Death and Sweets (A Pumpkin Hollow Mystery Book 4)

Author:    Kathleen Suzette

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781719854085

Independently Published

136 Pages

$7.99; $2.99 Amazon

August 22, 2018

⭐⭐⭐

Sweets can be deadly and when local bakery owner Stella Moretti becomes the next victim in Pumpkin Hollow, Mia Jordan is on the case.  Can she and her boyfriend, Officer Ethan Banks, find the killer before there's another victim?  Sweets can be deadly all right, but that's the way the cookie crumbles...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Mia Jordan moved back home after ten years away and not being able to decide what to do with herself.  Now she's settled back into Pumpkin Hollow again, living on her own and working in her family's candy store.  She also has a new boyfriend in the form of Officer Ethan Banks, whom wasn't very nice to her in school but has turned out to be very nice indeed...

Once morning while passing Stella Moretti's bakery, she finds the door ajar and the lights off.  Calling for Stella, she finds her dead with a bullet wound to the chest.  Yes, the woman was cantankerous to everyone and hated Halloween, but she didn't deserve to die.  Now Mia and Ethan are back looking for a killer, and Mia doesn't want to believe it might be anyone she knows, but she also knows finding out could get her killed...

This is the fourth book in the series and I have been reading them because it's the Halloween season and I like to 'read the season.'  While I have enjoyed the books thus far, I am beginning to dislike Mia.  She seems to have a 'holier than thou' attitude to others.  I do agree that you shouldn't speak ill of the dead, but it's not her place to correct anyone who does.  It is not her place to make others feel guilty for having the feelings they do.  Maybe people should correct her for her attitude a few times and it will change.  Just sayin'

Anyway, the other thing that bothers me is the fact she mentions how Boo is her cat, but she allows him to live outside?  What kind of cat caretaker is she?  Cats that live outside have a shorter life span and catch more diseases.  Cats are easy to care for, and being inside they are happier, given enough toys and places to scratch and climb.  I've been a pet owner (cats, dogs, fish, turtles, birds, etc. -- you name it, I've probably owned it) all my life, and all my cats have been indoor cats and lived to ripe old ages.  This always bothers me in books, but I won't ding the author for it; that would be unfair.  This one is just my opinion.

Anyway, while Mia is looking for suspects, the victim's husband Vince is at the top of the list, since he doesn't seem to be mourning his wife very much; but there are others, including Stella's sister Daisy, who wasn't happy about Stella purchasing the bakery and then not participating in the Halloween season.  But did either of them have a reason strong enough to kill Stella?  Mia doesn't know, and neither does Ethan.  But both of them are pursuing the matter...as well as pursuing their new relationship with each other, which is moving along nicely.

When we come to the end of the book and discover the murderer, the clues were all there all along, but you need to look for them and read the words.  While I didn't think it was a strong enough reason for murder, who knows what goes on in the mind of a killer?  Still, this was a quick read and I will probably continue with the series.

https://www.amazon.com/Death-Sweets-Pumpkin-Hollow-Mystery/dp/1719854084/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4314958088

More on Kathleen Suzette's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/s/kathleen-suzette/

Hemlock for the Holidays (A Fine Art Mystery Book 3)

Author:    Paula Darnell

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover (LP); Trade Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781887402248; 9781887402231

Campbell and Rogers Press

259 Pages

$19.63; $15.95; $3.99 Amazon

September 7, 2021

⭐⭐⭐

As Lonesome Valley kicks off the holiday season with its annual parade, artist Amanda Trent embraces the Christmas spirit, happy that her family will be coming to town to celebrate the season with her and her loyal pets, Laddie, a friendly golden retriever, and Mona Lisa, an independent calico cat.

Amanda has just one nagging concern: her art sales have stalled, so her checking account is starting to look a bit puny.  Her financial woes pale, though, in comparison to her concern when several people eat carrot bars laced with hemlock at the high school's arts and crafts fair, resulting in one unlucky man's death.  Was the poisoning an accident, or did someone with evil intent deliberately spike the sweet baked goods?

Leads the police follow don't pan out until Amanda puts the puzzle together.  But, sometimes, knowledge can be a dangerous thing...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Amanda Trent moved to Lonesome Valley, Arizona after her marriage fell apart.  She's trying to make a new life for herself as an artist, but is struggling to make ends meet.  She's displaying her artwork at the Roadrunner Gallery, where she also works part-time.  While working at the high school's arts and crafts fair, some people fall ill from eating poisoned carrot bars, but luckily, they survive.

When she and her friend Susan visit a widower named Eric because he asked Susan to stop by so he could show her something, they find the house locked up tight.  But looking in the window, they see Eric on the floor and call the police.  When the police enter the house, it's too late for Eric, who also seems to have consumed the bars.  Now Amanda is wondering if it was a deliberate poisoning or just an accident, and who would have wanted the kind widower dead?  Unfortunately, looking into murder can kill you...

This is the third book in the series and I have not read the other two, so I can only review on this book, which gives me several questions.  Why did she leave Kansas City without demanding her husband sell the home and give her half the proceeds?  They were married almost thirty years, she deserves that; or at least give her a decent settlement so she doesn't have to struggle?  This doesn't make any sense.

Another thing that bothered me -- and almost made me put the book aside -- was the fact that when the police entered the crime scene, they allowed five people to enter the house behind them.  No, in reality, this would not be.  The police would insist everyone stay outside, not in the kitchen, as it would be considered part of the crime scene.  Sloppy police work.  The third, and last thing, is why was the mayor interfering in the issue of building permits?  It's not her job, and could be considered an ethics violation, causing her to be removed of her position.  Think, authors...sorry, but I pay attention to details, and notice little things others might not.  That being said...

Amanda is getting ready for the holidays and is excited to celebrate her first Christmas in her new tiny house.  Her son and daughter are coming, and so are her parents, who live in Florida.  But there's a lot to do, and she would really like to sell a painting or two to help cover the costs and keep her warm over the winter months.  Finding the body didn't help any, especially when the lead detective isn't fond of her and won't listen to any clues she hands him.  But Amanda plugs on, and looks for clues where she can.

Much of the book was normal conversation between Amanda and her friends, and perhaps it could have been shortened without these conversations, as they had nothing to do with a murder investigation.  They slowed the book down, and it took me two days to read this, when I can normally finish a book a day.  The mystery wasn't given the time it deserved, so the clues were few and far between, and it seemed the motive came out of the blue, since the murderer didn't appear to have any reason to 'do in'

the victim.  However, it gave a satisfactory ending, with something to look forward to in the next book.

Aside from what I've mentioned above, the writing flowed smoothly eventually and I will more than likely read the others in the series.

I was given a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Hemlock-Holidays-Fine-Art-Mystery/dp/1887402233/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4313572304

More on Paula Darnell's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/d/paula-darnell/

Death by Beach Read (A Lighthouse Library Mystery Book 9)

Author:    Eva Gates

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781643859101

Crooked Lane Books

288 Pages

$26.99; $12.99 Amazon

June 7, 2022

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

It's spring in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and Lucy and Connor have moved into their new home at last, a historic cottage on the Nags Head Beach.  The house needs a lot of renovations, but they worked hard over the winter to get it ready.  Lucy is now happily immersed in her work at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library, planning her wedding, and decorating the house.  That is, until a dead body disrupts their peaceful new abode.

The first night Lucy's alone in the house, with the company of Charles the library cat, she hears sounds.  Investigating, they see footsteps in the dust of the unfinished living room, and the door to the outside is open.  Lucy's reminded that the house is said to be haunted.  Forty years ago the teenage daughter of the owners fled in the night, and never again stepped foot inside her family home.

But the sounds have an all-too-human origin and one evening Lucy and Connor find the dead body of a man they don't even recognize in the kitchen.  They soon realize he has a long-time connection to their house.  Lucy's forced to find out what happened all those years ago and why it's threatening her happiness today.

Meanwhile, the Classic Novel Reading Club is reading The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a book about another old house full of secrets.  Can Lucy find parallels to her own situation in Hawthorne's fiction before the killer strikes again?

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Lucy Richardson and Connor MacNeil are engaged, and have found a house in which to begin their life together.  It's a beach cottage previously owned by Ralph Harper, the cottage has sat empty for decades, not wanted by Ralph nor his sister Jo, but he's refused to sell until now, stating that he knows Lucy and Connor will take care of the home.

But since it's been empty, there are many renovations that need to be done, and are being handled by Connor and his father, Fred.  Still, Lucy doesn't mind living in the home while everything is being fixed, and her co-worker Louise Jane is ecstatic because now she's living in the library loft once occupied by Lucy.  But it doesn't stop Louise Jane from telling tales about the house, especially that it's haunted.  While Lucy refuses to listen, one night while Connor is out of town she hears noises, and awakens to find footprints in the dust in the living area and her patio door ajar.  Not telling Connor, she still refuses to believe it's a ghost.

But when Connor returns home and they go out one evening, they return to the house only to find a dead body in the kitchen -- which turns out to be the twin brother of Ralph Harper.  Jimmy Harper has been gone for decades, the black sheep of the family  who's spent time in jail for various crimes. 
They've come to believe that he was searching for something valuable, but everything worth anything Ralph has already removed.  To add to the mystery, Jo hasn't stepped foot in the house for decades, ever since she was chased away by the ghost of her grandfather.  Since then, she's lived with Ralph and refused to leave the house except for short walks.  Now Lucy wants to know who's going into her home when she's away, and more importantly, who is the person who killed Jimmy, and why? 

This is the ninth book in the series and I have read them all.  In my opinion, this is the best of the series. I love mysteries, and I especially love historical mysteries within them.  Since the original mystery is decades old, that needs to be solved also, and Lucy is on top of both.  She likes Ralph and when she meets his sister Jo, she likes her too, and doesn't want to believe that either one of them killed Jimmy.  But the suspect list is sparse, since there aren't a lot of people around who knew the man and would have a reason forty years later to kill him.

Yet there most definitely is someone stalking Lucy, and she wants to know who it is, and why.  She can't put her head to planning her wedding or decorating her new home until she knows what is going on, and she's not getting the information she needs from the Harpers.

I think part of the reason I like this book the best is the fact that Lucy finally grows a spine and stands up to people.  It's about time that she stopped allowing everyone to walk all over her and push her around just because it was the path of easiest resistance.  It's good seeing this 'new' Lucy; she finally is able to say no to people and it helps in her investigation.  It also strengthens (believe it or not) her relationship with Louise Jane, who had always pretty much been a nemesis until this point.

In the end, when the killer is revealed, it comes as a surprise, which is a good thing, and the reasons are as old as time itself.  The mystery is solved (as we know it will be) and Lucy and Connor can look forward once again to planning their wedding, and I hope that we as readers will be right there with them.  Highly recommended.

I received an advance copy from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Death-Beach-Lighthouse-Library-Mystery/dp/1643859102/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4309116292

More on Eva Gates's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/g/eva-gates/

Chocolate Covered Murder (A Pumpkin Hollow Mystery Book 3)

Author:    Kathleen Suzette

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781718099005

Independently Published

162 Pages

$8.99; $2.99 Amazon

August 10, 2018

⭐⭐⭐

When local businessman, Greg Richardson, is found murdered in the haunted house, the rumors of a curse on the town fly.  Can Mia Jordan squelch the rumors before the tourists get wind of them?

Mia and Officer Ethan Banks are on the case to solve the murder and they'll do everything they can to find the killer.  Mia befriends a stray black cat and the romance between Mia and Ethan is heating up.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Mia Jordan returned home after college when she couldn't settle on what she wanted to do with her life.  Now she's living at home and once again working in her family's candy shop.  But since she's been back, there have been a couple of murders which she helped solve, and she's just starting a romance with Officer Ethan Banks, so she has that to look forward to.

She lives in Pumpkin Hollow, California, which celebrates Halloween all year round.  While there are some citizens who want it to end, the majority of those living there are happy with it, since they get a lot of business from tourists who travel there.

But once again murder rears its ugly head when local businessman Greg Richardson is found dead in the haunted house, stabbed with a spear from one of the exhibits.  With no actual suspects but plenty of rumors as to might have wanted him out of the way, Mia and Ethan set forth to find another killer -- and hope this won't hurt the town's tourism, or the killer won't strike again...

This is the third book in the series and I am reading them because I am "reading the season" as it were.  So far, this is the weakest link.  The murders are occurring a couple of weeks from each other, so it seems that every citizen in the town is either going to become a victim or a killer.  Space them out!  It will make the series more interesting.

Also, I get that Mia and Ethan are becoming close, but in this book she's one step away from being a stalker.  You will have to read the book to understand what I am talking about, but if I were Ethan, I'd be worrying about it.

Also, police officers DO NOT allow citizens to "tag along" when they're interviewing suspects or witnesses, or investigating murder scenes.  This should have been stopped in the first book, but it wasn't.  Now she goes everywhere with him, and it's beginning to look like she's an officer, too.  Mia needs to go to the academy if she keeps this up.  Just sayin'

At any rate, this was an easy read and I liked the addition of the cat, but to keep it safe it should be made an indoor cat only.  The story line was interesting and the writing was fine, and I am glad that another issue was finally resolved.  When the killer was discovered it wasn't that much of a surprise to me, but I do read a lot of these, so there's that.  All in all, it was a quick read that can be read in a couple of hours, and I will probably read the next in the series.

https://www.amazon.com/Chocolate-Covered-Murder-Pumpkin-Mystery/dp/1718099002/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4303973362

More on Kathleen Suzette's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/s/kathleen-suzette/

Be My Ghost (A Haunted Haven Mystery Book 1)

Author:    Carol J. Perry

Genre:     Mystery/Paranormal

Trade Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496731357

Kensington Publishing

288 Pages

$13.99; $8.27 Amazon

August 31, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Maureen Doherty and her golden retriever Finn have taken possession of a charming old inn -- only to discover that it's already possessed by tenants whose lease on life already ran out...

Maureen's career as a clothing buyer hits a snag just before Halloween, when the department store declares bankruptcy.  Meanwhile, Finn's lost his way as a guide dog after flunking his test for being too friendly and easily distracted.  Sadly, only one of them can get unemployment, so Maureen's facing ar  winter of discontent in Boston -- when she realizes she can't afford her apartment.

Salvation comes when she receives a mysterious inheritance: an inn in Haven, Florida.  A quaint, scenic town on the Gulf of Mexico hidden away from the theme parks.  Maureen believes it's a good place to make a fresh start with a new business venture.  But she gets more than she bargained for when she finds a dead body on her property -- and meets some of the inn's everlasting tenants in the form of ghosts who offer their otherworldly talents in order to help her solve the mystery...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Maureen Doherty loses her job as a clothing buyer in an upscale department store in Boston when the store closes.  But then she receives an odd letter from a legal firm in Haven, Florida, stating that she's inherited an old inn and the remaining fortune of the late tenant.  Packing up her things and her golden retriever, Finn, she heads for the sunny south to start a new life.

But when she arrives she finds the fortune isn't all that much; the inn is in need of a lot of work; several elderly people live on site in return for working there, and the manager seems to have nothing but disdain for her -- taking over the previous owner's office and giving Maureen room 27 -- which is reputed to be haunted by a nasty spirit. 

After barely settling in she finds the body of a reputed ghost hunter on her front porch, and it seems he's been poisoned -- shortly after having a drink in the hotel's bar.  Now the police are on her tail, wondering if Lorna or one of her employees could be the murderer.  Could things get any worse?

Apparently so.  She gets another big surprise when she finds that her own suite is haunted by a B startlet from Hollywood's Golden Era - Lorna DuBois.  After proclaiming she doesn't believe in ghosts, she finds herself talking to Lorna and asking her advice.  Between talking to a ghost and being a suspect on the police's radar for murder, Maureen's in a pickle, and if she can't find a murderer, her stay in Florida isn't going to be pleasant -- from the inside of a jail...

This is the first book in the series and I have to say that I enjoyed it immensely.  I love books with ghosts (friendly) and I loved the plot in this one.  It was a lot of fun to read, and the fact that Maureen goes through a lot of changes and seems to accept them shows me that she's able to give in situations and not afraid to take risks.  She's a lovely person, and her dog is quite a character, too.

The elderly tenants are a hoot, but they in turn know what they're doing and who to talk to and whom not to.  Gert is the funniest, but the others have their value also.  I do like Ted quite a bit, he's open to new things and hopefully, will become Maureen's permanent partner-in-crime, if you know what I mean.  Both romantically and in sleuthing.

I was able to follow the mystery easily and pretty much knew who the murderer was, and the reason behind it wasn't difficult to figure out; but I read a lot of mysteries so I'm always on the lookout for those things anyway.

When the ending comes it was done nicely and with everything falling into place right where it's supposed to.  Again, I truly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next in the series soon.  Highly recommended.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Be-Ghost-Haunted-Haven-Mystery/dp/1496731352/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4299635100

More on Carol J. Perry's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/p/carol-j-perry/

Murder and Grits (Savory Mystery Series Book 1)

Author:    Karen McSpade

Genre:     Mystery

Digital Book

ASIN #:    B09DC1LQ8N

Newcastle Media

54 Pages

$.99 Amazon

October 19. 2021

⭐⭐⭐

Going undercover just got complicated... 

She's a Chicago detective hiding in a Gulf Coast town.  When a dognapping and murder shake up the local community, Piper Sandstone finds herself tangled in the mystery.  Now, keeping a low profile is not an option anymore if she wants to survive.

After solving a case involving dirty cops, Piper is forced to hide out in Savory, Alabama until the corrupt officers land behind bars.

Savory, better known as Alligator Alley, is not your typical tourist attraction Gulf Coast town.  Why?  Because it's home to the three-time AKC champion poodle Victory Cup Valentino, but this year bad things are about to go down.  Even before Piper can get unpacked, there is a murder, and the poodle goes missing right before the Westminster Dog Show. 

Suspicions run high, especially with two other newcomers with very sketchy backstories showing up in town.  But before Piper can get any answers, all hell breaks loose when a body turns up in the bayou and she's at the center of the crime scene.

Fortunately for Piper, a group of retired ladies known and the Dentures and Diamonds Crime Squad is on her side, and they are a force to be reckoned with.  Now, they must work together to solve the crime and stop the murderer before they end up in a body bag.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Piper Sandstone is a Chicago detective who crossed some bad guys when she outed some corrupt cops, and now has to hide out in small-town Savory, Alabama and work as a waitress until she's called home.  She doesn't like it much, but she's willing to do whatever it takes to get back and stay alive.  Unfortunately, there's a dognapping while she's there of an AKC dog, and along with the help of several elderly women who want to solve it, Piper will help as much as she can without blowing her cover...

This is the first book in the Piper Sandstone mysteries, and I really am not sure what to make of it.  It's pretty short -- only 54 pages -- which is not enough to flesh out any characters, including Piper.  Almost all of this is concerned with Piper's inner thoughts, and we don't really get a feel for her character, or why she's there.  It's not mentioned in the story, only in the blurb, so that's how it was figured out.

At any rate, this is more of the first of an episodic serial, and you will have to read the others to find out what happens to Piper.  While I want to know, I'm not sure what to make of this; however, it is an interesting introduction into Piper and her newfound elderly friends down in 'Alligator Alley.'

I was given an advance copy of this story from the author but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Grits-Sandstone-Mystery-contemporary-ebook/dp/B09DC1LQ8N/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4296475673

More on Karen McSpade's Books:    https://www.amazon.com/Karen-McSpade/e/B09DC7RK3H/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1

Played ( Paranormal Penny Nicols Cozy Mysteries Book 5)

Author:    Sarah Hualde

Genre:     Mystery/Paranormal

Digital Book

ASIN #:    B08HYTT2TK

Indie Christian Writers

130 Pages

$3.99 Amazon

October 19, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A journey into the past has Penny spinning...

and the Raven plotting.

Chasing the trail of the PI who stalked her, Penny returns to her old haunts -- no matter how painful the trip might be.  Old friends and secret enemies surface in the last place Penny called home.  Her glimpses come out to play with a few new twists and tricks.

Can Penny find whoever is searching for her before the Raven shuts down her investigation -- forever?

One thing is for sure: the Raven loathes a reunion.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Penny Nicols has a 'gift,' but doesn't like it much.  She can tell when someone is about to die -- usually by seeing a Raven somewhere on or near them.  She moves around a lot, because it avoids the questions that usually follow -- questions she doesn't want to answer or people might not believe.  She lives in an old VW bus, along with her cat, Spades, and tries to keep to herself, earning just enough money to live on.

Currently she's working as a barista in a coffee shop for Ken and Janice, the owners; and their lazy son, Terrence.  When Janice asks her to breakfast one morning, Penny sees the Raven -- her harbinger of death -- near Janice.  Now she needs to find a way to keep Janice alive.  But if she does that, it might anger the Raven, and someone else might die.  How can she save everyone?  Obviously, she can't...

This is the first book in the series that I've read, and I must say that I found it quite interesting.  The plot line is different, and our protagonist has a gift I've never read before.  Not that it would be nice knowing her at all; not with her 'issue' hovering about; but the book itself is quite a good read, and I did enjoy it immensely.

I won't say too much more as to give away the entire plot, but I will say that it was nicely done, with many surprises along the way, and most of those only adding to Penny's problems.  She finds herself in the midst of something totally unexpected, and her main goal is keeping herself alive along the way.  When the ending comes, it is both sad and hopeful, as we want Penny to gain the things she's been looking for, and maybe hope comes in the most unexpected sources.  Recommended.

I received an advance copy from the author and Booksprout, but it in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Played-raises-stakes-Paranormal-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B09HYTT2TK/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4296410230

More on Sarah Hualde's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/h/sarah-hualde/

Deadly Brew (Dewberry Farm Mysteries Book 3)

Author:    Karen MacInerney

Genre"     Mystery

Digital Book (Audiobook Available)

ASIN #:    B072MJXGFY

Gray Whale Press

256 Pages

$4.99 Amazon

September 4, 2017

⭐⭐⭐

It's Halloween in Buttercup, Texas, and reporter-turned-farmer Lucy Resnick is up to her ears in more than goats and wayward cows.  Not only has her well dried up, but it turns out the old house Lucy recently moved to the farm has a reputation for spooks...and they are disturbingly active.  Then a tarot card reading at a local mead winery foretells death...and minutes later, exotic game ranch owner Bug Wharton goes belly-up.  Cause of death?  Murder, by a fatal dose of bee venom.

When the dimwitted sheriff fingers local witch and mead winery owner Serafine Alexandre, Lucy gets involved...and soon discovers that all kinds of things are brewing in Buttercup.

And some of them are deadly.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Lucy Resnick used to be an investigative reporter in Houston, Texas, but moved to the small town of Buttercup and purchased her grandmother's old farm and now has a new life.  Unfortunately, that new life isn't without problems.  Fraught with a well run dry, an old small historical home on her property that may be haunted, and the idea of a mythical creature called a Chupacabra killing livestock, she takes a break to attend a Halloween gathering at a local mead winery run by a new friend., Seraphine, who's also reputed to be a witch.

But shortly after someone predicts death, Seraphine and exotic game ranch owner Bug Wharton have words, after which his brother runs in stating Bug is dying -- and they discover that he's been bitten by a bee, which he's allergic to.  When it's discovered Bug has been murdered, the sheriff -- who's known to take the easy way out -- arrests Seraphine for the murder.  But Lucy and her friends have other ideas, and Lucy sets about finding a killer.  Now all she has to do is try and stay under the radar...

This is the third book in the series and I really enjoyed the first two.  Having a penchant for "reading the season," as it were, I wanted to read this because it takes place at Halloween.  However, it has very little to do with Halloween, and the holiday is really only mentioned in passing.  Just sayin'

Anyway, Lucy has a lot of troubles this time out, but spends most of her time trying to solve the murder instead of thinking of ways to save her farm, more or less depending on friends to help.  Which is fine and dandy, but you'd think she would have known how much it really takes to run a farm, and had more savings than she did.  What is she going to do if there is another problem?  Maybe she can write articles online for a newspaper or something to make extra money...

Anyway, once Lucy starts investigating, she enlists the help of her beau, veterinarian Tobias, and together they discover things they'd rather not; and when a local farmhand is attacked, they know that they're getting closer to the truth.

When the ending comes and the killer is revealed, I pretty much had it figured out by this point; it was just waiting to see how Lucy put it together that finished it.  However, the ending was done nicely and I will continue to read this series.

https://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Brew-Dewberry-Farm-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B072MJXGFY/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4293129423

More on Karen MacInerney's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/m/karen-macinerney/

Once Upon a Seaside Murder (A Beach Reads Mystery Book 2)

Author:    Maggie Blackburn

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book (Audiobook Available)

ISBN #:    9781643858326

Crooked Lane Books

336 Pages

$26.99; $12.99 Amazon

October 12, 2021

⭐⭐⭐

There's no place like home for the holidays, even if home is sleepy, beachside Brigid's Island, NC.  During this season for giving, the town wakes up to a welcome throng of shoppers -- and Beach Reads is no exception.  But bookseller Summer Merriwether's Christmas cheer turns to cringing fear when she uncovers a deadly secret about her late mother -- a secret someone will kill to keep.

When the local library hosts a cozy mystery panel discussion, Summer learns that one of the authors on the panel based her book on an actual murder that shook Brigid's Island thirty-five years before.  Worse, she soon learns that her dearly missed mother, Hildy, took a disturbingly deep interest in the case, going so far as to collect clippings and keep a journal of the dark doings.  This doesn't jibe with Summer's memories of her usually cheery mother at all.

Tidings get worse when Summer learns of her long-lost biological family's involvement in the crime...and still worse when the life of the book's author is threatened.  With the help of Hildy's plucky book club, Summer puts her scholarly smarts to work on protecting the cozy author and solving the decades-old murder.

But this ghost from Christmas past may still be deadly in the present, and if she can't find the killer. Summer's future will be brief.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Summer Merriwether returned home after ten years for her mother's funeral, and learned that she'd left her precious bookstore to her daughter.  Summer didn't want it, but in the months following, she still hasn't decided whether she's going to keep it or return to her job at the university.  She's also learned that she has half-siblings who are Egyptian and very rich.  But when her half-brother Sam hands her a box of photos he'd found of her mother and father together, she still hasn't been able to go through it.  But then another box is found at the bookstore, which contains a scrapbook and newspaper clippings of a murder that occurred over thirty years ago, and had ties to her father's family.

To make matters worse, she learns that one of the cozy authors visiting has based her latest book on the murder.  Sure, she's not written about the murder itself, but she's taken the bones of the case and used her own speculations -- and personal research -- to write the book, and it turns out someone isn't happy.  Since she's received death threats, she figures the safest place to stay will be at Summer's cottage.  At least until someone keeps breaking in and takes the box of photos.  But why?  And why terrorize the author?  Unless someone has something they want to keep hidden...like murder...

This is the second book in the series, and while I thought it was better than the first, it still has issues as far as I'm concerned.  There's a part of the book in which Summer stated that she came home to see her mother last year for Christmas, but in the previous book she stated she hadn't been home for ten years.  Also, she states as how much she misses her mother, but in the last book their relationship was contentious, and for some reason or other she didn't want any part of her previous life.

Also, this book might take place at Christmas, but there is very little about the holiday.  Yes, there is decorating, and mention of vegan cookies (ugh), but there is no feel for Christmas, just as there is no feel for the characters.

Summer is all about Summer.  Much of the book is about Summer's dissecting her thoughts (the woman seriously needs a therapist) and while she has an irrational fear of spiders (having the fear is alright, but wearing a nylon mask?) it doesn't bother me much because all of Ms. Blackburn's main characters have an emotional, physical, or psychological issue.  (I am including the author's books written as Mollie Cox Bryan, too -- so I wasn't surprised when I discovered Summer's problem).

As I've stated in my last review, there are no strong male characters in the book, and I truly am surprised Cash showed up at all.  Piper's husband was a surprise -- he wasn't even mentioned in the last book, and I had no idea she was married.  He was given exactly one sentence in this book, so he may as well have been wallpaper.  The secondary characters aren't really that interesting, and the little snit that Piper had didn't even make sense (read the book and you will know).

However, the writing was good, and as we already know, Summer will solve everything to all its satisfaction, and the climax was interesting, to say the least.  The book isn't a bad book at all; and I will read the next in the series to see if Summer has softened at all.

I received an advance copy from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Seaside-Murder-Beach-Reads-Mystery/dp/1643858327/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4294344922

More on Maggie Blackburn's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/maggie-blackburn/

Claws for Alarm (A Mrs. Murphy Mystery Book 30)

Author:    Rita Mae Brown

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book (Audiobook Available)

ISBN#:    9780593130094

Bantam

288 Pages

$20.66; $13.99 Amazon

October 12, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pharamond "Fair" Harristeen is known throughout Crozet, Virginia, as a good horse vet and a better man.  So when Benjamin Wagner, a new vet in town, is found dead in his unopened clinic, local police turn to Fair for help getting to the bottom of things.  Fair quickly realizes Ben's clinic has been robbed of ketamine, used by doctors as a horse tranquilizer but also a popular recreational drug.  Then Fair's own ketamine goes missing from the back of his truck.  Was Ben killed for his supply?  Or was he mixed up in something bigger?

Meanwhile. Candida Perez, one of Crozet's oldest and most beloved citizens, is found dead at her desk.  Not so alarming, given her ninety years of life.  But the bickering of her children, Ballard and Constance, over her will and the family's valuable collection of historical letters threatens to drive the rest of the town to madness.  Harry tries to place peacemaker, but the bad blood between the two siblings runs deep.  Just how far will they take their family squabble?

With a little aid from hungry helpers Tee Tucker the corgi and sweet puppy Pirate, as well as feline sleuths Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, Harry and Fair team up to restore justice -- and maybe a little peace and quiet -- to Crozet.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Fair Harristeen, big animal vet, is making his rounds one day and decides to drop in on new vet Ben Wagner, to see how he's doing.  But when he arrives, he finds Ben dead, and immediately calls the police.  It seems Ben has been shot at close range, and the only thing missing from his practice are bottles of ketamine, used to tranquilize horses.  But who would want them and why?

Meanwhile his wife Harry is visiting her friend Nancy, an antiques dealer, when in walks elderly Candida Perez, who likes nothing more than to talk, and especially about her past.  With her are her children, Constance and Ballard,  After a lengthy talk with a young woman, Ballard hustles his mother out, but not before greeting Nancy and Harry.  Candida mentions as how she wants to re-read her precious family letters, some dated from centuries ago.  But while perusing them alone, Constance comes across her mother, face down at her desk, dead.  After Ballard and Constance argue about autopsies and burial, the people of the town are drawn into their squabbles about the will and their home, Lone Pine, which has also been in the family for centuries.  

Even though the upkeep is going to cost more than either can afford, Constance is determined to keep the home, while Ballard sees no way out but to sell it.  They do employ someone to catalog the letters and put them in order, but even this distresses the pair.  When there's another murder, this time the police are taking a more serious look at everything that's gone on before, and wonders what to make of it.  So does Harry, especially when she's unwittingly drawn deeper into the investigation...

This is the thirtieth book in the series and I practically devour them when they come out.  I love mysteries within mysteries, and tales within them as well.  Not only are we reading about Harry and her friends in our time, but the book takes us back to the original owners of the farms the families are living on, this time back to 1789, after the American Revolution is recently over, and the struggles the families have there to make their lives in the new country.  It's fascinating fiction, and it ties in with the present day so seamlessly that you don't even mind going back and forth in time, as it were.

In our present day, Harry can't help but be curious as to why Ben was murdered, and she shares those questions with her friends Susan, Nancy, and Tazia.  Why ketamine?  And why would he be murdered over such a small thing when there were thousands of dollars of equipment that wasn't touched?  It even gives Fair pause as he is wondering along with his wife.

Ah, but the pets -- Mrs, Murphy, Tucker, Pewter, and puppy Pirate are wondering themselves, but they are not only trying to figure out, but might hold the key to everything.  If only they can get their mother Harry to listen...

The clues are there all along, but they are given to us sparingly and we must use our own minds to put the pieces together.  Ms. Brown is one of my favorite novelists; her books are so well-written and so well thought out that I am always amazed at how she manages to write stories that are centuries apart but moments together in time.  

When we come to the end of the book and the killer is revealed, it is a motive as old as time itself.  Having been faced with the same motive from someone close at hand, it never surprises me anymore how people can allow their lives to be twisted like this.  But it is what it is, and the book not only gives us a satisfactory ending, it gives us a terrific story to read.  Highly recommended.

I received an advance copy from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Claws-Alarm-Mrs-Murphy-Mystery/dp/059313009X/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4289848554

More on Rita Mae Brown's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/rita-mae-brown/

Murderously Sweet (A Pumpkin Hollow Mystery Book 2)

Author:    Kathleen Suzette

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781983101335

Independently Published

172 Pages

$8.99; $2.99 Amazon

June 6, 2018

⭐⭐⭐

"I knew when the mayor tried to end the Halloween season he was up to no good," I said to Ethan.  But I didn't know he was going to end up dead."

Someone is trying to sabotage the town of Pumpkin Hollow and when the mayor turns up dead, Mia Jordan is on the case to save the town and catch a killer.

When rumors of a curse spread through town, Mia must head them off before they destroy the town's reputation as a family-friendly tourist destination.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Mia Jordan helps her mother run the family's candy store in Pumpkin Hollow, a small town in northern California.  She's also trying to save the town's tradition of celebrating Halloween year round, and has the support of most of the shop owners, even though the mayor opposes it.  But when she goes to a corn maze with her maybe-beau Ethan, a police officer in the town, she trips over the body of the mayor.  Now there's another murder in town, and Mia has to find a way to keep tourists from figuring it out.  It doesn't help that some people are spreading the rumor of a witch's curse, and it only makes things more difficult.  But will the killer stop at the mayor, or try again?

This is the second book in the series, and since the first was shorter, I thought I'd catch this one and see what Mia is up to next.  Like the first, the characters are the same, and we get to know a little bit more about them, which is nice.  (I would like to know what Mia's father does for a living, though; right now he's just wallpaper in the series).  Anyway, when the unpopular mayor is murdered, it seems the only ones mourning him are his widow and brother-in-law.  Everyone else seems to be glad of him, which makes finding the murderer a tough job.  Even the police are finding it difficult.

Mia is still wondering, though, and looking for clues.  But will she come up against a killer or find them and turn them over to the police?  Since the town is still divided on the will-they or won't-they get rid of Halloween traditions, anyone could have murdered the mayor.  Sifting through business owners as the main suspects, Mia isn't making herself popular, either.  She's also deciding if she wants to pursue a relationship with Ethan, who was her bane in junior high, but doesn't ask him why he did what he did.  Hmmm...

I will say that I knew who the murderer was the minute they stepped on the page.  I was wondering when Mia would figure it out, but she eventually does, as we all know she would.  Unfortunately, there was still something about the book that bothered me, and readers will eventually know what it was.  The ending was fine and I will probably read the next in the series.

https://www.amazon.com/Murderously-Sweet-Pumpkin-Hollow-Mystery/dp/1983101338/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4287265434

More on Kathleen Suzette's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/s/kathleen-suzette/

Candy Coated Murder (A Pumpkin Hollow Mystery Book 1)

Author:    Kathleen Suzette

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781983100765

Independently Published

140 Pages

$7.99; $2.99 Amazon

June 6, 2018

⭐⭐⭐

"Hazel Martin is the meanest woman in all of Pumpkin Hollow," I said.  Everyone knew it.  But I may have said it one time too many, because when she turned up dead, the police were looking at me.

Mia Jordan has just moved home after being gone ten years, and when she discovers a neighbor has been murdered, it casts a shadow on the town's year-round Halloween theme.  Can Mia find the killer and save the town's Halloween celebration before it's too late?

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Mia Jordan has returned home after ten years away at college, chasing degrees.  She has the degrees, but still doesn't know what she wants to do with her life.  So she's working in her family's candy store, along with her mother.  Unfortunately, she also has to deal with cranky customers, including Hazel Martin, the meanest woman in town, and the Jordans' next-door neighbor.  Hazel hates Halloween, which is ironic since she lives in Pumpkin Hollow, a town that celebrates the holiday year-round.  She also spends her time reporting infractions of all the neighbor's to the HOA board, which keeps her pretty busy.

Mia also learns that the town wants to do away with the Halloween celebrations, so she attends a council meeting and stands up against it.  But when the mayor tells her there's no budget for it, she has to figure out a way to keep it going, with the help of the townspeople who have shops dedicated to the holiday.

But after a long day at the store, Mia and her mother return home and Mia notices something is wrong with Hazel's home.  There's a scarecrow on the porch, and Hazel wouldn't do that.  Upon closer inspection, Mia sees that it's not a scarecrow -- it's Hazel.  Now there's a murderer on the loose, and with Mia wondering if she and her mother are suspects, she's out to find out who killed the woman -- and hopes she's not next on the list...

This is the first book in the series, and I wanted to read something that had to do with Halloween, so this is why I chose it.  The story was cute enough, and the plot was decent, but this is a pretty short book, and you can't really 'know' the characters in a short book.  However, since I wanted to find out the killer, I pressed on.  I also wanted to know if Halloween would be saved in the town, too.

Well, I got the answer to one of the questions, but not the other.  It seems the author has given us a bit of a cliffhanger -- which I detest -- and we have to read the next in the series to find out the answer.  I don't really mind, since I had planned on reading it anyway, but I've always felt that cliffhangers are a bane to the reader, and let's face it, the author could have added several more pages and finished that, too, but chose not to.  So I will reserve judgement and just rate the story I've read.

https://www.amazon.com/Candy-Coated-Murder-Pumpkin-Mystery/dp/1983100765/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4286834768

More on Kathleen Suzette's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/s/kathleen-suzette/

Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off (A Beacon Bakeshop Mystery Book 2)

Author:    Darci Hannah

Genre:     Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book (Audiobook Available)

ISBN #:    9781496731739

Kensington Publishing

304 Pages

$8.99; $6.99 Amazon

October 5, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

With the spirit of the holidays wafting through the Beacon Bakeshop, Lindsey thinks she has the recipe for the sweetest Christmas ever -- winning the town-wide cookie bake-off.  Unfortunately, striving for a picture-perfect December in Beacon Harbor is a lot like biting into stale shortbread.  Low on staff and bombarded by visits from family, Lindsey can barely meet demands at work, let alone summon the confidence to face fierce competition...

Self-appointed Christmas know-it-all Felicity Stewart is determined to take the top spot in the bake-off, and she's not afraid to dump a little coal in everyone's stocking to do it.  Just as the competition heats up, everything falls apart when the judge is found dead -- and covered in crumbs from Lindsey's signature cookie!

Solving a murder was never on Lindsey's wish list.  But with her reputation on the line during the happiest time of the year, she'll need to bring her best talents to the table in order to sift out the true Christmas Cookie culprit.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Lindsey Bakewell is finally making money at her bakeshop, and the demands for her tasty goods are growing, especially during the holidays.  When her friends Betty and Felicity show up in her shop, they aren't there for the goodies this time.  Felicity has convinced the town council to have a Christmas cookie bake-off, with a celebrity chef from Chicago to judge the goods.  She's sure she's going to win because of her connection and the fact that she owns the town's year-round Christmas store, but unfortunately, she's up against both Lindsey and the chef from a hotel in town.

Finding out she has stiff competition, Felicity is not happy.  She's blatantly flirting with the judge, who tried doing that with Lindsey also but was rebuffed.  Her actions are noted by the other bakers, and not in a good way.  When Felicity sees the chef flirting with another contestant, she goes ballistic -- but when he doesn't show up for the second half of the competition and is found dead by Lindsey and her boyfriend Rory.  Now, along with Rory and her best friend Kennedy (and a little unexpected help from a few others), Lindsey is once again on the trail of a killer who might be cooking up another murder...

This is the second book in the series and I have to say that I loved it just as much as the first.  Lindsey is nearly frantic with all the Christmas cookie orders she's taking, especially since she hasn't found an assistant baker to help her, until an older woman shows up and is just what she needs.  With perfect help in the bakery, she finally has a little free time -- at least until she's off looking for a killer.

I am glad to see that Kennedy is back, as well as Lindsey's parents James and Ellie, (and, of course, their dogs, the models), as these characters bring a liveliness to the series and make it even more worthwhile reading.  Lindsey is smart and business-savvy, and she's just beginning a relationship with her neighbor Rory, which, due to the holidays, is causing a bit of humorous frustration to them (at least for me).  They just can't catch a break.  Kennedy, however, has a secret of her own, and she's enjoying all of it, while the parents are both terrific people and I would love to spend time with them.  Lindsey's lucky in her life, even with her ghostly Captain Willy around, who seems to be guarding her in his own way.  I also enjoy looking forward to 'seeing' more of him in future books.

But the murder has the town on edge with everyone wondering who the killer is and a few of them are speculating that it might even be Felicity, fueled by jealousy.  But did she kill the chef?  And if she didn't, then who is to blame?  The suspects begin to mount, and it brings even more questions as to the reasons why.  When Lindsey and her friends start digging deeper, they find something they weren't expecting, and it leads to a rather interesting climax that has everyone surprised.

When the murderer is revealed it is rather sad, as most of the time it is; but who can say what is in the mind of a killer.  Or what makes them do what they do.  It all came together, wrapped in a nice package that completed the story satisfactorily.

And, of course, it's Christmas.  Where would Christmas be without a little magic?  I saw hints of it at the beginning of the book, and I knew why, although it certainly would take Lindsey a lot longer.  After all, sprinkling holiday cheer is all what Christmas is about.  Joy, family, and friends.  Spreading happiness and love.  And let's not forget that Christmas magic...

I received a copy from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Christmas-Bake-Off-Bakeshop-Mystery/dp/1496731735/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4285133177

More on Darci Hannah's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/h/darci-hannah/

Twinkle Twinkle Deadly Sprinkles (An Ivy Creek Cozy Mystery #2)

Author:    Ruth Baker

Genre:     Mystery

Digital Book

ASIN #:    B08FHPKMLK

Clean Tales Publishing

75 Pages

$.99 Amazon

November 5, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lucy thought she had finally been accepted in the small town of Ivy Creek and gained some new clients...

If only she knew it'd lead to a new set of heartaches and nightmares...

Plus murder!

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Lucy's just starting to make a go of the bakery she's reopened after her parents' sudden death, and is finally making money when the wife of a wealthy businessman, Becky Anderson, approaches her about creating the desserts for a charity party she's giving.  While hesitant, it's pointed out to her that while everything she creates will be free of cost, it will mean more business for her, so she accepts.  During the party, she's given a business card from a Mr. Wilson, who wants her to cater his wife's seventy-fifth birthday.  But when the couple die the next day, apparently from food poisoning, her desserts are the first 'suspect' anyone thinks about.

So once again, Lucy's baking is suspected of killing someone, and she has to prove herself innocent, since the deputy sheriff, Taylor, isn't giving her information.  And if she doesn't figure it out soon, she might not just lose her business, but also her life...

While these are short (1-2 hour) mysteries, I do like most of the characters that enter into the book.  I would still like to know why Taylor dislikes Lucy so much, but you can't expect everything in a short book.  Still, there were several suspects, and little clues, so we had to figure it out along with Lucy.  

Her Aunt Tricia has her back and is helping her with questions, including the Wilsons' two sons, who are very different.  But unexpectedly, things take a turn and Lucy discovers that she might have her eyes on the wrong person all along.  The only thing that bothered me is the fickleness of the people in town.  You'd think after eating her baked goods, at least there would be enough people to have trust in her and continue to purchase her items, considering no one else from the party was made ill.

All in all, a quick mystery to solve and characters that I hope will evolve with future books; I will continue to read this series and look forward to the next book.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Twinkle-Deadly-Sprinkles-Creek-Mystery-ebook/dp/B09FHPKMLK/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4284748607

More on Ruth Baker's Books:    https://www.amazon.com/Ruth-Baker/e/B09D8VVTN4?ref