Elves and Embezzlement (A Presley Thurman Cozy Mystery Book 17)

Author:    L.C. Turner

Genre:     Mystery

Digital Book

ASIN #:    B0BL86CKVN

Independently Published

162 Pages

$2.99 Amazon

November 29, 2022

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Presley Thurman and Cooper Sands (and Bella, too!) have returned to Hunter's Hollow just in time for their Christmas Eve wedding.  But when Winston Rose is murdered in the parking lot of Sue Thurman's flower shop, the police peg Sue as their number one suspect.

Presley knows her mom is innocent but can she convince the police of that?

Presley and Cooper think maybe it's best they cancel their wedding and focus on Sue's legal troubles, but she won't hear of it.  She wants her daughter married on December 24 even if the mother-of-the-bride is in jail.

Can Presley find the real culprit AND get married to Cooper?  This just might take a Christmas miracle.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Presley Thurman and her fiancé Cooper Sands both live and work in Chicago.  They are returning to their hometown for Christmas and to have their Christmas Eve wedding.  But when Presley arrives at her mother's flower shop, she finds a dead body in a florist truck in the parking lot,  The police are not doing a very thorough job if investigating, because they think that Sue Thurman killed the man, even though she really didn't have a motive to do so.  Presley is more than ready to postpone her wedding to clear her mother's name, but she won't hear of it.  Therefore, Presley is determined to find the killer so there can be a happy Christmas all around. That is, if she can stay alive long enough to do so...

I am grateful the author took the opportunity and time to write this book, and I am just as sure that others are, too.  While it was interesting in the plot line, it seemed weaker than I would have expected, and personally I didn't feel that there was anything 'there' to see Sue as a murderer, but perhaps that's just me and I'm reading too much into it.

The writing was very good, and having known the characters, this is one more chapter in their lives, which makes it easy to read.  Speaking of the plot line, it all centers around Winston Rose's garden farm, and the reason for his murder.  There are a few real suspects at hand, but it's deciding which one is the killer that's forefront.  While I knew the murderer before Presley (only because I read mysteries more than anything else) it was still enjoyable watching her put everything together.  And the climax itself was done nicely.

In the end, everything comes together as it should, with a lovely Christmas Eve wedding, and a resolution of issues that everyone might have.  

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

https://www.amazon.com/Elves-Embezzlement-Presley-Thurman-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0BL86CKVN

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5135313123

More on L.C. Turner's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/t/l-c-turner/

Rage Before Beauty (A Bellbrook Murder Mystery Book 2)

Author:    Reagan Davis

Genre:     Mystery

Digital Book

ASIN #:    B09SXKRXM2

Carpe Filum Press

178 Pages

$3.99 Amazon

December 27, 2022

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Karla Bell's prestigious concierge company, Just Task Me! caters to the whims of an exclusive and affluent clientele.

So when a VIP client asks Karla to plan an exciting weekend that will impress the client's celebrity guests, Karla is determined to create an experience they'll never forget.

But when a guest turns up dead, Karla's carefully planned murder mystery event takes a turn for the realistic.

Now, with her client's image on the line and the press nipping at her heels, Karla must use her resourcefulness and unique detection abilities to identify the true culprit.

Can Karla save her client's reputation before the media make a mockery of her unfortunate murder mystery?

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Karla Bell owns a prestigious concierge company that caters to the most exclusive clientele.  So when one of her best customers wants to experience a small town, he chooses her own -- Bellbrook.  Karla is determined to make it memorable, including the murder mystery game she's planned.  But everything doesn't go as planned, and Karla needs to make emergency substitutions.  At least the murder mystery game seems to be going fine -- until someone actually drops dead at the beginning of the game, and this wasn't planned.  Now Karla's reputation is on the line, and if she doesn't help find a killer, her entire company might just be poison in the affluent world...

This is the second book in the series, and I found it delightful to read.  Karla is an intelligent woman, and due to a strange talent she has -- being able to tell if someone is lying or not -- it serves her well.  She can help her father Dean, the chief of police, wean out those who are telling the truth, and those who are not.  

Along with her is her mother Lynn, who has decided she'll make a perfect personal assistant for her daughter.  Karla must decide if the position is permanent or not, since she doesn't have a PA in residence.

But she knows that it's most likely one of the suspects is right in the B&B that she's secured for her clients; this includes everyone who was present the night of the murder.  But perhaps all of them have some sort of motive, but none are really displaying any signs of a killer.  What it comes down to is that Karla must also use her intelligence to figure out who the killer is.

The story flowed well, and the pacing was even.  The dialogue is very good, with no stilted sentences.  Even though this is the second book, there is enough background information given that we don't feel lost with the characters.  They appear believable and can stand on their own.

I enjoyed the tale and watching Karla try to find a killer.  I actually knew who it was before her (but then again, I read a lot of mysteries).  Still, she put it together nicely, and even found the murder weapon before too long.  The reason for the death was sad indeed, and you wonder about how some people think (as we always do with murderers).  I definitely look forward to reading all the books in this series.  Recommended.

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

https://www.amazon.com/Rage-Before-Beauty-Bellbrook-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B09XSKRXM2/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5121940109

More on Reagan Davis's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/d/reagan-davis/

Four Parties And A Funeral (A Catering Hall Mystery Book 4)

Author:    Maria DiRico

Genre:     Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:`9781496739704

Kensington Cozies

304 Pages

$8.99; $6.99 Amazon

March 28, 2023

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The June events scheduled at Belle View is busting out all over -- proms, graduations, and of course, weddings.  There are unexpected bookings too, including a casting call for the pilot of Dons of Ditmars Boulevard.  But soon, Mia's fears about the cheesy reality show are confirmed...

Belle View quickly becomes the site of a sea of wanna-be goombahs and phony girlfriends, and some of Mia's friends insist on getting in on the action.  The production company owner and his executive producer ex-wife -- who's also very minor British royalty -- have assembled a motley crew that does as much infighting and backstabbing as the on-screen "talent."  Even so, it's a shock when a dead body is found in the pool house of a local mansion rented by the show...

Murder might boost the ratings.  But Mia intends to make sure the killer gets jail time, not airtime...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Mia Carina and her father Ravello run Belle View, an events center that is run as a legitimate business by the Boldano family.  She wants to keep her father from falling back into the mob, so she works hard at it.  But there are problems.  Donny Baldano's son Jamie is getting married, which makes his elder brother Donny Jr. lamenting his own life.  So Sr. asks Mia to give Jr. a job, which she does.  He doesn't seem too happy about it until he sets his eyes on Ariadne St. James, ex-wife and partner to Giles St. James.  They're filming a reality show, Dons of Ditmars Boulevard, and suddenly Donny brightens up.  Now Mia has a request by Donny Sr. to keep his son out of trouble.

 Which doesn't help when Mia is drafted into another uncomfortable position, giving her two problems to solve.  Or maybe three -- but she's not trying to think about that.  With watching over Donny, trying to plan a wedding, and keep everything else running smoothly, she thinks it's going to be fine.  Until she finds a dead body that starts the wheels turning, and finding herself in the middle of yet another murder investigation -- one that she'll have to really keep her ears and eyes open if she's going to keep everything smooth sailing...

This is the fourth book in the series and I have read and loved them all.  I love all the characters in this series, and would have a hard time choosing a favorite.  There are some very funny scenes involving Mia's nonna and bags of yarn that make it hard not to want to give the woman a hug; and Mia's assistant Cammie and her over-the-top latest adventure (she seems to have a different one every book).

The murder however, isn't that easy to solve.  With a roomful of wanna-be dons and donettes, it makes for a confusing situation.  Not to mention the entire crew who is shooting the show -- everywhere they can.  I can say in total honesty that I have never watched a reality show in my life, which makes this all the more interesting to me.  My sister, who is a reality show junkie, would love this book just as well.

When Mia does the only thing she can -- ask questions -- she wonders if she's getting closer or if people are just lying.  It's enjoyable to try and figure out who is telling the truth and who is not.  In between it all, she has to make sure the wedding is going well, even if it kills her.  Let's not forget the major surprise that just might turn everything around, and unexpected help that will steer her in the right directions.

It's a fun lark that takes us on an unusual journey in the land of reality shows, offbeat contestants, and Mia's own brand of figuring out who a murderer is.  When the ending comes, the motive for the murder is rather strange, but it fits right in with the rest of the book.  I loved it and hope that others will also.  Highly recommended.

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

https://www.amazon.com/Four-Parties-Funeral-Catering-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0B6DBV3WV/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5106250307

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

Cinnamon Twisted (A Deputy Donut Mystery Book 7)

Author:    Ginger Bolton

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496740199

Kensington Cozies

256 Pages

$16.95; $9.99 Amazon

April 23, 2023

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

An ordinary late-spring afternoon for Emily becomes one that will remain baked into her memory from the moment a customer gives Emily's cat a toy donut and then flees Deputy Donut, dropping an earring in her panic.  Concerned about the customer, Emily attempts to return the earring...only this time the customer doesn't have a pulse.  Things get more complicated when an ambitious police detective finds the earring and an unsealed envelope  addressed to Emily at the murder scene.  The envelope contains a cryptic letter and a fading photograph of a woman standing in front of Emily's house.

Why did the customer grab her cinnamon twists and flee Deputy Donut?  With the detective eying Emily as a prime suspect, Emily is determined to find out.  But once a donut-shaped murder weapon is discovered in her own backyard, Emily has no time to lose as she pulls apart the connection between the victim and the strange history of her property -- while stopping the real culprit from ensuring that her fate is done and sugar-dusted...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Emily Westhill co-owns Deputy Donut along with her late husband's father, Tom Westhill.  They make donut creations, and all the cops, EMTs, and firemen flock to their shop, along with regular local customers.  When a woman comes in two days in a row, Emily can't help notice that she appears nervous, but is hesitant to approach her.  On the second day, the woman gives Emily's cat Dep a donut-shaped catnip toy and asks to leave through the back door.  Emily notices she's lost an earring and grabs it to return later.

But wanting to do so and being able to are different things.  When Emily arrives at the rented lake cottage, the woman is dead.  Calling her boyfriend Detective Brent Fyne, she waits until he arrives to look over the scene.  But right behind him is the new chief of police, Detective Agnew, and he's not happy by Emily's presence. 

When it's discovered that the woman was murdered, Emily is at the top of Agnew's list of suspects, so she is determined to get herself off the hook.  But stumbling blocks are many -- including strange goings-on in her yard, locals that might have known the woman, and the detective sending Brent out of town so she can't share information with him.  It's up to Emily herself to try and figure everything out, and if she doesn't she just might be making her tasty treats in prison...

This is the seventh book in the series and I have read them all.  I have also loved them all.  Ms. Bolton writes characters so well that you can almost feel as if you are right there in their small little Wisconsin town.  I definitely would love to try some of the donut creations, but since I don't eat a lot of sugar, I'd probably pass out.  Still, it would be worth it!

In this story we have several subplots along with the main plot, and they are woven into the story seamlessly.  Each and every clue is written piece by piece, and actually delivered by someone I would like to know.  They paint the picture that the dead woman may not have been a nice person after all, and more than one might have wanted revenge.  But enough to kill her?  That's what Emily needs to find out, hoping to stay under the radar.

As to the subplots, all of them are interesting enough to keep you reading, and most are worthy in their own right.  But it's Emily who takes center stage in this mystery, and wondering who wants to find something in her yard so badly and what it could possibly be.  

I hesitate to say more as I don't want to spoil the book for others, but suffice it to say that the threads are woven nicely, the characters interesting, and the reason for the murder truly sad and leaving you thinking that no one can see into the mind of a murderer.  But the ending was truly surprising, and it leaves me wanting to read the next in the series right now.  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/Cinnamon-Twisted-Deputy-Donut-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0B8488G6G/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5094735857

More on Ginger Bolton's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/ginger-bolton/    

Death Knells and Wedding Bells (A Lighthouse Library Mystery #10)

Author:    Eva Gates

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781639102723

Crooked Lane Books

272 Pages

$13.99; $26.99 Amazon

June 6, 2023

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lucy and Connor planned for the perfect Outer Banks wedding  -- and that's exactly what they got.  Aside from typical rumblings of familial tensions, the late spring weather allowed for a beautiful day, the food the delicious, and everyone had a good time, until one of the guests goes missing.

Before Lucy can look forward to the rest of her life in Nags head and the work she does at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library, she gets a phone call from her boss, Bertie James.  Eddie, Bertie's friend, never made it back home after the reception.  Initially, Lucy doesn't think anything of it -- sometimes wedding guests simply have a little too much fun.  But this quickly turns to something darker when she discovers the body of a wedding guest strangled in a locked closet, and the police immediately start asking questions about Eddie.  Lucy must figure out if the two are connected before it's too late -- both for Bertie's friend and the rest of her wedding guests.

With the Classic Novel Reading Club reading the Selected Works of Edgar Allan Poe -- Lucy wonders if the master of the macabre can assist her investigation or if the hunt for the killer's identity will remain as nothing more than an unsolved mystery.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Lucy and Connor have finally gotten married, and they couldn't be happier.  The wedding came off beautifully, and everyone seemed to enjoy it.  Everyone, it seems, except a small few who probably shouldn't have attended anyway.  But before Lucy can enjoy married life, she receives a call from her boss Bertie James -- and Bertie is worried about her friend Eddie, who never returned from the wedding after telling her he needed to find his tie.

This wouldn't be a big thing except another one of the wedding guests has been found murdered by Lucy and Connor, and even though this shouldn't affect them at all, Lucy can't help but wonder who killed the man.  Was it Eddie?  Or another disgruntled guest?  It's obvious that either another guest or staff at the wedding did the deed, but with so many people, it's going to take a lot of questioning by Detective Sam Watson and the new detective in town, Kyle North.

Lucy doesn't like Kyle or his way of asking questions, and tries to stay out of his line of fire.  He's got his sights on a certain person, and she's sure he's wrong.  Now Lucy might be in the fight of her life, finding the truth, and protecting those she cares for...

This is the tenth book in the series and I have read them all.  I love this one the best.  It has plenty of action, and we get to meet more of Lucy's family, albeit some more than others.  Gloria, Lucy's Aunt Ellen's mother-in-law, is back once again, and making everyone crazy around her.  I don't know why, but I find her hilarious (sorry, Ellen).  There are also a couple of minor subplots that are interesting, and I don't want to say any more so as not to spoil the book for others (you must read this one!)

But finding the killer this time out isn't going to be as easy as before.  Lucy has to use all her powers of observation and asking the right questions to put things together.  I did know who the murderer was before her (but then again, as I've stated before, I read a lot of mysteries, so there's that).  I still enjoyed Lucy sifting through clues, and watching her do so was the best part of the book.  I also loved that Connor tried to protect her as well, which sat right with me.

When the ending comes, the climax is almost pulsating, and definitely worth waiting for.  Lucy pulls all her wits about her, knowing that she needs to if the truth were to come out.  As I stated above, this, I think, is the best book in the series so far, but it can be read as a stand-alone.  Highly recommended.

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

https://www.amazon.com/Knells-Wedding-Lighthouse-Library-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0BDF18V3Y/ref

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5086835761

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

Christmas Santa Chaos (A Mira Michaels Cozy Mystery Novella)

Author:    Julia Koty

Genre:     Mystery

Digital Book

ASIN #:    B0BD5FFHFN

Busstop Press

67 Pages

$2.99 Amazon

November 1, 2022

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Mira's sister, Darla, is coming for Christmas Eve dinner and everything must be perfect, including the local tree lighting ceremony.  But when Santa goes missing, Mira and Aerie are on a race around town to find him before the evening festivities begin.  Mira's dream of an idyllic family dinner looks doubtful, can she and her friends find Santa and create the Christmas they all dream of?

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Mira Michaels moved to Pleasant Pond, Pennsylvania to get out from under her sister Darla's thumb.  In doing so, the sisters have become closer.  Now that it's Christmas Eve, Mira is looking forward to a Christmas meal with her family and friends, homemade by her.

But there's a problem: the town's Santa is missing.  He hasn't answered his phone, and he's missed his scheduled appointments.  With only minor sightings of him, Mira and Aerie are wondering what is wrong.  So, more on principal than anything, Mira wants to find Santa before Detective Dan Lockhart.  It doesn't help that she keeps running into him, and he's also got her heart racing each time.  With the clock running down on her meal, she and Aerie are in a hurry to save Santa so Christmas can begin...

This story absolutely delighted me.  It's a short novella, but brings home all the humor, love, and magic of Christmas.  While the snow softly swirls around Mira, she's more than on a mission: she's learning that she's able to begin opening her mind to new possibilities, and that Christmas is all about family, friends, and kinship.

There are many humorous situations including those of cat Arnold and Taco, the bird who mainly swears at anyone nearby; but the main part of the story, of course, is if Santa will be located in time for Christmas.  A lighthearted, delightful tale, full of holiday warmth, that should be read.  Highly recommended.

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

https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Santa-Chaos-Michaels-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0BD5FFHFN/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5079215666

More on Julia Koty's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/k/julia-koty/