himself accused of murder.  Digging deep into the story, journalist Lucy Stone uncovers some sinister secrets in the Moons' past linked to a conspiracy in her hometown...

DEATH OF A HALLOWEEN PARTY MONSTER by LEE HOLLIS

Everyone attending Island Times Food and Cocktail columnist Hayley Powell's Halloween bash is dressed as their favorite movie monster from the Bride of Frankenstein and Jaws to Chucky and Pennywise the clown.  But when partygoers stumble upon Boris Candy's bludgeoned costumed corpse, it falls to Haley to discover who among her guests wanted to stop the man from clowning around permanently...

SCARED OFF by BARBARA ROSS

Three teenage girls having a sleepover on Halloween night get spooked when high schoolers crash the house for a party.  But no one expected to find a crasher like Mrs. Zelisko, the elderly third floor tenant, dead in the backyard -- dressed in a sheet like a ghost.  With her niece traumatized, Julia Snowden must uncover who among the uninvited guests was responsible for devising such a murderous trick...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

I know it's way too early for Halloween, but since I enjoy these authors, I thought I'd start early.  I was disappointed in one, but very pleased by the other two.  For the individual ratings:

⭐Halloween Party Murder by Leslie Meier:  Lucy's husband Bill is finally changing her mind about how she feels regarding the newcomers to Tinker's Cove, Ty and Heather Moon.  And to show she's willing to give them a chance, she's happy to help with the haunted house they're planning for the community, especially when much of the proceeds will benefit the needy in her town.  But the night of the party, Lucy finds Heather near death in the tub, and later learns she died.  Now with Ty accused of murder, and her friend, who's running for the state assembly, defending him, there are more problems than she ever expected, especially since there's a murderer running around loose...

I really wanted to like this, but unfortunately Ms. Meier has turned this into a political rant.  I'm not going to get into it here, but let's just say that I read for entertainment, not to be preached to politically, nor to be told that my way of thinking is just wrong if it doesn't jibe with yours.  So no, I did not enjoy this story at all, but others might.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Death of a Halloween Party Monster by Lee Hollis:   Hayley is throwing a Halloween party at her new restaurant, Hayley's Kitchen, for a select group of friends.  But after the party is breaking up, Lydia comes across the dead body of Boris Candy, who was once dressed as Pennywise the clown, but is no longer -- not that it matters, anyway.  Now police chief and brother-in-law to Hayley, Sergio, is questioning the remaining guests to see which one of them committed the deed.  But with tempers flaring and accusations flying, it's not an easy task.  Now Hayley's trying to put the pieces together but can't believe one of her friends is the guilty party...

This was a terrific short story perfect for Halloween.  I found this one the most hilarious of the three, mainly because I love the banter between Hayley and her two besties, Lydia and Mona.  They make quite a trio. We get to see a different side of Sergio, and some unexpected situations that lead to a discovery of sorts.  It's fun, intriguing, and a quick read that will have you laughing throughout.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Scared Off by Barbara Ross:  When Julia's niece Paige calls her from a friend's house, sounding panicked, Julia heads over there only to find police already arrived.  When she locates Paige and her friend Vanessa, she's allowed to take them home.  It seems that a tenant in the upstairs of the Victorian home, Mrs. Zelisko, is dead, and the girls are insisting they saw her flying like a ghost.  But can Julia find out the truth?  Everyone has different stories, but the woman isn't a ghost, so why did they see her, and who could have murdered her?

With Julia still reeling from her personal life, she's thrown into a murder investigation she didn't want, but is part of nonetheless.  Now she's sifting through the questions and responses to try and find out the truth.  What she does discover throws a lot of people in town, and suddenly there's more to the story than anyone expected...

This is a very interesting short story, and they aren't always easy to write.  While it doesn't have the humor of Ms. Hollis (both authors); it does have a lot going for it.  Julia is once again using her wits to figure out the problem, with her state police friends Binder and Flynn letting her in on the investigation, since she's been helpful in the past.  The answers come slowly but strangely, and no one expects that when it does become clear that this could ever have happened.  We also learn something a bit delightful toward the end, giving us a peek into what the future might hold.  A delightful, refreshing story.  

In the end, I gave the entire thing five stars because I liked the last two stories immensely.  It's only because I don't want to read about politics of any kind (unless I'm reading political science, etc.) in my escapism.  Other than that, I would definitely recommend this to others.

https://www.amazon.com/Halloween-Party-Murder-Leslie-Meier/dp/1496733827/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4066874130

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

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

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

A Wee Murder in My Shop (A Scotshop Mystery #1)

Author:    Fran Stewart

Genre:     Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9780425270318

Berkley Publishing

294 Pages

$7.72; $3.99 Amazon

March 3, 2015

⭐⭐

While on a transatlantic hunt for some authentic wares to sell at her shop, Peggy is looking to forget her troubles by digging through the hidden treasures of the Scottish Highlands.  With so many enchanting items on sale, Peggy can't resist buying a beautiful old tartan shawl.  But once she wraps it around her shoulders, she discovers that her purchase comes with a hidden feature: the specter of a fourteenth-century Scotsman.

Unsure if her Highland fling was real or a product of an overactive imagination, Peggy returns home to Vermont -- only to find the dead body of her ex-boyfriend on the floor of her shop.  When the police chief arrests Peggy's cousin based on some incriminating evidence, Peggy enlists her haunting Scottish companion to help figure out who really committed the crime -- before anyone else gets kilt...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Peggy Winn owns The Scotshop, a Scottish store in the small tourist town of Hamlin, Vermont.  When she discovers her boyfriend cheating, she dumps him on the spot.  Then she continues with a planned visit to Scotland, where she's visited shops before to find treasures to sell back in America.  But this time she finds another shop with the same name as hers -- and inside finds a lovely, ancient shawl that she is urged to purchase by the women at the shop.  But when she wears it later on a picnic with the hosts of her B&B, the shawl conjures up the ghost of a fourteenth-century Scotsman, complete with full kilt attire and dagger.

Realizing she's stuck with him, she names him Dirk since she can't pronounce his given names, and once back in America she urges him to keep quiet so people won't think she's talking to herself.  But when she finds the body of her ex-boyfriend buried under a bookcase after what appears to be a break-in, there's more than a ghost to worry about.  Now her cousin is arrested for the crime, and if she doesn't find out what the burglar was looking for and who really killed her ex, her cousin might be sent away for good...

I really wanted to like this story because I love stories with ghosts in them, and there are several very good ones out there.  Unfortunately, this isn't one of them.  It started out with promise in Scotland, but when they got back to Vermont it steadily went downhill.  More so because of the many unanswered questions throughout the book (and here you're going to have spoilers, so do not read on if you haven't read the book):  Why are there spiders all around Dirk?  What is the reason for this in the book?  Why was the police chief so obnoxious toward Peggy?  Do they have a past?  Why was Mason killed?  This was never explained.  Why could women see Dirk but not men?  This was just ridiculous.  And last, why was Mason blackmailing someone?  

I know that there are two more books in this series, but I won't be reading either of them because of this.  I abhor cliffhangers and things that aren't explained, it makes me feel cheated as a reader.  I just felt that I wasted my time on this book.  Sorry.

https://www.amazon.com/Wee-Murder-Shop-ScotShop-Mystery/dp/0425270319/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4061991167

More on Fran Stewart's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/s/fran-stewart/

Mindful Astrology (Finding Peace of Mind According to Your Sun, Moon, and Rising Sign)

Author:    Monte Farber/Amy Zerner

Genre:     Astrology

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781631067471

Rock Point Publishing

208 Pages

$17.75; $9.99 Amazon

April 27, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐

People have looked to the cosmos for guidance since the dawn of humankind.  In Mindful Astrology, master astrologers Monte Farber and Amy Zerner teach you to use the essentials of astrology to more mindfully navigate your life and your relationships.

Your sun sign represents your purpose in life, your moon sign rules your emotional intelligence, and your rising sign indicates how you appear to others.  Explored together, this "celestial trilogy" gives you meaningful insights into:

• Love and relationships
• Work and career
• Wealth and Success
• Wellness and mindfulness

Use the ancient wisdom of the stars to create a life filled with self-knowledge, peace, and meaning.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

The first thing I need to mention is that I have been studying astrology since I was a teenager.  I have often used it to cast charts for others, and to try and follow my own.  The second thing I need to say is that even astrology, while guiding us easily, isn't going to tell you that you must take a certain path or your life will be less than it should be.  We can all find our joy if we just seek it.  Astrology is meant to guide you, not rule you.  Remember that.

Now as far as guides go, this astrology book is very good.  It gives you information of the trilogy it mentions: sun, moon, and rising sign.  Taken together, you can get a good idea of what your personality is; even if we think we know ourselves, it doesn't hurt to learn more.  

The book does not give you instructions on how to cast your chart, but it does give you places on the internet where you can do this, so this is a big plus.  Once you've discovered your chart, you can find the information needed to use this book.  The authors have done a good job of describing the different signs, and what each one means in relation to the chart.  So, in the end, I think that this book is worth a look, and perhaps adding it to your collection.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Mindful-Astrology-Finding-According-Rising/dp/1631067478/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4058161457

More About the Authors' Books:    https://www.amazon.com/Monte-Farber/e/B003HDMENI/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1

https://www.amazon.com/Amy-Zerner/e/B003HDUZVQ/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_2

Murder, She Edited (A Deadly Edits Book 4)

Author:    Kaitlyn Dunnett

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover, Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496726896

Kensington Publishing

288 Pages

$26.00; $13.26 Amazon

July 27, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When Mikki inherits a nearby farm from a woman she hasn't seen in two decades, the unexpected arrangement comes with a big catch: forgotten diaries hidden in the neglected house must be recovered, edited, and published across the internet within one month.  The lonely locale is like an untouched time capsule from the 1950s, and it was left behind for good reason.

While searching for the mysterious memoirs and clues about the former owners, Mikki discovers that the once peaceful place was punctuated by an unsolved homicide and other rumored crimes.  Worse, suspicious activity in the creepy, dilapidated barn suggests it really hasn't been abandoned at all...

In a remote farmhouse with only her observant calico cat, Calpurnia, keeping her company, Mikki must swiftly crack an eerie cold case from the past and stop a clever culprit from leaving red markups on anything other than pages of revised copy...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Mikki Lincoln is a retired teacher who now edits manuscripts for others from her home in Lenape Hollow in the Catskills.  When she receives a call from an attorney who tells her that she's been left a bequest, she can't imagine what her mother's old friend might have done.  But when she learns she now owns an old farmhouse, barn, and the land surrounding it, she's more than surprised.  But not as much as learning that she needs to find some old diaries that are hidden somewhere in the house, edit them, and publish them on the internet.  

When Mikki visits the place, it's like stepping back into the 1950s.  No one has lived there for decades, and everything has been left just as it was -- along with the ravages of time.  But Mikki is determined to find the diaries, because she's curious to know what's in them, and what is so important that the woman wants them published.  Unfortunately, someone else is looking for them, too...and they won't stop even if it takes murder to find them...

I have to be honest and say that I really tried to get through the first in this series but just could not.  I found it boring.  However, first in a series aren't easy to write because you're still figuring our your characters and your places.  I will say that I am glad I decided to pick up this one and try again.  It was delightful.

I love mysteries that have old cold cases within them, so this one was right up my alley.  You don't even need to read the first in the series to figure everything out; the author has crafted her characters well and you can enjoy the story from the first page without feeling lost along the way.

Mikki is determined to find out the truth of why the house was abandoned so many years ago, even if she's not getting any help from the attorney or his assistant in doing so.  But she's driven, and she's got the help of her friend Darlene who's more than willing.  

Unfortunately, she's also being stalked by a woman who blames her for something trivial, and she's having to constantly dodge the woman.  Life is not a bowl of cherries for Mikki, and she's got a lot on her plate to handle.  Hopefully, she'll be able to find the diaries and get rid of the woman all at the same time.  But when she finds out there's more at stake than that  -- meaning her life -- will she be able to figure it all out in time?

I loved the book enough to finish it in one sitting, and I loved the plot.  There are a few more subplots thrown in, but you will have to read the book to find out.  I will say that the ending took me by complete surprise, and when Mikki put it all together, it was definitely a dropped bomb.  This alone made it worth reading.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JVRJHCV?ref_

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4053238165

More on Kaitlyn Dunnett's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/d/kaitlyn-dunnett/

The Complete Book of Healthy Smoothies (115 Smoothie Recipes to Nourish, Heal, and Energize)

Author:    Andrea Mathis, MA, RDN, LD

Genre:     Cookbooks

⭐⭐⭐

When you need a nutritious breakfast on-the-go or a midday snack, it doesn't get any easier than a smoothie.  This book offers more than 100 tried-and-true recipes packed with fruits and veggies, superfoods, plant- or animal-based proteins, healthy fats, fiber, and complex carbohydrates.

Enjoy them at any time of day for a range of health and wellness benefits, including a morning energy boost or an afternoon pick-me-up; healthy skin, hair, and nails; weight management and balanced eating; and more.  With helpful tips and tricks for making the most of your blends, and nutritional information included with every recipes, you can add a nourishing routine into your daily life in the form of a fast, easy, and refreshing drink.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

First of all, let me state that I love smoothies.  Where I live it's warm pretty much most of the year, and it's a lot easier to grab things out of the freezer and fridge (where I keep plenty of fruits and vegetables), and throw them into the Ninja instead of cooking a full meal (since it's only my husband and myself, this works pretty much well).

Anyway, I found this book interesting in that the author managed to throw nuts and seeds into almost every smoothie, so those allergic to nuts might want to pass this one on by (which is the reason for the star rating).  Also, and this is personal preference, I refuse to drink any 'nut' or 'oat' milk; so the substitutions I made probably changed the taste.  

However, even with my own substitutions, the smoothies I did make came out tasting pretty good.  So I guess that the end result is the fact that if you want to use the recipes as written, they will probably be very good smoothies; but a lot of people won't have these ingredients on hand and may even have to go to specialty stores to find them.  Other than that, the recipes are pretty decent, but I can't see making all of them.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1648766994

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4051767514

Essential Pantry Cookbook (80 Easy Recipes and 100 Creative Variations to Make the Most of On-Hand Staples)

Author:    Jen Chapman

Genre:     Cookbooks

Softcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781648768026

Rockridge Press

152 Pages

$15.29; $6.99 Amazon

May 4, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Learn how to serve inspired, tasty meals with foods you already have in your pantry, fridge, and freezer.  By focusing on 85 basic ingredients -- 70 long-lasting pantry items and 15 fresh ones -- Essential Pantry Cookbook  gives you all the guidance you need to shake off the dinner blues, saving you time and money.  Get a full list of the ingredients you'll need to prepare any recipe in this book, as well as advice for shopping, storage, meal planning, and more.

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I ordered this cookbook for the reason that I love to cook and bake and am always looking for new recipes.  I saw the cover and it pretty much had me hooked.  Although several of the ingredients to have on hand I really don't care for (capers, coconut milk, mustard, or tahini, to name a few), there were still enough recipes to keep me interested enough to want to purchase this book.

There is Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Bake, Broccoli-Cheddar Soup, Minestrone Soup, Cheese Danishes, and Focaccia, for example.  Even those with the above-mentioned ingredients I can substitute with no problem and the dishes will turn out fine.  

The best part is that none of these dishes will take hours to make, and most of them are easy enough for even a beginner cook.  The instructions are clear and concise, and the only real downside is that there are not pictures for each dish so you can see what it is supposed to look like.  This doesn't bother me too much, but it might bother others who like to see what they're making.  So please know that.

However, this is a nice cookbook that will definitely be used in my household, and that's the purpose of the entire thing, isn't it?  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Pantry-Cookbook-Variations-Hand/dp/1648768024/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4049870408

More on Jen Chapin's Books:    https://www.amazon.com/Jen-Chapin/e/B08Z6C77Z9/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1

Drop Dead Chocolate (A Donut Shop Mystery #7)

Author:    Jessica Beck

Genre:     Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781250001054

St. Martin's Paperbacks

304 Pages

$7.99; $11.99 Amazon

April 24, 2012

⭐⭐⭐⭐

The whole town of April Springs is stirring over the upcoming mayoral election.  Suzanne Hart's mother, for one, is dead-set on replacing the current mayor...and what better way for Momma to drum up support than by luring in voters with Suzanne's drop-dead-delicious donuts?  Just add chocolate, and they're sure to kill the competition...

With Momma's half-baked campaign heating up faster than a donut shop deep fryer, Suzanne wonders if they've bitten off more than they can chew.  But when Momma's opponent is brutally murdered, the odds of winning are suddenly, and suspiciously, in their favor.  Sure, they'd been planning to beat the mayor -- but with speeches and donuts, not a blunt instrument.  If Suzanne hopes to reveal the killer's recipe for revenge, she'll have to uncover a plot that's darker than any chocolate...

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Suzanne Hart owns Donut Hearts, a donut shop in small-town April Springs, North Carolina,  She lives with her mother in the home she grew up in, and has made a nice life for herself after her divorce.  But one day she finds her mother completely riled up by the mayor, who has done something no mayor should ever do, and decides to run against him in the upcoming election.  But before that can happen, the mayor is discovered dead at one of her properties, and now Suzanne's mother Dorothy is a big suspect.  When she asks her to help clear her name, how can she refuse?  Even if it means going against her police inspector boyfriend Jake.  But someone killed the man, and once you've murdered someone, it's a lot easier to murder again...

This is the seventh book in the series, and I'm really starting to enjoy it.  I like the fact that it's not stagnating, and is moving right along.  I also go back to older series every now and then because I know that the authors aren't going to throw their political beliefs in everywhere.  It's sad, but I read to escape from reality, not have it pushed in my face.  There's also a cute conversation about male writers using female pseudonyms, which is funny because of the author (who is very good, by the way).

Suzanne has several suspects to sift through, and none of them want to give her any answers, especially the ex-wife of the police chief, who is running against Dorothy.  Not even Suzanne's donuts can open her up.  But Suzanne has her posse of best friend Grace and retired cop George to help, and they all seem to glean information one way or another.

When the ending comes it is surprising in more ways than one, and there are changes for Suzanne that we will have to wait and see how it plays out.  The narrative is lighthearted and playful, just as it's supposed to be.  I really enjoyed the book and visiting with these characters again, and will continue on with this series.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Drop-Dead-Chocolate-Mystery-Mysteries/dp/1250001056/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4049825658

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

Much Ado About Nauticaling (A Whit and Whiskers Mystery #1)

Author:    Gabby Allan

Genre:     Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496731067

Kensington Publishing

256 Pages

$14.49; $9.99 Amazon

July 27, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐

After far too many years in the Los Angeles corporate world, Whitney Dagner has come home to Santa Catalina Island off the California coast to help her brother Nick run Nautically Yours, the family tourism business.  Between gift shops selling all manner of T-shirts and tchotchkes and keeping her feline Whiskers in fine fettle, she plots the Sea Bounder, a glass bottom boat showing tourists the underwater sights of aquatic plants, marine life -- and a murder victim?

The self-proclaimed "Master of the Island" Jules Tisdale was a wealthy man with business interests throughout Catalina who was about to be honored as Person of the Year before someone strangled him with his own tie and tossed his body into the water.  That someone appears to be Nick, who had a raw deal from Jules and no alibi the night of his murder.  To clear her brother's name, Whit will have to investigate Jules' shady associates and not exactly grief-stricken family members -- with the unwelcome help of Felix Ramirez, police diver and Whit's ex-boyfriend who's looking to rekindle their relationship...

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Whitney Dagner has returned home from a job she hated to Santa Catalina Island, where she grew up.  She's back running her family's tourism business along with her younger brother, Nick.  After giving a glass bottom boat tour to a group of people from the Chamber of Commerce, who are giving an award to Jules Tisdale as the Person of the Year, she's glad to have him off her boat.  But later that evening he shows up again -- under the boat, quite dead.  With Nick the main suspect, Whitney needs to find out who really killed Jules.  Unfortunately, with family and friends not fond of the man, it won't be easy, and no one seems to want to help her -- that is, with the exception of her ex-boyfriend Felix, a police diver and a man who wants to rekindle what they started to have before she left...

I really wanted to like this book more than I did.  It had an interesting premise -- a protagonist who runs a glass bottom tour boat and has a souvenir shop; not your usual sleuth who's running away from a bad relationship or returning home completely broke.  (I have always wondered what they do with their money if they're leaving a 'high-powered job' yet return broke.  Are they giving all their possessions away and blowing all their cash?  Just sayin').  Anyway, it started out well enough, and I am a big sucker for pets, especially cats, so I was happy to find out that Whiskers is pretty cute throughout the book.

But then Whitney never really looked for any clues.  Anything she garnered came from gossip and just fell into her lap.  It started to get boring after that.   I don't listen to gossip (and it's not always reliable anyway), so I would rather she used her free time to do a little digging for clues.  

She just went from place to place and picked up information, and Whiskers didn't play a big part (if it's a Whit and Whiskers, you'd think the cat would be more of the book).  Still, this is a first-in-the-series, and I always try to give a new author a pass on the first book, because I realize that the characters and settings probably need a bit of a 'tweaking' before everything falls into place.  Saying that, this was a pretty decent start to a new series, and I will definitely pick up the next to see where it is going to go.

https://www.amazon.com/Much-about-Nauticaling-Whiskers-Mystery/dp/1496731069/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4047971683

More on Gabby Allan's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/a/gabby-allan/

Murder in Connemara (A Home to Ireland Mystery Book 2)

Author:    Carlene O'Connor

Genre:     Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496731708

Kensington Publishing

368 Pages

$8.20; $6.99 Amazon

July 27, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Former New York interior designer Tara Meehan is eagerly anticipating the grand opening of her architectural salvage shop Renewals in her newly adopted home of Galway.  She's in the midst of preparations when heiress Veronica O'Farrell bursts in to announce she's ready for some renewal of her own.  To celebrate one year of sobriety, she's invited seven people she wronged in her drinking days to historic Ballynahinch Castle Hotel in neighboring Connemara to make amends in style.

But perhaps one among them is not so eager to pardon her past misdeeds.  Veronica is found lying inthe ruins of manor house Clifden Castle with an antique Tara Brooch buried in her heart -- the same brooch Tara Meehan admired in her shop the day before, posting a photo with the caption #Killerbrooch.  Now she's a prime suspect, along with Veronica's guests, all of whom had motives to stab the heiress.  It's up to Tara to pin down the guilty party...

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Tara Meehan moved to Galway, Ireland after her mother's death.  It was her mother's homeland, and she had her reasons for coming.  But now she's found an uncle, and she's part-owner in an architectural salvage business, and has decided to open a shop in town called Renewals.  One day when she's preparing for her grand opening, a woman, larger than life, blows in through the door and announces she wants to hold a small party here for the guests she's invited to celebrate her sobriety.  Stunned, Tara is also taken by the beautiful brooch the woman is wearing.  Veronica O'Farrell turns out to be an heiress and invites Tara to wear it and take a picture.  Tara posts it online, and when Veronica leaves thinks nothing of it.  But when Veronica is later found murdered with that same brooch, Tara is now a suspect.  Trying to clear her name might not be easy, but if she can figure out which one of the guests actually killed the woman, her worries will be over.  Unfortunately, they might also be over if the killer finds her first...

This is the second book in the series and I have to say that I utterly enjoyed it as much as the first.  I like all of the characters in this book, although I will admit I am a bit on the fence about Tara's maybe-boyfriend, Danny.  Time will tell, I suppose.  But I do like Uncle Johnny, Breanna, and Detective Gable.  He treats Tara like a person, not an annoying gnat.

What I didn't care for in the book (and the loss of one star, unfortunately), was the fact that Tara would just walk up to people and start asking them questions like she was a garda herself, without even an introduction or why she was asking.  It was a tad uncomfortable, and I would have told her to bugger off.  Surely there are better ways to get answers than putting someone on the defensive immediately.  But I did like the fact that both Danny and Johnny had her back, and that showed that they cared about her.  

Other than that, the plot was very good, and there were questions throughout that get you wondering how certain things were done.  Even looking for clues was a bit difficult, but it really didn't matter, as the ending was worth the wait.  Speaking of that, it was definitely unexpected and came out of nowhere, but please do not peek to see who the murderer is!  You will have more fun reading this book if you just wait, and it will all be revealed in time.  The reason for the murder is rather sad, but who knows what goes on in the mind of the deranged?  I do look forward to the next in this series.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Connemara-Home-Ireland-Mystery/dp/1496731700/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4044082608

More on Carlene O'Connor's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/o/carlene-oconnor/

Murder in an Irish Village (An Irish Village Mystery #1)

Author:    Carlene O'Connor

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781617738449; 9781617738463

Kensington Publishing

368 Pages

$25.14; $6.99; $4.99 Amazon

January 31, 2017

⭐⭐

In the small village of Kilbane, County Cork, Ireland, Naomi's Bistro has always been a warm and welcoming spot to visit with neighbors and share a cup o' tea.  But murder has a way of killing business...

Nowadays, Siobhán O'Sullivan, along with her five siblings, runs the family bistro named for their mother.  It's been a rough year for the O'Sullivans, but it's about to get rougher.  One morning, as they're opening the bistro, they discover a man seated at a table with a pair of hot pink barber scissors protruding from his chest.  With the local garda suspecting the O'Sullivans, and their business in danger of being shunned, it's up to the feisty redheaded Siobhán to solve the crime and save her beloved brood.

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Siobhán O'Sullivan is only twenty-two, but she's the head of the family now that her parents were killed in a car crash a year ago.  The crash was caused by Billy Murphy, who sits in jail.  But one morning she sees his brother in town -- a man she thought had been in Dublin ever since.  Even though she wants nothing to do with him now, he won't leave her alone.  And when she enters her family's bistro a day later, he is sitting at one of the tables with a pair of hot pink scissors in his chest.  Scissors from a local beauty salon that was given to her as a promotion.  With her brother James missing and the best suspect for the crime, Siobhán now has to find a murderer who's trying to frame someone in her family...

Since I do love another series by this same author, I was hoping to love this one, too.  Unfortunately, I didn't.  First off, we are told of a tragedy where the six childrens' parents were killed a year ago.  Tragic enough in itself, but now we have a young girl who has her even younger siblings working in a restaurant.  What kind of life is that?  And six of them?  It was difficult to keep track of who was who and how old they were.

There was no sense of place; this could have occurred in any village in Ireland.  I would have liked to have heard more about their surroundings (as we do in the other series).  I think there were just too many characters to keep track of, and it started to irritate me.  You need a cheat sheet to keep track of everything going on.

Eventually, I found out who the murderer was and why, and all I saw were six ruined lives that could have been different.  Maybe just two or three siblings would have worked better as far as the story line goes.  In the end, I can't say whether or not I will read another of these books.

https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Irish-Village-Mystery/dp/1617738468/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4040747059

More on Carlene O'Connor's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/o/carlene-oconnor/

Long Island Iced Tina (A Catering Hall Mystery #2)

Author:    Maria DiRico

Genre;     Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496725356

Kensington Publishing

288 Pages

$7.69; $6.99 Amazon

February 23, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Mia's newly pregnant friend Nicole plans to hold a shower at Belle View -- but Nicole also has to attend one that her competitive (and mysteriously rich) stepmother, Tina, is throwing at the fanciest place in Queens.  It's a good chance for Mia to snoop on a competitor, especially since doing a search for "how to run a catering hall" can only get you so far.  

Mia tags along at the lavish party, but the ambiance suffers at Nicole's Belle View shower when a fight breaks out -- and then, oddly, a long-missing and valuable stolen painting is unwrapped by the mom-to-be.  Tina is clearly shocked to see it.  But not as shocked as Mia is when soon afterward she spots the lifeless body of a party guest floating in the marina...

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Mia Carina is just learning how to run a catering hall, her father's first legitimate business as part of the Family.  She's determined to make a go of it in order to make her father proud.  But when she attends a baby shower for her friend Nicole, she's stunned by the ostentatiousness of it and can't believe what Nicole's stepmother Tina is thinking.  Everything is over the top, and Mia's heart sinks, since she knows her catering hall can't compete with this one.

Still, when it's her turn to have a baby shower given by the mother and grandmother of the bride at her hall, everyone seems happy with it -- at least until Tina arrives and seems to take over completely.  Later on, Mia interrupts an argument between Tina and Nicole's mother, Linda, and hopes everything will quiet down.  But when the body of Tina is found floating in the water, Linda is the main suspect, and Mia is asked to investigate by her own Italian grandmother and her friends.  How can she turn them down?...

This is the second book in the series, and I did enjoy it quite as much as the first.  There was one disappointment toward the end, but only because I felt there was a buildup toward something else in the first book.  Either way, it did not spoil my enjoyment of the book, nor really change anything too much, so I will have to see how it goes in the third.

When Mia is asked to investigate the murder, she does so reluctantly, because of course, she doesn't want to get involved.  But since she's sure that there's something hinky going on with the other catering hall, the people who run it, and she's sure there's a connection to Tina and the painting.  But without saying too much more, Mia finds more than she bargained for, and things get a bit more involved than she thought.

There's also a cute subplot involving her grandmother and their new neighbor Phillip that I found quite funny.  It weaves in seamlessly, and even Mia gets caught up in it.  I do like her nonna and the rest of her family, even her incarcerated narcissistic brother Posi.  The author makes the series a delight to read, and the mystery is no less interesting.

When we finally get to put everything together, it's definitely a convoluted twist, but you can see the killer emerging if you look for the clues.  I loved the story, the characters, the descriptions of everything Mia sees, and I will keep reading this series and the next can't come soon enough.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Long-Island-Iced-Catering-Mystery/dp/1496725352/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4034917364

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