A Corpse At The Witching Hour (Food Blogger Mysteries Book 6)

Author:    Debra Sennefelder

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781960511393

Beyond The Page Publishing

228 Pages

$14.99; $5.99 Amazon

October 6, 2023

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When her best friend's Aunt Issy falls ill, food blogger Hope Early agrees to help him hand out Halloween candy at his aunt's house, which is rumored to be cursed.  A murder-suicide took place there a century ago, and legend has it that a woman has died there every twenty years since -- on Halloween.  Hope doesn't really believe in curses or ghosts, but when all the trick-or-treaters are gone and she discovers a woman's dead body on the front lawn, she wonders if the curse might be real after all.

The Hope and her friend discover a cache of love letters linking the dead woman to Aunt Issy's husband years ago, and Hope is certain they've uncovered the motive for murder -- and the police are certain Aunt Issy is their main suspect.  Determined to prove Issy's innocence and nab the real culprit, Hope starts shaking other branches of the family tree.  But she forgets that Halloween isn't the only day people hide behind masks, and if she's not careful, Hope will come face-to-face with a ghoulish fiend who's not afraid to kill again...

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Hope Early is finally getting her life in order.  She has a successful food blog, sold e-cookbooks, and is finally getting a physical cookbook published.  She's even moving forward with renovating her barn for a kitchen where she can film her show and practice recipes.  Everything seems to be going smoothly, until her boyfriend Ethan changes their Halloween plans...

The plans she had with him and his two daughters, where they were going to go trick-or-treating.  It appears that his ex-wife, now out of rehab, has decided she wants the girls for Halloween, so Hope really can't do much.  But her best friend Drew comes to the rescue when he wants Hope to help give out candy at his ailing Aunt Issy's home, which is reputed to be haunted.  Hope loves both Drew and Issy, so she's happy to do so.  

When Hope is cleaning up the front yard after the evening is done, she's greeted with an unwelcome surprise: there's a dead body dressed like a witch sitting on the lawn.  Definitely dead.  And no one seems to know who the woman is; not Hope, Issy, Drew, or anyone in town.  So who was this woman, and why was she here?  All Hope knows is that the woman has been following her for a couple of days, but that's all the information she has.

Then Drew and Hope find old letters in a box that's been stuffed in the walls of the home that Drew is renovating.  Reading them, they find that they're connected to Issy's late husband.  Does Issy know the source of the letters?  She's too ill to ask, so they decide to keep it quiet for a while.  But doing so could compromise the investigation.  And when Drew's family members might be implicated in the murder, he asks for Hope's help.  Even when the police warn her to stay out of it, she knows she can't.  But could it lead to her own murder as well?...

This is the sixth book in the series, and I was taken by how good it was.  Although I felt that it had a slow start, once the body was found, things began to pick up the pace.  It was more a mystery-within-a-mystery, and I absolutely love it when that happens.  Solving two mysteries at once is wonderful for the brain.  And this was definitely a good book for that to occur.

Hope knows she has to ruffle feathers to get to the truth, but she forges ahead anyway.  Poor Drew has 

his own problems to sort out, so he's not much help in this one, but her sister is along for the ride.  It's an interesting tale to be told, and clues go from one end to the other, but nothing seems to be giving the truth of the matter.  Confusion, misdirection, intrigue and too many secrets abound in this mystery, yet it all works together well.

When we come to the end of the story and the killer is revealed, it was a surprise to me; but then again, it was supposed to be.  It's a delightful narrative that pulls you right from the murder and keeps you from putting down the book until the end.  Highly recommended.

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

https://www.amazon.com/Corpse-Witching-Hour-Blogger-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0CKM7LTGJ/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5934846060

More on Debra Sennefelder's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/s/debra-sennefelder/

Lost and Hound (A "Sister" Jane Book #15)

Author:    Rita Mae Brown

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book (Audiobook Available)

ISBN #:    9780593357576

Ballantine Books

272 Pages

$28.00; $13.99 Amazon

October 24, 2023

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Early fall in Virginia means shorter days, cooler temperatures, the blooming milkweeds of summer giving way to fields of fluffy seeds -- and of course, the start of fox hunting season.  It's "Sister" Jane Arnold's favorite time of year.  And this year, the Jefferson Hunt Club is busier than every, organizing a fundraising drive to help with the upkeep of their beloved hunting grounds.

But the festive season is interrupted by the appearance of a dead body, tied to a chair and placed directly in the path of an early-season hunt.  No one recognizes the victim, but the intentional placement makes it clear that someone is sending a message.  Then, one huntsman's valuable stamp collection is stolen, and they discover the victim was also a stamp collector.  Sister suspects a connection, which is confirmed when just one stamp is found taped to the garage door of her friend and treasurer of the hunt club Ronnie Haslip.  Could Ronnie have been involved in either the murder or the theft, or has he been marked as the next victim?  Sister must uncover who has been sending those cryptic signs to her friends -- before any of them wind up dead.

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Jane "Sister" Arnold lives in Albemarle County, Virginia with her husband Gray.  She and her friends live for the hunt, and raise both horses and dogs.  It's the beginning of autumn, and they decide to enter the fray, only to find that there is too much fog for anything to happen, so they all retire back home.  But the next morning after the fog lifts, it is discovered that there is a dead body tied to a chair.  Unfortunately, the vultures have already had at him, which makes it a bit impossible to tell who he is.  That and the fact that there is no identification.

Why was he tied there, in the way of the hunt?  Who is he?  How did he die?  And what does it have to do with the hunt club, if anything?  These are the questions that need to be answered, but no one has any of them.  Still, the questions linger, and soon enough it's discovered that perhaps it does have something to do with a member of the hunt club.  But is it ominous?  And does that member have anything to do with the murder?  Sister is determined to find out, even if it might be dangerous to do so...

I will admit that this is the first book in this series that I have read.  I also freely admit that I love Mrs. Murphy series, and have read almost all of those.  So yes, I was willing to give this one a go.  Upon starting the book, I had no idea that I would learn so much about fox hunting.  (Not enough to try it myself as I am a city girl born and bred, but it's an interesting idea otherwise!)  It's extremely detailed and everything is recorded, you need a hunt master (which I knew) and others to keep everything running smoothly.  There are so many details that I can't list them all here, but it's a lot of work and takes a lot of people.

However, Ms. Brown gives us an interesting story in between the hunting.  Her writing is warm and the characters are believable.  The story is written well, and it is nearly impossible to discover the reasons why the murder was committed.  But even though the clues are there, this is how a good tale is done.  You need to figure out what those clues mean, and decipher them along with the protagonist.  While Sister doesn't really figure out the mystery, she is as much a part of it as her fellow huntsmen.

When the ending comes and the murderer is revealed, they are one of the most despicable of all.  There is no sympathy for this person.  We cannot feel for each killer, nor should we.  All in all, the ending is worth the read, and when everything is said and done, we have read a good story.  I look forward to the next in the series.  Recommended.

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

https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Hound-Novel-Sister-Jane/dp/0593357574/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5921590632

More on Rita Mae Brown's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/rita-mae-brown/

Double Grudge Donuts (A Deputy Donut Mystery Book 8)

Author:    Ginger Bolton

Genre:     Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496740212

Kensington Cozies

256 Pages

$16.95; $9.99 Amazon

February 20, 2024

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When the Fallingbrook Arts Festival rolls into town weeks before she's set to tie the knot, Emily expects talent and friendly competition at the week-long summer series to go together like coffee and double fudge.  But the fun crumbles fast after a lively bagpiper takes first place on day one and turns heads for the wrong reasons -- all before Emily and her tabby cat find him dead in a clear case of murder.  Along with a distinctive weapon at the crime scene, several strategically placed items leave distrubing clues about the killer's identity, including a broken piece of a Deputy Donut mug...

While detectives aren't sure who silenced the bagpiper's music, they don't trust Emily or her family to tell the truth.  With her nuptials and career on the line, Emily launches an unsettling investigation to save herself from trouble and bring a dangerous figure to justice.  The search not only brings too many suspects into the picture, but also leads to a strange discovery on Deputy Donut's rooftop.  A discovery that tells Emily she better get cooking, because someone may be watcring her every move...and carefully plotting to turn a wedding into a funeral!

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Emily Westhill is half owner of Deputy Donut, along with her ex-father-in-law Tom.  She's thriving and happy and about to marry her fiancé, Brent Fyne.  The Fallingbrook Arts Festival is in town, and she's getting more business with the competitors moving from business to business with their acts.  Life is good...or at least it was...

When she watches a bagpiper play, it's obvious he's very good and of course, wins one of the contests.  But he's also annoying, playing the pipes up and down the street, during other's acts.  After speaking with people, Emily finds out that he's not well-liked, either.  The next morning tragedy strikes when Emily finds the piper dead, and calls the police.  There's a list of suspects, and she's stunned to discover that both she and her parents are on the list.  With less than two weeks until her wedding, Emily knows she needs to figure this out now or wedding bells won't be ringing for her...

This is the eighth book in the series and I have read them all.  It's a delightful series, and the characters progress as it goes along; it's nice to see that things don't stay stagnant in the books.  Emily is a great character; she's strong, intelligent, and smart; Brent admires these things and doesn't berate her when she finds clues for him.  Her friends are interesting, as well as her employees, and we learn different things about them through the series.

In this one when the bagpiper dies, she doesn't know who the killer is, obviously, but she tries to find out (which is expected).  Is it someone she already knows, or a stranger to her?  And why was the piper killed?  Also, why, and this is a big one, was a Deputy Donut mug found next to him?  She's afraid it might implicate her parents in the murder, and she knows they didn't do it.  But looking for a suspect with so many people in town isn't easy.  Still, she manages to ask the right questions without antagonizing anyone, and that's a big plus in my eyes.

It isn't easy to write a review without giving away the plot line, mainly because this book has not been published yet, but I can tell you that Emily has a lot to do in this book, with the festival and wedding plans, and it might even be her cat Dep who gives her a clue, but you will have to read the book to find out.  The clues are there, but watch for the red herrings that pepper the book.

When the ending comes, the climax is worth it all as Emily needs to use her wits to figure it all out and stay safe (as we know she will).  It's practically the best part of the book and don't peek!  I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did, and 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/Double-Grudge-Donuts-Deputy-Mystery/dp/1496740211

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5917478781

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

A Parfait Crime (A Five-Ingredient Mystery Book 9)

Author:    Maya Corrigan

Genre:     Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496734594

Kensington Cozies

304 Pages

$8.99; $6.99 Amazon

October 24, 2023

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

At the site of a fatal blaze, Val's boyfriend, a firefighter trainee, is shocked to learn the victim is known to him, a woman named Jane who belonged to the local Agatha Christie book club -- and was rehearsing alongside Val's grandfather for an upcoming Christie play being staged for charity.  Just as shocking are the skeletal remains of a man found in the freezer.  Who is he and who put him on ice?

After Val is chosen to replace Jane in the play, the cast gathers at their house to get to work -- and enjoy Grandad's five-ingredient parfaits -- but all anyone can focus on is the bizarre real-life mystery.  When it's revealed that Jane's death was due to something other than smoke inhalation, Val and Grandad try to retrace her final days.  As they dig into her past life, their inquiry leads them to a fancy new spa in town -- where they discover that Jane wasn't the only one who had a skeleton in the cooler...

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Val lives with her grandfather in the house he's owned forever, and they're both happy with the arrangement.  When Val learns that there's been a fire and her boyfriend Bram has been fighting it alongside others, she's worried.  But more so because both he and Grandad knew the victim -- a woman named Jane Johnston, who was in the play both of them were rehearsing.  But then there's a complication -- Val learns that Jane may have found a person who got away with a crime, and she was not happy about it.  This person works at the new spa in town, and Val wonders who it is and what crime was committed...

So begins a tight tale of murder, exposed crimes, vengeance, and suspicion.  It's woven tightly and with the threads difficult to unravel.  Just as Val and her grandfather think they've found one clue; another red herring pops up to move them in a different direction.  Or does it?  Are they being manipulated intentionally?  Or are there just that many things occurring at the same time?

When Val is roped into playing Jane's part, she meets the other people in the play, and it appears to her that they might have secrets of their own.  In fact, they may have known what Jane knew, so are they suspects or potential victims?

This time, Val might be playing a dangerous game with others' lives without even knowing it, and will she be able to figure it out in time?  Or will her personal life keep her on her toes, as Bram has been leaving small hints himself when he speaks to her.  Val knows one thing -- if there's been one murder, there could very likely be two -- or three.  Will she be able to prevent them or will she be a victim herself?

This is a delightful mystery, one that pulls you in from the death in the beginning to all the clues scattered throughout.  Ms. Corrigan is talented enough that she can weave a tale that keeps you guessing, and hoping that you have everything right.  After all, half the reason you read mysteries is to see if you can solve it before the protagonist.  Even if you do, you might not have the right answers as to why the murder was committed.  When we come to the end, and the murderer is revealed, it all turns into a very good mystery that kept me reading throughout the night.  I love this series, I love the author, and the story (and the others) are written well with plots that are indeed worth it all.  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/Parfait-Crime-Five-Ingredient-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B0BT8P2FYK/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5906242385

More on Maya Corrigan's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/c/maya-corrigan/

Longstreet: The Confederate General Who Defied The South

Author: Elizabeth Varon

Genre:   History/War/Biographies

Hardcover; Digital Book (Audiobook Available)

ISBN #:    9781982148270

Simon & Schuster

480 Pages

$32.55; $16.99 Amazon

November 21, 2023

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

It was the most remarkable about-face in American history.  During the Civil War, General James Longstreet fought tenaciously for the Confederacy.  He was alongside Lee at Gettysburg (and counseled him not to order the ill-fated attacks on entrenched Union forces there).  He won a major Confederate victory at Chickamauga and was seriously wounded during a later battle.

After the war Longstreet moved to New Orleans, where he dramatically changed course.  He supported black voting and joined the newly elected, integrated postwar government in Louisiana.  When white supremacists took up arms to oust that government, Longstreet, leading the interracial state militia, did battle against former Confederates.  His defiance ignited a firestorm of controversy, as white Southerners branded him a race traitor and blamed him retroactively for the South's defeat in the Civil War.

Although he was one of the highest-ranking Confederate generals, Longstreet has never been commemorated with statues or other memorials in the South because of his postwar actions in rejecting the Lost Cause mythology and urging racial reconciliation.  He is being rediscovered in the new age of racial reckoning.  This is the first biography in decades and the first to give proper attention to Longstreet's post-Civil War career.

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I have to say that I love anything at all to do with the American Civil War.  This is because I married a man who grew up close to Gettysburg, and once I went to the battlefield, I was in awe.  Not only because of what I saw there, but because of the history that it tells.  Since then, I have collected hundreds of books on the war, and many of them are biographies.  However, this is the first one of Longstreet that I have read, and I have always wondered why no one has written anything -- until now.

The author gives us a complete history of this general, and how he came to be who he was in his later years.  As a southern gentleman, he went into the war with illusions, but came out with reality.  He was seriously wounded during the earlier Mexican-American war.  He came out of that with many accolades.

He was both a friend of Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee.  General Lee called him "The Old War Horse." and he was a close confidant.  Perhaps if Lee had listened to Longstreet's warnings, the battle at Gettysburg may have gone differently; but we will never know.  While he began as a Democrat he later changed to a Republican, and this book details the reasons why.  He came to know that slavery was wrong, and tried to do the right thing as he aged.

This biography is detailed and done with great research; although somewhat dry at times, it is still worth the read, and not too hefty of a tome (weighing in at 480 pages); it has given me a new understanding of the man and both his personal and professional life. Indeed, it stands well with other military biographies that I have read.  Even those who revile the Confederates should understand that it was a different time with different mores.  The writing is done very well, and the author has done herself proud.  Highly recommended.

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

https://www.amazon.com/Longstreet-Confederate-General-Defied-South-ebook/dp/B0BTZY4JLW/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5898020379

More on Elizabeth Varon's Books:    https://www.amazon.com/stores/Elizabeth-R.-Varon/author/B001JRYTGE?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref