Hidden Beneath (A Maine Clambake Mystery Book 11)

Author:    Barbara Ross

Genre:     Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496735713

Kensington Cozies

272 Pages

$8.99; $6.99 Amazon

June 27, 2023

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Julia and her mother, Jacqueline have come to the exclusive summer colony of Chipmunk Island to attend a memorial service for Jacqueline's old friend Ginny, who's been officially declared dead half a decade after she went out for her daily swim in the harbor and was never seen again.  But something seems fishy at the service -- especially with the ladies of the Wednesday Club.  As Julia and Jacqueline begin looking into Ginny's cold case, a present-day murder stirs the pot, and mother and daughter must dive into the deep end to get to the bottom of both mysteries...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

When Julia Snowden's mother, Jacqueline, asks her to accompany her to the memorial of an old friend, Julia agrees.  The problem is, Julia never heard of Ginny, and wonders why her mother never mentioned her.  But when they arrive on Chipmunk Island, home to generations of people who pass their homes down to their families, she notices the Wednesday Book Club Women -- a group of six women (now five with the passing of Ginny) aren't very welcoming to her, much less to her mother.  But Jacqueline pauses enough to go through Ginny's home, where the memorial is being held, and sees things Julia doesn't.

Julia doesn't know whether questioning her mother will yield results or not, so she keeps quiet.  When they return to the island, they discover the women moving Ginny's furniture about, looking for something.  It's a will, and when it is eventually found, Jacqueline is surprised to find that she's been named executor.  Yet all is not right.  Kitty, Ginny's next-door neighbor, is curious as to if they've discovered anything.  The rest of the women are keeping quiet.  But the more they look, the more they find something isn't right, and Jacqueline wonders if Ginny didn't accidentally die, but was murdered.

Julia's curiosity sets her about looking for the truth.  But it isn't going to be easy, with the women keeping close, and Julia discovering her ex-boyfriend Chris is working on the island.  Have things truly been resolved between them?  Will Julia find what she is looking for, or will a killer manage to not only get away with murder, but kill again?...

This is the eleventh book in the series and I have read them all.  I have watched Julia return home after her father's death to help run the Snowden Family Clambake, and now to see a new chapter in her life begin.  This story is one of the most interesting, with her mother having to make not only decisions for her friend Ginny, but personal ones as well that can change everything.

Julia is mostly centered on solving the mystery; her personal life needs to take a backseat to what is going on otherwise -- or does it?  While we wonder about the truth of Ginny's life and death, and if it was indeed murder, clues are handed to us about a long-ago death and if that was not murder also, or if it was even relevant to Ginny's accidental death.  Then another tragic event occurs, and the state police are brought in (our old friends Binder and Flynn) and will they listen to Julia's theories?  Or will they dismiss it as just that?

When Julia and Jacqueline go to Portland to settle things in Ginny's condo, clues develop as to the woman's life.  With Jacqueline's regrets about not seeing her more, she's been lost in her own thoughts, and Julia must put forth her best efforts to discover what is and is not the truth...

I loved this book, even more than the last.  It was detailed and centered on the people on Chipmunk Island and their secrets.  And secrets abound.  And I do love a mystery-within-a-mystery, as it were.  I love reading how the older mystery is solved as well as the newer one, and this book did not disappoint.  It was absorbing, intelligent, as well as entertaining.  I was sorry to see it end.  But when the ending does come, it is unexpected and enlightening.  And the epilogue left us with something to look forward to.  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/Hidden-Beneath-Maine-Clambake-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0BGYV3W33/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5516513390

More on Barbara Ross's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/r/barbara-ross/

Death a Sketch (A Paint & Shine Mystery Book 3)

Author:    Cheryl Hollon

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496725288

Kensington Cozies

288 Pages

$7.16; $6.80 Amazon

July 26, 2022

⭐⭐⭐⭐

In eastern Kentucky, Miranda Trent runs a unique tour company called Paint & Shine, but sometimes the peaceful mountains play host to murder...  

Miranda's business -- combining Appalachian adventure tours with art and a bit of moonshine -- is the perfect place for an outdoor sporting goods company to hold an employee retreat.  It'll be a challenge, but the money they're paying will definitely help with building her new distillery.

Miranda has lots of teamwork fostering activities planned, from sketching classes to Southern cooking, but the executive running things prefers a more competitive spirit.  In fact, after the workers are split into teams, they're told that only the winners will keep their jobs, and tensions begin to spike.  Even after a participant is found dead, the contest continues -- while Miranda starts drawing her own conclusions about the ambitious attendees.  Now she just has to find the proof...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Miranda Trent inherited her uncle's farm -- with a stipulation.  She has three months to make her business (formerly his) profitable.  The business?  Making moonshine (legal, of course).  The problem?  She's an artist, and has never done this before.  So, she came up with a unique hook: While making shine and cocktails out of it, she hosts company events -- tours around the Daniel Boone Forest, and so far, it's been working well.

Currently, she's hosting a group from a sportswear company, and thinks things are going well.  That is, until one of the group is killed, and now the man's replacement not only has divided the group into two teams, but the losing team will go home -- without a job.  While she knows it's unfair, she's being paid to do her job, and continue with the plans.

But something goes wrong along the way, and someone in the group is being suspected of murder.  Also, Miranda notices what she suspects is someone not wanting anyone to do well.  But how can she figure this out by herself?  With the sheriff's blessing Miranda works to keep an eye on her people, and hopes to find out the truth and stay alive in the process...

This is the third book in the series and I have read them all.  I have found that I love the premise of this book, that our protagonist isn't exactly broke, and has decided to keep her uncle's legacy going while living in a lovely farmhouse.  Although I'm not all that interested in the shine part (I don't drink), I still find it quite intriguing to read about.  It's a detailed process and Miranda has her hands (and time) full doing both.

The people on the two groups are competing for management positions, and there's in-fighting which isn't pleasant to anyone; but there are also the meals that her two kitchen helpers provide which sound delicious.  But we're here to find a killer, and it's not as easy as it sounds.  There are very few clues, but you have to put together what everyone is saying to get it right.  And our Miranda does just that, with the help of Forest Ranger Austin.

When the murderer is discovered, everyone is surprised, and none more so than the person who trusted them the most.  It's a nice climax, and the epilogue is done well also.  I highly recommend this book and look forward to the next in the series.

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

https://www.amazon.com/Death-Sketch-Paint-Shine-Mystery-ebook/dp/B09KP3TJ8F/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5512460694

More on Cheryl Hollon's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/h/cheryl-hollon/

Strawberries and Crime (A Finn Family Farm Mystery Book 2)

Author:    Elle Brooke White

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781643855783

Crooked Lane Books

304 Pages

$21.36; $13.99 Amazon

October 21, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Things are finally growing smoothly on the Finn Family Farm.  With the help of caretakers Joe and Alice Wong and farmer Samuel Brown, Charlotte Finn is starting to feel at home at the Santa Barbarta County produce farm she inherited.  But all is not strawberries and cream.  A blight is destroying young berry plants.  Worse, another mysterious death is shaking Little Acorn.

The victim is grizzled, cantankerous Linc Pierce, the only farmer in Little Acorn whose strawberry crop was fruitful.  Charlotte and her old friend Beau Mason find him hanging from the rafter, an apparent suicide.  But a cursory search turns up a half-eaten sandwich.  Who eats before he kills himself?

Chief Goodacre suspects foul play.  Her prime suspect is Beau, who exchanged words -- and worse -- with Linc earlier in the day.  Meanwhile, Little Acorn's farmers point accusing fingers at one another, recalling Linc's suggestion that someone sabotaged their strawberries.  As Charlotte searches for clues to exonerate Beau, she finds something on Linc's workbench not buried in dust.  Could this be why Linc's strawberry plants are alive?  And, perhaps, why Linc is dead?

Now, if Charlotte and Horse -- the farm's baby pig with a bottomless stomach and an insatiable hunger for sleuthing -- can't root out the murderer, they too, may end up dead and berried.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Charlotte Finn inherited the Finn Family Farm from her late uncle.  At first, she was going to sell it and go back to her job in Chicago, but after being there for a while decided she wanted to stay and make the farm profitable.  She's repaired the pond she used to swim in, made additions, and now her best friend Diane Mason is getting ready to open a farm-to-table restaurant on the farm.  Her crops are doing well, and she's pleased.  

At least until she and Diane's brother Beau go into town and hear some of the other farm owners talking about the strawberry blight.  While she doesn't have it herself, she wants to know what is going on.  After Beau gets into an altercation with Linc Pierce, they leave.  The next day Beau wants to make amends and he and Charlotte go to Linc's farm only to find him dead.  While it looks like suicide at first, it's soon found to be a homicide.  With Beau the main suspect, Charlotte is determined to prove his innocence.  Especially when she finds something horrifying on her farm, and clues all around her.  Now if she can just discover what they mean...

This is the second book in the series and I enjoyed it much more than the first (sorry).  The characters are a little bit more fleshed out, and the story line is very good.  We go with Charlotte and gather clues along the way, hoping to find the trail of a killer.  We also find that Samuel, her farmer, is along and willing to help, if only to keep her out of trouble.  She has her own ideas on how to figure out who is ruining everyone's strawberry plants, and she's going to do something about it, even if it does get her into trouble.

Sheriff Goodacre likes Charlotte, but refuses to share information -- unless Charlotte has something that's worth sharing with her.  Their rapport is also excellent, and I like the fact that the sheriff doesn't dismiss Charlotte out of hand deciding that she's 'just rambling on.'  She actually listens to her and follows leads when necessary.

When we come to the climax and the murderer is revealed, it's a rather interesting one.  It occurs at the same time as another event, and mixing the two together seems to work somehow.  While I don't see a third book in the planning, I do hope that the author follows through and writes one.  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/Strawberries-Crime-Finn-Family-Mystery-ebook/dp/B08D8JPCHT/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5499451362

More on Elle Brooke White's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/w/elle-brooke-white/

A Catered Doggie Wedding (A Mystery with Recipes Book 17)

Author:    Isis Crawford

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:   9781496734969 

Kensington Cozies

336 Pages

$13.51; $12.99 Amazon

June 28, 2022

⭐⭐⭐

At A Little Taste of Heaven, Bernie and Libby Simmons cater all sorts of affairs, from book clubs to bridal showers and everything in between.  So when their counterman, Googie, asks them to cater a doggie wedding for his girlfriend Jennie's eight-month-old golden retrievers, they jump on the opportunity.  The reception, which will also serve as a grand opening for Jennie's new doggie daycare center, is no small affair.  Bertha and Ernie -- the bride and groom -- will be celebrating with more than a hundred guests, including the puppers' pals and their people.

But all weddings, even shaggy shindigs, come with some drama.  Not everyone in town is excited about the upcoming pup-tuials -- or Jennie's business.  Someone is sending threatening messages to Bernie, Libby, and others in town, warning them to cancel the festivities.  But when folks start dying under curious circumstances, Bernie and Libby know it's up to them to untangle the leads and find the murderer before anyone else bites it.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Bernie and Libby Simmons own a bakery called A Little Taste of Heaven, which used to be their late mother's.  They're successful at it, and they live upstairs in an apartment along with their retired police chief father, Sean.  One day at work, their employee Googie asks if they'd be willing to cater a dog wedding for his girlfriend Jennie's golden retrievers, Bertha and Ernie.  Happy to do it, they want to see the space they'll be using.

Jennie is excited, but not about the fact that her business neighbor Rachel is trying to get rid of her any way she can.  It's starting to cause problems, and unfortunately, Bernie and Libby are sucked right into the middle of it.  Especially when Jennie's contractor, Tom Bannon, is found murdered and Jennie is the main suspect.  When the women, along with the florist and photographer, begin to receive harassing messages, they vow to stick with it, even against the new police chief's threats.  But when there's another murder, they're on a time limit to find a killer...who will have no qualms about killing again...

This is the seventeenth book in the series, and I have read most of them, and all of the latest.  I have mixed feelings about this book (and I believe I mentioned it in other books as well).  Bernie and Libby are apparently in their thirties, but they argue like teenagers.  Which makes the next thing I mention make perfect sense: They have 'beaus' who apparently aren't really so.  They never go on dates, never spend any time with them except at the local bar where Bernie's boyfriend Brandon is a bartender, or anything to do with a murder.  I would have thought that their relationships would have progressed at this point.  No talking about moving in together?  Getting married?  Are they going to be two old spinsters who own the local bakery?  I know this doesn't bother others, but I like to see progression in mysteries.  These have none.

I also don't really care for the cringe-worthy fact that they have no problem just going into someone's home and poking around.  It might not be breaking and entering, but it's the next best thing to it.  Surely there are other ways to get the information they crave.  But other than the things I've mentioned above, I did enjoy the book.  Enough that I would gladly read the next in the series.  There's no doubt that they can figure out who the murderer is (almost a little too late, but that is also so in other series, so no big deal here).  The ending was interesting, and the way it played out.  I do like their father Sean and his friend Clyde quite a bit, and look forward to them being in each book.  

The mystery was done well, as were the clues, and the time it took to solve it was no more than it should have been.  Again, I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to the next by Ms. Crawford.  Some of the recipes sounded yummy also and I may very well try them.

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

https://www.amazon.com/Catered-Doggie-Wedding-Mystery-Recipes-ebook/dp/B09K4PX9FN/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5494776468

More on Isis Crawford's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/c/isis-crawford/

Steeped In Malice (Tea By The Sea Mysteries Book 4)

Author:    Vicki Delany

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496737724

Kensington Cozies

288 Pages

$27.00; $13.77 Amazon

July 25, 2023

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Afternoon tea isn't just about flavorful brews and delicious treats.  It's also about presentation -- fine China teacups (never mugs!) with carefully coordinated saucers and plates.  With her fragile stock running low, Lily has an excuse to indulge in one of her favorite hobbies: visiting an antiques fair for replacements.

Among other finds, Lily snaps up a charming Peter Rabbit-themed tea set in a wicker basket, perfect for children's events.  But a few days later, a woman named Kimberly marches into the tearoom, rudely demanding to buy it back -- then later returns and removes an envelope hidden in the basket's lining.

An acquaintance of Lily's named Rachel is on the trail of the tea set too.  Apparently, she and Kimberly are half-sisters, searching for their mother's final will.  To her annoyance, Lily is dunked into the middle of this mess -- especially when her ex-boyfriend turns out to be involved.  But it's more than a storm in a teacup when one of the sisters is found dead on the grounds of the B&B owned by Lily's grandmother, Rose.

Is this a simple case of greed boiling over, or are there other suspects in the blend?  It'll take some savvy sleuthing from Lily, Rose, and their allies to find the answers before a killer shatters more lives....

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Lily Roberts is the proprietor of Tea by the Sea, a tearoom not too far from her grandmother Rose's beautiful B&B in Massachusetts.  After leaving her job as a pastry chef in Manhattan behind, she's finally achieved her dream and couldn't be happier.  What she needs now, however, is to peruse the aisles of an antiques fair in town, hoping to find new tea sets, because China is fragile and occasionally a piece or two gets broken.

When she, along with Rose and Lily's best friend Bernie arrive, they soon find what Lily is looking for: lovely things including a child's Peter Rabbit tea set nestled in a cute woven basket.  Although the price is a bit steep, Lily can't resist.  She's happy with her purchase and can't wait to use it.  However, the next day a young woman comes looking for her and demands she produce it.  Lily, irritated at the woman's rudeness, tells her it's being used right now and she'll have to come back after closing.  The woman argues for a while, then storms out.

When the woman, who states her name is Kimberly Smithfield, returns for the set, all she does is rip the lining and take an envelope, telling Lily she can keep the set and throws money at her.  Lily is surprised, but glad she gets to keep her prize.  Later, an acquaintance from her old New York days, Rachel Morrison, arrives, also looking for the set, is dismayed to find that Kimberly took the envelope.

But the real surprises come later:  Lily discovers that Kimberly -- and her new husband -- are staying at Rose's B&B.  Rachel and Kimberly are half-sisters.  And Kimberly's husband is none other than Lily's ex-boyfriend, Wesley, whom she broke up with and left behind along with her past.  But he doesn't seem to be done with Lily.  He wants her to come back to work for him, and seemingly won't take no for an answer.

When Lily hears a late night conversation and her little dog finds a body, the police are called.  Now Lily is reluctantly involved in another murder investigation, and it may take all her wits and the help of her friends and Rose to solve this one.  No one is saying anything, and Lily doesn't have a lot to go on.  Everyone is keeping secrets and lies...and one of them is a murderer...

This is the fourth book in the series and I have loved them all.  It just keeps getting better and better.  The author is not only a prolific writer, but a talented one who takes us places we dream about and would love to visit.  I can't imagine anything nicer than staying at a seaside B&B with a tearoom nearby.

I get a kick out of Bernie and her constantly changing book plots; it's amazing because she's so smart otherwise and knows her way around the inside of a computer (being married to an IT specialist myself, he knows the ins and outs and it leaves me in awe -- and I know computers pretty well myself).  Bernie has a knack for finding things out, and she's a great help to Lily.

Lily is a woman on a mission, and it's a good thing she has a good staff, because this investigation leaves her a bit stumped.  It doesn't help that her ex is a nasty piece of work, and his being in town is not something she's enjoying.  But at stake is an estate worth millions, and none of the parties are willing to give up until what was in the envelope is found, and it leaves Lily wondering about it.  

Watching her go through the motions of questioning people and trying to figure it all out is worth reading the book.  Lily and her friends conspire to find the truth of the matter, and when it all comes together at the end, there are unexpected resolutions and a killer who's been hiding just barely under the wire.  The ending is also worth reading the book for, and there are some recipes in the back that you might find interesting.  I am looking forward to reading the next in the series and highly recommend this book.

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/Steeped-Malice-Tea-Mysteries-Book-ebook/dp/B0BKTY6CQ3/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5478960486

More on Vicki Delany's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/d/vicki-delany/

Murder At the Pumpkin Pageant (A Beacon Bakeshop Mystery Book 4)

Author:    Darci Hannah

Genre:     Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496741721

Kensington Cozies

352 Pages

$8.99; $6.99

July 25, 2023

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lindsey prefers to keep her bakeshop's Halloween decor light and autumnal, rather than gruesome and ghoulish.  But everyone knows her lighthouse home is haunted.  Some intrepid teens have even tried to break in to witness the resident ghost themselves.  Dreading Halloween night, Lindsey reluctantly allows her influencer and podcaster best friend, Kennedy, to host a live ghost hunting investigation in the lighthouse, conducted by a professional team.  Protective of her ghost, Lindsey is understandably nervous about what they might uncover...

The segment is uneventful -- until things take a terrifying turn.  The team freaks out.  As Kennedy joins the mad dash outside, she bumps into what looks like the prankster teens' creepy clown costume hanging from a tree.  But when Lindsey's dog, Wellington, begins to whine, they make a grim discovery: the clown is no dummy.  It's a corpse.

Now Lindsey and company will need to keep their cool if they want a ghost of a chance to solve the murder -- and see another Halloween...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Lindsey Bakewell gave up her job in finance to move to Michigan and open a bakeshop -- right in the old lighthouse that even has a resident ghost, Captain Willy.  She's been happy and successful, and has made many new friends.  Among them first and foremost is Rory Campbell, with whom she's started a romance.  Also along is her best friend Kennedy, who's a successful podcaster and influencer herself, who stays in the lighthouse with Lindsey when she's in town.

It's closing in on Halloween, and Lindsey loves the pumpkin season.  What she doesn't love is the pranks that local teens have been playing on her: at night they've been hanging scary dummies in one of her trees (think along the lines of Freddy Kreuger).  She's determined to get to the bottom of who exactly has been doing it, and has asked for help from a local teacher that the students love.  During a pumpkin carving contest for the teens, she has her suspicions, but keeps them to herself. 

On top of that, a television ghost hunting team has descended upon the town, trying to find out if Lindsey's ghost is real or not.  Intrigued, Kennedy and Lindsey's friends convince her it can't be harmful.  But while on air, something spooks the team and they come running from the lighthouse.  Unfortunately, Kennedy bumps into what appears to be another dummy.  But it's not.  It's the body of a local.  Now there's a murder investigation, Lindsey's lighthouse is temporarily off limits, Kennedy is traumatized, and a visiting author is interested.  Where does Lindsey go from here?  And who killed the person?  She's determined to find out, even if it kills her...

This is the fourth book in the series and I have read them all.  I love this series.  Probably because I like the idea that she has a resident ghost that looks out for her (and vice versa), but I also love all the characters, her parents included.  They have depth, they have believability, and they act like real people act, which is a feat to truly achieve.

Lindsey has her ups and downs, just like us.  She cares for those who are close to her, and even those who are not.  She has a strong sense of integrity, and is smart. putting that knowledge to use when she's on a mission.  Her mission right now is to avoid the annoying author and find out who murdered someone on her grounds.  It's a task she doesn't take lightly, and her friends have her back.

When she starts looking, the suspect list grows longer.  But with each interview, the list dwindles until there are only two names on it, and she's not sure which one is the killer.  Once she has the information she needs from the coroner, this seems to begin to put things in focus, but is it the right path?

In the end, we have a climax that is extremely tense, and worth reading the entire book for.  While I was both a bit sad and happy, I do want to see all of the characters back in the next book.  Without saying any more, or ruining the book for others, I will say that this can be read as a standalone, but you will enjoy the rest of the series as well.  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-Pumpkin-Pageant-Bakeshop-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0BKTWSZBW/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5469741025

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

A Case of Vengeful Vows (Willow Cove Mysteries Book 3)

Author:    Lily Rose Lane

Genre:     Mystery

Digital Book

ASIN #:    B0BYTKH1FL

Whiskered Mysteries

168 Pages

$3.99 Amazon

March 21, 2023

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A well-deserved vacation shouldn't end in murder.

After solving two crimes in Willow Cove, Georgia, I definitely need a break.  And what better place to get away than a cozy little place in Ireland?  Well, cozy in the fact that I'm sharing a room with my mother and boyfriend.  And there's an entire wedding party staying at the inn with us.

Guess the luck of the Irish wasn't with us since we found a bridesmaid dead in her room.  Gavin thinks this is the perfect opportunity to investigate and spread the word about our little business.  But it isn't just the inn's resident cat who has been watching us.  And I have a bad feeling that the luck of the Irish isn't on our side in this case.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

After a disastrous marriage and horrible divorce, Aubrey Rose goes back to Georgia and working at her mom's B&B.  But since she's returned, she's been embroiled in two murders that she and the inn's handyman, Gavin, have solved.  Now they've decided that they want to open their own private investigation company, but they'll worry about that when they return, since they and her mother are in Ireland on a much-needed vacation.

They're sharing the large inn with a wedding party, and while, according to Aubrey, some of the guests seem pompous, they're harmless enough.  At least until the next morning when the maid of honor is discovered dead in her room -- which happens to be across the hall.  It seems the Garda isn't all that interested in solving the murder, but Aubrey and Gavin are.  Unfortunately, no one in the wedding is too keen on the idea.  While they decide to ask questions and investigate anyway, the last thing they think is going to happen does.  Someone wants them out of the way.  But who?  So they decide to dig into the dead woman's past, and what they find isn't pretty.

Determined to figure it out, they persevere even though it could put them in danger.  But when Aubrey's mother wants to help, they have no idea how charming the woman can be and how much information she can garner.  Aubrey is learning more about her mother than she knew, and less about the wedding party because they've warned her off.  Will they be able to figure it out and salvage the rest of their vacation?  Or will they be permanently be laid to rest on the Emerald Isle?...

This is the third book in the series and I have loved them all.  This one, though, is perhaps my favorite.  Mainly because it takes place in magical Ireland, and we get to see the real interaction between the three main characters without having to work -- being on a real vacation.  But of course, since they are at it again, they are working of a sort, and what a job they have ahead of them.  Who killed the young woman, and why?  People seem to have a motive, but nothing that warrants murder.  And it may take all of Aubrey's wits to figure it out.  

The ending was done very well, and the mystery more so.  I loved the interaction between all the characters in the book (although I do think the wedding party should have invited the three to the wedding, considering; for we know they will be the ones who solve the murder!).  I even love the fact that Aubrey is warming up to cats.  I have several, and they are so loving and protective of me.  All in all, a very good read and I look forward to the next in the series.

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/Case-Vengeful-Vows-Willow-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0BYTKH1FL/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5460497260

More on Lily Rose Lane's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/l/lily-rose-lane/

Cookies And A Killer (The Accidental Ghost Detective Book 4)

Author:    Emmie Lyn

Genre:     Mystery

Digital Book

ASIN #:    B0BYRKGF6Z

Whiskered Mysteries

185 Pages

$3.99 Amazon

March 21, 2023

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The launching of a new bakery and fundraiser in town should be cause for celebration, not a murder investigation.

Just when Nikki Knight thinks things might be getting back to normal in Frog Hollow, her friend Carla's business manager is found dead at the scene of her new, year-round Christmas bakery.

When Dale, the gourmet grocer next door, suggests that the cookie fundraiser be held at his place, Nikki and the Accidental Ghost Detective team suspect foul play.

But all signs are pointing to Carla and some strange magical happenings.  Can Dash and Nikki sniff out this case before the cookie crumbles?

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Nikki Knight inherited her large B&B from her late Aunt Audrey -- who's still around as a ghost, guiding her through messy situations.  But today, Nikki, Audrey, her cook and friend Birdie, and of course, her talking dog Dash and not-talking dog Honey are all going to their friend Carla's new opening of The Gingerbread House, a year-round Christmas bakery.  They're also bringing along boxes of cookies for her to sell for an animal shelter fundraiser.  But when they arrive, Nikki finds cookie crumbs and Dash finds a dead body -- that of Carla's business manager Gail, stuffed in one of the display cases.  Now Detective Paine has another murder on her hands, and she isn't happy to find Nikki there.

But Nikki and her Ghost Detective Agency have ideas of their own.  They want to find the killer and clear Carla's name since Detective Paine thinks Carla might be the main suspect.  When Nikki's best friend Lacey shows up along with one of her beauty salon customers, Pearl, Nikki finds that Pearl can understand Dash, too.  How?  What she soon learns is that Pearl is a witch -- although a bit of a strange one -- and Nikki doesn't know what to make of it.  Will Pearl be a help or a hindrance?  How will she prove Carla 's innocence when things are pointing to her?  And will she find the murderer before they have a chance to kill again?...

This is the fourth book in the series and I absolutely love it.  Nikki is an interesting character.  She's managed to run a successful business, is intelligent and attractive, and keeps secrets well.  I do also love the fact that her love interest, Luc, is a mystery writer and doesn't keep telling her to 'stay out of' the investigation and finding clues.  He trusts her to do the right thing, and that's the biggest plus in this book (also, she might actually be giving him ideas for new mysteries, but hey--).

When she starts investigating, she relies on her trusty Dachshund Dash (Prince Dash to you) to help her with discovering clues, and his nose never disappoints.  He can smell things she can't, and therefore figure out what's really going on around them.  What he's really searching for is sausage, but that's neither here nor there!

Now with Pearl as the newest member of the Ghost Agency, things are changing, and Nikki likes the older woman, who brings her own twist on things.  I knew who the murderer was halfway through the book, but as I've said ad nauseum, I read a lot of mysteries.  When Nikki discovers the killer, she's finally put her clues together but it just might be too late (we hope not).  The clues are there throughout the story, you just have to look for them.  

One thing this has given me is the fact that I would like to visit quirky Frog Hollow and stay at the B&B and even meet Audrey in all her shimmery glory.  This series is one of the most enjoyable I read, and I look forward to many more.  Highly recommended.

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

https://www.amazon.com/Cookies-Killer-Accidental-Ghost-Detective-ebook/dp/B0BYRKGF6Z/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5458126472

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