Murders at the Winterbottom Women's Institute (Prunella Pearce Mystery #1)

Author:    Gina Kirkham

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781914614965

Bloodhound Books

342 Pages

$11.57; $7.99 Amazon

May 11, 2022

⭐⭐⭐

Librarian Prunella Pearce has left heartbreak behind to start a new life in the village of Winterbottom, where there's little social life to be had aside from the meetings of The Winterbottom Women's Institue at the parish hall.

But a bit of excitement ensues when the group is about to elect a new president -- and the nominees for the position begin dropping like flies.  One is found face down in a lemon drizzle cake, stabbed with a crochet needle.  Another nearly dies spectacularly in the revolving doors of a Harrogate hotel.  When Pru and her friend Bree agree to do some undercover snooping to help the police, little do they know that one of the Winterbottom women is hiding a scandalous secret...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

When Prunella Pearce caught her boyfriend of twelve years in bed with her best friend, she moved to a small village to begin anew.  As a librarian, she's found a semi-peaceful life and a new friend in Bree, a film researcher with a young son.  Her life, while not complete, is at least fairly peaceful.  That is, until she attends a meeting at the Women's Institute with Bree.  It appears Bree, along with several other women, has been nominated to be the new president.

But there's a problem -- one of the women has been found stabbed in the next with a crochet needle.  Now there's a murderer on the loose, and they seem to be targeting members of the group.  With the town wondering who's next, it's up to the police force to figure it all out...and with a little unauthorized help from the two women, they just might do that...

Oh, dear.  I really wanted to like this book.  But it's not really cozy, and I don't know what to label it.  First off, the characters aren't really given any depth.  Where is Bree's son while she's out getting plastered every chance she gets?  Is she leaving him alone?  Does he even exist?

I did not like the fact that senior women are depicted as "defective."  There is something wrong with every one of them.  As a matter of fact, they are all concerned with aging, and those that aren't dress themselves up like tarts to take on the town.  It appears Bree and Pru are the only ones not concerned about much... except drinking and sex.  I don't even know when they work, since they're never at their jobs.

There are a lot of conversations regarding sex, innuendos aplenty, mild sex scenes that don't have anything of much, and more conversations about sex.  This is what every woman has on her mind at one time or another, it appears.  Plus, Pru's relationship with Detective Andy Barnes jumps at a rapid pace itself.  One wonders if they even know anything about each other.

Then there is also the animal cruelty.  Not much; and not blatant, but unnecessary just the same.  It could have been handled differently.  I love animals and am not happy about that. 

Then at the last, we know who the murderer is right off.  We watch that person plan and kill, why they do it is rather sad, but I rarely read mysteries where the killer is known immediately.  It takes away the enjoyment of discovering who they are yourself, and there's really nothing to discover.  Except the fact that the women can't figure it out, even when the clues are there.  The ending had a different twist to it, and that was something, but again, as we knew the killer all along, it didn't really matter to me.  I wouldn't have finished this book except for the fact that I wanted to give the author a chance, and I will by reading the next in the series.

https://www.amazon.com/Murders-Winterbottom-Institute-Prunella-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B09YTH1BZB/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5619631333

More on Rita Kirkham's Books:    https://www.amazon.com/stores/Gina-Kirkham/author/B072M12HYH?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref

Murder In A Cup (A Crystals and CuriosiTEAS Mystery Book 2)

Author:    Lauren Elliott

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496739070

Kensington Cozies

304 Pages

November 28, 2023

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Self-taught "seer" Shay has much to learn as autumn hits the quaint coastal town of Bray Harbor.  Since attempting the art of blending herbs at her popular shop, Crystals & CuriosiTEAS, she's set on growing ingredients in the mysterious greenhouse on the second floor -- if only she can separate the medicinal plants from the deadly ones.  Her new skills are put to the test when she meets pub owner and ex-detective Liam Madigan's Gran.  A psychic from Ireland known for interpreting tea leaves and people, Gran encourages Shay to build upon her natural talents and hold her own group reading...

Despite Shay's reservations about putting herself in the spotlight, the evening goes off without a hitch.  At least, until she does a reading and a customer goes from chatty to dead in a flash, poisoned after sipping a toxic substance recently grown in the greenhouse.  Worse, Shay's assistant is suspected of intentionally serving the lethal brew and committing cold-blooded murder.  Now, aided only by Liam and her dog Spirit, Shay must exonerate her employee and save the future of Crystals & CuriosiTEAS.  But when clues start lining up like leaves in a teacup, she'll need to understand the signs right in front of her to catch the manipulative murderer before it's too late...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

When the local owner of a mystical shop dies, she leaves everything to Shay.  After Shay figures out why, she and her sister Jen proceed to turn the shop into Crystals and CuriosiTEAS, a teashop that also offers special blends to people needing help or guidance.  Occasionally, Shay will also do tea leaf readings, which has become popular amongst the locals.

One group, known as the white gloved ladies, has made the shop a weekly visit, and because they are so respected, Shay's new tearoom is booming.  Between her, Jen, and their teenage helper Tassi, they manage to make things work.  For a while, anyway -- until Tassi's dad shows up and declares that he's fighting her mother for custody.  Tassi dislikes her dad's fiancée, and refuses to go with him.  But one night, during a group reading, one of the women in the white glove group dies, prompting Tassi's father to get a restraining order against Shay and vowing to ruin her.

Shay is distraught, but when pub owner Liam Madigan returns from Ireland with his grandmother, known as 'Gran', the woman seeks out Shay and takes her under her wing.  To make matters worse, Liam is having troubles of his own, and his cousin shows up out of nowhere.

Shay has her hands full and her pockets temporarily empty, but will she be able to rectify the situation?  Will she be able to find out who really killed the woman?  And more so, will she be able to get her life back to where it was?...

This is merely the second book in the series but I am completely hooked on it.  I loved the first, and this one even more.  Shay is growing as a person, and being accepted for who she is.  Her life in this village begins to round out, until Tassi's unfortunate being of a father shows up.  She's sure he has an ulterior motive, but when he starts harassing her, she wonders why.

I love the character of Gran.  She's completely delightful.  A bit of the 'Old Country,' if you will.  I am pleased that the author brought her into the series, and hopefully will keep her there.  I did like Liam quite a bit, but as most men (don't get upset, we all know), he's a bit oblivious when it comes to certain things.  Read the book and you will know what I am talking about.

And let's not forget Spirit, the magical dog who appears just where he's needed most.  He's more than just a dog, but an intelligent friend who senses danger and knows just what to do to prevent it.  Ah, if only humans could understand what he is trying to say...

The murder itself is very well planned out, and quite a bit intriguing as well.  We watch as Shay tries to navigate her desire to help Tassi and figure out who the murderer might be at the same time.  While I knew who it was before Shay, it was entertaining to watch her figure it out and put the clues together.  In the end, it gives us a glimpse of what to look forward to in the next book, which, I think, will be just as enjoyable as this one.  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/Murder-Crystals-CuriosiTEAS-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B0BZBPVK1C/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5621410210

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

Poisoned Freebies at Phoebe's (An Ivy Creek Cozy Mystery Book 12)

Author:    Ruth Baker

Genre:     Mystery

Digital Book

ASIN #:    B0BZ8FVXGL

Clean Tales Publishing

124 Pages

$2.99 Amazon

June 30, 2023

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lucy Hale is excited about a new bridal shop in town, like the rest of the citizens in Ivy Creek.  Perhaps the buzz about this new entity on the high street has to do more with the appearance of a famous person at its launch.

When the day of the grand opening of the bridal shop arrives, the invited guests are looking forward to gazing at stunning bridal dresses, basking in the presence of a celebrity and enjoying free food!  Everything seems to be going as planned until a sudden commotion leads to the death of the celebrity's assistant.

In time, it's revealed that there were diabolical forces at play in the murder of this person.  But who would have wanted them dead?

Lucy has a feeling of deja vu as this latest murder in her small-town casts a dark shadow over it.  As she delves deeper into solving this murder mystery, she realizes a few people stood to gain from the deceased's demise.

Will Lucy help to find a cunning killer who appears to have covered all their tracks?

Or will her sleuthing lead her directly into the killer's web of deception and become their next victim?

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Lucy Hale, an ex-food blogger, returned to town to run her late parents' bakery.  Sweet Treats has taken off, and summer is just around the corner.  While she and her employees are always looking for new sweets to offer, they're also happy to be part of the town.

When a woman named Phoebe visits, she informs them that she's opening a new bridal shop, which is exciting for one of Lucy's employees, who is engaged to be married.  Even more, the grand opening will have an ex-hometown girl who went to Hollywood and made good.  But Vanna Verity isn't what they expected; she won't even make eye contact with anyone.  In fact, Lucy is completely unimpressed by her.

But when Vanna sends her assistant to her car to retrieve something, the woman never returns.  When Lucy goes to find her, the woman is dead -- after eating a sweet that was made specifically for Vanna.  Now Lucy wonders who wanted to kill the celebrity, and if they might try again...

I have read all of the books in this series and enjoyed each one more than the last.  While Vanna is completely unlikable, you almost wish she were the victim!  But Lucy does what she does best, and that's unveiling a killer.  Unfortunately, in this case, the killer might not be done, and someone else is on their list.

The plot is well written, and the characters are down to earth.  While I guessed the antagonist early on in the book, it was still interesting to see how everything played out.  Of course, the climax was intriguing, and the book is a lot of fun to read.  Recommended.

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

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BZ8FVXGL?tag=amberstone81-20

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5611593662

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

Songs of Wine and Murder (Tourist Trap Mysteries Book 15)

Author:    Lynn Cahoon

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781516111121

Lyrical Underground

192 Pages

$16.95; $7.49 Amazon

June 6, 2023

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

With the Moonstone Beach Festival coming up, Jill is touching base with her fellow small business owners to make it as successful as possible.  It's frustrating when Darla, the owner of South Cove Winery, is late to a big meeting, but they manage to get the discussion rolling about the kite flying event and Battle of the Bands -- which Darla's musician boyfriend is hoping will be his big break.  And Jill, of course, will be there with her food truck, hoping for a financial boost after a slow spring.

But amid the fun in the California sun, someone will soon be planning a funeral instead of a festival -- and Jill and her detective fiancé will have to find out who ruined the Moonstone Beach mood with murder...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Jill Gardner owns Coffee, Books, and More, and is happy with both her professional life and her personal life with her fiancé Greg King, the chief of police in their little town of South Cove, California.  Being a tourist town, the business-to-business group meets each month in her shop to discuss how to bring more tourists and just general things which happen in all towns.  Darla, who owns the winery, has a boyfriend named Matt who is a member of a band.  Darla is a whiz with events, and she has organized a kite festival and a music festival on the same day, with a battle of the bands; the winner being given a record contract.

Everyone is excited for this, since it means more business, and even Jill is preparing her food truck to set up on the beach.  But before the contest, a band member is found dead, and Greg soon discovers it's homicide.  Now with everyone pointing fingers at everyone else, Greg doesn't know what it will take to find a killer.  Of course, he has Jill, whom he's told to stay out of the investigation (but does she ever?) and not feeding her what he knows, she still manages to find clues.  But will everything go south for Matt, who might be a suspect?  Or will Greg and Jill find the killer before he's dragged off to jail...

This is the fifteenth book in the series, and I have read them all.  Ms. Cahoon knows just how to put her readers into South Cove, and keep them there throughout the book.  I'd love to visit the beach, so near to Jill's home, and even eat at the local diner (the only one in town).  I might even visit sour Josh's antique shop, if there was time.  But saying that, it is not enough.  There is more in store for our intrepid protagonist Jill.

She has plenty of help at the shop, with amazing Deek (whom I've come to adore); ladies' man Troy, who shares his job with his police duties; and the other employees, including a new one named Tilly who brings questions along with her new job.  The secondary plots in this series are just as important as the main one, bringing depth and even caring about the people behind them,

But the real question is, who killed the dead man?  And why?  Jill, who does her best to realize she needs to stay out the investigation (oh, sure), finds a clue that might be important; but she calls Greg immediately, so as not to have him think she's withholding information from him.  Could it be the one that breaks open the case?  And did I mention that before their wedding, Greg and Jill need to take a financial planning class?  Will they finally figure out who-owns-what?   (Just a side note on that one!)

Jill has her suspicions, and so does Greg.  But which one of them will be right?  Or will both of them be?  When the ending comes, everything is put together nicely, like an easy puzzle that was just waiting for the right piece.  And finally, the right piece is all it takes to give us something to look forward to in the next book.  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/Songs-Wine-Murder-Tourist-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0BM5MZQMP/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5602926752

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

Murder on the Orient Espresso (Apple Orchard Mysteries Book 19)

Author:    Chelsea Thomas

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9798395909923

Independently Published

218 Pages

$12.99; $5.99 Amazon

June 3, 2023

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When Chelsea moved back to Pine Grove, she expected relaxing afternoons in the orchard, fresh-baked apple pie, and time with family and friends.  And she got all that.  But what she didn't expect...

...was murder.

This time the dead body turns up at Pine Grove's new coffee shop.  The adorable coffee shop, housed in an old train car, was eagerly anticipated by everyone in town.  But the dead guy has tons of enemies, so there are plenty of suspects.

And Chelsea is one of them.

Chelsea's aunt Miss May is ready to help solve the mystery, just like she always is.  And their bottle-blonde bestie, Tenny, never backs down from an adventure.  But the local chief of police is determined to lock Chelsea up, and the killer sems determined to strike again.

Will Chelsea and the ladies solve the mystery in time?  Or will Chelsea end up in jail...or worse?

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Chelsea thinks her old truck has finally died.  So, she heads to the only car dealership in town, Adams Automotive.  But when the owner, Scott Adams, is rude to her and she also observes him being rude to one of his employees, she and her aunt Miss May leave.  When they are having coffee at a new local shop, Scott Adams is there also, and after a nasty conversation with the owner, he retires to a back booth.  But not for long... he keels over from what appears to be a heart attack.  But the ladies -- along with their best friend Teeny -- think he's been murdered, and want to investigate.  

Which is exactly what the police don't want them to do.  Especially Detective Wayne Hudson, Chelsea's fiancé, who wants to plan their wedding instead.  Apparently, someone else doesn't want them to investigate either, when they receive a telephone call that is supposedly from a hospital doctor telling them the death was natural, as Scott had hereditary heart disease.  But did he?  And was the call legitimate?  Of course, the only way they will know is if they investigate, right?...

To make matters worse, Chelsea's ex-fiancé Mike has moved to town with his new girlfriend Priscilla, and the last thing Chelsea wants is to see the dirtbag who left her at the altar.  But she knows she can't avoid him forever, but she can try.  

When the ladies start looking for people who might have had it in for Scott, they find there are plenty of suspects.  But no one wants to seem to talk about him, not even his ex-wife.  With little to go on, they keep plugging away, garnering what information they can from those who knew him.  And when they get closer to the killer, they just might be too late...

I love this series and every time a new book comes out, I know that I must read it.  I love all the characters (well, almost all; Sunny is not my favorite person -- or Chelsea's, if it comes to that).  At any rate, I love the small town of Pine Grove, New York, where people live quiet lives (albeit with a side of murder now and then) and seem happy to do so.  It would be delightful to visit the orchard, and pick out your own Christmas tree.

Chelsea and Miss May are not slouches in the amateur detective department, either.  Teeny has more enthusiasm than actual logic, but she's fun to listen to.  Between Chelsea and Miss May, they always come up with the right solution, even if it does take time to get there.  But without time, what would we have to read?  The plot is excellent, as always, and Chelsea is finally coming into her own, with no stuttering and actually being able to think fast when needed.  She's a complicated woman, but aren't we all?

In the end, when the murderer is discovered, I figured it out a tad bit before Chelsea (but then again, I always say I read a lot of mysteries on top of watching true crime shows on TV), yet the climax is definitely worth it all, and I even read it twice.  This is one of the best in the series, and 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/Murder-Orient-Espresso-Humorous-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0BW6C9YDC/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5591360630

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