A Wrinkle In Thyme (A Pancake House Mystery Book 8)

Author:    Sarah Fox

Genre:     Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781516110896

Lyrical Press Publishing

204 Pages

$15.95; $5.99 Amazon

August 10, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐

This summer, Wildwood Cove is hosting a special event, Wild West Days, to celebrate the town's storied past.  Wildwood Cove's museum is also getting a new lease of life thanks to a longtime resident's generous bequest.  Several locals, including Marley McKinney-Collins, owner of the Flip Side pancake house, offer to transfer artifacts to the beautiful restored Victorian that will become the museum's home.  But there's an unappetizing development when a volunteer, Jane Fassbinder, is found dead -- bludgeoned with an antique clothes iron.

Marley can never resist a piping hot mystery, and this one seems especially intriguing.  Jane had recently unearthed some love letters from the Jack of Diamonds, a notorious thief who plagued Wildwood Cove over a century ago.  As more locals meet with dangerous "accidents," it seems that someone is determined to keep that correspondence buried deep in the past.  And unless Marley can sift through the likely suspects, she too could end up being nothing but history...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Marley McKinney-Collins owns the Flip Side pancake house, a favorite with locals and tourists alike.  She's volunteering to help the historical museum move to their new home, with Jane Fassbender, a volunteer who's temporarily filling the director's position, taking the lead.  While helping out, Marley can't help but hear Jane arguing with several locals -- especially Evangeline, who thinks because she has money and her family is from Wildwood Cove, can make better decisions than Jane.  It seems that while Marley doesn't have a problem with Jane, others do.  But then there's a donation of some old love letters, and it turns out they may be from a notorious thief nicknamed the Jack of Diamonds.  Marley wants to know the contents, but she has to settle with Jane telling her that after she reads them first, she will share with Marley.

Then there's the fact that Marley's business is booming, and she needs to hire more help, as she only has two servers and two cooks.  She hopes to hire someone soon, since one of her servers will be going off to college.  But when Jane is murdered, everything is put on hold.  Then one of Marley's employees disappears, and now she's becoming worried, wondering who would hurt her kind employee.  Without trying to dig too much into the murder, she wants to help, and the only way to do that is to do some sleuthing herself.  As long as she can stay under the radar, a killer won't look at her, right?...

In this latest installment of the Pancake House Mysteries, Marley is making some changes in her life -- some small, some big.  But she's determined to make things work.  At least until the murder occurs and her employee goes missing.  Then she's trying to find answers without upsetting the sheriff, who happens to be her husband Brett's uncle Ray.

I love the fact that Marley doesn't do anything stupid, like breaking and entering, or stealing things that could turn out to be evidence.  Anything she finds she shares with Ray.  It's smart and keeps her on his good side.  She's intelligent enough to reason things out, even if she doesn't put them together right away.  (I did before she did, but then again, the clues were there and I knew what I was looking for).  Marley asks questions but not intrusively, and tries to keep everyone happy so as not to damage her business reputation.  It's a decent quality, and isn't annoying like some protagonists' questions are.

When Marley begins to put everything together, she figures it out almost too late.  The reason for the murder becomes apparent, and as it is supposed to be, the murderer is apprehended and there is a good ending all around.  There is only one thing that wasn't resolved, but I do hope to see this done in another book.  All in all, an enjoyable book that can be read in one night, and worth it.  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/Wrinkle-Thyme-Pancake-House-Mystery/dp/1516110897/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4514006517

More on Sarah Fox's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/f/sarah-fox/

Reading Between the Crimes (A Jane Doe Book Club Mystery #2)

Author:    Kate Young

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book (Audiobook Available)

ISBN #:    9781643857428

Crooked Lane Books

336 Pages

$25.99; $13.99 Amazon

September 7, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

What better time than Halloween to dig into a bracing discussion of a diabolical murder mystery?  And what better choice for the Jane Doe Book Club than Agatha Christie's Crooked House?  Lyla Moody and her friends are soon embroiled in debate over whether the heroine's actions are particularly believable.  But not long after the meeting, sleepy Sweet Mountain, Georgia, is rocked by a murder that uncannily echoes the novel in question.

When Lyla and her grandmother arrive at the charity event that Lyla's mother is hosting, they barely have time to hang up their jackets before they stumble upon a body in the library.  Leonard Richardson, it seems, was robbed and then hit over the head with a brass candlestick -- which throws suspicion on Harper Richardson, his young widow and a friend of the Jane Does.

Lyla and the rest of the Jane Does pool their prodigious intellects to clear Harper's name.  Peculiarly, all of the clues seem to have been lifted directly from the plot of Crooked House. But as Lyla probes the pages of Christie's classic whodunit for hints on catching the killer, she uncovers secrets from her mother's past -- secrets that suggest Lyla's own house may be crooked as well.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Lyla Moody works for her uncle Calvin's private investigation agency, working to become a PI herself.  When she's not working, she spends some time with her book club, the Jane Does, who discuss mystery books.  One of their part-time members is Harper Richardson, who seems to be having trouble of her own.  It doesn't help that there's a mysterious writer in town, and he's garnering attention from people who would rather he wasn't there.

After one of their meetings, Lyla and her Gran head over to Lyla's mother's home, where Frances Moody is hosting a charity event.  But they aren't there long before Gran stumbles upon a body, and Lyla recognizes the man as Leonard Richardson, Harper's husband.  When Harper is targeted for the murder, Lyla and her fellow book club members know they have to prove her innocence.  But doing so isn't going to be easy.

Harper's family members are overly strange -- to say the least -- and her mother has become a woman she's never seen before, scared and a ghost of herself.  Also, the writer, Charles, is making a pest of himself, and her even Calvin, who's normally unflappable, seems rattled and warns Lyla to stay clear of Charles.  When there's an incident and in the process of helping Lyla is purposefully attacked, she wants to know who's doing it.  But when she starts to dig, she discovers that there are secrets that are better left alone -- and they're coming to the surface...

First off, I must say that this book has nothing to do with Halloween, as the blurb states.  Saying that, this is the second book in the series, and I found it completely riveting.  The story is one of secrets held, both old and new, and people who are not what they seem.  Curiosity kept me reading, but I found a familiarity in it, only for where I live, and have been near people like this more than once.  (Although not as strange as the characters in the book).

It's difficult to write a review without giving away too much of this plot; for it is a story that connects one thread to another, and another; until all the threads pull it together giving us a final story that was long buried and should have remained so.  

The ending was as surprising as an ending could be; the killer was most of all.  What we know we really don't; and what we see isn't always what is there.  The author has done an excellent job of this tale, and I eagerly look forward to the next in the series.  Highly recommended.

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

https://www.amazon.com/Reading-Between-Crimes-Jane-Mystery/dp/1643857428/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4511799545

More on Kate Young's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/y/kate-young/

Show Me the Bunny (Melanie Travis Mysteries #29)

Author:    Laurien Berenson

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496735812

Kensington Publishing

208 Pages

$22.95; $9.99 Amazon

January 25, 2022

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Aunt Rose already has a strike against her for not being too fond of dogs -- or Aunt Peg.  But Melanie still agrees to organize Easter festivities at Gallagher House, the new women's shelter opened by the stern former nun, even if it takes all the jellybeans in Greenwich to sweeten the arrangement.  No sooner does Melanie arrive to dye multicolor eggs and stuff baskets, than she learns devastating news about Beatrice Gallagher, the respected benefactor of the estate.  Beatrice has fallen to her death, and the circumstances are shocking.

No one can say why or how charitable Beatrice got pushed into an early grave.  Yet for a supposedly warm and generous philanthropist, rumors have her pinned as an overbearing manipulator who used money to control the unfortunate few trapped in her inner circle.  Facing an uncertain future as danger lurks around Gallagher House, Melanie and Aunt Rose must tolerate each other's company long enough to discover the truth about Beatrice's true nature and identify a vengeful killer -- before another person's idyllic spring break becomes a serious nightmare...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Melanie Travis is looking forward to spring break, where she can enjoy her family: her youngest son, Kevin, is waiting for the Easter bunny, and her husband Sam is training his Standard Poodle pup Plum for her first time in the show ring.  She thinks everything is going well -- at least until her Aunt Peg arrives and tells her she needs to call her Aunt Rose.

It seems Aunt Rose, who is an ex-nun, and her husband Peter, an ex-priest, have returned from a sojourn in Honduras and have now taken residence in Gallagher House, a women's shelter that has recently opened.  Rose, who isn't fond of dogs in the least, and hasn't warmed up to Melanie ever, needs Melanie to organize an Easter egg hunt for the three children in the home.  Melanie, ever soft of heart herself, agrees to the task.  But no sooner does that occur when she discovers that the home's benefactor, Beatrice Gallagher, has died from a fall in her own home.

It's a tangled web indeed.  Gallagher House is the former home of Beatrice, and the children -- Charlie and Charise, want it back.  Then there's the little case of Rose being a suspect -- which Melanie refuses to believe -- and it tumbles from there.  When Rose asks for her help, Melanie can't refuse.  But where does one start when one has no clue?  And who would want the woman dead?  Finding a killer might not be what Melanie planned to do on her break, but it's what she's doing -- and she needs to figure it out before the last egg is dyed, or Rose won't have a home to go to...

In this latest installment of the series, Melanie has her hands full with planning Easter egg hunts for both her own children and the children of battered women.  It's keeping her busier than she expected, but Melanie has never backed down from someone wanting help.  

Since I came late to the series, I've never met (nor heard of) Rose; and since Rose is Aunt Peg's sister-in-law, the sister of Rose's late husband Max, then it must be that Peg is an aunt by marriage.  This I never knew.  Otherwise, Rose wouldn't be Melanie's aunt at all.  It confused me for only a moment, but it makes some things clearer.  I do like Rose's no-nonsense attitude, but it would be nice to see her soften toward Melanie.  The woman already has to deal with sensible Aunt Peg; she should get affection from one of them, at least!

But the story line was very good, and written very well.  Melanie does what she does best; asking questions and putting clues together.  Even if the local detective doesn't listen to what she says, (or already has the information), she plunges forward, vowing to find the truth of the matter.  I like the fact that she doesn't run willy-nilly into a bad situation, and can think on her feet.  It makes her likable indeed.  I also enjoy the fact that she has a happy home life, with a loving husband who understands her and two growing boys who adore her.  It makes it all pleasant reading.

When the murderer is revealed, it's a sad situation all around.  Things come to a head in the most surprising way, and it all wraps up nicely.  The book was easy to read, a nice cozy for a cold evening with a cup of tea or cocoa.  Recommended.

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

https://www.amazon.com/Show-Bunny-Melanie-Travis-Mystery/dp/1496735811/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4504540729

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

Behavioral Astrology: How to Interpret Your Relationships, Soul, and Self Through the Zodiac Signs

Author:    Charlie Emerson

Genre:     Reference/Self-Help

Hardcover; Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9798787311013; 9798786098892

Independently Published

246 Pages

$46.20; $10.89; $1.99 Amazon

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Why do I feel anxious all the time?  When will I find 'the one'?  What is my purpose in this life?  We're all on a never-ending quest for guidance, answers, and solutions.  You may spend hours completing personality tests, reading self-help books, or visiting a tarot reader who will give you a glimpse of your fate.  It's only natural that you want to know yourself better, make sense of the world around you, and seek out the tools to help you overcome challenges.  That's the main reason why behavioral astrology exists -- to answer questions about you.

Astrology is often thought of as a form of entertainment.  In fact, many people never go beyond their daily horoscopes and obsessively checking compatibility with their crush.  This surface knowledge doesn't begin to cover the astrological wisdom of the stars shared across lifetimes of study and practice.  When you take the time to go deeper into your natal chart, you will start to uncover:

• The planetary influence in your life
• The karmic past you didn't know you had
• and how celestial bodies can impact your patterns of behavior

With this renewed self-awareness, you can begin to understand what you need for a life of love, success, and prosperity.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

First off, let me state that I have a healthy respect for astrology.  I began to study it myself when I was a teen, and have charted for myself as well as others.  Therefore, I am always open to learning more, and I enjoy reading new publications that might give insight now and then.  Unfortunately, in this book, I did not find that.

While this book is great for telling people how things work -- the Sun, Moon, Aspects, etc.; and it explains them very well, I was torn because it gave some information that I found erroneous.  The sun signs that this book regards as ideal for relationships for myself are all wrong.  In fact, the sun sign that the author thinks will run from me I have been with for nearly 30 years, and married to for nearly twenty.  Explain that.  The ones he thinks I would work with?  Nope.  Those relationships never worked.  So you see, you cannot go by sun sign.  There are so many more considerations, which were never gone into.

However, again, this book does a good job of giving information regarding the explanation of the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Aspects, Transitions, etc.; and that is information that you need to know.  I honestly just think that before you take all this information to heart you need to forget the last part of the book (that gives you compatibilities) and rather work with your own heart and head.  Don't live by the page.

This book just didn't show me anything I didn't already know, and while it is a fairly good reference book, I can't see using it myself; but it is an excellent place to start for others.

I received an advance copy of this book through Reading Deals and Amazon but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Behavioral-Astrology-Interpret-Relationships-Through/dp/B09NRRFVK8/ref

Goodreads:   https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4500334049 

More information on Charlie Emerson:    https://www.amazon.com/Charlie-Emerson/e/B09P5MWMNX/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1

The Librarian Always Rings Twice (A First Edition Library Mystery #3)

Author:    Marty Wingate

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book (Audiobook Available)

ISBN #:    9781984804167

Berkley Publishing

336 Pages

$24.49; $14.99 Amazon

January 4, 2022

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

It has been nearly a year since I took up my position as curator of Lady Georgiana Fowling's collection of Golden Age Mystery writers' first editions at her library in Middlebank House.  I have larned that I need to take the good with the bad.  The good: I have finally convinced Mrs. Woolgar to open up the collection to the public one day a week so that they too can share in Lady Fowling's passion.  The bad: although he would not be my first, or even tenth, choice, at the insistence of the board Charles Henry Dill, Lady Fowling's unscrupulous nephew, is now my personal assistant.

On one of our first days open to the public, Mr. John Aubrey shows up at Middlebank House and insists that Lady Georgiana Fowling is his grandmother.  Mrs. Woolgar is scandalized by his claims, and Charles Henry, who feels he has been cheated out of his rightful inheritance as Lady Fowling's heir, is furious.  I do not know that I believe Mr. Aubrey, yet he has knowledge of Lady Fowling's life and writings that few possess.  To further complicate matters, an associate of Mr. Aubrey's intends to help us uncover the truth of John's story.  But before he can do that, he is murdered and the police have reason to suspect Charles Henry.

As much as I would like to lock up Charles Henry and throw away the key, I cannot believe he is a killer.  And I also know there is something dead wrong about Mr. Aubrey's tales regarding his "grandmother" Lady Fowling.  I will need to make sense of her past in order to suss out the true villain of this story.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Hayley Burke is the curator of the collection of Golden Age Mystery writers' books at Middlebank House, where she also lives, along with Mrs. Woolgar, who was once Lady Fowling's secretary.  Lady Fowling was a great lover of these mysteries and collected them throughout her life, but also had written stories herself, which were put to print by a local publisher.

Hayley has convinced Mrs. Woolgar that it would be fortuitous to open the collection to the public one day a week, and in doing so, garner an interest in the collection that would add to the coffers of Middlebank.  Unfortunately, the board (consisting of five women who knew Lady Fowling) have offered up the woman's nephew -- Charles Henry Dill -- to work as Hayley's assistant one morning each week.

Hayley -- nor Mrs. Woolgar -- want him there, as he is avaricious about the home, and believes it should all go to him.  He has gone so far as to outright steal from the home.  But Hayley cannot refuse, so she sets about creating tasks for him that are tedious.

On the first day of the weekly opening, a man appears and stays behind when the collection closes, telling Hayley and Mrs. Woolgar that he is the grandson of Lady Fowling, and can prove it.  While neither woman really believes his claim, they know they must give John Aubery's claim thought.  Yet it doesn't end there: his tales are indeed those of Lady Fowling, and Hayley vows to look into the matter.  Yet another man shows up, who looks very much like John, and states he works with him; and is going to help Hayley sort out the matter.

But before it can happen, the man is murdered, and Hayley and her boyfriend are once again in the middle of it.  Now Hayley has to wonder what is going on with John, and keep an eye on Charles Henry, who isn't pleased, to say the least.  All she really wants is a vacation...

This is the third book in the series and I have read all of them.  Actually, I have read all of Ms. Wingate's books, so you see that I am a fan.  And there is a reason for this: Ms. Wingate is a talented writer that can take you into the pages of her book and stand alongside her characters as they sort things out between them.  I feel as if I have visited Bath, and seen the collection, and what a wonderous thing that would be, to me, a great lover of mysteries!

When Hayley starts investigating she doesn't realize how tangled the story really is.  Is this man truly a relation of Georgiana?  Or a charlatan trying to claim where he shouldn't?  Taking the high road, Hayley purposely intends to find out, with the blessing of Mrs. Woolgar.

But what she does discover changes things immensely for more than one person.  It brings life where life wasn't; and happiness again.  Yet there is a darkness, a murderer afoot, and unfortunately, she comes too close and must use her wits and her strength.  Hayley is not a weak woman, nor is she wishy-washy.  She is intelligent, loving, generous, and kind.  She strives to be better.  I love that Mrs. Woolgar is softening toward her, and that Hayley's relationship is moving along as it should.

When the killer is revealed, it is not so much a surprise as the reason for the murder, which could have been avoided all along.  The ending was done nicely, and the threads all woven together and showing us a mystery that is worth reading again.  I look forward to the next in the series.  Highly recommended.

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/Librarian-Always-Rings-Library-Mystery/dp/1984804162/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/update/57699313

More on Marty Wingate's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/w/marty-wingate/

A Margin for Murder (A Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery #8)

Author:    Lauren Elliott

Genre:     Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496735133

Kensington Publishing

320 Pages

$8.99; $6.99 Amazon

April 26, 2022

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Addie leaves her Greyborne Harbor bookstore, Beyond the Page Books and Curios, in the capable hands of her assistant while she travels to the neighboring town of Pen Hollow to attend a book sale at a library that is closing due to lack of funding.  But the real find is a bookmobile bus, which she's excited to refit as a traveling bookstore to hit all the summer festivals.  The bookmobile also holds a surprising treasure: several classic first editions and an early edition of Robert Louis Stevenson's A Child's Garden of Verses.

But before the bookmobile can be delivered to Addie, a fatal crash occurs.  When an autopsy reveals poison in the victim's system and the first editions go missing, it's up to Addie to determine what would drive someone to murder.  If she's not careful, however, she may be the next one to be dead on arrival...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Addie Greyborne is the owner of Beyond the Page Books and Curios, and loves nothing more than to find a good book sale.  When she and her assistant Paige decide to take a trip to the neighboring town of Pen Hollow, they leave behind a very pregnant, petulant, and weepy Serena, who wants to go with them.  But, since it is nearing Addie's birthday, Paige has also decided to treat her to a night out, so they will be gone until the next day...or so they think...

While at the sale, Addie discovers an old school bus that has been converted to a bookmobile, and she's excited to find it's also for sale.  Completing the sale with the local mayor, Luella, she's ready for it to be turned over.  But Luella wants it public, complete with television airing and turning over the keys.

Addie is also surprised -- extremely -- to find her old high school boyfriend, Tony Radcliff, living in Pen Hollow.  He disappeared without a trace, and now he wants to catch up and talk to her about their pasts and where it led them today.  But she's also concerned about her growing relationship with Simon, the coroner, and thinks he's been distant.  Addie wonders what's going on with him, too.

But before the bus can be delivered, there's an accident and the driver is dead.  The local sheriff is sure the murderers are Addie and Paige; all because they're 'outsiders' and he's sure no one in his district could have committed the crime.  When Addie discovers that both Simon and Chief Marc Chandler of Greyborne Harbor have arrived, she knows she's in trouble.  With both men trying to clear her, she can't just sit back and wait.  Now she and Paige are on the hunt for a killer, and it isn't making them very popular in town...

This is the eighth book in the series and my favorite one so far.  (A series which I hope will continue for a long time yet).  I have read every one of them and have followed the characters from their beginnings -- when I didn't care for Addie at all to now, when I do like her immensely.  The characters have developed and evolved, and they feel like old friends at this point.

Therefore, when Addie gets in trouble through no fault of her own, it peeved me that the police force in this town were crazy.  But, it makes for good reading, and that's definitely what this is.  There were a couple of good people in town -- Paige's sister's neighbor Valerie, for one; but most were crazy themselves.  Not a town I'd want to visit.  However, I would love it if Addie made a trip to England (read the book and you will know why).

While her relationship with Simon is put on the back burner, Addie has to ask herself who wanted the victim dead the most -- because, as we already know, there will be a plethora of suspects on the horizon -- and trying to find answers isn't easy, at least not here.  But when she starts digging around, she finds that the victim wasn't as upstanding as they seemed.

The story line is original, the writing descriptive (especially of Pen Hollow), and again, the characters engaging.  Ms. Elliott has warmed to her persons; she gives them life beyond the page (see what I did there?) and it's heartwarming, suspenseful, and intriguing as you try to discover the killer along with Addie.  When the ending comes, and justice is served, it's a strange thing all around, but quite satisfying 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/Margin-Murder-Beyond-Bookstore-Mystery/dp/1496735137/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4494313500

More on Lauren Elliott's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/e/lauren-elliott/

Death of a Knit Wit (A Knit & Nibble Mystery Book 8)

Author:    Peggy Ehrhart

Genre:     Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496733900

Kensington Publishing

320 Pages

$8.99; $6.99 Amazon

February 22, 2022

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pamela has organized a weekend-long knitting bee as part of a conference on fiber arts and crafts at Wendelstaff College.  But when pompous Professor Robert Greer-Gordon Critter, the keynote speaker at the conference, crashes the bee, he seems more interested in flirting than knitting.  The man's reputation as a philanderer supersedes his academic reputation.  After coffee and cookies are served, the professor suddenly collapses, seemingly poisoned -- but how?  Everyone had the coffee and cookies.  Joined by her bestie Bettina and the Knit and Nibble ladies, Pamela sorts through everything from red socks to red herrings to unravel tne means and motives of a killer dead set on teaching the professor a lesson...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

When Pamela Paterson's employer couples with Wendelstaff College to give a conference, all seems to be going well.  That is, until the speaker, Professor Robert Greer-Gordon Critter, is heckled by his ex-wife.  Hoping everything else will run smoothly, Pamela discovers it won't...when he's visiting the local ladies who are knitting, it's to have coffee and cookies and discuss his books and knitting.  But he never gets that far -- as he drops to the floor, unable to breathe, and later at the hospital is pronounced dead.  When Pamela discovers that he's been poisoned, no one knows how, as everyone else had the same food and drink as the man, and they're all fine.

Now she, along with her reporter neighbor Bettina, are off and running once again to find a killer.  But with so many suspects in the mix, it could be quite a problem to untangle a killer...

This is the eighth book in the series and I have read every one.  First off, the bad: while I do love this series, I also get tired of hearing every single time anyone eats, the pottery (or china) that they are eating on.  Who really cares?  We get that Bettina has sage-green pottery, but does it matter to the food that is plated?  No.  Also, there is a lot of food mentioned in  the book, like, every single detail of every single thing that they eat.  Again, who cares?  Do we really need to know each ingredient in a salad?  Is is relevant to the murder?  No.  So I would like to see less of this in future books.  And again, I believe that I have mentioned this before, but we get an awful lot of information on food, but Pamela's grooming habits are atrocious.  Does she ever take a shower?  She gets out of bed and dresses -- no mention of showering, and only once of brushing her teeth, and that's because her neighbor gave her a toothbrush!

Also, I don't see why she gets upset at Bettina when she wants to know about Pamela's dates.  Is it a secret?  They're friends.  And Bettina is a reporter, so she's naturally curious.  Pamela keeps it too close to her chest, and that's not normal.  Getting mad at Bettina seems so off the wall to me.  Ah, well...

However, the mystery itself was done really well, and there were very few clues to the murderer.  I did discover the killer before Pamela, but then again, maybe we were supposed to.  I did enjoy visiting her home and friends again, and, of course, the cats.  I was glad to see that they also played a role in the books and weren't just relegated to the cover.

When Bettina and Pamela start questioning people at the college, they don't think it could be as hard as it is, but each person they question leads them to someone else.  It seems the professor was not well-liked, and no one mourns him.  Finding a murderer among them takes more thought than either knew, and in their travels we learn more about the surrounding areas and even a local outdoor market that sounds unique.  All of it was intriguing, and looking for the killer was even more so.

In the end, it all came together very nicely, with the ends woven in together tightly and the finished product something you can enjoy while reading.  I think the author did a very good job with this book, and I do look forward to the next in the series.  This book can be read as a stand alone.  Recommended.

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

https://www.amazon.com/Death-Knit-Wit-Nibble-Mystery/dp/1496733908/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4489030819

More on Peggy Ehrhart's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/e/peggy-ehrhart/

Silent Night, Unholy Bites (An Ivy Creek Cozy Mystery Book 4)

Author:    Ruth Baker

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9798401224750; 9798401199607

Clean Tales Publishing

150 Pages

$14.99; $9.99; $2.99 Amazon

January 12, 2022

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lucy is looking forward to a holiday season that's filled with Christmas carols, remembering and making new holiday memories and yummy food.  She's also excited about all the new festive recipes she'll be introducing into the menu at Sweet Delights bakery.

When she finds out that an obnoxious woman at an event for the homeless has stolen some of her treats for her business, Lucy gives the lady a piece of her mind in no uncertain terms.

She's left bewildered and sad when this lady is found dead.  Did Lucy's harsh words, spoken in the heat of the moment, have an effect on the lady's life or is something more sinister at play?

It seems almost everyone wants to sweep this murder investigation under the carpet, but Lucy knows there's something seriously off.

With Christmas just around the corner, Lucy knows she has to find a killer on the loose or her small town will be having a blue, blue Christmas.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Lucy Hale's bakery Sweet Treats is finally taking off.  She's beginning to make money, but when the pastor asks Lucy to donate cupcakes for the homeless at a local fair, her employee Hannah thinks Lucy is going overboard, and they might fall behind in sales.  But Lucy's sure this will bring in more clients, and when a woman who runs a homeless shelter nags Lucy to give her plenty of the free cupcakes for her own clients, Lucy can't do anything but comply.

Yet the next day she discovers that her treats are being sold at a local hotel -- and that the woman who took them runs the hotel.  They have words; and Lucy leaves, fuming.  Not long after, the woman is found dead, and Lucy feels guilty for the way she treated her.  She vows to find out who killed her; suspecting even the woman's husband of the crime.  But it won't be easy -- it turns out the woman had a lot of enemies...and they all seem to be coming into the bakery...

This is the fourth book in the series and I have read them all.  I feel as if Ms. Baker is finally coming into her own as a writer.  While these books are short, easy reads, this one is better than the last three (but don't get me wrong; I enjoyed those as well).  The plot is nicely done, the conversations have a little more 'go' to them, and the characters are finding their way around the pages as well.

Lucy has little to go on: only that the woman stole her cupcakes and the fact that her husband and she owned the hotel where the cupcakes were sold in the restaurant.  But now the husband wants Lucy to sell her treats at his restaurant, and he's willing to give her a contract, which only muddies the waters for the time being.  Yet she wants the business, so is going to try and keep him from finding out -- which won't be easy as he's one of her suspects.

The only thing I disagree with is the fact that Lucy is a bit more timid than I would be.  I'd probably shout to everyone leaving the restaurant that those were from my bakery, and they were taken under false pretenses.  But ah, that's me; not a character in a book!

But when Lucy starts looking for a killer, everyone in the kitchen had a motive to want the woman dead.  Finding the person who had the most to gain is now her job, and it could bring her more than she wanted -- face to face with a cold-blooded murderer.

When the ending comes and the reasons for the murder are revealed, it's rather a sad story all around; even though, as I've stated many times over, there is no excuse for murder (but where would we, as readers, be in mysteries if there were none at all?)  I really loved reading this and hope others do, too.  Recommended.

I was given a copy of this book from CleanTales Publishing, but it in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Silent-Night-Unholy-Bites-Baker/dp/B09Q8ZMGQL/ref

Goodreads:     https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4478140662

More on Ruth Baker's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/ruth-baker/

Vintage Trailers and Blackmailers (A Jules Keene Glamping Mystery Book 1)

Author:    Heather Weidner

Genre:     Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781685120368

Level Best Books

250 Pages

$16.95; $5.99 Amazon

October 19, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐

There is nothing like finding a dead body, clad only in a red satin thong, on your property to jolt you from a quiet routine.  Jules Keene, owner of the posh Fern Valley Camping Resort in the Blue Ridge Mountains, is thrust into the world of the Dark Web when one of her guests, Ira Perkins, is found murdered in the woods near her vintage trailers.  Jules quickly discovers that the man who claimed to be on a writing retreat was not what he seemed, and someone will go to any length to find what he left at her resort.  Jules, along with her Jack Russell Terrier sidekick Bijou, has to put the rest of the missing pieces of a blackmailing scheme together before her business is ruined.

Jules's resort, set in the heart of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains near Charlottesville in the quaint town of Fern Valley, offers guests a unique vacation in refurbished and upcycled vintage trailers.  Hoping to expand her offerings, she partners with her maintenance/security guy to create a village of tiny houses, the latest home DIY craze, but a second murder of a reporter interrupts Jules's expansion plans.  Curiosity gets the best of her, and she steps up her sleuthing to find out what Ira Perkins was really up to and what he was really hiding at her resort.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Jules Keene owns the Fern Valley Camping Resort in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.  The difference between this camping resort and others is that everyone stays in vintage trailers that Jules and her staff have refurbished and renewed.  The business is thriving, and Jules is happy in that fact.

But when a family shows up, the man in the next camper complains -- and it appears that he's complaining about everything.  Ira Perkins has been their guest for months, and it doesn't look like he'll be leaving anytime soon.  So Jules and her aunt Roxanne try to make the best of it.  But the day after Roxanne has an argument with Ira, he's found dead in the woods by two birdwatching campers, clad only in a red satin thong.

Now Jules has a murder on her hands, and with the police asking questions, she doesn't think it can be good for business.  Yet while her business doesn't seem to suffer, her personal life does: there's been 'accidents' on her property, a squatter, and a reporter who is both giving information from Jules and getting information from her.  Yet when Jules and her crew find a couple of interesting items that Ira left behind, soon Jules becomes a target...and there's another murder.  Now she's on a timeline to find out who wants to get rid of her and why...

This is the first book in a new series, and I must say that I enjoyed it very much.  The premise was different from other cozies in the fact that the protagonist owns a camping resort with vintage campers.  I found that refreshing, and although I have no interest in it myself (I dislike camping of any kind; give me a good hotel and I'm happy); plenty of other people will find this novel.

I also liked the fact that when Jules found information, she shared it with the police almost immediately (okay, she did digging herself, but then again, the murder occurred on her property) and really, she did give the sheriff whatever she found, so I found that admirable.  I really dislike protagonists who keep the information to themselves and then get in trouble later for doing so.  No wonder the police don't trust them to do the right thing!

While we didn't get to learn a lot about her aunt or the other secondary characters, I am in hopes that this will be remedied in the next book.  And I did like the FBI agent quite a bit and hope to see him again in other books.  I also liked the sheriff, and that's a good thing, as a lot of times they aren't the nicest of people in books.

When Jules starts investigating, she learns that there's more to Ira than anyone first expected.  While he touted himself as a writer, it turns out he was anything but, and in discovering the truth, Jules gets more than she bargained for.  Working pretty much on her own (and the FBI agent and sheriff), she manages to uncover more information that leads to a climax that shows Jules is quick-witted and even has a bit of humor to it.  I did enjoy that also.

While this isn't high literature, it's not meant to be,  It's a fun cozy that can be read in one evening, and gives us a story that is worth reading.  I look forward to the next in the series.  Recommended.

I received a copy from the author and the Cozy Mystery Review but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Trailers-Blackmailers-Glamping-Mystery-ebook/dp/B09GGBFWT5/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4473066559

More on Heather Weidner's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/w/heather-weidner/

Whisking Everything (Apple Orchard Cozy Mystery Book 15)

Author:    Chelsea Thomas

Genre:     Mystery

Digital Book

ASIN #:    B098FFCVLR

Independently Published

229 Pages

$5.99 Amazon

December 26, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

There's a train headed for Pine Grove...

...and no one likes it.

It's autumn in upstate New York.  Every neighbor is out on the porch enjoying the weather, and there's a pie cooling on every window sill, waiting to be eaten with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream.

For local sleuths Chelsea, Teeny and Miss May, life is perfect.  There hasn't been a murder in a while.  And all is right in their little town.

The dead body changes everything.

Chelsea has worked hard to become a stronger, more rational person these past couple years.  Solving murders has helped that.  But this one threatens to break her all over again.

Chelsea's cop boyfriend wants to take the next step in their romance.

Chelsea isn't sure she's over her previous heartbreak.  And it's hard for her to deal with big emotions in the middle of a murder investigation.

Sixty-something Miss May leads the investigation, but she relies on Chelsea for help.  Will Chelsea be able to put her heartbreak aside and solve the murder?  Or will this be the one that sends her reeling?

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Chelsea, Miss May and Teeny attend a town meeting regarding light rail -- Alex Turnbull wants to run it through the town -- and right through Miss May's apple orchard, so naturally she's against it, along with most of the other people in the room.  Surprisingly, the mayor is for it, and they want to know why.  Later that evening Turnbull is in Teeny's restaurant and insults her food and her coffee, which leads to a public fight with the man.  But before they can make a plan to save the town, the next night Chelsea and Miss May and Chelsea come across an abandoned car and enter the woods, only to find the body of Turnbull stabbed with a railroad spike.

Now they have suspects on their hands, and are once again thrust into a murder investigation.  When they start looking for clues, they come across unexpected ones, surprising ones, and intriguing ones.  None of which lead them to a killer; but it does lead them to another viable suspect.  Unfortunately, there's another murder before they can find the killer, and now it's a matter of timing in order to save someone else from being a victim...

I have to say that I absolutely love this series.  It is well written, the mysteries are well thought out, and there is no dearth of suspects.  Then there's the banter between the three women, which is also quite hilarious at times.  Poor Chelsea has a mouth that says unexpected things when she gets nervous (but she's working on it); Teeny's mouth is never under control (she's not working on it); and Miss May is the sane voice of reason (although it doesn't matter because Chelsea and Teeny aren't changing any time soon).  Together they make great sleuths and a humorous trio.  I especially love Teeny's obsession with television series as she applies them to the latest investigation.  (Never right, but still oddly strange).

When they begin investigating, they are surprised to find an unexpected victim in their home town that puts more than one person on the list.  Meanwhile, Chelsea's cop boyfriend Wayne is trying to move their relationship ahead, wanting her to meet his parents, and she starts panicking inside, not sure if she's ready, but also not willing to say no.  It's interesting to watch her thought process; while I understand her hesitancy, I also hope she'll be able to move forward in her life soon.  Ah, well...

When the investigation begins heating up, they begin narrowing down their list of suspects, and at last they know they have the right person.  I have to say that I knew who it was long before our detecting trio, but then again I read a lot of mysteries, so there's that.  To most everyone, it will come as a surprise, and I have to say that while I knew the killer, I did not know the reason, and that's half the solution.

When it all comes together, the reasons for the murder are understood (even if there's no excuse for killing another human being); and watching the climax is always a lot of fun.  While this book can easily be read as a standalone, I suggest you start with the beginning, if for nothing but having fun while you read.  Highly recommended.

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

https://www.amazon.com/Whisking-Everything-Apple-Orchard-Mystery-ebook/dp/B098FFCVLR/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4452813674

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