Tuesday, August 31, 2021

The Mountain View Murder (A Wintergreen Mystery Book 1)

Author:    Patrick Kelly
Genre:     Mystery

Trade Paperback. Digital Book
ISBN #:    9781734239225
Chaparral Press LLC
205 Pages
$11.99; $3.99 Amazon
June 17, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


GUESS WHO CRIED AT LOU THORPE'S FUNERAL...

No one.  His wife, grown children, and best friends all attended the service, but no one shed a single tear.  Poor Lou.  He was out for his morning walk when a crazed driver knocked him out of life.  Crazed?  With no car, no driver, and no witnesses, it's difficult to say.  Was it an accident or intentional?

Until that morning, Bill O'Shea was living the dream.  After a career of fighting crime in the big city, Bill bought a condo in the beautiful mountain resort of Wintergreen, Virginia.  When he met his attractive new neighbor, Bill knew his retirement was off to a great start.  But then the short-staffed police department asked Bill to help them investigate Thorpe's death.

Soon, Bill fell into an old routine.  Interviewing suspect.  Checking alibis.  Everyone had a secret to hid, but Bill lacked evidence to tie any of the suspects to the crime.  He was missing something -- like he had an itch he couldn't reach to scratch.

Will Bill and his new friends solve the case, or will the murder of Lou Thorpe remain a mystery forever?

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

When retired police detective Bill O'Shea moves to Wintergreen, Virginia, he just wants to sit back and enjoy his life.  However, when a man is killed in a hit-and-run accident on the mountain trail, the short-staffed police department asks for his help.  Reluctantly, he accepts, but on his terms.  Everyone seems to think it was an accident, but Bill's suspicious.  And when it turns out to be an actual murder, he's once again in the mode of police detective trying to find a killer.  But it seems all the suspects are friends of Bill's and no one can name an enemy, leaving his work cut out for him.  But Lou must have made someone mad.  Angry enough to want him dead...

There's also his new neighbor, Cindy, who's seemed to take an interest in him, although he doesn't know why.  But that's suddenly fraught with problems, too, and Bill has to figure out what the problem is.  If he wants his life back -- and his relationship to move along -- he needs to figure out who's hiding a big secret.  Although everyone he suspects is hiding something.  Which one of them had a secret big enough to kill for?...

I have to first say that this book was written beautifully.  The descriptions of Wintergreen and its surrounding areas were definitely a big plus, bringing the reader into the environs of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.  So much so that I plan to visit there sometime in the future.

The mystery was plotted well, with a profusion of suspects.  Each of them had their own secrets, and Bill needed to ferret them out.  Speaking of active retirees...anyway, it was definitely an intriguing read, and I liked it so well that I read it in one sitting.  The characters had depth, and I found myself embroiled in Bill's life easily.  It seemed he was barely swimming in the newness of it when he was interrupted with the murder, and still trying to figure things out as being retired.  But then, he wasn't; a murder reared its ugly head and he was back in the game.

While the officers had their own ideas of who the killer might be, Bill, with his years of experience, knew that nothing was ever as it seemed and he kept his eye on the prize.  Which, of course, turned out to be a major award.  But when the ending comes, and the killer is revealed, it was totally unexpected, and I still don't know if that's a good or a bad thing.  I did like the epilogue, though, and will read the next in the series, waiting to go once again to Wintergreen for another visit.  Highly recommended.




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Fixation & Fraud (A ChiroCozy Mystery Book 3)

Author:    Cathy Tully
Genre:     Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:    9781736446744
Visions & Revisions Unlimited
290 Pages
$11.99; $3.99 Amazon
August 25, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐



A hound, a hog and a homicide.

It's Thanksgiving and foul play has been served along with dessert.  Though Dr. Susannah Shine expected a relaxing holiday, the mysteries keep piling up.  A stranger is found dead, a stray dog appears in the dark, and a precocious pig calls at her door. 

With BFF Bitsy's Grandpa as a primary suspect, Susannah must figure out who killed the real estate agent, while juggling the demands of an A-List actress who is paying extra to keep her chiropractic treatments secret.

With all clues leading to Grandpa's Pecan orchard, Susannah, Bitsy, and Little Junior parlay a porker's visit to the vet into the undercover adventure of the century.  Or at least of the last week.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

All Dr. Susannah Shine wants for Thanksgiving is to be left alone.  Just a few hours to herself so she can unwind and relax.  But her best friend Bitsy doesn't think that's a good idea, and before you know it, Susannah is at the home of the Long clan, and enjoying Thanksgiving with a horde of people. 

Bitsy has other things on her mind, too; she wants to make the best dessert for the family and has been using Susannah for a guinea pig.  She also wants to find Hogzilla, a giant hog that's supposedly out in the woods.  But first she needs to gather some pecans, so her grandmother lends her and Susannah her 'pecan picker', and they go to the Long's orchard to gather.  Unfortunately, all they gather is a dead man lying up against a tree.  Now Susannah is once again involved in a murder, much to the annoyance of the police.  

Then a stray hound shows up at Susannah's, along with a pot-bellied pig, and Bitsy decides to keep the pig, making things more of a mess than they already are.  But with the main suspect being Grandpa, Bitsy and Susannah have no intention of allowing the detective to nail the wrong man for the crime, so they figure out their own plan, hoping to nab a killer before he or she gets wind of it...

This is the third book in the series and just as funny as the first two.  When the animals show up practically on Susannah's doorstep, Bitsy decides what she's wanted all her life was a pig, and proceeds to name her, taking her everywhere.  The dog isn't trained much better, trying to escape his leash and outrun everyone.  But Susannah has bigger fish to fry: catching a killer who's willing to let an old man go to jail for their crime.  Unfortunately, the police are keeping their eye on her and don't want her anywhere near the investigation.

But Bitsy has eyes and ears everywhere, and a grand plan.  Once they discover the dead man was a real estate agent who was working with her cousin Stella, they find out his name and determine that he had sinister motives of his own.  So Bitsy decides to go undercover and over the top and drags Susannah right along with her.  What ensues is a one hilarious scene and quite a few others along the way, most of them having to do with a pig.

Then things get hotter at home, and Susannah knows she's on the right trail.  She's also trying to treat her celebrity client, but things aren't perfect in that area, either.  When everything comes to a head, there's a major meltdown, an unexpected addition, and Susannah faces what might be the most desperate situation of her life.  What comes out of it is a book that is both invigorating and interesting, and so much fun to read.  I loved this book and can't wait for the next in the series.  Highly recommended.



More on Cathy Tully's Books:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4210662484
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Monday, August 30, 2021

Which Pie Goes With Murder? (An Ivy Creek Cozy Mystery Book 1)

Author:    Ruth Baker
Genre:    Mystery

Digital Book
ASIN #:    978B09D7VCTQ5
CleanTales Publishing
77 Pages
$.99 Amazon
September 30, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐



Discover how Lucy Hale navigates her way through a rollercoaster of emotions as she tries to resolve a murder mystery that has her as the prime suspect.  She thought running a bakery would be a piece of cake.  But she's in for a mighty shock as her fiercest competitor is found dead...in her backyard!

Will she acquit herself in the court of public opinion or become the killer's next victim?

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Lucy Hale returned home to Ivy Creek when her parents were killed suddenly.  She's decided to stay for awhile and run their bakery, but doesn't really know for how long.  She's taken aback when a man approaches her and tells her that he owns a rival bakery and her parents were in the middle of selling their bakery to him, and that she should just complete the sale and leave.  Lucy knows they'd never do that, and tells him so.  

But he continues to hound her, and she has a verbal argument with him in her bakery, and the next morning she finds him dead in her backyard.  Now she has to figure out who's trying to frame her, because one of the deputies is her old boyfriend, and he's being aloof and won't tell her anything.  With the help of her aunt, Tricia, Lucy sets out to find the real murderer...if it doesn't get her killed, too...

I'm always up for giving new authors a chance, and I do think that Ms. Baker has promise.  Her writing is very good, and she knows how to tell a story.  Normally I don't like to read books that are "short," because they don't give us much background and I really would have liked to have had more on the lead characters.  However, I realize that in a book this length, you can only fill in so much.

Saying that, I did like the fact that Lucy didn't come home broke, or from a bad relationship, or having been fired from her job.  These are all trite plot lines, and sometimes they don't work well.  (After all, if they're broke, what did they do with their money?  Blow it all?).  So I did enjoy that she was still employed and obviously has a little money, anyway.  

The mystery itself was very good, with Lucy not knowing whom to turn to since the town wasn't very forgiving of her; and she depends on her aunt for support, and Tricia is with her all the way.  There's a good bond there, and I enjoyed it.  I also love cats, so Gigi was nice, but I'd like to see more of her in the next book.  

I did have questions, and I hope that they will be answered in the next book:  How did Lucy's parents die?  What happened between her and Taylor?  Who was taking care of Gigi before Lucy got there?  Did they just leave the poor thing to starve?  Why were the townspeople so quick to convict her of murder?  Is she really that disliked here, and if so, why? 

Yes, I know I have peppered the review with questions, but it didn't take away my enjoyment of the book.  When the ending comes it was played very nicely, and I will definitely read the next in the series.  Recommended.


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Sunday, August 29, 2021

The 'Peyton Place' Murder: The True Crime Story Behind the Novel That Shocked the Nation

Author:    Renee Mallett
Genre:     Non-Fiction/True Crime

Trade Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:    9781952225628
WildBlue Press
188 Pages
June 10, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐



Grace Metalious, born and raised in Manchester, New Hampshire, came from humble beginnings.  A former mill worker, mother of three, and school principal's wife, she would shock the nation in 1956 with the publication of Peyton Place, her first novel about a murder in a small town.

Quickly becoming the best-selling book of its time, the sexually-charged book spawned sequels, two Hollywood movies, and a long-running television series on ABC starring Mia Farrow and Ryan O'Neal.  It also made Metalious a pariah in the town where she lived, and tabloid fodder for years, ultimately leading to her untimely death at the age of 39.

Unknown to most readers, behind the fictional story about the lives and scandals of residents of a small New England town Metalious called Peyton Place, lay a dark secret based on fact.  The story was, in part, inspired by a true life crime known in the press as "The Sheep Pen Murder," which took place in Gilmanton, New Hampshire in the late 1940s.  

In The Peyton Place Murder: The True Crime Story Behind the Novel That Shocked the Nation historian Renee Mallett skillfully weaves together the lives of Metalious and Barbara Roberts, the confessed killer behind The Sheep Pen Murder.  In her book, Mallett shines a new light on the inspiration behind the shocking best-selling novel and explores what happens when true crime and literature meet.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

First off, I have to say that the title rather got me, as it did many readers.  Perhaps the book should have been named: The True Crime Story Behind the Novel Peyton Place.  In that instance, people would know immediately what the book contained.  Saying that, I did know that there was a true crime that somewhat inspired the novel, just as I knew that Grace Metalious died at 39 years of age.  Sad it is, but she made her choices, even if they weren't good ones.

And indeed they weren't.  This book paints Metalious as a selfish, self-centered woman who wanted only what she wanted, and anyone and anything else just got in her way.  It paints her as a slovenly woman who didn't keep house, cook, or care for her children, really.  All she wanted to do was write.  I have great respect for authors, as I love to read and practically devour books; but not to the detriment of leaving things around home undone or not caring about my home and children.  I would also like to believe authors today manage to combine their writing with the rest of their lives.  Obviously Metalious had no such qualms about anything.

When she heard of the murder, which was a sensation in its time, she managed to incorporate it in her book, which lead to the people of her town thinking they were being incorporated also (which may well have been the case); but in so doing, it doesn't make them come off well at all.  They seem to be a small-minded township of people who vilify anyone who might even go against them.  This does not seem to be a town I would want to live in, much less visit.  They come off as a nasty group indeed.  I can't say whether I would like to be in a book or not, since it has never come up, but I would like to think that I would have more generosity in my heart.  Ah, such is life.

To the murder: a young woman -- same as in the book -- killed her father for the same reasons.  The town rallied for her, her family rallied for her, and it became national headlines, mainly for the fact that she was well-liked, poised, and beautiful.  To find the outcome of this, you will have to read the book because I have no intention of saying any more about it.

But the book shows this impact on Grace, and when she began making money from the book, she squandered all of it as soon as it came in.  There were lawsuits and problems in her marriage and home life, but nothing mattered except what she wanted, and this is what ruined her.  It is difficult to maintain any sympathy for such a woman, but one can agree that the book was indeed a sensation...but at what cost?



More Books by Renee Mallett:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4206297337
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Thursday, August 26, 2021

Hot Cross Guns (Apple Orchard Cozy Mystery Book 14)

Author:    Chelsea Thomas
Genre:     Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:    9798460934966
Independently Published
258 Pages
$12.99; $5.99 Amazon
September 20, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


Murder Ruins Everything. 

It's the start of fall in Pine Grove, which means the leaves are vibrant, the coffee is warm, and the days are crisp and cool.  Autumn really is the best season in upstate New York.

But bottle blonde Teeny has her 65th birthday coming up, and for her, that's ruining all the good stuff about fall.  Teeny HATES her birthday, and she doesn't want anyone to know how old she is.

But then one of Teeny's many evil exes turns up in town -- with an enormous birthday float --  and makes a big deal of Teeny's upcoming birthday in front of everyone in town.

The nerve of this guy!

Teeny is furious, of course, and she dresses the guy down in front of half the town.  But then the evil ex turns up dead at a hot new local bakery, and Chief Flanagan identifies TEENY as the top suspect in the murder...

It's up to Chelsea and Miss May to solve the murder.  Because if they don't catch the real killer soon, Teeny is going to have to spend her birthday alone in JAIL.  No one wants that.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Chelsea, Miss May, and Teeny are at a local coffee house when they see a man sitting at a table in the far corner.  Teeny immediately recognizes him as one of the magicians she dated in the past.  The Great Gregory apparently left things in tatters with her, and when she confronts him, all she wants is some money that she lent him, which he refuses to acknowledge.  After the blowup, they go to see her sister Peach, who admits she hired him for Teeny's "surprise" birthday party.  

Teeny is definitely angry and refuses to attend the party, but Chelsea and Miss May talk her into it.  Bad idea.  When Gregory is found dead by Chelsea, Teeny is the main suspect.  Now the three women have to once again start a murder investigation to find a killer, or Teeny won't have this birthday or any other in the company of her friends...

This is the fourteenth book in the series, and I must admit that I haven't read any of the others.  I know, I know...but now that I've read this one, I've already got the first and am going back to start at the beginning.  That's how good this book is.

The three women are a hoot, each in their own way.  Miss May is no nonsense, and she wants everything done the way she expects -- even if she comes up with ideas that don't seem practical.  Teeny is a cook who takes her frustrations out on the people who come to her restaurant -- even if her recipes are bad ideas.  And Chelsea just goes along with it all -- even when very strange words come out of her mouth at the most inopportune times.  She just isn't good at thinking on her feet.  Oh well...

Together these three women make the strangest team of crime fighters that I've ever come across.  And also the most endearing.  They are funny, loyal, caring, and will do whatever it takes to get the job done.  Even if the police can't.  Because the police are a tad inept.  Not that it matters.  Chelsea is dating a detective, and while he's cute, he's not sharing information, so the three are on their own....trying to figure out if another magician killed Gregory...

Because that's the direction the investigation is going, but they're not sure how to find out who wanted him dead.  His assistant, who wants to do magic on her own?  His agent, who had a beef with him?  Or another magician, because he wasn't well liked?  With a plethora of suspects, and a lack of clues, they set forth to the big city (Manhattan) and are determined to find out.  Unfortunately, the killer would rather they didn't -- and is willing to kill again to keep a secret.

When the ending comes, whether it's a surprise or not doesn't matter, because it's fun to watch how they put thing together and come out on top.  Yes, there is a surprise twist, but even that is interesting to see when we find out the truth of the matter.  Once again, everything is fine in Pine Grove...at least for the time being.  Highly recommended.



More on Chelsea Thomas's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/t/chelsea-thomas/
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Monday, August 23, 2021

Cold Brew Corpse (A Coffee Lover's Mystery Book 2)

Author:    Tara Lush
Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book [Audio CD Available]
ISBN #:    9781643857886; 
Crooked Lane Books
320 Pages
$26.99; $13.99 Amazon
December 7, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐



It's a steamy September, and business is brisk at Perkatory, the hottest coffee shop in Devil's Beach, FL.  Much of the clientele pours in from Dante's Inferno, the hot yoga studio next door.  But the bright, sunny Gulf Coast days turn decidedly dark-roast when the body of the studio's owner turns up in a nearby swamp.

Between running Perkatory and training Stanley, her golden Shih Tzu puppy, reporter-turned-barista Lana Lewis is too busy to go sleuthing.  But when the editor of the local paper asks her to write about the murder, Lana's dreams of getting back into journalism start to percolate.

Lana discovers that the yogi has a nefarious past and her share of mug shots, so grinding her way through the suspect list is a large task.  She learns that the victim was fatally beaned by an SUV before she was dumped in the swamp.  But was the killer one of her students?  An envious yoga teacher?  Or a local photographer who seems to know too much?

But no one tells Lana Lewis what to do.  Hunting the caf-fiend who killed the yogi puts Lana and Chief Noah's relationship -- and Lana's life -- in very hot coffee.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Lana Lewis returned home to Devil's Beach, Florida from Miami, when she lost her job at a newspaper and her marriage fell apart.  She's taken over running her late mother's coffee shop, Perkatory, since her father isn't really interested.  But she misses journalism, so when a local yoga shop owner goes missing, she can't help but be nosy, and when the editor of the local newspaper asks her to do a story, she jumps right in.  

But with a new relationship beginning to bloom between her and the police chief, Noah Garcia, Lana has to be careful not to involve him in her own investigation.  Which isn't going to be easy, but Lana is determined to ask as many questions as she needs to in order to find out what happened to the yogi.  Unfortunately, it seems that someone doesn't want her probing too deep and is going to keep her out of the way, even if that means permanently...

This is the second book in the series, and I do like the fact that it picks up right where the first book left off.  So little stories do that, with months going in between and an entire new story beginning.  This was the first pleasant surprise.

I will tell you that if you don't love coffee (which I do) you might find the descriptions of Lana making her cold brew tedious, but I did not.  I love coffee in all its forms, so this was of interest to me.  Aside from that, the tale is entertaining right from the beginning, and we have Lana deciding that she's going to put little Stanley in puppy training, and work at the coffee house, determined to make a life for herself.  But when this story comes her way, she can't resist.  Goading her on is her barista Erica, who's just as interested, and Lana is off and running.

The suspects are plenty, from her boyfriend, an admirer, her instructors, and even students, it seems there is more to the yogi than anyone knew.  As Lana probes deeper, she finds that the woman wasn't everything she appeared, and made more enemies than friends.  But she knows that one of these people is a killer, if she can just figure out which one.

The tale is entertaining enough for me to have read it in one sitting.  It has enough action to want you to keep reading, and the characters are beginning to grow on me.  I do like Lana, Erica, and Noah; and I'm even liking Lana's father a bit more, since he isn't high all the time.  (Sorry, but as I stated before, I'm biased as to the fact of what a wonderful father I had, who was an adult and became both parents after my mother's passing, but I really didn't allow this to color my review if you notice by the rating).  At any rate, he's more likable in this book and seems more human.  Just my opinion.

I enjoyed the narrative quite a bit, getting involved with the story line and following it through to the ending.  The clues to the murderer were all there, but even though I figured it out before Lana (I read a lot of mysteries), it was still quite pleasant to read to the end.  The climax was especially engaging, as I didn't expect it at all.  

Of course, there was the romantic aspect interspersed throughout the book, and while some might think it was over the top, it worked in this book, although it might not in another.  In the end, everything came together nicely, and gives us something to look forward to in the next book, which I also am awaiting eagerly.  Recommended.



More on Tara Lush's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/l/tara-lush/
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Saturday, August 21, 2021

Grounds for Murder (A Coffee Lover's Mystery Book 1)

Author:    Tara Lush
Genre:    Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book
ISBN #:    9781643856186
Crooked Lane Books
320 Pages
$17.59; $12.99 Amazon
December 8, 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐


When Lana Lewis' best -- and most difficult --  employee abruptly quits and goes to work for the competition just days before the Sunshine State Barista Championship, her café's chances of winning the contest are creamed.  In front of a gossipy crowd in the small Florida town of Devil's Beach, Lana's normally calm demeanor heats to a boil when she runs into the arrogant java slinger.  Of course, Fabrizio "Fab" Bellucci has a slick explanation for jumping ship.  But when he's found dead the next morning under a palm tree in the alley behind Lana's café, she becomes the prime suspect,

Even the island's handsome police chief isn't quite certain of her innocence.  But Lana isn't the only one in town who was angry with Fabrizio.  Jilted lovers, a shrimp boat captain, and a surfer with ties to the mob are all suspects as trouble brews on the beach.

With her stoned hippie dad, a Shih Tzu named Stanley, and a new, curious barista sporting a punk rock aesthetic at her side, Lana's prepared to turn up the heat to catch the real killer.  After all, she is a former award-winning reporter.  As scandal hangs over her beachside café, can Lana clear her name and win the championship -- or will she come to a bitter end?

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Lana Lewis returned home to Devil's Beach, Florida from Miami after her marriage crumbled and she was laid off from her job at a top newspaper.  Now she's running the coffee house her late mother started, and trying to do her best, especially when her barista, Fab, talks her into entering the state barista contest.  Lana also hires a new barista, a strange woman named Erica who seems to have everything together -- including her ability to create great coffee art.  But Fab isn't happy, and he lets Lana know about it.

The next day, Fab doesn't show up for work.  When the local police chief, Noah Garcia, tells Lana he saw him working at a rival coffee house, she confronts Fab in front of a crowd.  But then she leaves for Miami for an awards ceremony, hoping it will calm her down.  When she returns the next morning she parks her car in her lot, only to find Fab's body.  Shaken, she calls Noah and when the examination is completed, everyone thinks it was suicide.  But Lana isn't sure.  She doesn't believe that someone with a larger-than-life personality like Fab would kill himself.  With the help of Erica and Lana's hippie father, she's going to find a murderer...hopefully, the killer doesn't want to kill again, with her as the next target...

This is the first book in the series, and I really thought it started slow, so it took awhile to gain and hold my attention.  But I stuck with it (I hate to not finish books) and I was pleased by the end.  We have Lana, who's despondent over losing her job and depressed over her marriage ending, and she's sworn off older men like her husband.  But Chief Noah is interesting to her, and she to him.  So maybe she's rethinking that while trying not to.

She's also trying to run her business but isn't sure about her frothing skills.  Fab was her key to getting everything right, and now he's gone.  And with everyone shouting suicide except her -- and his distraught girlfriend Paige who tells people Lana killed him -- she has her own self-interest in finding the truth.  She's also inherited his puppy Stanley, and the little guy is starting to grow on her.  

I do like Lana, Noah, Erica, and most of the other characters although the jury is still out on her father.  I'm not truly fond of a middle-aged man who's living like a hippie, but that's my own opinion (probably brought on because I had an awesome Dad myself, whom I bonded with and spent time with every day until I lost him.  Still miss him; he was a rock to me). 

The mystery is well-written and the main characters are given time to develop, which I do like.  Their personalities fit their actions well, and that's part of the charm of a good book to read.  This one was easy enough to read in one sitting, and became more intriguing as the story went on.  There were plenty of suspects, a ton of red herrings; but I will say that I knew who the killer was the minute they stepped onto the page; and only because I read so many mysteries did I figure it out early.  The clues are there, but you have to look for them.

In the end, when all was revealed and the killer discovered, everything came together nicely.  We do learn a little bit about what may happen in the next book, and that's a good thing.  The book was indeed satisfying to read, and I look forward to the next in the series.  Recommended.



More on Tara Lush's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/l/tara-lush/
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Thursday, August 19, 2021

Reserved for Murder (A Booklover's B&B Mystery Book 2)

Author:    Victoria Gilbert
Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book
ISBN #:    9781643855905
Crooked Lane Books
336 Pages
$18.86; $13.99 Amazon
June 8, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐



Meeting your favorite author in the flesh can be the chance of a lifetime.  But for one unlucky fan, her plum place in line at a book signing will lead to her untimely demise.

Beaufort, North Carolina, is home to Chapters Bed and Breakfast, owned and operated by former schoolteacher Charlotte Reed.  The historic 18th-century inn draws in voracious readers from far and wide with its lovingly curated special events celebrating a host of genres and authors.

On this sunny July weekend, a visit by one of the biggest names in romantic fantasy attracts throngs of admirers to the quaint coastal village.  That's not ideal, as the author retreated to Chapters to get away from it all for a while.  No matter -- she'll appease her fans with a "Tea and Ta;k" meet and greet at the B&B celebrating her bestselling series (starring a devilishly dashing, time-traveling pirate), follow that up with a quick book signing at Bookwaves, the hip indie bookstore across town, and spend the remainder of the weekend in delightful repose.

But when the president of the reclusive writer's fan club is found dead in the harbor by the Beaufort docks -- done in by a blunt-force blow to the head -- it's up to Charlotte Reed, her neighbor Ellen, and Ellen's trusty Yorkshire terrier to sniff out the killer.  Because if they can't, a spectacularly successful book series -- and it's author -- may come to a sudden, lethal conclusion.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Charlotte Reed inherited Chapters, a book-themed B&B by the sea, from her late aunt Isabella.  Charlotte's late husband died tragically, and it's here she retreated to, to ease her pain.  She's come to love running a B&B, and even more surprise awaited her when she met her next-door neighbor, Ellen.  Ellen's past intrigued her, and even more, Charlotte's quick mind and ability to piece things out quickly intrigued Ellen even more.  So the septuagenarian and Charlotte became fast friends, never imagining that they would also become partners in solving crimes.  But Ellen now has a visitor -- a cousin of sorts, although Charlotte is suspicious. 

However, she can't worry about that when her latest guest is a hot romance author and has agreed to meet with three contest winners of her fan clubs.  But when one of them is tragically killed, suddenly all eyes are on who might be the killer.  The suspects are plenty -- from the author herself to a local professor who derided the series -- and Charlotte and Ellen certainly have their work cut out for them.  Not to mention that Charlotte is determined to find out exactly who Gavin Howard, the cousin, really is, and why he's in town...

This is the second book in the series and I truly enjoyed it more than the first.  Although the first set the scene by giving us background on Charlotte, her aunt, and Ellen, this book expands upon that and brings us deeper into the mysteries.  It also gives us a nice mystery to sink our teeth into -- exactly who is Gavin, and who killed the fan club president?

As to Gavin, we are given bits and pieces throughout the book so that mystery is easier to solve; but it seems that the murder of the fan club president is more personal, and any one of several people could have been the murderer.  What the question is, is who had the best motive?  

I do like the fact that Charlotte and the police actually have a good relationship, and they aren't on her all the time by treating her as if she were below them.  The police chief is an intelligent woman who treats Charlotte with respect, and realizes another intelligent woman when she sees her.  As for Ellen, she respects Charlotte, and I like the fact that they test one another occasionally.  It's quite appealing.

When the killer is discovered, it's a rather sad deal all around, but then, of course, things could have been different for them in other circumstances.  All in all, the book was quite enjoyable, and I read it in one sitting, so that is telling in itself.  Highly recommended.



More on Victoria Gilbert's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/g/victoria-gilbert/
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Monday, August 16, 2021

To Fetch a Killer (Dog Groomer Mysteries Book 3)

Author:    Chelsea Thomas
Genre:     Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:    9798538739325
Independently Published
242 Pages
$12.99; $5.99 Amazon
July 16, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


When Amy moved back home and opened a cute little pet salon, she never expected her work to be interrupted by death.  It's especially odd when the victim is a nurse.

Aren't medical professionals supposed to know how to stay alive?

The big clues suggest this rowdy nurse drank a little too much and then never woke up.  But that doesn't sit well with Amy, and it's not long before she's poking her nose where it's not wanted.

Not surprisingly, it's not long before Amy uncovers evidence that suggests the death of the nurse was murder -- and she and Granny set off to catch the killer before there's another murder in town.

But this killer was smart, they covered their tracks, and Amy suspects the key evidence is in a briefcase that's under lock and key.  Is she right?

The closer Amy and Granny get to catching the killer, the more danger they find, and the angrier the local cops become.

With threats mounting, and more secrets than the ladies can count, Amy knows this case has to be solved before another victim turns up.

Will Amy solve the murder or will the killer claim another victim?

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Amy Stewart moved back to her hometown in California after a nasty breakup and decided to open a pet grooming salon with her grandmother, Petunia.  Along with her granny, Amy's friend Betsy works there.  Betsy is excited because her red Mustang is going to be entered into a car contest, and she's sure she'll win.  But she doesn't expect an encounter with a nurse named Wendy who also has a red Mustang, and wants her to leave.  After the confrontation turns ugly, Betsey and Amy move to another spot.

But later on that evening, Wendy calls Betsy and tells her that she accidentally put her bag in Betsy's car and wants them to bring it to her.  When Amy and Betsy arrive, they don't see the Mustang, but they see Wendy, very much dead.  When the police arrive, they aren't really surprised to see the two women, but after learning of the altercation, they immediately suspect Betsy of killing Wendy.  Now Amy and Granny have to gamble that they can catch the real killer to keep Betsy from going to prison...

This is the third book in the series, and I actually think it's the funniest.  While I wasn't overly impressed with Granny in the last book, perhaps it's because she rather grows on you.  In this book, she shows her grit and actually gets down to helping Amy find the killer instead of spending every free minute playing poker.  (Never fear; there's a lot of that along the way, too!)

There are actually a couple of truly hilarious scenes -- one depicting Amy in the hospital, and another with her having a wild ride on a motorcycle with Dirk, the newspaper editor.  That's all I'm going to say on that subject.  There's also a side story involving Fluffy, Amy's Persian, while he's investigating a little mystery all his own.  I loved that, by the way.

When Amy and Granny start investigating, they're at first sure who the killer is, but as they interview other people, their belief is soon tested, as other potential suspects come into view quickly.  But they both have some surprises along the way -- including an eye-opening one for Granny -- that sets them off on another direction. 

Then there's also the bag they were supposed to deliver when they found the dead woman: what does the briefcase hold, and is it a clue to her death?  I found the story funny, endearing, and full of action as they make their way to the side of a killer, and the ending does not disappoint.  I look forward to the next in the series.  Highly recommended.



More on Chelsea Thomas's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/t/chelsea-thomas/
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Sunday, August 15, 2021

Hooked on Hollywood: Discoveries from a Lifetime of Film Fandom

Author:    Leonard Maltin
Genre:     Non-Fiction/Film

Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #:    9780998376394
400 Pages
GoodKnight Books
[Various Prices]; $7.99 Amazon
July 2, 2018

⭐⭐⭐⭐


Leonard Maltin is America's best-known film historian, film reviewer, and author of books that have sold more than 7 million copies.  He remains a thought leader on past and present Hollywood through his website www.leonardmaltin.com, and a social media presence that includes an active Facebook page and a twitter feed with more than 66,000 followers.  In Hooked on Hollywood, Maltin opens up his personal archive to take readers on a fascinating journey through film history.

He first interviewed greats of a Hollywood as a precocious teenager in 1960s New York City.  He used what he learned from these luminaries to embark on a 50-year (and counting) career that has included New York Times bestselling books, 30 years of regular appearances coast-to-coat on Entertainment Tonight, introductions on Turner Classic Movies, and countless other television and radio performances.  Early Maltin interviews had literally been stored in his garage for more than 40 years until GoodKnight Books brought them to light for the first time in this volume to entertain readers and inform future film scholars.  Teenaged Leonard Maltin landed one-on-ones with Warner Bros. sexy pre-code siren Joan Blondell, Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated actor Burgess Meredith, Cecil B. DeMille's right-hand-man Henry Wilcoxon; Oscar-winning actor Ralph Bellamy, playwright, novelist, and MGM screenwriter Anita Loos; early screen heartthrob George O'Brien, classic Paramount Director Mitchell Leisen; and others.

Later in his career, Maltin sat down with men and women who worked inside the top studios during the heyday of movies and early television.  This second set of in-depth interviews reveals what life was life under Louis B. Mayer, Jack Warner, Harry Cohn, and the other titans of Hollywood.  What emerges is a fascinating and at time uproarious homage to Golden Era Hollywood.  In addition, key feature articles from Maltin's newsletter Movie Crazy are published here for the first time, providing new perspectives on the Warner Bros. classics Casablanca and Gold Diggers of 1933 as well as many other masterpieces -- and bombs -- from Hollywood history.

Finally, Maltin looks back at what he considers Hollywood's "overlooked" studio, RKO Radio Pictures, which gave us such classics as King Kong and the man dance musicals of Astaire and Rogers.  In Leonard's unique and witty style, he looks at dozens of obscure RKO features from the 1930s. including saucy pre-Codes, musicals, comedies, and mysteries.  Leonard Maltin's love of movies and vast knowledge about their history shines through from the first page to the last in this unique volume, which includes 150 rare photos and a comprehensive index.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

After reading this long (at 400 pages) book by Mr. Maltin, the one word I would use for it is comprehensive.  Mr. Maltin does nothing halfway, and this book is proof of that.  He begins by giving interesting information regarding the songs in several films -- Casablanca and Blues in the Night are two of them; and he does so nicely, with knowledge about them we might never have known otherwise.  

As a huge classic film lover, I have seen all of the films (except for the 'lost' ones naturally), so I am quite aware of the plots, but for those who have not, he also details these (without giving away endings, so never fear) in order that others might wish to see and enjoy them.  While I will admit there are stinkers among them (as Mr. Maltin himself professes), some of these are worth viewing for the actors alone.  I will say, though, that even with my love of musicals, there are those that I will never view again, and therefore don't really care about their history.

Then we get to the meat of the matter -- the interviews.  While many of them are droll, there are just as many where the participants' responses just didn't matter to me; they seemed dry.  However, I will say that I absolutely loved Ralph Bellamy's interview.  He had a good memory for his films, and if anyone has ever seen any of them -- or if not, I will say to do so, especially his earlier ones -- Mr. Bellamy acted with his eyes.  Regardless of whatever line he was speaking at the time, his eyes showed the emotion a true actor should.  I have noticed this in all of his films.

What is amazing, really, is the fact that the teenaged Leonard Maltin could actually speak to these people and get them to open up so candidly to him.  Each interview is no different than any from a seasoned critic, and it led him to a prolific career in television and radio.  The book is also filled with over a hundred photographs from his personal collection, and some of them are quite marvelous to see.  This is a book that should be in the library of classic film scholars, and quite worth the read.



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Saturday, August 14, 2021

Slashing Through the Snow (A Christmas Tree Farm Mystery Book 3)

Author:    Jacqueline Frost
Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book
ISBN #:`9781643857763
Crooked Lane Books
304 Pages
$26.99; $13.99 Amazon
October12, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


Reindeer Games Christmas Tree Farm is going into the B&B business, and Holly White is looking forward to her new role as innkeeper.  Even better, Mistletoe, Maine's sheriff, Evan Gray, has deputized his little sister Libby to help Holly wrap presents for Mistletoe's toy drive.  But a cold wind ruffles the cheery holiday decorations when a new guest checks in: Karen, a vicious B&B critic, who could make or break the new inn.  And the short December days turn even darker when Evan and Libby find Karen's dead body in the gift-wrapped toy donation box.

The suspect list is longer than Santa's naughty list, and local resident Cookie is on it, since her fingerprints are all over the murder weapon, a metal nutcracker that she gave to Holly.  So is Libby, who recently moved to town from Boston in less-than-savory circumstances.  But cranky Karen was an oh-so-holy-nightmare to lots of the townsfolk, such as Evan's reporter friend RAy; Christopher, the inn's former contractor, and confectioner Bonnie, whose Gum Drop Shop was a direct target of Karen's scathing prose.

To figure out the killer's identity and clear Cookie's name, Holly and her friends brainstorm at The Hearth, the farm's café, while her mother keeps them fueled with Christmas goodies fresh from the oven.  But if they can't put the culprit on ice, Holly may never see another Christmas.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

First off, I have to say that there are several areas in the blurb which are misleading, but that often happens before some books are actually published, so allow leeway on this.  Secondly, I need to say that I have read all of the books in this series, and they just seem to get better each time.

This time out we have Holly running the new B&B her family has opened, all decorated for Christmas, even with trees in every guest room.  Unfortunately, one of the guests is a newspaper critic who isn't known for being kind, but more for being vitriolic, and this time is no different.  When she comes to leave for breakfast at The Hearth, her mother's restaurant, Karen Moody, the critic, is more than critical to Holly about her room and expectations.  Holly bites her tongue and apologizes, telling her she'll do better.  

Then Holly's friend Cookie shows up -- either a septuagenarian or an octogenarian, no one knows -- and gifts Holly with a delightful metal nutcracker that works.  Holly is pleased, and leaves it on her desk while she goes to breakfast with Cookie.  While there, they hear a conversation at the restaurant between other customers, and Holly can only come to the conclusion it might be Karen they're talking about.  They let it pass, but realize that they aren't the only ones who dislike the woman.

Later, when Holly, Cookie, and Sheriff Evan Gray are returning to the B&B, Cookie find the nutcracker in the snow and picks it up.  But when they get to the B&B, they find the body of Karen, and she's been murdered.  Now, since Cookie's fingerprints are the only ones on the weapon, and someone else heard Cookie make a remark to Holly about the woman that could be taken as a threat, she's the main suspect.  Holly is determined to find the killer, even if Evan warns her off.  She knows Cookie couldn't hurt anyone, and between her and other friends, they're searching for clues...and putting their own lives in danger...

I actually enjoyed this book so much that I read it in one sitting.  It's interesting throughout, and there's a bit of a mystery in between everything else that you need to keep on top of, but it is lovely in the end.  The characters are all interesting, and yes, Mistletoe is a bit over the top, but what do you expect from a town named Mistletoe?  Why, that you'd want to visit it, of course! (Except for me, it's too darn cold, but I might brave it for a day or two then I'm back to the warm weather!)

The descriptions of decorations are entrancing, and the clues are few and far between.  But there is no shortage of suspects -- Karen's ex-husband, Bonnie, the owner of the Gum Drop Shop, another visitor to the B&B whose reputation was trashed by Karen; and a few others keep Holly on her toes.  The problem is, Holly isn't asking questions from most people, yet someone is leaving her threatening letters and other things, having known her previous reputation of solving crimes.  She's trying to stay out of the most of it, but doesn't know what's going on.  It makes for a grave situation on her part, but nothing is going to stop her from keeping Cookie from being charged with murder.

So we watch while Holly discreetly asks questions, and Sheriff Gray isn't sharing, and there are a few humorous situations thrown in for levity; but in the end when the killer is revealed, it all comes together nicely, even if is also sad.  The ending is wonderful, and I hope to see the next book in the series soon.  Highly recommended.



More on Jacqueline Frost's Book:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/f/jacqueline-frost/
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Friday, August 13, 2021

A Three Book Problem (A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery #7)

Author:    Vicki Delany
Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book
ISBN #:    9781643857985
Crooked Lane Books
320 Pages
$26.99; $12.99 Amazon
January 11, 2022

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


It's a crisp, early October weekend, and business is slowing down as fall descends at the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium and adjacent Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room.  Wealthy philanthropist and prominent Sherlockian David Masterson has rented Suffolk Gardens House, where he plans to entertain his friends in a traditional English country House weekend.

As the chosen caterers, Jayne Watson and Gemma Doyle get to work preparing lavish meals and setting up Sherlockian books and props for entertainment.  Meanwhile, police detective Ryan Ashburton has taken time away from his duties to assist in the kitchen.  It quickly becomes apparent that David's guests don't like each other -- or their host.  Plus, some of them aren't even acquainted with the adventures of the Great Detective.

Before Gemma can ponder their relationships a poisoned dart sails through the window of the library, presenting Gemma Doyle with a three-book problem.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

When Gemma Doyle and her best friend Jayne Hudson are asked to cater a Sherlock Holmes weekend at the majestic Suffolk House, they agree,  Both of them have always wanted to see the interior, and this is their chance.  But what they don't expect is to find that the people host David Masterson has invited are hostile toward each other.  What's more, some of them don't even know anything about Sherlock Holmes, which sets Gemma to wondering.  At least she has help from her boyfriend, West London Police Detective Ryan Ashburton, who has taken time off to help them.

But after a tense first night, Jayne and Gemma have plans the next day to meet someone in the library.  That is, until that person is killed by a poisoned dart, which struck accurately and fatally.  Now Jayne and Gemma are in the middle of another murder investigation, and with a surfeit of suspects, Gemma's got to use her attention to detail to discover a killer before they kill again...

I initially didn't care for the first book in this series, but I am glad that I stuck with it.  Each book has gotten better than the last, and the characters are evolving in their lives with each one.  It's delightful to become involved with them, living in their world temporarily, and taking in the descriptions of West London, the characters, and their problems.  This book, -- a three book problem, as it were -- is from Sherlock Holmes, when he would have a particularly sticky problem, and call it a three pipe problem.  The titles are whimsical and anyone familiar with Holmes will understand them.  But be aware that even if you are not familiar with Holmes that you will still enjoy the books.

Gemma is off and running once again wondering who would want to kill the person, and so begins her questioning of the guests for the week.  Sometimes subtle, sometimes not; she intends to find out who had something to hide and why they wanted this person dead.  But it soon becomes apparent that finding a killer isn't as easy as it could be, when everyone seems to not want to talk about it and even shies away from her.

So between the police doing what they need to do and Gemma doing what she's inclined to, we have a mystery that is not easy to solve and a group of people who might have all had a reason to kill.  It gives a tantalizing story of greed, lies, blackmail, and murder, and keeps you on your toes while you search for a killer.  When the ending comes, it is a surprise indeed, which makes it more than ever a most pleasant read.  Highly recommended.



More on Vicki Delany's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/d/vicki-delany/
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Tuesday, August 10, 2021

Mango, Mambo and Murder (A Caribbean Kitchen Mystery)

Author:    Raquel V. Reyes
Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book
ISBN #:    9781643857848
Crooked Lane Books
336 Pages
$26.99; $13.99 Amazon
October 12, 2021

⭐


Food anthropologist Miriam Quinones-Smith's move from New York to Coral Shores, Miami, puts her academic career on hold to stay at home with her young son.  Adding to her funk is an opinionated mother-in-law and a husband rekindling a friendship with his ex.  Gracias to her best friend, Alma, she gets a short-term job as a Caribbean cooking expect on a Spanish-language morning TV show.  But when the newly minted star attends a Women's Club luncheon, a socialite sitting at her table suddenly falls face-first into the chicken salad, never to nibble again.

When a second woman dies soon after, suspicions coalesce around a controversial Cuban herbalist, Dr. Fuentes -- especially after the morning show's host collapses while interviewing him.  Detective Pullman is not happy to find Miriam at every turn.  After he catches her breaking into the doctor's apothecary, he enlists her help as eyes and ears to the places he can't access, namely the Spanish-speaking community and the tawny Coral Shores social scene.

As the ingredients to the deadly scheme begin blending together, Miriam is on the verge of learning how and why the women died.  But her snooping may turn out to be a recipe for her own murder.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Miriam Quinones-Smith met and married her husband Robert in New York, where they also had a son.  But when Robert's mother offers them a down payment on a new home -- near hers, of course -- Robert doesn't refuse and so they find themselves living back in Miami, where both of them grew up.  Robert has asked Miriam to put her career on hold for a year while their four-year-old son grows adapted to his new life, and so she does.

But she doesn't expect her new life to become part of a Women's Club, and on her first visit there with her friend Alma, a real estate agent, a woman passes out and dies.  Ruled an accident, it's soon apparent the woman was murdered.  When another woman dies, it's a sealed deal.  Now Miriam is caught up in a murder investigation, trying to raise her young son, and keep her marriage together.  It's not as easy as it sounds...

PLEASE NOTE THAT BELOW ARE SPOILERS SO DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE BOOK:

I wanted to read this book because I thought it would be interesting.  It wasn't.  I soon found out that if I wanted to read it I would have to either a) learn Spanish; b) ask my Cuban neighbor to sit with me while I read the book so he could translate; or c) keep a Spanish-to-English dictionary next to me.  None of these options seemed viable, so it made the book difficult.  It was mainly because almost every other paragraph was in Spanish, so it quickly became frustrating to read.  No one wants to read a book that frustrates or irritates them (at least I hope not).  It doesn't help that she states she speaks Spanish to her son because she wants him to be bilingual (which is perfectly fine with me), but that she wants her husband to speak English to him so he learns both languages (which isn't going to happen because Robert is never around).  (FYI, I not only have a Cuban neighbor, but an Ecuadoran as well, and they both speak English to me, and a Mexican uncle who has always spoken English to my family - just putting it out there).

I also wasn't interested in learning about her son's bodily habits and body parts.  I already know how it works.  I find that rather weird, to tell the truth.  I also didn't like her hateful mother-in-law (and, for the record, I will state that I love my own mother-in-law; but since I have a backbone, I'd leave a marriage like this rather than be miserable).  I guess I just don't like the 'evil nemesis' in books, and it's worse if it's a relative, because you know they'll be in every single book. 

What really got my goat was the dinner scene, where her mother-in-law didn't set a place for her at the table, and expected her to sit with the children.  The very worst in this book is the fact that her husband treats her like garbage.  He never comes home, doesn't tell her of his new job, allows his mother to decorate their home, and hangs out with his old girlfriend.  Because of this, Miriam spent the entire book wondering if her husband was having an affair.  He's a jerk and she should leave him for his cousin, who actually spent time with her and treated her well.

To sum it up:  I didn't like that over half the book was in Spanish (it kind of limits your readers anyway); I didn't like Miriam, who won't stand up for herself (nothing worse than a weak woman); I didn't like Robert or his mother.  The way the characters are written is not applaudable, and I can only hope that in the next book there are changes.  Sorry.



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A Holiday for Homicide

Cook-Off Mysteries Book 9 Author:     Devon Delaney Genre:      Mystery Paperback; Digital Book ISBN #:     9781960511867 Beyond The Page Pu...