The Ghost and the Stolen Tears (Haunted Bookshop Mystery Book 8)

Author:    Cleo Coyle

Genre:     Mystery/Paranormal

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book (Audiobook Available)

ISBN :    9780425255483

288 Pages

Berkley Publishing

$8.99; $8.99 Amazon

October 4, 2022

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Norma is a modern-day nomad.  Living out of her van and teardrop trailer, she revels in self-reliance, solitude, and reading in the glorious peace of nature.  Jovial, wise, and scrupulously honest, she's become an uplifting presence in the little town of Quindicott, Rhode Island, where bookseller Pen is thankful to have her part-time help.  But it's Norma's other job, working as a housekeeper at the Finch Inn, that gets her into serous trouble.  Norma is accused to stealing jewels from a guest's room: the legendary Valentino Teardrops, an antique necklace and earring set, inherited by a young socialite.  Pen doesn't believe Norma is guilty of the crime -- though the evidence is distressingly strong.  And when the spirited Norma vanishes before her arrest, Pen turns to another spirit...

Jack Shepard, PI, may have been gunned down decades ago, but his memory hasn't been ghosted.  Back in the 1940s, those same Valentino Teardrops starred in a bizarre case of betrayal and murder.  From the look of things, history is about to repeat.  Now Jack is back on the job, and Pen is eternally grateful.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Penelope McClure, along with her aunt Sadie own and run a bookstore in small-town Quindicott, Rhode Island.  Pen is also mother to a young son, who, at the present time, is interested in forensics, which may or may not be a blessing.  She's also in a relationship -- sort of -- with the ghost of a long-dead PI named Jack Shepard, whom only she can hear (and occasionally see).  She's grateful for Jack's presence, as he's helped her in the past solve murders that stump the police.

Right now she's determined to see her part-time help who also works at the Finch Inn as a housekeeper.  But when she arrives, the nomadic Norma, who lives out of her van and teardrop trailer, is nowhere to be found.  What is found, however, is a spoiled social influencer who's claiming her priceless teardrop earring and necklace set is missing, and the housekeeper had a hand in it.

When Jack sees the set (through Pen's eyes) he recognizes it from his own time in the 1940s, and tells Pen that it brings nothing but trouble and death.  But Pen is determined to find Nora, and with the help of not only Jack, but her friends mail carrier Seymour and Professor Brainert, who are also her childhood best friends, she sets out to find the woman before the police catch her and jail her for something she hasn't done.  

But it is Jack's help, in the world they come together; the world of her dreams, that leads her to the history of the tears and the clues she needs to find Norma and solve the case.  In his world, she comes across seedy characters, gamblers, killers, and thieves, all of whom play a part and show her that anyone can kill, even those who seem the least likely...

I have read all of these books and I must admit that I am a little bit in love with Jack Shepard (Oh, c'mon, you've all fallen for someone!).  He brings the book to life, even being dead, and I love his self-assurance, his ego, and even his ability to keep Pen safe.  Even being not of this life anymore, he has that something that makes him one of the best characters in a book.

I also found many parts of this book to be humorous; namely the banter between Seymour and Brainert, who have a sort of 'frenemy' association going on.  Their conversations are the type you roll you eyes at, but enjoy nevertheless.  In this book, they are spending more time together, and that first conversation gets smiles and continues throughout.

Even Pen's son Spencer gets into the act this time, and with relish.  He's doing well in school and his desire to find a thief gets a little out of hand, but Jack thinks he's great and Pen never thought she'd be in the situation she finds herself.  As a mother of boys myself, I can sympathize -- heavily.

But when Pen starts to realize that things are not as they seem, she soon finds herself in the middle of something more than a burglary, and it's up to her and Jack to figure out how to trap a killer...

I would love to say more about this book but I daren't do so, considering the fact I don't want to ruin it for other readers.  I will say that this book is just as good as the previous ones, and for anyone who hasn't read the series, this book can be read as a standalone.  It contains no spoilers from previous books.  Ms. Coyle has a definite way with words, and I am always surprised at how she can connect the dark past of New York's 1940s with the present year and make it seem as if the two belong together somehow.    Try to imagine yourself in the world of The Maltese Falcon.  Loving classic films as I do, it is my own dream (although I don't have a Jack Shepard to help me!); and she makes it all so believable and realistic that the reader becomes part of the dream as well.

When she merges the two tales, it is almost a perfect fit, the seams coming in nicely and forming a final picture that gives us the murderer, the thief, and the reasons for everything that has come before.  It is a book that stays with you and wanting more.  I eagerly await the next in the series.  Highly recommended.

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

https://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Stolen-Haunted-Bookshop-Mystery-ebook/dp/B09PZV5F9S/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5016219854

More on Cleo Coyle's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/c/cleo-coyle/

Death In The Margins (A Blue Ridge Library Mystery Book 7)

Author:    Victoria Gilbert

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781639101306

Crooked Lane Books

336 Pages

$13.99; $26.99 Amazon

December 6, 2022

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

It's early summer, and while Richard Muir and his dance partner, Karla, are preparing their new choreographic piece, Richard's wife, Amy, is gathering the dance's source materials.  Based on folktales and the music of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the production is set to premiere at an old cinema that has been converted into a theater.  But when dancer Meredith Fox -- Richard's former fiancée -- is found dead backstage, Amy is once again propelled into a murder case that threatens the careers and lives of those she loves.

After Amy teams up with Chief Deputy Brad Tucker and the sheriff's department to discover the killer, they find that there's no shortage of suspects.  Meredith's wealthy ex-husband, several fellow dancers, a romantically spurned accompanist, and others whom the talented but haughty dancer dismissed or betrayed over the years.

With Richard's and Karla's help, and information gleaned from locals who know a wealth of small-town secrets, Amy desperately tries to unveil the killer before the premiere.  But she's pursuing a ruthless murderer who's willing to kill again -- and who might just be waiting for Amy in the wings.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Amy and Richard Muir are settling nicely into married life, while Richard pursues a new dance choreographic piece based on their home -- the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Unfortunately, Richard has hired his ex, Meredith Fox, and she makes it known that she doesn't think anyone in the cast is up to her own abilities.  She heaps disdain and nasty remarks on anyone who happens to be within distance, and she's making new enemies right and left.  When she's paired to dance with sixteen-year-old Connor, she makes it known she won't do it.

But Richard insists, and Meredith resists.  Who is going to win?  In the end, it doesn't matter, as Amy finds Meredith dead in one of the rehearsal rooms, and now anyone who was in the theatre is a suspect.  Except for a few with solid alibis, of course.  But when the police arrest someone Amy and her friends and family know can't be the suspect, she's asked by Chief Deputy Brad Tucker to listen to conversations and see if she can uncover information that he can't.

This leads her into another investigation, whether she wants it or not, and finding more suspects who weren't seen anywhere near the crime scene.  Amy's entering the equestrian set and garden set, neither place interesting to her, but hoping to gain intel.  Fortunately, she also has Kurt Kendrick to help, an enigmatic art collector with a shady past.  While he's been helpful and generous to Amy, she still keeps him at arm's length.  But it will be an unlikely source that draws her to the killer...and with another unlikely source to keep her out of danger...

This is the seventh book in the series and I have read them all.  I am not going to tell you too much more about the book, because I do not want to spoil it for anyone (indeed, I have basically only expanded on the blurb itself); but I will say that this book is written very well, and draws us into the mystery quickly.  As anyone who's read the other books, Meredith won't be missed, but still, as Amy states, no one deserves to die like that.  

Watching Amy gather her information is effective, with people giving up what they know easily to a woman who seems merely intrigued by the murder.  But then there is the killer who seemingly knows otherwise.  With a few red herrings thrown in for good measure, we work our way through the story looking for clues as much as our protagonist.

I still like Kurt the best of all the characters; he seems secretive and protective, and intelligent as well.  Amy should learn to give a little and not be so judgmental.  Regardless of his past, he has true feelings for her and her family, and is a good man.  But the other characters are great nonetheless, and they make the story definitely worth reading.  When it all comes together and the killer is revealed, the climax is almost the best part of the story.  I loved this and look forward to the next in the series.  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-Margins-Ridge-Library-Mystery/dp/1639101306/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5008383495

More on Victoria Gilbert's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/g/victoria-gilbert/

Cookies and Haunted Screams (A Yummy Bites Cozy Mystery Book 1)

Author:    Ava Zuma

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9798353790334; 9798353788362

Clean Tales Publishing

180 Pages

$17.99; $9.99; $2.99 Amazon

September 24, 2022

⭐⭐⭐⭐

When Jess is invited to cater for the grand opening of a new hotel in her small town, she's excited about the opportunity to amaze the guests with her yummy treats.

Her co-workers try to dampen her enthusiasm with talk of the hotel's building being haunted and harboring malevolent spirits.

It seems their worst fears are confirmed when the hotel's owner drops dead in questionable circumstances on the opening day.

Things go from bad to worse for Jess when her treats are taken for cross-examination by the local authorities.

But she knows her treats didn't kill the deceased.

But if they didn't, then who or what did?

Jess will have to overcome her personal fears and domestic distractions and focus her attention on finding a cunning killer.  Or else, her efforts to find the haunted house killer, if unsuccessful, might make her the hunted one with dire consequences.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Jess, along with her best friend and an employee run the best bakery in town.  Everyone knows it, and when a newcomer enters and wants all of the ginger cookies that she has, she's surprised when he later calls her and asks her to cater treats for the grand opening of his new hotel.  A supposedly haunted hotel that's been vacant and rundown.  So she's not only surprised he renovated it, but also that she's willing to say yes.

Things are running smoothly until later in the evening she hears a scream -- and when she goes to check it out, she finds that someone has just died.  Is the haunting real?  The police don't think so, but they take all that's left of her treats to test them for poison, just to be sure the man didn't ingest it from them.

With her freedom on the line, she's determined to find a killer -- and hope the killer doesn't find her first...

This is the first book in a new series, and I will say that it was indeed different to me, as I have not read anything by this author before.  However, it was an interesting book with a plot line that left Jess to go and discover what she could; her background as an ex-attorney helping her along the way.  When she questioned people, it was almost natural, and did not seem invasive at all, which I always find uncomfortable to read.

Jess is a powerful protagonist -- big-boned and six feet tall, and that would intimidate a lot of people (but not me; I have a six-foot tall daughter-in-law and my son is six-seven).  Still, I can understand first hand how it would feel to be a lot shorter around such a woman.  Fun indeed to read of.

The victim's son asks her for help in discovering who killed his father, and this segues into another story line that comes together with the first; it is delivered easily and seamlessly.  Not to mention that Jess has troubles at home with her own son, and even though it is a secondary subplot, some of the readers can sympathize with her.

In the end, after all her questioning, she begins to put things together which almost become a fatal reaction for Jess, but of course we know it won't be or the series will end as soon as it is begun!  It all begins to make sense, and we discover if the hotel is haunted and who the killer really is.  I enjoyed this quite a bit and will read the next in the series.  Recommended.

I received an advance copy of this book from Clean Tales Publishing and the author but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BB8PCZBB?tag=amberstone81-20

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5006436515

More on Ava Zuma's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/z/ava-zuma/

A Vacation to Die For (A Tourist Trap Mystery #14)

Author:    Lynn Cahoon

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book (Audiobook Available)

ISBN #:    9781516111107

Kensington Publishing

176 Pages

$16.95; $7.99 Amazon

September 6, 2022

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

In the California coastal town of South Cove, Jill Gardner, owner of Coffee, Books, and More, discovers that wedding planning can be murder...

Hustling her fiancé off to a neighboring tourist town might be the only way Jill Gardner can plan her nuptials to South Cove's in-demand police detective.  But when a mystery man turns up dead at South Cove's PD, Greg is hightailing it back home to investigate, leaving Jill to finish the vacation solo. 

Jill can barely get in a spa day before her own respite is spoiled by a greedy hotel guest and unexpected revelations about Max Winter, the developer conniving to buy her home out from under her.  Then there's the staffing issues at the store, the strange men seen lurking about town, and an aggressive and obnoxious family member harassing Jill's beloved employee.  It's enough to make the bride-to-be full of jitters...especially when she finds herself in the crosshairs of a killer...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Jill Gardner, owner of Coffee, Books, and More, is newly engaged to South Cove police detective Greg King.  They've taken a much-needed and rare vacation, since they never seem to get any time away from their jobs.  The plan was to enjoy the weekend and plan their wedding.  But before they can even get the conversation going, Greg gets a call from one of his deputy's about a man who walks into the station with a stab wound in his stomach.  By the time Greg arrives, the man is dead, but no one knows who he is and he doesn't have any identification.

When Jill, who has called her best friend Amy to join her at the hotel, arrives home, she finds her employee Evie in a state.  It seems Evie's ex-husband is harassing her and again Jill asks for the help of the police to keep him at bay.  But she knows she needs help at the store, and her own life isn't calm as developer Max Winter is still after her home; she can't do her daily run with a killer on the loose; and things in South Cove seem to be going crosswise.  How can she plan a wedding when all this is happening -- and the killer might be after her next?

This is the fourteenth book in the series and I have read them all, savoring one after another.  Ms. Cahoon has had no problem bringing me to the town of South Cove; the problem is I never want to leave after I finish the book.  I find the characters believable and the descriptions of the town delightful; I enjoy every visit and can't wait to crawl back between the pages of the next book.

In this book there is a lot going on -- with what I've mentioned above -- and Jill and Greg are finding it hard to get any time together.  Jill is learning what it's like to be a cop's wife while running her own business; at least she has good employees to back her (even if she knows she needs more).  There's the fall festival coming up, and she wants everything to be solved (but maybe it won't be) by the time it rolls around.  She's also trying a new craft (one I've been doing since I was about eight at the feet of my mother teaching me) and she's frustrated regarding that, too, but still plugging away.

When her employee's ex starts stalking Jill, too, she's about had enough, and that's all it takes for her to decide this is over.  But watching it play out is the best part, and the end is definitely full of surprises (nice ones) that left me feeling pleased.  So pleased that I want to jump into the next book (hurry, please?) 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/Vacation-Tourist-Trap-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B09TQ4LCYV/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4992687728

More on Lynn Cahoon's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/c/lynn-cahoon/

Vanilla For Villains (A Drop of Mystery Book 2)

Author:    C.R. Fulton

Genre:     Romance/Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781949711783

BW Publications

328 Pages

$16.95; $4.99 Amazon

June 19, 2021

⭐⭐⭐

A deep-seated fear grips the town of Riverbend.  When Beck Graham gets a call from her reclusive grandmother in Montana, she knows something's not right.  Leaving her familiar city life behind, free-spirited Beck sets off for the family ranch, only to walk straight into a potential crime scene.  What kind of mess has she gotten into now.  Rumors of a villainous beast -- are the stories of savage murder true?  Or is it just a small town superstition?  As more clues come to light, Beck begins to wonder if the "beast" is bent on killing her too.  Messages tucked into essential oil bottles only heighten the mystery.  Where will the trail lead?  Can she survive in the wilds of Montana?  Maybe with the help of a handsome Navy SEAL...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

When Beck Graham, who lives in Raleigh, receives an ominous call from her grandmother in Montana, she knows she needs to go to her.  But when she arrives, she's just a hair too late.  Her grandmother is dead, and everyone claims the "Bear" killed her.  But no bear made the marks above her head or hit her with a lamp, and Beck is determined to discover the truth.  While the police consider the case closed, only one person believes her: an ex-Navy SEAL who has just returned home.  And together they're going to find out the truth, even if the Bear turns on them...

I really wanted to read this book because I love mysteries and because it had high ratings.  Unfortunately, it's not a mystery.  It's a romance cloaked as one.  Every time Beck wakes up or turns around, she's panting to herself about the 'hot' Seal, and how 'ripped' he is, and wondering if she can get him to love her.  Seriously?  

First, I don't care.  I don't read romances unless they're Christmas ones.  And I certainly don't care about the hot guy who's just out of reach.  I don't mean to be harsh; but because of this, I couldn't get into the mystery.  Maybe I'm just the wrong audience (obviously); but the mystery took second place to the romance, and it should have been the other way around.  

There wasn't even much of a mystery.  I knew who the murderer was the minute they stepped on the page (but then again, I read a lot of mysteries, so there's that).  I just wish she would have stopped drooling over Eli enough to figure it out.  Also, I felt as if I were in an episode of The Perils of Pauline.  Every time Beck turned around, she got herself into a situation that Eli had to get her out of.  No self-sufficiency for this girl, nope.

While this seems like a bad review, it's actually not.  It's based on my personal opinion of the book, which is what reviews should be based on.  How I feel about it.  I did think the writing was very good, and the descriptions of the area around Riverbend were awesome.  Lots of mountains and beautiful views.  The uses for essential oils was interesting in itself.  I liked most of the characters, and the story was interesting when you got to the end.  It's just that I don't care for romances.  Perhaps I will give this author another chance with another book, but I wouldn't steer anyone away from this one.  

I received a copy from AuthorsXP but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B097LSWCPC?ref_=dbs

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4987059818

More on C.R. Fulton's Books:    https://www.amazon.com/C-R-Fulton/e/B01LGEO81K/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1

Murder at a Scottish Wedding (A Scottish Shire Mystery Book 4)

Author:    Traci Hall

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496739247

Kensington Cozies

304 Pages

$16.95; $9.99 Amazon

January 24, 2023

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Paislee's specialty sweater shop and yarn business Cashmere Crush, in the charming Scottish village of Nairn, is closed today for a special occasion.  Her bonnie bestie Lydia is moments away from walking down the aisle of the church at Old Nairn Kirk to wed Corbin Smythe.  Gramps and Paislee's eleven-year-old son Brody are seated in the pews with the other guests -- the only family not in attendance is their black Scottish terrier Wallace.  As matron of honor, Paislee is at her friend's side when Lydia lets out a frantic cry.  The Luckenbooth brooch her betrothed gave her is missing.  A traditional Scottish love token, the gold heirloom has been in his family for generations and not wearing it could bring bad luck -- according to the superstitious Smythes.

But the real misfortune falls on a distraught cousin who suddenly disrupts the ceremony and dies with the brooch in her hand.  The Smythes insist it's the curse.  But Paislee much broach the subject of...murder.  And was the intended victim the guest --- or the bride?  Only Paislee can determine who to pin the murder on...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Paislee Shaw is at the Kirk, helping her best friend Lydia prepare for the latter's wedding.  She's radiant in a silver wedding gown, and the only thing missing is the Luckenbooth brooch that her fiancé Corbin gave her.  It is considered good luck in the Smythe family to wear it on one's wedding day, and she's frantic to find it.

But no amount of searching will recover it, and Lydia decides that if she wears another, a bit hidden by her flowers, no one might notice.  Unfortunately, before Lydia can go down the aisle, a Smythe cousin emerges from the bathroom and promptly falls down the church stairs and dies.  Now the family insists the wedding be postponed; and worse, some members make no bones about disliking Lydia.

To top things off, Paislee's grandfather is concerned for his missing son Craigh, and the police think he knows where Craigh is, even as Grandpa insists he hasn't seen him.  Paislee has problems of her own, not the least of them her growing affection for Brody's principal and DI Zeffer.

Will anything get resolved?  Will Lydia ever get married?  Will the 'curse' be lifted?  And most of all, will Paislee find a killer who might try to do her best friend in again...

This is the fourth book in the series and I have read them all.  They have delighted me each one.  In the first, I was a bit annoyed at the Scottish prose, but now I zipped through the book (I usually read a book a day) and felt almost like I was a local.  It's an interesting twist that I was speaking Scottish in my head (ha).

The plot is so intriguing that I just could not put this book down.  Having grown fond of the characters: Paislee, Grandpa, Brody, Lydia and even Wallace -- that I wanted them to have the best, and Lydia in this book seemed so sad and distraught for awhile that I actually felt like punching Corbin's stepmother.  (You probably will, too).

There are many suspects as to whom the murderer is; the Smythe clan is tight, but there are many off them, and none of them are willing to give each other up.  Paislee has her work cut out for her trying to figure it out...even if DI Payne is telling her to stay out of it each time she gives him another clue (no surprise there!)  And Zeffer is on the hunt for someone so he's in and out of the story, but you see what is happening beneath the surface easily (and I won't tell you what).  

The entire story is full of mystery, machinations, and secrets.  It is well-told and has many twists, with the threads pulling in different directions.  Yet when the ending comes and the murderer is revealed, we once again realize that no matter the intentions, you cannot understand the mind of a killer.  I really loved this book and look forward to the next in the series.  Highly recommended.

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

https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Scottish-Wedding-Shire-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0B17GB7HF/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4978810274

More on Traci Hall's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/h/traci-hall/

Trails and a Traitor (The Accidental Ghost Detective Book 2)

Author:    Emmie Lyn

Genre:     Mystery/Paranormal

Digital Book

ASIN #:    B0B69VDXGT

Whiskered Mysteries

195 Pages

$3.99 Amazon

September 2, 2022

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The town fair has brought visitors to Moonlight Mansion and they're keeping proprietor Nikki Knight and her cohorts hopping like the bullfrogs the town is named after.

What's a burgeoning detective with a ghostly grandmother, and two mischievous dogs, supposed to do when she finds a dead body trapped under a massive frog balloon?

Why start up an investigation of course!

Nikki has a sneaking suspicion the person, or persons, responsible for the crime are staying under her roof, and discovering information is harder than she initially thought.  She needs the help of the newest member of the Accidental Ghost Detective Agency...which means revealing all of her secrets.   

Will Lacey send her off to the looney bin in a glittery pink straitjacket when she learns the truth?  Or will her once rival, turned best friend, join forces with the zany cast of characters to help untangle the snarled web that has become her life once again?

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Nikki Knight owns Moonlight Mansion, which was willed to her from her grandmother, Audrey.  Except that Audrey never left -- she's hanging around in ghostly form to help Nikki in whatever she needs.  Along with people Nikki grew up with, and a talking Dachshund named Dash, she's finally starting to feel safe...

Until her ex-boyfriend shows up one morning with a timid woman named Marigold in tow.  Nikki can't imagine what he wants...until he tells her that he wants $10,000 or he'll make her life miserable.  Refusing to give him the money sets off a chain of events, not the least withstanding that she knows Marigold doesn't want to be with him, but can't figure out a way to free her from his grasp.

But it turns out she doesn't have to; circumstances are such that Marigold frees herself, but is still in the crosshairs of Brooksey, the local police officer who doesn't like Nikki, and is sure someone staying at Nikki's B&B is a killer.  The problem is, so does Nikki.  But how will she find the truth?  Why, with the help of her cohorts in crime, of course...

This is the first book of Ms. Lyn's that I have read but it will not certainly be the last.  I found the characters a breath of fresh air, with Nikki being both independent and quick with her wits, which comes in handy quite often.  Dash is delightful, a dog that chooses to communicate only with Nikki, and the other main characters have quirks of their own that bring bang to the story.

The plot is done very well and the secondary characters are interesting, although some more than others.  Like Nikki, I did not like the ex, but I imagine no one could.  I really think she should have let Dash nip at him.  I also like the fact that there really isn't an 'evil nemesis'; yes, Brooksey doesn't care for Nikki, but he doesn't seem to be aiming for her, either.  

The tale was told nicely, with threads weaving in and out, until finally they come together at Nikki's convenience, and the story ends nicely, with everything back to normal -- or as normal as life can be for Ms. Knight.  I loved this tale and I eagerly await the next in the series.  Highly recommended.

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

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B69VDXGT?tag=autmagver-20

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4972824272

More on Emmie Lyn's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/l/emmie-lyn/

Murder For Good Measure (A Cook-Off Mystery Book 7)

Author:    Devon Delaney

Genre:     Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781958384169

Beyond The Page Publishing

208 Pages

$14.00; $4.99 Amazon

September 13, 2022

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Not long after her family's store suffers serious damage in a punishing nor'easter, things go from bad to worse for Sherry Oliveri when her new neighbors' nanny is killed.  It soon comes to light that the sous chef for her brother's food truck was with the young woman the night she was murdered, and the police have him squarely in their crosshairs as the main suspect.  With the store closed for repairs, Sherry puts her extra free time to work trying to clear his name.

Juggling impromptu cook-offs and her investigation, Sherry learns that before she was murdered, the nanny was an endless source of old Irish folktales and superstitions, most of them forecasting gloom and doom for any who didn't heed their warnings.  Wondering if the young woman foresaw her own demise, Sherry starts looking for hints she might have left behind -- and discovers an enigmatic clue in her own store's attic.  Deciphering the note and unraveling the case will take Sherry on a trip through Irish mythology that leads right back to her family store's very doorstep...

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Sherry Oliveri works in The Ruggery, her family store, and spends her off time with her hobby of entering cook-offs, which she invariably wins quite often.  But the store has been highly damaged in an unexpected nor'easter, and the repairs might be more than her father Erno is willing to spend.

She also thought it was a good idea to set her neighbors' young Irish nanny up with her brother's sous chef, since she hopes they might have a lot in common.  That idea, however, gives her second thought when her neighbor Joy Wanner tells her that Cara won't stop spouting Irish folklore, which is beginning to give her children nightmares.  Now Sherry wonders if she did the right thing.  Especially when Cara turns up dead the day after the date...

This is the seventh book in the series and I have read them all.  I loved this one as much as the others.  Sherry is an interesting character who loves to cook, and is adept at making up recipes that turn out to be winners.  In this book, she's paired with one of the Wanner twins, in her first ever two-generational cook-off.  

But she's also worried about her brother Pep's sous chef, who is on Detective Ray Bease's radar for the murder of the young girl.  Sherry is adamant that he couldn't be a killer, but more and more evidence points to the young man, who's at times lying about his whereabouts and others holding things back.  Sherry begins to wonder if her faith is misplaced.

It also doesn't sit well with her when her new neighbor Max decides he wants the Ruggery and is willing to do whatever to achieve it.  She can't imagine not coming to this building every day; it's been in her family for nearly forty years.  She also knows it would break her father's heart to lose it.

So what will Sherry do?  With so much on her plate, will she be able to save the business and find out who killed Cara?  With all her suspects, which one had the most motive to kill the young woman, and why?...

I would rather not say any more about this book so as not to ruin it for those who are looking forward to reading it.  So no real spoilers here.  What I will say is that I found the book delightful, and the Irish folklore interesting.  I love the main characters, as none are whiny and all add to the book, which is how it should be.  The mystery is done well, the clues aren't plentiful, but you can draw your own conclusions and hope to come to the same as Sherry.  Not an easy task in this book, and the murderer is surprising, the reason for the murder even more so.  This is a book that is definitely worth reading, with the journey to the end highly worth it.  I look forward to the next in the series.  Highly recommended.

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

https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Good-Measure-Cook-Off-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0BBNF2SBG/ref

Goodreads:    TBA

More on Devon Delaney's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/d/devon-delaney/